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He shifted his gaze to the petite girl, whose dim, yellowed eyes suddenly burst with fervent and proud vitality, dispelling the lingering air of decline with a fresh, lively spirit.

The elder placed his hands on Ravenna’s shoulders, solemnly stating, "But I see it in you, Venna."

"...Me?"

"Yes, you. You are the genius I’ve seen, second only to Mr. Flamelle in this world... No, if not for Mr. Flamelle’s almost cheating essence..."

Eileen’s voice grew increasingly fervent, "You might... have the potential to surpass him!"

"Only a genius who can transcend limits like you… truly embodies hope."

"So, child, why worry about the nonsensical words your father speaks?"

He chuckled, ruffling little Ravenna’s hair: "If I can make you into such an incredible genius, capable of realizing that potential, why should I choose to give up... Ah, I’ve spoken so much, yet I haven’t really mentioned it to you."

He looked at the very puzzled little Ravenna, smiling, "Curious about what it is?"

The young child did not grasp the significance of his words at that moment; she simply looked on with pure curiosity, as a child, towards all the incomprehensible aspects of the world, with eyes full of joy and enthusiasm.

"Yes!" little Ravenna nodded vigorously.

"Then, I shall teach you, child," the elder gazed into the girl’s radiant eyes, gladly responding, "About the world, about the future, about... all that is to change."

Subsequently, within a mere two years, little Ravenna grew at a terrifying pace that no one could have imagined.

She understood the uniqueness of the extraordinary in this world and, under Eileen’s guidance, saw the world’s stagnation clearly, and was filled with imagination about the future Eileen described.

["Child, imagine a world where the power of the extraordinary, where ether and even essence can be utilized at any time, in any place, without discrimination... "]

["Hunger would no longer exist, toil would be liberated; children could become friends with animals and plants, conversing with each other; the disabled could be made whole again, even sprouting wings to fly into the sky. "]

["Thousands of steel vessels could support our exploration of the oceans, lift the fog, conquer even the perilously unknown Zero Realm Enigma—perhaps we could discover new continents, new territories, even new worlds. "]

["Venna, such a world would truly be filled with infinite possibilities, a world that is truly great, bright... the future!"]

While other six-year-old children were playing house with their neighbors, the equally young Ravenna Ziegler, under Eileen’s influence, was already looking forward to that future filled with limitless possibilities.

Ravenna, in a space of reminiscence, watched her younger self with a somewhat distant expression.

In fact, this period was not a happy one.

Leiden would always come to find her, attempting to take her away from Eileen in various ways. She could hear the endless arguments, and Eileen’s attitude towards Leiden shifted from initial peaceful concessions to later criticism and targeting, and on rare occasions, even anger.

This drove Ravenna even deeper into an endless study that normal first or second-stage extraordinary beings could not comprehend.

Because she recognized the world earlier, young Ravenna was less dependent on her parents than other children, but at the same time... she could see more clearly the love her parents poured into her.

Her father and mother loved her, and young Ravenna always believed this during her childhood, which made it even harder for her to understand and face the arguments between her father and grandfather—because her grandfather also loved her and understood her better, showing her such a beautiful future.

Caught in such a numbing dilemma, the girl immersed herself in the beauty of knowledge to escape the absurdity of reality.

Thus, gradually, everything else lost its color except for the splendor of knowledge.

As memories shifted, Ravenna watched her grandfather return to the study after an argument with her father. He sat down in his chair, quietly gazing at his young granddaughter.

The young girl was so engrossed in reading that she didn’t even notice Eileen’s entrance.

The elder watched quietly for a long while before standing up to leave. However, the slight noise he made caught the attention of young Ravenna, who looked up at him, her voice tinged with confusion, "... Grandfather? Is something the matter?"

Eileen paused, gazing at Ravenna who, even as she looked at him, clutched her book tightly.

After a moment of silence, he sighed, "If only Leiden were like you... you would be much happier, child."

Before Ravenna could respond, Eileen shook his head, "I’m not criticizing Leiden, Venna. It’s not his fault; it’s mine."

The aged man, now stooped, leaned on his scepter, murmuring with closed eyes, "If only I had been more resolute in nurturing him, instead of giving up on him due to his mediocrity after more than a decade, allowing him to drift; if only I had provided a better, more inspiring environment for growth, to strengthen his convictions..."

"Had I done so, even if Leiden were mediocre, he would be a mediocre man with convictions and ideals. He wouldn’t need to achieve greatness but simply do what he could."

"But in the end... I gave up on him."

Eileen sighed, "He lives in pain, tormented in his youth by his own mediocrity. Now, he suffers from his hatred towards me and his love for you."

Little Ravenna said nothing; she couldn’t grasp Eileen’s words. The complexities of human emotions were too intricate for her at the time.

She felt only that her grandfather seemed sad, so she offered comforting words as best she could, "But... Grandfather, you have many students, like Uncle Hendrik, Lady Ronger..."

"Yes, they are my proud students, the ones I had high hopes for."

Eileen opened his eyes, smiling at Ravenna.

His words, laden with the weight that Ravenna, even witnessing this memory, was yet to perceive:

"So, I won’t make the same mistake again, I promise you, child."

"And... you must promise me something too."

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