Chapter 1

Eren Field was born with the "Worst Magic Eye in History" due to the curse known as "The Demon King's Favor."

Eren first manifested his magic eye when he was just five years old. It happened in a forest near his home, where he was playing with his younger brother and sister. Suddenly, a giant monster appeared and attacked them. As the eldest, Eren struggled desperately to protect the younger ones, and in the process, his magic eye awakened. Without understanding what he was doing, the magic he unleashed not only killed the attacking monster but also destroyed the entire forest.

Late that night, Eren's parents had a heated argument in the living room of their mansion.

"We should kill that terrifying child right away!"

"Calmdown. He has received the Demon King's Favor. Who knows what disaster might come if we do that..."

"Then how about contacting the Magic Church and having them take him in!?"

"Don't be ridiculous. If the world finds out that a child with the Worst Magic Eye in History was born in our family... the honor of the Field family will be ruined."

"Then what should we do...?"

"It's up to you... We have no choice but to take care of him here. Fortunately, those with magic eyes have short lifespans. We'll lock him in the shed until he dies and pretend he never existed."

The hysterical cries of his mother and the calm reassurances of his father.

Young Eren, seeing this, understood.

He was an unwanted person.

After that, Eren was kept away from magic and strictly forbidden from showing his magic eye. He was confined to a small, dark shed under the pretext of "not influencing his younger siblings." He was given only one meal a day, consisting of dry bread and a cup of water.

In his lonely and boring days,

"...Wow, such a beautiful bird."

The only enjoyment Eren had was looking through the small, ten-centimeter-square peephole window in the shed, where he could glimpse a tiny bit of the outside world.

Ten years passed. Without any affection or proper education, Eren grew up listless, like a puppet with no purpose in life.

"......"

His once beautiful white hair was now dull, and his pitch-black eyes were murky. Eren thought he would gradually die, but one day, an event occurred that changed his life.

It was a snowy night with a beautiful moon.

A famous magician was invited to the Field family mansion. His name was Hermes, the 18th head of a prestigious magician lineage and a noble with the highest rank of Duke. He had long, lustrous green hair, stood about 190 centimeters tall, and appeared to be in his early thirties. His sharp eyes, high nose, and soft lips gave him a dignified and handsome appearance, even with his white-painted clown makeup. Dressed in a luxurious black robe, he slowly descended from the carriage, and Eren's parents hurried over in a panic.

"Lord Hermes, welcome!"

"Normally, I should have come to visit, but I am very sorry for the inconvenience."

"No, no, don't worry about it. It's a rare opportunity to teach magic to the children of the prestigious Field family. As an educator, I feel very honored."

Hermes said this with a gentle smile. He had come a long way to give a magic lecture to Eren's younger brother and sister.

"Lord Hermes, you'll get wet if you stay here in the snow. Please come inside!"

"Quickly, this way!"

"Thank you."

As Hermes expressed his gratitude and was about to enter the mansion, he glanced at the shed where Eren lived. Their eyes met through the peephole window. They were more than ten meters apart, and the window was only ten centimeters square. Moreover, it was long past sunset, and the surroundings were shrouded in darkness.

Logically, the chances of them recognizing each other were almost zero.

However, Hermes smiled softly and drew holy runes in the air. The runes, which floated up in the darkness, disappeared in a fraction of a second.

But,

(‘Come to the roof in an hour’...?)

The Worst Magic Eye had clearly caught the secret message.

(...But even if you say that, I can't get out of here.)

In front of Eren was a heavily locked iron door, the only and absolute barrier to the outside world.

"......"

He sighed deeply and hit his forehead against the door.

Then, in the next moment,

"...Huh?"

The door slowly fell inward, and the outside world spread before his eyes.

"How...?"

Eren cautiously stepped out of the shed, and to his surprise, all the locks had been destroyed.

(Could it be that person...?)

No matter how much he thought, he couldn't come up with a clear answer.

(...I'll go and see.)

An hour later, when Eren arrived at the roof of the mansion, the man from earlier—Hermes—was standing there.

"Hey, you're here. I knew you could see my magic."

"Magic? You mean those glowing letters?"

"Exactly. That was a holy rune with a concealment spell. Being able to read it in that instant means you're either a specialist in holy runes, an exceptionally skilled mage, or... someone with the Demon King's Favor and a magic eye."

Hermes's penetrating gaze and words.

Eren nodded and concentrated magic in his left eye. Then, a bright crimson light shone in his deep black eyes.

"...Impressive."

The words that escaped Hermes's lips were filled with deep emotion.

"Clear black with a crimson cycle... Oh, I've seen many magic eyes, but I've never seen such a beautiful one."

"Um... Do you really know about this magic eye?"

This cursed eye, known as the Worst Magic Eye in History, was not something to be praised.

"Yes, of course. It's the most despised eye in the world."

The man answered calmly and then extended his right hand.

"Would you like to come live with me?"

"Eh?"

"I may look it, but I'm a philanthropist. I take in troubled children, guide those with a talent for magic, gather underprivileged children, and engage in various social activities like protecting wild animals, preserving the natural environment, and promoting magic education. If you'd like, would you come live with me?"

Hermes's proposal was very appealing.

"...Thank you. But I don't think my parents will allow it..."

Eren's parents did not want him to go outside. Even if he said he wanted to live with Hermes, they would not simply agree.

Moreover, he felt it would be very ungrateful to leave his parents, who had given him life and raised him, to go live with someone else. Even though he was treated poorly now, he believed that one day his parents would return to their kind selves.

As the pure Eren thought this,

"It's not a problem. I've already gotten their permission."

Hermes said this and pulled out a piece of parchment from his pocket.

"This is a soul oath between me and your parents. If they break this oath, their souls will be destroyed by the contract god Lactus. In simpler terms, it's an unbreakable promise. The content... it's better if you read it yourself."

Eren took the soul oath and read its contents. It stated that the Field family would transfer the guardianship of their eldest son, Eren Field, to Hermes without compensation.

"...So, that's how it is."

His parents no longer considered Eren a child.

Of course, Eren was not stupid. He had known this for a long time. But he didn't want to accept it. Deep down, he still believed in his parents.

But it was just an illusion.

"Anyway, there's nothing holding you back. So, to return to my question... If you'd like, would you come live with me?"

"...Yes, thank you."

The joy of being able to leave the lonely shed and the sadness of being abandoned by his real parents.

These two emotions clashed, and Eren's young heart was a mess.

■

After a while, they arrived at a mansion as large as a castle, swaying in a luxurious carriage.

"Come, this way. Watch your step."

Held by Hermes, Eren slowly got out of the carriage. They passed through a well-maintained garden and opened a large black door. At the entrance, the servants lined up and bowed deeply.

"Welcome back, Lord Hermes."

"Yes, I'm back."

Waving his hand, Hermes responded to the servants' greetings. In a very good mood, he led Eren to the center of the hall and spread his arms wide.

"Everyone, listen up! Today is a wonderful day! We're welcoming a new family member! His name is Eren Hermes, a boy blessed by the Demon King and possessing the Worst Magic Eye in History!"

"Um... Nice to meet you."

Caught off guard by the sudden exposure of his secret and the attention from the crowd, Eren bowed his head in confusion.

On the other hand, the servants, who had received an incredible introduction,

"..."

Were frozen as if struck by lightning.

(...Of course, this is normal.)

Magic eyes are objects of hatred and are never accepted. The servants' reaction was correct, and Hermes was the abnormal one.

As Eren deeply fell into despair, a black-haired servant hesitantly spoke up.

"Um... Lord Hermes? If I heard correctly, did you just say Eren Hermes?"

"Yes, I can say it as many times as I want. This boy is Eren Hermes, our new family member!"

After a moment of silence, a burst of joy erupted.

"Yay! Lord Hermes, you finally found an heir!"

"We can't just stand here. We need to prepare a welcome party immediately!"

"Who would have thought this day would come... Truly a joyous occasion!"

While the servants were ecstatic,

"...Huh?"

Eren, who didn't know the situation, was just bewildered.

"Hehe, surprised? Everyone here, like Eren, has their own story. To them, the Worst Magic Eye is just another 'trait.'"

Hermes smiled gently and then looked at the excited servants.

"Okay, everyone, stop, stop. I understand you're happy, but please calm down. Eren has had a hard time because of his magic eye, and he must be very tired today. Let's have the welcome party another day."

"Understood."

The servants quickly switched to work mode.

"Then, for now, I'll leave Eren's care to you, Rin. Can you take care of it?"

"Of course."

The servant named Rin, who received Hermes's gaze, bowed respectfully.

"I'll finish the remaining work, so please take care of Eren's appearance in the meantime."

"Understood."

"Thank you. See you later, Eren."

Hermes winked with one eye and walked up the stairs with a light step.

"First, I'll show you to the bath, Eren. Please follow me."

"Um, okay."

Guided by Rin, Eren moved to the bath, washed his head and body, and relaxed his muscles in the warm water. After a while, when he returned to the changing room, his tattered clothes were gone, and in their place were men's clothes.

(...Am I supposed to wear these?)

To avoid getting cold, he quickly dried