In an garden in the back of the von Graad Manor, there can be observed an youth leisurely strolling while sporting an unfocused gaze, showing that his head is currently wandering in thoughts other than the current scenery. 

This youth is non other than Alabaster.

It has been an week since he came back from the hunting trip. After he returned home, he went back to his typical training routine, until he received a request to spend some leisure time from his mother and as a filial son he accepted it.

For this next week after his return, the strange fenomenon has been a source of constant suspicion and uneasiness. After we reported what happened to the governor he was pretty surprised and confirmed that no other cases like that one were experienced by other hunters on the area.

'Well, I do have to admit that I have an tendency to overthink things, but this time, it has just been rubbing me the wrong way'.

Shortly after he shoves his suspicions to the back of his mind he comes across an Gazebo that is in an very isolated part of the Manor, in the edge of an lake that gives it an tranquil feeling , surrounding it there are many flowers that give the place an pleasant fragrance.

Inside the gazebo he spots his mother already seated and drinking some tea and eating a few snacks.

She still has the same apparence even after all those years not aging a single bit. This is possible due to cosmetics and the greater life span that humans were able to achieve.

He than makes his way towards her, enters the Gazebo and seats in an chair across from her, enjoying the atmosphere, those two stay silent for a while until she finally starts a conversation.

"You sure took your time, if you had taken any longer I would have ended eating all these refreshments alone." Then before he responds she follows up. "What would happen if I became out of shape because of it, would you be able to bear the consequences?" She follows up with an playful tone.

Hearing this he sighs before giving the best answer for the situation "eating snacks once will not ruin your figure and even if it does you would still be much prettier than the noble woman of all nearby houses." He also says jokingly.He knows that she won't move on the conversation to what she wants to speak until she hears what she wants.

She seems satisfied by his answer, so she moves on to ask him about other things she wants to know.

"How have been your education? I heard that you pretty much learned everything in the curriculum. I can't wait to show my cute and smart son Al and rub it into all their makeup filled faces." She may look like an gentle, calm and subservient wife to other nobles but the truth couldn't be more different.

Both inside the von Graad household and in our family, she has much more power than my father, and due to her having an noble education in contrast to father that only learned about being a lord after receiving the territory, she handles most of the territories matters while he reduces her workload a bit when he isn't patrolling the territory.

And also she is does much of the interacting with our neighboring territories since my father's straightforwardness makes hard for him to do negotiations or try to get benefits.

Once she stops describing how she is going to brag about me to the whole leviathan cluster, she continues asking me about my daily activities:

  "How are things with little Bea? The attendant that your mother with all her foresight assigned to you." She asks with an smirk that I know too well.

"She has grown exponentially since she came here. Her performance in her training is outstanding and if she stopped comparing herself to me she would find out that her academic performance is way above average." He says avoiding any personal matters and trying to sound as plain and uncaring as possible to not give his mother something to Lach on.

"I also heard that she has grown to become into an pretty girl. Aren't you happy that your mother has put such an vibrant flower right by your side? Also you two have been growing quite close I wonder if you two are just 'studying' when you two stay in an room alone, I don't think you would be at an loss if it did turn into something more." Of course, despite his attempt she quickly shows her wits to try and get an reaction of him, while her grin just gets wider and wider.

He easily catching on to her intentions just doesn't try to justify himself, knowing that he would be falling into her trap and just ignores her while focusing on the snacks and drink.

It's obvious from who he inherited his teasing habits, the two of them can understand each other too well

But she is much more experienced than him and already knows how to get an reaction out of him, her prior attempt was just the opener.

"I think I should visit her sometime! It has been so long since I spoke with her face to face"

She didn't have to say anything else, he already understood her meaning and this time he couldn't stay silent

"You already have father, leave her for me." Outside context this would be an weird sentence but to them he told something like:'you can tease father all you want but she is mine!' And he doesn't say 'mine' in a romantic or possessive way but as an source of amusement and constant ward against boredom.

Just as Alicia uses Augustus to get entertainment so does Alabaster to Beatrice. 

She satisfied by his reaction drops the subject and goes to the main point she invited him to talk about.

"Do you know why we are so insistent on sending you to a military Academy? You see the reason is..."

"Yes, father already told me." He cut her off since he didn't need to have the same conversation a second time.

She became a bit annoyed for being interrupted, but in the end she swallowed her discontent and chose to just say a few words to reinforce her point.

"Good, I want you to know that such decision was not one of your father's wits but something that we discussed at length before deciding.

After that with the point being made, the two remained in an awkward silence since they didn't expect the topic to die so soon.

But inexplicably, Alabaster suddenly had an question pop on to his mind that he had never bothered to ask before, but now, the more he thinks about it the more important this question seems to become

"So mom"

"Mhn... Yes? She says while raising her eyebrow at her son suddenly becoming so serious.

"I have never asked you this before but. What do you mean when you said that I had been blessed by the stars? What exactly is the omen that you saw that day?" He was once told this by his father years ago but he himself never knew what his wife meant by that and no servant knew anything about the subject either. He remembers clearly searching in various books and coming out empty, he eventually gave up and forgot about the matter after questioning his mother and her answer being:'I will tell you when you're older'.

His mother becomes a bit surprised by the question but shortly it turns into doubt, as if she is debating if it is the right time to tell it, then after a few minutes she sights and looks at him with an resolved look.

"Alright, since you are so mature, I guess it is okay for me to tell you this now. To tell you everything I first must tell you a very long story,"

He puts his full attention to what she is about to speak, he has a felling of it being something that isn't in any book that he can get his hands on. 

"To understand, first I must tell you about the origin of our culture and beliefs. It all starts with humanity's first galactic empire,at that time the technology was so advanced that they were said to be able to cheat death with rejuvenation technology and terraform an planet effortlessly, and as their power grew so did their hubris and so their old beliefs of Gods an afterlife started to be forgotten for two main reasons:1 as they started performing acts that previously would be referred to as miracles the misteriouness and power of Gods started to fade and 2 they with all their newfound arrogance would never allow for the belief of an entity more powerful than themselves."

"Than when the fall of the old empire finally came, humanity's pride was shattered and they finally realized how brittle was the empire they built and how far they are from being the perfect beings that didn't need gods to decide their destiny. An in an moment where their enemies who were freed with the fall of their overlord, were threatening to destroy them and their visions for the future were grimm, they clung back to superstition and worship."

She than gives him a little bit of time to digest all this new information before continuing the story

"Of course, the new beliefs were completely different from those that were forsaken long ago, this new beliefs took after something that even the old empire on the hight of its power couldn't manipulate to their will. The stars! Even with all the technology they couldn't create, completely destroy or manipulate to their will. Although they could accelerate a stars 'death' the energy liberated would form another Astral body as it was experiencing an 'rebirth', against storms and earthquakes they weren't afraid with all their technology but when a star was dying they could only evacuate the solar system. This and the star's importance in guiding humans when they were nomadic people gave birth to new belief. The astrotheology. Can you list for me it, and a few others?"

"The new belief that was born and also the current most widespread among the humans is the 'starlight path' other faiths that are present are: worship of the dark moon, founding titan creed and the thechnocratic collective." He responds without hesitation listing the most widespread faiths among the human territories.

"Yes, very good. Now, among the most traditional believers in the starlight path such as my family, there is an belief that the fall of humanity was nothing more than an trial for humanity to through the peril, be able to grow and become stronger and when we make our comeback we will be able to rule over the stars once and for all. But the omen of your birth is a signal that a person who was born under it has the qualifications to compete to decide who is going to be the one to guide humanity onto that future."

Alabaster couldn't process what he just heard, he was expecting the omen to have something to do with things like good health or wealth, not that he suddenly became one amongst those that will struggle to unite all humanity.

This is simply unbelievable!,ridiculous!,unconcivable!

He doesn't have any wish to be involved in something so dangerous or troublesome.

'Get it together!, I shouldn't lose my bearing just by hearing the nonsense that some superstitious people cooked up, I only believe in cold hard logic! There are plenty of people that believe that they have an greater destiny and die all the same, if I were to believe in this, I may let this get into my head and cloud my judgement.'

Alicia seeing how confused her son became decided to end this conversation now to let him think about everything that he learned and come to his own conclusions.

"I think that this conversation has gone for long enough and it's already getting late, go back and think about everything I told you.

He only manages to nod absentmindely and make his way to his room directly to his bed to rest, right now his mind is too chaotic for any reading.

Seeing her son leaving she could only think about one thing:

'My dear little Al, the destiny that was trust upon you is an cruel one, although you may seek to avoid it i fear that it might not be possible, I and your father we'll do our best to prepare you for what is ahead but I don't know for how long we may watch over you'

With this final though she stares at the sun that is already almost setting and prays that the stars may ligh his path and protect him.  

I sought in this chapter to have a more casual conversation about a more light hearted theme. I observed that this is something that the other chapters except the extra lacked and is something I will try to improve from now on.