Rise of the banished heir

Chapter 6 Secrets and Loyalty Stars

The sun had just risen, and Gerald was awake. He sat casually in front of the dispenser, waiting for the water to be ready to pour into the cup filled with coffee grounds. Not daydreaming like most people, but Gerald was so focused on reading the hologram message from the system, which was different from usual.

"Is this an explanation about the system itself? Still, there's no information about the origin of this system that has been helping me," Gerald mumbled, realizing that the message from the system only related to explanations of statistics and records after the mission was completed.

Gerald read it carefully. From the message, Gerald learned about the statistics section that appeared alongside mission success notifications.

Loyalty.

This section's statistics show how many missions Gerald has completed. Loyalty points increase when Gerald successfully completes a mission. They also decrease if Gerald doesn't accept a mission, and failure to complete a mission will also reduce them.

When the Loyalty points reach multiples of five—though they can't be reclaimed once used—Gerald earns a Loyalty star. One Loyalty star can be used by Gerald to ask questions of the system. Some questions might only deduct Loyalty stars without receiving answers.

Charisma.

This section's statistics can influence people unrelated to Gerald's life. The higher the Charisma points, the more people will passively respect Gerald. It can be concluded that Charisma affects Gerald's image. In other words, the higher the Charisma points, the less people are inclined to believe in slander against Gerald.

Strength.

The mentioned strength is related to physical abilities. The higher the Strength points, the stronger Gerald's body becomes. All effects of Strength points depend on Gerald himself. In general, one point of Strength can strengthen the body by approximately 0.1% to 2%. This percentage is related to one's physique. Currently, Gerald is at a point where one Strength point adds 1% because he looks like an ordinary man, neither skinny nor athletic.

Luck.

The explanation of this statistic left Gerald puzzled. Whenever Luck points are multiples of five, Gerald earns a Luck star. This Luck star can prevent Gerald from unfortunate events, both during and outside missions. In the notes section, Gerald should have had one Luck star from the beginning. The absence of this star made Gerald rethink the incident of saving Anne.

"So, did I really come close to death back then?" Gerald thought hard because it was highly likely that he should have died. "Luckily, the system took the initiative to use the Luck star even though I didn't know anything about the system at the time." Gerald then poured hot water into his cup as he continued to read the hologram message from the system.

As for the other explanations, Gerald just skimmed through them because the notes section didn't need further explanation. It was related to body recovery, just like before the hologram message about the mission appeared in his mind. If a mission is completed, and Gerald's body is in good condition, the body recovery benefits will be converted into bonus money.

After finishing reading and enjoying his coffee, Gerald prepared himself for the day's event. He had plans to visit his father in the hospital, so he was going back to his hometown.

After a 4-hour journey on his new motorcycle, Gerald arrived at the hospital where his father was being treated at 10 in the morning. After a nurse informed him of his father's room, Gerald entered the room —Lily 1B—.

Gerald's arrival was greeted with tears of joy from his mother, Elena. She hugged him tightly, as if they hadn't seen each other for a long time. Gerald understood that Elena might feel guilty about the delay in his tuition fees.

"Forgive us, son," Elena whispered so softly, as if trying to keep the conversation from her husband.

"I'm fine, Mom. There's no need to feel guilty... we can discuss that another time. Right now, I really miss Dad."

"Okay... please, have a seat, dear." Elena released the hug and offered a chair for Gerald to sit, facing his father.

Gerald smiled, realizing that his father, Albert, had awakened due to his arrival. "How is Dad doing now?"

"He's getting better. We just need the doctor's confirmation, and he'll be out of here in two days," Albert said softly while taking a seat.

Gerald looked at the man who had always been his role model. There weren't many words he could say because recent events weren't pleasant topics to discuss with a sick person. Rescuing one of the prominent figure's grandchildren might even make Albert anxious. Moreover, Gerald's parents must think that his education was suffering due to financial constraints. The conversation they wanted to have seemed to hit a dead end for both sides.

Although trying to hold back, Elena eventually expressed her regret over the disruption of Gerald's university life. As a mother, she felt guilty because the awkward atmosphere reflected sad news for every family member. "Forgive us, dear. We've let you down. Because of this situation, your education has been affected," Elena said, full of remorse.

"Mom, there's no need to say that. I'm fine, and my education is still ongoing."

Albert and Elena remained silent for a moment, digesting what their son had said. They were certainly relieved to hear that Gerald was still in school. However, various questions arose in their minds. One of them was, 'How is Gerald making money?'

Elena looked at Gerald, requesting a more detailed explanation. "So, where did you get the money from? I would like to personally thank the person who lent you money."

"Well... I've been working, so the tuition fees have been paid off."

"Thank goodness. I was so worried because last month you said you were still looking for a job that suits you. I'm really happy to hear this now that you have a job," Elena said, touching her chest, realizing that her worries and guilt were based on assumptions.

On the other hand, Albert fell into deep thought. He searched for a logical explanation behind Gerald's reluctance to talk about his job. Usually, Gerald always shared important things with the family. But this time, Gerald seemed to be hiding something significant.

He remembered the advice he had always given to Gerald. He suspected that Gerald had disregarded his warning and approached someone from the wealthy elite. "Gerald, where are you working? Why do I feel like you've taken a different path from what the family had hoped for?"