Chapter 2: Chapter 2 – The Blood They Cannot Deny (1)

Eternia Sinclair slowly began to understand the circumstances of her new life during the quiet days that followed her birth. Being reborn into the world again was strange enough, but the reality of being trapped inside the body of a helpless infant made everything even more surreal. She could not speak properly yet, her limbs lacked coordination, and even lifting her head for long periods required effort. For someone who had once wandered battlefields as a mage fighting for survival, the loss of control over her own body felt deeply frustrating. Yet Eternia did not panic. Instead, she observed.

Observation had kept Shatter alive for many years in his previous life.

Servants spoke freely around infants because they believed babies understood nothing. Eternia quickly realized this assumption would become her greatest advantage. Through quiet whispers and careless gossip, the servants revealed more about her situation each day.

The Sinclair family.

Even before she learned the full details, Eternia could already sense the significance of that name. The Sinclair house was one of the oldest noble mage families in the empire, a bloodline famous for producing powerful spellcasters for generations. Their estates were scattered across vast territories, each serving as a training ground for future heirs. Among the aristocracy, the Sinclairs were known for two things: overwhelming magical talent... and their obsession with blood purity.

The family believed magic flowed strongest through refined bloodlines. To them, maintaining that purity was the key to preserving their power.

Which meant people like Eternia were not welcome.

She had overheard the servants mention it several times already.

Illegitimate child.

Bastard daughter.

Impure blood.

The words followed her name like a shadow.

Her mother, according to the whispers, had been a servant within the main estate. No one seemed entirely sure how such a relationship had happened, though several servants hinted that Lord Alaric Sinclair—her father—had known the woman long before she entered the estate as a servant.

But whatever the truth was, the result had been unacceptable to the Sinclair elders.

A child born outside a noble marriage was an embarrassment to the bloodline.

So Eternia had been sent away almost immediately after birth.

Not abandoned completely... but not acknowledged either.

She had been placed in the Sinclair family’s secondary estate, far from the political center of the main household. Here she would grow quietly, away from noble society and the eyes of other aristocrats.

A compromise.

One that allowed the family to avoid scandal while keeping their reputation intact.

Eternia did not particularly care about their reasoning.

In her previous life she had already experienced what it meant to be rejected by nobles.

This was simply another variation of the same story.

Still... something about her new body felt different.

From the moment she first became aware of her surroundings, Eternia could feel mana flowing through her body.

Not the weak, stubborn trickle she remembered from her previous life.

But a smooth, powerful current.

Even without consciously guiding it, the mana moved through her internal pathways effortlessly.

Her eyes widened slightly the first time she examined the sensation carefully.

Magic circuits.

In magical theory, a mage’s strength depended largely on the structure of their internal mana channels. These circuits allowed mana to circulate through the body, strengthening spells and enabling advanced magic.

Shatter’s previous body had been terrible in this regard.

His circuits were narrow and unstable, forcing him to struggle endlessly just to maintain basic mana flow.

This body was completely different.

The circuits were wide.

Clean.

Perfectly structured.

Mana moved through them like water through an open river.

Just sensing the difference made Eternia feel almost dizzy.

"So this is what real talent feels like..."

For someone who had spent an entire lifetime suffering because of poor magical aptitude, the experience felt almost unreal.

However, the Sinclair family did not leave such matters to speculation.

Three days after her birth, Eternia was carried into a ceremonial chamber inside the second estate.

The room was quiet, filled with several robed mages and a few noble attendants observing from the side. At the center stood a pedestal holding a large crystal sphere glowing faintly with magical light.

Eternia recognized it instantly.

A mana appraisal crystal.

These artifacts were used by noble families to measure the magical potential of children born into their bloodline.

The servant holding her approached the pedestal carefully.

"Place the child’s hand on the crystal," one of the mages instructed.

Eternia felt her tiny hand gently pressed against the cool surface of the orb.

For a brief moment, nothing happened.

Then—

The crystal erupted with light.

Brilliant blue mana burst outward like a small explosion, filling the chamber with radiant energy.

The mages froze.

One of them stepped forward immediately, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Wait... this reading..."

Another mage hurried to check the crystal.

"It’s not malfunctioning."

The light intensified further, swirling violently inside the orb like a miniature storm of magical power.

The entire room fell silent.

Even the observing nobles leaned closer.

"...Impossible," one of the mages whispered.

"This level of mana capacity... from an infant?"

The lead mage slowly turned toward the others.

"This child possesses extraordinary magical potential."

Shock spread through the chamber.

Several nobles exchanged uncertain glances.

"But she’s the illegitimate daughter," someone muttered.

Another frowned deeply.

"That level of mana should only appear in legitimate heirs..."

A quiet murmur spread through the room.

Then someone asked the question that had clearly begun forming in everyone’s mind. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"...Are we certain her mother was only a servant?"

The words hung in the air like a spark ready to ignite.

Another noble lowered his voice.

"The lord knew the woman long before she joined the estate. I remember hearing something about it years ago."

"Perhaps she wasn’t as ordinary as we believed."

"Or perhaps the bloodline manifested more strongly than expected."

Speculation spread quickly.

Eternia listened silently, her mind absorbing every word.

So even they were confused.

Apparently the level of magical potential revealed by the appraisal was far beyond what they expected from an illegitimate child.

But Eternia already understood the truth.

This body was simply blessed with incredible magic circuits.

Something her previous life had never possessed.

The lead mage eventually cleared his throat.

"Regardless of the circumstances, the result is undeniable."

He glanced down at Eternia.

"This child has exceptional talent."

A long silence followed.

Finally someone sighed.

"What a waste."

"If she had been born legitimately..."

"She could have been a true heir of the Sinclair bloodline."

Eternia did not react outwardly.

But inside her mind, she felt a faint sense of amusement.

Even in this life, nobles remained obsessed with their pride.

They could acknowledge her power...

Yet still refuse to accept her existence.

But the appraisal revealed another surprising piece of information later that day.

Two servants were whispering while rocking her cradle.

"Did you hear about the young master?"

"The one born today?"

"Yes... the legitimate heir."