The Origin of Hatred

"Is this Stoneton?" 

Rain Vickery stood at the entrance of the small town, his eyes scrutinizing the blurred signpost beside him.

Then he shifted to the desolate farmlands surrounding the town and the scattered, uneven houses within. 

Disdain was evident in his gaze. 

Such a town seemed fit only for slaves.

He waited at the town's entrance for a long while, yet no one came to greet him.

"Basilo, go see what's happening," Rain ordered, unable to suppress his anger. 

As the esteemed second prince of Lionara, he was accustomed to warm welcomes wherever he went. 

The lords of cities and territories would throw lavish banquets in his honor, inviting beautiful ladies to reflect his esteemed status.

But that wretch Leo, how dare he show such disregard!

Basilo, the captain of the prince's guard, aware of Rain's ire, nodded and headed towards the town. 

Just as he entered, he saw two people approaching.

Leo Vickery and Lilith.

Lilith was now dressed in a gorgeous outfit. 

She wore a snow-white, wide-shouldered gown that revealed her fair, tender shoulders, a pearl necklace graced her neck, shining with a milky glow.

And her golden hair was styled into an elegant bun, giving her the appearance of a distinguished noble lady.

Leo Vickery, on the other hand, was much more casual. 

Dressed in simple clothes, he nonchalantly walked, holding Lilith's hand, blatantly ignoring Basilo.

Reaching the entrance of the town, Leo Vickery casually wrapped his arm around Lilith's slender waist. 

She shivered, not daring to resist or meet the eyes of Rain Vickery, who stood at the entrance.

"My dear brother, you've finally arrived," Leo said with a smile. 

"I must say, you have good taste. Lilith is quite adept at serving. Most importantly, she's beautiful and has a pleasant personality, like a gentle little lamb, ready to be caressed at will."

Leo's words were met with Rain Vickery's visibly reddening face, a clear sign of his mounting fury.

However, the animosity between the two brothers ran deeper than mere words. 

Leo Vickery's mother was a commoner in the kingdom. 

King Vickery III, during an excursion, laid eyes on her and, using his power, forcibly took her. 

After giving birth to Leo, she was neglected and soon passed away, leaving a lasting resentment in Leo against King Vickery III.

Rain Vickery's background was different. 

His mother was a noble lady from the royal city, prestigious and wealthy. 

Throughout their childhood, Rain often ridiculed Leo for his humble origins and even mocked his mother. 

The seeds of hatred were sown then, and under Rain's deliberate provocations, Leo's temperament soured, leading to numerous scandals and ultimately his exile to this remote town.

Compared to the dignity of a prince, being the lord of a small town was indeed an exile. 

Yet, for all his actions, Leo Vickery had no regrets. 

In fact, he felt a vague sense of pleasure, like snatching Lilith from Rain's grasp.

Lilith's father was a notorious gambler in the royal city who, in a rigged game orchestrated by Rain Vickery, accumulated a massive debt. 

Rain's target was Lilith.

Thus, upon hearing this news, Leo Vickery intercepted the plan midway. 

In a bid to exact revenge on Rain, he threatened Lilith's father to sell her to him as a slave. 

He even flaunted this in front of Rain, much like now.

The woman you desire is now merely my slave!

Such humiliation was unbearable for anyone, especially for Rain Vickery.

"You bastard, shut your mouth!" Rain Vickery, consumed by rage, drew the sword from his waist and lunged at Leo Vickery's heart. 

If the thrust found its mark, death would be Leo's only fate.

"Don't!" Lilith cried out instinctively.

Leo, somewhat surprised by Lilith's concern for him, paid little mind to the sword thrusting towards him. 

He quickly made his wish for the day.

"I wish to lose half my strength," he thought, "Targeting Rain Vickery for the double effect of the wish."

To the astonishment of those present, as soon as Rain drew his sword, he collapsed to the ground in a knight's fealty pose.

"My dear brother, what are you doing?" Leo asked, feigning ignorance.

Under the spell of the wish, he had lost half of his strength.

And Rain, receiving double the effect, had lost all of his, even the strength to stand up. 

However, this state would only last for a day.

"What have you done to me!" Rain Vickery exclaimed in terror, his mind racing to the rumors of curse magic. 

But how could this be possible! 

Hadn't Rain himself nullified Leo's magic talent?

Yes, Leo had magic talent, a fact both Rain and the present Leo were aware of. 

As a child, Rain had used a special potion to sabotage Leo's talent, rendering him a prince deemed utterly devoid of magical aptitude in everyone's eyes.

Of course, Rain himself had no magic talent either. 

Since the establishment of Lionara by Vickery the First, the direct royal lineage had only possessed knight talent. 

While knights had their strengths, their power was limited compared to the vast capabilities of magi, who could wield powerful magic and wreak significant destruction. 

Thus, a royal member manifesting magic talent was almost guaranteed succession to the throne.

This was the root of Rain's hatred towards Leo.

The current Leo Vickery understood this and had no intention of treating Rain kindly. 

His magic talent hadn't disappeared; it had transformed under the influence of the special potion into the rare hell magic. 

This was a key factor in Leo's survival in his past life and his eventual allegiance under the Demon King.

"Basilo, come and help your master!" Leo didn't respond to Rain's accusation but instead called out to Basilo, the captain of the guard. 

He then added, "Also, if you wish to enter the town and rest, each person must pay one hundred gold coins."

"Otherwise, you might as well camp outside the town."

"I forgot to mention, this area is known for jackalfolk sightings."

Leo spoke with a smirk, utterly disregarding Rain's fury.

Supporting Lilith's slender and soft waist, Leo entered the town, leaving behind an enraged Rain Vickery and his bewildered guard.

"Prince Rain, what should we do...?" Basilo asked cautiously, helping Rain to his feet.

Gritting his teeth, Rain commanded, "Set up camp outside the town!"

...

Inside the town, Leo's hand remained on Lilith's waist. 

He had no choice. 

Losing half his strength was an unpleasant sensation, and at that moment, Leo was no more than an ordinary man.

He had never undergone knight training and lacking robust physical conditioning. 

He needed Lilith's support.

Lilith sensed his weakness. 

Perhaps this was an opportunity. 

Yet, she ultimately took no action.

The town was nearly deserted, save for the routine patrol of soldiers. 

Leo was well aware of the situation. 

After he became the ruler of the town, many residents had fled overnight, leaving only a handful of original inhabitants in what was once a bustling community of over a hundred. 

Most of those who remained were elderly, unwilling or unable to move.

Among them was old Neil, who had crafted Lilith's gorgeous dress. 

He possessed masterful tailoring skills and worked with remarkable speed. 

But that wasn't his true significance.

Old Neil's true identity was -a dark wizard!

Leo had no intention of exposing Neil just yet. 

He needed to firmly control Stoneton and expand its power to venture again into the Infernal Marsh in search of opportunities related to hell magic. 

A dark wizard, being an anomaly among magi, could bring turmoil if revealed.

With Lilith's assistance, Leo returned to his bedroom. 

After gently placing him in a chair, Lilith made to leave, but Leo caught her hand and instructed, 

"Lilith, go to my study and bring me the Knight Training Tome. It's in the corner of the bookshelf."