"Lavaad, I am ten," the boy's soft and childlike voice sounded, striking a contrast with his age. The girl behind the table glanced at him, her face marred by a slight look of disgust, hidden behind a forced smile as she proceeded to jot down his name.

Then, she looked beyond him, finding no one else in line, and rose from her seat. Pointing toward the entrance gate of the estate, her melodramatic voice echoed in Lavaad's ears, revealing her indifference toward her task or Lavaad himself.

Lavaad nodded and made his way toward the gate. Inside, he had a better view of the massive brick house within the estate.

To his right, a large open courtyard sprawled out, surrounded by dozens of children, varying in age. At the center of the courtyard stood a middle-aged man with a nearly bald head and a clean-shaven face. Beside him, a woman of similar age fought off the encroaching grays in her blonde hair.

Both emanated an aura of warmth and wore smiles with a spark of excitement in their eyes as they observed the children. When Lavaad arrived, seemingly the last child, the man addressed them.

"Hello, children! I am Lord Alaric Lormodra, the Baron of these lands, and this is my wife, Elara. I doubt I need to explain the purpose of today, but I would like to offer some warnings. We can only select one person today, so I apologize in advance to those of you who won't make it.

This event is also entirely private. We chose to hold it within our estate without spectators because we didn't want anyone to be afraid of performing in front of crowds or miss this opportunity.

So, even if something amusing or embarrassing occurs here, we implore you not to share it elsewhere." Lord Alaric's voice resonated, carrying a slight raspiness suitable for his age. However, his words were kind, helping everyone present feel at ease.

"Now, I understand it may seem in poor taste to pit a group of children against each other," Lord Alaric continued,

"but this is for your own benefit. The winner today will be sent to the capital to attend the academy.

I don't want to frighten anyone, but the academy is an incredibly competitive and challenging environment. Despite its exclusivity, it hosts tens of thousands of students.

To succeed, you must stand out. However, if you do manage to distinguish yourself, the rewards are immeasurable.

I won't keep you here too long. Although this was advertised as a tournament, with so many of you, we've decided to forego traditional matches. You will all compete, and the last one standing will be declared the winner."

Lord Alaric's words of advice and caution lingered in the air. After his lengthy speech, the helpers organized the children, and the crowd dispersed, positioning themselves across the courtyard.

The assistants then approached Lord Alaric and Lady Elara, informing them that the contest was ready to begin. Lord Alaric's voice rang out once more.

"Good luck, everyone. You may begin."

As the participants took in their surroundings and people anticipated a drawn-out initial standoff, cries of pain suddenly erupted from one corner of the courtyard.

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There, Lavaad, his muscles pushed to their limits, charged through the crowd, striking at anyone in his path with little regard for technique.

While it was evident that Lavaad possessed minimal fighting skills, it hardly mattered, as those around him had even less experience and skill. His scrawny figure darted between others, striking indiscriminately.

His lack of precision was compensated for by his remarkable physical abilities, moving faster than the other children could process. In just ten seconds, he had landed hits on nine of them.

However, most of his blows caused little damage or were inconsequential. Observing his display of physical prowess, many competitors gave up, choosing to exit the arena and watch from the sidelines.

Upon seeing this, Lavaad grimaced. He had hoped to eliminate opponents quickly but had overlooked the fact that he couldn't fight proficiently, setting a target on his back.

He glanced around, confirming that most people were withdrawing from him. However, a specific group approached, fists raised in readiness.

Alert, Lavaad surveyed his surroundings, ensuring no one else was sneaking up on him before facing the group of five advancing toward him.

They seemed to pose more of a challenge than anyone else present, particularly the boy in the center, who gazed at Lavaad with a smug expression. The boy had short brown hair, pale skin, and basic leather armor.

He was likely one of the older participants, evident from his impressive stature and well-proportioned physique, with brown eyes fixed intently on Lavaad.

As the boy began to speak, "Impressive, to ba-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Lavaad's fist connected with his face. Lavaad had little time for small talk and made that evident right away. The punch sent the boy flying, and he landed two meters away before skidding further.

With the speed of a predator, Lavaad was already upon him, aggressively slamming his fist onto the other boy's face. Blood spurted from the boy's nose, staining Lavaad's fist.

Upon witnessing this, Lord Alaric intervened, his voice raised. "Okay, stop! There's no point in continuing this, and I can't bear to watch it any longer. There's a clear winner here, and I don't want to see children causing harm to one another. My apologies for the anticlimactic ending, but this boy possesses unique qualities crucial for the capital. You may all leave now."

Lord Alaric approached Lavaad, curiosity in his eyes. "Boy, that was impressive. What's your name?"

"I am Lavaad, no last name, and I am ten," Lavaad replied, his voice reaching the ears of those nearby, who appeared shocked upon hearing his age.

Lord Alaric regarded Lavaad curiously. "Well, Lavaad, you are now a Lormodra. Interestingly, your given name doesn't suggest common birth, but that matters little. Since you are only ten, you cannot yet attend the academy. However, we can discuss the details over dinner."

Lord Alaric shifted his gaze toward the other children and then signaled to his helpers. "Help everyone leave, and someone take Lavaad to a spare room, get him cleaned up, and provide him with a change of clothing.

He needs to be refreshed. Also, can someone here contact Mr. Vaugn? We need Lavaad's pigment tested."

His orders were efficient, promptly restoring order to the surroundings.

Despite being a lower-ranking noble, Alaric exuded an imposing presence. Surviving as a noble in the cutthroat environment of Reguus, where land disputes and conflicts among nobles were common and legal, was already an impressive feat. Following his instructions, the helpers sprung into action, several of them approaching Lavaad and ushering him into a room within the grand house before leaving to retrieve clothing for him.

Lavaad followed them, lost in thought. Everything had happened so quickly, and he had been too rushed to process his emotions properly. The most pressing question on his mind was the sudden surge in his power.

He remembered being absorbed by the clouds earlier, but after that, his memories were a blur. However, upon regaining his senses, he had gained fragments of his forgotten childhood, and he could now answer questions about himself that he had long forgotten.

One day he was suddenly in Lormodra, but the Kalpuk Duchy had been his birthplace, ruled by the Kalpuk family, with his father, Maldran, at the head. But beyond that, he knew little about his former family or their activities.

He was born into privilege, yet that privilege had meant nothing if he was discarded and thrown into the slums of Lormodra with his memories erased.

These memories that flooded his head caused confusion and anger swirled within him, and he questioned why he had been cast aside and what lay ahead for him.

Interrupting his thoughts, the helpers, dressed in matching black attire, led him into a room and directed him toward the bathroom before departing to fetch fresh clothing for him. As Lavaad looked around, he couldn't help but be awed by the grandeur of his surroundings.

He had initially thought of Lormodra as a backwater town, but if this pristine marble floor and elegant granite walls, adorned with paintings and furnished with opulence, were considered backwater, then what did the homes of higher-ranking nobles look like?

Lavaad shook off his astonishment and quickly entered the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror.

The mirror was framed with gold, and within it stood a dirty boy with stiff, disheveled hair, obscuring his facial features, however one thing that stood out for him that was definitely different from before was, his one hazel became a deep piercing blue, almost glowing, if his hair hadn’t been covering his face constantly the glowing blue orbs would gather more attention.

He couldn't even remember what he looked like below all the dirt. Seeing this Lavaad rushed into the shower.