Summoner’s Ascent – A Power Leveling Isekai Litrpg - Chapter 9 (Patreon)

It was a testament to how boring her life was nowadays, that Sera found her interest piqued enough by a commoner child acting a bit oddly to personally check on him.

It was a far cry from the adventures of her youth for sure and pitifully amusing in the fact that she had to literally order the orphanage staff to allow her to observe the boy herself.

She paused on her way to where she remembered the garden was and leaned against the wall with a sigh, 'Is this what they call a mid life crisis?' she wondered with a snort.

She missed being an adventurer and taking quests. She missed fighting strong monsters, she missed chasing down pirates on the open seas.

Hell she even missed escorting merchants at this point which she always used to hate back in the day with how they constantly tried to simper up to her and get in her good graces.

She took a moment to feel sorry for herself, before squashing it and continuing on.

Practically at a snail's pace though.

Because the stupid inconvenient high heels she was wearing would give her away from a mile away with how loud they clicked and clacked with every damn step she took.

'Who came up with these useless things?' Sera huffed, completely unbecoming of a queen.

But that was fine since nobody was around to see her at the moment.

The orphanage wasn't the largest structure out there, so within just a few moments she arrived at her destination, masking her footfalls as best she could.

Instead of walking straight out into the garden though and commanding her targets presence, as royalty should do according to most nobles one would ask.

So, rather than that, she hung slightly behind the archway that led out into the garden and observed.

Faeran, the boy she came to observe was plain in sight standing not far away from the single bench in the middle of the garden.

The first thing she noticed about the boy was that he was rather…large for his age. From what she was told by Sister Maria and Father Henry, the boy was three years younger than her own son, but he was already taller from what she could see.

On top of that, he was rather robust as well, even from over thirty feet away Sera could see that the boy wasn't like her own son in build or other children she'd ever really interacted with, really.

To put it simply, he was rather muscular and not just for his age. His muscles were as prominent as any of her trained guards.

And he was currently in the process of lifting some odd contraption behind his head and balanced on his shoulders. It looked almost like two large rocks fashioned into wheel-like shapes held at opposite ends of multiple large thick branches molded together into a thicker handle-like shape.

Slowly, the boy lowered down into a squatting position, staying like that for a few seconds, before rising back up.

…And then repeating the motion.

And then again and again.

Sera understood now why Father Henry and Sister Maria were so perplexed by the boy, 'Perhaps he's trying to gain a skill?' she wondered.

For instance, the guard captain she was accompanied here by, Sebastian had never bought a skill token in his life, or gained one from a monster from what she could tell.

But he had three skills, Swordsmanship, Magic Sword and Block. Three skills he'd gained through his training as one of her guards over the course of his life.

He'd been one of her guards since his early twenties.

Sera could attest to the effort it took to gain a skill from mere training. She, after all, had gained the Swordsmanship skill herself, in her thirties, a long long time ago.

And she'd been using a sword for over ten years at that point.

Though whether he was attempting to gain a skill or not, she could guess that the reason he had such a robust build was because of these efforts he was going through.

'If he continues at this rate by time he's fully grown he'll be a behemoth of a man,' she laughed internally.

Still, she couldn't help her curiosity getting the better of her once more and she focused on the boy, her blue eyes shining gold for a moment.

She blinked at what she saw on his status plate.

Name: Faeran Odhar

Level: 3

Class: -

Blessing: -

Affinity: -

MP: 556/556

Strength: 10

Endurance: 10

Durability: 10

Agility: 11

Status Points: 0

Skills:

Aquatic Breathing

Acidic Touch

Poltergeist

Virility

'…What the…?' she trailed off mentally.

Utterly surprised.

There was a lot there to take in.

For one, he was level three? How? There was no way a child of his age should have gotten outside the city and there were no monsters within the city beyond possibly the sewers.

She was quite strict on that and there was no way any of her guards should have allowed a child to get out of the city alone.

Beyond that, were his stats. While it wasn't truly a shocking amount for someone his age, because those of noble birth, her son included, had greater stats without ever leveling up, it stood out amongst commoners especially considering he had no blessing or class.

And to top it all off, not only did he have a family name but he also had four skills!

Four!

That was a very large amount for a commoner. Taking Sebastian as reference again, the guard captain was over eighty and yet he only had three.

From his skills Acidic Touch and Poltergeist stood out to her quickly, because she knew them to be skills that could be received from Slime's, 'Did he venture into the sewers?' she wondered.

Slimes did appear sometimes in the sewers.

Aquatic Breathing she was well versed in, she was born with it herself because of her lineage. She had no idea where this young boy Faeran would have gotten it though.

And then there was the last skill.

Virility.

She had never heard of that skill before.

Not for the first time, she cursed the one flaw her vaunted Scan skill had. It was unable to determine the effects of others skills when she used it.

Still, putting aside his incredibly impressive status for a commoner of his age, the thing that stood out the most to her, was his name.

A name on a status plate wasn't as simple as just being given a name. It was something ingrained by the person themselves. It was a sense of identity.

Commoners did not have family names, they had no lineage worth remembering. Or so it had been ordained since more or less the founding of the Kingdom of Levia.

As much as Sera would like to repeal such a thing, it would send the overly proud nobles into a tizzy. The vast majority of them were very much against any attempts she made to raise the commoners up.

But putting that aside, Faeran was a commoner orphan. There was no way he would have a family name, yet he did, 'Which means he gave himself that name and has assumed it as his identity to such a degree that it appeared on his status plate,'

That could mean a variety of things, but usually the one most apparent for this kind of thing would be someone who planned to continue their family line and see it continue long into the future and establish a family legacy.

For such a young boy to already be thinking along those lines…Sera wasn't sure what to think of it.

Though she was impressed if nothing else.

She initially planned on only observing him for a little bit, but now she found her curiosity peaked even further.

Putting aside any secrecy, Sera strode out through the archway into the garden and made her way towards the boy who was facing away.

"Excuse me, your name is Faeran isn't it?" she asked as she approached.

The boy who was mid squat stilled at the sound of her voice and a surprised sound emanated from him. She saw him let go of the contraption he was holding in surprise and for a moment, it dug into his shoulders causing the boy to hiss in pain…before he grabbed it again and shot up to his feet in one powerful motion and lifted it up over his head and slammed it into the ground.

He whirled around, "Oi, don't you know not to surprise a guy when he's mid lift you moro-" the boy's lips were twisted up into a growl and his pale blue eyes narrowed in anger before he saw exactly who he was speaking to, "Whoa..!"

Or to be more exact he stared straight at her chest and her abundant cleavage.

And he just stared at her breasts for a moment. Sera actually found herself lost for words, completely taken aback from his sudden anger and admonishment to completely and blatantly ogling her chest.

That was a first. While she was well aware of many ogling her on a day to day basis, which they couldn't help. Few had ever been so…blatant about it. Even her former husband had been very skittish about it before his 'mysterious death'.

"Excuse me?" she coughed, trying to get his attention.

It thankfully worked and the boy tore his gaze from her chest and looked up into her eyes, giving a slow blink as he processed who she was, "Oh right, the Queen, I forgot you were visiting today," the boy said, his eyes flickering to her long silver-white hair, "Nice hair, love the colour."

"…Thank you?" Sera replied, utterly on the backfoot. Even from just a few sentences the boy had completely thrown her off. She coughed again, hiding it behind her fist as she forced herself to regain her bearings, "I apologize for startling you, Faeran."

"Well just remember it for next time if there is one, don't startle a guy when he's lifting that's dangerous," he literally admonished her. Her, the queen who'd been ruling the kingdom for over two hundred and fifty years, "So what brings you here to see me?"

Lifting? She supposed he was referring to what he was doing with the odd contraption of his.

Still, she was more surprised by how…casual the boy was with her. She knew children weren't always the greatest when it came to social cues such as this and understood the scope of things, her own son certainly wasn't, but this went beyond even that.

Or at least something deep within her told her it did.

It was the way he was just looking up at her. His eyes lacked the same kind of innocent spark she saw in her own son and other children.

She could tell with just a glance, he was far more mature and intelligent than his age suggested.

'I see now what Father Henry meant,' she mused inwardly.

"I'll need keep that in mind," Sera said outwardly, a small grin trying to tug at her lips in sudden amusement at his attitude, "As for why I'm here, Father Henry couldn't stop singing your praises after I enquired why you weren't there to greet me, so I found myself curious enough to meet the boy he seemed so proud of."

Technically, it wasn't a lie. Father Henry did sing his praises about the boy, but it was more in an attempt to curb any possible anger she would have at him for not appearing to greet her.

As if she would be so petty.

Faeran in response raised an eyebrow at her, "Old man Henry? We talking about the same guy here?" he asked with a snort, crossing his noticeably defined and muscular arms, they were easily as double as thick as her own son's, "He's always whining at me for not playing with the other kids or taking my studies seriously."

The way he talked and looked her in the eye, she noted he had a certain confidence in himself, an assuredness in himself that was odd for his age.

"Yes, though the way he speaks of you, it seems he just worries for you, socializing with others is an integral part of life when you grow up after all," Sera replied, and mirrored his actions crossing her own arms almost challengingly, wanting to see how he'd react, "You seem an intelligent boy who, so I doubt I need to explain that to you."

"You just did though," he rolled his eyes, "But c'mon, that can't be it. You expect me to believe the queen has nothing better to do than talk to random kids? Are you that bored?"

She froze as he cut straight through her veneer almost as easily as breathing. What was with this boy?

He was well capable of understanding who he was talking to and the scope of things. But, he just didn't seem to care at all. He wasn't bowing so low as to scrape his head on the ground like everyone else outside of the most overconfident nobles, he wasn't trying to appease her in anyway…actually, so far beyond ogling her, she got the feeling the boy didn't care for her at all.

His attitude was almost dismissive of her even.

How…refreshing.

The grin that was tugging at her lips?

She allowed it to form, "You'd be surprised, but ruling the kingdom isn't all fun and games, actually it's none of that," she shrugged, allowing parts of her royal facade to fall away. What was the harm in the end? He was just a child after all, "Taking trips like this outside the castle is one of the few escapes from that stuffy atmosphere."

"Sounds like a hassle, lame," Faeran responded, "You're the queen though and the strongest person in this kingdom by far right? Why not just do what you want?"

Sometimes, she asked herself the same question.

The answer she always came to in the end though was, "Sadly, to have a peaceful kingdom with a happy populace, I have to tone down a lot on the whole might makes right angle." she replied.

While it couldn't be denied she had her own loyal faction within the nobility, even one of the Duke houses, whom she had personally betrothed the daughter of to her son to give him a loyal spouse in the future…it also couldn't be denied that the vast majority of the nobles were not actually all that loyal and were always just looking to push their agendas and look out for themselves.

It was because of those types her son was born in the first place. She'd had no interest in getting married at all, especially to a worm like her former husband. But to keep the Dukedom he was from happy and loyal after receiving help from them to push some of her laws through without issue, she had to make concessions of her own.

"Like I said, a hassle," Faeran snorted derisively, "It just means that while you're the strongest, you're not strong enough."

A simplistic view on things, but at the same time not wrong. As strong as she was, she was not the strongest in existence, there were at least five others out there who could match her, possibly a few more.

And even still, she was a weakling compared to the demons of old they descended from.

By all accounts according to records kept by her family from ancient times, her stats weren't even a tenth of the original Arch Demon Leviathan's own.

She couldn't afford to have people as powerful as the dukedoms go traitor and join up with another kingdom or something like that. The power balance of the entire continent hung by a tedious thread and had for a long, long time.

They were like sharks, herself included and weakness was like blood in the water. It was why she had focused so much on having commoners recruited and trained.

While they on average couldn't hold a candle to the nobles alone, given enough time and enough of them, they could become a force that would surpass them through sheer numbers and grit.

The other kingdoms did not give commoners the same respect she did and that was where her advantage lay.

It was just a matter of playing the game long enough to build those forces completely loyal to her.

Give it fifty years and she'd have a force strong enough made of commoners to cow the nobles should they try anything and a force strong enough to reliably fend off the other kingdoms.

Speaking of commoners that could be a force to reckon with in the future though, "Such big talk for such a cute little boy," Sera's grin widened as she teasingly replied to Faeran, "You've no idea how wide the world is outside the city walls I'm afraid despite how smart you are. Things are a lot more complicated than that."

"Meh," Faeran shrugged his shoulders uncaringly, "I've got a pretty good idea actually of how strong you are, give it seven years and I'll surpass you."

Despite herself, Sera found her eyebrows rising up in surprise, "…You'll surpass me?" she asked, disbelievingly.

Since she had risen to her spot on the throne two hundred and fifty years ago, there had been not a single person in her kingdom had appeared that was stronger than her.

Not nobles, not those born with both a class and a blessing and definitely not any commoner.

"Yep." the boy popped his lips with his answer.

…And he was so casually confident about it too. This went beyond confidence straight to full on cocky arrogance.

The question though was if he was actually intelligent enough to understand the scope of what he spoke or was he just getting carried away?

She was curious to find out, so she decided to show him.

"I find myself doubtful," she snorted herself, calling upon her status plate. Not mentally, but full on showing it off, displaying her status straight in front of his eyes, "You think you can surpass my abilities in just seven years?"

Name: Sera Leviathan

Level: 45

Class: Sorceress

Blessing: Salacia

Affinity: Water

MP: 75,000

Strength: 156

Endurance: 156

Durability: 156

Agility: 180

Status Points: 0

Skills:

Leviathan

Liquid Dominion

Aquatic Breathing

Water Magic

Ice Magic

Magic Blade

Aquatic Booster

Swordsmanship

Scan

Magic Resistance

Flight

Queen's Rule

There were few things that Sera was truly passionate about nowadays, but one thing she had always held pride in were her abilities and her status plate that reflected them.

Faeran said nothing, his eyes drawn to her status plate and seemingly completely absorbed in it.

Sera preened a bit, it was unbecoming of her, but she couldn't help it. She always used to love showing off how amazing she was when she was younger.

The young girl in her from long ago seemed to come out in response to Faeran.

It felt good to leave someone gobsmacked over her abilities again, it had been so long since the last time she'd gotten the chance to do so even if it was just to a cocky young boy an-

"That's it?" Faeran's bored voice made her soaring spirits come crashing back down.

Eh?

"I mean it's alright I suppose but, literally over three hundred years and you're only level forty five," Faeran shook his head in outright disappointment, "And your stats aren't even that great for a level forty five who has both a strong class and a blessing, this'll be even easier than I thought." as he spoke the boy looked away from her, staring up at the sky in thought as he cupped his chin.

…She sensed no falsehoods in his voice or his demeanor.

'He really doesn't find it impressive at all?' Sera gaped open mouthed at the boy.

Never in her life had someone found her abilities completely unimpressive before.

"Where does this confidence come from?" she couldn't help but ask the boy in her surprise.

In response he jabbed a finger at his own chest, "Right here, me, myself and I," he replied with a smirk, "If I didn't believe in myself, who would?"

…Well it was an interesting logic, but that had no bearing on his belief in the knowledge he could surpass her and that her status wasn't that impressive.

She said as such.

He crossed his arms once again and his smirk broadened, "Willing to bet on that?" Faeran shot back, "Cuz I am."

A challenge.

She felt her blood pumping in her veins and a tingle of excitement, "Fine with me," Sera replied, without even taking a moment to process it or think of how unbecoming it was for her, a queen to get so riled up over a young boys challenge, "Seven years to surpass me, if not, you have to join my personal guards."

If nothing else, his status was already impressive for a commoner of his age and his drive even more so. He would be a perfect recruit for her future forces and one who in attitude she could trust not to be cowed by the nobles.

He was someone she could use.

He cocked his head for a moment in thought before nodding, "Fine with me," he agreed, "Though what do I get if I win?"

Highly, highly unlikely, almost impossible despite his confidence otherwise, but she was a fair woman, "Anything you want," Sera replied, smirking back at him.

His eyebrows rose up into his hairline, "Anything?" he repeated, and she nodded, "That's a lot to choose from, you sure you can deliver? What if I said I wanted to be king?"

She froze, thinking for a moment, before her competitiveness got the better of her once more, "It won't happen, because you won't win," Sera replied with a shrug, "But if you become stronger than me, then fine."

After all, at the end of the day, if he surpassed her, there was no stopping him from taking the position for himself if he wanted.

For in the end, as much as she tried to rule otherwise. The law of Might Makes Right was eternal in this world.

She could only rule as she did, because she was the strongest in the kingdom. And even then, she was still being undermined at most corners.

                                                 ____________________

There would have probably been a bit of a skip in the step of Queen Sera Leviathan as she left the orphanage behind…

If not for the stupid useless lady stilts she was wearing.

One misstep and she'd break the heels on them as she had with many pairs before.

But, that didn't change that as she made her way out to her carriage after her talk with young Faeran Odhar, she was in a good mood.

She did her best not to think about the fact that the most enjoyment she'd had in a long while was conversing with a young boy who wasn't very impressed with her.

"My lady," Sebastian greeted her as she approached, bowing once more.

She seriously hoped he hadn't stood in that bowing position since she left him, it had been over an hour. He might have had a high level status but that still wouldn't be good for his back.

Still, seeing him and knowing his loyalty…

"Sebastian, I have a task for you if you are willing," she paused before entering her carriage once more to return to the kingdom, attitude completely formal once more.

Her queenly facade on full display once more.

"Anything, my lady," Sebastian replied instantly without looking up, "Anything you desire I will see done to the best of my ability, even if it should cost me my life."

'Come on Sebastian don't be so dramatic,' she took the chance to roll her eyes while his head was bowed, "It's just a simple matter. There is a boy who lives at this orphanage who has caught my eye. His name is Faeran, he has potential. I'd like you to keep an eye on him now and then for me and report to me what he's doing."