80 years ago.

“Oh! You’ve finally awakened, Evan.” The young Duke Lorelei heard his instructor’s voice. “Yes, Teacher. Thank you very much for helping me. I’ll not disappoint you.”

“Hahaha. Just awakening your spirit alone is already good. How about your absorption rate? Let me check.” An elderly man extended his hand.

“Yes.”

Instead of giving an immediate answer, the elderly man frowned as if he had found something wrong.

Evan looked at his teacher with an expectant look, yet the only answer he got was that of disappointment. “Your absorption rate is only 62%.”

“62%?” Evan’s face turned pale. “How can this be? I only have a 62% absorption rate?”

His teacher could only shake his head; his disappointment could be clearly seen in his face.

As someone who was born into a noble family, having a spirit was good, but having a low absorption rate was the same as having no spirit.

After all, their path was limited, let alone for a third son like him.

His hellish days in the mansion had just begun.

During the night, he overheard his father talking with his first wife. “That useless child. His absorption rate is too low to be even considered my son.”

During the day, he listened to the servants gossiping about him. “62% is too low, isn’t it? Even the second son has an 83% absorption rate, let alone the eldest young master, who has an 88% absorption rate. The third young master is skilled with the sword, but in the end, his talent is lacking.”

On the training field, he was bullied by his two elder brothers. He was beaten up black and blue while listening to their mockeries. “Why would our father even take that lowly maid as his wife?”

“You are a disgrace to this family.”

Out of frustration, Evan just trained separately, away from everyone. Even then, the bullying and gossip didn’t end.

“Why am I only having a 62% absorption rate, Mother?” Evan cried in his mother’s embrace.

However, his mother was also receiving bullying from other wives. Her body was thin and her complexion wasn’t good.

“I’m sorry for making you suffer, Evan.” His mother could only stroke his hair while holding back her own tears. “Your mother is just a commoner. I’m a coward. That’s probably why I can say this… If it’s too hard for you, you should run away from the mansion.”

“Running away?” Evan raised his head.

“Yes. I know that running away is shameful. Sometimes, the only option you have is to run away. As long as you are alive, you can always get stronger. Just like me, I became a maid for ten years, serving from one place to another. It was only when I encountered your father that I became his wife… So, your opportunity might not be in this mansion.”

Evan felt like he grasped something, but it soon disappeared as he couldn’t help but ask, “But what about you, Mother? Are we going to run together?”

“No. Your mother will stay in this mansion so that your father and other wives can forget about you.”

“But…” Evan clenched his fists.

She shook her head. “Your mother selfishly brought you to this world. The only thing I can do is provide you with an opportunity to forge your own path. Don’t worry. When you are tired, you can come back home. I’ll always be waiting for you.”

“Mother…”

“This is not much, but this is all my wages when I worked as a maid. I thought that I could buy you something nice when you married someone, but I hope that this can help you just a little.” She smiled while giving him a pouch she always hid under her bed.

“Mother…” Evan couldn’t contain his tears anymore and just hugged her tightly.

In the end, Evan left the mansion by himself. He walked from one city to another, defeated numerous demons, and learned from several teachers during his adventure. Whether during the hottest day in the summer or during the coldest day in the winter, he continued moving forward, not skipping a single day to train.

His two brothers might be more talented than him, but Evan trained multiple times harder than them.

His name started getting known by people, which ended up going back to the Marquis household.

He eventually learned that his mother passed away due to the intense harassment, which came from the jealousy of other wives. He returned to the family and took his revenge, ultimately becoming a marquis.

Evan never took a shortcut. He took one step at a time and continuously grew stronger. It was hard and tiring, but in the end, he managed to become the strongest arbiter with his hard work.

The king rewarded him with the title of duke, as he ended up marrying a royal.

…

Duke Lorelei walked toward Lean, who was crawling on the ground to get away.

“Duke Lorelei. This is just a misunderstanding! You shouldn’t kill me! I’m still young, right? I can reach transcendent rank in the future.”

Duke Lorelei’s expression turned sad after seeing such pathetic behavior. “I might favor the younger generations, hoping that their talents will create a better future. That’s probably why I expect a lot from Noel Ardagan. I can see the talented version of myself in him. I want to see what kind of future I ‘could’ shape if only I were a bit more talented.

“You, too, have a higher absorption rate than mine. If you work a bit harder for another decade, you can probably reach spirit transcendence.” Duke Lorelei closed his eyes. “I can’t understand why you choose to take a shortcut, listening to the demon’s temptation. Demons are our common enemy. Yes, you’re talented, but you are now my enemy.

There’s only one thing I’ll do to a talented younger generation from the enemy side.”

“Duk—” Lean raised his hand, trying to stop him.

Unfortunately for him, Duke Lorelei had drawn his blade. Lean’s body was ripped apart into pieces as if he were being cut by hundreds of blades.

And from his body, Duke Lorelei could see a demon crystal, which ultimately proved that he had fused with a demon.

Duke Lorelei had a pained expression as he turned to Tristan and the others. “I’m sorry that you almost died in my territory. I’ll properly compensate you.”

Tristan politely lowered his head. “Noel Ardagan’s student, Tristan, greets the Duke. I thank you for saving us. This gratitude will always be remembered in my heart.”