Walking out from the countryside, Seven scampered into the streets of Emerald City. Like always, there was loud chattering at all angles and sounds of different mechanical entities. Vehicles powered by Aether Energy could be seen going by severally, while many transported with the aid of their Vessels on the side.
It was quite normal for Vanquishers to walk around with their Vessels in this world. Some Vessels even served as transporting agents to their companions, making it almost easy for them.
For instance, someone who had a Dragon or a Griffin could fly to different places on the planet without needing the aid of aether-powered aircraft. A Vanquisher with a Horse-type Vessel could travel around the country without stress as well...
However, good things never come easily.
Only lucky or highly powerful Vanquishers could vanquish such Vessels.
The unpleasant noises were quite familiar to him, so Seven ignored every event that almost made his head spin, walking straight to the estate area. There, the homes of countless families were mounted properly in a ranking order.
The low-class families were usually the people with the most house and population, but they were stinkingly poor. This was a result of their failure to vanquish a Vessel before the age of twenty, so they ended up as servants to influential Vanquishers in the country.
Here in the Greyshield Nation, inequality was practiced shamelessly just like the other nations. Even as one of the weakest nations, the level of bad governance never seized.
If you are unable to become a Vanquisher, then that is indirectly the end of your life.
Everyone knew that after all.
Becoming a servant was more like being stuck in a grave; many preferred to die than to choose that path.
Seven's family was middle-class, thanks to the fact that his father was a very strong and hardworking man. On getting to the family's huge bungalow that had several rooms and quarters at several sides, he heaved a soft sigh.
"I finally came back... I hope he doesn't reject this Cat as my first Vessel," Seven muttered to himself before walking through the gate.
Honestly, his hope was pretty thin.
At first glance, his mother could be noticed outside the house. He spotted his mother, Siggy practicing a strange magical move. At one thought, it looked more like Dark-type magic, but in the end, the black smoke-like energy he saw suddenly turned into fire that instant.
"Huh??? When did Mother start practicing Darkfire?" Seven couldn't help but wonder, although his voice was low enough not to make Siggy hear a hint.
The Darkfire was a magical art practiced by Vanquishers who at least, had reached the Elite-tier stage. When he was leaving the house, he remembered his mother was still an Advanced-tier Vanquisher. But now, she had made quite a good progress.
Seven was amazed, but he quickly looked away and let that thought slide in an instant.
His mother stopped training immediately she noticed him and walked over.
"You finally vanquished your first Vessel after two years! Welcome, my son," Siggy said with a smile and kissed her son on the cheek.
Of course, she had already noticed the Golden-horned, Silver-furred Cat in his arms, but she didn't seem to make any harsh reaction. She appeared to be happy with her son.
After all, a Vessel is a Vessel, right?
Seven couldn't utter a word at that moment... He could only stare straight at her as he spoke, but she understood.
Having been banished from home for two years was literally tragic; she knew it must have been tough for him.
"Come, my son. Let's go see your father," Siggy said, grabbed Seven's right hand, and led him into his father's main chamber.
Expressionlessly, Seven did nothing else than to follow.
While they walked in, he noticed a clear change in the house. The poor, shrinking paints the wall had were now freshly renovated. Several old stuffs in the house were now replaced with more new, expensive ones.
The picture of the Hermes Family house was now better than it had actually been.
"Phew... I guess Father had made an alliance with some top Vanquishers. He must have gotten a lot of money," Seven said in a mutter, though there was a bright smile on his face.
"Now, I guess taking me to the DragonFang University in Goldcrest City wouldn't be a problem," he added.
He had always wanted to go to the best Vanquishers' University since his young age, no matter what effort he had to put in.
Before his father sent him away, he promised to take him to a good University, just like his brothers, if he managed to vanquish his first Vessel.
Now, Seven was only hoping that promise could be fulfilled.
The moment they stepped into Eduard's Chamber, the aging man raised a brow as if like he felt some disgust.
"Finally! After what looks like an eternity!"
*Pa*
Seven's father clapped his hands once and paused.
"And why would it have to be a weak Golden-horned Silver-furred Cat?" Eduard stood up from a huge silver chair and walked over.
"Father, I..."
"I have been making an auction for this Cat for months, but no one was interested in buying it because it's terribly weak. Now that I finally got someone willing to pay a thousand Greys, you went ahead and vanquished it after ignoring it for those two years!" Eduard interrupted Seven.
He seemed to have gone angry.
"You see, my son. I despise you! Since the very day you were born. Not only because of what you just did..."
"I mean, how dare you vanquish such a Vessel?! You are a shame to this family, I tell you!"
"I'm sorry, Father," Seven was heartbroken, but at the same time, he tried to leave an apology.
"Be sorry for yourself. You are going to be a waste to humanity, Seven!"
Seven's mother, Siggy was only having a sad time in that scene... At one point, she couldn't help but let out a sob.
"Father, I know I'm useless. But please, grant my wish..."
Seven summoned the courage that he needed to say that, and without his father responding, he continued.
"I want to be enrolled in DragonFang University at Goldcrest City as you promised. Please, father. Grant my wish," Seven spoke.
However, hearing this, Eduard frowned and spat furiously.
"Never! I would never waste my hard-earned money to pay expensive fees for a useless figure like you..."
"You would be enrolled in the Central Ave Vanquishing University in the neighboring city, and that is my decision!"