20 Gif (2/2)
”She hasn't aged one bit since I last saw her,” father murmured to himself.
”Forget about it. I haven't seen a single wrinkle in the two hundred years I've known her. What's important is that she managed to obtain a royal pardon for your son.”
Crow handed the sheet to father.
”With this, he should encounter no trouble.”
He took off a ring and put it on my finger.
”You don't have to…” father muttered, seemingly ashamed.
Crow turned to face father.
”You don't have one, do you? He'll need it.”
Father paused, then looked down and bowed deeply.
”Thank you again.”
”Don't mention it.”
The door pushed open, and mother stepped in.
”What's with all the… Ah! Crow!”
Crow nodded slightly in mother's direction.
”As always, it's lovely to see you Stephanie.” Crow's whole demeanour changed when he spoke to mother.
”Oh no, please, thank you again for helping our boy.”
”Please, it's my pleasure. I'm sorry to say that I'm unable to stay for a chat. I must be off.”
”Oh…” mother seemed a bit dejected.
With a sweep of his robes and a rattle of chains, Crow left the study. Mother looked forlorn. After a few seconds, she pushed open the door and called after him.
”Crow! Could Oscar…” she cleared her throat, ”would it be possible for Oscar to study underneath you?”
”Stephanie!” father whispered to her angrily.
Crow turned around. He paused for a second, then smiled.
”I am perfectly sure that the Military School is the best place for your son. Good day.”
Crow turned back around and walked off. Father seemed to want to say something but stopped himself. Mother sighed, then walked out of the study.
When she left, father took my hand and spoke to me.
”What Crow just gave you was a storage ring. Open your palm, and channel your qi into it.”
I did what he said, and a golden portal formed in my open palm. Father took the royal pardon and dropped it into the portal.
”Try taking it out.”
I reached into the portal but felt nothing.
”You need to think of the item you want.”
When I pictured the sheet, I felt it in my hand, and pulled it out.
”Well done. Put it back and shut off your qi.”
The portal disappeared, and father put his hands on my shoulders.
”Those two items are extremely valuable. If anyone in authority ever questions your cultivation, show them that. Oh, and…”
He reached into his desk and rummaged around, bringing out a box. He took out the jade card and handed it to me.
”Show them this.”
When my fingers touched it, the golden circuit illuminated and blinked. I looked and read what it said on the card
Name : Oscar Schwarz
Date of Birth : 13/6/122
Race : Northern/Traveller
Gender : Male
Grade : High Warrior
I put it away in the storage ring and wondered about the 'race'. Father was northern, so mother was a traveller? Did that mean she was part of a nomadic tribe?
Also, it seemed strange that my cultural heritage would be listed as 'race'. Was there cultural discrimination in this country?
Father interrupted my thoughts by putting his hands on my shoulders.
”I know you've been through a lot today, but there's one last thing we've got to do. Come with me.”
He led me out to the patio, talking while we walked.
”Before you go to military school, you'll take a test. They'll place you in a class based on your innate qi.”
We reached the patio, and he turned around to face me.
”Of course, for you, it's not innate. If you don't want to be seen as a freak, you need to limit your qi.”
Father took my hands.
”Channel all of your qi into me.”
I took all of the qi that was in my body and sent it into father with an almighty push.
”I mean all your qi. The qi in your soul too.”
I looked up at him with a slight panic. I didn't want to lose all of my qi. It would take a while to get enough back to start expanding my soul again.
”Your qi will regenerate in time for the test. Don't worry, I can take it.”
Reluctantly, I opened the largest valve in my soul. Qi gushed out into my body in a second. I summoned all my will and forced it through my hands.
My qi channels felt like they would explode under the pressure, but I pushed through the pain, until I ran completely dry. I collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion and heard father's booming laugh.
”Amazing. Amazing!”
He picked me off the ground with one arm, ruffling my hair with the other.
”Definitely don't let them see that! A quarter of what you just sent into me, even a fifth will be enough…”
His voice faded and I passed out in exhaustion.
I woke up in my bed, and my thoughts immediately went to my soul. I brought myself there and found that it had filled up about a tenth of the way. I felt just over 80 soldiers inside my soul.
Over the next week, my soul filled back up just as father had expected. It made me wonder how he knew so much about my soul. Was the Soul Becoming World Technique similar to one he knew?
For now, it didn't matter. The day of the test was finally here.