Chapter 106 Ugly Ducklings To Swans

After returning to the mansion, Ethan instructed the servants to have both children cleaned and dressed up properly and then see him in his room.

While both children were being prepared, Albert knocked on Ethan's door and then entered carrying a tray with tea and snacks. He walked in front of the chair and placed the tea and the snacks on the table beside the chair.

"Thank you. " Ethan said.

"It's only my job…" Albert shrugged with a smile.

Ethan nodded and then picked up a book that he had been interested in recently and got busy reading.

After some time passed, he realized that Albert hadn't left the room. Raising his head, Ethan asked, "Is there something?"

Albert hesitated as if he was struggling inwardly with whether to say it or not. In the end, he sighed and opened his mouth to speak.

"Young Master, I understand that you wish to save those who are less fortunate. And even if our treasury is vast and buying slaves isn't a huge strain, no matter your kind intentions, it is not adequate to buy slaves if there is no use for them."

"As you had wished, we have facilitated every slave that you bought until now in the orphanage on the outskirts of the city. The numbers are in the hundreds and all the expenses are being used from your funds just like you wished. But how long are we going to shelter them without any return?" Albert asked solemnly.

Ethan put down the book that he was holding and looked at Albert seriously.

"Do you believe that I'm helping them merely because of kindness?"

"Is that not so?" Albert blurted in surprise.

"Of course not! Although I dislike the practice of slavery, I understand that it can't be helped. Neither I'm delusional enough to believe that I can help everyone with money."

"Money is just means to an end. I have my reasons for buying slaves on such volume. One of the reasons is that it makes for a good image. Of course, I would never squander money for the reason alone." Ethan said calmly.

Albert's eyes widened in perplexity as he looked at Ethan with a strange look. Suspiciously he asked, "What are the other reasons?"

Ethan sighed and said, "I cannot tell you right now. But all I am doing is for the betterment of this family. Always remember that."

Albert looked at Ethan with a gaze that said that he was in half doubt. Suddenly remembering something he asked narrowing his eyes, "I understand, but those two children are different from the others, are they not?"

"You are right. I haven't told this to anyone but I have the ability to judge someone's potential or appraise their ability."

"Is… Is that true?" Albert asked with widened eyes.

Ethan smiled mysteriously and said, "You have been stuck at the bottleneck for quite some time now. Although you can use the Element of Earth in the middle stages of manifestation, you still do not have enough comprehension of the Blessing to cross the barrier. You should focus on understanding what the element of earth and your blessing truly is. Have you ever wondered exactly what the earth is made of? Why is it lush and fertile in some places while barren and desolate in others? Have you ever wondered how metals form on the earth or how the soil can sprout life?"

Albert's eyes widened with shock and his eyes grew murky as his mind wandered off somewhere in deep contemplation.

"All you know of the thing called 'Earth' is superficial at best. You strive to govern this element and manifest the power of its God within you and yet you barely even know anything about it. This is why you are stuck at a bottleneck."

A serene silence ensued as Ethan did not disturb Albert's contemplation. Gradually, his murky eyes gained light and became clear once again. As soon as that happened, Albert bowed deeply and said sincerely, "Young Master, accept my gratitude."

Albert felt like he had grasped something important. Something that had been missing all along. He felt like he had to pull hard on whatever he had gotten the grasp of. At the same time, he was dumbfounded.

What Ethan said had never even once crossed Albert's mind. While he was using the prowess of earth all along with the comprehension that he had, he never once questioned what 'Earth' truly meant.

Ethan had given him such great insight so casually and that baffled him to no end.

"Haha! It's nothing… in the end, I have asked but mere questions to which you must find the answers by yourself. No one can help you with that." Ethan said nonchalantly.

"H-how did you… Know all this?"

"As I said, I have had this ability ever since I emerged from the cocoon but I was hesitant to tell. You should keep this a secret as well. Anyhow, the point is that I know what I am doing. Those two children definitely have the potential to become strong and I can help them bring out that potential into reality. And as for the others who are in the orphanage, you will soon know of my plans for them. I will be visiting the orphanage soon as well."

"Y- yes…" Albert muttered muddleheadedly still dumbstruck at whatever had transpired.

"Alright, you don't need to worry about the money that I'm spending as well. Soon enough we'll have so much money the treasury will not be enough to contain it." Ethan said with a grin.

"Yes…" Albert muttered absentmindedly once again.

'How are you going to get so much money? From where? I admit that I'm very surprised by your insight and strange ability. But isn't making such a statement a bit too much?'

Albert thought in disbelief but couldn't help but think that what if Ethan could do what he had said by any chance? Since he had such insights into the earth element, perhaps he could be good at making money as well.

Albert raised his head and his expression became stern as he keenly observed Ethan. First Albert had thought that Ethan was a brave and bold child. Then his opinion changed to thinking that Ethan was kind, enthusiastic, charismatic, and optimistic. But from this moment, he didn't know anymore.

One time Ethan acted like a lazy brat but then another moment he suddenly became sharp and brave, so much so that even Albert himself was swayed by his charm.

Albert truly didn't know anymore. So he just accepted it all by telling himself that someone who had gone through the Ancestral Awakening early and for a long time was always like this.

"Now then, if you're done then you may leave," Ethan said bluntly, picking up the book once again as he resumed his reading.

Albert looked at Ethan for some moments but then sighed exasperated. He bowed deeply and then left without saying a word.

Ethan continued reading his book without bother for some more time as he leisurely drank his tea and delightfully ate his snacks, now and then shaking his head dramatically while reading, until the door, knocked once again. After giving his permission to enter, the door opened and Ethan looked up.

As he saw the two children enter his room, Ethan's eyes almost popped out of their sockets in shock as he couldn't believe his own eyes. He blinked twice narrowing his eyes thinking that he was hallucinating and blinked again with his mouth opened agape.

Both the boy and the girl walked forward, bowed, and then kneeled in front of Ethan. The girl seemed like she would cry at any moment and the boy wore a complicated expression on his face.

But Ethan did not see any of it as his eyes were glued to both the children's faces. It was as if the faces he had seen in the slave market were nothing but illusions and the two children in front of him were completely different people altogether. Or perhaps they had worn a mask. Because the two children looked nothing like he had seen previously.

The boy looked handsome, with his jet-black hair neatly combed backward. His figure looked majestic and the boy's broad visage and developing muscles made him stand out. And on top of that, his ferocious-looking eyes that looked as sharp as a razor made him seem like a solemn individual.

While on the other hand, the girl was silent and anxious and seemed to be fidgeting with her fingers. Her previously dark, dirty skin shined as bright as a flame while her red hair flowed behind her back eloquently. Her face which was at that time hidden due to her brown hair covering it now was revealed to be a beautiful one.

Ethan had received a huge shock seeing this so suddenly but a few possibilities immediately popped up in his mind as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. Looking at the completely transformed children changing from ugly ducklings to beautiful swans—Ethan involuntarily spat out, "Now isn't this quite interesting? I'm surprised."