"What's going on here?"
A calm and stern voice rang out. A tall man in solemn clothing sat in the main seat with both hands on the chair arms. He gave off the aura of someone in charge, making the scene tense and heavy.
"I—"
The first madam's words were interrupted by a sweet voice.
She looked at the owner of the voice and frowned, thinking it was really a commoner without education acting like a slut.
"Darling~!"
Mira explained what happened, hoping to earn her husband's support, but he just nodded with a calm expression.
"Oh."
Viscount Vale turned his head to the boy who was rubbing his face with a pitiful expression.
"Justin, don't do that again. As a family, you shouldn't exclude Ethan or any of your siblings... Understand?"
The voice was calm, but it made Justin sweat like crazy. Trembling, he nodded.
"I understand, Father. I was just joking."
After he said that, there was no immediate reply, and the silence was deafening.
*No way it's that serious, right?*
Justin felt bad in his heart and looked sideways to see Jasper's calm and solemn expression, looking like a well-mannered child who always listened to his parents' teaching.
*This bastard!* Justin remembered that it was because of this guy that he was put into this mess. If it weren't for this guy saying that thing, he wouldn't have echoed it for fun. Now he was getting lectured, but Jasper just sat there like he wasn't part of this.
"It's good that you understand."
A calm voice brought him back to the situation. He turned his gaze from Jasper and breathed a sigh of relief seeing his father's expression.
*Fortunately, I wasn't punished.*
Wiping the sweat on his forehead, he turned around as the topic shifted to Zhang Wei.
"Ethan... How is your training going?"
Zhang Wei looked at his father in this life and replied calmly.
"It's not bad, but I'm not as good as someone who has awakened their magic."
He confessed his true thoughts. There was no point in lying and showing off—everyone here already knew what kind of level he was at. Lying that he was better would certainly attract ridicule.
Viscount Vale was silent for a while.
"It's okay if you can't awaken or are untalented. There's still more to life than magic, and governing the territory is as good or even better than being a magician."
He comforted Ethan with a calm voice without emotion. No matter what, this was also his son, and it was a lie to say that he didn't care—but how much he cared remained to be seen.
"Yes, Father..."
Zhang Wei just nodded to end this conversation. He felt a little weird or awkward talking to his father. And about the comfort, he just let it go in one ear and out the other. It was just coping—what could being a governor of land do?
In the end, it was still below true power and would turn into loose earth in a century.
---
Viscount Vale looked at his family and saw some empty seats. His gaze lingered on the fourth madam's seat for a while then moved to others.
The first madam, who was always watching, sensed this and felt uneasy.
In this world, cases of servants, poor people, and secondary wives rising in status and replacing the upper class were not uncommon. Zhang Wei's mother Mira was an example of this and even got the surname "Vale."
"Let's eat."
With that, everyone ate as the tense situation disappeared.
"Ethan..."
Mira's voice softly reached Zhang Wei's ears. Turning around, he saw his mother looking at him with a guilty expression.
"Don't mind what they said, okay?"
"Don't compare yourself to others. They have their own path, and you have yours."
Mira continued softly and Zhang Wei nodded.
"I don't mind."
Mira was silent for a while, then turned her gaze away and ate.
Zhang Wei felt warmth in his heart but also felt like an imposter. Although the love was real, it was clearly directed to Ethan.
He felt like a fake eating cake meant for someone else, and the love was like hitting him from a different space.
He didn't know how to react to this kind of love. Although he loved his mother in this life, he also felt awkward receiving what he felt was undeserved.
So he could only nod and keep quiet.
---
After that, they finished eating and Viscount Vale, along with his wives and children, chatted about interesting topics. Zhang Wei just sat there listening with curious ears.
Listening like this was better because he could get more information about the world and also because everything here felt new.
So new that any gossip was interesting.
"Just last month, the genius from the Blue Sky Academy clashed with the dark horse from Earth Spiritual Tower in the mountainous area far east."
Viscount Vale shared what he had witnessed with a rare expression of interest on his face.
"Father, how strong are they?"
Jasper asked curiously, wanting to see if he was close to their level. Others also pricked up their ears and listened intently.
"They?...A little higher than yours." Viscount Vale was silent for a while then said seriously. He didn't want to say it in details because truth leads to hope or despair. A double-edged sword and he didn't want to bet on his sons' mentality.
Anyway, when the time comes they will see and understand it for themselves.
"Just a little higher?" Hearing that seemed to make Jasper motivated as his eyes shone and the corner of his mouth curved up.
"Just a little higher?" Zhang Wei raised his eyebrows with interest. Unlike the others who blindly believed in good things, he saw more. It was either false or it was true—just one level or two levels higher. But each level was like a difference between heaven and earth.
*If it was really just within reach, father would definitely have said what it was, unlike this vague way of speaking.* Zhang Wei thought solemnly, realizing that this world also had its own geniuses and even with his talent he couldn't be careless.
"And..." Viscount Vale paused with a smile.
Then continued.
"I just got the news that one of the top academies in Eastern Red Lands will open its doors to talented youth age 20 and below."
"What?!"
Clang!
The first madam stood up in shock. Then she smiled with excitement, her noble demeanor still in place but barely. The fork in her hand had slipped and clattered against her plate, the sound sharp in the sudden quiet.
Other knowledgeable madams were also surprised but they didn't have such a great reaction. The second madam simply raised her eyebrows while maintaining her composed eating posture, though Zhang Wei noticed her grip on her wine glass had tightened. The third madam leaned forward slightly, her usual lazy expression replaced by focused attention.
The children had mixed reactions too. Jasper's eyes lit up like stars while his older brother Marcus sat straighter, suddenly looking more alert. Even some of the younger siblings who usually paid no attention to adult conversations were now listening carefully.
After a while, the first madam calmed down and asked what others also thought.
"Darling, is this true? And what are the requirements?"
Her voice carried a hint of breathlessness that she was trying to hide. Zhang Wei could see the wheels turning in her head—this was a chance for her children to rise above their current status.
Viscount Vale nodded, looking at their reaction with a faint smile. He was also surprised when he first heard the news from his contacts in the capital. Such opportunities didn't come often, especially not to their remote territory.
"Yes."
Just a single word ignited the atmosphere as everyone chatted while those who were confused like Zhang Wei looked left and right, unable to understand what was happening. The servants near the edges of the dining area were whispering among themselves, their usual professional silence broken by the shocking news.
"Mom, what is happening?"
Confused, he asked his mother about what it was. Just earlier everyone was calm and composed—how come it suddenly looked like a vegetable market? Even the close servants were chatting in low voices.
"Etha-..."
Mira looked at her son with a smile on her face, then as if realizing something, her smile faltered and she smiled again but not with the same joy. The light in her eyes dimmed slightly as reality set in.
She then explained in a gentle voice, though Zhang Wei could hear the underlying worry.
"That is Eastern Red Lands. A place higher than ours. To be called a top academy in that place is a feat in itself..."
Her words were careful and measured, as if she was trying not to get his hopes up too much.
After a while, Zhang Wei finally understood why everyone had reacted so strongly.
Eastern Red Lands was located in the eastern part of the Empire, famous for its active volcanic activity and red-colored resources. The very air there was said to be thick with magical energy, making it both a blessing and a curse for those who lived there.
Home to forces as strong or even stronger than a viscount noble and exotic wild creatures, it was a dangerous place but also a place full of opportunity. Stories told of magical beasts whose cores could power entire cities, and of rare herbs that could extend one's lifespan by decades.
To be called a top academy there meant having a strong foundation that couldn't be shaken easily. It meant having resources that most nobles could only dream of, teachers who were legends in their own right, and connections that reached the very heart of the Empire.
For a family like theirs, living in what was essentially a backwater territory, this was like being offered a chance to touch the stars.
Zhang Wei now understood why his mother's joy had faltered. Such an opportunity would never be meant for someone like Ethan—someone without magic, without talent, without hope.
But as Zhang Wei, he felt something else entirely. This could be exactly what he needed. A place where strength was everything, where the old rules didn't matter as much, where someone could rise based on their own efforts rather than their bloodline.
*A top academy in Eastern Red Lands...* he thought, his mind already working on possibilities. *This could be my chance to truly start over.*
After a while, Viscount Vale calmed everyone down and continued.
"As for the requirements... It was surprisingly simple..." He paused before continuing. "You need to awaken your magic with no restriction on what age you've awakened, and they only look at combat capabilities and hidden potential, they said."
Viscount Vale had a frown on his face while talking.
"I'm not exactly sure what they meant by that 'hidden potential,' but someone from that academy will come here soon for a test."
"So for these coming days, be serious and you must be at your peak state, understand?" Viscount Vale looked at his sons and daughters with a serious expression. It would be a real pity if they failed just because they weren't in their best condition.
He could already imagine the regret because he had experienced that too...
Just a little gap that decides the fate of someone.
"Yes, Father!"
The children responded in unison, though their voices carried different levels of excitement and nervousness.
"Jason, you heard what your father said, right? You better be serious."
"Yes, Mom."
The third madam said this to her child, her tone carrying both encouragement and warning.
"I better practice after this..."
Jasper murmured on the side, his fingers already unconsciously forming small ice crystals as his mind raced with possibilities.
---
After a while, everyone finished chatting and eating, and each went their own way. The dining area that had been filled with excited chatter slowly emptied as family members dispersed to prepare for what could be the opportunity of a lifetime.
"Don't push yourself too hard, okay?"
Mira said to Zhang Wei as she arranged his hair, her fingers gentle but lingering, as if trying to hold onto this moment.
"Yes, Mom." Saying goodbye, Zhang Wei went to his private training ground to practice.
"This child..."
Mira looked at his back with complex eyes. After a while, she went her own way too, her heart heavy with both hope and worry for her son's future.