Arthur's POV
Today, Evelyn turns fifteen.
In our world, that age marks a quiet boundary — the moment a child becomes a cultivator in truth. For normal people, it's simply a rite of passage. For Evelyn… it's a warning bell that rings across the entire territory.
Her younger sister, little Avery, is three going on four now — always running around, clinging to Evelyn's robes like a tiny shadow. And Lucas — our real hero — is nine. One year away from being able to cultivate. One year away from beginning the path that will shape the world.
As for Stevan, Evelyn's older brother… last I heard, he was twenty now and somewhere in the capital, tangled up with some noble's daughter at an extravagant banquet. A far cry from the quiet life the rest of the family tries to keep. Typical Stevan — he drifts like a leaf on water, carried by whatever current looks shiniest.
But none of that matters compared to what's happening today.
---
A Hero's Body Awakens
Lady Theresa and her entourage have been preparing the barrier around the mansion for days, layering spell over spell until the entire estate hums with protective wards. Evelyn, as always, hates the attention. Being the daughter of a Stage Six cultivator already puts her under every noble's microscope — she doesn't want anything more than that.
But wanting has nothing to do with it.
The moment her age unlocks her cultivation, her mana roars awake — a surge so powerful it rattles the sky. If she'd done this inside the mansion, she might've blown the roof off.
A pulse hits me through the bond we share, strong enough to make my own mana flare in response. I force myself to sit in the quiet clearing I prepared days ago, far from prying eyes. If I didn't, my sudden spike in strength would make far too many people suspicious of "the hero."
I never claimed the title… but I never denied it either.
The truth is simple:
as long as the world believes I'm the hero, Lucas can grow up without the weight of a continent crushing him.
If assassins come for the hero — they come for me, not him.
If danger hunts the hero — it hunts me, not him.
And if fame blinds the masses — it blinds them to Lucas, preserving his childhood.
That alone makes the masquerade worth it.
---
The Sky Splits
Her breakthrough slams into me again — raw, brilliant, overwhelming. I grit my teeth as the world swims.
So this… is what her full potential feels like.
Even from miles away, Evelyn's mana is pressuring the shield Lady Theresa erected. I can feel it crack, strain, nearly tear apart — until Lily steps in and reinforces it with her own Stage Six power.
Then, finally, Evelyn stabilizes.
She has become a Stage Six cultivator.
Not just that — she has twice Lily's mana and nearly twenty times that of a normal Stage Six. And thanks to the connection the three of us share, both Sarah and I feel our bodies shift to match her physical strength. Our mana reserves, of course, are half hers — but even then, surpassing a standard Stage Six is no small thing.
Stage Six cultivators are rarer than royal bloodlines. Kings treat them as living weapons.
Now… I stand among them.
Not because I earned it.
But because Evelyn exists.
---
The Mask I Wear
I take a long breath and steady myself. The spikes fade, and my body settles into its new equilibrium.
People will notice my increased power soon. I'll go to the Adventurer's Guild, update my rank, receive all the fame I never truly wanted but must accept. Sarah, of course, will continue pretending she's only Stage Three, doing escort jobs with her mercenary group. She's like Evelyn that way — allergic to attention.
Meanwhile I…
I need it.
For Lucas's sake.
For Evelyn's sake.
For the safety of the world that depends on a future hero.
If challengers come, I'll beat them.
If people doubt I'm the hero, I'll let them doubt — and then let them taste the gap.
None of it matters.
The real hero is already chosen, gifted, shaped by the will of the world long before he was born.
All I am is the shield in front of him.
---
A Needed Rest
By the time I return home, the moon is still high. The world is silent — as if holding its breath after witnessing what Evelyn just became.
I wash the dust and sweat from my body and collapse onto my bed. Being a mana puppet means I don't need sleep, but my mind…
After a day like this, it demands rest.
Evelyn will soon join the academy. With her strength, they'll accept her the moment they learn her name, nepotism or not. They preach fairness, but everyone knows lineage speaks louder.
I close my eyes.
Tomorrow, the world will feel different.
Because today…
a true monster was born again — a hero's strength revived in a girl who never asked for it.
And somewhere in the capital, Stevan is probably drinking wine and flirting.
Some lives are comically easy.
The rest of us?
We carry a continent on our backs.
Sleep comes quietly.
And for a moment — just a moment — the world feels still.