What? I Actually Reincarnated As Stepping Stone In Another World?



Hearing a soft voice, Arthur was startled and attempted to sit up as he looked ahead.

"Alicia?" he exclaimed, surprised, as he spotted a teenage girl who appeared to be around his age.

It was his younger sister, Alicia Asvold!

In Arthur's eyes, Alicia had grown into an exceptionally beautiful woman, far surpassing her childhood innocence.

Her face radiated a maturity that belied her age.

Furthermore, her body was developing splendidly, with room for further growth.

As Arthur struggled to stand up, Alicia quickly rushed over to him, supporting his body, and asked with evident concern, "What happened to you, big brother?"

Noticing the dirt on his clothes and his body's stiffness, she looked closely at the back of his dust-soiled shirt and the slightly torn pants.

Alicia's anxiety increased as she noticed his pale face and the visible sweat on his neck and forehead.

Upon hearing her concern, Arthur responded with a gentle smile and reassured her, "It's okay, Alicia."

"In fact, this is just the result of my training, and nothing bad happened, you know?" Arthur replied gently.

He was about to stroke Alicia's black hair, but he quickly halted himself, realizing that his dirty and sweaty hands would soil Alicia as well.

Upon witnessing this, Alicia promptly grasped his hand and pressed it against her smooth cheek.

"Don't push yourself too hard with your training, big brother," she said earnestly.

"I'm really concerned about what might be wrong with you, you know?" Alicia's pleading gaze locked onto Arthur, as if tears would flow unless he agreed to her plea.

Observing her expression, Arthur couldn't help but be reminded of his younger sister from his past life, Chloe.

For some inexplicable reason, similar to how he viewed Runa as a substitute for Mira, Arthur couldn't help but see Alicia as reminiscent of Chloe.

As a result, his affection for Alicia was profound, despite not being siblings.

His fondness remained unwavering.

Furthermore, Alicia's gentle and nurturing disposition had a profound effect on Arthur, melting his heart.

Arthur was well aware that Alicia had become the way she was due to the circumstances and hardships she endured during her childhood.

She hadn't received love either from David himself or from her environment.

Carina, consumed by her mission to kill David, had no time to display any affection towards Alicia, despite the fact that Alicia was undeniably David's child as well as her adversary!

This is precisely why Alicia in the novel felt immense joy upon witnessing Arthur's arrival and his stay at Duke Asvold's mansion.

With Arthur's presence, she found solace in having a friend and a protector to look up to.

Regrettably, all of Alicia's hopeful expectations in the novel turned out to be in vain.

Arthur's actions in the story were misguided, leading to a misunderstanding between him and Alicia.

"Well, I apologize, alright?" Arthur tenderly caressed her cheek and made a promise.

"Hmm~" Alicia nodded, relishing Arthur's touch as she surveyed the devastated surroundings.

Growing curious, she asked with a hint of confusion, "By the way, big brother, why does your practice room look so disheveled with burn marks on different sides?"

Arthur's face displayed a slight hint of embarrassment as he spoke with a periodic smile: "You see, it's because I had just tried out the fire elemental art that I recently learned."

"Due to my lack of experience in manipulating mana, it resulted in an excess consumption of mana."

He then explained in a light tone, "However, it's also because of the fatigue I experienced earlier."

Upon hearing his statement, Alicia's face displayed complete shock, and she asked, "Big brother!"

"Are you already able to use your core power?"

Arthur nodded, a proud expression on his face, as he replied, "Of course!"

"Your brother is so talented that the seal came off first, you know?" he added playfully.

However, Alicia, upon hearing this, didn't think he was joking at all because she had predicted that the seal on her brother's core would be released in a few days.

She hadn't expected the seal on her brother's core to have already been released, let alone for him to have also mastered the fire elemental art at the same time!

There was a valid reason for her to think this way, as the average person requires several days, if not a week, to grasp the theoretical aspects of one-star elemental arts.

For practical training, it was necessary to have guidance from a teacher in order to effectively utilize and manipulate the mana within one's body.

Indeed, the core itself remained sealed and inaccessible until the appropriate time.

However, Arthur was a special case, as he possessed the ability to manipulate mana to some extent, even with his core sealed.

This is also one of the reasons why he can use the 'elemental art: fireball,' even though it is not perfect.

Alicia's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she instinctively hugged Arthur tightly, bursting into joyful laughter.

"Congratulations, big brother!" Alicia exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement.

"Now you're an elemental and can protect yourself."

She rubbed her head against Arthur's chest, seeking comfort and reassurance.

Arthur, witnessing her affectionate gesture, smiled gently and added, "Of course, I will protect you too, my dear girl."

"Hehehe, you're the best, big brother!" Alicia smiled sincerely, thoroughly enjoying Arthur's embrace.

"By the way, my seal will come off in about a year, and at that time, I'll be able to protect my big brother too!" She whispered softly to Arthur.

"Of course, I'll be waiting for you at that time," Arthur replied affectionately, his tone filled with warmth.

He felt a subconscious curiosity about Alicia's statistical status and promptly summoned Arthasia.

"Arthasia, is it true that I can learn another person's stats by simply looking at them and saying, 'Appraisal'?" he inquired.

Without much delay, Arthasia's telepathic-like voice resonated in Arthur's mind.

"[Right, master!]." Arthasia responded promptly.

"[You simply need to direct your gaze towards the person you wish to appraise, and their data will appear before you, much like when you view your own data]."

Arthur was taken aback by this revelation.

In confusion, Arthur asked Arthasia inwardly, "Arthasia, are you able to use telepathy and communicate with me without manifesting your physical form?"

"[Of course!]". Arthasia responded excitedly through their telepathic connection.

"[I don't have to physically manifest myself, master!]."

This newfound understanding immediately dawned on Arthur.

With this ability, he didn't need Arthasia to appear in physical form to appraise someone.

Without wasting any time, he shifted his gaze toward Alicia, who was still tenderly embracing him.

"Appraisal," Arthur whispered softly, and suddenly a gentle light began to shimmer in his vision, revealing Alicia's data.

[Statistical Data]

[Name: Alicia Asvold]

[Title: Duke Asvold's Unloved Daughter, One of the People Who Awakened the Ice Special Core, Owner of a Trauma That Can Only Heal If She's Always With Her Brother (Secret)]

[Special Title: Being the Only Favorite Sister of the Heir of Duke Asvold's Mansion]

[Age: 14 years old]

[Awakened Core: Ice (Special Element Holder)]

[Level: None]

[Hobbies: Reading, Embroidery, Drawing Her Dear Brother on Paper]

[Elemental Arts Mastered: None]

[Ambition: To become strong, to protect her brother, to be Arthur Asvold's only wife, to do anything for her brother!]

[Talent: Very Strong (Special Core Holder)]

[Love: 100%]

Seeing Alicia's data, Arthur's expression grew serious as he carefully studied the information.

Arthur's attention was immediately drawn to the word "secret" in the title column.

"Arthasia!" Arthur called out quickly, seeking an explanation.

"Can you clarify the meaning behind the title column with the word 'secret'?"

Upon hearing Arthur's question, Arthasia swiftly provided an explanation.

"[The word 'secret' signifies that it cannot be detected by my current abilities, master]," she replied.

"[Perhaps, as you grow stronger, it will become visible]." Her tone carried a hint of apology.

Arthur nodded in understanding, harboring no trace of anger.

"I see... By the way, could you explain the meaning of the 'love' column at the bottom of the statistics?" Arthur inquired once again, as this concept was new to him.

"[Of course, it represents the degree of affection others hold for the master!]." Arthasia responded with a light tone.

"It's certainly something new," Arthur pondered, contemplating the significance of this column that allowed him to observe the affection others had for him in detail.

Immediately, he scanned through the various other statistics, and a slight twitch formed at the corner of his mouth.

"Is it possible that this girl has feelings for me?" He asked helplessly, noticing that most of Alicia's stats were related to him.

Of course, this was only natural.

From Alicia's childhood until now, Arthur has been there for her, providing protection, companionship, and affection that should have come from her parents, David and Carina.

He had filled that void.

Thus, it came as no surprise.

Taking a brief moment, he closed his eyes, and soon, Alicia's statistics disappeared from his sight.

He didn't dwell on it for long, as he realized he should be relieved that he had prevented Abel from entering Alicia's life and becoming her helper.

In doing so, he also ensured his own survival in the future.

With a playful tone, he gently pinched Alicia's cheek and pretended to be angry.

"How much longer are you going to rely on me like this? You need to become more independent, you know?"

Observing Arthur's response, Alicia pouted and voiced her protest: "Don't I deserve to be spoiled by you, big brother?"

Arthur smiled affectionately and responded, "Of course you are, but right now I have something important to take care of."

He explained the situation to her.

Perplexed, Alicia looked at him with curiosity and tilted her head, asking, "What is it, big brother? Why do you have that serious look on your face?"

Arthur chuckled at her funny expression and replied softly, "I'm looking for a teacher who can train me to master mana."

Alicia's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing this revelation.

"Looking for a teacher?"

"Do you plan to find a renowned teacher from the capital city of Rozen or the capital city of Arkham?" Alicia asked with growing curiosity.

A faint smile appeared on the corner of Arthur's mouth as he gently shook his head.

"No, it's neither of them."

"Because, hehe, the teacher I'm looking for is already here, thanks to Runa," he revealed with a mischievous smile.

Alicia's face registered shock and she hesitantly inquired, "Is this teacher someone very powerful?"

"Hehehe, indeed! Very powerful!" he responded with a mysterious smile.