"I feel kind of bad for him now—he couldn't even touch you." Arisa looks past my shoulder at Phil, who's still lying on the ground. Then she looks back at me and gives me a thumbs-up.

"He brought it on himself for being a jerk." Marga doesn't even spare the young noble a glance. She scans me from head to toe like I'm a prize she has to claim.

"Good job, Maki." Sol gently takes my hand and starts walking toward the hall we were in before. Arisa quickly grabs my free arm, and I notice Marga watching the two girls intently.

We return to the hall as if nothing happened. Camux greets me with a big smile and a wink—he probably figured out how the fight ended from the girls' laughter. The mood has noticeably lifted since my victory. Other nobles continue to look at me with curiosity—they'll probably hear what happened soon.

The birthday celebration goes on. Thanks to the duel, no other noble tries to pick a fight with me. Now I'm getting more attention, and some want to talk to me. But thanks to the trio of high-status girls by my side, many hold back unless I'm alone grabbing a snack or getting a drink. Even though I could have it brought to me, I prefer stretching my legs.

Then comes the moment for giving Sol her birthday gifts. She returns to her family's table. One by one, guests approach to give their presents—some arrive empty-handed because their gifts are too large to carry. When it's my turn, I bring the gift my mother gave me. As I hand it to Sol, she hugs me tightly and presses her face near mine. For a moment, I thought she might kiss me, but instead, she just looks into my eyes and smiles.

As night falls, some guests begin to leave. Others, already drunk, plan to stay late. Arisa and Marga have just left—they made me promise to see them almost daily while we're in Marril. If I don't, they'll probably come to my house.

When I say goodbye to Sol, she also makes me promise the same. Camux and his wife remind me that their home is also my home and that I should visit them often. Maybe I can ask both of them for some training advice.

As I leave, I remember that I sent the coachman home. I take this moment alone to reflect—it'll take me about an hour to walk home, and I'll use that time to think. My right arm is starting to feel heavy. It's strange because it hasn't actually gained weight—it's just that the mana buildup is reaching its limit. She might be born soon.

Halfway through, I pause to admire a beautiful river. The cool air on my face is relaxing. Along the way, I stop to help an elderly woman pulling a cart full of wood. I help her carry it to her home.

I'm surprised by her story. She lives with her husband in a small house—they survive by selling wood and always go out early in the morning to collect it. I promised them a job at my house to help. Both of them cried with joy, and I cried too. They'll come to my home tomorrow to start working—it's close enough for them to walk. Now I just have to let my staff know and find suitable jobs for their age.

Along the way, I get the idea to create retirement homes, fully funded by me. It's one of my short-term goals—I need to make it a reality to help elderly people who've had a rough life. Older folks have always been my weakness. It breaks my heart just thinking about how hard they work every day just to eat.

I can't change the whole world, but I can change a few lives. Now I just need to find a good business to create a reliable income stream—or I could earn money by selling monster parts or cores. Maybe I'll join the adventurer's guild and take on some missions.

When I finally reach home, I sigh in relief. For a moment, I was worried Phil's group or someone sent by them might try to attack me—just to teach me a lesson. Thankfully, nothing happened, and I made it back safely. When I walk in, I tell the head steward about the elderly couple. His eyes turn red with emotion—he nearly cries from sadness—and promises to find them suitable tasks.

I spend a couple of hours meditating, absorbing mana to feed into my arm. "Time to go to bed." I take a refreshing shower and surrender to the arms of the god of sleep.

"How are you, my child? It's been a while since we met." I'm stunned to see Sus—I can't believe it. I try to run toward her, but I can't move—I'm frozen in place.

"Did you miss me? I left this message when I fused with you." Tears start falling from my eyes. "My daughter is about to be born. Take good care of her as if she were your little sister. I hope we see each other soon, my child." As she finishes speaking, everything fades to black, and I wake up with a start.

"It was all a dream… or maybe not." I focus my vision and see a small jaguar with snow-white fur in front of me. Her eyes are nearly closed, opening and closing slowly—I can tell how tired she is just by looking at her face.

"Welcome to the world, little one. I've been waiting for you for a long time." I gently pick her up and hug her. She's about the size of an adult cat. Her yellow eyes stare at me, and she gives me a feline smile.

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"Are you my brother?" A thought enters my mind—it's the same way I used to communicate with Sus. My eyes widen as I realize this little jaguar is already grade three—she was born with the intelligence to communicate mentally and can speak.

"My mother left me some memories." She tilts her head slightly to the left and then straightens it. "I finally get to meet you. I'm still really tired, though—I'll sleep a bit more." She curls up like a kitten and falls into a deep sleep.

"Yes, I'm your big brother, little one." I confirm her question, even though she can't hear me anymore. I gently move her to the side of the bed, cover her with a small blanket, and lie down to sleep again—it's still early, and my brain isn't fully functional.

When I wake up, she's still sleeping. I gently pet her soft fur and, while she sleeps, I check my body. Everything has improved a little—I can feel I'm still fused with Sus and now with this little one as well, as if she rewrote part of the previous fusion.

I examine the tattoo on my right arm. It had been gradually filling up before—now it looks normal again. It's almost like a twin tattoo to the other one, with some subtle differences.

What is this? When I dive into my cube, I can feel the pillars are nearly full. Thanks to the little one's awakening, my cube is nearing the maturity stage for its first transformation. Usually, that happens at Sapphire rank.

"I need to ask my grandmother or parents about the differences." I know a little, but it's very basic. I never studied this much because I thought it would happen years later.

What should I name her? I have to choose her name, even if she's already sentient… Maybe… Snow? She's as white as snow… Inma? I thought of the word immaculate because of her purity, but it sounds too much like Imra… better not. Maybe… Sos? It's similar to her mother's name, but in my old world, it meant emergency…

After several minutes of thought, I decide to name her Glia. I really like that name—it sounds sweet for a girl and is easy to remember. I've decided, but I'll ask her if she likes it when she wakes up… maybe she already has other ideas.

About an hour later, she slowly wakes up. She stretches like a cat and walks over to me. "Did you sleep well?" I ask, waiting for an answer.

"Yes, this bed is really comfy." She lies back down on my legs like a loaf of bread. "Now I'm really hungry." The mental connection never broke, but I can tell she's also taking her time to speak as if we were using our mouths.

"We'll eat soon, but first I want to ask you something." She looks at me, waiting for me to continue. "Do you have a name?"

"No, I thought you'd give me my name since you're like my big brother." Her reaction was like—Why are you even asking? Give me my name.

"I've been thinking, and I really like Glia. What do you think?" She thinks for a moment, analyzing her new name.

"I really like it. From now on, I'm Glia. Can we eat now?" Her appetite makes me laugh. I quickly change out of my pajamas and carry her to the dining room.

All the workers stare at Glia in awe—they're amazed by how beautiful she is, stunned by her soft fur and mesmerizing eyes.

I sit in my chair, and she sits on the table waiting for her food. She says she can eat anything, but she especially likes meat. I ask the cooks to prepare some meat with vegetables for her.

We both devour our meals in minutes and feel satisfied—it's time to start our training. She doesn't want to be carried this time, so she walks beside me. I watch her curiously observe everything around her as if seeing the world for the first time.

She curls up in a corner of the room and starts sleeping again—she must still be tired as a newborn. I watch her for a few seconds, then start warming up for my morning training.

Since I need someone to help me take the final step toward gaining a mental skill related to electricity, I focus on training my foundational knowledge to acquire a pseudo Law or Law of electricity, while still practicing my skills and swordplay.

The training is fruitful. I'm still far from obtaining a Law with electric affinity, but I'm getting closer. I'm finding my own path to attain it.

"It's almost time to go to Sol's house." Lying on the floor, a bit tired after training, I remember I promised to visit the Solar family. I gently cradle Glia in my arms—she's still fast asleep—and head to my room to get ready.

As I leave my room and head to where the coachman should be waiting, I run into the elderly couple. They thank me again and nearly cry once more before I stop them. Apparently, they've been given very easy jobs that don't require much physical effort, and their pay is higher than what the grandmother made selling firewood.

With a warmer heart after seeing the elderly couple so happy, I head to the Solar estate. The day is pleasantly cool—I open the carriage window to enjoy the fresh air.

Upon arrival, a servant from the Solar house leads me to a guest room. When I enter, I sense a slightly tense atmosphere. Sol, Arisa, and Marga were talking and stopped when they heard me open the door. From their expressions, I can easily sense the tension.

Did I arrive at a bad time? All three are dressed casually, yet elegantly. Being the center of attention is uncomfortable—I almost walked out to avoid the situation.

"Hi, I think I interrupted something important." I look at them, waiting for a response. They exchange glances and then look at me again—all three sigh like they'd already planned this in advance.

"Welcome, Maki. Come in and make yourself comfortable." Only after I enter do they notice the small jaguar in my arms that looks like a fox. Their eyes instantly lock on Glia, and I fade into the background—their gazes almost turn into hearts.

"She's so beautiful!" Marga is the first to run over to me, followed by Arisa and Sol.

"Is she yours, Maki?" Arisa tries to touch Glia gently with her index finger.

"I've never seen such a cute animal. Wait—is it a monster? I can feel a core in her." Sol quickly realizes Glia's true nature. The three of them look at me, surprised, demanding an explanation.

"Yes, I'm assimilated with her. Her name is Glia." I stretch out my arms a bit so they can get a better look. "She's like a little sister to me—I hope you treat her like family." I make my situation clear. I wanted to keep the fact that I'm a tamer hidden, but it's pointless now—everyone will find out eventually.

I'll just keep the truth about her nature a secret. No one outside my close circle can know what kind of monster Glia really is—that's a secret I'll take to my grave.

The three of them nod at the same time, still mesmerized by Glia. We sit down, and I place her beside me on the couch. All three keep staring at my little companion with adoring eyes—at least her sweet presence has calmed the tense atmosphere.

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