When Lily's father died, they didn't mourn. They celebrated. But when the news broke that her awakening had failed, they laughed harder.

A powerless—rare soul conduit—and now an orphan girl burdened with a "freeloader" cousin they had taken in out of pity. They couldn't ask for more; she would practically come running to them by herself.

From then on, Alric began declaring that he'd "take her as a concubine" once the family reclaimed her land after ten years. Since Alric also had a rare soul, they allowed him to pursue Lily—in hopes of obtaining a Super Rare soul. Every time he came to see her, Lily refused and he'd return home cursing.

At one point, they'd even feared Zolton might try to take her away, but when they saw that James had taken her under his protection, they relaxed.

After all, they thought, ten years is a long time—long enough for any man, especially a scumbag like Zolton, to lose interest in a single girl.

Heh! No wonder everyone from that family feels retarded and looks like shit. Leo snickered

Leo suddenly recalled a certain royal dynasty from Earth, but quickly put that thought aside.

Such practices were fairly common in this world, and due to rich ambient mana, deformed kids were rarely born. But still, he had to question Alric's looks.

He had short stature of around 5'5", a rat-like face, brown hair, making him look dirty—not to mention the clothing choice. Ugh!

Fuck! So ugly.

He literally had to reevaluate Lily's mental fortitude for bearing with him whenever he came knocking at the door. If not for her powerlessness before, she might have already bashed his skull ten times in.

"What's this? Where'd you suddenly get a spine from?" Alric sneered. "Did being beside Lily make you overconfident?"

"Keep my name out of your filthy mouth, asshole," Lily shot back without hesitation.

Her sharp tone drew immediate attention. Since the selection hadn't started yet, the argument quickly turned into a spectacle. Curious eyes turned their way, whispers spreading through the crowd.

"Wha—Lily! Mind your tongue! I'm a noble!" Alric barked, caught between outrage and disbelief. Even if she'd rejected him before, she had never insulted him publicly. Doing so was practically a crime. Why now—why here, in front of everyone?

"And who gave you the tongue to insult Leo?" Lily snapped.

"He deserves it for meddling between us! Trash should stay in its place!" Alric's anger began to boil.

"Why would he meddle with anything?" Lily asked, her tone suddenly softening into a sly smile. "Didn't he just say the truth? There's no way a rat marries a queen—only a king does. Isn't that right, Leo?"

Leo grinned, catching her cue."You're absolutely right, my queen."

Before he could blink, Lily leaned in and kissed him on the cheek—right there, in front of everyone. Gasps erupted around them as her face flushed a soft red.

"W-what are you doing?!" Alric stammered, his face twisting in disbelief. "You're my future wife! You're not allowed to be with another man!"

"Keep dreaming, fool," Leo said flatly, though even he was stunned by her sudden boldness.

Before Alric could explode, a weak voice cut through the tension.

"Y-Young Master, p-please stop... You're embarrassing yourself…"

Leo turned toward the sound. A small, delicate girl—no older than sixteen—stood a few paces behind Alric. With long raven hair and doll-like features, she looked timid enough to vanish under a harsh gaze.

Alric spun toward her, eyes blazing.

"You! Don't tell me what to do! You're here to serve me—so do that!" he snapped.

The girl flinched, her hands trembling.

"I-I'm sorry, Y-young Master…" she stammered, voice breaking as tears welled in her eyes.

Leo and Lily exchanged glances—neither of them knew who the girl was. Probably just a maid assigned to serve Alric. Lily almost felt bad for her, being scolded because of their quarrel. But there was nothing they could do. Scenes like that were far too common.

In this world, there was only one way to escape such humiliation—grow strong enough that no one could trample you.

Embarrassed and red-faced, Alric quickly scurried away, muttering curses and promises of payback under his breath.

Leo and Lily didn't spare him another glance. People like Alric weren't worth the thought. Out of sight, out of mind.

By now, the selection ground was packed—nearly two thousand youths gathered from the ten thousand residents of the town. Since no money was required for entry, even those dressed in rags had shown up, faces shining with desperate hope.

An elevated stage had been set up to welcome the guests. James was already there, standing calmly as his eyes drifted toward the sky—as if he sensed something.

Leo followed his gaze and spotted a shadow growing larger. Squinting, he realized it was an eagle—massive and fast, slicing through the clouds like a blade. Even from several hundred meters away, the air pressure alone brushed against his skin.

When it finally drew close, Leo's breath caught.

The creature's wingspan easily stretched over two hundred meters. Its eyes were sharp enough to pierce through mountains, and its curved beak gleamed like a crescent moon—one that could crush stone to dust. Its talons shimmered faintly with aura, each claw capable of rending flesh, bone, and perhaps even the soul itself.

[Skyrend Eagle – High 4★ – Super Bloodline]

"So that's how a high 4-star beast looks…" Leo murmured, awe flickering in his eyes. "Truly… terrifying."

Lily glanced at him. She didn't ask how he knew the beast's exact rank—but she trusted his words. She turned back toward the sky, her expression equally serious.

Not everyone was the same. Most of the crowd had already fallen to their knees, trembling under the crushing pressure. Some rolled on the ground, others crouched, too afraid to even look up.

From atop the eagle, voices carried through the wind.

"Tch. Look at them grovelling. I knew we wouldn't find anything good on the outskirts. It's like the 20th time," Hasker growled.

"If not for needing cannon fodder for our elite students, I'd have stayed in my quarters," another voice sneered.

"Now, now, calm down, Hasker," said a smoother, older voice—Professor Brant. "Look down. I see some interesting faces."

Hasker followed his gaze. Two eyes stared directly at them through the gale, unwavering. No fear. Only raw excitement.

"That brat… and the pink-haired girl beside him," Hasker muttered, lips curling.

Brant smirked. "You see it too, don't you? I told you—we might just find something worth our time."

"Hahaha… interesting indeed."

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