The Rhine family is bustling with excitement tonight, hosting a grand banquet. Not only can the invited minor nobles and major merchants enjoy the Rhine lord's treasured grape wine, but even the servants can indulge in a feast. Throughout the evening, magical fireworks blaze into the sky, drawing cheers from the crowd. People eat and drink to their hearts' content, then dance with their heavy bellies to lively music.
Today is neither Easter nor Harvest Festival, but the third young master of the Rhine family's birthday.
The birth of the third young master brought immense joy to Lord Warren, who rushed back from the Oga Fortress, 500 kilometers away, two days ago to host guests from all over and accept congratulations.
Lord Warren had every reason to be happy. Although the third young master was born to a maid and thus illegitimate, a prophecy made ten years ago by the astrologer wind whisperer predicted that among the younger generation of the Rhine family, there was a high chance of a once-in-a-century genius magician emerging. The third young master's two older brothers, Gery and Lotte, while talented, were not of such genius caliber and were more suited to be knights practicing battle aura.
Now, all hopes were pinned on the third young master.
Adding to the wonder, today is not only the beloved seventh princess's first birthday but also the 380th anniversary of the birth of the first ancestor of the Rhine family. The third young master was born on this very day, bringing uncontainable joy to Lord Warren.
King Helsinki, upon hearing this, not only sent envoys to congratulate but also issued an exhilarating decree: he would betroth his beloved seventh princess to the Rhine's third young master and grant a small piece of land as a fief. Lord Warren, unable to think of any other way to express his joy, shared his years-long collection of fine wines with everyone.
When the third young master was born, the sky also showed an omen.
Despite being daytime, a meteor streaked across the sky at his birth, witnessed clearly by everyone in the Kolo territory. After his birth, the third young master was extraordinary, not crying or fussing, but looking around with big, rolling eyes, seemingly curious about his surroundings instead of sleeping tiredly like an ordinary baby. Lord Warren, fearing his son might be mute and unable to become a genius magician, had the midwife lightly spank his bottom. Hearing his pained cries, Lord Warren was relieved.
In addition to the celestial omen, the third young master possessed traits that made Lord Warren firmly believe he was a century's genius: black hair and black eyes, traits unseen in any other human on the continent.
Only the Night Goddess in legends was said to have such black hair.
With black hair and eyes, the third young master, during his baptism, was praised multiple times by Priest Cedo of the temple for his spiritual power, akin to an untapped gem mine. The water's reaction during the baptism suggested a limitless future for him.
The third young master was believed by everyone in the Kolo territory to be a once-in-a-century genius magician, except for his two brothers.
Showing miraculous abilities at just a few months old, the people of Kolo were used to his genius.
Although Lord Warren was often busy with warfare and seldom home, whenever he was, he doted on the third young master, taking him horse riding and playing, in stark contrast to his treatment of the third young master's hardworking brothers who excelled in knightly skills but whom Lord Warren did not value as much, believing only the third young master could continue and elevate the Rhine family's glory.
The fame of Kolo's genius spread far and wide.
The Rhine family's third young master, Rody, was called the "Child of the Sky" or "Star of Tomorrow" at just three years old.
“Rody, who do you think will win between Gude and Ace?” Lord Warren asked one day, watching his guards train with his beloved son Rody, making casual conversation.
In terms of martial strength, Gude was an experienced five-star great swordsman, while Ace had just been promoted to four-star.
In a fighting arena, almost everyone would bet on Gude; anyone who didn't was considered a fool or a madman. Lord Warren was just trying to entertain his son.
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“Daddy, I think Uncle Ace will win!” Rody's statement shocked everyone. If he weren't known as a genius, they would have thought him foolish.
“Why do you think so, Rody?” Lord Warren was also surprised.
“Because Uncle Ace doesn't have a shield.” Rody's speech was often hard to understand, like when he suggested building ships from steel to increase defense against magical flames, ramming attacks, and even reducing turbulence from waves. If people didn't know he was a child pRodygy, they would have ridiculed him as insane; steel, after all, would sink immediately even in the form of a sword.
“Sir, I wish to prove my bravery to young master Rody!” Gude said, feeling slighted.
“Sir, I will fight with all my might for young master Rody!” Ace, though less confident, was a warrior of honor and wouldn't concede without a fight.
“Let's see, but be safe and don't harbor grudges or harm each other,” Lord Warren instructed, starting the match.
Initially, Gude, in heavy armor with a giant sword and shield, seemed unstoppable against Ace's quick sword, driving him into a desperate state. Ace, knowing he couldn't match Gude's strength, fought for Rody, relying on agility to dodge Gude's heavy sword strikes. The outcome seemed predictable, with Gude's victory assured, but everyone was curious about Rody's prediction and his genius reasoning.
Rody, held by Lord Warren, remained smiling.
Lord Warren asked if he wanted to change his mind, but Rody even bet with him, saying if he won, he wanted the key to the study's magic books.
“If you really win, I'll give you the key!” Lord Warren laughed. He knew his son loved reading various books, but he worried about the mental strain, especially from magic books, and potential harm to his young body. Rody's mother always believed children should play and grow up happy. Although a genius, he was still a child needing play, not endless study.
“Master, can I really win?” Ace's sword was knocked away by Gude's heavy sword, but when he retrieved it, he prepared to concede, feeling overpowered.
“I'll teach you a way to win!” Rody's suggestion not only intrigued Ace but also Lord Warren.
Could his beloved son be a genius in both magic and martial arts? A surge of excitement filled Lord Warren's heart. Onlookers, seeing Ace bending down to listen to little Rody, all wondered what advice the genius child was giving. Even Gude felt uneasy, confident in his victory but unsure what Rody might have suggested.
Seeing Ace nodding and smiling with the confidence of a victor, renewed and almost blessed, Gude felt a wave of fear.
The ensuing fight saw Ace employing a strange method, no longer attacking but running around Gude, aiming for his back.
Clearly, this was Rody's strategy.
Gude, heavy in armor and wielding a giant sword, was exhausted and unable to keep up, but he dared not expose his back, fearing Rody had taught Ace a winning move. Unable to catch Ace, Gude kept turning in place to face him. After a while, Ace suddenly stopped, and Gude, dizzy from spinning, continued out of inertia.
Ace rushed forward, tripping Gude, who fell like a hunted mammoth.
Ace quickly pressed his sword against Gude's neck, forcing him to concede.
The crowd erupted in applause and cheers. Lord Warren was overjoyed; the victory, though somewhat sly, proved Rody's insight and strategy. Even he, a battle-hardened general, couldn't have precisely identified Gude's weakness and Ace's strength and turned it into a victory key. Rody truly deserved his reputation as a once-in-a-century genius.
As people grew accustomed to celebrating the rise of a star in the Rhine family, a nightmare struck when Rody was five.
On his fifth birthday, Lord Warren invited the country's greatest chief magician, Sage Joanne, to teach Rody magic. Through various tests with the magic crystal ball, Sage Joanne shockingly discovered that Rody's body was incompatible with the four elemental magics: wind, fire, water, and earth. This was unthinkable not only for him but for everyone. Rody, bearing the name of a genius magician and the hopes of his entire family, had no elemental sensitivity.
People were in disbelief.
Lord Warren was nearly devastated. Rody's mental power was close to that of a high-level magician, but his elemental sensitivity was worse than the weakest magic apprentice.
Sage Joanne lamented: Rody's mental power was indeed like a rich gem mine, but buried deep and isolated, unmineable. With his intelligence and mental power, he was truly a once-in-a-century genius magician, but his body doomed him to be unable to even conjure a basic fireball.
In desperation, Priest Cedo consoled Lord Warren, suggesting Rody might be suited for light magic, as the holy water showed unusual affinity with his body during baptism. Rody had a chance to become a cleric magician.
Cleric magicians couldn't train independently; they needed the temple's prayers and the approval of the God of Light, confirming absolute devotion, to practice light magic.
King Helsinki, upon hearing this, accompanied Lord Warren to the main temple of the God of Light on the continent's holy mountain to plead with the Pope to allow Rody to become a cleric magician. The Pope, after hearing Rody's story, agreed to pray to the God of Light and promised to consider Rody at eight years old to see if the God of Light would bestow grace.
If granted, he would personally teach Rody to become a future cleric magician.
This was unprecedented in centuries; aside from the Holy Maiden, no male, including the Pope, had been preordained as a cleric magician at eight. Cleric magicians on the continent were usually saints who changed their profession after eighteen, and those who did so at fifteen were exceptional geniuses.
Over the next three years, Rody desperately tried various magics, but each attempt ended in failure. He couldn't even learn the family's Flame Aura or Thundering Swordsmanship.
Forced training, overexertion, and Lord Warren's hasty attempts to infuse battle aura caused Rody's body to be riddled with hidden injuries, leaving him weak, often coughing in the wind, and even coughing blood.
Rody was a genius, but a flawed genius among geniuses.
Soon, rumors circulated in the Kolo territory about Rody.
The last hope of the entire Rhine family hinged on the grace of the God of Light and whether light magic suited Rody's body. If positive, Rody would still be a genius, a genius of light magic, the noblest cleric magician. If negative, it would be the most terrible news, condemning Rody to a life bearing the name of a genius waste, enduring the reality of being inherently useless.
Rody's mother prayed daily to the God of Light, and even Lord Warren, a devotee of the War God, joined her in church every Sunday when home.
The substantial donations he made to the temple each year probably exceeded ten thousand gold coins.
Everything, just for Rody, a genius son rejected by the elemental gates.
On Rody's eighth birthday, the Pope himself came.
But he didn't bring good news; instead, he delivered the most desperate news to Rody. The God of Light deemed his body impure, his blood blasphemous to the divine, unworthy of becoming a cleric magician. The final door of hope, light magic, also shut him out.
To compensate for Lord Warren's devout donations, the Pope decided to take Rody's two brothers, Gery and Lotte, as knights under his command.
Lord Warren's wife Mary hosted a grand banquet, inviting guests from all quarters to celebrate her other two sons, just like eight years ago. The guests were the same as before, but the objects of celebration had changed to Gery and Lotte. While people cheered, drank fine wines, and danced to music, Rody's mother held him in the dark, crying in despair...
Eight-year-old Rody didn't cry. He clenched his fists tightly, his lips bitten bloody, but not a single tear fell.
The wheel of fate not only rolls but sometimes crushes people beneath it.