On the Aeternum Continent, people started absorbing primal spirit energy at age ten. After five years of cultivation, at age fifteen, they'd undergo the awakening ceremony.
If the ceremony succeeded, it determined what profession they'd have going forward.
If it failed, they'd have to cultivate for another five years and try again at twenty. That was the last chance.
If they failed again and couldn't get any of the three professions, well... better start looking for factory work.
But even people who passed the awakening ceremony at twenty were considered second-rate in terms of talent, doomed to mediocre cultivation.
Still, something was better than nothing.
"Knock knock knock!" Sudden knocking interrupted Leon's thoughts.
He opened the door and sure enough, a spry old man stood there, food basket in one hand, wine in the other, grinning at him.
"Gramps, why aren't you at the party? What are you doing here?"
Seeing the scruffy old man, Leon couldn't help but smile.
The old man marched right in and started setting out food and drinks without asking.
"I'm not comfortable with that scene. More relaxing for us grandpa and grandson to have a few drinks together."
Looking at the beaming old man, Leon felt a rare warmth in his chest.
This old man was named Jonas, his grandfather in this world, and the only person in the whole family who genuinely cared about him.
Leon's upbringing in this life had been pretty complicated.
His grandparents had an arranged marriage. Both families were wealthy and powerful, with close ties.
Unfortunately, in his grandfather Jonas's generation, the family hit hard times and fell from grace.
As they say, success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan. Once the family started going downhill, the rising Remington family wanted to back out of the engagement.
But surprisingly, his grandmother, Laura Remington, insisted on honoring the marriage contract.
After they married, Laura brought plenty of resources that helped pull the family back from the brink of collapse.
But there's no free lunch. Everything has a price.
With the wife being the strong one, Jonas's position in the house was basically like a live-in son-in-law.
His wife Laura was the undisputed head of the family.
The couple had two sons. The older one was named Jack, who'd been transferred to another region years ago. The younger son was named Amos Remington, who took his mother's surname.
This younger son was Leon's father.
During his school years, Amos fell for a girl, but they weren't from the same social class. Laura would never approve of the match.
Besides, this younger son had taken the mother's surname. Laura naturally had high expectations for him and stricter standards all around.
Amos didn't dare disobey his mother, so naturally he chose to break up with the girl, even though she was already secretly pregnant.
So one snowy day, a baby got dumped at the Remington family's doorstep.
Laura considered this "scandalous behavior" and ordered servants to take the baby to some orphanage or just dump him somewhere out of sight.
Out of sight, out of mind.
But the old man had a soft heart. After all, it was his own grandson. He begged his wife over and over until she reluctantly agreed to keep the baby.
But he wasn't allowed to use the Remington surname, so he was named Leon, a name Jonas personally chose.
Leon. The name carried hopes for good fortune and potential, showing that Jonas genuinely cared about this grandson.
After this whole mess, Amos got dragged into an arranged marriage by his mother Laura right after graduation, six months later.
He married another rich family's daughter named Mira. A year after the wedding, she gave birth to twins: a boy named Arthur and a girl named Rose.
Leon's half-siblings.
Because of his awkward status, Leon had naturally been looked down on in the family since childhood.
But Leon himself didn't really care. After all, inside this young body was the soul of a seasoned adult from Earth.
After a few rounds of drinks and several dishes, the old man's tongue was getting loose, while Leon sat there perfectly calm. You'd think he was drinking water.
Once guys start drinking, the floodgates open. The old man, red-faced, rambled on about everything under the sun while Leon patiently listened, refilling his glass now and then.
Once the old man had talked himself out, Leon smiled and said:
"Grandpa, I'm planning to leave this place."
CLANG.
The tipsy old man froze, not even noticing when his glass slipped from his hand and crashed to the floor.
"What... did you say?"
"I said I'm planning to leave here and go study in another city."
Though it pained him, Leon stated his decision firmly and calmly, while picking up the fallen glass.
"Oh..."
In an instant, all the life drained out of the old man.
The room fell into brief silence.
"Leaving here... might be for the best."
As if something clicked, the old man forced a smile, though the sadness in his eyes was impossible to hide.
How could Jonas not know what his grandson's situation was like in this family?
But he was powerless to change it.
Back when his own eldest son got transferred away by his wife, far from the family's power center, he'd been just as powerless then.
"Jonas, oh Jonas, there's nothing outstanding about you at all."
Not caring that his grandson was right there, the old man let out a self-deprecating laugh.
Looking at the dejected old man, Leon didn't know what to say to comfort him.
His grandfather was another kind of awkward presence in this family.
A live-in son-in-law with no authority. Even his younger daughter-in-law and those two grandkids barely gave him the time of day.
This family had the surname on paper, but in its bones, it had long been a Remington household.
Leon knew his grandfather was feeling bitter. Otherwise he wouldn't come drink with him and vent every so often.
Honestly, in his view, his grandfather might have limited abilities, but he was genuinely a kind-hearted, good person.
In this cold family, someone like that should be treasured. He was basically here to build up the family's karma.
"When are you planning to leave? You should let your father and grandmother know. Even though they're biased against you, you still need to go through the proper motions."
"Don't worry, Grandpa. I know. I'm planning to say goodbye to Father and Grandmother tomorrow and then leave."
"If the outside world treats you better, don't come back."
The old man meant it. He felt terrible about this grandson he'd watched grow up.
But he also knew that maybe leaving would be good for the kid.
It's just... after this, there'd be no one left in this house to secretly drink with him anymore.