We spent the whole morning in Mancor celebrating with the people. My parents handed out gifts to every child in town and served hot chocolate. According to them, it's a tradition started by the first marquis and followed by most small towns. In large cities, the lord of the city isn't the only one involved—some associations also help out because of the high cost.

We repeated the same process in the afternoon in Talara. In both towns, we received warm smiles and kind words about how our family has been managing them. There are few complaints from the community, and from what I've heard, theft is almost non-existent. Incidents only occur when strangers arrive, and the security force acts swiftly to catch the thief.

Once we finished, everyone returned to their rooms for a short break. We hadn't made much physical effort since most of the work was done by our household staff. Our effort was social and mental—talking to so many people is a bit tiring. It was time to rest, take a good shower, and get ready for the New Year's Eve dinner.

I'm wearing a rather elegant outfit: a custom-made black suit and a purple shirt that matches my eyes. Looking at myself in the mirror, I realize how much a good outfit can boost your appearance. Cutting my hair after the first training with Arisa and Sol was a good idea. My grandmother took us to the salon, and the three of them had a great time choosing my new look.

With not much else to do, I wandered through the house, watching how the staff moved back and forth, finishing the last preparations. My parents had another platform built on the other side of the garden, where the workers and their families could celebrate too. It's much larger since they can bring their relatives, and every village also holds a celebration in the main square.

I went out to the garden to feel the breeze against my face. It feels much nicer with short hair. "What are you doing out here all alone? There are still ten minutes until the agreed time." Turning around, I saw Baron Camux walking toward me, dressed in a gray suit and white shirt.

"I got bored in my room and came out early. Why are you here so early, uncle?" He stopped next to me, looking up at the sky just as I was, then closed his eyes to feel the cold wind.

"Liza was almost ready, so I took the chance to sneak out while she finished her makeup." He smiled mischievously at his own joke. My aunt would surely scold him later. I just shook my head disapprovingly.

"Maki, you're a mature boy. I'm sure you've noticed the air between my daughter and Lady Arisa. They're both very good friends and clearly interested in you." His words were true—I'd be a fool not to notice. I stayed silent, listening. "I don't know if you'll choose the path of monogamy like your father and I or polygamy, which is also considered normal in this empire." My parents had said the same. I still feel too young to decide.

"I love my daughter with all my heart. As her father, I should try to highlight her virtues, but I don't want you to choose her out of pity or obligation. No matter the path you take, please don't make her suffer." He placed his hand on my head and ruffled my hair. "No matter how mature or smart you are for your age, you're still a kid, and it's too early to make this decision."

We kept talking, and time flew. His wife showed up before long and scolded him in front of me. I held back a laugh and avoided looking at them. Liza wore a gray dress matching Camux's suit.

My grandmother arrived next with Arisa and Sol. She wore a sky-blue dress that suited her maturity. Arisa had chosen an orange dress again—its elegance was obvious at first glance. Sol, on the other hand, wore a black dress, looking very refined and mature.

My parents were the last to arrive. My father wore a fine white suit and a purple shirt like mine. My mother had a long, elegant dress, its color a slightly lighter shade of purple than his.

My father began with a speech of gratitude:

"Thank you to everyone present for being here for this ceremony. I also want to thank the members of our families who are far away at this moment. I'm happy that we've all lived another year. Health has been with us this whole time…"

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He went on for several minutes. It was quite long, as expected for a New Year's speech. Camux also gave one, and finally, we all raised our glasses. Since it was a special day, they let us drink a type of sweet wine for the ceremony. The food was delicious—another demonstration of our chef's talent.

We went to the other platform, where my father gave another speech for our house's workers, and then returned to our own. According to him, we didn't stay with them because they might not act comfortably with us present, out of fear of being disrespectful.

While talking with everyone, time passed quickly. Midnight arrived, and fireworks lit up the sky over the village. The show lasted several minutes, and we all watched the sky in awe. I wished I had a smartphone to record the whole day and keep it as a memory.

It was time for the New Year's announcements—then would come our personal wishes and silent promises.

"The village of Puntsal has finally made a decision and has joined us." Our father dropped the bomb as the first piece of news. We all stared at him in surprise. "If all goes well with income, security, and other aspects, by the end of 1623 or next year, we'll be celebrating our rise to barony."

We all took turns celebrating. Baron Camux and my father were the happiest. It was spectacular news for both of them. The alliance would grow stronger, and they could avoid many minor disputes with other nobles.

That was the only important announcement. The rest of us had nothing as exciting to say, and if something did happen, everyone already knew. So we focused on celebrating and fantasizing about the many possibilities that would come with rising from baronet to baron. That change would bring many new things in the future.

Each of us sat on the floor, closed our eyes, and began making our wishes for the new year. It's an old tradition of this marquisate. Almost all the villagers do it, believing it attracts good fortune if you wish with all your heart.

We also made silent promises—goals for the year, some short-term and others long-term. The idea is to never forget them and work toward them day by day.

My wish was simple: happiness, peace, and health for everyone close to me. I have no material desires right now, and wishing to be "strong" doesn't make sense from my point of view—that must be earned through struggle and effort.

My inner promises were: to obtain at least one pseudo Law this year, improve my skills to at least a bottleneck level, and get into the school I want. With that in mind, I began fantasizing about the future.

"What were your promises?" Arisa was the first to ask. Sol, sitting on my other side, looked at me expectantly. I told them my goals and gave a few details on how I planned to achieve them. I made them think this would be my first pseudo Law.

"What are yours?" I looked at them, and they had similar goals: to improve and get into the best school possible. They also had a few more girly promises.

"I have another one—it's a secret, and I can't tell you." Sol looked at Arisa, sitting next to me. "I'm sure Lady Timal has a few secrets too." She stared at Arisa, pressing her, and after a while, she admitted it.

"Don't call me Lady Timal, you know I don't like it." Arisa frowned and pointed at Sol. "You're only doing it to tease me. You always call me by my name, and you're my friend."

They started teasing each other, and I joined in occasionally. We laughed together. Spending these days together made me close to everyone again. I was a bit scared when I left the dungeon—I wasn't sure if I had changed after being alone for so long. But in the end, that worry was meaningless. Everything feels like I never left.

The days flew by. Arisa and Sol returned to their respective cities with their families. Both cried during the farewell. It was hard to get them to let go of me. They kept saying, "What if you disappear into another dungeon for years and we never see you again?"

I'd love to clear many dungeons—that's true. Right now, I really want to go find one. But their thought about me vanishing for years again is off. I wouldn't want to disappear from my family without any contact like that again.

I discovered they have something like a phone in this world. They're still very expensive, having only been on the market for about a month. My parents will buy a few in the future. They're shaped like circles, combining technology, runes, and high-level forging. They can only connect to 10 other devices, use monster cores as power sources, and activate with mana.

Since they're so new, my parents plan to wait a bit for the price to drop. When mass production begins, they won't be available to the general public. Most people won't be able to afford them, but nobles and the wealthy will. That means I'll at least be able to contact my family from time to time. The usage cost is also high, increasing with distance.

Now alone in my room, I decided to spend the whole day lying down—thinking about the future, my plans, my long-term goals, and sleeping as much as possible. The bed remains my worst enemy.

"Tomorrow, regular training begins. It's time to search for a new skill and try to learn a pseudo Law or Law." I want to do this before tackling the failed hero's dungeon, which I plan to do about fifteen days before Arisa's birthday.

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