"How did you figure it out, Young Master?" Augustus asked Daniel curiously.
"Hmm? It was simple."
"Based on what those foolish followers of his said, I wasn't the only one to cross paths with Young Master Alex."
"At first, I concluded he was just an idiot who enjoyed being flattered. But when his followers praised him, there was no trace of pride or excitement in his eyes."
"As a fourteen-year-old boy without a particularly high position, I was confident he wouldn't have the ability to conceal his emotions."
"Additionally, one of his followers mentioned that he's a subordinate of that person. So I deduced that he's intentionally acting this way to study others' behavior," Daniel explained.
Of course, aside from all the reasoning, Daniel already knew about Alex. In the novel, Alex was a notorious sycophant—a loyal dog of the Patriarch's youngest legitimate son.
"I see," Augustus remarked, looking at him as if he were a monster. He hadn't expected his Young Lord to process all of that in just a few seconds.
"Anyway, who is that person?" Daniel asked. Although he already knew, he had forgotten much of the information about them, including their name.
"Young Lord, Alex is a subordinate of the Patriarch's youngest legitimate son."
"The youngest legitimate son?"
"Yes. He's sixteen years old and the first child of the Patriarch's third wife. Both he and his sister are regarded as prodigies among the younger generation."
"They haven't awakened yet, but they're still considered prodigies?" Daniel found that intriguing. In this world, it was rare to label someone as a genius—or trash—before they underwent the Awakening process.
He began searching his memories to see if he could recall why the twins were considered prodigies.
"Yes. In truth, I don't have any information about why they're called prodigies. The Council has hidden all details about them."
Daniel frowned slightly, but his expression quickly returned to its usual calm.
"The twins… If I'm not mistaken, both of them are killed by that person just because they dared to compete for succession." He vaguely recalled who they were.
He also remembered why they were labeled as prodigies. According to this world's standards, they truly were exceptional.
"I guess I should pay a bit of attention to those kids. Is there anyone else worth noting?"
"Well, there are a few individuals from the family's branch line who have shown great potential. But in the end, until they undergo Awakening, nothing is certain."
Daniel nodded. It didn't matter how much talent or potential someone displayed as a mortal—it was irrelevant.
His main concern was overlooking a dangerous individual because he couldn't remember the entirety of the novel.
Although his current strength left him with no need to fear his peers, caution was still essential.
"By the way, Young Lord, I've never met the Patriarch's youngest legitimate son. But I've heard he has a vengeful personality. If he becomes angry, what will you do?"
"So what if he gets angry? I don't care. But if he wastes my time and behaves like some annoying animal, I won't mind breaking a few of his bones."
After that, Daniel asked Augustus a few more questions about the twins, and the latter left after two hours.
"Tomorrow is finally the day," he murmured to himself, curious about what kind of talent he would awaken.
The chance of him awakening without talent was slim. He had all the necessary conditions to participate in the Awakening process, and the Mother System would undoubtedly allow him to proceed.
If he could pass the test with exceptional results, he would surely awaken a high-level talent.
In the end, it all depended on the Mother System. If he were lucky enough to face a nightmare, he was confident in obtaining a supreme talent
However, if he ended up in a dream, he doubted he'd awaken even a celestial-level talent.
More importantly, he was worried that his compatibility with mana might cause him trouble…
Vorhelm Family, Royal Palace
"So, someone figured it out? And it was none other than that illegitimate brat?" A commanding yet youthful voice echoed throughout the room.
"Heh, looks like your little plan doesn't work on everyone, brother," a sweet, feminine voice teased.
Liam, a handsome teenager with short blond hair and blue eyes, ignored his sister's words and cast a cold gaze at Alex.
"How did he figure it out? Don't tell me you couldn't keep your mouth shut?" He grabbed Alex's hair, forcing him to look up. Liam's expression was indifferent and utterly calm, as though he cared for nothing.
"I don't know, Young Master! I swear, I didn't say anything! He figured it out on his own! He's a monster—I-I didn't tell him anything!"
"Please forgive me," Alex stammered, terror consuming every cell of his body. He knew that the moment Liam deemed him useless, he'd be killed.
"Explain everything to me from the beginning," Liam demanded, releasing Alex.
After composing himself, Alex recounted every detail of the encounter. Of course, he didn't forget to relay Daniel's message as well.
"Hahaha. His name was Daniel, right? Brother, it seems you have a rival," Emma, a girl with long blond hair and blue eyes matching her brother's, said in a mocking tone.
"Shut up. How could an illegitimate brat like him ever be my rival?"
"And you, pathetic worm! While he was warning me, you just stood there watching him? How dare you! You should've beaten him within an inch of his life to teach him respect!" Liam struck Alex's stomach with his foot.
"Young Master—please forgive me!"
"I was wrong, please—" Alex's voice trembled.
"Get lost," Liam said, barely managing to control his anger, and dismissed him.
After bowing, Alex fled the room as quickly as possible. He couldn't understand why he was so unlucky to encounter two monsters in a single day.
"What are you going to do now?" Emma asked, watching her brother, who was gazing out of the palace window.
"What can I do? The Awakening ceremony begins tomorrow. Whatever I want to do will have to wait until after that."
"That kid—he's illegitimate and only fourteen, right? He hasn't had access to proper training facilities or the money to buy resources," Emma reasoned.
"And yet, he managed to terrify Alex, who's fourteen and trained in the family, without even lifting a finger… He's truly strong. And Mother won't be pleased to hear about it."
Hearing her final statement, Liam's body tensed for a moment. If his mother found out what had happened, she would make his life miserable for a while.
"You'd better not tell Mother anything," he warned, glaring at his sister.
"Oh? And why not?"
"What do you want?" Liam sighed, feeling a headache coming on. He wanted to threaten her, but doing so would only result in another beating from his mother.
"Haha, I'll tell you later. For now, you owe me one," Emma said, grinning mischievously.