CHAPTER 28: GRACE

As he passed through the gate, Richard blended into the crowd.

His small figure quickly disappeared from sight.

There were also many children from nearby villages, brought along by their parents.

(I am Richard, the one who gathered 1000 Points in the Forest of Darkness. I was forced by Olivia Skylight to take the Slave Seal from Lady Rebecca’s cat’s corpse, and that Seal is now in her hands!)

Richard sent the message to everyone within a twenty-meter radius.

Most of the people there knew nothing about him, since they hadn’t even heard of the incident in the northern Forest of Darkness—but whether they knew or not was irrelevant.

Now they knew, and it was certain to become a topic of discussion.

Richard didn’t care even if Olivia exposed his identity—because there was nothing wrong with who he was.

"Who just spoke?" someone wondered.

"Richard? Did he really gather 1000 Points in the Forest of Darkness?"

"So he was the one who took the Slave Seal? How bold."

"It was Olivia Skylight who forced him."

"Could it be that woman who poisoned Lady Rebecca’s cat?"

While people whispered, Richard was already gone, and Mr. Joe hadn’t heard anything.

He mounted his horse and spurred it faster.

The words he had spoken spread quickly, merging with the other rumor—that he was only seven years old.

The more people spoke, the faster it reached Olivia’s ears, who was almost never still, always roaming the town.

She had just stepped out of a shop when she overheard a group talking.

"Olivia Skylight, I always knew she was daring. She’s been toying with stronger people since long ago, but they all failed to teach her a lesson. In the end, she even surpassed them. But this time, she’s in serious trouble..."

When her name was mentioned, Olivia instinctively froze mid-step, though the people speaking hadn’t noticed her.

"Mm, most likely she’s the one who poisoned Lady Rebecca’s cat. Apple Town isn’t that big—there aren’t many who could do such a thing. But to provoke Lady Rebecca... things won’t end well for that woman."

"I think she wasn’t so smart this time. Forcing a child to act for her—only for that child to expose her secret."

"But that boy is incredible too. He’s only seven, yet it seems he’s already a True Magus."

"Yes, his power is far too great. The only explanation is that he already has an Aether Will to control all his gathered Aether."

"Richard, he’s actually..."

Olivia’s cheeks flushed as she realized what had happened.

How could he have told others—how could he even say she forced him? Weren’t they supposed to be partners? Hadn’t she paid him with something valuable?

Whoosh!

Overcome with unease, Olivia vanished.

The distance between Apple Town and Night Valley City might seem far, but great news traveled quickly. Some people sent messages via carrier pigeons that flew at astonishing speeds.

Within just a few hours, Richard’s name spread among the upper circles of Night Valley City.

A seven-year-old boy who had already reached the Realm of Aether Will—such a thing had never been heard of before.

Among those who heard was Mrs. Wilson, who received the information directly from a servant of Lady Rebecca’s household, even in the form of a letter sent straight from Apple Town.

From the servant, the news should have gone to Rebecca herself.

But for Mrs. Wilson, this was no simple matter. The boy’s name was Richard—and he was seven years old.

She instantly guessed—it truly was Richard.

But that name... it was the very name Rebecca had wanted for her child before his birth. Mrs. Wilson herself had told Sister Lisa that the baby’s name was Richard back then.

Could the young master truly have already reached the Realm of Aether Will? At the time, I did feel he had gathered a lot of Aether, but this is far too fast, she thought.

How will madam react if she hears this? Even if she never cared about her son’s fate, she could hardly forget his name and age.

Mrs. Wilson grew restless.

It would be dangerous to hide such a thing from Rebecca.

She would eventually hear of it anyway.

After much hesitation, Mrs. Wilson decided to tell her. She walked to a door on the second floor of the grand castle.

Knock! Knock!

"Madam, it’s me..." she called.

"Enter. I’m not busy." A cold voice echoed from within.

Mrs. Wilson pushed the door open.

A black-haired woman in a black gown sat by the window, sipping tea.

She looked as though she were in her mid-twenties, yet carried a mature aura.

Her expression was more than indifferent—she seemed utterly detached from life itself, as though she would remain unmoved even if the world collapsed.

Her eyes were cold and filled with a clear ambition.

All of it matched perfectly with her pale, beautiful face.

"What is it, Mrs. Wilson?" Rebecca asked.

"Madam, I have just received information from Apple Town—about a new genius, and about someone suspected of killing your cat," Mrs. Wilson replied, taking out the letter and handing it to Rebecca so she could read it herself.

Rebecca accepted the letter and began reading.

In no time, her brows knitted together.

Just that reaction alone was enough to make Mrs. Wilson’s heart pound.

But in the end, Rebecca’s response went no further.

"Send people to find Olivia Skylight. And that genius, I think he’s a great talent, even if he’s training a Codex that absorbs Tier 1 Aether, his talent is still very, very high. If his identity is found, recruit him, give him any offer until he agrees. If necessary, tell him he can marry my daughter. I will train him and make him start all over again with a better Codex," she said.

At that, Mrs. Wilson swallowed hard, wondering whether this woman had no suspicion at all that it was her own son.

But on reflection, she realized—Rebecca didn’t even know which orphanage her child had been sent to.

And now she wanted to recruit him—going so far as to marry him to her daughter.

That daughter was not her real child, but her adopted one—the rising star of Night Valley City. She was also seven years old, yet even with all the Moonshadow Family’s resources, she was still far from the Realm of Aether Will.

At present, she had only gathered about 500 Aether—still a long way off.

After a long silence, Mrs. Wilson nodded.

She turned around and took a step while wondering what if Rebecca knew that Richard was training a Codex that absorbed Tier 3 Aether.

"Call Grace here," Rebecca added as Mrs. Wilson reached the door.

The latter nodded again.

Not long after, a black-haired girl who resembled Rebecca in style appeared at the doorway.

Even at her young age, her extraordinary beauty was evident, and her cold demeanor was strikingly similar to Rebecca’s.

The only difference was her hair—perfectly straight, her bangs falling neatly to cover her forehead.

And her blood-red eyes sometimes gave the impression that she wasn’t entirely human.

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