Absurd

Before diving into his new and confusing assets, Eid figured he should clear his mind first. When he got out of his room, Eid encountered his whole family, suspiciously standing in front of his doorway.

They awkwardly stared at each other while Ner was oblivious as she was still sleepy.

"Morning, Eid."

She lightly waved her hand before yawning.

"...morning, Ner." Eid hesitated before returning the greeting.

Although he didn't intend to reveal it in that way, the Duke and the Duchess immediately saw that the Nobility Mark was gone when he waved back.

Towards this, Duke Rholes showed a positive smile and patted Eid's shoulder.

"Good morning, Eid. Let's go eat breakfast."

There was no need to talk about it. Everyone already knew what happened. Well, everyone... except for Ner. She suddenly felt fully awake with her eyes wide open as she pointed, "Eid, why did your Nobility Mark disappear!?"

Eid gave an awkward smile. Of course, he wouldn't hide what happened to his family, but it was just hard to explain. He figured he should first omit the most unbelievable parts, lest his family think he turned crazy.

"I didn't unlock the connection..." Eid replied, making the Duke and the Duchess more depressed. They already knew it but hearing it hits them harder.

Meanwhile, Ner was in total shock.

That's possible!? she thought.

She knew it was possible for common people to not unlock the connection to Allknow but she learned from their tutor that those with a noble bloodline are sure to unlock their connection. It's because their blood is called noble for a reason- they are descendants of the Demigod that gifted Deiterra Allknow, the Demigod of Stars, Astra!

"... before the mark vanished." Eid continued and looked at his foster parents' faces turning from sadness to confusion.

However, neither of the two spoke up as they didn't know if they were just misunderstanding Eid. But Ner was immune to this and just said everything in her mind out loud.

"It sounds like you're saying that you unlocked the connection after it vanished."

"It... did."

...

...

The Rohde Family had informed the servants that they will be discussing something important and that the servants should just bring the breakfast straight to the Duke's office.

The head maid brought the food along with a few maids. It has been a long time since they were intimidated by their masters' presence again. The atmosphere in the Duke's office was quite heavy.

After the maids left, they went to the dining hall and saw everyone surrounding Toko, asking her a lot of things. No one can deny that Toko is the one closest to the Young Master, so if they wanted to get some answers, if she doesn't know, then no one does.

But whatever question they ask, they would get the same answers from Toko.

"It's not my place to speak." "No comment." "I'm hungry, let's eat."

Realizing they couldn't make Toko speak, the servants gave up and began eating. They felt shy to touch their food without their masters' presence.

Noticing that the atmosphere had turned sour, the head butler took everyone's attention by clinking his glass with a spoon.

"Why are you all wearing long faces? Would you show that to the masters?" he asked.

Everyone understood what he meant, and a guard raised his hand to speak.

"We know that, but we're worried about the Young Master. It's obvious he didn't unlock the connection," he said was what's in everyone's mind.

"It doesn't matter if the Young Master doesn't unlock his connection."

Finally, Toko spoke.

"What do you mean, Toko?" the old head maid curiously asked.

However, Toko no longer continued. Another servant, a kitchen maid in her twenties tried giving meaning to Toko's words.

"I think Toko is right. Although it is sad to see the Young Master not unlock his connection, I think we can all agree that the Master and Mistress would still keep him as he is."

This time, the middle-aged gardener replied with a pale face.

"I agree with that, no doubt about it, but what about the King's pressure?"

"You shouldn't believe those baseless rumors, Henry. Do you really think that the Young Master is the reason for the King's pressure?" the old head butler said to the gardener.

"They are not baseless rumors. I'm not trying to insult the Young Master and I am just trying to say a fact when I say that the Young Master was born into a family that doesn't have noble blood. Isn't that enough to destroy the hierarchy of the Iron Kingdom?"

His words were met with frowns. The kitchen maid glared at Gardener Henry for this and said, "Are you saying that the Masters shouldn't adopt the Young Master?"

"No! I mean, ehem- don't get me wrong." realizing he worded it wrong, Gardener Henry defended himself, "I would put myself on the front lines of the war against the King just to make the Young Master stay in this household! I'm just stating the King's motivations."

Those who frowned then embarrassingly shifted their gaze away. The kitchen maid coughed and apologized.

"Sorry, Mister Henry, I jumped to conclusions... We understand your logic. The King might want to remove the Young Master to keep the bloodline clean."

Gardener Henry nodded and apologized as well, "Sorry for my wording as well. You are right."

The old head maid lowered her head and sighed, "The Demigod Astra's bloodline had been getting thinner and thinner in the Iron Kingdom over the past few decades. If only one of this kingdom's princes could marry someone from the Heliacal Empire."

Hearing this, Toko remembered the words of the Duchess earlier and a lightbulb popped in her head.

"I've found the solution!" she suddenly stood up and slammed the table, startling everyone.

"What is it, Toko?" the guard asked.

"I'm going to make the Imperial Princess of the Heliacal Empire one of the Young Master's wives!"

Upon hearing her words, those who were either drinking or eating while listening coughed it out.

Is she insane!? Everyone thought in unison.

The kitchen maid awkwardly raised her hand to speak, "Are you serious?"

"What?" Toko coldly said, "The Heliacal Empire is ruled by the Aelius Family, the most direct descendant of the Star Demigod. If the Imperial Princess were to be married to the Young Master, what could the Iron Kingdom do?"

No one took her idea seriously. That's the same as proposing Eid should become a Demigod so that all their problems would be solved, right?

"You're saying as if that's a walk in a park." the guard muttered, however, soon evaded his gaze when met with Toko's cold look.

"Also, should you be the one saying that?" the kitchen maid then shifted the conversation.

"What do you mean?" Toko asked.

"I mean, do you want your Young Master to be another woman?" the kitchen maid said as if it was a matter of fact.

Since Eid and Toko entered the age of puberty, they had become the center of speculation. How can a pair, a male and a female, be so close without feeling anything to one another? It could be argued that Toko has been Eid's personal maid from the start. But everyone could see that Toko's clinginess to her young master has breached that of just being a personal maid.

Hearing this made Toko ponder for a while before answering, "That's true. It doesn't seem like any woman is worthy of being the Young Master's wife."

This answer was met with many groans, making Toko frown. What did she say wrong?

"I mean... don't you want the Young Master for yourself?" the kitchen maid was frustrated by her colleague's answer and got frank.

"For myself?" Toko went silent again. It didn't take long before she fantasized about something as her cold face turned warm and red. Her body slightly wiggled before she snapped out of it.

"Insolence! A being, such as I, is not worthy of the Young Master!" she slammed the table again.

This answer was met with many sighs.

"Toko, even though the Young Master is great and kind, he isn't some Saint that you cannot reach. Furthermore, the Duke and the Duchess like you and have no concern for nonsensical hierarchy. Don't you want to be with the Young Master?" the old head maid lifted a brow. She said that before she thought, 'Wait, why did the conversation turn into the subject of youth's romance?'

The old head maid's mood suddenly turned sour. She's jealous!

But it's probably because the members of the Rohde Family were absent that they were able to have this conversation together.

"I-... I!" Toko's mind became a mess after hearing that the masters support her. She slammed the table again before lowering her head, flustered, and continuing to lightly pummel the table with her delicate fists like a drum.

Thud!* She slammed one last time before sitting down and began eating her food in silence. Her cheeks were red and puffed as if she was throwing a tantrum.

"They are both not honest..." one servant whispered to another.

...

Within the Duke's Office, Eid told some of what happened to the Duke and the Duchess. Ner was not there as she was taken to their study room to be tutored by the family scholar, Teacher Erles.

Both Duke Rholes and Duchess Judith had their jaws dropped when they heard Eid's story.

Eid unlocked the connection right after the Nobility Mark disappeared!? What kind of a joke is this!?

The couple looked at each other before their gaze landed on Eid again.

"Son... know that we trust you but... can you show us your Gift?"

They don't have a reason to doubt their son's words. However, the story was just too unbelievable.

Just as Eid thought, his foster parents began to doubt his sanity. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he could prove he received a Gift.

"Alright."

Eid nodded. Although he had yet to try his Gift, he felt confident. He willed and focused on the spoon on the table.

Out of nowhere, that spoon suddenly jerked off the table and sped towards the Duchess' face. The speed of the string was so fast that Eid made a mistake when controlling it.

However, before it hit Duchess Judith's face, it stopped as it was caught by the Duchess herself with her small and delicate hand. She looked at it, shocked. She was shocked not because she was almost hit by a spoon. The Duchess was unfazed by the projectile. She was shocked that Eid did prove he has a Gift!

Common people may not be able to see it because the string was too thin and too fast, however, the Duke and the Duchess were both Tier 3 Fighters.

The Duchess herself is, no doubt, stronger than Daras. After all, the King is her older brother, she's a royalty.

Meanwhile, not only does the Duke on the same tier but he also has sharper senses developed from the constant battles he and his group, Guill, had gone through together.

That's why even Daras looked up to the Duke of the Iron Kingdom.

However, the couple's reputation didn't stop them from making stupid faces. Now that Eid had proved he has a Gift and since the Nobility Mark went which had been on his forearm yesterday, it means that Eid was neither making up a story nor had gone insane. He did unlock the connection right after the day the Nobility Mark disappeared!

Realizing this, the Duke opened his mouth wide and released the loudest laugh he could ever release. Meanwhile, the Duchess just palmed her face before sighing.

"That's good!" Duke Rholes sincerely said, "Even though we were played by Fate, I could always get the Great Sanctuary to give you a Nobility Mark again! Although the process will be harder, since you have already received a Gift, I don't think they will strongly deny my request!"

Hearing him, Duchess Judith just helplessly smiled and agreed. At least there's still a chance.

"Father, actually..." Eid stopped his foster father's burst of laughter with a serious expression, "I was thinking that I'd keep it this way."

"What do you mean?" Duke Rholes felt like Eid was planning something outrageous.

"Let the King get the news that I didn't unlock the connection. I'll take him by surprise."

Thinking about it, Eid could turn this unfortunate situation into an opportunity. Who would believe that he unlocked the connection after his Nobility Mark faded? This would also mean that the more time that passes, the less effective the surprise would be.

Which means time is of the essence.

"Take him by surprise?" Duchess Judith asked.

Hearing his mother's change of tone, Eid suddenly remembered that the King is his foster mother's older brother.

Gah, I haven't thought that!

Because of the stark contrast between his foster mother's kindness to the King's darkness, he would always forget that the two were siblings. Within him, Eid also wanted to deny that fact.

The Duchess frowned and crossed her legs, "How far does your plan go, Eid?"

Hearing her mother's voice turn colder, Eid couldn't help but shiver and shrink. He was not the only one, even Duke Rholes' face turned pale. The Duke's eyes darted between his wife and his adopted son back and forth with anxiety.

"Umm..."

"Don't tell me, you're planning on killing the King?" her words were like a bomb that's been dropped.

"Really?" the Duke was surprised by this revelation. He never thought his son would have ambitious thoughts.

Eid had thought that her mother was on board with this a long time ago. But, maybe, not? The King is still her older brother after all. And with her kind nature, it's natural she wouldn't want anything that bad happening to her family.

However, before Eid could answer, Duchess Judith sighed, "I already know. As his sibling, I've long known my brother's true nature and I've come to despise him more for his past actions, endangering our family. However, he's still my brother." she then looked at Eid and said, "I will not support you but..."

Eid gulped.

"... I will not stop you." she said callously, "Just know that I'm not involved in the King's death in the future," she then returned to her delicate smile.