"What? Do you want my mother's maps? Shouldn't there be copies and better maps of those zones already?" Xan asked.

"It is not because I need them. While working with the expedition teams, I saw how your mother drew many of those maps, and she even gifted me a few of them, so if I could get a few more, I could expand my collection." she explained." It is not because I need them or because they could be useful. They will look great in my living room."

After hearing that, Xan didn't know what to do.

On one hand, this was the perfect opportunity to obtain a technique and start cultivating, but on the other, those maps were one of the few things he had left from his mother.

Even if this could be a great deal, just thinking about giving her his mother's map made his heart shrink to the point that he could not even say a word.

As she saw the struggle on his face, Freya couldn't help but smile.

"Difficult, right?" she asked.

"Yes, it is," he confessed.

"Well, then, I must tell you that being a cultivator is like this but all the time."

"What do you mean?" Xan asked while arching an eyebrow.

"When you become a cultivator, you don't just obtain power and freedom, but also danger for yourself and those around you. If you live long enough, you will inevitably have to make hard decisions that will break your heart completely no matter what you decide." she explained." And those won't be decisions like this one, where you only have to decide if you lose a few papers with emotional value. You may have to decide which of your friends survive or if you sacrifice yourself to allow a group of people to stay alive. So if you want to become a cultivator, a decision like this should be nothing for you."

After hearing those words, Xan became utterly silent. His problems wouldn't just disappear after starting cultivating, and even if he became powerful, he would still find himself in dire situations from time to time. Maybe even more than he did already.

Even with that being the case, he felt he had to try. Even if he didn't get strong enough to defend himself, he might be able to leave the fortress to start a new life somewhere else.

After all, trying to cover large distances alone could be deadly for someone of his age and without any cultivation. Not only the magical beasts that could hunt him down, but he would also need to keep an eye on the cults that kidnap commoners for their sacrifices and rituals.

By cultivating for some time to increase his physical capacities and traveling through main roads, he could move safely across the Guburg territory and outside it.

But at the same time, those still were his mother's maps.

They were present in some of his earliest memories, and each made him remember the stories his mother told him about the regions of each map.

"Could I take some time to decide? I'm not sure what to do." Xan smiled while scratching the back of his neck.

"Sure, don't you worry. Take all the time you need. If you accept my offer, bring those maps whenever you want, and I will give you the cultivation technique." Freya said.

"Thanks for everything. I will try to decide as soon as possible." Xan said before bowing and leaving the room.

He needed to think, so he returned to his room. It would be easier to decide after being alone with his thoughts for a while. He spent the rest of the day evaluating the pros and cons of each possibility, and on the morning of the next day, he finally decided.

'I need the cultivation technique above all else. It is my only possibility to be able to do whatever I want.' Xan thought decided.

After looking at them for a few minutes each, he took down the wall of the maps and prepared to return to the Irongrain Family's area. He advanced quickly across the second area, as he didn't want anyone to know what he was doing, but when he was near the entrance, he suddenly heard a voice by his side.

"Look at what we have here." Said one of yesterday's bullies while cornering Xan against the wall." And what do you have there? I want to take a look."