Charles Pembroke, the youngest son of the family, had one sister and two brothers.
Since childhood, Charles had been a genius—an absolute prodigy in the eyes of his fiefdom and everyone else.
However, it was not his magical talent that first manifested, but rather his literary talent.
“Charles, you’re amazing! It seems you’re very good at telling stories!”
Eldest Miss Pembroke, Charles’s sister, said as she patted his young head with doting affection.
“Really!”
After being praised, Charles shouted in excitement.
He loved his sister more than anyone.
“Really. The stories Charles writes have given everyone in the territory a sense of hope and warmth. You are simply the best writer!”
“I am going to become the greatest writer in the Empire… no, in the entire continent!”
His sister smiled and told him that he could certainly do it.
A few years later, his sister seemed to turn into a different person.
She spent all day staring at the starry sky, lost in unknown thoughts.
Not long after, an organization called the Starry Council came to take her away.
He did not understand why his father did not stop her and remained silent instead.
Before she left, she made a promise to him.
As a writer, he had to make his works famous enough in the future that even she could see them.
As a noble, he had to ensure that the commoners under his hand could live a peaceful life.
To this day, he had not been able to see his sister even once.
When Charles was fifteen, a beast tide suddenly erupted in the Black Pine Forest on the border of the territory.
Low-tier magical beasts rushed out of the mountains and forests, devouring fertile fields and attacking villages.
Commoners fled toward the main city in a panic, their cries never ceasing along the road.
At that time, Charles still longed for the savior-like scenarios found in books and had not forgotten the promise he made to his sister.
Seeing the refugees in rags and covered in wounds, he actually took the initiative to petition his father to go.
He had only recently begun formal magic training, so no one was at ease with him.
But he was Duke Pembroke’s most beloved youngest son.
Unable to refuse him, the Duke finally agreed to let him go to the border to establish a temporary defensive line and shelter the refugees, accompanied by one third-rank mage and four second-rank warriors.
“Keep the commoners inside the barrier; they are not allowed to go out without permission. You will clear the magical beasts on the perimeter and wait for the beast tide to recede before making further plans. Everyone, be careful…”
“Yes, Young Master.”
His father had repeatedly cautioned him, and Charles took those words to heart.
Upon arriving at the border, he immediately had the mage set up a protective barrier to bring all the refugees inside.
He then had the warriors divide into two teams to take turns patrolling and clearing any magical beasts that approached.
The barrier was sturdy, and the warriors were powerful.
At first, everything went smoothly.
The magical beasts were kept outside the barrier, while the refugees had food and water inside, gradually settling down.
But within three days, trouble arrived.
“You can’t go out! The high-tier magical beasts outside haven’t been cleared yet!”
On an ordinary night, Charles saw an argument breaking out at the edge of the barrier.
The warriors he brought were trying their best to dissuade people from leaving.
“What’s going on?”
Upon asking, he discovered that a group of young commoners, who also had some control over magic, felt that ‘magical beasts aren’t that scary’ and were envious of the beast corpses Charles and his men had slain.
They had taken the lead in secretly using hoes to dig a hole in a weak point of the barrier, intending to sneak out under the cover of night to scavenge.
A dozen commoners had already slipped out of the barrier.
He warned them sternly, but those people looked at him with disdain.
“The Young Master is young, and his courage is small! we farmhands have plenty of strength. They’re just a few beasts; what is there to fear?”
Several men who hadn’t managed to run out yet gripped their hatchets, looking completely baffled by Charles’s interference.
“They can kill magical beasts, so why can’t we? Why should they get all the benefits?”
Others chimed in.
“That’s right! Why should only the nobles enjoy the spoils of war!”
“It’s suffocating staying in this barrier. We might as well go out and take a chance. Maybe we can make a fortune!”
“You nobles just want to keep all the benefits for yourselves and won’t let us get ahead!”
“You…”
Charles was choked into silence, both anxious and furious.
He ordered the warriors to bring them back, but those people ran fast and had already plunged into the Black Pine Forest.
Not long after, shrill screams echoed from the woods.
When the warriors rushed over, they only saw blood and severed limbs everywhere.
Most of the dozen or so commoners had already been killed by a high-tier Magic Bear.
Only a few remained unharmed, backing away with terrified gazes.
Worse still, the Magic Bear was attracted by the scent of blood and burst into the refugee area through the hole they had dug.
The barrier developed gaps due to the damage, and low-tier magical beasts took the opportunity to pour in.
The once stable camp instantly fell into chaos.
To protect the refugees, the three warriors fought the Magic Bear head-on.
Although they eventually killed it, one warrior was severely injured.
The third-rank mage exhausted his mana to repair the barrier and collapsed into a coma.
After a day and a night of bitter perseverance, the situation finally stabilized.
But inside Charles’s heart, the tremors would not stop.
Charles stood in a pool of blood, looking at the refugees bitten by beasts, the heavily injured knights, and the few guys who had luckily survived but remained unrepentant despite being the ones who led the way out.
A bone-chilling coldness rose from the depths of his heart.
He grabbed the young man who had led the digging of the barrier and threw a punch, his voice as cold as ice.
“I gave you the protection of a barrier, I gave you food and safety, and there were people outside fighting to protect you. Why did you insist on seeking death?”
The young man grimaced in pain but remained stubborn.
“I… I just wanted to make some money! Why can you kill beasts and take the materials while we can only hide in the back? I’m a mage too! What does it matter if my talent is poor? What does it matter if I’m a commoner? Can’t I fight for a few benefits?”
These words were like a poisonous thorn, stabbing deep into Charles’s heart.
He looked at the young man’s face—a face that was ‘clearly stupid to the point of death, yet insisted on coveting things that didn’t belong to him.’
He looked at the knights who had sacrificed themselves for nothing because of these people’s lack of self-awareness, and the destroyed barrier.
He suddenly understood a truth.
As long as these people had a bit of ability, they would feel they could recklessly snatch resources, forcing everyone else to risk their lives to clean up after them.
This was why he so loathed disgusting people with mediocre talent who always thought they could accomplish something.
From then on, he never pitied these people again, and he never stood up for anything ever again.
Being a playboy, satisfying his own desires, being arrogant and domineering, and watching these foolish people crawl at his feet—this was the only way his already numb soul could feel a slight spark of life.
His father never interfered with him, knowing that letting him give up this so-called savior complex and just living well without causing trouble was the better way to protect him.
But…
That black, loathsome figure had actually shattered all his concepts and given him an extremely vivid lesson.
Even a person with mediocre talent could do what they needed to do…
Charles snapped his eyes open.
The electric glow scorched his right hand, which was gripping his staff.
Electric light surged in his pupils as he gripped the staff tightly, refusing to let go.
A heart-wrenching roar tore from his throat, venting his long-held anger, unwillingness, and stupidity!
If Lin Yue and Isabena could do it, why couldn’t he?
He was a genius; he would never acknowledge his own mediocrity!
No matter the price, as long as he could realize his value in this single moment! Then…
“O CELESTIAL MESSENGER WHO WIELDS THE THUNDER, LET YOUR ANGRY HOWL CALL FORTH THE LIGHTNING THAT RENDS THE SKY! WITHIN THE CHAOTIC AND MISTY WILDERNESS, SMITE THE ILLUSIONS THAT OBSTRUCT THE PATH AHEAD!”
“BEGONE, O GLOOM! DO NOT OBSCURE THE JUDGMENT OF JUSTICE!”
“HEAVENLY THUNDER SHALL TEAR APART DEFIANCE, GUIDING THE WORLD-BREAKING BOLTS WITH WRATH!”
“PERKUNFTUR THUNDER! DESCEND!”
As the final word fell, the world suddenly lost its color.
Thick dark clouds gathered frantically, and purple-gold lightning hissed and rolled within the cloud layers, instantly tearing through the sky.
A pillar of lightning as thick as a barrel crashed down with the power to destroy heaven and earth.
Everywhere it passed, the air exploded, and deep furrows split the ground.
Lightning surged in all directions, turning the battlefield into a sea of thunder.
The Arbos Army, the priests, and the fleeing magical beasts—every living thing within range was swallowed by the lightning, instantly turning into ash before they could even scream.
When the lightning dissipated, only scorched ruins remained on the battlefield, devoid of any sign of life.
Charles’s strength left him entirely.
His charred right hand could no longer hold the staff.
With a clatter, it hit the ground.
His arm hung limply, practically separated from his body—it was almost certainly ruined.
His vision went dark, and he collapsed heavily to the ground.
Bloody foam mixed with nosebleeds trickled down, leaving only his broken body lying on the cold floor.
“See that… I… can never be inferior to you…”
He firmly believed that guy had surely seen this spectacular sight as well…
“…”
Immediately afterward, he fainted from mana exhaustion and his injuries.
The crisis at Avelina’s main gate was resolved by the descent of high-level magic.
Now, all that remained were the forbidden beasts and… Airella in the sky.