The Duchess Everhart, her only daughter Fiona Everhart, and her niece Elizabeth Ignatius gathered in the duchess's private quarters.
"What do you want to talk about? Don't tell me it's about that strange phenomenon you caused?" the Duchess asked with a chuckle.
She had already read the letter sent by the Ignatius Dukedom, which offered a flimsy excuse, claiming the phenomenon was due to testing a new technique.
She hadn't believed a word of it, but her curiosity was piqued.
"It's… complicated," Elizabeth hesitated, choosing her words carefully.
"These walls are imbued with high-grade magic to keep any discussion strictly within this room. You can speak freely unless, of course, you'd rather not explain…" the Duchess said calmly, waving her hand.
A teapot appeared out of thin air, accompanied by three teacups, and with another gesture, the teapot poured tea into the cups on its own.
"No, I want to explain; I just don't know where to start," Elizabeth replied.
She took her phone from her belt pocket, scrolled to the image section, and selected a particular photo.
"It will be easier if you just see this," Elizabeth said, grinning, secretly wondering how they would react to the person in the picture.
The Duchess felt a twinge of unease under Elizabeth's grin, but she took the phone, curiosity getting the better of her.
Fiona Everhart, equally curious, watched Elizabeth closely.
She had always known about her cousins—the Ignatius sisters.
Elizabeth, the eldest, was hailed as a genius among martial artists.
Then there were the twins, Isabella and Annabella Ignatius.
Though they hadn't inherited their mother's martial prowess, they had inherited an exceptional talent for magic from the Everhart bloodline, marking them as prodigies in their own right.
The Duchess looked down at the image on the phone.
It showed Elizabeth holding and kissing the cheek of a small boy in her arms—a child so beautiful that he took the Duchess's breath away, even after two thousand years of life.
The boy had striking crimson hair and emerald-green eyes, identical to Elizabeth's.
As she stared at the image, her mind sifted through hundreds of possibilities about who this child could be.
In the end, only one plausible answer remained.
"Is this…" The Duchess felt her throat go dry. "Is this?"
"It's my brother, Damian Ignatius," Elizabeth confirmed with a smile. "My mother carried him for over twenty years. He was born seven and a half years ago, full of talent and beauty."
"He's…"
"Yes," Elizabeth continued, "he's my mother and your brother's son. He's an Everhart, if you want me to put it that way."
"And the phenomenon?" The Duchess had a sudden suspicion that the mysterious occurrence was connected to the boy in the picture.
"It was because of him," Elizabeth confirmed.
"That day, we conducted a pre-awakening test to see if he had martial potential so we could begin his pre-awakening training through traditional methods. That's when it happened," Elizabeth explained.
"We never expected his will to be so powerful that his mere test would affect the entire Kingdom of Astoria."
The Duchess's mind couldn't focus on anything other than the boy in the portrait before her.
He was her only nephew… and the rightful heir of the Everhart Dukedom.
"I know what you're thinking, but we have no intention of involving him in the political affairs of the Everhart Dukedom," Elizabeth said, shaking her head.
"Why not?" Duchess Everhart asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Because he is the future Duke of Ignatius—the strongest dukedom in the Kingdom of Astoria," Elizabeth replied with pride.
"I... I see," Duchess Everhart murmured, momentarily at a loss for words.
What could she say?
Yes, the boy was her brother's son.
Even though her brother had been cast out and shunned by everyone, he was still her blood, still an Everhart, even if he bore the Ignatius name now.
"I want to meet my nephew, if the Ignatius household would permit it," Duchess Everhart said, steadying her voice.
"My mother holds no ill will toward you," Elizabeth reassured her.
"She never blamed you for what your brother or husband did. She knew it wasn't your fault. The only reason she cut off contact was because she discovered she was pregnant with Damian. She went into seclusion to ensure no one would learn of it until he was born."
Elizabeth paused, her gaze softening.
"Now that he is here, he needs his family. He needs his aunt Freya to teach him magic. My purpose here is to formally invite Duchess Everhart to the Ignatius Dukedom," she said, placing her hand gently over her aunt's.
...
After chatting briefly over breakfast and then again for an hour afterward, Duchess Freya Everhart, along with her daughter, Fiona Everhart, set out with a battalion of mages for the Ignatius Dukedom, led by her niece, Elizabeth Ignatius.
The duchess, her daughter, and her niece traveled together in the same ornate carriage.
"You were telling me about how his sheer willpower caused that phenomenon—was that truly the case?" Duchess Everhart asked, glancing at her niece.
"Yes, it's true," Elizabeth confirmed with a nod.
"No one, no matter their potential, has ever triggered a phenomenon like that before… A true genius unlike any the world has ever seen," the duchess mused with a chuckle. "I wonder what the other dukes will say when they learn about this."
"There's more," Elizabeth continued after a brief pause. "Before testing him in martial arts, we conducted an evaluation of his aptitude for magic."
"And?" the duchess prompted.
"His body is overflowing with mana. The quantity rivals that of a peak-stage First Circle mage, and its quality is on par with naturally distilled Mana Elixir."
"That's impossible," Fiona, who had been silent until now, interjected in disbelief.
To possess such an otherworldly martial arts talent was astounding in itself, but to also possess an equally exceptional talent for magic?
It seemed Ridiculous.
"I know it sounds unbelievable, but it's the truth," Elizabeth sighed.
"This is a lot to take in… I won't believe it until I see it for myself," Duchess Everhart replied, shaking her head in wonder.
"That's exactly why we wanted you to come and see him," Elizabeth said with a smile. "We'd like to conduct a series of tests to see what else he's capable of. On the martial arts side, my mother and I can oversee his training, but on the magic side, the twins alone won't be enough."
"Annabella and Isabelle—I've taught them everything I know. They should be able to teach him as well," the duchess said.
"His case is different, not like other prodigies. My mother doesn't trust anyone else with him; she's extremely protective of Damian. Starting tomorrow, Mother and I will begin his martial arts training, while the twins will guide him in magic—with your support, of course."
A flicker of uncertainty and doubt crossed the duchess's face. "If what you say about him is true, then I have a feeling about the kind of path he may choose."
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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!}