Chapitre 22: Robin's Tribulation
"Robin! Did you figure it out?" Deria asked, noticing a warm, yellow aura surrounding her son. The Saint Body's mana was strong, radiating visibly from him. Robin smiled and explained the manual's workings, helping her understand why she couldn't grasp it. Without the Saint Body's healing power, the manual's side effects would have been too much for her.
"Robin… you really are a lucky charm," Deria said, though she couldn't hide her confusion. "But I still don't understand how you bypassed the restrictions in the manual. You're not even an elemental mage." She knew that Robin's affinities lay in Light and Dark magic, far from elemental magic.
"Mom, it's because I unlocked a divine healing skill that lets me brute-force through restrictions," he replied. "I could absorb the mana, then adjust to its unique mana path." The manual's "mana path" dictated the flow of mana through a mage's body, and he had finally learned to align with it.
Rumors had already spread throughout the kingdom, with people suspecting he might be a reincarnated god. Soldiers who had witnessed his feats firsthand couldn't stay silent, bringing tales of his healing miracles and battlefield prowess to their villages. He had earned titles like "Slayer of Demon Lords" and "Supreme Healer"—names that he found overly dramatic, but he let people talk.
Robin stood up, realizing he had grown slightly taller and more muscular, his aura now radiating with a stronger, divine energy. Deria inspected him closely, an amused look crossing her face. "Well, since you love a challenge, I'll give you one—expect a sibling soon," she said with a serious smile. "I expect you to live long enough to see them grow up."
Robin's eyes widened, a huge smile breaking across his face. "Aaaah… Mom, you can't just drop news like that!" he laughed, trying and failing to hide his excitement. Deria chuckled at his reaction.
They placed the manual back on its shelf. Though it had no more use for Robin, he planned to study it further to see if he could remove its restrictions and make it accessible for other mages in the kingdom.
That night, Robin stayed in the vault until midnight, preparing to head back to rest. With all he had been through, he felt drained but thankful—and now, he had the promise of a sibling to look forward to, a new light on the horizon. As he walked outside the vault with his mother he was again lost in thought, he felt the magic system was too fast since he was already approaching to Arch Mage, the he would was completely sure he would progress to an Supreme mage very quickly.
Reflecting on his recent battles, Robin realized that the title of "Arch Mage" wasn't as powerful as he'd once thought. A strong Junior Diamond Knight could contend with them effectively. He felt there were unseen barriers preventing mages from reaching their true potential—chains that seemed to hold anyone back from growing stronger, especially in magic. Unlike physical prowess, which had clear limits, magic should theoretically be boundless.
He shook off these thoughts, telling himself he was likely overthinking things. But deep down, the feeling persisted, hinting at possibilities yet to be unlocked.
When Robin and his mother reached the palace doors, he went a separate path and headed straight to his room. There, he found Aria still sleeping; it seemed the power from the World Tree had taken a bit of a toll on her. He went to the bath, where the servants had prepared fresh clothes and hot water in a huge wooden basin large enough for two people. He freshened up and then lay down next to Aria, who seemed to have been crying.
"Robin..." she murmured, muttering his name as she opened her eyes. She noticed him beside her, and he immediately closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep. Feeling it was inappropriate to sleep in the same bed as the young prince, she began to sit up. Just as she was about to leave the bed, Robin took her hand and pulled her close to him, resting her head on his chest.
"Aria, you called me by my name for the first time," Robin said. "Also, I'm not letting you go until you tell me why you were crying."
Aria's face turned completely red, unsure of what to do as she lay on Robin's chest helplessly. She gathered her courage and said, "You'll have to protect me for at least 500 years. I'm afraid you'll... die early because of me, and I won't be able to protect..."
As she trailed off, about to tear up again, Robin held her gently and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"Don't worry. I plan to live more than a thousand years, and I'm not that weak. I won't die easily—you'll have a chance to protect me too, Aria," Robin said softly, reassuring her.
"Sigh... that World Tree was too blunt, and now she's stressed. I'm not even sure how I can surpass a lifespan of 250 years, what the hell is 'honoured one' the next i see her....." Robin could only complain angrily in his mind as he watched Aria slowly drift back to sleep on him.
The healing energy of her saintly body spread toward him with each touch, making her feel more at ease. Robin looked at the sleeping Aria and gently adjusted her into a more comfortable position, though she wouldn't let go of his arm. He couldn't help but smile at the sight.
He gradually fell asleep himself.
The next morning, sunlight filled Robin's room as he stretched and sat up, realizing Aria was no longer there. He decided to prepare himself and look for her later.
Knock! Knock! Robin called, "Come in," and saw it was his father, King Lion. "Good morning, Robin! I heard you brought home a beautiful elf as your wife," the king teased immediately. Robin rolled his eyes, but before he could respond, his father continued, "Anyway, for the next six months, you'll be my punching ba—uh, I mean, training partner! So freshen up quickly. Actually, forget that—you have five minutes! Let's go!"
Robin looked dumbfounded as he stared at his father. Just then, Aria entered the room with Ann, who had a fierce look on her face, as the door was already slightly open.
"Can I not get some privacy?" Robin thought, feeling even more baffled.
Aria was carrying a clean set of training armor wrapped up, while Ann looked directly at Robin, clearly annoyed. "Robin! You'll have to take responsibility for Aria from now on!" Ann shouted, as Aria's face turned red and she immediately looked down.
King Lion took the training armor from Aria and handed it to Robin, muttering in his ear, "So, how long until you give me a grandson?" Robin, now completely flustered, stood there in his light robes, unsure of what to say.
The girls immediately left the room, giving Robin a chance to prepare himself for the training session ahead.
As Robin was changing, King Lion said in a low, joking tone, "You know, you could just give me a grandson before heading off to the empire."
"Dad, it's way too early for that! Besides, I'll make it out alive, it can't be that bad," Robin replied with a smirk.
King Lion's expression turned serious. "Honestly, I am a bit worried. Your mother told me you gained a new divine skill. Even in the empire, fewer than 10% of people have one. Only a rare few have more, and those who do are… not exactly common. We want you to be as strong as possible, Robin. A lot of eyes will be on you, especially from the empire."
King Lion spoke with a hint of sadness. He silently wished Robin could live a normal life—he was only twelve years old, yet he had already drawn the attention of the most dangerous people in the land.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone