"Slowly, slowly. Eat your breakfast properly before going to the opening ceremony. Why do you have to be in such a rush every time you eat?"
The blonde woman said in an irritated tone. Her blue eyes focused on the young elf in front of her. His messy, brown hair tied into a ponytail and his intense crimson eyes were unlike those of any other elves. The red emblem engraved into his hand gave him a delinquent streak.
There was a composed intelligence hidden behind his hurried movements. His often erratic behavior, coupled with his unique appearance, gave him a charismatic presence.
At first, everything was perfect. Vidra was a rather silent, yet intelligent child. He stood out even amongst the other children from the special adoption list. The fact that he was a trait holder made him a perfect choice.
Thus, Marilyn and Robert decided to adopt him on a whim. Hoping that they could nurture Vidra into a mage who would bring prestige to their noble household in the future. The truth was that they didn't want to raise anyone as their child. In fact, they visited the orphanage to donate at first.
Meeting with Vidra was nothing more than a coincidence. A coincidence they came to regret in the future. At first, they provided him with everything he needed to turn into a strong mage. The finest tutors, books, and sparring partners.
Vidra didn't disappoint. His learning speed was unlike any other human child of his age. It was comparable to those geniuses who were famous even before enrolling in the academy. However, a few years later, Vidra started to change.
The silent, obedient Vidra slowly turned into the Vidra of today. This free-spirited lunatic of an elf completely sidetracked their plans and their life itself. Vidra was uncontrollable, self-serving, and disobedient towards his parents.
The truth was that Marilyn and Robert didn't care about Vidra. They didn't treat him as parents should their children; instead, they viewed him as a tool for success. However, Vidra didn't mind it. Ever since the meeting with Enriel, he has decided to live for himself, to experience as many things as he could while he was alive.
Marylin looked at Vidra with a frown as he inhaled his breakfast like a beast. She knew that Vidra did this on purpose. The time they spent together brought them close, even if they didn't want to admit it.
"I'm telling you to eat slower. Your father won't come for another thirty minutes."
"Stop nagging me, and catch this chicken breast!"
"VIDRA NO! DON'T YOU DARE TO THROW THE FOOD!"
"Just kidding, tell father to take his time. I'll go by myself."
Vidra stood up from the table and turned around to put on his school uniform. The school uniform of Eberhart Academy consisted of red and white clothes. It complemented his eyes to perfection.
He was about to open the door to catch the first carriage to Eberhart Academy, but the door opened by itself as he was about to reach the handle. Vidra stepped back, knowing that his father had arrived.
A giant of a man stepped inside the house. His ruffled hair and sharp features gave him the aura of a strong warrior. He was Count Robert of the Eberhart Kingdom. A hardworker who rose from obscurity to his current position through his achievements in war.
He was also the one most obsessed with status and power. He treated Vidra as one of his soldiers rather than a son. Robert was also the most ticked off when Vidra's personality started changing. Nowadays, the two of them were like fire and water.
Robert looked down at Vidra with observing eyes. The once-silent boy, now the definition of attitude, grew to be a young teenager with a strong presence.
"You didn't think you could leave without seeing me, did you? Whatever you think of us, you're still part of this family. You can't just leave without a farewell."
Vidra lifted an eyebrow when Robert mentioned family in front of him. This was a word he usually avoided on purpose when he interacted with Vidra. He turned towards Robert and looked at him with intense crimson eyes that revealed a hint of amusement.
"How kind of you all of a sudden. Well, Father...Mother, I'll be going to the academy. Thank you for everything."
Vidra took one last glance at his parents before passing by Robert, who nodded in approval. He closed the door behind himself, leaving Marilyn and Robert truly alone for the first time in the past six years.
"Do you think he knows about the gift we gave him?"
Marylin asked as he turned towards Robert.
"Who knows, he might be a rude prick, but his intelligence is unquestionable... even if everything else about him is a bit off."
...
Vidra took out a red crystal from one of his pockets once the door closed behind him. This was the gift left behind by Robert and Marilyn. A rare, expensive crystal infused with the energy of enough fire element to help him reach D-rank.
Vidra looked at the house one last time with a smile.
'Did they have a change of heart?'
Vidra crushed the crystal in his hand, and the fire energy seeped into his body. It was his first time he got to use something like this.
[Congratulations, the trait, Elven Spark, successfully evolved into the following: Elven Fire.]
The carriage, which was meant to take him to the academy, arrived. It was filled with around five children of around the same age as Vidra. They looked at him with wide eyes as he entered the carriage.
The red mark on his hand made it apparent that he was a trait holder. Encountering one was as rare as seeing the king himself. Many people live their entire lives without seeing them once.
The only place where one could find more than one at once was the academy and the army. The fact that Vidra was perhaps the only elf with red eyes in existence further strengthened their curiosity.
Vidra secretly hoped that he would encounter one of his elven friends. He didn't hear anything about them after Marilyn and Robert adopted him. He did know that some of them were still orphans, and that Runo had been adopted by someone from another kingdom.
The Eberhart Academy was located in the middle of the capital, close to the royal castle where the king resided. It was a short distance away from Vidra's current home, but the carriages meant to bring all the students to the academy often had to travel across the whole kingdom.
It was a custom to let everyone board the carriage. It didn't matter how close they lived to the academy.
The short ride was spent in complete silence. Everyone was either nervous or didn't bother to speak. Some of the children were aware of Vidra's presence and became shy, seemingly out of nowhere.
The iconic carriage stopped in front of the academy, joining a long line of other carriages. Some of them are different from the other. Vidra stood up from his seat. It was time to begin his student life. An image of a warrior flashed across his mind as he stepped out of the carriage.
The one who killed his parents, and the one who led the raid on the village of Inaka. He didn't forget about him. Not even for a second.