Lavaad spent a good twenty minutes cleansing himself in the shower, washing away the grime and fatigue that had accumulated throughout his life in the slums.

After he was done, he turned to investigate shower itself, hanging on the wall was a circular object with intricate holes, an enigma of sorts. There was no visible source of water, no piping connecting it to the wall. It defied the laws of what should have been possible.

Lavaad couldn't resist the childlike urge to explore it further. He reached out and took a closer look, both at the object within the holes dotting it.

Tiny pieces of writing with a faint blue tint adorned the innards of the showerpiece. As he examined it closely, he turned the shower's tap slightly, and to his amazement, the blue markings within started to glow, and water began flowing from them.

This must have been an invention of Source Etching, Lavaad thought. Though he knew little about it, he understood that items source-etched with such capabilities were not uncommon among source wielders.

The world held many mysteries, big and small he had yet to explore, source etching being just one of them.

Putting the object down after spending some time studying it, Lavaad grabbed a towel and rubbed his hair dry, which had lost its dirty shade and fizziness thanks to the cleaning he underwent. He couldn't help but admire his reflection in the mirror as he wiped away the condensation.

Before him stood a short, scrawny boy with an innocent face, but the innocence felt from the face was completely overshadowed by the hypnotizing, deep, blue eyes, no longer concealed by the long, messy hair that was now swept back behind his ears. His new appearance was striking, a transformation he hadn't anticipated.

Lavaad took a moment to study his face in the mirror, appreciating the change. Then, he wrapped a towel around his tiny body and stepped out of the bathroom, a pleased look on his face.

His newfound confidence was evident in his demeanor.

As he exited the room, he found a few helpers waiting for him, one of them holding a pair of scissors, grinning and waving him over.

Lavaad approached warily and was gently pushed down onto a chair. Without warning, the helpers began cutting his hair, which had been long and luscious.

The sound of the scissors and the sensation of his hair being shortened were both strange and liberating. After they were done, the helper left the room, allowing him to get changed for dinner with the Lormodras.

As Lavaad looked out of the window, he noticed the sun still in the sky, even though it had started its descent he was perplexed by the need to prepare for dinner already.

After contemplating the sky for a moment, Lavaad turned to the neatly laid-out clothes on the bed: a pair of black suit pants, a white dress shirt, and leather shoes with black socks. Despite their appearance, the clothes felt surprisingly light as he put them on. They seemed to accommodate the temperate weather of Lormodra.

He recalled that Lord Lormodra asked to have his pigment checked, however even after his recovery of memories he had little clue as to what it was about, however the mention of pigments made his heart drop a bit, for whatever reason.

After studying the sky a bit, Lavaad turned to the bed where the clothes he was provided were neatly laid out, a pair of black suit pants, and a white dress shirt with brown leather shoes and black socks to accompany them.

Beside the shirt, he noticed a pin bearing a golden fish with a green background, seemingly the coat of arms representing the Lormodra barony and its city.

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Lormodra, while considered a low-ranking noble family, still held a higher status than commoners who had risen to nobility through war exploits.

The Lormodras once held the title of baron but had fallen from their former earldom status due to the declining profitability of their fishing trade.

As Lavaad finished getting dressed and pinned the coat of arms on his shirt, he took a deep breath and opened the door to his room. The door itself was tall, towering above him like the entrance to another world.

Waiting outside the door were two helpers, one man and one woman, both bearing stoic expressions.

They were relatively young and attractive, and Lavaad couldn't help but notice the similarities between the two. It suggested that the Lormodras might have a vassal family dedicated to serving them.

These observations made him ponder the strength of his birth family. If a small barony had entire families serving them, what resources and influence would a duchy possess?

As he delved deep into his thoughts, he realized that his quest for revenge might be even more challenging than he had initially thought.

Moreover, he was missing vital information, still unable to recall why he had been cast aside.

As Lavaad's thoughts wandered aimlessly, much like a child's, he found himself following the two helpers down a flight of stairs and into what appeared to be a grand hall.

The doors leading into the hall were imposing, as if they were equal to three Lavaads stacked on top of each other.

Lavaad couldn't help but let his mind wander for a moment, imagining three versions of himself stacked on top of one another, before shaking away the frivolous thought with a self-deprecating grunt.

He entered the grand hall, expecting to see a family gathered around a massive table. Instead, he found just two individuals engrossed in conversation.

One was the middle-aged man who had adopted him, Lord Alaric Lormodra.

The other individual drew his attention—a man with striking white hair. At first glance, one might assume he was elderly due to his hair, but upon closer inspection, a sense of youth was hidden within his features. He appeared to be somewhere between the ages of twenty and thirty.

Lavaad noticed this man's distinctive white hair, and suddenly, a pang of recognition struck him. He remembered this person from his past, but the memory remained just out of reach.

Judging by the expression on the man's face, it was clear that he recognized Lavaad as well. A wide grin appeared on his face, leaving Lavaad struggling to decipher the emotions behind that smile.

Lord Alaric noticed Lavaad's arrival and decided to break the silence,

"Hello, Lavaad. You're looking much better now, fitting the Lormodra name. This is Cassius Vaugn, a source-watcher from the capital's Vaugn Family. He assists in the royal court's politics. We were fortunate that he happened to be passing through when the tournament occurred, allowing us to test your pigment."

Cassius, on the other hand, couldn't contain his enthusiasm at the sight of Lavaad and performed exaggerated gestures and theatrics as he addressed Lavaad,

"Oh my goodness, Alaric, you have stumbled upon an incredibly fortunate discovery! This boy here possesses talent beyond your wildest dreams. I haven't even examined his pigment yet, but I can feel the Source oozing out of him!"

Cassius's theatrics seemed to have a mesmerizing effect on Lord Alaric, who nodded fervently as Cassius continued to heap praise upon Lavaad. "Lord Alaric, I need to conduct a closer examination of this young man's talent. But for that, I require privacy. Could you and your helpers please leave the room?"

Lord Alaric agreed readily, still absorbed in the idea that he had adopted an exceptionally talented child. His eyes wandered as he appeared lost in thought, and he exited the room with the helpers, leaving Lavaad alone with Cassius.

With the door closed, Cassius abandoned his theatrics and adopted a more serious demeanor.

He turned to Lavaad, his eyes filled with curiosity and a hidden spark of intrigue,

"Hmmm, I could have sworn the Kalpuk family was going to eliminate you. What are you doing here in Lormodra?"

Lavaad's eyebrows shot up at the mention of the Kalpuk family. His curiosity piqued, he unleashed a barrage of questions,

"What do you know about the Kalpuk family? How do you know they cast me aside? What is your connection to all of this?"

Lavaad regarded Cassius warily and asked a more pointed question, "Why are you sharing all this with me?"

Cassius met Lavaad's wariness with a contemplative expression before answering,

"I suppose it's only fair that I share the truth with you. You see, I was the one who originally tested your pigment all those years ago. The reason your family cast you aside was because of what I discovered."

He paused, letting the weight of his revelation settle in,

"Within your source core lies a very rare pigment—the blue pigment, also known as the lightning pigment. Your kind is called Stormbringers, and your existence is shrouded in secrecy. There are those who would hunt you down and kill you, or worse, turn you into a weapon for secret organizations."

Cassius's words were delivered matter-of-factly, as if sharing classified information was second nature to him,

"In the case of a noble family having a Stormbringer like you, extremists might go to great lengths to wipe out the entire family line, ensuring that the bloodline of the Stormbringer doesn't continue."

As Cassius's revelation sank in, Lavaad couldn't help but feel a mix of anger and confusion. "So, they abandoned their own child out of fear? Why would parents do such a thing? I was hoping the truth would turn my away from revenge but this does the opposite..."

Lavaad then regarded Cassius with a hint of suspicion. "But why are you telling me all this?"