I wasn't sure if I was doing it correctly, but I could feel something responding to me.
The sword in my hand vibrated violently, as if it were alive.
After a few minutes, I opened my eyes, only to find my mother and sisters staring at me as if they had just seen a ghost.
It was then I realized that not only was the sword in my hand vibrating and releasing a powerful intent, but my mother's sword, Elizabeth's spear, and every single martial weapon in the training hall were doing the same.
All of them vibrated violently, emitting their intent in unison, creating an eerie, resonating noise.
Am I causing this?
I quickly broke my concentration, and as soon as I did, the phenomenon vanished.
The weapons immediately returned to their normal state, falling still as if nothing had happened.
"So... do I have any martial potential?" I asked with a wry smile, glancing at my mother and sisters.
It took them a few moments to shake off their stunned expressions, and when they did, I heard them all release a collective sigh.
"My beloved son," my mother said, pulling me into her warm embrace. "I've never seen or heard of someone unawakened showing such martial talent."
"To bring about such a phenomenon even before awakening... It's a sign that when he turns sixteen, his martial talent will be extraordinary," Elizabeth muttered, her face slowly breaking into a smile.
"He's already shown remarkable talent in magic, and now this... I wonder which path will suit him best," Annabella pondered aloud, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
"Indeed, I'm curious which talent will be stronger—his martial potential or his magical ability," Isabella, my eldest sister, added, her gaze on me like I was a rare, multi-flavored treat.
For some reason, that look made me feel a bit uncomfortable.
"We'll have to wait until our precious boy turns sixteen and awakens," my mother declared.
"Until then, he'll begin his pre-awakening training in both magic and martial arts. In martial arts, Elizabeth and I will handle his training. Annabella and Isabella, you two will teach him the basics of magic."
My sisters nodded in agreement, not a single word of protest.
"Mother, although we're well-versed in magic, it might be even better if Aunt Freya were to train him," Annabella suggested, her tone thoughtful.
The mention of Aunt Freya made my mother's expression darken slightly.
Aunt Freya... You've probably heard that name mentioned a few times before.
Freya Everhart, my father's younger sister.
I know you're probably wondering why my mother and sisters never talk about my father—or why I haven't asked them about him.
The truth is, for a long time, I simply forgot to ask.
My mother has always been so loving and attentive that I never felt the need for a father during these past seven years.
When I finally did ask, my mother told me that our father had done something terrible, something that brought down the wrath of the royal family, and that he had been "put away."
That was all they said.
Annabella and Isabella once mentioned that it was our mother who had been the one to put him away.
The Everhart family is another prominent duke household, primarily composed of mages. I assume the twins inherited their magical talent through their Everhart bloodline.
When it was discovered that he had acted against the kingdom, the royal family ordered his removal, and the Everhart household accepted this decision.
It was my mother who ultimately carried out the order.
From what I can gather, neither my mother nor my sisters seemed to care much about his disappearance, and the Everhart family didn't either.
After he was put away, both my mother and the Everhart household severed all ties with one another.
I've also learned that he was imprisoned over thirty years ago, which made me question if my mother had been pregnant with me for more than twenty years.
When she discovered she was expecting me, she announced to the kingdom that she was entering closed cultivation.
Since then, the world believes she is still in seclusion.
No one knows about my existence—not even the Everhart family, who are my blood relatives.
After everything happened, my sisters renounced the Everhart name and took on our mother's family name, Ignatius.
The Everhart household didn't object to this.
However, my sisters did warn me that if the Everhart family ever discovered my existence, they might come after me, especially if they learned about my potential.
Before the twins entered the academy, they were taught the basics by Aunt Freya.
Although the bond between the two households had been severed, Aunt Freya still wanted to maintain a relationship with her three nieces.
My sisters also felt that Aunt Freya had done nothing wrong, and our mother didn't mind if they kept in touch with her.
What she fears, though, is that the Everhart family might try to take me away from her.
But I don't think that's something to worry about, because I would never leave my mother or the Ignatius duke household.
"No, the two of you already know all the basics that Freya taught. Beyond that, you're even creating your own spells now, so there's no real need for her. But if you genuinely believe you still need her guidance, I won't stop you from calling her," my mother sighed, rubbing her forehead.
And with that, it was decided that I would begin my training in a month. During this upcoming month, I would be consuming various pre-training resources that my mother assured me would help enhance my training.
---
Territory of the Everhart Dukedom
"What the hell could have caused all the weapons to release their intent like this?" Duchess Freya Everhart muttered in frustration as she skimmed through reports detailing the strange phenomenon that had recently occurred throughout the Kingdom of Astoria.
Duchess Everhart, a striking woman with long, straight brown hair and piercing blue eyes, sat regally upon her throne.
"It's not just within our territory, but across the entire kingdom," she continued, her gaze settling on a man who bore a resemblance to her in both appearance and demeanor.
"Every single martial weapon has released its intent, as if triggered by something."
She narrowed her eyes at him, her face a mask of indifference, before snorting dismissively and turning away, clearly not pleased by his presence.
Her abrupt movement caused her to miss the fleeting dark expression that shadowed his features.
Before her, a group of lords from the minor territories under her rule had gathered, each waiting to report on the bizarre incident that had affected every martial weapon within the dukedom.
Regardless of power or ownership, every weapon had begun to vibrate and release its intent simultaneously.
This unexplained phenomenon had caused widespread alarm, not only in the Everhart territory but likely across the entire Kingdom of Astoria.
The duchess glared at the assembled lords.
"Was this really so important that you had to drag me out of my seclusion?" Her voice was sharp, her eyes narrowing as they swept over the group.
"U-Um... D-Duchess, the people are afraid," one of the lords stammered, clearly intimidated, his gaze dropping to the floor.
"Afraid? Of the phenomenon?" Freya scoffed. "Hmph. Fine. Tell me, what do you think caused it?"
The lords exchanged uncertain glances. Even the battalion captains and the mages in attendance—key figures in the duchess's household—seemed reluctant to speak.
Their silence only deepened the duchess's impatience.
"SPEAK," she commanded, her voice thunderous.
One of the lords finally gathered the courage to reply. "We... we have concluded that whatever caused this phenomenon must have originated from the Ignatius Dukedom."
The hall fell into a heavy, uncomfortable silence the moment the name "Ignatius" was spoken. The tension lingered for several moments, thick in the air.
Freya surveyed the room with a cold gaze before giving her order. "Return to your duties. Tell the citizens there's nothing to fear. The duchess will handle it."
Her voice carried a finality that brooked no argument, and the lords quickly nodded, dispersing at her command.
"B-But sister, you—" the man who resembled the duchess tried to speak, but his words were abruptly cut off by her fierce reply.
"SHUT IT."
Her eyes blazed with cold fury as she turned to him. "I am not your sister. I am the Duchess." Her tone was ice. "And whatever nonsense suggestion you're about to offer—I don't care. My words are final."
With that, Duchess Freya vanished from the hall, leaving her younger brother standing there, humiliated.
Once, they had shared the bond of siblings, but now, no such connection remained.
"Just you wait," he muttered under his breath, his face flushed with anger and shame. His dark thoughts churned within him. "I'll repay this humiliation tenfold."
With his mind set on revenge, the man stormed out of the hall, his face twisted in hatred..
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{Author's Note: If you enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to vote with some POWER STONES. It would also really help me if you could rate this book. Thank you for reading!}