In the Valden family garden, Crowne Valden was squatting while holding a piece of bread in his left hand. His right hand was busy scattering crumbs for the flock of birds before him. These little birds had often been fed by Crowne.
Crowne looked calm. Alone in that place.
He was the son of a Duke. Clearly, he came from a wealthy family. His father was the ruler of a large territory in the Arcanthia Kingdom. The Valden family was highly respected by all nobles in Arcanthia for their talent in magic.
Many of their descendants had become the kingdom's main generals or even honored Magi equal to the king's advisors. However, Crowne did not inherit such gifts.
Even so, his smile was serene. He did not seem worried at all.
"Don't fight over it. Tomorrow I will feed you again," said Crowne.
While he was still squatting and feeding the little birds, footsteps approached. A young boy in expensive clothing stopped in front of him. He kicked the air to scatter the birds away. Crowne, seeing this, lifted his head.
The face was very familiar. It was Alan Valden, his fourteen-year-old younger brother. His gaze was full of mockery. Alan was very different from Crowne. The two of them were like two sides of a coin.
"Still feeding birds? You should be learning magic, Brother," he said in a mocking tone. "Ah, I forgot. You really can't. More precisely… you have no talent."
Crowne stood up. His height was about a palm's length taller than his younger brother's. Alan had to look up if he wanted to meet Crowne's eyes.
"Aren't you supposed to be practicing magic? Did you skip training again today?" Crowne asked in a soft and polite voice.
"You…" Alan disliked his brother's gentle nature, which he thought was too weak. Alan drew his sword and pointed it at Crowne. "I challenge you to a duel, Brother! Prove that you deserve to be the heir of the Valden family. If you lose, then you must withdraw as heir."
"There's no need. You already know the answer." Crowne turned his body, brushing his hands together. After that, he walked toward the table under a tree. "I've already told Father that I withdraw from being the heir of the Valden family. Does that satisfy you?"
This time Crowne's voice was lower than usual, as if resigned to his own fate. Even as he walked, he stopped for a moment and closed his eyes, tilting his head toward the sky. Then, he gave a bitter smile.
He continued walking afterward.
"Coward," shouted Alan. His fists clenched as if unwilling to accept what Crowne had said. He even rushed after his brother and grabbed Crowne's hand. "Fight me! Prove that you are worthy," he demanded again.
Crowne glanced at him. His gaze turned sharp. That alone made Alan release his grip. He even stepped back two paces. Alan's heartbeat quickened, thumping twice as fast. His hands trembled as if seized by fear.
Just now, he felt as though he had been stared down by a wild beast far stronger than himself. Alan clenched his fists tightly, refusing to accept it.
But when he wanted to challenge Crowne once more, his mouth refused to open. Alan clicked his tongue in frustration. He turned around and began to walk away.
"Brother, I will not lose to you. I swear I will defeat you one day," Alan shouted loudly as he walked away.
Crowne sat down on the chair he had aimed for earlier. A small smile appeared as he watched his younger brother leave with such determination. Alan was indeed stubborn, selfish, unwilling to lose, and rough, but still, he was Crowne's little brother. They were three years apart.
Now Alan was fourteen years old. That meant Crowne was seventeen. He was already mature and should have received the church's blessing as a mage. Unfortunately, Crowne had received no such blessing. His Mana was meager, and he had no synchronization with any element.
This was something that had never before happened in a noble family. Crowne was considered the disgrace of the nobility. Everyone mocked and insulted him. Yet Crowne did not pay much attention to it, for he carried a secret no one else knew.
[Status System]
Name: Crowne Valden
Age: 17
Race: Human
Class: Beast Tamer
Level: 1
Basic Attributes:
Strength: 5
Endurance: 6
Agility: 7
Mana: 12
Skills:
[Bond of the Wild] – Establishes a soul bond with beasts.
[Beast Whisper] – Understands the language of animals.
[Call Familiar] – (Locked – Requires Level 2).
Beast Companion: None.
Special Status:
Level Locked – The owner cannot level up until the first mission is completed.
Crowne glanced at the table. On it lay an old book with a brown cover. Its title was faintly engraved: Beginner's Guide to Beast Taming. He had read it already, but it was utterly useless. No matter how much he tried, he had never been able to tame any creature.
He stared at the book for quite some time. His lips moved slightly, as though speaking to himself.
"It seems I was truly born without any talent at all."
He closed his eyes, regulated his breathing, then opened them again. His gaze returned to the system screen before him. At the very bottom lay the reason why he could not tame anything up to now, and also why he had remained at level one throughout his seventeen years.
[First Mission: Tame the Sealed Legendary Beast.]