This is a daily reminder: You have 2 unallocated stat points

  I am Sara Maxwell.

  Sam dead, he was thirty-three, he was not innocent by the time he died. I now know exactly what happened to the village kids and Albert. Any hope that I was wrong about it being an exp farm is gone. That Albert suffered the same fate as those he condemned should make me feel something. I don't. My right eye is screaming in pain but my focus is on my notifications.

  I sense Cecelia, I'm in her room and laying in her bed. She is in her chair looking at Marie. Neither woman notices me. After grandma Bianca put that new geas on me, the tea party was over. Bianca put her all into that geas, and collapsed. I had accepted the geas fully, I would have been most ungrateful if I hadn't, I can't even feel it against my soul. Not like the level prohibition, that one still feels like a scab that I can pick at. So I do, that geas is gone. I don't feel like spending the points right now.

  Cecelia forced me to sleep in her bed, mother compels are unnegatable it seems. It didn't matter, either I was still me when I woke up or I wasn't. My mana full now, I hook both arcane sight and mental to my reserves. A moment passes, my mana is still full. In two days I'll likely be tier two. Cecelia and Marie are still talking.

  The doors slam open. Bianca standing there still in her nightgown. Marie must have been with Cecelia this morning.

  “Sara open your eyes, I know you're awake, I felt you remove one of the geas.”

  I'm looking at her with my cat eyes, my right matches my left now.

  “I'm still Sara, the level prohibition was annoying on my soul so I removed it. Grandmother Marie can you bring out your status stone, the one that shows soul”

  Marie looks at Bianca and then fishes out the stone from her dress, she holds it out to me. I touch it, then touch the skill I want them to see.

  Tier 1 : Sara Maxwell Human lvl 9 - 2 stat point unassigned. [NOTIFICATIONS]

  Title:[Voiceless Junior Attendant]

  Strength - 24 Constitution - 40 [Intelligence] - 55

  Agility - 29 Presence - 31 Soul - 88

  [Perception] - 52 Mental Fortitude - 45

  Languages: [T3:English] Intermediate 9 [Math] Intermediate 8 [T3:Common] Apprentice 5

  Strength Skills: [Sword Arm] Competent 4 [Strength Training] Competent 1 [Yell] Apprentice 6 [Strong Grip] Apprentice 4 [Strong Lungs] Apprentice 2 [Throw Knife] Basic 4

  Agility Skills: [Running] Competent 7 [Fire Tender] Competent 2 [Cooking] Apprentice 3

  Perception Skills: [T5:Attention to Detail] Basic 4 [T2:Mental Mana Sight] Competent 1 [Arcane Mana Sight] Competent 2 [Identify] Basic 7

  Constitution Skills: [T3:Resist Crush 2] Basic 6 [Resist Blunt Force] Intermediate 2 [Resist Heat] Apprentice 5 [Tough Skin] Basic 9 [Lesser Stanima] Basic 3 [Resist Pierce] Basic 1

  Presence Skills: [T2:Acting] Basic 2 [Atlas Noble Etiquette] Intermediate 2 [Tell Lie] Apprentice 2

  Mental Fortitude Skills: [T3:Resist Mental Attacks 2] Basic 9 [T2:Convert Arcane to Mental Mana] Apprentice 4 [Resist Lightning] Apprentice 2

  Intelligence Skills: [T2:Mana Manipulation:External] Basic 1 [Mana Manipulation:Self] Competent 3

  Soul Skills: [T2:Mental Mana Core] Apprentice 1 [Pariah Aura Manipulation] Apprentice 6 [T0:Soul Eater] Basic

  Combo Skills: [T2:Status Screen 1 Per 1 Men] Competent 4 [T2:Shape Metal Str 1 Con1] Basic 8

  Earned Titles: [Voiceless Junior Attendant] [Apprentice Blacksmith]

  Soul Eater - YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE

  Basic - gain more soul from eating souls

  I roll over away from them and wait for my end. Will it be fire, lightning, a sword through my heart like my father. Nothing, that's fine, perhaps they have left. Starvation works too. What I get is a hug.

  “What you are is my daughter.”

  I cry.

  You have gained the skill [Permanent Soul Sense] Basic 1

  Permanent Soul Sense - you always know the size of the souls around you

  Basic - your sense is small but it will grow

  Presence raised to 41

  I can feel my mother soul behind me, I instinctively know mine is bigger than hers. I vomit onto her bed. She rubs my back as it all comes out. I drive heave some more, it's no use, nothing left in me. Marie is in front of me with a glass of water, her soul is slightly bigger than mine. My eyes are trying to find a way to look away from souls but they are there. Closing my eyes does nothing, there is no turning off the mana, I don't even know if it runs on my mana. Maybe if I was out of mana. I convert all my mana into mental mana. I still see the souls, my corset pops open.

  “No, Sara, stop.”

  My muscles are so sore, mother pushes mana into me. I just convert it.

  “Sara stop draining your mana reserves”

  Good Bianca decided to be heavy handed, I negate it. The blob of free floating mental mana is gone. I STILL SEE THEIR SOULS. Come on Bianca go for the KO punch. My core still has mana. She obliges.

  “Marie, supply the corset directly, SARA STOP DRAINING YOUR MANA RESERVES.” Bianca is on her hands and knees after that one.

  That did it, I'm out of all mana from my final desperate negation, … but I can still sense their souls.

  Cecelia was crying into my back, “Please stop.”

  I'm crying with her, “I can't stop it mom, I can't stop seeing your souls.”

  I stop converting the mana and let my reserves recover as I cry. I had tried everything. When I was at five percent I turned to her.

  “I have enough, help grandma.”

  She bit her lip, her eyes were white looking at my growing reserves, she saw I was recovering. She went to grandma and helped her.

  Marie still had a hand on my corset. I look at her. “She needs you more right now.”

  “She'll be fine, look she's already about ready to yell at you.”

  I smile at that, I deserve it. I brought grandma to her knees twice in less than twenty four hours. Maybe I'll be fired.

  “Look at me Sara Maxwell.”

  I do.

  “Explain.”

  I give a sad smile, “I'm a soul eater and now I can see everyone's souls. Anytime I sense a new soul I'm comparing it to mine, I didn't want to, Permanent means permanent, it never turns off. I was out of mana but I could still sense mom’s soul.”

  “Alright you can sense souls, so can your mother, that you can't turn it off doesn't matter, is there any instinct other than comparing”

  “No.”

  Grandmother looks at Cecelia.

  Mother speaks, “Complete honesty.”

  “Good, next time you want to burn your reserves, ask, could have fed it into the fountain.”

  “Was kinda panicking there.” I murmured.

  “I noticed.” Guess she heard.

  Cecelia by my side again eyes green, hand on my waist, “Her muscles are sore from the release but should be fine, organs didn't shift most likely cause she wasn't moving around.”

  “What is to be my punishment?”

  “Sara no, you weren't in your right mind.” mother is too kind.

  “Your reporting back to duty.” Marie has a steely gaze going, I suspect my duties will be harder today.

  “Of course, [Head Attendant].”

  Bianca was studying me with arcane sight, “Well Sara, since your mana recovery is back, your mental defense training is going to begin, I will be making the most embarrassing compels.” I believe that will truly be my punishment.

  “Aren't we going to talk about [Soul Eater].”

  “You need to go get Barbain up and get to your jog [Junior Attendant].”

  Cecelia gives an angry look at Marie. “Come on mom, I'm sure you have some frustration to burn in the sparring ring.”

  -----

  My hope of using my focus to spar with Cecelia failed, what use was there in slowing the speed of the strike if I couldn't move to deflect it.

  Barbain was happy to see me, I gave her a weak smile, her soul the smallest so far. Breakfast was a quiet affair. After attending to my own breakfast in the kitchen I reported to Marie. She had a table cloth laid out on the dining room table.

  “Good Sara, you're here, look at this pattern that I have made in this corner and further out.”

  “It's pretty, [Head Attendant] Marie.”

  “I'm glad you think so, here is a handkerchief, please try to reproduce the pattern onto it, your accuracy is not important, like throwing knives the goal is just to gain the skill.”

  I start to try to make the pattern with the needle and thread, I gained two resist pierce before I got the notification.

  You have gained the skill [Embroidery] Basic 1

  Embroidery - the ability to make fancy patterns with needle and thread

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Basic - Its a trap Sara

  Gain 1 exp

  I start to get very nervous. A status stone is pressed against my temple. I try to cut the mana that flows into it but it's too late. Why did I leave my status screen in [Common].

  “Good, you gained the skill. Sara, you are to finish the pattern on these tablecloths, ring it around the entire cloth.”

  My eyes are getting wide. She leans down, her mouth next to my ears. A whisper.

  “And I expect perfection.”

  O that evil, evil sadist.

  -----

  What's sixty times three hours. Seven and half days. Marie left me with a rod that mends cloth, I'll need it. It took a day of focus to get the first stitch right. This was my world. Just each stitch. After the first eighty hours Marie interrupted me to bring me a snack, my work had progressed by a kings foot.

  “Good Sara, keep it up.”

  Another eighty hours I was rounding a corner. I earned my second snack. By the time I was free to go make lunch my [Embroidery] was intermediate 2, my [Resist Pierce] competent 5, and two more basic levels into [Attention to Detail]. But I finished the tablecloth.

  “Excellent work Sara, tomorrow we will have you start work on the other seven tablecloths. Come, time to make lunch.”

  -----

  “Today you're making paincakes.”

  Pancakes for lunch, if that's what my [Lady] wants.

  “I know you have been struggling with your cooking.”

  She places a small hourglass within reach of me at the stove. I start to shudder.

  “That, Sara, will measure out one full minute. If you flip the pancake after two minutes for each side they should be fine.”

  She leans close again, I try to block her voice out but I'm not used to my higher perception. Another hateful whisper is heard.

  “The [Lady] says pancakes are perfect if you flip them after a minute and fifty seconds.”

  She continues as if she hadn't just damned me. “Since we will need sixteen pancakes, four for each guest, Cecelia opted to remain at the estate today, here is another pan and minute hourglass.”

  She leans in again, another hateful whisper, “Your mother of course disagrees, she thinks the perfect pancakes require one minute fifty five seconds per side.”

  I grit my teeth and close my eyes, I can't help it, I asked the damning question.

  “And what do Barbain and Francis say?”

  Marie has a rather wolfish grin when she tells me.

  She then pulled out weights and scales of incredibly precise measurements. The recipe provided needed that precision, to better utilize the measurements tools of course. I swear to never anger Marie again.

  My only solace was the skill ups and the praise. Everyone enjoyed their personal perfect pancakes.

  I ate my mistakes as per usual afterward, Marie came over.

  “Are you not glad how much you have improved?”

  My haunted gaze at her only makes that wolfish grin widen.

  “Everyone was so happy with your pancakes that they want them for breakfast tomorrow morning.”

  She looks like she is contemplating something. All she is really doing is making sure I am at maximum dread before she delivers the knife to my kidneys. I shudder.

  “I think you will improve that much more if you try without the hourglasses.”

  Yep, never ever anger grandmother Marie ever again. A message scrolls across my glasses.

  “Sara, once you finish up in the kitchen, head up to my office.”

  -----

  “You requested me, my [Lady].”

  Cecelia and Francis are in the office as well, a knock later Marie also enters. Cecelia is without her breastplate.

  “I believed you wanted to talk about your new skill, have a seat, you're not on duty.”

  Soul eater right, I'm afraid to begin. I don't protest the offer, I don't want to go off on a tangent. I take my seat.

  “Is there anything known about it?”

  Francis speaks up, “I was going through our copy of the catalogue of skills and I never found [Soul Eater] nor [Permanent Soul Sense], there were some permanent sights listed but not for soul. Generally if you level up a sight skill enough it just becomes a part of you.”

  Huh, good to know I suppose, wonder if that also leaves you the eyes themselves. Wonder why no one managed to succeed at the soul version. Cecelia provides insight.

  “[Sense soul] isn't a sight skill, it's a presence skill, you're feeling others' soul presence, if I remember there are versions that feels mana density and physical strength as well.”

  I say that was strange if I wasn't experiencing having a general sense of those around me.

  “Perhaps I was looking in the wrong section then.” He cracks the book open and starts flipping through pages again.

  “Are there any skills that don't have tier levels? The damn thing doesn't even have a skill level.”

  “I've never heard of such before.” Bianca this time, she looks to Marie who also shakes her head.

  “Well my system gave me shit for a description but basic is clear enough. I got more from Sam then I did from Vance even though Vance was older and worth more exp.”

  “Is it possible you got less from Vance because you only had a week of manifestation of his memories.” Bianca again.

  I shrug, “No way to test it.” Not that I would want to.

  “O it is here. [Permanent Soul Sense] tier ten presence skill, by the system, Sara.” He looks at me for a moment before going back to the page. “Grows as more souls sensed, tends to force skill holder to compare souls to their own, size of sense scales off skill level and presence, that usual for such, tier ups can give user the ability to either project their soul as intimidation or hide it from others, to deceive this skill one must have at least a tier higher than the skill holder, the only know skill capable of deceiving it is [Permanent Soul Sense], known users of the skill tend to be incredibly high level and have reported sensing range of the size of a city. As the skill does not emit mana and is innate to the skill holder no know detection method is known when underneath [Permanent Soul Sense], sounds innocuous, you alright there Sara.”

  “Sorry it's all a bit much, I don't like sensing one and it will be city sized?”

  “Sara, you are a grain of sand compared to those mountains. You'll be very much used to it before you can even sense pass this room.”

  Mother trying to be reassuring, is this something I want to get used to? There is no choice in the matter but damnit I want there to be. Mother is in front of me.

  “Its alright Sara, remember I also have a version of this skill, I'm a little annoyed you jumped right past me to its conclusion but its alright. This can help to protect you.”

  I nod, accepting it a little more even as I feel her soul, it's warm and that least is comforting. Francis speaks up.

  “Should we find her range at the least?”

  “I already got a sense of it, I can feel up to where you are, Francis.” A man who older than mom but smaller in soul, if only by a little. “But I can't sense Grandma Bianca.”

  “Tell me when you can't sense me.”

  He starts backing away slowly, I stop him at the point he asked.

  “About three kings feet, if I stick my arm forward can you now sense it?” I shake my head in the negative. “Similar to a fountain detection then.”

  “You mean how it blocks you at the chest.”

  “How did you learn that?”

  Mother chimes in, “Sara ran into our town barrier when she first arrived, since she had an unusual soul weight for her size the barrier rejected her, I'm still not sure how you bypassed that for a week.” Does Briknae have issues with the barrier?

  “O well, remember how I was discharging all my mana when touching interfaces.”

  She quirks an eyebrow, “I dumped my mana at the fountain when I left, then I used an enchanted knife to dump my mana again to get back in, it broke the knife.”

  “Your debt to Belna.”

  Bianca chimes in to make me sad, “Which I already paid, Oh stop looking at me like that Sara, you're more than welcome to pay me the ten large gold when you have it. The Maxwell family is not going to leave an easy payable debt hanging around to make you feel better.”

  Harsh words grandma, harsh words. Wait a second.

  “Belna was docking my pay for that knife, she hasn't changed how much she's been giving me.”

  “Nor should she, you're a half day apprentice who can't be sent out on errands, that she is paying you at all is her being generous.” Marie got me there. I'll just shut up now.

  “We've gotten a tad sidetracked, we may wish to look into this way of sneaking through a barrier though.” Bianca looks at Marie, and gets a nod. “Suffice to say we don't know anything about [Soul Eater] beyond what Sara's own system tells her. The plan is still to avoid gaining slaying exp until Sara finishes processing the souls she has. Dear, do you have an understanding of how much longer due to your changes?”

  “Given the exp amounts it will be over in five days, if Frank is included that is. I don't start a life until the next night, Hanki should start tonight, then Vancea.”

  “You already know their names?” Francis this time.

  “Sam knew everyone in camp. Not certain but I don't think the adventurers got their boss Randan, he was still away when Sam died.”

  “Anything else you can tell us?” Cecelia got her guard captain hat on.

  “Albert was sold and killed with the seven Hotna villagers, I saw the lord who paid for it. I didn't get a name. Apparently it was Vance's job to be with boss when someone came to buy before he died. Sam took the role after.”

  “Can you describe him?”

  “Tall, brown hair, pale. Sam wasn't too close, his wife was there but Sam tended to avoid looking at women, the boy getting the exp was five years old and named James”.

  “Not much to go on.”

  “Shouldn't a five year old name suffice?”

  “The members of a noble household are not a matter of public record before they debut, small children are easy to compel, thus easy targets for ransom.”

  Right, my training for later.

  “Why did Sam not want to look at women?” Marie, with the awful question

  “After Sam killed the girl he was infatuated with in his village, any sort of relation he tried generally resulted in another corpse. It was an open secret that none of the female slavers should try anything with Sam. He still ended up killing five women over the years.”

  Cecelia being hopeful, “You seem like you're handling keeping yourself separate from your other memories.”

  “I am Sara Maxwell. I will never again claim to be the man who killed my father, that he is dead by my hands is a small amount of closure even if I had to be an echo of him and repeat what he did.”

  Bianca is giving me a sad look right now, she is not alone in that, but I feel her sadness being different. She speaks.

  “Well that's enough for now, Sara it will just be me and you for the evening tea party.”

  Guess she got more to say.

  -----

  I pour my cup of tea, still perfect.

  “Biscuit grandma?”

  “You shouldn't be asking that with a biscuit hanging from your mouth, I swear you seem to either be Marie or Barbain.”

  I smile at that, then I asked the question I felt before.

  “So why were you feeling sad about me stating I was Sara Maxwell.”

  She sighs, nibbles a biscuit then begins, “Geas are a struggle of will, so is just simple compelling, in your accepting that name onto your soul you've made yourself have a True Name, it was even on your status screen this morning. You've seen how compels work by stating the person's name. If a compel uses your true name you wouldn't be able to negate it, if the compel open ended enough it could become a geas by itself. A demonstration, Sara Maxwell clap your hands once.”

  I clapped my hand, just once.

  “...”

  Sara stares blankly forward.

  “...”

  “Bleeding system, how long was I just staring.”

  “Ten minutes.”

  That's not good. I heat the tea that got cold. “Is there anything to be done?”

  “Well I can't remove my geas without dying, I gave no condition for removal, I can't even feel your soul struggling against it.”

  “You're not dying to free me, grandma.”

  “I doubt it would free you if I drop dead this second, you just went through at least twenty years of memories and still maintain yourself. It's as solidly set as possible at this point.”

  “So is there anything, maybe another ontop.”

  “You wouldn't accept it as you do this, it would be as annoying as the level prohibition.”

  Damn it, “Can it be modified.”

  “I just told you I can't place one on top.”

  “Well I'm not asking to do that, like I pulled the last geas off like it was scab on my soul right, that means they can be touched right?”

  She blinks at me on that, then considers. “If it is possible, you'll have to do it yourself. All I can suggest is that whatever you choose never tell anyone, it's best to go with a concept as well, that will break vocalisations of your name. These are generally True Name considerations. Also the change must be something you accept about yourself as much as you accept being Sara Maxwell, modifying this won't work otherwise. It better not be Attendant or your title, I don't need you being Marie and you have strong self destructive feelings towards the title.”

  “Why would anyone intentionally True Name themselves?”

  “It's part of the process for deification. It also makes magic stronger when you use your own though it can take more out of you. Also someone compelling you with a partial name is weaker. It's why I spent so much mana this morning trying to stop you.”

  The path to godhood, that's like a massive can of worms I am going to not ever think about.

  “I think I have an idea that might work.”

  I fill her cup and begin, it's hard to find but maybe, “I am Sara Maxwell”, I sense a part of my soul pulse. I reach for it and see it, there is no mental magic there anymore; it's just part of me, nothing to change, the wording is set. But that's fine, mother may have removed my scars on my body but I still remember them. They are a part of me and so they will be a part of my name. I mar Sara Maxwell, now Sara Maxwell, I embody my scratches name but no one should be able to say it or know what it means when they see it, a perfect strikethrough.

  You have gained skill [Soul Etching] Basic 1

  Soul Etching - You keeping collecting taboo skills

  Basic - You're able to etch onto your own soul

  Gain 10 exp

  “Sara you're bleeding.”

  I look at my arms and legs, I think I just remade all my forest wounds. My corset feels warm, shit the stomach scratches.

  “Grandma get mother here, I got to turn off my corset, it's burning my mana trying to reseal my scratches without scarring me. I know these scratches, I guess I defined myself with them now.”

  A message pops up on my glasses telling Marie to find Cecelia, it's an emergency.

  “You're going to be the death of me girl, lay on the ground before you cut off the flow of the corset and don't move.”

  I get on the floor and release the mana flow, oh system that hurts, I do my best to not squirm. I figure I spend the time teasing grandma.

  “Nuh uh grandma, I did this so you have no reason to die.”

  She narrows her eyes at me, Cecelia barges into the room, and is already over me.

  “Cecelia wait, you can't heal the wounds completely, their part of Sara soul now, they need to be scars. Do the ones on her stomach first so she can resupply the corset.”

  “Why in system name did she change her soul image to have scars.”

  Things are getting fainter.

  “She changed her True Name, I suspect it has to do with that ridiculous name the guild master gave her.”

  I smile, best of luck saying a strikethrough Bianca, might get some of the meaning but certainly not the text editing. No one in this world gets that.

  “There done Sara, turn your corset back—”