Primordial Heir: Nine Stars

Three hours later, Elysia was back at the academy, settled in her dormitory—though calling it a small villa would be more fitting. After all, she was the president of the student council, and her status was exceptionally high.

After taking a long and refreshing bath, she changed into comfortable pajamas and made her way to her study. There, she began reviewing documents that had piled up during her absence. The pen moved with incredible speed as she signed after scanning and checking each document. Her speed was so rapid that one might wonder if she had truly examined everything, but Elysia was meticulous; there was no way she would make such rookie mistakes. After all, this was her second year as president of the student council, and she had gained plenty of experience.

While Elysia was engrossed in her work, the door to her study was pushed open, and a woman walked in. Without lifting her head, Elysia inquired, ”Did you successfully submit the report?”

The newcomer had short black hair and blue eyes; she wasn’t as strikingly beautiful as Elysia but wore rimmed glasses that gave off a secretary vibe. Her name was Emily Waters, a member of the Waters branch family of the Undine family. Emily had been Elysia’s friend since childhood and served as her secretary, effectively acting as her right-hand woman. They understood each other perfectly.

”Yes! I’ve already handled it,” Emily replied. It was the report on her mission she had completed.

As soon as she finished speaking, she disappeared momentarily, only to return with a cup of tea emitting an enticing aroma, accompanied by a few cookies—Elysia’s guilty pleasure. Elysia paused her work to enjoy the tea and nibble on the cookies, her expression cold but unable to hide the delight on her face as she savored each bite. Emily observed her from the side, unable to suppress a fond smile as she thought her friend resembled a cute animal, though she would never dare voice such a thought.

In the blink of an eye, Elysia devoured everything before her and quickly resumed her work.

”Mind telling me what I missed?” she asked, prompting Emily to recount everything that had happened at the academy during her absence. Emily nodded, having anticipated this request.

”This year’s cadets are exceptional. As you predicted, most of the promising talents come from the seven families.”

At this mention, Elysia nodded without lifting her gaze. It was predictable; after all, she was a product of one of the seven families. Each year, the truly remarkable cadets hailed from these elite families or those affiliated with them. The reason was simple: as the leading families that effectively governed the world, they had access to the best resources. Naturally, this enabled them to produce the finest candidates, perpetuating the cycle of excellence and ensuring that their abundant resources never slipped through their fingers. It had been this way since the dawn of time and would likely remain unchanged in the future—unless something came along to completely disrupt the status quo, such as a super family capable of wielding multiple laws simultaneously, which Elysia doubted was even possible. The seven families hadn’t been idle, engaging in marriages between families in an attempt to create a super family that could harness two laws at once. However, up until now, this endeavor had yet to yield any success.

Emily continued, ”The most promising ones are: Elreth, the third princess—”

”That troublesome little girl. Well, compared to her sister and big brother, I can say she’s really talented. It can be said she inherited the emperor’s genes more strongly,” Elysia interrupted, sharing her thoughts, a sentiment completely shared by Emily. The crown prince also the vice president of the student’s council may be gifted, just like his little sister the second princess, head of treasury but Elreth truly was gifted, more gifted than them, if she desired the throne she wouldn’t have trouble getting it, fortunately she showed no desire for the throne, the emperor really doted in her.

”There are also Azalea Zephyr, Lux Leclair, Blake Raven, Adam Gnomus, Khione Undine, and Barak Raizen.” Emily paused for a moment.

”So that snotty brat with delusions of grandeur is a member of the Elite classroom?” Elysia remarked upon hearing her little brother’s name. She wasn’t surprised, just being sarcastic; he had to make it into that class at least to hope to compete with her. In truth, there was no competition—she never considered him a threat. Her position as the next family head was unshakeable.

”So who’s the surprise? The dark horse you’re keeping to yourself?” Elysia inquired, continuing to furiously review and sign documents.

Emily hesitated for a moment. She knew her best friend well; Elysia despised unforeseen situations that could throw her plans into disarray. The names mentioned earlier were expected, as Elysia had anticipated their passage into the Elite classroom. However, the name Emily was about to utter had never crossed Elysia’s mind, and Emily feared her reaction.

”Speak!” Elysia said, her irritation rising as she sensed her friend’s reluctance.

Emily sighed and revealed a name that Elysia had never expected to hear associated with the Elite classroom.

”Nero Raizen—no, he goes by the name of Nero Adams. He’s the black sheep who made it into the Elite classroom.”

Snap!

Elysia unintentionally snapped her pen, raising her face with her golden eyes flashing, sending chills down Emily’s spine.

”Oh?! The cursed child? My little brother made it to the Elite classroom, you say? Do elaborate.” Elysia might have appeared calm as she spoke, but beneath the surface, she was unsettled. Something she hadn’t foreseen had occurred, and it was truly unpleasant.

Emily sighed for the second time in less than two minutes as she recounted what had happened.

”You’re telling me my little brother, who can’t sense primordial energy and has never received any blessings, managed to reach the Elite classroom, tying for second place with the prodigy of the Undine family? Today, during the Knight class, he even scored the highest, surpassing the required physical level for a Blue Knight?”

Emily nodded, acknowledging the absurdity of the situation. It felt almost like a scene from a book where the discarded child returns to shock everyone, slapping their faces with reality. But this wasn’t a story; it was real life, and it stung. The existence known as Nero was dangerous and unpredictable—truly so.

”Ehh?!” Elysia sneered, tapping her fingers rhythmically on the table—a habit she had whenever she was lost in thought. Ironically, Nero shared the same habit, a small indication of their blood relation.

After a moment of silence, Elysia finally spoke.

”Truly a cursed child.”

It wasn’t an insult; she used the phrase to emphasize just how unpredictable he was. Being a perfectionist like her father, she had initially been excited to have a younger brother, even if he was from another mother. The young Elysia, who had been exceptional back then, eagerly anticipated having someone to compete with, and Nero fit that category. Her hopes were high, but they soon shattered. Deemed worthless, a cursed existence, Nero was discarded, and the young Elysia resented him, completely ignoring him afterward. Although she never directly participated in tormenting him, she was aware of his suffering. She simply observed, intervening only once when things were about to spiral completely out of control—not out of family love, but because she disliked such scenarios in her presence. After that day, she completely disregarded Nero’s existence. Whether he lived or died didn’t matter to her; her previous expectation of him as a worthy rival had been crushed, leaving her disheartened. He held no value in her eyes after that.

As days turned into years, she would occasionally hear about Nero. He was still alive, enduring and suffering under the family’s disdain but never succumbing. His determination to survive despite his perceived worthlessness and his unbreakable will were things Elysia couldn’t help but acknowledge, but that was all. While Nero suffered, remaining stagnant with the title of cursed child, she, on the other hand, evolved and solidified her position as the next family head. She accomplished one exceptional feat after another, surpassing her father’s younger self and becoming undeniably the number one in the family. Even when she entered the academy alongside the other geniuses from the seven families, they couldn’t compete with her. She soon crushed them, standing at the top and cementing her name as the greatest genius of all time.

Even at the academy, she continued to hear news about him. Just before going on a mission, she learned that he had forsaken his family name, taking it with him as he left. This move surprised her, but it also seemed fitting; it was time for him to venture out into the world and find his place, leaving his old life behind. What she never anticipated, however, was that Nero would head to the academy, aiming to become a student. Not only did he succeed, but he also performed exceptionally well—better than her direct brother, who had been nurtured and supported, unlike Nero, who had received no resources. It was truly ironic, and Elysia was completely caught off guard.