Waking up the next morning, Mitsuna was greeted by breakfast.
'Did the schedule change?'
Mitsuna thought as she waited for her mother to bring her for training.
After waiting for a minute, she decided to eat.
'Since mother is late I'll enjoy myself.'
Eating the strange pancakes on the plate with a light smile, Mitsuna finished before hearing steps approaching her room.
Listening while looking at the door, Mitsuna heard them pass without even a single halt.
Opening the door and peeking out, she saw that a maid had just passed by.
'Oh.'
Walking out into the corridor, Mitsuna made her way to her brother's room.
Passing the usual window, she glanced outside before continuing.
Reaching the room, she entered without even knocking.
"Jameson?"
No one answered.
'Don't tell me they're pulling one of 'those' again. I'm smart enough to not get stuck in a fridge.'
Closing the door, Mitsuna approached a maid.
"Good Morning. Do you know where Jameson is?"
"Good morning young miss. The young master is currently dining with the master and miss."
"Okay."
Walking back to her room, Mitsuna had thought that she had just woken up earlier than normal.
"Goodbye young miss."
Leaving the maid with a 'bye', Mitsuna made her way back to her room.
'I guess I'll go sleep some more.'
...
"Where is she?"
"She isn't in a fridge again is she?"
"Father, that is highly unlikely."
"Well, then I'll repeat your mother's question. Where is she?"
"I haven't the faintest clue. I'll go check her room."
"I will also come."
"Ary. It's fine."
Jameson left the table and had a maid bring him to his sister's room.
'I wonder if she is eating right.'
With simple thoughts about his sister's well being in mind, he knocked and opened the door after hearing no reply.
Within the room, all he saw was a lump on the bed and an empty plate.
'She's still sleeping.'
Rolling up to her, he slapped her head as hard as he could.
...
Waking up due to a slap, I was worried that I had upset mother in some way.
Looking up I only saw Jameson.
"Don't scare me like that."
"Why aren't you awake already?"
"I was but heard you were having breakfast so I went back to sleep thinking I had woken up at the wrong time."
"*Sigh* Dragons don't wake up at the wrong time. Their inner clock is a masterpiece that awakes them at the exact time they wish to awake. Like an extremely good alarm clock."
'So that's why mother always arrived exactly a minute after I woke up.'
"Anyway, everyone is waiting for you. Let's go."
"What's so special about today?"
"Did you forget? Really?"
"Mmm."
"*Sigh* Today is your birthday."
"Oh. Ok."
Letting out another sigh, Jameson spoke.
"The first birthday for a phoenix is the most important. It's the day you gain a talent."
"Talent?"
"The system treats each race slightly differently. Humans can change their class at almost any time, elves can increase their magic related stats by just living, demons gain strength based on the sins they commit, phoenixes and similar races gain a talent on one of their birthdays and so on."
"But what is it?"
"A talent can be anything from a skill to a title. Most commonly it's a title. Rarely a unique skill. Some have stated that their talent is a skill that can steal other skills from defeated enemies and the like as well."
"Isn't that cheating?"
"Well to us, gaining skills takes time and when you finally get the one you were aiming for it feels great. To others, it might seem tedious because of their short lifespan."
"What do you think my one will be?"
"Probably a title. [Lazy Bum] would be accurate."
"Hmph."
Reaching the dining room, Mitsuna's parents saw how she was pouting while talking to her brother.
'She Isn't planning on marrying inside the family. Right?'
Midithyr thought.
'Ah, my little ones are getting along so well.'
Aryamis thought.
Clearly, they held different feelings towards each child. I wonder what kind.
Sitting down next to Jameson, Mitsuna turned to her parents and waited for them to talk.
"Morning."
"Morning honey."
"Good morning."
"Today is your birthday right?"
"Yes."
"What talent do you think you'll get."
"[Lazy Bum]"
"Huh?"
"Jameson told me that it suits me."
Jameson suddenly felt sweat run down his back.
"Jameson... you know that a person's mindset affects their given talent right?" Aryamis spoke.
"Yes."
"Did you tease your sister?"
"... Yes."
"You'll train with me tomorrow."
"Wait, Ary, this is against-"
"Honey. I will train him tomorrow." Aryamis looked Midithyr right in his eyes as she said this.
"Y- yes dear."
"Good. Now tell us about the day out that you wanted Mitsuna."
With her mother's mood changing at such a rapid pace, Mitsuna was slightly struggling to keep up.
"Uhm. Go out and see the town and surrounding landscape?"
"Why phrase it like a question? If that is what you want then of course I'll agree to it."
"Mhm."
"So who do you plan on inviting?"
"Hm? You, Jameson and father. Is that too many?"
"Oh no, dear. Although I do wish to spend some quality time with you around town alone, I'm afraid the boys will be jealous."
Mitsuna looked at her father and brother.
Her brother was looking away while her father was nodding his head with closed eyes.
"So when do you want to go?"
"I don't know when everyone is free."
"Oh, we don't have anything important coming up."
"B- but the meeting with the other Ancient Emperors is to-"
"We're all completely free."
"Can we go tomorrow?"
"Of course we can."
With her father looking like he was about to faint from stress and her brother and mother surprisingly happy, Mitsuna continued the conversation before they could realize her father's sorry state.
"Uhm. So how do I get that talent?"
"It should happen at noon. That is when you were born after all."
Looking outside, Mitsuna could tell that it would take an hour or two.
"Can we train before that time?"
"Oh what a wonderful idea! Come on let's go now!"
With her mother suddenly dragging her out of the room, Mitsuna waved goodbye as the door closed.
"She sure is something."
"She is."
"So Jameson. What do you really think about her potential talent?"
"I still think it will be a title. But... a terrifying one for sure. Just like her when she is angry."
"Ah right. I remember seeing her angry while sparring with her mother before. Haha, she caught her so off guard that she almost lost an arm."
"And she has yet to level up once."
"Really... the Ancient Emperor meeting can go on without me. My children are much more important."
...
Mitsuna was currently swinging her sword after having a spar with her mother.
'Training like this is having less and less of an effect.'
Just as she thought this, a loud notification rang out in her head and she fell to the ground.
Aryamis, seeing this rushed over while yelling.
"Isn't this too early?! Mitsuna! Just think about what you want to be! It will make the choice -"
With her words slowly fading, Mitsuna could soon no longer hear her at all.
Waking up in a similar void, Mitsuna felt her body and looked around.
'Is this my mind or something? What the hell.'
A notification sprang out.
[Congratulations on Surviving as a Nearly Extinct Race for More Than [1] year.]
[In Commemoration of this, You will receive a Special Talent.]
[Please Pick from the Following Categories:
(Skill)
(Title)
(Unique Skill (Unavailable: Lack in Level))]
'Hmm. A Skill won't be as helpful as a Title since Titles are almost guaranteed to be like really strong passive skills. Although I do lack in active Skills I would rather have a Unique instead of a Normal Skill.'
'Since Unique Skill is out of the question I'll go with Title.'
Pressing the (Title) option, one more notification sprang out.
[Generating Title Best Fit for the User...]