Jett's mom drew a slow breath, stood, and slipped out of the precinct without a word. Her fingers locked around her purse—her favorite crutch whenever her nerves frayed, which was exactly why she owned so many. When she disappeared through the doorway, the officer let out a weary sigh.
The officer rubbed his eyes and muttered, "Not even a word, huh? Why'd I even sign up for this job?"
Outside, she climbed into her car. It had been two days since she last heard her son's voice, and in her fragile state she wanted—needed—to believe it had truly been him.
What happened on your thirteenth birthday? Mrs. Talon asked silently, hoping the question would bridge the distance to her son.
Ugh... Dad took up into the Alaskan mountains for a survival trip, and it was hell, Jett answered.
Even without mana, Jett's father still dread of heroism. The impossible goal morphed into an obsession with brutal survival excursions—bush‑camps that pumped him full of adrenaline.
Convinced Jett would share the rush, he dragged him deep into Alaska's mountains, to slopes prowled by monsters weak enough for an ordinary human to survive. He didn't want to hunt them; he wanted to camp in the middle of their territory and watch from cover.
Jett spent the trip buried under snow‑soaked branches, fighting the urge to sneeze while the creatures sniffed the air above him. It had been a nightmare birthday—and he'd complained to his mother for days afterward. The argunt that followed had been legendary.
Do you believe it's now, Mom?
I believe you! Are you safe? What kept you from coming ho? Villains are everywhere! You didn't call! You don't even have cash for a day. Your friends are clueless—and they doubt you suddenly found a girlfriend!
That jab didn't surprise Jett. Instead of chasing a girlfriend, he'd always escaped into VR to forget that, as a manaless human, he sat at the bottom of society. Now that two maids shared his bed, he understood how badly he'd misjudged real life.
I'm okay, but you can't tell anyone. Dad especially—he'd go crazy with jealousy.
Mrs. Talon narrowed her eyes.
I'm in another world, Mom, and I've awakened mana.
She blurted aloud, "Fantasy nonsense, Jett!"
Mom... we already live with heroes, villains, and monsters swinging mana around. Is another world really that hard to swallow?
"It's too much! Why you? Isn't it dangerous? Just co ho!"
Back when Jett first dove into VR, she'd raged at him for mingling with powered players. No one could predict what those people—especially villains—might do. He'd shouted that gaming was his joy and ignored her pleas.
Now, the tremor in her voice tightened sothing inside him. He caught himself smiling gently as he answered.
I'm grateful I was chosen. I don't know why yet, but I'll figure it out. Yes, it's dangerous—and that's exactly why I want to walk this path.
"You sound just like your father..."
I'll co ho eventually—and not alone. Expect to bring a few sweethearts.
Mrs. Talon blinked and clutched her already ruined purse. "A few?"
...
Inside the vast summoning chamber—so deep the sun could only dream of reaching—Jett knelt on frigid stone before an enormous magic circle that dominated the floor, the chill biting through his knee. The glyphs glowed blue, moonlit motes drifting through the air.
One hand pressed to the circle's edge, he kept his eyes shut, talking mind‑to‑mind with his mother. A grin tugged at his lips, and he nodded to no one.
I like to explore, just like Dad.
This isn't the ti for jokes, Jett! What's your role, and what are you actually doing over there?
Think of as inheriting a noble title—one ranked above kingdoms, empires, maybe the entire world.
That doesn't an you can claim every girl you find attractive!
It was a fair point. Awakening every maid from stasis and bedding them didn't obligate him to love them. He was their Lord; they were his servants. But Jett's heart had other ideas.
It'd be la if we felt nothing for each other.
She didn't understand, but the link was already fading. The circle's light dimd, sending a jolt of alarm through Jett.
I can't keep the line open, Mom! Just know I'll be fine, tell Dad not to panic, and trust !
My trust in you two never wavered.
Her final words squeezed his chest. When the chamber slipped back into darkness, he rose and turned toward the only light left—two pairs of shining eyes.
"I'm done talking with my mom," he said.
The grand doors swung open, flooding the room with corridor light, carrying the faint scent of polished wood and candle wax, and outlining Mia's and Noctlisa's curves. Both maids bowed the mont Jett spoke.
The lingering darkness reminded him the chamber was still locked, so he strode toward the doors.
"We can focus on our ballroom dance lessons now," he said. "Is dance important in this world's culture?"
Noctlisa shook her head. "Nah, Master—ballroom twirls ain't a dullahan thing."
Mia explained, "Among elven and human nobles, Master Jett, dance is as essential as etiquette. A proper lord must master both—and I shall ensure you excel at it."
The answer gave Jett pause. "Then I need to decide how I'll serve as this generation's Warden—how I'll keep the equilibrium and face the Harbinger. Maybe that's the real quest here."
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