After receiving permission, Marcus opened the door and entered.
Maverick was standing there, looking out of the window. His expression was calm like tranquil water; no one could tell what he was thinking.
Upon seeing his father, Marcus bowed slightly, his actions is very respectful.
Without waiting for Marcus to speak, Maverick said in a deep voice, without turn back, "Have you finished reading the book I gave you?"
"Yes," Marcus replied in a low voice.
"Very good. Now tell me the contents of the book," Maverick said, still not turning around.
"The contents of the book are related to our family's origin."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "According to the book, our family's history traces back to 2,000 years ago, when the human race was on the brink of extinction, and divine beings reigned supreme over the world.
"Two thousand years ago, Viamlus Kingdom was the only kingdom that resisted the invasion of divine beings the most. This kingdom was located at Philm Mountain, and our ancestor Atraxia was born there.
"He was born to a farmer family. When he was ten, the invasion from other races grew stronger, to the point that the kingdom was on the verge of collapse.
"At that time, aside from humans, there were elves, giants, dragons, fishmen, devils, and half-magicians."
Half-magicians were like humans, but they were born with natural magic. That is why humans called them half-magicians. This race was also our greatest helper. Without them, the human race might not even exist today.
"The village where our ancestor was born was called Cilsones. They lived there in peace under the kingdom's protection. But one day, the guards defending Cilsones suddenly vanished, leaving the village completely open to invasion.
"Fortunately, during the attack, our ancestor had gone out to gather fruit with his father. When they returned, their peaceful village was already in ruins, villagers had been kidnapped by devils, some eaten alive, others taken as slaves.
"They hadn't been detected by the enemy yet, so they hid in the forest. They observed the village for several days until Atraxia's father could no longer suppress his anxiety. He worried something had happened to his wife, and Atraxia felt the same. One day, his father could no longer endure it and decided to infiltrate the village to save her. But he refused to bring Atraxia. Our ancestor was stubborn and insisted on going too."
"No, son. Remember, besides you and me, everyone else has been taken by those demons. You must run away as far as you can," his father said anxiously.
"There isn't much time left. We need to hide and find the chance to learn where your mother is."
"But Father, I don't want to part from you. I want to save Mother with you. If you go alone, it's too risky…"
Before he could finish, his father retorted, "Enough! With your meagre strength, you can't last even a second against those monsters. You must run, run to the end of the world if you have to."
Atraxia's expression dropped. He lowered his head, unable to say another word. He knew well he would die if he went, but he didn't want to lose his only father either.
"Listen to me, son. You are our last hope. If you escape this village alive, it means you carry the hope of every villager. They may be kidnapped or eaten, but if we obey, we might live long enough for you to find someone who can help.
"Go now. I will go save your mother. Don't worry about me. At least I can stay by her side while we wait for you to return.
"But… Father, if you go, you could die at any moment," Atraxia said helplessly.
Atraxia felt helpless in this situation.
"Die? In your eyes, is your father so weak? Remember, your father is the strongest man in this village,' he said proudly.
"Now go. While the demons haven't detected you, take this chance and flee."
"Remember, God always leaves a path for those who keep walking. Light can be found even in the deepest darkness, it still shines."
"Okay… I will go and find help as soon as possible," Atraxia said, his fading expression replaced by determination.
"Haha… that's my son. Go now. I'll save your mother and draw their attention."
Without hesitation, Atraxia quickly leave and escaped the village safely. Under his father's gaze, as he saw his son disappear into the distance, his father couldn't help but reveal a sad smile.
...
"This was the end? It's too short of a story," Marcus said with curiosity swirling in his eyes.
At least the novels he had read before needed two or three days to finish. But the book his father gave him was only a short one.
"Yes. This is only Section One. There are still many more chapters. This part speaks of the early life of Raven, the son of humble farmers. There will be far more interesting stories about him later on," Maverick said in a deep voice as he finally turned and faced Marcus.
Marcus lowered his head slightly, as if the man before him wasn't his father, but a dominant figure whose presence alone demanded respect.
"I wonder… if I can read more about his story. It was very interesting," Marcus said, his voice filled with admiration.
"You can read the rest in the Second Area."
Without any hesitation, Maverick went straight to the point. "Actually, the reason I summoned you was not just to give you this book, but to tell you something regarding a discussion held this morning."
A curious look flashed across Marcus's face. Normally, an announcement from the higher-ups was something extremely important, something that had to be publicly known to everyone.
But his father was telling him first, before anyone else.
It felt like a kind of cheat, where everyone else took the long, straight road, while he was quietly given a hidden shortcut.
"This announcement will be published tomorrow morning at 7 AM, but you might still be trapped in your nightmare by then. So I am telling you in advance." Maverick's tone carried no emotion, calm and steady, like a still lake.
Without waiting for Marcus to speak, he continued, "Tomorrow's announcement is about establishing a new project called The Future Star. In the upcoming year, everyone will be required to go out for adventure and experience life outside the family. The limit is three years. When the three years are up, everyone must return and share the experience they gained with the higher-ups."
Upon hearing this, Marcus was stunned on the spot. This was a matter that could shake the entire family.
Normally, only those who became magicians were allowed to leave freely. But now, with this project, even ordinary family members could leave for three years. It was something completely new in all of the family's history.
"Of course, you can only go outside after turning twelve. And you must go as a group, with guards protecting you from hidden dangers," Maverick added while shifting his gaze back to the book The Origin of Atraxia.
Marcus, still frozen, suddenly felt joy rising inside him. A look of pure astonishment spread across his face. This was the first time he had ever heard that he would be allowed to go outside and see the world.
He had always read novels inside the family estate, never knowing what the real world even looked like. But now, finally, a chance had appeared.
The world outside must be interesting… I can travel anywhere, eat new food, read endless novels, meet countless people…
It's not that living in this castle is awful, but the food is bland except for my favorite dish, the novels are limited, and the classes… they're boring.
"To go outside, there will also be tests issued by the family. Each test is divided into different categories. As for what they are exactly, I do not know either," Maverick said while looking at Marcus with a firm, unreadable expression.
Hearing this, Marcus asked carefully, "Father… are the tests related to magic?"
"Perhaps. But there will also be tests on knowledge, combat, and many more things. It would be better for you to work harder starting today. If you truly want to go out and experience the real world, then you must stop what you've been doing and focus on studying."
Marcus seemed lost, not understanding what his father meant. The only part he truly understood was the last sentence.
Stop what I'm doing? Does he mean waking up late every day… and spending all my time reading novels?
Before Marcus could ask, Maverick continued, "You can't go outside without knowing anything, right? So it's better for you to stop wasting your time on novels and focus on your studies."
"Of course, this is only if you want to go outside. If you don't, you may continue living as you do now."
Marcus stood there, unable to grasp the full meaning of his father's words. He tried to search through his memories, comparing the situation with all the novels he had read, but still found no clear answer.
Just as he was about to speak, a deep voice cut him off again.
"It's already late. You may leave now and prepare for your class tomorrow. And don't forget to report to me if you encounter any more dreams."
"Okay…"
After watching his son leave, Maverick couldn't help but sigh. "I don't think this life is still continuing as it was… perhaps it was an agreement from the very beginning."
He stood there silently, watching the moon through the window. The pale light reflected on his calm yet weary face. He seemed helpless, yet strangely determined, as though he carried a burden no one else could bear. No one knew what he was truly thinking.
After a while, he sighed again, a soft breath drifting into the quiet room like a fading whisper…
...
After leaving his father's room, Marcus was still puzzled by his father's words. He didn't understand what it meant at all.
Yes… Father must be saying that I need to give up on novels and focus on studying. He must have meant that. But studying was too boring, and even when i sat there and focused all my attention on the professor's teaching, i still understood nothing.
Without thinking any further, he quickened his pace and start ran toward his room. The corridor was very quiet, so quiet that a faint chill ran down his spine. The night breeze was cold, and as Marcus walked, he couldn't help but recall the horror novels he had read.
His face suddenly turned pale. After remembering those scenes, he suddenly felt as if everything around him was alive and staring at him. Without another thought, he sprinted toward his room with a speed faster than a horse.