Chapter 192: Breakthrough Complete! (3)- Don’t level up
Theo’s eyes squinted as he saw the interaction between the baroness and Elias. Something definitely was fishy there.
But the last nail in the coffin was finally thwacked in when the baroness patted Elias’s shoulder in pride.
That was what made Theo feel dumbfounded.
"How do you know Elias, mother?" Theo asked with a curious tone.
"Not even a greeting from you now, where have your manners gone, Theo?" The baroness said with strictness and moved her hand before Theo, only to tap it with her finger.
"Ah, my apologies, I hope you have been well, mother."
"I have, but I know you haven’t, Theo. I have been hearing you frantically going all around the castle since your breakthrough quest came." The baroness spoke with seriousness, but Theo could detect that pride in her eyes for him.
"It’s been a tough few days, mother. But things have definitely been progressing smoothly till now. I was able to procure the creatures that I need for the breakthrough." Theo spoke with a confident smile, and the baroness looked at the plate moving from in front of her.
"Sit here and complete your dinner, Elias." The baroness spoke while tapping the chair beside her.
Elias only looked at her with an awkward smile while the skepticism came back in Theo’s mind again.
"Again mother, how do you know Elias? Didn’t you just find him to fill the spot of the attendant?"
"Hasn’t Elias told you till now?" The baroness looked toward Elias, who was again very awkward for some reason.
"Tell me what?" Theo asked while looking at Elias, who just scratched the back of his head, which was unlike him.
"He is the son of my very dear friend who lives in the east of the empire." The baroness spoke while looking at Elias eat the food with warm eyes.
For some reason, Theo could tell why it was, and when she looked at him with a happy smile, he could tell it was because he was making Elias eat food with him, even though he was an attendant.
’It makes sense now, he seemed more skilled than a person who did attendant training... also that information collecting skill...’ Theo could tell Elias was a far more skilled individual, not just as an attendant, but with more skills that were important.
He had taken them as just a good attendant, but only now did he realize the difference completely.
"What are you up to right now?" The baroness asked with a plain face, yet Theo had a feeling that she already had the idea.
"Just trying to complete my quest right now, mother. As you know, I will be stuck at this level for as long as I don’t complete this quest of mine." Theo explained with a knowing smile.
"And that quest is to... tame ants?" The baroness asked again, trying to keep a plain face, but he could feel her frowning from her eyes.
"By the benevolent artifact, I was directed specifically to discover an insect that had the hive mind ability. So far, the ants are the only ones that have gone on the prospective list."
The baroness kept staring at Theo before a sigh came out of her mouth.
"Theo... if I tell you something, will you listen to me?" She asked with a concerned look.
’Is she going to stop me from taming the ants?’ Theo felt anxiety building in the center of his chest. Yet he quickly cooled himself again with a slow but deep breath.
Theo nodded for her to continue, as if telling her he wanted to know what he was supposed to listen about.
The baroness took a small moment before speaking. There was silence and then suddenly, there was not.
"... Please don’t level up for some time." The baroness said with the same concern as always.
Theo was dumbstruck. It was not about him taming the ants but directly just not leveling up? Theo felt ridiculous just thinking about not leveling up.
Seeing the surprise on his face, the baroness spoke again, "You have progressed very fast and by progress, I do not mean your level... but your individual skills too." She said and stopped.
"But moth—"
"Let me say it all," she stated after interrupting Theo before speaking again. "I would like to ask you something... do you know the level of the other children that are your age, Theo?" The baroness asked.
Theo knew where she was getting at, he gritted his teeth in frustration. Was he going to be stopped now after doing so much?
"... I don’t know." Theo lied.
"Let me tell you then," she spoke. "The average level of an 8-year-old is 2, Theo. Only a few hundred reach level 3, and there are only a few certain individuals who get their quest to break through at this tender age... you’re one of those rare ones, Theo."
"I also know that you’re not like those children that are power-leveled by their family to show off their genius. That always leads to the child dying earlier than others or being protected their whole life."
Theo was thinking of how she was explaining this all before coming to the point. The build-up meant that something very convincing was going to be thrown toward him.
"But even though you’re not like that, you’ll be seen as such, Theo."
It was at that line that Theo finally got the gist.
"... You’re worried that while my life is going to be a lot harder than the others anyway, I am trying to bring a lot more struggle for myself, right?" Theo said with a slow voice.
The baroness’s eyes quivered at the statement before she looked to the side for a moment before coming back. She nodded.
Theo took a big sigh and sat upright again. "Your concern is very valid, mother. Thank you for thinking so much about me." Theo said.
The baroness’s eyes flashed in understanding, thinking that Theo had agreed with her.
"But... what I am doing right now, it all feels right. The progress is not fast for me... it all felt easy, mother. But I know most of my troubles in life will come after I leave for the real world that is outside our Merrick territory." Theo stated with warm eyes.
"I need to be strong... stronger than anyone who ever tries to trample over me. I need strength and knowledge for that, mother."
"I want to be known as a genius from the Merricl bloodline."