Anders’s heart aches, tears welling up.
Just this afternoon, he and Uncle Tom were laughing, chatting happily, and Uncle even gifted him a brand-new book… Yet in the blink of an eye, everything turned to dust. What kind of power resides within him? What is this force that can obliterate an entire village with a mere wave of his hand? Anders leans against a rock, despair in his eyes as he gazes up at the deep sky. Who is he? Uncle Tom has never spoken to him about this matter. Could it be because of this latent power? Hold on… If it’s related to magic, perhaps Ovis will have a clear answer… After all, that place is where many clans gather to protect the Fressian Empire.
The strength within him may soon be revealed. But if so, he might be accused of slaughtering the villagers…
No, I cannot live in hiding forever like this… I must seek the truth… Anders clenches the necklace in his hand. This is the sole clue to his identity.
Perhaps someone has seen this emblem before.
On the pendant’s surface, alongside the name “Paulie,” there’s another symbol resembling a crescent moon and a sickle… Anders stands up, determined to approach Ovis… The estate of the Lowry Clan… Rina, dressed in traditional attire as usual, strides along the mansion’s corridor.
She scans her surroundings.
The corridor remains adorned with portraits of the Lowry lineage’s luminaries… The Lowry clan has witnessed many generations of prodigies. Although their tradition follows female succession, Gadfield—Rina’s father—along with their family, sacrificed themselves in the great war between empires a decade ago. As a result, Gadfield Lowry became the first male clan head.
Driven by the desire to preserve the prosperity of the Lowry lineage, Gadfield has become stern. He hopes that one of his two daughters will inherit the clan well. Alice Lowry, Rina’s elder sister, is considered a prodigy within the clan.
She graduated from the Royal Academy, mastering her Water Sword magic at the age of 14.
Now, at 23, she serves as a trusted guard to Emperor Sylvanus Arnold IV—a descendant of the small Arnold clan in southern Fressia. Fressia’s political system has always been a subject of suspicion among other empires.
Although the emperor holds the highest position, the system operates under constitutional monarchy, ensuring checks and balances from the Council of Magic and the populace.
Thus, there’s no stark class distinction between the emperor and the common people. Rina gazes at her sister’s portrait, exhaling deeply.