Our Family Has Fallen

Both had very common names in rural areas and did not possess surnames.

It seemed their origins were those of ordinary villagers, with no dramatic tale of a noble with an Extraordinary Bloodline fallen on hard times.

But such things were hard to say; no one knew who their ancestors several generations back were.

After all, were kings and nobles destined to be so by birth?

It was not a strange thing for common people to awaken as Transcendents.

”’My Lord, you are so kind…’” Mary finally realized the identity of the man before her after her brother received treatment.

”’You recognize me? Impressive!’” Mary’s voice drew Lance’s attention back, and he feigned surprise, offering a word of encouragement.

”’I… I’ve seen My Lord before…’”

”’You don’t have to call me My Lord. Just call me Brother Lance,’ Lance said, a gentle smile on his face.

However, Mary didn’t try to curry favor. She seemed somewhat timid, burdened by an innate sense of inferiority that created a sadly insurmountable barrier between them.

”’Am I that frightening?’ Lance, having already noticed her unease, asked teasingly.

”’Mother said it was My Lord who saved us. There’s no one better than My Lord…’”

”’Then, can you tell me what you are afraid of?’”

”’My Lord is My Lord,’ Mary said, her swollen eyes unable to hide her apprehension as she stole a glance at Lance.

Mary’s answer was ambiguous, but Lance knew very well that in the eyes of these commoners, nobles were practically a different species.

She had undoubtedly been warned by her parents since childhood not to offend the nobility, as it could bring disaster to their entire family.

Growing up in such an environment, it was natural for her to exhibit this demeanor.

This conditioning wasn’t even carried out by the nobility themselves but by the commoners, who indoctrinated their own subsequent generations.

But the world shouldn’t be like this…

”’I am different from them…’” Lance murmured to himself, not expecting Mary to agree.

”’Those people wouldn’t give us bread or milk. Only My Lord is kind to us; otherwise, we would have starved to death.’”

Mary spoke earnestly, the memory of her intense past hardships momentarily making her forget the disparity in their statuses.

Lance felt a wave of emotion upon hearing this. He had an excellent memory, capable of navigating mazes like the Beast Lair from memory alone.

But he truly didn’t remember the siblings, not even a vague impression. When he had taken in those refugees, they had been in terrible condition, especially the children, who were little more than skin and bones.

Not quite skeletons, perhaps, but they certainly had very little flesh on them. How could he possibly recognize them now from that ghastly state?

But despite her young age, they understood everything.

If you were kind to them, they truly remembered it.

”’So, as I said, I’m different from them. Instead of ’My Lord,’ I’d prefer you call me brother.’”

”’Brother…’” Mary seemed to consider this deeply. Under Lance’s gentle persuasion, she couldn’t help but tentatively utter the word. Only when she saw the same gentle smile on the Lord’s face did she continue.

”’Brother Lance!’”

”’Ah, such a good girl,’ Lance said with a smile, nodding, finally having put her at ease.

But his gaze quickly shifted to the strange flower in the girl’s hand…

”’Mary, could you tell me the story of this flower?’”

Hearing Lance’s question, Mary looked down at the flower in her hand, somewhat surprised, as if she hadn’t realized she’d been clutching it the whole time.

”’My brother picked it for me. It was white… why did it turn this color? It feels so strange…’”

Lance’s gaze fixed on the blood-red, peculiar flower. The aura emanating from it indicated it was a piece of Extraordinary Equipment.

But the bloody scent it exuded was not a good sign; instead, it seemed very eerie.

”’Mary, could you give me that flower?’”

Mary hesitated for a moment before handing the strange flower over, a hint of reluctance on her face.

”’Here.’”

Lance didn’t harbor the same fear of unknown Supernatural Powers as other Transcendents might. He reached out directly and took the blood-red blossom.

As soon as he held it, Lance sensed it was exclusive equipment, likely unusable by anyone other than Mary. This also made it difficult for him to understand its function without damaging it.

Yet Lance made a peculiar move, handing the blood-red flower back to her.

”’Your brother gave you a white flower, and I am giving you this red one.’”

Logically, Lance should have taken and secured it, perhaps returning it to her only when she had gained some ability to handle it. It was hard to imagine how a little girl could control such a bizarre piece of Extraordinary Equipment.

But after careful consideration, Lance decided to return the item to her.

The flower was connected to her awakening and was exclusive equipment; if there was some aspect he was unaware of, interfering might ruin her opportunity.

It was better to let things take their natural course. Besides, Lance was confident he could handle any situation that arose.

In fact, Lance’s decision wasn’t surprising; or rather, he had already made his choice from the beginning.

If he had been dealing with an ordinary person, Lance might not have treated them this way. He might have used a diluted Potion as a superficial fix, and certainly wouldn’t have healed them completely, perhaps leaving some minor external injuries.

However, Mary had awakened Supernatural Powers. She was destined to face these things eventually, so it was better to use this opportunity to guide her in the right direction rather than strip her of her gift.