Under Thoran's command, the elders posted an announcement on the notice board of the Braveheart Clan's main building.
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William Braveheart, as a father, felt that his child is mentally challenged and is not talented enough to be worthy of possessing the Demon Sealing Eyes.
Yet despite his great pain and fatherly love, he has decided that it's only proper to contribute the Demon Sealing Eyes to the Clan.
Unfortunately, the young Myah didn't manage to survive through the extraction process. To commemorate Myah's contribution toward the Clan's prosperities, his name will be engraved in the ancestral stone stele to be remembered for generations to come.
Furthermore, due to William's selfless decision, the Clan Leader has decided that the Clan will provide him with resources and War Soul Evolution Formular to reward his dedication toward the Clan.
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In roughly an hour, the news was spreading like wildfire, reaching the ears of many clan members.
The information about the Demon Sealing Eyes was shocking and attracted much attention from everyone, not just the member of the Braveheart Clan alone.
The entire Cloudia Capital City was in an uproar!
But the masses aren't dense and stupid. The news created quite a commotion as everyone has a different reaction and their own opinions.
...
"Who knows that William sure is lucky, with the resources provided by the Braveheart Clan, his future will be smooth sailing for sure." Sitting in a tavern, someone commented.
"Aha, that was damn good!" Slamming a mug of beer onto the wooden table, a tall man sneered in contemns, "I'm surprised you believe in that bullshit; just how stupid are you anyway."
Sitting on a table not far away, a woman with an imprinted emblem of the Braveheart Clan on her attire retort with malice. "What do you pigs know? That child Myah was awakened with only a C-grade talent this morning. It's only a given that he truly is unworthy of possessing the Demon Sealing Eyes; useless peasants!"
Her tone was sharp, jealously was burning inside her eyes. It was apparent that she held some hidden hatred toward either Myah or his parents.
"Tsk! You sure talk big, stupid woman!"
"Looks at yourself in the mirror, already have wrinkles and still bark with only the strength of a Two-Stars Elite? and yet you still dare to look down on other people?" The tall man didn't back down and gave the woman a disdainful look.
Flaunting his Third-tier adventurer badge, the tall man continues. He doesn't seem to be afraid of offending her at all. "Don't think that I don't know you only have a D-grade talent. You are probably no more than a servant in the Braveheart Clan, heh!"
"Hahaha!*" The other adventurers in the tavern burst out laughing and bickering.
"Good one, brother baldie!"
"You! Bastard!" The woman harrumphs in dissatisfaction. Feeling the weird gazes directed at her, she tossed a few silver coins on the table and left the tavern angrily.
Although she was from the renowned Braveheart Clan of the Cloudia Kingdom, her status wasn't high. What the man said was true, and sometimes, even she even felt that she was no different from a servant.
While the tall man wouldn't do anything to her, she couldn't do anything to him either.
The Adventure Association was an enormous power placed at one of the leading forces in the entire Green-Wood Divine Continent.
Furthermore, the requirement to join the Adventure Association was not strict. One only has to follow a few set out rules, and they are welcomed to join.
With the Adventure Association's branches reaching every corner of the almost endless continent, if it weren't because the association was split up into many groups with different interests, they would have dominated the continent long ago.
A beginner adventurer would begin as a First-tier with the strength of a Warrior, and that tall man back in the tavern was a Third-tier adventurer, which proved that he was an experienced fighter and is at least a One-star Master.
She could only take on the humiliation and walk away with anger.
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When William returned to his courtyard, he was confronted by the red-eyed Hannah. Who was casually dismissed from Thoran's office after pointlessly waiting for an entire hour!
"Where is my son?!" Engulfed with grief and sorrow, Hannah asked William in a cold voice while tears continue streaking down her cheek.
When Hannah was on her way back, the clansmen showered many different kinds of gazes upon her.
From their chatter, she learned of the news that something has happened to her son, Myah!
Not believing the rumors, she ran back hurriedly, but Myah was already gone and only discovered the bloodied servant girl in the rubble of collapsed wall.
Not knowing where to search, Hannah waited in front of the gate all this time with a thick layer of snow covering her shoulder. The last clue she learned was that William has taken Myah and left the Clan's residence.
"..." William wanted to speak, but no word comes out of his mouth; he remained silent, not knowing what to say.
"Why aren't you talking?! Answer me!!"
Hannah screamed for an answer as her emotions were in chaos, and she could barely control herself from killing William on the spot. Not seeing Myah with him, she feared for the worst. But regardless, she still needs to know Myah's whereabouts.
Many years ago, there was a time when she has fallen in love with William.
They met each other when she was on an adventure and have gone through many life and death crises together. During that time, he has fully occupied her heart, and there was no room for anyone else.
Despite the opposition of the clan elders as William was only a Second-tier adventurer with the strength of an average Elite and no outstanding background, she still chooses to marry him in the end.
Hannah looks at the man standing in front of her, feeling heartbroken.
Although William's appearance has not changed much, he was no longer the same, for he has entirely transformed into something that she could no longer recognize.
'No, maybe this was his true self all along.' Hannah thought.
"Calm down, Hannah, we can talk this out so...!!" Slowly stepping forward, William raised both his hand in the air and spoke carefully in a low tone, not wanting to aggravate her further.
Swoosh!
While William was still brainstorming up a plausible reason, his eyes abruptly constricted like the tip of a needle and hastily moved to the side. Narrowly dodging a water blade as it cut down a tree behind him, leaving a deep fissure several meters long on the ground.
It was only a casual attack from Hannah, but the strength of an Eight-stars Master is not to be underestimated.
Steadied himself, William's face paled, and his back was heavily perspiring with cold sweat under the leather coat.
Feeling the situation is slowly spiraling out of his control, he steps back slowly and is prepared to make a run if necessary. In the end, he was only a One-star Master; even ten of himself wouldn't be enough to be her opponent.
'I returned at the wrong fucking time. God damn it!' He cursed himself in his mind for this stupidity.
For some reason, William trembled as he looks at Hannah. He couldn't help but feel that something terrible would happen—something which will scar him for the rest of his life.
"Come to me, Higher Water Elemental!"