The First Step

Around 10 years ago...

[Capital of the Eversky Empire, Grand Palace]

"Little Kurao you have just recently turned 8 years old and you're now a big boy aren't you~? Now you can get your elemental affinity tested at such a young age I'm so excited for you! 

I bet you will whoop all those little brats in the neighboring territory with 

how smart my Little Kurao is, you will be a magical genius. After all we need to keep control of all the geniuses with the power of our royal family and keep humanity united under our banner to fight off all those evil beings that want to put us under their feet." 

A mature looking woman said with excitement in her voice while she teased a little by pinching the cheek of a little boy with shiny silver hair and sky blue eyes.

He brushed the mature woman's hand off his cheek and as he was slightly pouting while she was pinching his cheeks, but once she stopped her antics he cracked a smile. 

"Thank you Aunt Valya for having faith in me, but even without that I know I will be blessed with a high affinity since Mother and Father have high affinity levels. There is no way I won't have no talent, I won't let anyone boss us around!"

Kurao said with full confidence while looking at the mature woman known as Valya Kaine. She is the Empress and the Emperor's first wife. Valya was a beautiful woman with light brown eyes, waist long dark purple hair, and was 179 cm tall.

Vayla looked nothing like the little boy with shiny silver hair, cause even though Valya wasn't Kurao's biological mother she always treated him with love and care like she was his real mother. This was because he would usually visit his half-sister Elyse to play so he grew close to and was practically raised by Valya since she would often look after and take care of him since he was with Elyse a lot.

Today he was gonna get his elemental affinity tested since he recently started going through mana pain around a week ago which indicates when one is ready to awaken their elemental affinity and start their path to becoming a magician, even though he was awakening way earlier then most children by about a few years.

He was excited but he was also looking forward to another thing and that was..

'Today is the day I am gonna awaken my element and get father to notice how I am capable to stand amongst any genius and maybe mother will be happy again.' Kurao eyes gleamed with determination walking down the palace hall with Aunt Valya towards their destination. 

After a bit of walking they arrived at their destination, a giant door that was able to fit a carriage through it although there were not carriages that were going to through it since it was indoors.

Kurao stares at the large door at the end of the hallway with anticipation knowing this is going to be where he was going to unlock his talent and the start of his journey. 

Kurao glances around the entrance looking for someone, but he doesn't see the person he was looking for and releases a disappointed sigh.

'Maybe she is inside the hall?'

After thinking this he stares once more at the giant door before taking a deep breath and puffing out his chest as he enters the large hall.

The hall was filled with people on each side, ranging from people related to him and their guests to a few higher-ups in the empire.

Kurao swept his gaze across the hall still looking for someone. He saw a few of his half-siblings among the people that have gathered absorbed in their own conversation and probably only appeared for appearances and royal etiquette.

Still not seeing the person among the gathered he decided to stop dawdling and step forward with large strides for a kid of his stature. 

'Maybe she is asleep again.' He thought feeling down not seeing the person he was looking for in the hall, well he was feeling down not seeing the person but he couldn't afford to let his composure change in the presence of all gathered. Some noticed him and watched him while others were still absorbed in their own conversations not noticing him enter the hall.

But once they noticed him they would stop their conversation to turn their attention to the man who was standing at the end, who was staring down the hall looking at the boy. The man wore stoic expression while looking at Kurao who just entered the hall, before turning his attention towards setting up something on a marble stand that centered the hall.

While Kurao was walking towards the end of the large ceremonial like hall he felt the air in his throat get stuck seeing the man who's presence stood out like a sore thumb, but shortly snapped out of his daze as he over heard one of his half-brothers talking about him. A youth with light blue hair that went to his shoulders and light blue eyes asked the man beside him and was loud enough for Kurao to just hear.

"So what do you think his affinity percentage gonna be? I doubt it will be anymore 70% at most. He is awakening so early his body probably won't have much mana since he is awakening so young resulting in a weaker magic talent."

The light blue haired youth then looks directly towards Kurao as a grin grants his face while still conversating to the person beside him and raised his voice enough for Kurao to clearly hear.

"I bet his magic talent will be at best mid-grade. Even his unhinged mother isn't here, he is so neglected by his own mother that has to be taken care of by Mother Valya." 

The person beside the light blue hair youth was a man that looked to be in his late twenties and had short reddish-purple messy hair, black eyes and a scar going along the side of cheek while standing at a height of 198cm. He stared at the light blue haired youth, the man looked slightly irritated at the blue haired youth talking to him but still replied.

"I don't think we should guess the percentage of his affinity until we know what his element is in the first place. Also you are oozing with jealousy over a 8 year old, just because he is awakening earlier then you did and is closer to Mother then you are, how pathetic. So stop embarrassing yourself with these comments Awoa and keep quiet."

The light blue haired youth named Awoa face scrunched up with slight anger, but returned to normal and acted as if he didn't hear anything past the man's first sentence and replied with a haughty tone trying to continue the conversation.

"Isn't obvious that he's gonna have the Ice Element? Like his silver hair is a dead giveaway to tell his element and affinity for it. Plus his mother also had a Variant Element so its most likely it."

The young man with reddish-purple hair turned his gaze at the boy walking though the hall without looking back at the Awoa the blue haired youth, as he rebuttal.

"Hair color is definitely a way to tell someone's element but it isn't always accurate, He could have a Core Element like Water or Wind? No one could say what my element was when I was his age and I most didn't know what my element would be till I awakened when I was 12." He then turned his head and looked towards the man at the end of the hall ignoring Awoa the blue haired youth.

"Soleil you are a rare case when it comes to element affinity, but look at him! His crazed mother has silver hair and is a Ice Magician and he probably didn't inherit father's Wind Element."

Awoa replied still engaging in the conversation even though the person he was talking to wasn't even focused with what he was saying. Awoa understood that after not receiving a reply that their "exchange" was over with then decided to lean back against a pillar then looked a Kurao and added mockingly.

"He probably is just gonna become crazy like his mother."

Kurao overhears the last comment while continuing his march, he stops and glares at Awoa with angered demeanor that would fit a kid of his age for a split moment before quickly regaining his demeanor before turning his attention to the intimidating looking man standing before him.