Incarnate of the war God

A new beginning

First task completed: Pass the mana affinity test! Reward: 50 Hed coins and one low-grade mana crystal.}

{Profile upgraded:

Name: Alaric Wyth

Age: 18 years old

Mage Level: Tier Zero

Mage Class: Unknown

Nobility: Peasant

Wealth: 50 Hed coins

Mana Body Condition: Weak

Treasure: Low Grade Mana Crystal}

"When did I get the first quest? I never got a notification for that," Alaric asked curiously as he got the task completion notice.

{I could not give you a task unless you had your profile set up, and after you did, you were testing, so I issued the task without notification. From now on, you will get notified every time you get a quest}

"Alright, now that I am a recruit, what next?"

{You prepare for a new beginning; things will only get tough for you from now on. And you have to keep a low profile until you are strong enough!}

"Even if I don't want to keep a low profile, I have to; I only have a low affinity for mana, which means I will only be a low-level mage all my life. With that, will I go find trouble?" He asked with a sarcastic tone.

{You will understand what I mean in the future! For now, just keep my warning to heart}

As Alaric walked out, he noticed some people crying while others looked smug. From the people's appearance, one could tell the ones that got in and the ones that didn't.

"Oh! You got picked too! How lucky for you!" Josh snickered as he stood in front of Alaric, blocking his path. "Who would have thought a weakling like you would get in?" He added that, and Alaric pursed his lips while glaring up at him.

"Must you talk down on others to make yourself feel good? You have low self-esteem, and you are trying to make others feel the same way as you do." Alaric asked with a bored tone and sidestepped Josh and his group. "Since we all got in, let's work hard in the future! We don't know who might end up being the weakling," he announced, and Josh's face turned red with anger.

"That wimp is now being cocky because he got recruited!" Josh gritted out and glared at Alaric's retreating figure.

"How was it? Did you get in?" Nora asked once Alaric returned to the shed; they had been waiting for him. Alaric nodded with a grin and brought out his wooden tag.

"Look! I got in! And we are leaving tomorrow!" He announced with a bright smile, and Nora smiled with a tear dropping from her face. She pulled him into her embrace and hugged him tightly.

"Thank goodness! I'm so happy for you! You did it!" She laughed.

"Yay! Big Brother will be a mage in the future! There is a mage in our family too." Brian, the youngest, exclaimed happily, and the other two laughed.

"We should celebrate! It's a good thing! Come on, I have been saving money for us to buy beef and celebrate!" Nora laughed and began leading them home.

"What happened to their father?" Alaric asked the system, seeing that no one had mentioned him since the day before.

{He was killed during a demon-beast attack a few years ago. While he was trying to defend the village with the rest of the men, despite not being a mage, That is why the villagers are so fond of your family}

"At least this guy has a good father," Alaric mumbled while the system remained silent.

"How do I claim the rewards given to me?" He asked.

{Just think about it, and you'll receive it. For instance, if you want to use the money, think about the amount you want, and it will appear in your pouch}

Alaric practiced it, and a pouch of money appeared in his inner pocket.

{You don't have a pouch, so I gave you one; next time, you would have to buy yourself}

Alaric nodded in understanding, still trying to understand how the system works. As they got home, Nora hurried to the kitchen and started preparing the feast for them to celebrate with. As Alaric went into the kitchen to help her, he noticed Nora crying while holding a picture of his father in his hand.

He heard her mumble, "He did it, Aitne; he got into the magic school! Are you proud of our son?"

Alaric sighed and walked into his room to begin packing. "How long will I be gone for?" Alaric asked the system as he picked his best clothes.

{You'll only be allowed home once every three months during your student years. You can choose to come back home or stay in the capital to carry out tasks that will earn you mana crystals. The journey takes one month, so students who come from this far only choose to come home during celebrations}

"Yes, I forgot to ask, what are mana crystals? And what are they used for?"

{Mana crystals, as their name implies, are crystals filled with mana. They are divided into three grades. Low, medium, and high. The crystal is gotten from demonic beasts, and it's very rare to acquire as not all demonic beasts have it. The grade is determined by how pure the mana in the crystal is} the system explained.

{As for what it does, the mana crystal can be used for many things. Weapon forging, alchemy, and mana cultivation. In your case, you will have to absorb the mana in the crystal to increase your mana level}

"How do I do that?"

{Hold the crystal in both your hands and try to draw the mana into your body. You will feel the warmth from earlier flowing through the crystal; just absorb the warmth into your body until the mana in the crystal is absorbed. Don't throw the crystal away, as it can be sold to alchemists for a sum of 5 Hed coins each!}

"How high is an Hed coin?" Alaric asked.

{An Hed coin is enough to feed a family for a week. I mean a family of your size. Food items are the cheapest to acquire in villages like yours, but beef is a little expensive as it costs one Hed coin per kilogramme.}

While the system was explaining, Cassandra came into the room with a small handkerchief and a pouch. "Here, you should take it with you! I made it myself after learning from Tracey." She announced them and handed them to him.

Alaric smiled and collected the gifts. "Thank you; I will use them well!"

"Will you come back?" She asked with a solemn expression.

Alaric picked her up and sat her on his bed. "Of course, I will come back to check on you every time I am chanced upon, and I will bring gifts for you when I'm here too!" He assured.

"You have to send letters every time, okay?" She asked with a pout.

"I will! I will send letters and money to the family every month! And you have to take care of Mom and the rest, alright?" He asked, and she nodded.

"I will!" She promised as they both walked out to dinner. Once the dinner was over, Alaric helped his mother clean up while the children went outside to play with the neighbours.

"Your father will be so proud of you." Nora smiled as they returned to his room to help him complete his packing.

"Are you proud of me, mother?" Alaric said that, having not had a good relationship with his father on earth, he doesn't know how to relate to a man he never met.

Nora chuckled and patted his head. "Of course! I am always proud of you." She was assured, and Alaric smiled. He brought out the pouch of money he got from the system earlier and handed it to his mother.

"I saved this up; you can have it, mother," he lied as Nora held the pouch and looked into it. Her eyes went wide in shock, and she quickly pushed the pouch back towards him.

"You! Where did you get such a huge amount of money? Who gave it to you?" She exclaimed in a whisper.

"I saved it up all those years! I did not steal it, mother!" He replied, and Nora sighed.

"But this is huge. I know you did not steal it, but still, I can't take this from you," she argued.

"Just take it, mom; our lives will only get better now that I'm going to become a mage! I will send money every month, and you and everyone can live better. The winter is almost here, and you need more winter clothes; buy some for yourself and then the little ones," Alaric urged.

"You!" She said she was lost for words on what to say. She looked at him and brought him into her embrace again, while trying to hold her tears back so he would not see them. "It's dangerous out there; you should not go on dangerous missions, okay? You have to be safe and come back home to me and your siblings!" She instructed.

"I will come back, I promise!"