After his long conversation with Eldron, Louskas pushed open the door of the small wooden room and stepped outside. This place had been his refuge even in his past life. When he was harassed for his lack of talent, he had no choice but to leave his family's home and take shelter here.
He was born without a shard, which meant he would never have one unless fate itself bent in his favor. Even by the age of eight, he had failed to awaken his core. For the son of a Clan Leader, this was nothing short of shocking—how could his heir be powerless?
Yet, his father never cared for the elders' whispers. After all, he was in the Second Stage, and in this world, strength was the only law. And for the elders As long as there was no immediate threat to the clan, there was no reason to make decisions that might lead to disastrous losses.
But the greatest proof of his father's power wasn't himself—it was his wife, Cindra Draven, the daughter of a great clan.
By tradition, marriage was always supposed to remain within the clan, preserving the purity of bloodlines and serving political interests. Cindra, though untalented, was still born with a shard. However, she had never been able to advance. In her own clan, she was scorned—were it not for the fact that her father was a great elder in the Second Stage, she would have been left defenseless.
When she fell in love during the Clan Tournament, her clan saw an opportunity—a way to control a mid-tier clan from behind the scenes.
And for her sake, the leader shattered every tradition. He had even become the leader solely for the chance to marry her.
At first, everyone opposed him. But as always—strength was the loudest voice.
When Louskas was born—a weak child without even a shard—his father changed. He became harsher, more withdrawn. Louskas had always assumed it was the natural burden of leadership, but today, a new thought crept into his mind.
"You were never strong, Father… You were weak, hiding behind a mask of sternness. Bonds? They're nothing but fragile threads, so easily severed."
******
Louskas pulled a cart that wobbled with his steps. Two male slaves assisted him, carrying provisions, while two female slaves selected food and fruit, tossing them into the cart.
The bustling market had never changed. Yet, despite the usual noise, Louskas felt strange gazes surrounding him.
"Aren't they used to seeing slaves?"
His inner voice was abruptly cut off by an arrogant, childish tone:
"Ahhh… aren't these some beautiful slaves?"
Louskas turned, spotting a boy with a smug smile, three others following behind him. Kailos Solan, the great elder's grandson, led the group, with the sons of other elders standing behind him.
At their arrival, the slaves dropped to their knees in fear.
Kailos strode confidently toward the two slave girls, lifting one's chin with his fingers, examining her face with a look of disdain.
"You two are truly beautiful. I want you tonight, what do you say?"
One of the boys behind him let out a loud laugh.
"Of course! This is the greatest luck they'll ever have in their lives!"
Another hesitated before slyly adding:
"But Kailos, don't you think you should leave one for us?"
Kailos lazily shook his head.
"No, I want them both. There are dozens of other slaves, pick another."
Then, suddenly, he stopped—his gaze shifting toward Louskas.
"Isn't this the special slave?"
Everyone expected him to kneel like the others. Yet, Louskas remained standing, his eyes drifting across the market, observing the silent onlookers.
Kailos' eyes narrowed in anger as he stepped closer.
"That face… why do you resemble the clan leader so much? You remind me of that pitiful child."
Finally, Louskas turned to face him, his expression unreadable.
Kailos sneered.
"A year after his disappearance, the leader brought you back as a slave. You look so much like him… Either you're his illegitimate son, or he decided to return that pathetic child as a slave—and even gave you his old room! Hahaha!"
Louskas froze.
This wasn't just idle talk—it was an unexpected revelation, one that raised even more questions.
Whispers spread through the growing crowd. Murmurs turned into hushed conversations, and the eyes surrounding them filled with suspicion.
One of the boys hesitated before warning in a nervous voice:
"Kailos, you shouldn't be saying that! If someone hears… we could be imprisoned—or worse!"
But Kailos lifted his chin proudly.
"Why should I care? My grandfather is the great elder, and I will always stand for the truth—just as he does!"
Louskas' lips curled into a cold smile.
"So… this was the great elder's plan all along. Planting doubt in everyone's hearts and letting it grow on its own."
Kailos' body tensed for a brief moment, but he quickly masked it. He couldn't allow a mere slave to challenge him in public. His gaze flickered toward the gathering crowd—he had to assert his dominance.
"Are you accusing my grandfather of such a disgraceful act without evidence? Do you even know the punishment for slandering the great elder?"
But the smile never left Louskas' face.
"It's obvious… even to the blind."
He slowly raised his hand, gesturing toward the marketplace around them.
"Your presence here today… in this market where commoners gather… Why would the great elder's son be here of all places? Your approach to the slave girls… touching them? Everyone knows that those of high status detest mingling with commoners—let alone slaves. And then, your sudden shift in attention toward me… Did you think no one noticed?"
In truth, no one had noticed. Perhaps a few.
But humans always seek validation.
The moment he voiced it, the onlookers began replaying the scene in their minds, convincing themselves they had always seen the signs—when in reality, they hadn't.
And so, a simple claim became an undeniable truth in their minds.