Thorne tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing with curiosity.
"So," he began, a bit more cautiously now, "do you know what kind of blessing you received?"
Corvin hesitated.
He looked at Thorne, then at the two armored men standing nearby. Both watching him with a quiet but obvious interest. His heart thudded once.
'Should I say it?'
There was no voice in his head this time. No warning like before.
'It's safe…?'
After a moment, Corvin cleared his throat and said carefully.
"It's… something to do with the mind. I think."
Thorne blinked.
Then he bursted into laughter.
"Ha!" Thorne slapped Corvin's shoulder, beaming. "The Blessing of Mind? That's incredible! What a coincidence!"
Corvin flinched at the volume but felt his body relax just slightly.
"Wait… that's actually a thing?"
"Oh, not just a thing," Thorne said, voice practically glowing with excitement. "The young master of the Velcath family has the same one and he's on his way to group with us on our quest! His group's scheduled to meet our army tomorrow."
"What a coincidence…" Corvin tried to smile, but his mind raced.
'The same blessing… But the woman said that I'm the first one after the owner left… And that man's headed to us? Is he the blessed of the world's spirit? But why did the voice tell me not to go to the capital? So I should meet him ?'
He was confused. The idea itched at him. This was too much coincidence. Too clean. Too orchestrated.
Thorne, grinning wide, clearly didn't notice his unease.
"A hell of a coincidence! Maybe fate, eh? That young master's a damn prodigy too. And now you! From our little town, no less!" He laughed again. "Don't you dare forget me when you're shaking hands with the king."
The two armored men who'd come with Thorne stepped forward. One gave him a firm nod, the other a small clap on the back.
"Congratulations, lad," said the older of the two. "Whatever the world's doing, it picked you for something. Be proud."
"Aye," the younger one added with a grin. "One of the only blessed in the whole kingdom. We'll be bragging about you at every tavern for months."
'They're… proud? Of me? I haven't even done anything yet…'
It was such a strange thing to feel.
Thorne laughed again, arms crossed, proud as if Corvin were his own son.
"These two here," he gestured, "are the commanders of our neighboring towns. We are all working together under the same campaign. But none of us expected something like this."
Thorne's laughter eventually faded into a fond smile.
He looked at Corvin with something softer now—less excitement, more a kind of guilt.
"Ah… and, sorry, I should've told you this sooner." He rubbed the back of his neck, his expression sheepish. "It's been five days since you collapsed."
Corvin blinked.
"Five days…?"
Corvin processed that in silence.
'Five whole days. It didn't feel like it. It was only a few hours in the dream... Maybe I was unconscious in the dream too ?'
Thorne nodded.
"Don't worry. It's quite normal actually, the awakening of a blessing tends to last a long time based on previous awakening cases. It's said that the young master of the Velcath family was unconscious for an entire month when he awakened his blessing, so you are still on the shorter side."
"Well," he said after a pause, brushing his thumb absently near the butterfly as if to make sure it was real. "Could I see my friends? Before I… make a decision?"
Thorne grinned again.
"Of course you can. I figured you'd want that first."
Corvin gave him a grateful nod. He didn't say it, but truthfully, he needed time, not just to see his friends, but to reflect. To test the new awareness growing inside him. The blessing, this strange butterfly, the emotions he could now sense around people… It all felt like a dream layered over reality, and he needed time to separate one from the other.
"But," Thorne added, his tone shifting back into the serious realm of a commander, "I won't lie to you. You'll need to decide soon."
Corvin tilted his head.
"About returning home and going to the capital?"
Thorne nodded.
"Exactly. Going with us to the capital means opportunity. Connections. The nobles there… they're not like us. And the one we're going to meet… He's eccentric. Powerful. If he takes interest in you, well…" He paused. "He'll likely insist you stay. So decide before tomorrow."
Corvin's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Insist?"
"If he took interest in you, he would likely offer to train you… By throwing you on the frontline." Thorne admitted with a sigh. " He's known for having a "unique" style."
'What is this ? Is he supposed to be my teacher or something? Is this what the voice wanted?'
Corvin looked away, his gaze drifting to the marching soldiers in the distance, the scattered supply carts creaking along the dirt road.
The butterfly on his shoulder as if heard his thoughts shifted its head slightly, delicate wings catching the sunlight in translucent blue.
'Huh, is it denying what I have in mind…'
Clearer, deeper, like he was seeing the world from a slightly higher step on the staircase.
He exhaled slowly.
"Thanks, commander," he said, his voice steady. "I'll think about it."
"Good." Thorne clapped him on the shoulder one last time, warm and solid. "Just don't take too long. If you need anything, ask me."
Corvin hesitated for a moment, then spoke up as Thorne was about to turn away.
"Thorne… can I ask you something else?"
Thorne raised a brow, turning back with a slight smile. "Of course. What's on your mind?"
Corvin glanced down at his hand, still pale from the days of unconsciousness, but steadier now. "Blessings. I want to know more about them. What are they, really? Where does it come from?"
Thorne tilted his head, thoughtful for a second. Then he let out a breath and gave a wry chuckle.
"Heh. I'm probably not the best one to answer it. My knowledge on blessing is limited."
Corvin frowned slightly.
"But you have one, right?"
Thorne nodded.
"Yeah. A minor one. A lesser version of the Blessing of Order."
"Order…" Corvin repeated, turning the word over in his head.
"It's not as impressive as it sounds," Thorne said, waving a hand. "The Count, our liege, he's the one who truly holds the blessing. What I have is more like… a shard. A piece of it he shared with me when I took over as Captain of the Guard."
Corvin perked up.
"So a blessing can be shared?"
"Only by those who hold the real thing," Thorne said.
"And what does it do?" Corvin asked. "Your blessing, I mean."
Thorne scratched at his jaw.
"It's hard to say. I've always had sharper instincts than most. I can sense hostility, feel it like a gut pull. I see lies more clearly sometimes I know what a person's gonna say before they say it. When I focus, I can spot weakness too. That's all Order, I think. Seeing the flow of things. Judging the state of things around me."
Corvin nodded slowly, thinking about the strange clarity he himself now felt. A clearer mind… the ability to sense emotion… Maybe it really was the Blessing of Mind. He wondered just how deep these powers went.
"So how much do people actually know about blessings?" Corvin asked. "I mean, the people who don't have one."
"Not much," Thorne admitted. "Most people learn from stories and legends. What we were taught in guard training is mostly practical. There are a handful of known types. Mind, Order, Life, Space, Dead, Time, and… what was it again…
One of the commander of the other town shook his head and spoke.
"It's knowledge, how did you even became the captain of your town guard? And also is telling him now really appropriate?"
"Yes, knowledge! I have my ways and you don't need to worry, he will know sooner or later." Thorne retorted then continued "They're called the Major Blessings. They come from the world itself. But that's where facts stop and myth begins."
Corvin nodded slowly.
'The world itself? So the World's Spirit? Does that mean every blessed is a blessed of the World's Spirit? That doesn't line up with what the woman in the garden had said.'
"And… you said every town has someone like you?"
Thorne shrugged.
"More or less. The Count makes sure each town has a guardian with a minor blessing, someone loyal and useful. It's how he maintains peace. None of us hold a full blessing, of course. Those are rare. Most never see one in their life."
Corvin let that sink in. So even someone like Thorne, strong, respected, experienced, and could dismantle a monster so quickly, was just holding a fraction of what a true blessing could be. And Corvin… he had one of the real ones.
A chill passed down his spine.
"Why me…" he murmured, more to himself than anyone.
Thorne didn't hear the question clearly, but still answered with a smile.
"Sometimes the world picks people for reasons we don't get to know. But if you've been chosen, kid, then maybe you're meant for something bigger."
Corvin didn't answer. He just stood there, watching the butterfly on his shoulder sway gently with the breeze.