Field forced a bright smile, awaiting the judgment of his father, Count Cort.
Originally named Qin Hao, he hailed from Hua Country on Blue Star and had only transmigrated to this world three days ago.
Good news: he was a descendant of a count.
Bad news: he was highly unwelcome.
"Field, you have come of age, like a mature lion. It is time to venture out and carve your own path," said the middle-aged man in lavish attire, his words sprinkled with inspiring phrases. However, the old count spoke weakly, his spirit withered, making his speech seem almost laughable.
Everyone present was filled with mockery.
The count paused, his attention scattered. When he regained focus, he had forgotten where he was in his speech.
The original owner of this body was an exceedingly kind person. He had given the potion to awaken combat aura to his younger brother and the opportunity to study at the mage academy to his sister. He had even treated every servant with kindness. Logically, such a good person should have been respected. Unfortunately, he was a noble, and from the perspective of nobility, the original owner was a weak and incompetent waste.
The voluptuous and beautiful woman beside the old count was Field's stepmother.
The plump and alluring young woman sat gracefully in the secondary seat of the lord, elegantly lifting her teacup for a sip before setting it down. Her almond-shaped eyes, which seemed to shimmer, glanced at Field. The sunlight cast a deep shadow on her high nose bridge. The stepmother haughtily raised her head, almost pointing her chin at Field: "The vast Nightfall Territory in the northern frontier will be your barony, ample for you to showcase your abilities."
"Indeed, even after trying to please everyone, exile is inevitable."
Feeling slightly dizzy, Field realized that the original owner had been bullied to death by everyone, leaving him to deal with this mess. He bit his lip hard, barely steadying his mind.
Then, Field sneered. The original owner was truly foolish, thinking he could survive among nobles through kindness.
The stepmother's eyes glanced down indifferently, looking down her nose at him: "Any objections?"
"Exhale~"
Squeezing out the frustration in his heart, Field suppressed his smile and responded in a calm tone, "As you wish, Father."
His cheap father had already been drained by his stepmother and now followed her every command.
"Pfft~ Idiot!"
Some relative burst into laughter, accompanied by a sarcastic insult.
The northern frontier, inhabited by humans and orcs, was a land filled with bloodshed, violence, and savagery. Ten years ago, the Holy Griffin Empire used corrupting miasma to slaughter three hundred thousand orc soldiers. Now, it was likely overrun with filthy goblins and trolls.
Of course, the northern frontier was even worse now.
The three hundred thousand orc soldiers, along with all the humans and animals in the north, had turned into corrupted creatures, hiding in the deathly miasma for years, becoming synonymous with hell on earth. The royal family had organized three campaigns to reclaim the land, all ending in total annihilation.
The various territories in the north were nothing more than nominal lands, not even fit for dogs.
Most of the time, no one even mentioned them.
It was a cursed land, even worse than that. Even runaway serfs or criminals wouldn't choose to flee to Nightfall Territory.
No matter, I still have my cheat.
Field silently comforted himself. With a thought, a transparent map appeared, with a slowly moving green dot marked on it.
"Go and prepare," the count said, looking exhausted and pale.
The stepmother beside him helped him up. Her nearly transparent silk nightgown seemed to give the count's nearly withered body a bit of motivation to move.
Field pursed his lips. His elder brothers and sisters had all received fertile fiefs, while this old man had given him a few meaningless words and tried to send him off. Field couldn't accept this and immediately made his request: "Father, I need your support. Developing Nightfall Territory is no easy task."
The stepmother's soft flesh pressed against the count's arm, and she then narrowed her eyes seductively.
"Greed is not a virtue of nobility, Field. You have already received enough," the count said without hesitation.
The family members nearby also cast disdainful glances without hesitation.
"Going out with black hair and black eyes is a disgrace to the Ross family."
"Just a bastard!"
Black hair and black eyes were no longer symbols of ancient nobility after the massive invasions by eastern nomads and the fall of the ancient inland kingdoms.
Field was furious, his eyes flashing with anger.
The original owner's birth was clearly the count's own sin. Why was he being targeted?
His mother was a maid in the castle, from a distant eastern land. She had been sold to the castle as a rare slave by nomadic merchants. After a night of heavy drinking, the count had fathered the original owner.
Low status, no support from his mother's family, and inheriting some of his mother's physical traits were major reasons for Field's exclusion and disdain.
"Five hundred gold coins. Additionally, you may take your personal servants. I treat all my children equally," the count said before being hurriedly helped back to the bedroom by his stepmother.
Field was extremely frustrated. Five hundred gold coins sounded like a lot, but investing them in the territory was like stirring a vat with a toothpick—just a splash.
But it was better than nothing.
"Hey, Field! Nightfall Territory is a great place. It's always dark there, a pitch-black, stinking land that matches your demon-like eyes," Field's half-brother said with a grin, his tone exaggerated. "My fief isn't as good. Poor Fulan City, known for its beer and goats."
Field felt a surge of anger burning in his heart, roasting it until it sizzled. The fief being terrible was one thing; as a transmigrator, he could find a way. But directly mocking his appearance made Field want to dig up his ancestors' graves.
(ノ=Д=)ノ┻━┻
Besides, this little brat only had combat aura because of Field's kindness! Back when his brother's talent was extremely poor, he had hidden in a corner crying, mocked by others. It was Field who had extended a helping hand.
"Get lost!" Field snapped, not giving him a good look.
"Remember the flaxen-haired girl?" His brother didn't care about Field's expression. He leaned close to Field's ear with a sinister smile.
Field narrowed his eyes, a smiling face appearing in his mind. It was the girl the original owner had liked. Later, her naked body was found in the back alley of a tavern. The original owner, filled with grief and anger, fell seriously ill and died, allowing Field to transmigrate into his body.
His brother licked his lips: "I did it. Her struggles were so thrilling."
Field's pupils contracted sharply, a feeling of shock gripping his heart.
His brother, also just an adult, had committed such a beastly act. Although, as a transmigrator, the girl was a stranger to him, the casual disregard for human life made Field feel an unprecedented disgust.