Chapter 4

Part 4: I Became a Genius (2)

After the tedious explanation finally ended, the scribe, or rather the tutor, looked at me and asked,

"Do you have any questions?"

His words were tinged with a mix of disappointment and condescension, a look that clearly highlighted my ambiguous situation.

Of course, I had a question.

"Like the scribe said, almost all the nobles on the continent have gained inheritance abilities through awakening. And our Grecia Dukedom has inherited the abilities of the hero, Sir Carlos."

"That's correct."

The scribe nodded, looking slightly satisfied.

"But how has an ability that has been passed down for 500 years continued to be inherited? Even if we assume a generation is 30 years, it's already been 30 generations. During that time, there must have been at least 30 marriages. Wouldn't the probability of someone having the same abilities as Sir Carlos be reduced to one in tens of thousands?"

The probability of one side continuously gaining an ability, even among nobles, is one in two.

Even if there were multiple marriages within the same family, after 30 generations, the probability would still be reduced to one in hundreds or thousands.

"Moreover, abilities can manifest simultaneously among siblings, or some siblings might only inherit abilities from their mother. How has it continued to be passed down?"

Did they keep engaging in incest? But they don't seem like crazy people.

The scribe's eyes widened. His condescending look completely disappeared, replaced by a perplexed expression.

"Hmm. I think that's something you'll learn in due time. You might hear about it after your awakening."

His words hinted at some secret, but his expression clearly showed he knew nothing!

Mendel's laws of inheritance were still beyond the people of this world, I guess.

But with my awakening day approaching, this was a very important issue for me.

A thousand years ago, this world was not much different from medieval Europe in my previous life.

There was no magic to burn the world, no knights to split rocks and destroy castle walls.

Priests couldn't use holy spells, and alchemists were just frauds.

However, after the great upheaval a thousand years ago, this world became completely different from my previous Earth.

A thousand years ago, black gates appeared all over the continent, and monsters from a world called the Demon Realm crossed over. Ordinary animals turned into monsters, and a being called the Demon King even appeared to lead them.

As the world teetered on the brink of destruction, special individuals emerged among humans.

They were called heroes.

People who could split the sky with their swords and burn the sea with magical fire.

They saved humanity from destruction, drove away the Demon King, and sealed the gates of the Demon Realm.

Thanks to them, humanity survived, but the world was completely changed afterward.

The monsters that remained were called monsters and spread across the continent, and the heroes' abilities were passed down to their children, forming a new ruling class.

The current nobility.

And the day when these nobles gain the abilities of the heroes is called the "Awakening Day."

It's the birthday when they turn six.

It was just two days away.

After the class ended, I followed Flora out of the classroom.

I could walk around on my own, but they wouldn't let a bastard or the duke's son wander alone.

Fortunately, I had been flirting with the maids, so it wasn't too inconvenient to walk with them.

Sometimes, walking with them even helped.

Like now.

"Hey, bastard."

In the hallway, I encountered a group of people.

Two boys walking down the hallway with their attendants.

The younger one immediately started a quarrel when he saw me.

A boy a head taller than me, pointing at me with a haughty expression.

The older boy glanced at me, then passed by with a blank face, ignoring me. The older boy, who ignored me, and the younger one who stayed to quarrel.

They didn't seem to consider each other brothers, but they were my brothers.

Simon de Grecia.

Manuel de Grecia.

The two sons of the duke's first wife.

Unlike me, the bastard, they were the legitimate successors of the Grecia Dukedom.

The 8-year-old brat sneered at me.

"In a few days, it's your awakening, right? But can you even awaken?"

It was a mocking question I heard every time, but this time it stung.

He was right.

Those two had already passed their awakening day and both had successfully awakened.

The younger brat, Manuel, kept teasing me by making sparks between his fingers.

Unlike the first son, Simon, who was watching from a distance, the second son, Manuel, had awakened the abilities of his mother's side, the first duchess's family.

Magical abilities.

This put him a step back in inheriting the dukedom, but it might be better for gaining support from the duchess's side.

However, my mother was a commoner who didn't have any abilities.

She came from a solid merchant family, but without abilities, it was meaningless to the nobility.

From my research in the library, the gene that passes down abilities was recessive.

A gene that is difficult to express.

As a result, with a commoner mother, my probability of awakening was only one in four.

'So, the ability to return to the past after death isn't an awakening, is it?'

Or maybe remembering my previous life is the awakening.

Hmm, I had more than I thought.

Thanks again to the nameless god.

'Well, the resurrection ability isn't an awakening either...'

If the ability I currently have is an inherited ability, it would be very troublesome.

I wouldn't gain any new abilities on my awakening day.

After the awakening day, I might be pushed out as a commoner and end up as a clerk or administrator in a corner of the estate.

'Wait a minute...'

I stopped my train of thought and opened my mouth.

"Not being able to awaken might not be so bad?"

"What did you say?"

Manuel, the brat, looked confused at my accidental words.

"Well, surviving without awakening might be better..."

After the duke's protection, life had been quite good, but before that, I had faced death many times.

Without the ability to come back to life, I would have definitely died as a baby.

"What are you talking about!"

Manuel shouted in front of me, but I didn't hear him. I was too busy weighing the pros and cons of awakening and not awakening.

'Maybe I've been too focused on one side.'

Continuously facing the threat of death made me constantly desire the power to avoid it.

The only power I could gain in this world was through awakening. That's why my thoughts had been skewed.

But, thinking about it, not awakening might be better.

The duke's protection only lasted until the awakening day. After that, I would surely face the threat of death again.

However, failing to awaken might mean a life free from the threat of death. I might live a quiet life as a civil servant.

"Thanks! Big brother!"

I suddenly grabbed the brat's hand.

Zap!

A tingling sensation of static electricity from his hand.

It was a weak ability, still underdeveloped, but my whole hand tingled.

But I was happy even with the small pain I felt in my hand.

"What are you doing all of a sudden!"

Manuel shouted, but he only vented his anger verbally.

Simon and Manuel were both well-educated sons of the dukedom.

And in the hallway, Flora and other employees were watching us.

It wasn't easy for the duke's son to use physical violence in front of the employees.

I waved to Manuel and Simon, who was watching from a distance, and walked in the opposite direction.

Manuel's face was red and blue, and Simon was frowning as he watched me.

But I had no intention of quarreling with 10 and 8-year-old brats.

"Overlooking the second young master's words like that, you are truly remarkable, young master."

Flora's unexpected praise from behind made me feel relieved that my worry about awakening had decreased.

The awakening day was approaching quickly.

On the day of the event, in the morning.

After putting on splendid clothes, my mother hugged me tightly as I left the room.

"Even if you don't awaken, it's okay. You don't need to worry. You are my beloved son."

Her words warmed my heart.

As my body grew younger, my heart seemed to soften. Moreover, unlike the duke, my mother loved me.

Even with the memory of my previous life, a mother is still a mother.

"Yes, I love you."

At my first words, the arms around me stiffened.

They tightened even more, and I felt my face turning blue from lack of air.

Dangerous. I almost died.

Later, while walking down the hallway with my mother and the maids, I continued my thoughts from the past few days.

Indeed, if I didn't awaken, my mother would be worried.

A child without inherited abilities.

Naturally, he couldn't become a noble, and my mother, who had a child the dukedom didn't need, might be cast out.

'Well, my maternal family isn't poor. If it comes to it, I can take care of her.'

I would be separated from my father, but leaving this icy mansion might be better for my mother.

'Besides, I'm not ignorant about economics and commerce.'

With my experience from my previous life, working in my maternal family's business didn't seem bad.

Anyway, nothing was decided yet. I could worry about it after the awakening ceremony.

I organized my thoughts and followed my mother.

We quickly arrived at the family crypt in the mansion's garden.

A subterranean stone chamber where the sarcophagi of the first duke, who rose to the rank of duke as the king's brother, and my grandfather, were placed.

The innermost part of the crypt, accessible only to the duke, was a secret place in the dukedom, full of rumors among the mansion's employees.

However, Alex was in the outer stone chamber where various ceremonies were held.

The sarcophagi in the crypt were hidden behind stone walls adorned with flags and decorations.

In this chamber, there was only a giant symbol drawn on the floor, besides the flags and decorations on the walls.

People were already inside the chamber.

On one side stood the two brothers who had quarreled with me a few days ago and the duchess.

Briavia de Grecia, the duchess.

The first daughter of the current Viscount Lanzarote and the duke's first wife. The legitimate wife.

She was looking ahead with her usual calm expression.

Beautiful and very young-looking, her elegant aura made it clear she was a noble.

'She really suits the duke...'

She seemed like a perfect match for the duke, who was usually expressionless.

'Is she really the one who tried to kill me?'

The person with the position and power to kill me, the closest to being the culprit.

She could easily stop the duke from pursuing the culprit and make the maids who tried to kill me disappear without a trace.

'But without evidence...'

Even if there was evidence, it might not mean much given the duke's actions, and it could have been the work of the nobles who followed her.

For her, it was just a matter of turning a blind eye.

My death was just another trivial matter.