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Prologue:
The Villain Aristocrat Awakens

 

ONE EVENING WHILE EATING DINNER, I SUDDENLY realized—or perhaps I should say “remembered”—something important.

Ah. That’s right. I’m a villain aristocrat.

I became keenly aware that somehow I existed not in my own world but in the world of a certain fantasy light novel. Worse, I was not even the main character… I was the aristocratic villain.

That’s about all I’ve realized though. So, what now?

“What’s wrong, Luke?”

“I was…just thinking about something.”

“I see. Well, be sure to eat your dinner before it gets cold.”

The table boasted an array of luxurious dishes and all kinds of fancy silverware lined up beside them. I sampled one, but it all tasted like nothing in my mouth. A few moments too late, the bizarre reality of the situation finally began to hit me. Like seriously, is this even possible?

Crap, what kind of story was this again? I can’t remember how it goes. Let’s see, I’ve got the setting, some of the characters maybe…that’s about it. This is no time for eating. I need to get a handle on this situation.

“My apologies, Mother. I’m feeling somewhat unwell, and I would like to retire to my room for the evening. May I be excused?”

“Oh dear, are you all right, Luke? I shall call for the priest at once—”

“That won’t be necessary,” I quickly interjected. “I’m just a little tired, that’s all.”

“I-is that so? Very well then. You must tell me if you take a turn for the worse.”

“Yes.”

I kept my reply to the bare minimum and quickly left the room. My butler trailed behind me down the hall. Then another voice called me.

“Luke.”

I stopped.

“Yes, Father?”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes. I’m telling you the truth.”

“Right. Go on then.” He turned to my butler. “Alfred, inform us at once if you notice any change in his condition.”

“Of course, Master.”

Jeez, they’re such overprotective parents.

But I guess that must be why Luke turned out the way he did. It’s really fuzzy, but Luke’s memories are filed away in my head, and very few of them are of being scolded.

I’m so talented I can do basically anything on the first try. And even when I’m completely in the wrong, nobody would dare tell me—I mean, him—off. Of course that’s going to make him conceited and full of himself. He’s the very incarnation of arrogance. His personality was clearly heavily shaped by his environment.

“Well then, Master Luke. Please call for me if you need anything.”

“Sure.”

Alfred left me at the door to my room. Once I was inside, I immediately dove into bed and buried my face in a pile of pillows. I desperately tried to rein in my racing thoughts.

What do I do now? What’s my goal? What’s Luke’s goal? Seriously, where do I go next?!

I spent a while thinking about the possibilities. Due to my superior mental abilities, I could run through countless scenarios in an instant.

But no matter how I look at it, there’s only one answer.

The goal is simple: happiness.

I’m a villain named Luke now, and there’s nothing I can do to change that. The main character’s going to come and beat me up in the end because that’s what happens to the antagonist. Hm, what was the protagonist’s name again? “A”-something, I think? I can’t quite remember. It’ll come back to me eventually, I hope.

Anyway, I want my story to have a happy ending. I want to live a happy life. Luckily, as an aristocrat, I don’t expect I’ll want for much in most regards. But there’s more to life than money, and it’d be boring to just sit around doing nothing. There’s a whole fantasy world out there after all, with magic and swordplay and adventure. I feel compelled to get out there and explore it, and why not? What’s the point of holding back?

It was then that the thought struck me.

“I should really make an effort.”

It seems like this Luke character just coasts by on his privilege and never actually puts any effort into anything he does in this story. He’s never had to try. He started out with everything that most people have to struggle for years to obtain. That’s why he’s powerful and invulnerable to criticism despite being such a deeply unpleasant guy to be around.

He’s the kind of character you’re meant to hate, who only exists to give the readers a sense of satisfaction when he gets his comeuppance. Well, I have no interest in playing that part. But now I see that I’m in an interesting position: What would happen if this lazy, obnoxious character actually set his mind to something? I can’t help but wonder how that might change this world. I shouldn’t get ahead of myself, though; at this point in the story, I’m just ten years old. If I just keep going at this rate, following the plot, then I’ll be accepted into the magic academy at the capital by age fifteen. That’s what I see in Luke’s memories, anyway.

I figure that’s where I’m going to end up meeting the main character, unfortunately… No, never mind that! My desire to learn magic is way stronger than my aversion to meeting him. Most importantly, a person’s freedom is directly correlated to how powerful they are, particularly in this world. The more power you have, the more options become available.

I should start learning magic as early as I can. I have five years to wait until I can enter the academy. Maybe I should study on my own until then? Nah, I should find someone who can teach me. Oh, and it’s not just the magic I should be occupied with; I have to learn to handle a sword as well. Come to think of it, which is he—I mean, which am I—better at?

I’m naturally skilled with both magic and swords, of course, but is there a standout?

Hmm… If there was, I can’t remember, so I guess I’ll study both for now. I can always shift my focus later.

“My course is set… Mwa ha ha! Things are about to get interesting.”

I couldn’t help but let a few words of my internal monologue slip from my mouth.

Oh yeah, I’m looking forward to this. I was confused at first, but now I’m getting fired up. I mean, sure, it’s weird, but it’s not like I can’t have a little fun while I’m here. In fact, I think it’d be impossible not to.

A knock at the door startled me back to reality and away from my racing mind.

“Master Luke, are you well? I apologize for the intrusion, but your father has requested that I check on your condition.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied tersely, a bit upset at the cold water thrown on my thoughts.

Hey, hold on a second. Didn’t it turn out that the butler was actually…

A dim memory surfaced, and I had to be sure. I opened the door.

“You. Alfred-sa—urk.”

Huh? That’s strange.

“Al…fred.”

“What can I do for you, Master Luke?”

Huh. Why couldn’t I address him politely as Alfred-san? I was always taught to respect my elders by using the proper honorifics, but I couldn’t get the words out. Or rather…

“You need not show such deference to a mere servant.”

A fierce voice bubbled up from deep inside and silenced me with its righteous indignation.

What was that…? Is part of Luke’s will still inside of me?

I looked at Alfred once more. His face was wrinkled and bore the marks of his age, but he carried himself with grace and his well-muscled frame was obvious beneath his weathered skin. Frankly, he was quite handsome. Quite fitting for a man who used to be the vice-captain of the Royal Knights.

Sure sounds like he’d be the perfect person to teach me how to handle a sword… But I could never stomach that. Me, submitting to the tutelage of a lowly butler? I would rather die than endure such humiliation!

Huh…?

Luke’s will…it’s so intense, so hard to resist. Damn it, why can’t I just ask this?

“Alfred, t-t-tea…”

Oof. Damn it, why can’t I say the words?! I almost did it!

“T-t-tea…”

Argh!

“Teeeeaaaa…”

“What is the matter, Master Luke?” he asked with mild concern. “Ah, are you unwell?”

“No!”

My reply came out as a scream, but I couldn’t help it. My body was drenched in sweat from the strain, and I imagined my eyes were probably bloodshot too. I gasped for air, exhausted.

It’s no use. I can’t get the words out. What is this curse upon me…? No matter how hard I struggle, I’m still arrogant, obnoxious Luke at the end of the day. Just a snotty rich kid who’s too stuck up to ask anyone for anything, ­especially not a butler. C’mon, think, there’s gotta be a way…

“I…order you t-to…t-teach me the…sword!”

Ha! I did it! Luke doesn’t ask, he demands. There’s the loophole—I can just order him to do it.

Physically, I could not supplicate myself, of course. But spiritually and emotionally, I got down on my knees and bowed just as low as I could go.

“…Excuse me? What did you say, Master Luke?”

Alfred’s words knocked the wind right out of my sails. You’ve got to be kidding me.

“You…seriously didn’t hear…?”

C’mon, don’t be like that, Alfred-san! I can’t bear to go through that again! But I will, if I have to. As many times as it takes!

“T-teach me…the s-sword…!”

“My apologies. I am old and doubted my own hearing for a moment.”

“Hoo… Right,” I panted.

Alfred stood in silent contemplation while I anxiously awaited his reply.

Please don’t refuse me. I’m trying really hard to fight it, but I don’t know what I’d do if you said no. I can see in all of Luke’s memories just how much trouble I’ve caused for you, Alfred-san.

“Understood. If you consider me worthy of the task, then I will serve as your instructor, Master Luke.”

Excited as I was, I didn’t dare reply. The curse of the rich boy’s sharp tongue might wreck everything the moment I opened my mouth. Instead, I just thought to myself: I really am sorry for all of this, and I really am very grateful.

Jeez, how am I going to be able to find a happy ending to this story when I can’t even say a simple thank-you…?

Chapter One:
The Story Starts to Come off the Rails

 

MY NAME IS ALFRED DEEG.

I once served as vice-captain of the Royal Knights, but that’s all in the past now. I retired long ago and now work under Marquis Gilbert as his family butler. With each passing day, it only becomes clearer to me: I made a terrible decision when I took this job. I should have quit years ago.

I hate these damn nobles. I’m fundamentally not cut out for this type of work.

So why am I doing it in the first place? Well, I guess you could say I’ve got a debt of gratitude. There’s another terrible mistake I made—a much worse one, on the battlefield. I gave an order that sent a great many men to their deaths. I still see them when I close my eyes… The faces of my dead comrades haunt my dreams. After the battle, my captain told me it wasn’t my fault, that there was nothing I could have done. Regardless, I could never forgive myself. That’s why I quit.

I was then asked to work as an instructor for the Royal Knights, but I balked at the idea. An incompetent fool who lets his men die has no right to be training more.

Because I refused to take that job, I was without any means of supporting myself until the previous head of the Gilbert house took me in. He was an eccentric. I was born a commoner and spoke brashly with no hint of the formality required, but he taught me how to behave among the upper class. I hated nobles and aristocrats even then, and he softened those views just a little. He was a good man, but he was the exception to the rule. The current generation of Gilberts sneers and looks down upon their fellow man, deeming them worthless simply due to the circumstances of their birth. Quite a normal outlook on life for a family of aristocrats, I suppose.

To be fair, the Gilberts are at least marginally better than the other houses. They’ve managed to keep their hands cleaner. For both better and worse, they see themselves as being above the evil deeds perpetrated by many of their peers.

I’m not well suited to this work, but I have learned the trick to it. The secret is to completely disconnect your mind from your body—to be indifferent. Prevent yourself from caring about any of it. That’s all. That’s how I’ve done it all this time. That’s how I planned to continue to do it indefinitely, until…

“Teaaa…”

Luke Witharia Gilbert, young heir to the house of Gilbert, stood before me. I watched in complete bafflement as he struggled to scream his way through a sentence.

From what the maids say, this one can do whatever he puts his mind to without breaking a sweat. He’s unusually sharp, I’ll grant him that. I can’t bring myself to like the kid. I don’t like the way he looks at people… The disdain he’s got for everything in the world around him. There’s something about the look in his eyes today. It’s different somehow. He’s fighting some internal struggle, clearly. I can’t help feeling like I should at least try to understand him. I might hate aristocrats, but I’ll never forget the debt of gratitude I owe this family. Besides, something strange is going on here, and I can’t just shrug that off. I had to respond.

“What is the matter, Master Luke? Ah, are you feeling unwell?”

“No!”

No? Then what’s the matter with him? The previous head prepared me to deal with most situations as a butler, but he could not have anticipated this one. What’s wrong with this boy? He’s never once even looked me in the eyes to speak with me before. He doesn’t even consider me human. This brat’s the epitome of all the things I hate about aristocrats.

Still, at this moment, watching him try his hardest to convey something besides contempt, I can’t help but feel some small amount of affection. That’s not saying much, I suppose, but that’s just how incredibly low my opinion of the boy has been up until this point.

“I…order you t-to…t-teach me the…sword!”

What did he just say to me?

The boy must be joking. These aristocrats typically despise the art of sword fighting unless they themselves are descended from a knightly lineage. The house of Gilbert is no exception. He should consider it to be a foolish game played by incompetents who are unable to use magic… And yet he wants me to teach him?

“…Excuse me? What did you say, Master Luke?”

The words came almost reflexively. My brain tried to reject what I heard on account of how ridiculous it was. For just a moment, though, I could have sworn I saw the kid pull a face as if the whole world was coming to an end.

But that can’t be right, can it?

“T-teach me….the s-sword…!”

“My apologies. I am old and doubted my own hearing for a moment.”

“Hoo… Right.”

Apparently, my ears did not deceive me, but this still doesn’t make any sense. He’s exhausted and breathing heavily. Why’s he screaming every word as if it hurts him to speak? I took a moment to consider his request.

He must be underestimating the sword. It ain’t the kind of thing you can pick up in a day, kid.

It’s not like studying magic; you don’t get to sit at a fancy desk and flip through your little textbooks. To learn what I have to teach you, you’re gonna have to get outside and physically train. You’re gonna come home caked in mud, day after day. Your parents won’t ever allow that to happen. They’ll say the training regimen is too brutal, and I’ll be the one that gets blamed when it goes wrong.

There’s no way he’s serious about this. This is one of those passing fancies rich folks have. He’ll give up the moment he starts to tire of it or it gets too hard.

I had reached a conclusion.

“Understood. If you consider me worthy of the task, then I will serve as your instructor, Master Luke.”

Back then, that’s really all I thought of his demand.

The next morning, the kid showed up to training as promised. Unfortunately, I thought with some bitterness. I was sure he’d flake out, and I’d be off the hook, but I guess I’ll actually have to teach him something. What a pain in the damn neck. I handed the brat a sword—a replica, of course. I sure as heck couldn’t have him getting injured on my watch. I had spoken to the master about this yesterday, and though he granted his permission, he was clearly displeased.

“Right, then. Let’s begin with form. Follow my lead and swing your sword as I do.”

Few students of the sword enjoyed learning about form because, simply put, form was boring. All must familiarize themselves with the basics of it at some point, but it’s certainly not the fun part. Had I been serious about taking him on as my student, I’d have started with some practical techniques to keep his interest and then worked on refining his form later. I didn’t really care, though. My goal was to prove to this brat how boring training could be and get it over with.

“Th-th-th—ah, I-I mean,” he spluttered. He took a few deep breaths before trying again. “Ha… H-hurry it up.”

What’s the matter with him? He should be listening to my instructions, not ordering me around. Hmph. He’s been pretty emotionally unstable since yesterday.

Well, if I have to do this, I’ll do it right. First things first, I should see what he’s made of, so let’s just get this over with. “Then let’s begin.”

A few strikes later, I could not ignore his potential. As much as it pained me to admit it, that’s all it took for me to realize how exceptional he was.

It’s not as simple as just brandishing a sword around. A good strike is the result of many details: your footwork, the way you shift your weight, your stance, timing, breathing… A seasoned swordsman has acquired all of these skills. An amateur doesn’t realize their importance, and so their attempts are unreliable. But this kid gave me a real, decent swing after watching a single demonstration.

Beginner’s luck, maybe?

I was so instinctively sure of his talents, yet I did everything in my power to deny them…until finally, the moment came that I could no longer pretend not to see his true nature.

Monster.

The word came to me unbidden, creeping in the back of my mind.

“Master Luke. Excuse my asking, but have you practiced with the sword before?”

I knew the answer was surely “no.” There was no way. I attended to him as his butler from dawn until dusk. When would he have gained sword fighting experience? But I had to ask just to be sure. How else could I try to understand the inexplicable?

“…What, I look like I have experience?”

Those words were all I received in answer, delivered with a look of utter disdain. I no longer cared about his demeanor or disrespect, though. “Right, never mind. Continue, Master Luke.” I managed to quell my unsettled emotions and continue the training.

Seems like when humans are confronted by stuff we don’t understand, our natural immediate response is fear, eh? I could never win a single battle against my captain, but I never feared her… Yet I find myself afraid of a boy who first took up the sword mere minutes ago.

His movements continued to grow more refined with each swing, his technique maturing at a frankly terrifying, violent pace. It would take years of dedicated effort for most people to reach this position, and for him, it was simply the starting line. It can’t be. This just ain’t possible. I had intended to train him in his form for several minutes, but we soon approached an hour of practice. It was at that point that I finally witnessed the swing—the one that truly blew me away.

Huh? How? That was even better than one of mine…

It wasn’t as if I’d gotten rusty either. I served as the boy’s butler, yes, but also his bodyguard, and I could scarcely remember the last day I didn’t hold a sword in my hand. What’s this boy’s deal?

That thought triggered a vague memory, something that I’d overheard the maids talking about.

“Master Luke is incredibly talented; he can learn anything in no time at all! He must be a genius.”

No, I thought as I watched him. That ain’t it. Cheap words like “talent” don’t do it justice.

Monster. Freak. Aberration.

Those words suit him better.

“Master Luke, that will be enough for today.”

“What? We’re done already?”

“Today was your first time even holding a sword, Master Luke,” I said. “Let’s take it one step at a time. There is no need to rush things.”

“I see. I suppose that makes sense.”

I escorted Luke back to his room before heading off to meet with his father. I could not help but hurry a little and suppress a smile as I went.

“Two, three years… That’s all it’ll take for him to surpass me…”

I suppose I must have a really unsettling grin on my face, but how can I keep from smiling? Despite everything, I’m the former vice-captain of the Royal Knights. I was the second-best swordsman in the whole kingdom, you know? At his age, I had nothing but my sword in my hand. I’ve held one for as long as I can remember. I already know this kid’s going to surpass me. From seeing just that one swing, I can tell.

“Ha! Freakin’ incredible,” I muttered under my breath.

I can’t even envy him. He’s so overwhelmingly talented, set so far apart from everyone else, that feelings like envy are simply not relevant. This boy was born to wield that blade, and I want to see how far he can go.

Fierce emotions welled up inside of me. I was overwhelmed—no, enchanted. I was utterly entranced by his talents, the very embodiment of devilish irrationality.

I knocked at the door eagerly.

“Master, might I trouble you for a word?”

“Enter.”

I didn’t know where to begin to explain or how to make my request. But it didn’t matter. I was ready to beg on my hands and knees for this opportunity.

Please allow me to instruct Master Luke in the art of sword fighting!

 

***

 

It’s been roughly one year since I first asked Alfred-san to teach me to fight. I had intended to begin studying magic too, but I didn’t want to spread myself too thin. I should probably keep focusing on one thing at a time until I reach a point I’m happy with, then move to the next thing.

…Oh, what am I saying? I freaking love sword training!

It’s sort of hard to explain what’s so great about it, but it’s just so much fun. I always work up a good sweat, and I’ve been sleeping really well. Plus, the more I train, the more I can feel and see the improvement, and that feeling sure is addictive. I haven’t managed to beat Alfred-san in a single practice fight yet, though. Every time he wins, I have to fight off this unbearable sense of shame at having lost to him, a mere butler. Sometimes that frustration overflows into words of abuse directed at Alfred-san or at myself. It’s happened once or twice… Okay, several times.

…But all that said, I’m still enjoying every moment of this training. The human heart really is a fickle thing. I think it’s also good for me to experience these feelings early on in life. I’m learning that I can be defeated, and how to pick myself up again. That’ll make a big difference in how I…I mean, how “Luke” turns out. Anyway, of course I’m losing to him. Most people would—he’s the former vice-captain of the Royal Knights, after all. I lost again today, but why do I feel so angry about it? It’s weird. Then there’s also the fact that… How do I put this…? Alfred-san seems to be taking this a bit too seriously. I’ve only been at this for a year or so. Couldn’t he go a little easier on me?

“In a single year, Master Luke, you have acquired almost all of the fundamentals of swordsmanship. That is not all, you… No. It’s nothing.”

Huh, what’s this all of a sudden?

Alfred looked up at the sky. He seemed pensive, but I couldn’t tell what he might be thinking about. Or maybe he wasn’t pondering anything but struggling with whether to let go of something. His expression was ambiguous, but when he turned his attention back to me, it seemed he’d reached a conclusion of some sort.

“I served as vice-captain of the Royal Knights…”

“Oh wow, thanks for telling me. Like I didn’t know that already.”

I tried to be polite, but that was the best I could manage, huh…?

“I stood on countless battlefields in my time and took many lives.”

I struggled to digest his words. I could feel the cogs in my brain spinning in an attempt to comprehend what he was trying to say and why.

What’s this all of a sudden? Why does he want to talk about this now? I want to understand, though… I mean, he’s my mentor. I owe him more than I could ever hope to repay.

“A sword is simply a tool, Master Luke,” he began again. “A tool for taking the lives of others, but a tool nonetheless. Its morality is entrusted to the heart of its wielder. Whether it is used for good or evil…that’s entirely up to you. Please, never forget that, Master Luke.”

With those words, Alfred lowered his head to the ground.

I don’t know why he’s talking about this… I really don’t. What should I say? I should start by thanking him for training me this past year, I suppose, but I can’t. The arrogant will of Luke would never let me get the words out. After a whole year, I know that well enough.

“And yet,” Alfred continued, as if to fill the lull in the conversation, “whichever you choose, I want to see what you’ll do, Master Luke!” he exclaimed, his demeanor flipping in an instant. “For good or for evil, I cannot help but wish to bear witness! Ah, this is no good. This is one desire I fear that I’m completely helpless to resist!”

“Huh?!”

What’s wrong, Alfred-san?! You’ve got a really weird look in your eyes! What happened to the gentleman from a few seconds ago?! Is this all because I put in some effort? What kind of route has this choice put me on?!

“And so, in our next training session, I will teach you how to take a life. The techniques I will show you are far from the time-honored traditional swordsmanship of this kingdom,” he continued excitedly. “They’re tricks I learned on the battlefield, surrounded by death. I cannot promise that they are all honorable, but I do guarantee this: In times when victory is key, they will save you from defeat.”

Alfred sighed. “You know, ideally, I’d like to take you to a real battlefield, so that you might taste the atmosphere in person… But I am most certain that your father would never allow it.”

Say what?! I’m eleven years old, and you want to take me to a war zone and show me how to straight-up kill people?!

I didn’t know how I was expected to respond to that, but I had to give him an answer. Alfred’s sudden change left me hopelessly confused, so I latched onto the one word he said that hit me the hardest, the one thing that resonated deep inside me. Defeat. Even the word itself feels heavy to me.

“My own personal philosophy,” I said carefully, “is that I am willing to use any dirty tricks at my disposal, provided that they allow me to avoid the ultimate defeat of death.”

“Oho!”

If there is one thing that the part of Luke within me is furiously trying to avoid, it’s defeat. Despite that, I’ve experienced defeat many times this year, over and over again. I lost every sparring match I fought, but none of the losses did anything to lessen my self-esteem. Luke’s will was there in the back of my head, saying things like…

Don’t look down on me!

You’ll see. Just you wait.

I’ll be standing where you are now, soon enough.

I’ll tear you down, no matter what it takes.

Perhaps that’s why…

“Ha ha… Mwa ha ha ha!”

…I’m bursting into laughter.

“I see. Very well. I certainly can’t say I disagree with your thoughts on this matter,” Alfred said. “You are not mistaken in the slightest—what’s most important is that you emerge victorious in the end.”

“Incredible,” I muttered. “To think I’m already at this level! I didn’t expect to become so strong so fast!”

The words kept coming, and I couldn’t stop them.

“And, Alfred, don’t you dare think you can look down on me forever. You’re not special. I’m going to defeat you.”

Ah… This is just who Luke is—who I am now. I don’t think that’ll ever change until the day I die. There’s no way to control this overinflated ego, and the only way to satisfy it is to claim victory again, and again, and again.

Man, what an irritating way to live. Seriously, this is going to be a pain in the neck. But heck, it might not be all bad…

Let’s give this a shot.

 

***

 

“He did it… He really did it! Didn’t even take him two years.”

I feel like I’ve started talking to myself a lot more of late. I wonder why that is. If someone overheard me, I might lose my job. I have to avoid that at all costs.

It’s funny, I never thought the day would come that I’d want to keep working this crappy job. I suppose you just don’t know where life is going to take you. It’s been almost eighteen months since I started training that brat… No, Master Luke.

Today he delivered me my first loss.

Can I keep from smiling, I wonder? I want to laugh out loud. But no, I have to be professional. I cannot have anyone see me like this. That is why I am biting my tongue, doing everything I can to keep a lid on my emotions.

“He’s far exceeded what I imagined him capable of!”

Ah, it’s no use. These feelings overflow whether I want them to or not. I never held back against him, even for a moment. I fought with the intention of killing him, even. Our matches always made me feel that familiar chill at the back of my neck, as if I were in a true fight to the death. It’s been barely a year since he first held a sword, but he’s been trying to win since day one.

My instincts as a swordsman always told me that if I let up even slightly, he would catch me off guard. That is why I was always serious in our practice matches. I never faced the boy as a pupil, but as an enemy I would have to confront and kill. That’s the level at which I fought. The title I hold, former vice-captain of the Royal Knights, is no light honor. I know that I am still one of the best swordsmen in the kingdom, even at my age, and yet Master Luke beat me legitimately.

“Ah… I can’t take it anymore.”

Alfred felt something warm in his chest tremble with excitement.

Master Luke’s name will go down in history, that much is certain. More than that, he’ll become myth! And I have a front-row seat, right by his side. I get to watch this boy become a man who becomes a legend! Oh, what joy! How blessed I am to be here!

“Sir Alfred.”

One of the maids was calling for me. The interruption didn’t rattle me one bit, and I switched smoothly back into butler mode without delay.

“What can I do for you?”

“You have a guest, Sir Alfred.”

“…Someone’s come to see me?” I can’t even think who that might be. Well, I suppose there are a few good and bad possibilities I can imagine, but none I’d particularly expect.

“I also have a message from the master of the house. He requests that you personally meet with this guest.”

“Is that so? I see.”

“They’re awaiting your arrival, so I will take you there now.”

The maid bowed once, then turned and began to walk down the hallway.

Tch, who the heck’s here? I’m busy, damn it. I’ve got lesson plans to make for Master Luke’s next training session. But the boy’s father did ask me to meet whoever’s here, so I suppose I have no choice in the matter.

My footsteps a little heavier than usual, I followed the maid down the hallway.

 

***

 

My name is Elka Ay Sutherland.

At one time, it was renowned across the land, and I was known by all who dwell in this kingdom. I did, after all, serve as captain of the Royal Knights for a time.

As a woman, I am generally at a disadvantage in fights with men. I cannot overpower them with brawn alone, and, alas, I am hopeless at the subject of magic. Nevertheless, I served as one of the few female captains in the long and illustrious history of the Royal Knights. I climbed to that position through my own hard work, and I occupied it with honor. I should be permitted some small pride in that, no?

However, that’s all in the past. More recently, I’ve opened a swordsmanship school in the royal capital. I won’t teach just anyone, though. I will only accept those I have a fondness for, whose hearts I know are good. The school and its pupils are the reason I am here to see Al. I would have liked to come see him sooner, but I was unsure whether the business would go well at first. No matter how talented the student may be, I refuse to teach those that I do not personally like, but I am not unreasonable. I would not bring Al an offer with no prospects of success. And…I suppose there are some personal feelings wrapped up in all this too. That is why it took me so long to come.

“…I wonder if he is well.”

I still vividly remember the day that he quit his post as vice-captain. He was always so stubborn. He would never bend once his mind had been made up. When was the last time we met? It was so long ago I can scarcely remember.

I sank into the feelings of nostalgia washing over me until the door to the reception room opened with a click.

“Did I keep you waiting, former captain of the Royal Knights, Lady Elka Ay Sutherland?”

“Not at all. Allow me to thank you for accepting this sudden visit. You have my gratitude, Lord Gilbert.”

This reception feels oddly warm. I mean, I’ve not heard any bad rumors circulating about the house of Gilbert, but I don’t hear anything good either. For better or worse, this family should be typical aristocrats. Nobles in general don’t think much of the Royal Knights. Unless they can trace knightly lineage themselves, most consider them a useless band of warriors who are incapable of using magic.

Has something shifted in their evaluation of the art of the sword?

“You must have had a long journey. Welcome.”

“Thank you.”

I might be from a third-rate house, but I am a noble too, I suppose. I mean, I didn’t expect them to turn me away at the door, but this welcome is unexpectedly courteous. It makes me suspicious of their true intentions.

“Would you like some tea?”

“I would. Thank you very much.”

One of the maids beside me poured black tea into my cup, and its pleasant aroma filled the room. We proceeded to exchange pleasantries, but I felt no ill will from my host.

“Well then, I suppose you aren’t here to see me, though. I will have Alfred brought to you at once.”

“You have my thanks, Lord Gilbert.”

With that, Lord Gilbert stood and left the room. I was not left alone with my thoughts, though. The maids stayed at my side. Something’s odd about all this. The Kingdom of Milestia was founded by skilled magic users and has a long history of celebrating the use of magic in general. That is the reason that the first-rate nobles of this kingdom tend to have a talent for magic. Magic belongs to the aristocrats, in other words. Very rarely, a commoner will show an innate talent, but such cases are exceptions to the rule. Given the history of Milestia, the deep rift between the magic-using upper class and the brutish commoners is one that will never be bridged. It’s discrimination that is woven into the fabric of the kingdom…

Or so I thought, but I felt none of it from Lord Gilbert just now. If anything, I sensed respect from him. I find this truly inexplicable.

Suddenly, a knock at the door. With all the questions bubbling away inside my head, I barely registered the interruption. One of the attending maids went to open it at once.

“I apologize for keeping you waiting.”

Oh, this takes me back. So many memories spring forth when I look at his face. But it has been so long, and he’s changed quite considerably. Al respectfully lowered his head, and the sight was so ridiculous that I struggled to contain my amusement.

“I will take it from here. You may leave,” he said to the maids.

“Thank you, Sir Alfred.”

The maids left, and Al and I were finally alone. He silently sat down on the sofa opposite me, then lit a cigarette, as he always did.

“Yo.” He exhaled a puff of smoke.

“Pff… Ha ha ha!” The laughter spilled out of me. “You’ve really taken to the butler life, haven’t you, Al? Hard to believe that you were once feared as a demon of the battlefield.”

I couldn’t hold back anymore. I burst out laughing, hands on my sides.

“It wasn’t long ago that you used to struggle so much with the formalities.”

“When? Don’t talk to me about the past like it was yesterday. That was years ago.”

“Ha, right. I guess it has been that long, hasn’t it? Time is a terrifying master.”

“So, what do you want, Elka? You didn’t come all this way just to see a familiar face, did you?”

“You really haven’t changed a bit. Learn how to dress your words up a little.”

“Nope, can’t do it. It doesn’t agree with me.”

“Mm, I thought as much. I’m relieved to see you’re still the same. Let me be blunt too, then.”

I let my words hang in the air for a moment before continuing.

“I want your help in training my pupils.”

There’s no sense in beating around the bush with Al. I should be plain with him.

“I picked up an orphan, and I’m teaching him the sword. His name’s Abel, and he’s got a good eye. I’m sure you’ll like him too.”

There’s no lie in anything I’m telling him. I truly believe he will.

“Hm… So he’s talented, then?”

“What?”

“I’m asking if he’s got talent.”

I wasn’t used to hearing questions like those from him. Alfred’s a complex man, and I expect the more of his true self one sees, the more they will doubt their ears. Al was born to a household of incredible poverty. There was nobody to teach him the sword; he had to crawl his way up through ceaseless hard work. He had the eyes of a starving wolf, wildly swinging his sword to carve out a path for himself in life. He’s never once spoken to me of talent or innate ability. Not until now, that is. I suppose since he’s asked, I’ll have to answer him.

“Well,” I hesitated, “he has no talent for the sword. He does have a rare aptitude for magic, but since he’s no aristocrat, I don’t expect he’ll ever be able to use any elemental spells.”

It hurts me to say this about the pupil I’m raising, but I can’t lie. It’s true, he has no talent for the sword. But what Abel possesses is so much more than mere talent.

“But,” I punctuated, gathering my strength to put behind every word I was about to say, “Abel has an incredibly strong will. It’s terrifying to behold. The boy truly is a monster.”

That’s the power that I see in Abel: his will, his strength of mind. It makes me tremble just thinking about it.

“So how about it? Are you interested?” I asked Al.

I want to talk about the boy in more detail, truth be told. There are so many stories I have to tell him, but unfortunately, we don’t have the time for that now. That’s why I thought I’d get right to it and ask the question. I just know he’ll be interested.

…Or, well, I thought for sure he would be. The reaction I’m getting from him is not quite what I expected.

There was an awful emptiness in his eyes as he leaned back onto the sofa and took another puff on his cigarette, blowing smoke upwards as he gazed at the ceiling.

“Hey, Elka. Remember what we used to talk about?” he said suddenly. “The classic question: Which comes first, the sword or the heart?”

“…Yeah. I remember.”

Al continued, still not addressing my original question. Was he interested in working with Abel or not?

“Are we strong of heart because we are strong with the sword, or does our skill with the blade come from our strength of heart?” he asked. “You always had the same answer for me: The heart comes first, right?”

“Yes. One needs only a righteous heart, and the sword will follow. That’s what I believe.”

That’s why I won’t train some pupils, no matter how talented they are.

“I think so too,” he said.

Al hasn’t changed after all, I thought with relief.

“No,” he corrected himself. “I used to think so.”

I felt my heart tighten in my chest.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“It’s simple. I’ve changed my mind.”

“You think the sword comes first?”

“That ain’t exactly it either… I think the heart and the sword have nothing to do with each other.”

“You’re wrong!” I yelled, slamming my hand on the table and jumping to my feet. I saw nothing resembling a human emotion in Al’s eyes.

“C’mon, hear me out.”

Al was calm as he talked me down, and I felt embarrassed that I’d lost my composure in a conversation with a friend. Once I settled myself, he stood and walked over to the window of the reception room.

“Come here for a second. Look out there.”

I did as he asked. I saw a young boy standing in the beautiful courtyard outside. He had blond hair and an incredibly handsome face. I knew him to be the heir to the Gilbert house, Luke Witharia Gilbert. But why was I looking at him?

“Master Luke should be about to start training. Watch him and tell me what you think.”

“What? He’s learning how to handle a sword?”

“Yeah. His idea. I’ve been teaching him for a year and a half, give or take.”

I see. That explains why Lord Gilbert was so respectful towards me earlier. I don’t know what Al is getting at, though. The child has had eighteen months of training. What could he possibly want to show me?

And then the boy took his sword from its scabbard and stopped my spinning thoughts.

His swordplay was so beautiful that it sent shivers down my spine. His form was incredibly refined. Beautiful. Absolutely perfect. Not even I was capable of this.

This was not mere swordplay; it was truly fine art… I found myself captivated by his performance. Every last thought in my brain was erased and overwritten in an instant by the awe I felt.

Wait, hang on, how long has this kid been training again?

“…A year and a half, you say?” I murmured.

“Yeah. That right there… That’s talent.”

When I turned to Al, I was shocked to see a terrible smile spreading across his face. He wore the grin of a deranged zealot, like a demon-worshipper who’d managed to gain an audience with the devil himself.

“Al…”

“Ah, sorry. That’s enough. Sit down.”

My heart racing, I fell back down onto the sofa. All the strength left my body.

“Well? What did you think?”

I hesitated. “Tremendous.”

What else could I say after seeing that? There’s no other word for it.

“Right? And yet, is Master Luke a good kid? Absolutely not. He’s not even nice. If a commoner so much as bumped into him on the street, he’d make sure there’s hell to pay for it.”

So that boy’s the one who changed your mind.

“Talent’s just something the gods hand out at random, see?” he continued. “There’s no good or bad to it.”

“But…” I trailed off. I wanted to deny it, but how could I after what I’d just seen?“

“You know, thinking back on it, that’s probably why I was never able to beat you, Elka. You have talent, and I never did. That’s all,” Al muttered to himself, his gaze distant and unfocused.

No, that’s not right, Al… This is so unlike you.

“So you see, I’m going to have to decline your offer. Sorry.”

I knew that’d be your answer. I knew it the moment you didn’t immediately say yes. No, maybe it was when I saw that look in your eyes.

“I want to be close enough to see…” he muttered. “To witness what Master Luke is going to accomplish. I don’t care if it’s for good or evil; I just want a front-row seat! Ha ha! Do you hate me now, Elka?”

I had nothing to say to that. The Al I knew was long gone.

“Might be that Master Luke has to fight that brat of yours at some point… Abel, was it? I sure hope he puts up a good struggle when the time comes.”

With that challenge, there was nothing left for me to do here. Hot flames arose inside my heart as I left the house of Gilbert behind.

I will raise Abel myself, and I will stake everything I have upon him. If I do not, he will never be able to defeat Luke.

 

***

 

Elka’s words should have pushed Alfred to become Abel’s second mentor, but none of that came to pass. The two old friends’ paths had diverged wildly, and this was undoubtedly due to the inexplicable “talent” Luke Witharia Gilbert suddenly displayed. Or rather, the more truly terrifying fact that he had decided to put effort into his endeavors.

Indeed, this story had already begun to warp and twist.

Chapter Two:
The Fruits of Effort

 

ADVENTURING WAS BY FAR ONE OF THE MOST sought-after professions in the Kingdom of Milestia and its surrounding areas, particularly due to the separation of the state and the Adventurers’ Guild.

The Adventurers’ Guild was an independent organization that mainly concerned itself with the hunting of monsters, and adventurers did not usually find themselves caught up in wars, political disputes, or other national affairs. The Kingdom of Milestia, like its neighbors, had compulsory military service in times of war, so many sought out jobs with the Adventurers’ Guild instead. It was a crowded field in a profession that demanded one thing and one thing only—strength.

Noble birth counted for nothing, nor did purity of heart and mind. One either had the brute strength to hunt monsters, or they did not. This also meant that any individual could rise to the position regardless of status or morality. To prevent such an organization from becoming an armed militia gang, the whole thing was subject to strict regulations. Such threats had rarely emerged in the group’s long history, and the Adventurers’ Guild was a trusted institution, for the most part. Guild members were also permitted to freely cross borders in the course of their work, which resulted in diverse groups of adventurers from all walks of life. Arguments among group members were not uncommon.

However, foreigners rarely visited Milestia for long because of its reputation for being a magic supremacist nation. It was for such reasons that the bulk of the citizens of Milestia thought of the guild as a group of thugs. It was hard to deny the accuracy of that description at times, to be fair.

Despite the guild’s imperfections, demand for adventurers remained high, as monster attacks were a constant menace.

And that brings the story to a certain branch of the Adventurers’ Guild, located in the city of Gilbadia within the domain of Lord Gilbert. On this particular day, business was, of course, completely dead.

“Just got a report: The fifth-best A-rank party, the Gray Wolf’s Claw Marks, are taking a hiatus.”

“Mm…” Dolce Pannacotta, guild master, had other things on his mind.

“The situation is dire! This is no time to mope around.”

“Man, Elka was such a beauty, y’know? I shoulda asked her out for tea before she went home to the capital.”

“Enough, that was three months ago. Stop running away from reality or the guild’s going to go out of business.”

“Hm… Could you be more specific?”

“Don’t play dumb. You know what must be done. Turn down this bounty.”

“No way! I can’t! You know how scary Al can get!”

“But if you don’t turn him down, the guild’s going under!”

Dolce made a strangled noise that ended in a sigh of surrender.

“You’re right, we have to turn him down,” he admitted. “I figured something fishy must be going on. Why post an adventurer’s bounty when any old knight would do? Ugh, c’mon, Al, give me a break…”

Dolce looked down once more at the bounty in his hands and read over what was written there.

“Wanted: Opponents for hand-to-hand sparring matches to be conducted with the heir to the house of Gilbert, Luke Witharia Gilbert. Any weapons may be used. You will not be held responsible for injuries Luke Witharia Gilbert might sustain in the course of these matches. However, if you are harmed, the house of Gilbert will offer compensation. Reward: one gold piece. Doubled if you can win.”

One gold piece is a lot of money for a working adventurer. They could live in luxury every night for at least a week. And that’s the reward for a single match? No risk of death, no rank requirement… If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, but who could resist giving it a try?

Yeah, no, this is the devil’s bounty right here.

It only took three months for the top five A-rank adventurer parties to announce that they would be ceasing all of their activities after accepting Al’s bounty.

Why would they do that? The reason was simple. But first, some perspective on the matter. It’s common knowledge among adventurers that no matter how hard you worked, you’d only ever make it to B-rank—unless you had real talent. That’s why getting to A-rank was a golden ticket, a gateway to success. That’s also why those who made it to that level shared a sort of stubborn pride and absolute confidence in their own strength that the lower ranks just didn’t have.

Of course, the hierarchy went beyond that. There’re S-rank and X-rank at the very top—but those were reserved for “true heroes” and “aberrations.” Most adventurers didn’t dare aim for such heights and instead set their sights on A-rank.

So then, why did the top five A-rank adventurer parties suddenly decide to disband? Because they were shown just how little their hard-won pride was worth when they encountered a true monster.

“You’re wasting my time. Why’s the guild sending out such weak adventurers?”

“Y’know, they sent me a C-rank the other week and… What, don’t tell me you’re one too?”

“A-rank? Seriously? You’re kidding me. I thought you had to be another C-rank. This guild hierarchy thing is such a joke. Why do they bother with it when you’re all about the same?”

From the perspective of the truly chosen, everyone else was just common rabble. No matter how hard they tried, they’d never reach your level. They’re all the same, all less than you. Every last one of them would amount to nothing. But wasn’t it amusing to watch them try?

Coming face-to-face with this sort of person was too much for some of them. They worked so hard, sacrificed so much, and it was all denied them in the end: ridiculed, rejected, and tossed aside in the most cruelly matter-of-fact way. Perhaps you could say this was just a trial to weed out the weak, to see who would sink and who would swim. The strong would always be driven to climb back up because they knew the heights. Maybe they’d never be “true heroes,” but at least they could take pride in their journey. Each step forward moved you a little further away from where you started, after all.

 

***

 

So, um…I’ve realized something over the past couple years: No matter how hard I try, I can’t contain my arrogance. I don’t think there’s any way to lift this curse. I guess I’m just gonna keep making enemies forever, then, huh? Man, I was really rude to all of those adventurers too. I bet they all hate my guts.

No sense in crying over that, though. What I’m most worried about is ensuring I don’t lose to someone who’s an equal match for me. Alfred-san’s got too much experience, and he’s much older than me, so our matches are lopsided. But what about an opponent of my own age? Would I be able to keep my cool if I lost to someone like that?

No.

If I lost, my overinflated ego would burst and take down my whole sense of self in the implosion. That’d be the Bad Ending to this route, so that means I’ll just have to keep winning. Victory is the one thing I’ll never compromise on. No matter what.

Instinctively, I knew that would be for the best to just accept my fate. Luke’s will was too strong for me to reject, and it was a constant presence within this body.

I’ll become more and more like Luke, stronger and stronger…

But someday I’d reach my limit. How long could I keep going up? I knew the margin between victory and defeat would only continue to narrow.

Hmph. I am the greatest. There’s nobody that stands above me.

I was so arrogant that I believed that without a shadow of a doubt. This persona should have been so far removed from my true self, but it was so easy being this way. It felt as if I was becoming the person I was always meant to be. It felt like coming home.

It’s only natural that I treat people like this, isn’t it? I’m Luke, after all. Of course I look down on everyone around me.

The moment that thought occurred to me, everything felt so much simpler.

One day after training, I spotted Alfred talking to a stranger. I found that a little unusual. Who would be visiting him, and why?

“Tch.” I clicked my tongue loudly, not even trying to hide my displeasure. The man left, bowing to me repeatedly as he made his escape.

“What’s going on?” I demanded.

“Well…” Alfred hesitated. “The guild master has personally refused our bounty.”

“I see.”

No big loss there, as far as I was concerned. Those fights were absolutely tedious. Those adventurers were supposed to be the highest ranked in the city, but they were all beneath me. Ridiculous. Alfred-san said that all I lacked was practice, but what was the point in sparring against those fools?

It’s just too easy.

I used to resist thinking like this, but it’s the truth, and it’s freeing to admit.

What a terrible letdown all that was. It’s unfortunate, but perhaps this will work out just fine for me. I do need to get started on my magic studies, anyway.

“Perfect.”

“Perfect, Master Luke?”

“The time is right,” I announced. “I wish to learn about magic. Inform my father. Give word to the Magic Ministry and have them dispatch an examiner.”

 

***

 

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Abel, whose tale was just one of those everyday tragedies.

In the Kingdom of Milestia, most commoners had two names, while aristocrats and royalty had three. Abel, however, was an orphan, and he had only one.

Abel was raised by nuns in a small church nestled away in a little village. His life there was not easy by any account. Every day, he tended the fields, collecting and selling medicinal herbs to scrape by. That was the only way he could find food to fill his empty belly. While he certainly did not live in the lap of luxury, Abel never thought of himself as unfortunate. The nuns of the church were truly like his family, and the other orphans looked up to him as an older brother. Nobody in the village discriminated against him because he was an orphan. The people he lived with were poor, but had compassion in their hearts, and everyone always took care of each other.

Life was hard, but everyone gave each other reasons to keep on smiling, and Abel loved them for that. He was happy—truly happy—and he believed his happiness would go on forever.

He never expected it would all end so abruptly one day.

It began with the sound of a whistle. It was so beautiful, yet so mournful that it made him stop in his tracks. Moments later came the sudden, heavy footfall of monsters known as “forest giants.” These creatures were formidable not just because of their large size but their intelligence. They were smart enough to hunt in packs.

The residents had no weapons with which to fight and nowhere to run. The nuns instructed the children to hide in different locations so that at least one of them might survive the onslaught. Abel did as he was told. He hid and he survived, but hiding did nothing to block out the sounds of his world falling apart.

He heard it all: Men, women, and children screaming. The wet, crunching sound of something being crushed underfoot. Harsh, cackling laughter. Abel couldn’t bear to listen. He put his hands over his ears, trying to block it out, but still the awful sounds made it through.

The sound of killing. The sound of dying.

I don’t want to hear it.

I don’t want to hear it!

Please, I don’t want to hear it!

No, no, no, no, no—

As I said, just another one of those everyday tragedies.

 

***

 

As the house of Viscount Ramree had no domain of its own, the family lived in the royal capital. Lily Acril Ramree, the second daughter of Viscount Ramree, had no complaints about that, however. She enjoyed roaming the beautiful streets of the capital on her daily stroll. Her walking routine had been regular for years, as a way to brighten the otherwise rather monotonous world around her.

“I’m going out for a walk, Gramps.”

“Very well, my lady.”

She finished her preparations and left the house. She knew exactly which route she wanted to take.

“Ahem, t-today I am going to see Miss Elka!” she declared.

“Understood, my lady.”

Until fairly recently, Lily’s walking routine had been rather stagnant. Roughly a year ago, she started detouring to Elka’s school on the way home. These days, it had become her usual route.

“Do you think I’ll be a bother?”

“Not at all, my lady. I am sure she will be honored to receive you.”

“O-of course! You’re completely correct! All right, let’s go!”

“Yes, my lady.”

The butler, whom Lily called “Gramps,” was in fact named Paul. He had served the house of Ramree for generations, watching over Lily since before she was even born. He was a little soft on her, but he could hardly be blamed for that. He, along with several guards, escorted Lily from the house. The city was beautiful, just as it had been yesterday, and stirred no unusual waves of emotion within her. Even so, Lily’s footsteps were light that day, and before long, her destination came into view.

As she approached, a sharp fighting cry tore at her ear drums.

At first, Lily had thought the shouting to be rather brutish, but she was used to it now. In any case, she knew it was about to cease soon enough because she had timed her walk to coincide with their daily recess. Then, Lily heard voices on the other side of the door that confirmed her good timing.

“That’s enough. Break,” Elka said.

“Huff… Th-thank you…very much,” panted her out-of-breath student.

“Gramps?”

“Yes, my lady.”

Paul stepped forward to knock upon the door, which was set into an imposing four-legged gate, but he need not have bothered. With a creak, the door opened on its own.

“Welcome. Come in.”

“Y-yes…”

The woman who came to greet them at the door was the former captain of the Royal Knights, Elka Ay Sutherland. Lily certainly did not dislike her, but she did find her just a tiny bit difficult to deal with. There was something about the way in which the former captain seemed to see right through her that creeped Lily out. Once, when Lily asked her how she always knew when she would be arriving, Elka simply laughed and said, “I just know.” It was ever so off-putting.

Lily entered the school and found her eye immediately drawn to a black-haired boy lying flat on his back on the floor, looking thoroughly wiped out. The sight of him made Lily smile just a little.

“I see you’ve taken quite a beating again today, Abel.”

“Ah,” the boy gasped, exhausted. “L-Lily.”

Abel looked up at her, his shoulders heaving.

“What? Should I not have come?”

“S-sorry. That’s not it. I’m happy you’re here.”

Lily giggled. She couldn’t help but tease him a bit.

Abel always gets worked up when I’m a little firm with him, she thought to herself fondly. It’s ever so cute.

“You’re keeping up with your training after all, then?”

“Yeah.”

Abel sat on the porch, gulping down his water until it was completely gone. He never behaved according to proper etiquette, but that didn’t bother Lily.

“You still haven’t given up on Aslan Magic Academy?”

“No,” Abel answered instantly.

Aslan Magic Academy was the top magic school in the kingdom. It bore the name of the legendary master of both the sword and magic, Aslan. Technically, the only requirement for entry was an aptitude for magic. However, it was an unspoken rule that said magic must be specifically elemental. This rule went unquestioned at the academy, given its absolute meritocracy—such was the gulf between those who were capable of using elemental magic, and those who were not.

Elemental magic was extremely powerful—too powerful even for war, as weaponizing it would bring the death toll too high on all sides. If a war were so fierce that multiple elemental magic users were deployed in its course, the dead would be piled high upon the battlefield by its end.

Why is it that Abel is so insistent upon attending Aslan Magic Academy? Can’t he just become a Royal Knight or an adventurer instead? No matter how much he improves with the sword, he just won’t set his sights on anything else. What’s the point, anyway? He might be able to use a little non-elemental magic, but they’ll never accept him with just that.

Why is he set on becoming so powerful?

Lily didn’t want to see Abel get hurt. She had thought of little else lately but how she might get him to give up on his idea.

“It’s no use,” Abel said, interrupting her thoughts.

“Huh?”

“I made my mind up long ago. My path is set, no matter what anyone says.”

He really is just like Miss Elka, Lily thought silently. It’s like he sees right through me.

“I’m going to get strong. No matter what. I won’t compromise on that, even if it leads me to my death.”

Lily looked at Abel and saw that there was no light behind his eyes, no hope.

All she saw was darkness there, a writhing void.

It was a darkness so complete that she couldn’t see the bottom of it, deep enough to swallow her up. She felt a cold shiver run down her spine.

“Heh, sorry, that must’ve sounded weird.”

Instantly, the black cloud dissipated. The clumsy, vexingly kind boy that Lily knew was back, sitting on the porch in front of her.

“You really don’t know your station in life, do you?” Lily scoffed.

“Ha, I guess you’re right.”

Abel awkwardly scratched at his cheek.

“But I suppose that’s something that I respect about you,” she admitted. “Just a smidge.”

“Huh?”

Abel reacted with surprise. When he and Lily first met, she had been the very picture of a typical arrogant aristocrat.

“What?! Is it really that surprising?”

“But Lily, you…”

“Ah, never mind!”

Lily quickly got to her feet, embarrassed. She shook it off by changing the subject.

“I came to tell you something,” she said. “I’ve discovered my element. I have an aptitude for Water.”

“Whoa, really?! Congratulations, Lily! That’s really amazing!”

“I-it’s not that amazing.”

Abel’s smile was carefree and filled with admiration. Lily wondered what would happen if she were in his shoes. Would she be able to earnestly congratulate the success of another without envy?

“So I’m going to try to get into Aslan Magic Academy too. We’re going to be rivals, so you best prepare yourself, okay?”

Abel laughed. He was so happy he couldn’t help it. Lily was incredibly talented, and there she was, calling him a rival.

But I can’t just be satisfied with that, he thought.

“I won’t lose,” said Abel with a smile, trying his best to be cool.

I’m sure it’ll be a steep path, and so narrow that one wrong step will send me tumbling down into the ravine below. Maybe there won’t even be a path to begin with.

But either way, Abel’s mind was made up.

I won’t let anyone take anything from me ever again.

 

***

 

“Ah…hic…”

Zack Calisson, A-rank adventurer, had spent all his days drowning his sorrows in drink of late. It was only when he was drunk that he could forget the awful things he’d seen. The terror that made his blood run cold, like…

“Damn it.”

Zack took another furious swig of liquor to stop the image from forming in the back of his mind. The owner of the tavern sighed at him as he drank the morning away, but Zack didn’t care about his opinion. He didn’t care about anything at all anymore.

I wanted to be a hero.

As a kid, he had always been enthralled by the bards’ epic tales of adventure and heroism. That’s why he became an adventurer in the first place. Reality was harsh and threw obstacle after obstacle in his way, but Zack fought like hell to overcome them. He never gave up, and he finally managed to reach A-rank as he neared his thirtieth birthday.

I tried my best. I really did… And yet…

“What, that’s all you’ve got?”

Zack shivered, as if someone had pressed an icicle to the back of his neck.

…I don’t suppose I’ll ever be able to forget that. Not until the day I die.

He fought with a long sword, the same weapon that Luke used. Perhaps that’s how Zack knew so quickly—they only exchanged a few blows before he understood something important.

He showed me…no matter how hard I struggle, I’ll never win.

The look he saw in Luke’s eyes only added insult to injury. It was a look of pure condescension, like nothing Zack had ever done mattered one bit.

Zack took another swig of his drink to wash away the bad memories.

The tavern door creaked open, and Zack looked lazily toward the entrance. It was Alfred Deeg, the man who clawed his way up from his common birth to become the vice-captain of the Royal Knights.

“Al.”

“Tch, damn kid,” Alfred said sharply. “Can’t bear to see you like this.”

Zack had been born in the same village as Alfred, and so when Zack saw his bounty posting, he took it as the perfect opportunity to show his worth. Zack respected Alfred and he wanted to show off his achievements, having risen to A-rank. What happened during the sparring match was not at all what he’d wanted Alfred to see.

“I’m sorry,” Zack muttered, quickly glancing downward. He was too weak to summon the strength to even look him in the eyes.

“Being an adventurer must not mean much these days if this is all you wanted to be, Zack.”

Zack couldn’t defend himself.

“Forget it. Someone’s here to see you.”

“Me?” Zack struggled to think of who that might be.

Just then, another of the tavern doors opened and a mother and young child walked in.

“Excuse me, but are you Mr. Zack of the Gray Wolf’s Claw Marks?”

“Hm? Oh, uh, yeah. That’s me.”

At his words, both the mother and child lit up with joy, smiles spreading like flowers in bloom.

“Thank you so much for defeating the basilisk! Everyone in our village is so grateful for your help!”

“Thank you, Mr. Zack!” said the child.

Their gratitude was completely genuine.

“Y-yeah, of course,” Zack said sheepishly. “I just took on the bounty, that’s all.”

“Even so, thank you so much.”

The two of them bowed their heads in thanks several more times as they took their leave. Alfred watched silently over Zack as he sat there, dazed by the encounter.

“Al, what was that…?”

“Don’t know. They asked me to find you, and I did,” Alfred said shortly. “And now I’m leaving. Ain’t got time to sit around with some worthless, drunken bastard.”

Alfred departed, and Zack was left alone, a bit stunned by what had just happened. He drained what was left of his drink and set the glass back on the table.

“…‘Thanks,’ eh?”

Been a while since anyone’s said that to me in person. I took bounties, made my money, earned my fame… But after so many days of the work, I guess at some point I started to forget. Why did I become an adventurer in the first place? Why did I really want to be a hero?

“I guess…I wanted to help people.”

There are heights so dizzying I’ll never reach them, no matter how hard I stretch. But that doesn’t mean that everything I struggled for up until now has been worthless. Because somewhere, someone is going to need my strength, I just know it. Even if there are others more powerful than me, that doesn’t mean my power isn’t needed. We can’t rely on just a handful of the best of the best to protect the whole of humanity.

“Heh. I’m such a kid.”

That was the first day that Zack didn’t refill his glass—and a few days later, the Gray Wolf’s Claw Marks ended their hiatus.

It would be a few more days on top of that before Zack learned the truth: All of it had been arranged by Alfred himself after he’d heard about the state of the Adventurers’ Guild.

 

***

 

The intricately detailed and finely decorated horse-drawn carriage flew the flag of the Kingdom of Milestia. No expense had been spared on the magic items employed within, such that the passengers of the carriage never felt jostled or bumped about, no matter how rough the road. There were ten mounted Royal Knights surrounding the carriage, all clad in armor of pure white. They had been tasked with guarding the carriage’s occupant, but in truth, the escort was for show. The woman inside could defend herself—she was, after all, an elemental magic user.

“The house of Gilbert,” announced the woman’s assistant. “They have a long magical lineage, but none with an elemental aptitude have appeared in recent years.”

“Ah, I wanna go hooome,” the woman moaned. “Why did I have to come here? I hate the outside. I want to be inside. I hate all this sunlight.”

“…The Gilberts are a powerful noble house. Please ensure you do not offend them in any way. I will do my best to support you.”

“I know that, assistant. Just who do you think I am?”

And who was she? She was Amelia Von Eleftheria.

Amelia was a woman of many titles, but perhaps her greatest was Chief Researcher of Elemental Magic at the Magic Ministry. An outstanding young prodigy, she climbed to this position at the unprecedented age of twenty-two. She was one of the most knowledgeable people in the kingdom on the subject, but on that particular day, she did not wear that impressive title. She was riding in the carriage on account of her position as a magical examiner—a person tasked with determining the nature of an individual’s magical talent, if any.

“Ugh, I should never have gotten this stupid qualification.”

She had acquired the certification because it made some things more convenient for her studies. That was the only reason, and now it had come back to bite her. The house of Gilbert specifically requested the “most capable” magical examiner to be dispatched, and quite inconveniently in this case, Amelia perfectly matched their specifications. Marquis Gilbert was one of the largest landowners in the kingdom, aside from the king himself, and his own personal military strength was nothing to sniff at. There were questions raised by the conditions of his request, however—why exactly the most capable examiner would be necessary for a simple magical aptitude test, for one. What was it he was after? What was his goal? There was much speculation. Of course, at the time, no one suspected that it was simply because he was a doting father.

“Please don’t get so down about all this. We might even discover a rare aptitude while we’re here. Something like—”

“Light, maybe?” Amelia interrupted her assistant mid-sentence. “Well, that’d be nice, but I wouldn’t hold my breath for that one… I mean, when was the last time a rare aptitude was discovered? I think maybe it was… Oh, wasn’t the mentor of the former headmaster of Aslan Magic Academy a Light user?”

“So the records say, yes.”

“Man, I wanna see those records so bad. I mean, the headmaster could use three elements, which is totally crazy in its own right, but apparently, that was nothing compared to their mentor!”

“It seems hard to believe.”

“I hope I see one someday. I really want to meet a Light user,” Amelia lamented. “Ah, I’m going to bed. Wake me up when we’re there.”

“Understood.”

With that, she softly closed her already heavy eyelids.

 

***

 

When Amelia and her assistant descended from their carriage, they were welcomed by the present head of the house, Claude Gray Gilbert, his butler, Alfred, and several of his other attendants.

Claude’s deep-set facial features were made all the more imposing by the finely crafted mustache above his lip, and there was a sharpness to his eyes that gave him the impression of a bird of prey. It was an almost impossibly difficult task for any who met him to determine that he was, in fact, a loving father.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Gilbert. My name is Amelia Von Eleftheria, and I will be serving as your magical examiner for the day.”

“Ah, thank you for coming, Lady Amelia. I have heard much about you. I am most comfortable entrusting you with the task of my son’s aptitude test.”

“Thank you.”

All traces of her demeanor during the carriage ride had vanished. Her present behavior was that of a consummate professional.

“Let us get to it at once, then. Alfred, please take her inside. I will go and get my son.”

“Understood, Master. Right this way, if you would.”

Alfred led her to a little room where she only had to wait a few minutes before the door clicked open. Luke entered the room, accompanied by both of his parents.

“What are you doing here?”

“It’s my son’s appraisal! I could never miss this!”

“Ah, my apologies, Lady Amelia, but would it be all right if we joined you?”

“Of course, that’s quite all right.”

Luke sat down in the seat opposite Amelia, seemingly unfazed by his parents’ back-and-forth.

“So, you’re the one? I hear you’re good,” said the boy.

Amelia paused. “I am honored.”

Luke’s disdainful attitude certainly rubbed Amelia the wrong way, but she was careful never to let her emotions rise to the surface.

“Fine. Whatever,” Luke replied. “Get on with it.”

“I would like to confirm one thing with you before we begin. If it is determined through the course of this aptitude test that you are in possession of elemental magic, you will be obligated to acquire an elemental magic use qualification.”

“You’re saying I’ll need to graduate from a magic school, right?”

“Indeed, I am.”

“Hmph.”

Luke had thought long and hard about this. That little requirement—to prevent elemental magic users from leaving the country and wreaking havoc—was a chain that would bind him for the next few years, and he didn’t like that. However, he knew he had no choice but to take the aptitude test if he wanted to learn magic.

“Very well,” he answered.

“Okay then. I will be using an Information spell called Examine to inspect you.”

Amelia held one of her hands out toward Luke. Within it, she conjured a circular magic sigil filled with strange geometric shapes and patterns—which quickly disappeared.

“…Huh?”

“What’s wrong?” asked Luke.

I felt like my mana was being sucked away.

The clear, rational part of Amelia’s brain immediately answered the question for her, but she herself couldn’t believe it. She froze up for a few seconds.

“Nothing. Once more.”

She activated Examine again, and again she felt her mana draining. She was forced to pour even more into the process to confirm her suspicions.

It can’t be…

As she checked the results, a cold sweat broke across her skin.

“Dark,” Amelia mumbled to herself.

“What did you say?” Claude demanded nervously. “Does my son have an aptitude for elemental magic?”

Luke’s father awaited the results with ten times the nervousness of his son. The answer he received, however, was beyond anything he’d possibly expected.

“Dark magic! Holy crap!” Amelia’s voice was suddenly strange and intense. “This is so freakin’ cool!”

She shed all pretense of professionalism when faced with such a rare discovery.

Meanwhile, everyone else was speechless. Particularly Luke, who sat in silent dejection.

Dark, he thought miserably. So I’m undeniably the villain, huh?

 

***

 

Sometimes one action had a cascading chain of consequences—known as “the butterfly effect.”

As Luke began to study the art of the sword, his father, Claude was deeply affected by the sight of him never missing a day of training, and his doting went from bad to worse. It was that doting that compelled him to summon the “most capable” examiner for Luke’s aptitude test. The royals, unable to ignore a request from the house of Gilbert, dispatched the incredibly capable but completely unhinged mad researcher Amelia for the task. Luke’s aptitude for Dark magic should have been revealed much later, but it came to light immediately upon examination instead.

Amelia screamed.

Intermission:
Chief Researcher Amelia’s Diary

 

○TH OF ○

I can’t believe it.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget what happened today. Not until the day I die. How many centuries has it been since someone’s had an aptitude for Dark? No records in the past hundred years, at least. I was so surprised by it I got a little careless. Regrettable, but I just can’t suppress my intellectual curiosity! Seriously, not happening! I mean…I’ve always wanted to study the element of Dark!

I suppose I’ll contact the ministry to tell them I’m staying in Gilbadia for the time being. And ask Lord Gilbert to allow me to do research on his son’s Dark aptitude.

Ugh, I’ve always hated negotiating. I hope this goes well.

 

○th of ○

Negotiations worked out, but Lord Gilbert has asked me to be his son’s teacher as part of the deal.

I’m really not much of a teacher, but I suppose he’ll need to get a handle on the fundamentals before he can start tapping into his element. Someone’s going to have to instruct him and I do have a teaching qualification from Aslan Magic Academy, but…I only got that so I could enter the academy whenever I want to. The Great Library there’s awesome; they’ve got great research facilities, and once you’ve got the qualification, there’s no annoying paperwork to get inside.

Man, seriously, I’ve got zero interest in teaching the next generation. I’m worried about this. Ever since I was a student, nobody’s ever really understood the things I try to teach them.

 

△th of ○

Today was my first day teaching Luke magic, and there’s one thing I now know for certain—he doesn’t need an instructor. What’s the matter with him?! He’s incredible! All I need to do is hand him a spell book and he’ll do the rest!

People have always called me a genius. To be honest, I think even objectively speaking, they’re not wrong. I do have a talent for magic. I don’t find most things difficult.

…But Luke’s in a totally different dimension.

Has anyone ever managed to precisely control their mana on their very first try? Is there anyone capable of casting several non-elemental spells after their first day of magic instruction?

Answer: no. Until now.

I mean, I’d say that’s impossible, but he’s doing it all right in front of me. Holy crap, this kid is seriously something else.

 

△th of ○

They say the size of a person’s mana reserves is determined by their talent, but mana output is determined by effort. Personally, I don’t think it’s true. You need a talent for both. It’s just that it’s nearly impossible to improve your mana reserves through effort alone. It was a real shock when I analyzed Luke’s mana reserves with a Mana Perception spell—he’s got access to a huge amount of power. He’s on the level of an academy headmaster or a magic knight… Maybe something even more. I mean, I could sense the depth and power the first day I met him, but after going over the data, jeez, it must be in his blood, to have a naturally occurring reservoir of this size.

Anyway, all went smoothly again today. He keeps surpassing my every expectation, and now that we’ve gotten down to it, I’m actually finding teaching him pretty interesting.

 

□th of ○

Whoa. Seriously, whoa.

It’s only been eighteen days.

This stuff is supposed to take years, but Luke’s mastered the basics of magic in just eighteen days. He can already use almost all of the non-elemental spells. I’d heard rumors about the Gilbert heir being an eccentric who studies the sword, but I didn’t realize he’d be crazy good at magic too. I’m so absorbed in my work that I’m rarely in on the latest gossip, but even I know the whispered rumors about him that have circulated among the aristocracy the past couple years. Even so, when the Gilberts first contacted me, I thought there was no way he’d be ready to take the entrance exam on his fifteenth birthday. He only had two years to prepare. I was wrong. Turns out that’s more than enough time for a monster like this kid. And it’s not only due to his natural talent, which is already beyond the norm. What’s even scarier is how completely laser-focused he is.

And soon…we’re finally getting into elemental magic instruction. Tomorrow! Heck yeah! Oh, I just can’t wait! I’m so freaking excited, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep at all tonight.

 

○○th of ○

Light keeps everyone away, but Dark swallows everything whole. Light reflects, and Dark absorbs… The stories were right! Yeah, sure, all of this was in the records, but actually seeing the crazy magic-absorbing thing it does up close was on another level! Really amazing. This does make me wonder how I should go about teaching him, though. There’s not much precedent for the rare elements, so it’s hard to design a syllabus for this. I mean, there’s so much I’ll need to figure out for myself. That’s why I just decided to start out by showing him my own magic.

My elemental magic is based in Sound.

Even as elements go, Sound’s strong—like, really strong—because the speed of sound makes it impossible to see my attacks with the naked eye. If I went up against any regular human, I imagine they’d die before even realizing what was happening.

I showed Luke a spell called Arrow of Sound. The base spell itself is extremely elementary, but when I combine it with my element, it becomes a single, insanely fast, almost undetectable strike.

Yep, my spells are strong, if I do say so myself. Luke’s always looking down on me, so the surprised look on his face when he saw that was kinda cute. I’m sure there’s a limit, but I think that Dark element’s ability to absorb should technically result in the strongest possible combination of shield and spear. I wonder, could it even block my Sound magic?

My hypothesis is that it’s impossible. The most powerful shield in the world is useless if you can’t activate it in time, after all. It looks like he realized that for himself, though, I saw him thinking it over. That was all we got done for the day, in the end. Hmm… Maybe I was wrong to show him my element?

Teaching really is tough.

 

#th of ○

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy… Man, oh man, this is crazy!

There’s this thing that Luke can do that I’ve called “Dark Blessing.” Let me try to explain it by starting with the basics.

Every magic user in the world has the Detect Mana ability. It’s so trivially simple that it barely even counts as magic at all. There’s also a basic Protection magic spell called Magic Barrier… And Luke said he “linked the two of them together.” Somehow…? Like, what the heck?! I’m the Chief Researcher of Elemental Magic, and I can’t for the life of me figure out what he means by that.

Dark Blessing is a Dark element ability that activates a Magic Barrier the moment mana is detected. In other words, Luke has created a partially automated magic security system that blocks spells. He doesn’t even need to think about it, which means it doesn’t matter one bit if the magic is undetectable or travels at impossible speeds. When he asked me to test it out, I thought there was no way it would work… But I couldn’t resist giving in to my intellectual curiosity, despite the fact that even my weakened spells would seriously injure Luke if I were to land a hit. Even so, how could I not? I had to test it out…for knowledge!

Looking back on it now, maybe I was just being self-centered. But hey, it worked out. He was absolutely right! He completely blocked my spell! Holy crap, it was crazy!

According to Luke, since Dark Blessing is an ability he uses unconsciously, it’s only capable of blocking spells under a certain amount of mana. Still, I know he’s got no idea just how amazing that thing is. He’s so powerful and yet knows nothing at all. And there’s more! He’s capable of creating a copy of any spell he absorbs with Dark Blessing! He went and recreated my Arrow of Sound for me!

Ah, this is so cool! I’m so lucky, I can’t believe it… He’s so, so, so good I j— (the rest of this entry is illegible)

 

☆th of ○

Luke’s capable of casting a basic Arrow of Darkness now. That’s great, but I mean, this should have definitely come before Dark Blessing… Even the order he learns things in is weird. I’m used to that now, though.

Luke’s Arrow of Darkness has an absorbing quality to it, meaning that unless the Magic Barrier protecting his targets contains more mana than he’s poured into his arrow, the barrier will just get absorbed into his attack. In fact, the absorbed mana from the barrier makes his Arrow of Darkness even stronger. Oh man, this Dark elemental magic really is the best! It presents so many possibilities! I was right to stay here after all—there’s something new to study every day. I want to know everything about Dark.

Ah, right, Luke’s folks are having a party to celebrate the discovery of his element, apparently. They’ve asked me to attend too, but I really don’t wanna go. I’d rather just sit and watch Luke do his magic from the sidelines. I bet the place will be full of aristocrats, and I’ll have to act all proper and sensible.

How depressing.

 

***

 

The first time I saw Arrow of Light, it made me shudder in actual terror. I thought I’d be dead if someone attacked me with magic like that. How could such outrageous spells even exist in this world?

Amelia-san is really incredible. This Sound magic stuff is way too strong.

She was obviously holding back, but her attacks were still so powerful—not to mention they came at literally the speed of sound.

I wouldn’t doubt for a second if someone told me Amelia-san’s the strongest magic user in the whole world.

At the same time, I felt a familiar, fiery rage roar to life within me.

Another person who surpasses me. I am so sick of this.

I knew I had to come up with a plan to counter her spell. I thought long and hard about it. Thankfully, Amelia taught me a lot about magic theory in my lessons. I found her to be very knowledgeable despite her…other flaws.

To be honest, she’s a little—well, actually, a lot—weird.

She gets this crazed look in her eyes and starts breathing really heavily. The faces she makes…and I swear I’ve seen her drooling sometimes.

Truly the expression of a person with some very important screws missing inside their head.

The things she taught me were all accurate, though, and the time I spent with Amelia was very productive. At least, apart from the times she’d tell me to “knuckle down, and just go like, fwoosh! Whoops! Ta-da!” and other nonsense. But even then, I usually somehow understood what she was trying to say.

Eventually, I came up with a method to counter Amelia’s magic: Dark Blessing.

Unfortunately, this spell did have a significant disadvantage—while active, it considerably reduced my mana output. Still, I was pretty pleased with myself for finding a solution. Honestly, it’s almost disgusting how much talent I had. Whenever I put in the smallest amount of effort, I always got immediate results. No, it’s not just that. Even if I didn’t try that hard, most people would never be capable of reaching anywhere close to my level. Everything I did proved that I was one of the chosen ones and swelled my ego even further.

And yet—I’ve already met two people who are better than me.

I saw the wall looming up ahead. I needed to try harder, keep pushing, put in even more effort to overcome it. I’d been lucky, but how much luckier could I possibly get? Still, I was glad things worked out the way they did. I felt like I was getting closer to my goal.

Closer and closer to those truly peerless heights, the tallest peaks that are obscured by mist and hidden from those looking up from the ground.

That’s the only place I’ll ever find peace. I have to crush everything that stands between me and that goal. It’s going to be an annoying task, but I have to do it.

“Luke.”

It was my father’s voice.

Oh, right. I’m in the middle of a party filled with two-faced aristocrats. I shouldn’t daydream too much.

“Is something wrong, Father?”

“I wonder, do you like any of the girls here?”

“Excuse me?”

I genuinely didn’t understand what he was asking.

“I am asking if any of these girls are to your liking.”

“Uh…”

So I did hear him right. Where the heck did that come from?! How can you just ask me that with a straight face?

“Nobody in particular,” I answered calmly.

It was the truth. I hadn’t exchanged more than a few words with anybody at that party, male or female.

“Hmph, I see.”

Seriously, what’s up with this guy?! He’s my dad, right? I’ve got no idea what he’s getting at!

“I have received several offers of marriage on your account, but I have refused them all. Do you know why, Luke?”

“No.”

“It is because you are to choose for yourself.”

I see. I knew I wouldn’t have an arranged marriage, but I didn’t know why until just now. Powerful nobles really place a lot of weight in making political connections to other houses, but I suppose my father is a more sentimental type of guy.

“You are to tell me if a girl strikes your fancy,” he told me. “I will ensure that you take her as your wife. There is but one exception—royalty.”

This does feel like the kind of thing Luke’s parents would say. He’s so arrogant that he doesn’t doubt for a second that what he’s saying is possible… And giving me a line like that without a hint of malice in his eyes just makes this feel even worse.

“Thank you, Father,” I replied, just to satisfy him.

“That is all. Enjoy the party.”

What could I do but sigh? It was tiring enough having to deal with the boring aristocrats, and then my father had to ambush me to talk about that?

Maybe I should have been frank with him? Told him to mind his own business? No, that would have just made things worse. I couldn’t remember the whole story, but I did recall that in the original book, Luke stayed locked up in his parents’ home.

Probably so the next enemy the main character faced was Luke’s father. This made him resent the main character, and he tried everything in his power to destroy him. It’s, like, “Chapter Two: The Aristocrat’s Conspiracy Arc”—something like that. Well, that’s not how it’s going to play out.

“You look awfully sad for someone who’s just discovered their talent for a rare element.”

It was a girl’s voice. Normally I might blurt out “What now?” in immediate response, but that night, I simply turned my tired eyes towards her instead. The girl who stood before me was quite beautiful. She had long, shining silver hair, sharp blue-green eyes, and beautiful skin.

I bet any man or woman would be captivated just walking past her in the street. There’s a sort of aloof coldness to her, though, that powerful feeling of intimidation that often comes with beauty. To be honest, she’s not my type. I like girls who are more expressive and energetic, who really wear their heart on their sleeve, y’know? The one who’s standing in front of me looks like the polar opposite of that… Though I’ve definitely only got this on my mind because of Father.

“Alice Rune Lonsdale, was it?”

“Oh my, you know my name then, Luke Witharia Gilbert.”

This should be the first time I’ve ever met the eldest daughter of the house of Earl Lonsdale. The fact that I know her name means her family must be fairly influential aristocrats.

“May I call you Luke?” she asked.

“Call me whatever you want.”

“Well then. You may call me Alice.”

Oh, c’mon. Why are you approaching me?

“So…what, you use elemental magic then?” I asked, not particularly interested in her answer.

“The way you speak is rather snobbish, isn’t it? I suppose I’ll deign to answer you, though,” she sneered. “Indeed, I can.”

“I see.”

The first thing I thought when I looked at her was that she’s probably an Ice element user. That would be fitting for someone with such an ice queen vibe, and we’re both characters in a story, after all.

“Ice, right?”

“Who told you, I wonder?”

Huh, I was right. Sort of surprising, actually, that she’s exactly what she looks like.

“But that isn’t all.”

“Oh?”

“Ice and Poison. Those are my elements.”

Whoa. A double-element user? That really is impressive. And those are pretty villainous ones too. She might even give my Dark element a run for its money with those.

“You don’t seem all that surprised,” she continued.

Alice seemed displeased by my reaction. There was little of it on her face, but I could sense the emotion in her voice.

“I suppose you’re looking down on me because you have one of the rare elements,” she said haughtily.

“Mwa ha ha, that wasn’t my intent.”

My response only seemed to make her more hostile.

“Very well. I wonder, are you are free tomorrow? Let us hold a sparring match.”

“A sparring match?”

“Yes. I’m sure such things wouldn’t usually be allowed, but with her,” Alice paused to glance over at Amelia, “I imagine it might be possible.”

I followed her gaze. My mentor was acting like the model of a proper young aristocratic woman, completely at odds with how she normally was.

There sure is a gap between her public and private faces.

“Right, let’s do it then.”

I refused to run from an explicit challenge. I had no choice but to accept.

 

***

 

Alice was blessed with good looks and a talent for magic and, as a result, grew up surrounded by people who supported her with positive reinforcement. This upbringing did cause her personality to warp in certain ways, however, as she found herself contrasted with her distinctly undistinguished older brother, Yolande.

Yolande was kind to a fault. No matter how poorly his family treated him, he never stopped loving them. That was just the sort of endlessly kind person he was. Even as Alice and Yolande were set against each other, even as she was complimented and he was scolded, he always cared for her.

Children watched their parents as they grew, and Alice came to look down upon her older brother as well. Gradually, her feelings towards him began to escalate beyond their parents’ display of favoritism. She was never violent but would quite often shower him with verbal abuse. No matter how kind an individual might be, however, no normal man could withstand such daily punishment forever. But Yolande was not a normal man.

Secretly, he had an extreme sister complex and was a complete masochist.

He never thought of the abuse as a negative. Whenever Alice would berate and disparage him, he felt a perverse thrill. Yolande’s kindness was genuine. It was simply that everything about his situation—a situation that would have made any normal individual fall into the depths of self-pity—brought him supreme joy.

That was how he became so kind in the first place, so endlessly loving, and it was that kindness of his that ultimately warped his sister’s personality. Alice’s heart grew colder with each day as she berated and belittled her brother. The frost spread and grew with time until she turned into a complete and utter sadist.

And then she met Luke.

Luke constantly looked down on everyone around him. From the moment that Alice first saw him, she was seized by longing, completely overtaken by the desire to humiliate the boy behind those arrogant eyes. Luke’s element might be rare, but Alice knew that he’d only been studying for about a month. She, on the other hand, had over three years of practice under her belt. Besides that, she had plenty of talent in her own right as a user of two elements.

She could not possibly lose to him. There was simply no way it could happen.

Alice wailed bitterly as she fired off a barrage of spells, but it was no use. Everything was swallowed up by the darkness. She could do nothing to stop Luke’s slow march toward her.

He placed the blade of his sword to Alice’s neck, and then Amelia cried out.

“L-Luke! That’s enough! No more! You can’t go any further than that!” Her voice betrayed her conflicted heart, and her true self began to bubble to the surface. “Ah, b-but maybe a little more… I wonder if… No, no! Scratch that!”

Amelia pulled herself together and broke up the duel like a responsible adult.

“You aren’t ready. Everything about you is half-baked,” said Luke.

Alice lay face down on the ground, panting heavily. She had used up practically every last drop of mana within her and could no longer even stand. No matter how many times she tried, the result was always the same—Luke’s blade pressed to her neck. That was the end of it. Every single spell, whether Poison or Ice or a combination of both, was easily swallowed by Dark. It was no contest. Not even close.

She struggled to make sense of what had happened, her breathing ragged and her ego trampled thoroughly. With each loss, Alice heard the exact same degrading words that she’d spent years saying to her brother.

“Pitiful, aren’t you? You thought to challenge me with such meager strength?”

Alice should have been the one embarrassing him, but it was she who suffered the humiliation instead. With a crack, her self-conceit collapsed in on itself. Her mind could not endure the burden that loss placed upon it.

“Ah… M-more…” she gasped.

Sometimes a person’s heart could betray them.

There’s certainly a debate to be had whether this happened as a desperate move for self-preservation or if it’s merely one’s true nature being exposed. Regardless, at that moment, it was clear that Alice’s heart had indeed betrayed her.

“More… Ah… Insult me more! G-go ahead, talk down to me…”

“…Huh?”

In other words, she switched from an S to an M.

 

***

I asked him to inform me if any of the girls struck his fancy, and the very next day, he’s meeting with one of them. I see what’s going on here, my boy.

Luke would not learn of it for a while longer, but his father’s great misunderstanding, coupled with his incredible ability to get things done, would result in the hasty but smoothly arranged engagement of Luke and Alice.

 

***

 

“Argh!”

Beaten, bruised, and on his knees, Abel spat blood onto the floor. It was an odd spectacle for some, but nothing uncommon for him. This was Abel’s daily life.

“Stop. No more.”

“Just a little longer. A few more minutes…”

“You won’t stop?”

“Ugh!”

Elka’s chop sent the light fading from Abel’s blood-red eyes in an instant. She knocked him out so easily, like it was child’s play. Abel was drained of mana and far past his physical limits. He had nothing left to resist her with.

“Seriously. Is this really what you want? I wonder about this more every day… Gela, would you mind?”

“Yes, Lady Elka.”

“Healing.”

As the woman named Gela chanted the word, Abel’s body was enveloped in green light, bringing him back from the verge of death as if he’d only scraped a knee.

“How many times is that today?” asked Elka.

“At least fifty, I believe,” the woman responded.

“You’re insane, really. Sorry for all the trouble we’re causing you.”

“Whatever do you mean? I find no greater joy than in using my power to repay just a small fraction of the many favors I have received from you, Lady Elka.”

“Stubborn as always. You really should’ve been a priest like I told you, but you just won’t compromise on your beliefs, will you?”

“The temples only offer healing to those with the money to pay them, and I could never accept that.”

“Heh, and that makes you weird. Not like I’m one to talk, though, I suppose.”

Elka looked down at Abel, lying on the ground before her.

He has no talent for the sword. He can use magic, but he’s not much good with that either. The boy chases strength like he’s possessed.

It was precisely because Elka knew the reason why he wanted to become stronger that she felt she couldn’t stop him.

“It would be easier to tell him to give up if there were no path available to him.”

Abel was unable to use elemental magic, of course, and could only use one non-elemental spell.

That single spell was the key. It unlocked the path that Abel could take to reach new heights, for better or worse. Unfortunately, that path was so narrow and rough that most ordinary people wouldn’t consider it a road at all.

“I’m so happy! Really, truly, I was so worried about what I’d do if I didn’t have anything. But now, with this, I…I just have to move forward.”

There was a path to the top, and the moment Abel learned of it, he began to smile. Elka would never forget the way he grinned—like he was possessed by something. Just knowing that a path was available was enough for Abel, no matter what might await him on the journey.

That was the day that Elka renewed her resolve.

Abel is going to break apart. He’ll smash himself into pieces if I’m not there to guide him…

Elka worried herself sick about him. She would sometimes sit up at night fretting until the morning light came shining in through the curtains.

I want Abel to be happy.

Elka was single-minded in that thought. She wanted to take him by the shoulders and say,

“Stop. Give up. Strength isn’t everything. There are so many more choices available to you in life.”

She imagined herself telling him that so many times, but…

“…I could never say the words.”

Whenever she saw Abel’s eyes brimming with that crazed determination, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything. Elka knew those eyes, and she understood that nothing she could say to him would make a difference. Abel was never going to stop, because he couldn’t. That was why Elka had to make up her own mind, and she did.

She resolved to walk that path of carnage right alongside him.

 

***

 

“Whenever you’re ready.”

“Here I come, then.”

In an instant, Alfred vanished into thin air. He moved with such speed that no normal person could track him with the naked eye. Then came a flash of light and metal as Alfred delivered a horizontal slash. The difference in build between the two of them could not be overcome, and Luke had no hope of winning on strength alone. He could not handle receiving such blows head-on, and that was why Luke instead sought to perfect his technique.

With perfect timing, he angled his sword precisely to knock Alfred’s blade against the flat, thick ridge of his sword. Most would have had to spend years of mind-numbing training to achieve such feats, but to Luke, it was as easy as breathing. It was a beautiful parry, but completely within the bounds of what Alfred expected of his student. He expected Luke to be so good as a matter of course and planned his moves anticipating the block. He kicked at his opponent—a nonstandard move to be sure, and a far cry from the honorable, legitimate sword-fighting arts of the kingdom. It was meant to catch Luke off guard and nothing else. He managed to twist his torso to avoid it, but that wasn’t the end. Without a second’s delay, he thrust at Alfred.

Brilliant! His natural responses to a surprise attack… He turned the dodge into an ambush of his own!

Thoughts of admiration filled Alfred’s head, but he dismissed them at once.

I must put everything I have into this fight, move with the intent to kill him, or this will be no contest.

Alfred bent himself backwards, twisting through the air to both dodge Luke’s attack and place some distance between the two of them. In doing so, he fired off an uppercut kick, which Luke also dodged effortlessly.

“Ah ha ha! Swordplay can be such fun!”

Now on the offense, Luke charged in and swung his sword upwards in a diagonal slash. Alfred blocked and countered, which earned him a brutal chain of attacks in response. Luke struck quick as lightning, moved swift as a whirlwind as he delivered blow after blow. Alfred had no time for even a misplaced breath. The sparring, however, filled the two of them with the same emotion—excitement.

Diagonal slashes, descending strikes, blocks, counters, kicks, upward slashes, parries, feints, shoves, leg sweeps…

Nothing’s off the table in a sword fight; not if you’re aiming for victory. There could be no compromise. Alfred felt the familiar chill of the battlefield, the excitement of dancing with death, but couldn’t escape the faint nagging of his own inadequacies.

Tch. I hate growing old.

The match, which had seemed like it might continue forever, was suddenly brought to a swift end.

“I win, Alfred.”

“Indeed. I expected nothing less, Master Luke.”

Luke pressed his blade to his butler’s throat.

“I regret that I’ll never be able to fight you in your prime,” said the boy.

Alfred chuckled. “I was thinking the exact same thing. I would only be a mere challenger to your strength, of course.”

“Hey now. You’re supposed to be my mentor.”

There’s been nothing for me to teach you for so long now, Alfred thought to himself. To be honest, I don’t think we should be sparring together any longer. Fighting too many battles against the same opponent just encourages bad habits.

The fact that Alfred was still crossing swords with Luke was partly because he had yet to find him a more suitable partner, but it was also a result of Alfred’s own selfish, overpowering desire to keep crossing swords with Luke. He wanted to feel the power of Luke’s sword against his own.

But I have to put a stop to this sooner or later. In any case, I’m not strong enough for him anymore. He really is incredible.

When Luke’s elemental magic awakened, Alfred expected that he would discard his sword practice, but he never did. The realization that he would be able to see Luke fight with a sword again brought Alfred such indescribable joy. It was, however, an unavoidable fact that he needed to find Luke a suitable sparring partner. It was just as he was mulling the issue over that Alfred heard the sound.

Clap, clap, clap.

A sarcastic round of applause. Luke and Alfred both turned to see Alice looking at them.

“You really do have a taste for swordplay. That was wonderful.”

Alfred bowed to their guest, and Luke made no attempt to hide his displeasure at the gesture.

“Alfred. Prepare my bath.”

“Yes, Master Luke.”

As Luke turned to leave, he became aware of an unpleasant panting coming from somewhere behind him. He stopped in his tracks.

“I told you to stop doing that. Have you forgotten already?”

“Perhaps I have. What are you g-going to do if I don’t st-stop? Beat me?” she questioned breathlessly. “You’ll use your f-finely h-honed sword techniques to rip my clothes to shreds and h-humiliate me, I suppose?”

“Enough. Go home.”

Luke couldn’t bear it anymore. Only a few days had passed since his short fight against Alice, but he already hated her. Perhaps “hate” was too strong a word, but he certainly would prefer to stay far away from her. He found her off-putting and hard to understand.

“I do think you should listen to what I have to say,” said Alice.

“I don’t imagine anything you could say to me would be worth listening to. Hurry up and go—”

“You and I are to be bound by marriage,” she interjected.

“—home… Huh?”

Luke dropped the towel that he’d been using to wipe the sweat from his brow. I understand the words individually, but this doesn’t make sense. My brain is completely refusing to process this situation.

“What did you just say?”

“I’m not lying. I heard it from my own father this morning, and I accepted. It made me happy.”

“…Wait a minute. My head hurts.”

Luke set the gears in his mind turning at a rapid speed.

I met Alice at the party just recently. Why is this happening? It’s so fast… Way too fast. The only person who could do something like this is…

Father! This was your doing!

Luke immediately struck upon the answer.

My father’s so capable it’s coming back to bite me! How the heck does he already have this completely arranged after only a few days?! The offers of engagements were just talk, right? I could have handled them! Of all the girls in the world, why did he pick this one?! Argh!

It would be one thing if the betrothal was still under discussion, but since it’s settled, I’m stuck. Breaking off an engagement means losing face. The house of Gilbert is not likely to care much about that, but the will of Luke within me cares a lot. It would be unacceptable to take actions that bring shame to the family name.

“Why…?” I lamented. “Why is this happening…?”

“Ah, it c-can’t be… I…I’m so sad to see that this upsets you.”

Alice was flushed and breathless.

“You changed everything about me, Luke. I feel we may have a fated connection, and yet…” She paused. “You don’t feel the same, do you?”

“No.”

“I see. However, there would be three advantages to this arrangement for you.”

“Go on then. What would those advantages be?”

Alice’s breathing only got rougher as they continued, her face growing redder by the minute. Luke looked at her with disdain, unable to understand what was happening to her. Quite frankly, he found her behavior unsettling. His sharp looks only made Alice unravel further, and so the vicious cycle went on.

“First, there is the fact that the house of Lonsdale has a high aptitude for magic. If the two of us marry, our descendants are practically guaranteed to be gifted and powerful.”

“…”

“Next, there’s the fact that I am of unparalleled beauty.”

“…”

“Having me at your side will increase your status as a man,” she continued. “There are some doors a man cannot open without a beautiful woman as his partner, are there not? The same goes for women, I suppose.”

…How is she managing to say all this with a straight face?

“Lastly, you will never be stressed if you marry me.”

“And why is that?”

“I am confident that I can accommodate a-any and all of your, ah, desires, no matter h-how intense they might be… Aha…ha…”

“…”

With that, the remaining strength drained from Luke’s legs, and he fell to the ground as Alice writhed and fidgeted.

Why is this happening?

Where did I go wrong?

He racked his brain for answers and found nothing. He was tired and resorted to turning his eyes away from the reality before him.

Amelia-san recommended Aslan Magic Academy, didn’t she? It sounds like it’s hard to get into. I’m going to need to try my best… Ha ha…ha… Ah, man.

“Are you okay, Luke?”

Luke answered Alice’s question with stony silence.

 

***

 

Meanwhile, Claude leaned back in his chair in his personal study. A slight smile troubled his dignified expression as he waited impatiently for his son to come running through the door in a fit of ecstasy.

Chapter Three:
Aslan Magic Academy

 

ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED WITH THE GOAL OF training the nation’s top fighting force, the Magic Knights, Aslan Magic Academy was the greatest institution of magical learning in the Kingdom of Milestia.

For those who sought to become Magic Knights, graduation from the academy truly was an important stepping stone on the path to success.

Many who discovered an affinity for magic would apply to the academy at some point in their lives, and most eventually gave up on the idea. Simply knowing the basics was not enough to bring one to the starting line of Aslan Magic Academy.

Few made it into the Academy, and fewer still became Magic Knights, an elite group of just ten exceptional individuals who held supreme positions of authority and honor, clearly set apart from members of the other magic divisions. They were respected and could not be easily ignored, even by the king. They were the chosen and the righteous, absolutely worthy of the admiration they received.

Because the academy was intended to be a proper venue for the crowning of heroes, it was also famous for being an extreme meritocracy. There was no system for legacy admissions, as it was thought that such practices would lead to declining magical talent in the aristocracy. It was not simply your typical rich kid boarding school; it was a very strict institution.

My thoughts drifted in this direction as I was, in fact, in a horse-drawn carriage on my way to take the entrance exam for that very academy.

“…But why did I have to get stuck riding with you?”

“What a strange question. Is there perhaps any reason we should not be traveling together, now that we have promised to spend our future as one?”

The girl’s expression remained almost unchanging as she flatly responded to my question. Truly unfortunate as the fact might be, she was my fiancée, Alice Rune Lonsdale.

I’ve accepted it at this point, honestly. Only a fool would keep wailing over something they can’t change. What I need to think about now is the future. How do I claim happiness with an eccentric pervert like Alice as my future wife? What’s my best course of action from here on out?

Hm… Uh… Well. Hmph, maybe that shouldn’t be at the front of my mind anyway.

Scratch that, I need to focus on what’s right in front of me: the hardest academy entrance exam in the whole kingdom.

“I’m beginning to get a little nervous,” Alice mumbled suddenly.

For someone who’s worried, it barely registers on your face, I thought.

“Are you not worried, Luke? You look the same as ever.”

“’Course I’m not. Do you honestly think that something as trifling as this could worry me?”

She hesitated. “No. I was just wondering.”

To be honest, I don’t understand how she feels. What is there for her to be worried about? She has the rare natural affinity for two types of elemental magic, and she’s never slacked in her studies—not since she met me, at least.

“What you should be thinking about is how to graduate top of the class with honors.”

“…Huh?”

Alice’s look of surprise was so faint that no normal person would have even been able to detect it at all.

“Don’t fret over insignificant hurdles such as this exam. It is beneath you.”

That’s what I truly thought—she’s going to pass. There was no question in my mind about that. Alice was so talented that even Amelia couldn’t stop raving about her. Plus, she’d put in the effort.

“Heh… You can be quite mean at times.”

“How so?”

“It’s nothing. Forget about it.”

Alice smiled.

Well, I’m happy if she feels a bit less worried about the exam now. Humans are creatures of emotion. We can often fail to perform at our full potential due to a weakness of the heart. It happens all the time, in fact.

As we spoke, the carriage came to a stop. I heard a rattle and clunk beneath us, and Alfred, who had been trying his best to give us privacy in the small compartment, swiftly stood up and opened the door.

“Mind your feet as you descend.”

I departed the carriage first, and Alice followed. I was immediately struck by the grand and imposing gate looming over me. It wasn’t my first time seeing the academy, but it still made my breath catch in my chest. The architecture I saw beyond the gate felt historic, like the residence of a member of the royal family.

“Well then, I will return once your examination has finished.”

“Sure.”

Those were the only words that Alfred offered before signaling the carriage driver to leave. He spoke no words of encouragement, as if what we were doing was an everyday occurrence.

“That butler of yours is rather cold, isn’t he?”

I guess he probably seems like that to you. But I sensed the trust beneath those words. Alfred-san’s my mentor. I know him well enough now.

The corners of my mouth curled into a faint smile.

“H-hey, is that…?”

“Whoa! That’s Luke Witharia Gilbert!”

“H-he’s here to take the exam too?”

“Alice Rune Lonsdale’s with him. Ah, so they really are engaged to be married…”

Great. Now here’s something to rain on my parade.

I tried to ignore them, but the unpleasant glares followed me. It seemed the rumors had spread like wildfire among the nobility following the party. That was why the rabble were aware of me, but knowing the reason didn’t lessen the irritation I felt.

These foolish sheep are only capable of viewing things on a surface level. When I was only a student of the sword, they detested me, yet their opinions flipped in an instant when my Dark element was discovered. Their idiocy makes me feel physically sick.

“Luke, are you okay? Your expression is scaring me a little.”

“…I’m fine. Let’s go.”

“Right.”

I put those thoughts behind me as we passed under the gate to the academy.

Not that walking away is going to do anything to stop them from staring at me. Actually, I reckon that half the blame is down to the girl walking serenely by my side. Despite her personality, she’s absolutely gorgeous. I’m the only one at the academy who knows what she’s really like, though. If there were anyone here who could love her for who she is, I’d give her up in a heartbeat.

Alice’s words echoed in my head:

“You are the one who changed everything about me, Luke, and that is why I grow excited when you scorn me. I am not some pervert that would accept anyone at all.”

Really, though, I just can’t believe that Alice doesn’t consider herself a pervert.

It was as I walked and considered such sigh-inducing matters that Alice’s older brother suddenly popped into my head as well. His name was Yolande, I recalled, and he constantly wore a smile that looked like it had been plastered onto his face.

Why am I remembering him now? No, it’s a specific moment that has caught in the back of my mind: when we first met, and he shook my hand, and Alice told me that he was worthless. In truth, I did note that he had a certain fecklessness about him, but I sensed something else in that handshake too—a surge of incredibly refined mana. I can’t shake the strange feeling he gave me… The man was a concentrated dose of weird.

“Hm? It appears a crowd has gathered.”

The sound of Alice’s voice dragged me back to reality, and I saw that there was indeed a crowd forming around two boys and a girl.

They are in my way.

“Bah ha ha! Abel? That’s the only name you’ve got?!” bellowed the larger boy. “I was wondering what a commoner was doing here, but you’re actually even lower than that! Incredible!”

“So what?! What’s your problem?! Rank’s got nothing to do with who can enter Aslan!”

“It’s fine, Lily. It doesn’t bother me.”

There was a spirited-looking girl raising her voice to match the bully’s, but it was the black-haired boy in simple clothing beside her that caught my eye. He looked weak, and his eyes were red, like blood. I knew at once.

That’s him, right there. I suppose this makes sense. Of course the main character’s here. But who cares? This changes nothing.

“Move,” I said curtly to the bigger boy, who was still blocking my path.

“Hey! Who the heck do you think you’re talk—”

The boy trailed off abruptly as he turned to face me, and recognition dawned in his wide, horrified eyes.

“You need me to say it again? Get out of my sight. Move.”

“M-M-Master Luke! My apologies!” he stammered. “Please, g-go right ahead!”

I’ve no idea who he is, but it seems like he knows me.

A silent chill descended upon the crowd, but I passed through without paying them any further mind. I eyed the boy they’d called Abel, who was wearing a stupid expression of stunned surprise as I walked by.

“Do you know that black-haired boy?” asked Alice, breaking the silence once we were away from the others.

“No, I don’t. Never seen him before.”

“I see. You were smiling, so I thought the two of you might be friends.”

“Mwa ha ha… Was I, now?”

I hadn’t noticed. It makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? This means the time has finally come, so why wouldn’t I be smiling? Come on then, main character. I won’t run from you. I won’t hide.

I don’t care how much this world loves you; I’ll crush you head-on.

 

***

 

Of course, I already knew that I was very talented at many things. I suppose that up until recently, I’d only had Alice to compare myself to as a peer, which was a concern, but still…I was clearly highly capable. That’s not arrogance, that’s just objective analysis.

But this entrance exam has made it obvious that even in Aslan Magic Academy, a place for those of the highest talent to gather, there’s nobody who surpasses me. It’s not just that—these people aren’t even close to Alice’s level, let alone mine. There’s nobody here who could stand in my way.

Nobody at all.

Nobody, and yet…

Thunk.

Before I realized what was happening, my fist collided with the wall of the carriage.

“Luke…”

“Don’t talk to me right now.”

Damn it. What the heck did he do?

Fortify Strength.

It happened during the practical testing that followed our written exam. It was a simple three-round magical duel between entrants. There was a spell that Abel had used, a completely commonplace non-elemental ability that anyone could use. Including me, of course, but…

Times five.

He stacked that simple enhancement spell on himself five times. How?! He shouldn’t be able to. That’s not possible. Every person has a limit to how much they can enhance their own physical abilities using magic. Everyone is bound by that limit. Most people are capable of receiving single enhancements. Some rare individuals can manage two at a time.

Amelia-san mentioned that adventurers were more likely to tolerate multiple. I’ve received two casts of an enhancement spell before, but I was only told after the fact that it was something special. But this guy…he managed five at once. That’s not just special—it simply makes no sense.

I just didn’t understand it, and the fact that I didn’t made me furious. The unknown source of his abilities unsettled and frustrated me, but on the other hand, it seemed he couldn’t even control it himself. Maybe he didn’t understand it either.

I ran thousands of simulations in my head of what would have happened if the two of us fought, supposing Abel was able to control his abilities. I imagined every possibility, accounting for every single variable—but no matter what, the results always came out the same: I would win. No question.

He can never defeat me. It doesn’t matter how hard he struggles. My victory is certain. But then what is this itch in my chest? Why do these dark feelings hang like rain clouds above me? I feel as if a predator is watching me, waiting for the right time to lunge for my throat…

“Alfred.”

“Yes?”

“We won’t be sparring as much from now on. Give it all you’ve got tonight.”

“Understood, Master Luke.”

I love the sword. At times like these, it’s all I want to do.

Tch, I’m pathetic. What am I getting flustered for? He surpassed what I imagined him capable of, that’s all. It’s because I don’t understand how he did it. I just need to go further. I’ll reach even higher than he can.

That’s all.

 

***

 

Aslan Magic Academy.

In a certain meeting room, an important assembly was taking place between the headmaster of the academy and his teaching staff. The extravagant table between them was lined with documents.

“Luke from the house of Gilbert blows the rest of them out of the water. He’s clearly of a different sort from the other entrants.”

“Ho ho, ‘twas marvelously refined mana indeed,” agreed the headmaster, an old man with a long white beard of around half his total height. “And to say nothing of the stunning nature of his rare element.”

“Incredible, in a word. Kids born with talent like his would normally get over-confident and lazy about it, but it’s obvious he’s been putting the work in.”

“Yeah, totally. Luke’s an amazing kid!” Amelia chimed in.

“Amelia? Damn it, what are you doing here? You’re just a guest instructor and this is an important meeting,” grumbled another instructor. “You feel like being a teacher today then, huh? Irritates me that everyone else just accepts you bein’ here.”

“H-hey, don’t be like that, Brad! I intend to make very good use of my time here at this academy! It’s a magnet for magical talent,” she shot back. “Besides, I can do my research anywhere I like! I-it’s not as if I have p-personal reasons for coming here!”

The gruff man snorted derisively.

“I’m the one who called Amelia here,” interjected the headmaster. “Let’s discuss this properly now, given he was top of the class of new entrants. Have you seen this report? This is coming from me, not Amelia. The boy is insanely talented.”

“Perhaps, but his behavior is another matter entirely! Did you know he snapped at me to get out of his way during the exam?! I only stumbled a little and bumped into him! I’m an examiner!”

“Ah ha ha! Well, you are pretty damn clumsy.”

“I am not clumsy! Amelia, didn’t you find the time to instill some manners into the boy during your lessons?! Hmph!”

“Sorry about that,” Amelia said, laughing sheepishly.

“Come now, we’re getting off track. We have other entrants to look at as well, you know. With full marks on the written exam and a strong demonstration in the practical, Luke’s entry at the head of the class is guaranteed. There are others that we should turn to.”

“Quite a bounty this year! And it’s not just the number of students with rare elements, but there are double- and even triple-element users too. This really has been an amazing round!”

“You’re referring to Alice of the house of Lonsdale, and Mia of the house of Lennox?”

“Surprised the double-element user managed to beat the triple-element user, though.”

“Well, I mean… She was quite overpowering.”

“Heh heh heh, little Alice is another one of mine, you know!”

“You think you gotta put in your two cents on every subject, Amelia?” complained Brad. He paused, then added, “What? Is she really? You and I started out here at the academy together, and I can hardly believe that one.”

“She really is, Brad!”

“Quiet down, you two.”

“So that leaves us with thirty-nine entrants confirmed… Only one left to consider is him.”

That word sent tension rippling through the air, and everyone looked down at the report in their hands.

The name written at the top read “Abel.”

The room fell uncomfortably quiet. Finally, one man broke the silence.

“I’m against it.”

The man’s face was weathered by age, but there was confidence in his eyes.

“I’m not saying this to be cruel to the boy, and I know we all understand just how special his ability is,” he continued. “The fact that he can’t use elemental magic is what clinches it for me, though. He might be all right for now. Sure, he won all of his practical matches, but let’s take the long view. I fear he’ll be easily crushed someday by someone with real talent. I don’t think we should allow him to pass, for his own sake.”

“I do see your reasoning.”

“Yeah, I guess… We’d be setting a precedent by letting a non-elemental user into the academy too. Nobody’s ever done that before.”

Almost half of those in attendance appeared to agree. It seemed as if the mood was tending towards refusing Abel’s admission until Brad, Amelia’s old buddy, spoke up.

“Jeez, how can you old farts let your thinking get so damn rigid?”

He was a young man with swept-back hair and an aggressively cool swagger. He flashed a smile as he made his dissent.

“O-old farts?! Brad, you impudent little…”

“They might be your elders, but that doesn’t make them wrong. Be specific if you have an objection.”

“Mwa ha ha, that’s the thing,” Brad laughed. “You’re all just unconsciously workin’ under the assumption that only an elemental magic user could ever defeat another elemental magic user.”

There was a sharp intake of breath. It appeared that for most of those in the meeting room, Brad had been right on the money.

“…You claim differently?”

“Nah, you’re mostly right. There’s a huge freakin’ gap between those that can use elemental magic and those that can’t. But y’know that’s just under ‘normal’ circumstances, right?”

He paused for a moment before continuing.

“I saw somethin’ in Abel. Are we really just gonna crush all that potential over this stupid elemental magic thing? If he fails, so be it. That ain’t no skin off our backs. What are you all so desperate to protect here, anyway?”

More silence followed. Brad was crass, but there was a logic to the things he was saying—the quiet of his listeners was one of acceptance.

“Ho ho, well said, my lad!” said the headmaster.

“Am I wrong, sir?” asked Brad.

“Not at all! This year’s round of applicants really has been fascinating! Rare elements, double- and triple-element users—and a non-elemental boy too! Not too many of them here, but we’ve got the cream of the crop! Ho ho, I’m looking forward to this.”

The headmaster laughed, carefree and childlike.

That year, forty entrants were accepted into Aslan Magic Academy.

 

***

 

“Ha ha ha! I get it! I finally understand!”

Several days had passed since the Aslan Magic Academy entrance exam. I spent those sleepless nights thinking, testing, going over every possible explanation for Abel’s extraordinary power. Finally, I reached my answer. It demanded some extremely special circumstances, but it was the only option remaining. This had to be it.

My first question was whether there’s any way for a person to increase their magic tolerance. Abel answered that inquiry already—there was. He was living proof of that fact. The next question, then, was “How?”

That’s what really caused me trouble. There’s just so little information to go on. I considered why it might be that adventurers tended to be the only individuals capable of stacking enhancement magic. Not all adventurers, of course, but the ability was found more often among truly heroic adventurers compared to the general population.

At first, I thought a person’s magic tolerance was dependent on their magical abilities, but that’s not the case. Once I discarded all other possibilities, I arrived at the conclusion that magic tolerance was based on something physical. Most adventurers focused on raw strength, after all. Not many actually wielded magic. That fact alone should have made me realize it sooner. It’s facing death, being forced to surpass your own limits over and over again; that’s the way they increased their magic tolerance.

I still have questions. If this is right, how many fights do I have to win? How long do I have to face death for my magic tolerance to expand? This isn’t an easy task. It’s going to take time. Great heroes have to cheat death a great many times in their lives.

Even so, those heroes only gained the ability to endure enhancement twice at most. That was the weirdest thing about Abel.

This time frame here doesn’t make sense. It’s messed up. He’s the same age as I am, so even if he’s been working so hard every waking hour of his life that it feels like he faces death every day, the math doesn’t add up. There just hasn’t been enough time. There should be a limit to the number of times a person can almost die. Yet he’s already up to five stacks of enhancements when legendary heroes can only manage two?

“Mwa ha ha…”

My theory began to come together at that moment. Perhaps Abel was actually quite frail and weak? So feeble, in fact, that it was easy for him to reach the limit of what his body could physically do. Such special circumstances would, theoretically, allow him to confront death countless times on a daily basis.

I bet he can almost die way more often than any hero ever could. He must be extremely weak indeed, but most importantly, he must have an insanely strong will. He’d have to, to push himself right up to the brink of death and come back from it every time.

I understand it all now. It’s not like this power is completely without rules or cause; it grew from a very specific set of circumstances. He’s weak, and though he can use magic, he has no talent for it. But he’s the main character, and though he has been blessed with nothing in life, his willpower is crazy. His mad drive and ceaseless efforts have won him this prize, an irrationally high magic tolerance.

This really is the power of a weakling!

I bet Luke would have been so self-obsessed, he’d only look at Abel on a surface level. Abel can’t use elemental magic, and that would have made him a nonentity in Luke’s eyes. That would have let Abel catch me off guard.

“Don’t make me laugh. You really are an idiot.”

I’m glad I faced him, though. It helped me not to lose sight of what I need to do now. The obviously strong characters always get defeated by the underdog. What a cliché way for the story to go.

“But that’d be so boring.”

As if I’d ever accept that ending.

I’ll never let the ending go to hell like that. I don’t care what happens, I’m acting in my own interests here. That said…man, I’ve got my work cut out for me. I really feel like I’m giving it my all here. To be honest, there was still a part of me that thought I couldn’t possibly lose. But, hey, turns out Abel’s pretty strong in his own weak way. He is the main character, after all, so he can’t be a complete sad sack. Still, this is all just conjecture. But if my theory is right, I suppose that would make sense.

There’s also no point in me trying to replicate what he’s done, given the physical strength I was born with. No, I’d only create an inferior version of his power, blessed with talent as I am. That’s not right. Abel has his path, and I have mine. There’s no need to do anything rash. I should stay calm and stick to my original plan. I might’ve unraveled the secret behind Abel’s abilities, but that doesn’t change the fact that his power is incredibly unique and specific. I imagine I’ll be facing him head-on soon enough. Man, that’s going to be a pain.

But heck, no matter how negative my thoughts might get, I just can’t see a future in which I ever lose.

 

***

 

Roughly a month had passed since the arrival of my acceptance letter from Aslan Magic Academy. My father and mother danced wildly about in celebration at the news. Apparently, my father immediately moved to make changes to the whole dormitory system of the academy for me, but I put a stop to that when I found out. Not long after that came my first day of school.

“So why are you in my carriage?”

“What a strange question. Is there perhaps any reason we should not be traveling together, now that we have promised to spend our future as one?”

“…Why do I have déjà vu?”

Alice was accompanying me, as if that were a completely natural state of affairs. I questioned her presence, but privately, I was beginning to accept the idea of her being a part of my everyday life.

I was so against it at first, but now I don’t feel much at all. That’s the power of forming a habit, I guess.

“Why did you seem upset after the exam?” asked Alice suddenly.

“Ah, right. I saw someone I didn’t like, that’s all.”

“I see. Why exactly didn’t you take it out on me, then? I would much prefer if you would direct your anger at me, rather than the walls of the carriage.”

Ah, right. Thanks for reminding me why I had such a problem with you in the first place. But still, I’m not as bothered by it as I used to be. Habit really is a scary thing.

“You’re right. I’ll take it out on you next time. Be ready.”

I suppose that’s what makes me casually blurt out things like that.

“I-I see… I’ll be looking f-forward to it…”

Alice’s cheeks flushed and her breathing grew heavy as she began to squirm in her seat.

She’s creepy as ever… But I guess that’s fine once in a while.

As we spoke, the carriage came to halt, and I saw Aslan Magic Academy through the window at my side.

This is the place. This is where it all begins.

“Please watch your step as you descend.”

I left the carriage first, and Alice followed. I was confronted once more by the towering, grand gate of the academy.

“Master Luke.”

It was a voice I knew well.

“What is it, Alfred?”

“I have passed word to my contacts in the Royal Knights. If you are ever in need of a sparring partner, please make use of their services.”

“Considerate as ever, Alfred. I’ll be even stronger the next time we cross swords. Just you wait.”

“I look forward to it, Master Luke. I would also like you to have this.”

“Hm? What is it?”

Alfred handed me a dagger. I drew it from its sheath and examined the blade. It was nothing extravagant, but it felt good in my hands, and I could tell from its weight that it was precisely, masterfully crafted.

“It is a present from me to celebrate your entry into the academy and proof of your mastery. Please accept it, Master Luke.”

“Mwa ha, I’ll take it.”

I placed the dagger back into its sheath.

Thank you so much, Alfred-san. I’ve only made it this far because of all your help.

“Goodbye then. Give my regards to Father and Mother.”

“Understood. Goodbye, Master Luke.”

“Let’s go, Alice.”

“Of course. I would follow you to the end of the world.”

“Yeah—wait, what?”

“Let us hurry. We must not be late.”

“Uh, yeah, okay.”

With quite a few things I wanted to say left unsaid, we entered through the front gate and into the academy grounds. We went straight into the school building and found our classroom on the second floor. I rested my fingers on the handle for a moment.

The moment it opened, I felt the appraising eyes of about thirty students pierce right through me. They all wore the same uniform that Alice and I were, naturally, as they sat scattered at the rows of long desks. The room was too big for the number of students within it, which made the whole place look a little twisted and out of proportion.

Class had not yet started, and everyone passed the time in their own unique way. One girl was sleeping, while a boy next to her was reading a book. There was a sharp-eyed, mean-looking boy with his feet up on the desk who kept glaring at me for some reason. Another girl looked restless, turning this way and that as she scanned the classroom. One of the boys paid no attention to anything whatsoever, his back perfectly straight as he stared at a single point in front of him. Nearby, I spotted another creepy-looking boy wearing a thin smirk and a girl who stared menacingly right at me.

No, wait, not me. She’s looking at Alice.

Suddenly, an absolute chunk of a boy jumped out in front of me.

“Oh my, Master Luke! I just knew you would pass!”

“Who the heck are you?”

“Eh?!”

Seriously, who are you? If I’ve met this kid once and I don’t even remember him, there’s a high chance he’s not worth a damn.

“M-my deepest apologies! Let me introduce myself. I am Hugo Van Normandy, second son of the house of Viscount Normandy. I am ever so sorry for blocking your way during the entrance examination!”

“Ah.”

Now I remember. This is that generic bully who was taunting Abel before the exam started. Wait, he passed the test? I thought background characters like that were supposed to drop off earlier.

“So where do I sit, Hugo?”

“Ah! There are no assigned seats, and so I believe you may sit wherever you please!”

“Right.”

Jeez, you don’t need to shout every single word. I suppose I’ll have to learn to deal with having him as a classmate, but I already hate this idiot. Ah, but wait a minute… Given his rank in the hierarchy, is he perhaps meant to become one of my henchmen? Villain aristocrats do tend to have henchmen to do their bidding, I guess. Even so, I really don’t want this guy as a crony. I’ll have to try to keep my distance.

Hugo attempted to greet Alice as well. She completely ignored him, much to his displeasure. Truly an ice queen—at least I was nice enough to answer the guy.

I decided we should sit near the back of the classroom, but we were stopped by another boy as we made our way there.

“Hello, I’m Leonard Lyn Wellesley,” said the creepy boy with the thin smile. “Call me Leonard, please. Nice to meet you, Luke.”

There was something gross about the way he was grinning like he wanted to be friends with anyone and everyone.

“Yeah, sure.”

He offered me his hand, but I ignored it.

I responded to you, didn’t I? Better than nothing.

“And you must be Alice. Nice to meet you.”

I bet this guy’s memorized the names of every person in this room.

Just as that observation floated across my mind, my thoughts were interrupted.

“Could you not address me so casually?” Alice snapped. “To be blunt, I find your fake little plastered-on smile to be so disgusting, I fear I am beginning to feel nauseous.”

“Huh?” both Leonard and I said in unison.

What’s with this aggressive new side of Alice? Has she always been like this? Leonard just seems like a good-looking, regular guy, but I guess she’s got a bigger problem with him. Man, she might as well have cast an Ice spell on him, the way she sent chills through the whole room.

“S-sorry,” stammered Leonard. “I apologize if I offended you.”

“Let’s go, Luke. I want to sit as far away from him as possible.”

“Uh…sure.”

What did he do wrong? That seemed like a regular greeting from one of our classmates right there.

I watched as he sadly trudged back to his seat. I couldn’t see his expression but could easily imagine that his smile was now gone.

I can’t help but sympathize, really, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I really don’t get what just happened with Alice. It’s like she turned into a different person, almost. There was no hint of the version of her I see in private. I feel like I don’t get her at all now. I thought she was just a pervert, but apparently, I’ve underestimated what complicated and multifaceted creatures girls can be.

I finally sat down, marveling at how quickly I’d managed to get involved in drama this intense. Alice sat next to me, of course. I wanted to ask about her attitude toward Leonard but decided against it for the time being. The classroom was so quiet that everyone could hear us talking.

Though the awful silence is Alice’s fault too, I thought with a sigh.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Alice! I haven’t seen you since the exam.”

The silence was broken soon enough.

To be honest, I’m already getting pretty tired of this.

I looked up with weary eyes to see the girl who had been glaring at Alice since we’d walked in.

Now that I think about it, I know her. She’s the third daughter of the house of Lennox; we met at a party once.

“Oh, and who might you be?” Alice asked in response.

“Mia!” she shrieked. “It’s Mia! I know you remember me!”

“Hm, I’m unsure if I know anyone by that name,” Alice mused.

“You do!”

What’s up with these two? They’re so damn loud.

Mia glanced over at me. “Long time no see, Luke.”

“Yeah.”

Seems like she remembers me too.

“If you’re done with the greetings, won’t you return to your seat? Listening to your shrill voice leaves a ringing in my ears.”

“What was that?!”

Not to defend Alice’s attitude here, but this Mia girl really is loud. Though it’s not that she’s shrill; it’s the sheer volume that makes her so annoying.

“I’m glad you were accepted here, Alice,” Mia continued. “But you’d better not let your lucky win against me during the entrance exams go to your head.”

“Oh, so we fought then, did we? I’m sorry, I can scarcely remember the fight. You were so similar to all the others.”

Mia’s face twisted, and she sputtered furiously.

“Careful you don’t regret those words someday,” she spat, then returned to her seat.

She’s the incredible girl with the triple elements, isn’t she? Can’t say I’m too surprised that Alice still beat her, but seriously, what’s Alice’s deal right now? She’s making enemies faster than I ever could. She ought to tone it down, if only for her own good…though I suppose I’m really not one to talk.

Suddenly, the door flew open.

“All right, we made it in time!”

“Wait up, Lily! You shouldn’t run!”

And the main character makes his appearance, I thought.

Absolute silence. Unbeknownst to them, Alice had put the whole classroom on ice moments earlier.

“Let’s find somewhere to sit, Abel.”

“Y-yeah, sure.”

Abel stayed low and quiet as he scurried to one of the empty chairs. Looking at him now, it hit me again just how little I thought of him.

That is sort of creepy in another way, though.

The bell rang at almost the exact moment that Abel and Lily reached their seats.

“I see you’re all here.” A woman at the front of the room stood and spoke as if in response to the new arrivals. “My name’s Freya. I’ll be in charge of your class this year. It’s nice to meet you all.”

Nobody answered her, as the mood in the classroom had yet to thaw. Freya didn’t seem to notice.

“As I’m sure you all know, there is a hierarchy here at Aslan. So, let’s start off with that announcement. Check your rank.”

There it was—a list of names displayed for all to see.

 

1. Luke

2. Alice

3. Mia

4. Lloyd

5. Lily

6. Leonard

7. Citrica

…

…

39. Hugo

40. Abel

 

“What?! I’m in thirty-ninth place?! Unacceptable!”

“Be quiet. I’m not done explaining.”

Only one person actually raised their voice, but I’ll bet there are a lot more in here who aren’t satisfied with their rank.

“These rankings are reflective of your total score as measured during the entrance exam: your mana reserves, mana output, and your results in the practical and written test sections. In any case—this is just the ranking among you first-years. Let me show you the hierarchy of the whole school. These are your true ranks.”

There it was. I was only forty places up from the bottom of the next list she showed us—eighty-first place in terms of the whole school ranking. There were the numbers two and three written in parentheses beside the higher names—upperclassmen, I assumed.

Interesting that the name at the very top has a “two” written next to it… The highest-ranked student in this whole school is a second-year? And her name is Eleonora, huh? I swear I’ve heard that name somewhere, but I just can’t remember where. I was neither surprised nor happy to see myself ranked number one among the first-year students. This was the natural course of things, nothing more, nothing less. I did find it quite remarkable that Abel ranked last, though.

“The strength of your own abilities has determined your rank, and your rank is your worth in this academy,” Freya continued.

“Now, I’ll be handing out lists of available classes… Some subjects are compulsory, I suppose, but for the most part, you may attend whatever courses you like. You can make use of all the facilities at our school. You might also ask the teaching staff here to assist you one-on-one. Make the decisions for yourself as to what actions are necessary to improve your rank.”

This feels like an outrageous way to run an academy, but that’s fine, I guess.

I looked over the document I’d been handed and saw a packed schedule of classes divided into daily timetables, with subjects and instructor names for reference.

What’s Amelia-san’s name doing here? It says she’s head of this Study of Elemental Magic: Practicals class.

“If you’d like my advice, here it is,” Freya said bluntly. “I encourage you to take some magic tool crafting classes, if only for rank duels. I’ll explain how those work in a second, but you should know that you’re only allowed to bring in magic tools that you’ve crafted for yourselves.”

I see. We get to do practically whatever we want in the interest of raising our own ranks. This place really is an absolute meritocracy.

“All right, so let’s talk about rank duels. They’re magic sparring matches that you can use to climb your way up the ranks. It’s nothing too hard to understand, but take a look at the handout to learn more. It also goes over some of the benefits of raising your rank.”

The handouts came around, and I quickly read over the portion of the text in question.

 

  • Ranks are made public knowledge to all citizens.
  • Citizens are permitted to observe rank duels.
  • Students may only challenge those who are higher in rank than themselves to a duel.
  • No student may challenge another who is more than ten ranks above them in the hierarchy.
  • If the lower-ranked student wins, they claim the losing student’s rank position for themselves.
  • The loser of a duel is demoted one rank.
  • Those who are challenged to a rank duel cannot refuse (except in cases of injury, poor health, or other unavoidable circumstances).
  • Those who win a rank duel cannot be challenged again for a period of one week.
  • Those who lose a rank duel are barred from participating in duels for a period of one month.
  • If a student loses three rank duels against the same individual, they will be barred from challenging that individual again for the rest of the school year.

 

There’s a lot more there, but those seem like the important points. I suppose it’s more or less what I expected.

“It’s not written on the handout, but for the next month, you’re allowed to challenge anyone in your own school year, regardless of rank. Those of you who aren’t happy with where we’ve placed you—” Freya looked pointedly around the room “—now’s your chance to do something about it.”

While Alice’s comments had frozen the classroom, Freya’s words shattered it entirely. The air was so still and silent that I actually heard someone swallow.

“What’s up with you lot? You knew what this academy was going to be like before you applied, right?” Freya said, monotone.

“This is the kind of school you’re attending now. Don’t tell me you were satisfied with just passing the entrance exam? Do you really understand what an honor it is to even make an attempt at becoming a Magic Knight?” she continued. “This is no place for those who can’t make the effort. If you don’t want to have a miserable time here, then study like your life depends upon it, and get strong. That’s all I’ve got to say to you.”

Silence.

“Heh heh, don’t worry,” she chuckled. “I can guarantee that you all at least have the necessary talent, since you’re here. It’s up to you whether you squander it or not.”

I see. Abel’s the lowest-ranked student in this whole meritocracy-crazed academy… Easy to see where this underdog story is going.

“Any questions then? If not, I’ll show you to the dorms so you can—”

“Um, yes…”

Abel raised his hand.

“What?”

“These rank duels… Could I ask when they begin?” he began awkwardly. “I mean…c-could I start one right now?”

A shock ran through the room, and many of the other students looked at Abel in utter disbelief.

“Heh… Ha ha ha! That’s a good one, kid!” Freya guffawed. “Normally you’d need to submit paperwork first, but I’ll let you off this once. Who d’ya want to fight, then? Go on, say the name!”

I was pretty sure I knew the name Abel was about to say.

“…I want to fight L-Luke.”

Abel looked hesitantly over in my direction. I could see the courage and fear swirling in his eyes. He shook ever so slightly.

You heard all that, and you still thought to challenge me, eh? But I know exactly what you’re doing, Abel. We’re being asked to get strong, and you want to know how big a gap there is between you and the top, right? You want to see how high you’ll have to jump to clear this wall. Or heck, maybe you’re optimistic enough to suspect you might even clear it on the first try.

“Sure, I accept. Let’s do this.”

Let me show you then, if you’re so damn keen to find out. You and I are in different leagues.

The venue was a typical arena you’d use for any sort of duel, with a wide central space surrounded by rings of seats for a great number of onlookers. I could feel the presence of multiple layers of Magic Barrier to protect the audience, but I could not see them. They were more transparent than any that I knew how to make.

There must be a trick to it. Maybe a magic tool or something. Ah, but I shouldn’t be thinking about this now anyway.

I looked straight ahead and glared at my enemy.

That’s right—my enemy.

That’s how I see you, Abel, though I can’t imagine that someone of your stature could ever be a threat to me. Do you know how many times I’ve run battle simulations for this fight between the two of us? I look down on everyone here except Freya, since I don’t know how strong she is yet. I truly don’t care about anyone the academy has deemed a lower rank than I am. I don’t need to take you this seriously, but I will. Right now, I’m going to suppress my arrogance in a bid for complete and utter victory.

“Duelists, separate.”

Freya’s voice rang out through the arena. I could see students and teachers I hadn’t even met lining the seats around us.

Good. My eyes are clear. I see everything. My one worry was how I would feel coming face-to-face with the “main character” in a confrontation. That was an unknown factor.

But I don’t feel anything.

There’s no storm of emotion in my heart—not a single wave.

I felt the corners of my mouth twisting into a crooked, open smile. Abel drew his sword, and a round of faint murmurs echoed through the arena.

In this school where magic is everything, even drawing that sword is unusual. Just don’t go thinking the sword belongs to you alone, Abel.

I drew my own, and the two of us readied our stances.

I imagine this must be quite the strange spectacle for this academy.

“I knew it… You’re using a sword, then,” said Abel.

“Hmph, you knew?”

“Yeah, my master told me about you. She said you’re a genius…a monster.”

“I see.”

Abel was trembling almost imperceptibly, but his eyes never left me for a second.

The eyes of a boy with unbreakable resolve. Fitting for the “Hero” taking a stand against the “Demon King,” eh? He didn’t challenge me because he thought he could win. There’s some reason he’s here, something he can’t ever compromise on.

“Duelists, are you ready?” asked Freya. The final confirmation.

“Mwa ha, yes.”

“Y-yes!”

I’m always ready. Ready for every scenario imaginable. Nothing’s changed, not even now that Abel’s standing right in front of me.

“Then, begin!”

The moment that Freya spoke, Abel launched into a backstep to put more distance between the two of us. He then began establishing his magic at a yawn-inducing speed. He hasn’t changed much since the entrance exam, I thought as I watched him slowly gather mana.

Fortify Strength ×5.

Abel activated his spells just as I expected him to.

“Here goes.”

“Come at me.”

I didn’t activate any magic of my own but raised my sword. I was confident that I could fight off anything with my blade alone.

The greatest gift that sword fighting has given me is the way in which it’s trained my eyes. I was never able to beat Alfred with physical strength, and so I learned the art of observation and quick action. I needed to decide what I was going to do before he acted, learn his tells, contain his movements, dodge when necessary, and never let an opening escape my eyes.

To be honest, that’s all sword fighting has been to me. That aspect of it is deep and fascinating. It didn’t take long for the subject to captivate me, and it still has the strongest hold on me. I think I’m more passionate about the sword than I am about magic. I’m not the type to strike first aggressively. My sword comes second. I watch and wait for the right time, when the enemy leaves an opening. That’s the style that just naturally came about through my training with Alfred, but I know it’s the one that fits me the best. Even better, now that I can use magic too. Most importantly, I’ve got a good eye. I see all the hints displayed in the tiniest gestures my opponents make, from their breathing to the friction in their clothes. Every single piece of intel that my eyes give me indicates what my opponent’s next move is going to be. That’s why my sword fighting is like this, why I’m so good, and I’m not wrong to fight as I do.

C’mon, Abel, you think that fast, heavy sword of yours can do anything against me?

I don’t care that your strikes surpass human capabilities; I’ll never lose to a head-on attack with a sword. I saw your opening during the entrance exam too. You’ve got to be kidding me. How little you must think of me to challenge me with this nonsense.

Abel kicked off against the ground, and his body became a blur as he launched himself toward me. An explosion roared in my ears, and my eyes, practiced as they were, could not follow him properly.

But that’s all he’s got. Ah, that swing is far too straightforward, far too easy to parry. See? Right here. And now the power you put into it is mine to redirect!

Abel gasped.

Hey now, what are you surprised about? Wait… You didn’t really think that blow would be enough to beat me, did you? Don’t underestimate me.

Abel’s strike carried him straight to the ground, and he went rolling past me into the dirt. He pressed his hands to the ground and looked up at me with wide eyes.

“What’s wrong? Done already?”

Abel shook his head as if clearing his mind, and the fighting spirit returned to his eyes.

Good. That’s right. Come on.

“Not yet!”

As he spit those two fighting words out, Abel began to super accelerate once more.

That won’t change a thing, though.

Abel swung and went rolling clumsily to the ground a second time.

I’ve endured three of his attacks now; I’m used to them.

As Abel launched into a screaming charge towards me, I held up my fist to meet him. It was a clean, direct hit, and I heard something crunch as my hand made contact with his face. My eyes met Abel’s as he sprawled on the ground from the impact of the blow.

The astonishment and despair I saw in his eyes instantly sent a rush of joy through my body like an electric current.

“Ah ha ha ha!”

 

***

 

It’s not like I thought I could win. I wasn’t that arrogant. But since I met Master Elka, I found my path to becoming strong. I passed the exam that everyone said I never would. Against all odds, I made it into Aslan. Somewhere in my heart, I have to admit, there was a small question: “What if?”

“Ah ha ha ha! What, we’re done already?!”

Abel looked up at the monster laughing above him.

He’s so…far away. Like a mountain so tall that I can’t even hope to see the summit. Nothing’s working so far. I keep trying and trying, but will I ever be able to reach those heights?

Abel’s heart was swallowed up by a black mist.

“You want to know, don’t you? You want to see how far apart the two of us are. Well then, let me show you.”

With that, Luke activated a spell in the blink of an eye.

“Dark Sun.”

A little black lump appeared in Luke’s palm.

“This is the core of my darkness, compressed and concentrated. Come now, let’s begin.”

Abel couldn’t speak. His vision was fading, he could hardly see, but one sensation was clear as it jolted through him—he felt every last drop of mana being sucked from his body.

He cried out, overcome by intense dizziness and nausea. He couldn’t pull any strength from his body.

“Wh-what?” he managed to choke out. “My mana…”

“Mwa ha ha, you worm!”

Abel looked up helplessly and realized that the audience was in an uproar.

“What is this?” someone asked.

One girl was even panting, clearly breathless and overcome.

“No… My consciousness… It’s fading…” mumbled another.

The Magic Barrier spells surrounding the arena began to warp and twist as they were swallowed up by the black ball in Luke’s hands.

It’s not just me… Everyone in the crowd is suffering too.

“Ah ha ha! What fine mana!”

When Abel looked again, the little ball in Luke’s hand had expanded into a massive globe.

The black and ominous sphere truly was a Dark Sun.

Abel felt the light fading around him.

I’m going to die… he couldn’t help but think to himself.

But…

“No!”

I can’t let that happen. I can’t!

Not here, not now!

“I’m not giving up!”

I can’t die here. I haven’t accomplished anything yet!

But reality was cruel, and Abel could not will his body to budge even an inch.

“My victory was inevitable!” Luke laughed. “Nice try.”

Move, damn it! C’mon, legs! Move!

But nothing happened.

Damn it… Damn it all… Ah, come on…

Why am I so…weak…?

Abel’s vision narrowed and darkened. In the last few seconds before all light disappeared from the world, Instructor Freya’s voice cut through his fading consciousness.

“That’s enough,” she called out, ending the fight.

 

***

 

The moment that Instructor Freya declared the match over, the massive sun that Luke had created disappeared from his hand as if it had never been there at all. The unique sensation it imposed faded too—the one that made Abel feel like his body was being pulled inside out.

The sense of complete powerlessness that comes with having one’s mana sucked out, and the way Luke looks down upon the pitiful wretches below him–oh, it’s all just too much.

Alice’s body tingled deep inside, and she felt her abdomen heat up.

It is so deeply unfortunate that those looks of his are not being directed at me.

“Luke truly is incredible…”

“A-are you okay, Alice? You’re breathing really hard, and your face is so red…”

“Ah…I-I’m quite all right. P-please leave me alone, if you would.”

“Um…okay then.”

Usually, the itching in Alice’s body would pass after a while—or rather, she could force it to subside—but it was proving quite persistent this time. Not only did it refuse to die down, it got hotter by the second.

I know what’s happening. I’ve been at my limit for so long now.

I’ve been holding back ever since that day, when everything changed within me.

Before I met Luke, I was confident that I was the most capable person in the world. I had never even doubted that fact. Everyone always looked at me in the exact same way, after all. Everyone except for Luke. That was what offended me so much about him. He gave me the same sort of look that I have been giving everyone else in my life. I wanted to utterly humiliate him. I wanted to break that arrogant heart of his, beat him to a pulp, and watch the hatred and disdain leave those eyes as a result. How fun that would have been! Just imagining him completely helpless, unable to resist, made my body tremble from the core.

But that never came to pass. I was the one humiliated at that party… I could not even offer him a contest. To him, I really was just more worthless rabble.

I was powerless.

Pathetic.

Miserable.

I found myself suddenly overtaken by dark and terrible feelings that I had never felt before in my life. That was when I changed. The emotions I should have detested turned to joy in my mind and eventually became love.

As I started to spend more time with him, those twisted feelings of mine continued to swell and grow. I didn’t understand it myself, but I felt it change me at my very core. I can never go back to the way I was. I do not even wish to.

But that day was also when my pain began.

He is never the type to slack off, and whenever I went to meet with him, he was always swinging his sword or buried in a spell book. It was as if he never even thought to look in my direction. He studies like a man possessed, as if his thirst for strength can never truly be quenched. That is when I understood.

His light is far too bright.

Light can spark hope, but when too dazzling, it hurts the eyes of those who insist on looking upon it and burns those who get too close. A light as bright as this can deceive, can drive others to insanity. That is what Luke is. How very ironic, then, that Dark is his element. Yet still I find that I love him… No, perhaps not “love;” this emotion is nothing as clear and pure as that.

What I feel is a terrifying, muddy, sticky sort of obsession. Perhaps it’s better called “dependency,” or more specifically, a “deranged love,” instead.

Before I knew what was happening, I found I could no longer imagine a world without him in it. He was never kind to me, never gave me any hint of whispered love. And yet I found my heart so thoroughly dyed in his color that nobody else could make their way in. I worked hard, tried harder than I ever had before—there was nothing half-baked in any of my efforts.

I was so desperate to capture Luke’s attention for even just a second. Those were difficult days. Whenever I had a spare moment, I devoted myself to the study of magic and, at night, fell into pitiful acts of self-pleasure to sate my worsening desires. Before I knew it, it had become a daily routine.

I told myself that this was just the price I had to pay to be so close to Luke’s blinding light. I thought of how easy it all would be if I could just forget about him, but it was no use. Once I had been entranced by that powerful light, I would never be able to pull myself free of it. But it was worth the pain, as Luke started to look at me from time to time. I was so happy, I could barely contain myself. No matter how hard things got, it gave me the motivation to keep trying.

But at the same time, I came to understand the bottomless nature of human desire.

Luke’s light has slowly seeped inside of me like a sweet poison.

More.

I need more, more, more.

Please, give me more, more, more, more, more…

My desires only expand and accelerate with each passing day. As my passions swell, the pain of enduring them grows more and more intense. Perhaps this was always my fate.

The day that I saw Luke’s Dark Sun for the first time, I felt something snap inside of me.

I think it must have been something like shackles, or a dam. My desires, no longer restrained, burst forth and suddenly flooded my heart. They overtook me in an instant.

 

***

 

“You’ll get breakfast and dinner in your dorms. There are a few rules, but you’re mostly free to do as you please. Oh, and do at least try to get along, okay? Things’ll go better for you that way. The moment you entered this academy, you were all more or less promised a certain position in society once you leave this place. One of the advantages you’ll get here is the ability to make connections to your peers.” The instructor finished her explanations and dismissed us.

“That’s all for today. Classes start tomorrow. Don’t be late to the ones you’re interested in.”

When I opened my eyes, I was in the dorms. My mind felt foggy.

The first floor of the dormitory was a communal space for everyone, while the second floor was reserved for the boys’ quarters and the third for the girls. I headed to my assigned room and quickly flung the door open. I closed it carefully behind me upon entry, making sure I remembered to lock it. I immediately fell flat onto the bed and burrowed under the sheets. My hand started to drift down below my belly button.

This isn’t good. I’m getting addicted to this. But right now, I’m so itchy, my body feels like it’s on fire. I’m so hot that it’s driving me crazy.

I rested my fidgety palm just below the waistband of my underwear.

“Mm…”

For a time, I pleasured myself in a vain attempt to let the heat escape my body.

But it’s no use.

No matter how much I touched myself, nothing satisfied me.

I knew it. Something broke within me today. Something that was holding me back.

I’ve endured this long enough, something said in the back of my mind.

I can’t take it anymore… I can’t hold back.

Before I knew what was happening, I found myself walking down the hall toward Luke’s room.

The rational part of my brain began trying to search for reasons to back up my decision.

I only recently finished my period, so I’m good there… And anyway, Luke and I are going to get married. We’ve already promised to spend our future together.

The thoughts brought me all the way to Luke’s door, and at that moment, a strange sort of nervousness started to spread through my mind.

But I’m too itchy for that now…

I made up my mind and knocked at the door. For better or worse, it opened immediately.

“Oh, it’s you. What do you want?”

He looked distinctly displeased, like he was looking at a piece of garbage, not a girl.

He doesn’t even hesitate to put me down.

Everything about the look excited me, stripping away the last thin layer of reason that I had left.

“Will you…let me in, perchance?”

“Sure.”

Luke was surprisingly compliant. I locked the door with my hand behind my back once I had entered.

“What do you think you’re d—huh?”

I took off my clothes quickly. I stripped everything off, even my underwear.

“Seriously, what are you playing at…?”

Luke didn’t bat an eye, but there was something different in his voice. It was so adorable, I couldn’t help myself.

“Mm…”

I pressed my lips to his and slid my tongue into his mouth. I pushed him down onto the bed as I tied our tongues together.

 

***

 

The morning sun shone in through the window, and I sat up in bed to look outside.

What a beautiful morning… Yep, so beautiful…

…

…

D-damn it all!

Men are such foolish creatures!

Thunk.

I banged my head against the wall.

This is awful. I’ve really stepped in it now. It’s like my reason wasn’t functioning at all. I never thought my first lesson in one-night stands would be so physical…

Damn it! What’s with the security in these dorms?! Is this what they meant when they said we were free to do whatever we wanted to?! This isn’t the kind of connection to my peers that Instructor Freya was talking about!

I took a deep breath and let it out.

I gotta calm down. I’m the one at fault here. I didn’t think I had so little resistance when it came to women… I’m pathetic. I guess I have been focusing completely on sword fighting and magic, huh?

“Morning, Luke.”

It seemed Alice was also awake. “You’re as good in bed as you are with the sword. You really are perfect.”

“Shut up. Put on some damn clothes.”

“Oh, don’t we have time?”

Damn it. I underestimated how much her looks would be a factor. I never expected they could become such a violent weapon.

“How about it? It’s still early. We could always go for another round, couldn’t we?”

I looked at Alice—her fair skin, her red lips, the smooth curves of her body. It only made my desires worse.

Ah… Really…

“Quick then. Get on your hands and knees.”

Men are such foolish creatures.

Let’s put a positive spin on this.

I’m only fifteen years old, and I’ve already been with a woman. I mean, that’s definitely a sign that I’ve conquered another of my weaknesses. This shouldn’t be a bad thing… Yeah. This just means I’m getting closer. I’m approaching true heights—places nobody has ever been able to reach before me.

…

…Ah, what am I saying?

Alice and I took turns in the bath.

“Why don’t we take one together?”

“…Shut up.” I need to shake myself free of this fog in my mind, wash this all away…get my head together.

As I washed myself, a thought floated into my mind.

Abel.

To be honest, he is insignificant. The strength of his physical attacks is unparalleled, but his technique is severely lacking. No matter how many times I face him, he’ll never be victorious if that’s the only card he’s got up his sleeve. As long as his abilities remain dependent on his mana and not his physical strength, he’ll never be capable of opposing me.

…Mwa ha ha.

I liked that look in his eyes. His heart still yearns for strength, unbroken even when confronted by the massive gulf in power that I showed him exists between us. He’s nothing like the “main character” that I imagined.

“Maybe I’ll be able to have some fun with this,” I said to myself.

It was then that I noticed the change that had come over me.

I think up until now I’ve been sort of scared, always on alert for the next potential defeat. That fear isn’t gone, but I’m enjoying this situation quite a bit. Hey, Abel, no matter how much stronger you become, I’m always going to be ten steps ahead of you.

So, struggle as hard as you can, eh?

 

***

 

We went down to the cafeteria, which was fortunately quite close to my room. When we arrived, I noticed the mean-looking red-haired boy I met the other day sitting quietly and eating his breakfast.

“I don’t like that look on your face,” Alice told him. “You’re making my morning rather unpleasant. Disappear, won’t you?”

“Huh?”

I frankly didn’t care what the guy was doing.

He’s just another member of the rabble; what he does is of no concern to me. And, hey, he might have a mean look in his eyes, but he’s just sitting and eating breakfast in silence. There’s no sense in bothering him.

It appeared that Alice didn’t share my thoughts on the matter. Alice didn’t hesitate to let her feelings be known about anyone she found even slightly unpleasant. I caught my first glimpse of that attitude on our first day at Aslan.

She’s really aggressive towards everyone except me. Sort of like a hero’s companion, but on the villain’s side. Maybe she was meant to be Luke’s heroine in the original too.

“Damn it.”

The red-haired boy turned purple in anger, and for a moment, I wondered if he might physically attack us. In the end, the aura of danger subsided, and he was surprisingly compliant in the end. He did exactly as Alice had asked, picking up his things and moving to a corner of one of the wide cafeteria tables.

“I am glad to see that you know your place. Come, Luke, let us eat.”

“Wait.”

I had a faint spark of interest in him.

“You. What is your name?”

The boy glared at me. “Lloyd.”

Lloyd, huh? Fourth ranked after that triple element user Mia. He might look like a delinquent, but he’s got talent. That just raises even more questions, though.

“Why did you do as Alice asked?”

Lloyd’s face twisted up in silent fury, and he clenched his teeth. It seemed as if he really hadn’t wanted to do as he’d been told.

But something inside him compelled him to do it… Something he can’t resist.

“Luke, who cares about that boy? Let’s hurry up and—”

“You be quiet,” I interrupted.

“I-I’m sorry…ah… ”

I could hear Alice begin to pant excitedly at that, but I ignored her. I wanted to know how Lloyd was going to answer my question.

“I was in the same section as that silver-haired girl during the entrance exam practicals.”

“Silver-haired girl? Just who do you think y—”

“Shut up, Alice. Don’t make me tell you again. Go on, Lloyd.”

Lloyd was silent for a few moments, his face contorted with humiliation and rage. Beside me, Alice’s breathing grew harsher.

“She was strong. Stronger than I am,” Lloyd finally answered. “Damn it.”

It was as if everything about Lloyd as a person was contained within those nine words.

“It ain’t like we fought each other… But I saw, and I got it well enough. I can’t beat her right now.”

“Mwa ha, I see.”

“You too, golden boy. I can’t beat you yet either… You’re meaner than that silver girl too. I didn’t even know how far apart we were… Tch.”

There sure are a lot of interesting students here, huh.

“But I ain’t givin’ up yet, see? Just you wait, bastard… I’ll overcome you.”

I had to chuckle at that. “You’re funny. I like that.”

I really do. How disciplined he must be to accept the orders of one he considers stronger than he is, no matter the insult that doing so entails.

“Hey, g’morning. You’re all up early. Mind if I join you for some br—”

“No. Be gone.”

Leonard appeared with a cheerful smile, which vanished like smoke within two seconds of contact with Alice’s mercilessly sharp tongue. He turned around to try elsewhere.

“M-mind if I sit here…?”

“Do whatever you want,” answered Lloyd.

“R-right, thanks. I’ve never felt so happy to be treated with kindness…”

Lloyd accepted Leonard.

Kinder than he looks, huh? He really is full of surprises.

“Good morning.”

“Oh, here’s that loud, irritating one.”

“All I did was say good morning! I am not loud!”

“See, she’s so loud.”

“Ah, I can’t believe you!”

Mia appeared in the cafeteria, and with many barbed words and much complaint, sat down near Alice and began to eat.

It looks like they’re fighting all the time, but those two might actually get along.

“You best be ready for me, Alice! I’m going to challenge you to a rank duel within the month!”

“Do so whenever you please. I will never lose to someone as half-baked as you,” Alice replied coolly. “You know what they say about being a jack of all trades, don’t you?”

“H-how dare—”

“You can’t go doing that, pipsqueak,” said another voice.

I figured “pipsqueak” must be referring to Mia. She also seemed to identify with the insult.

“Wh-who just called me pipsqueak?!”

Both Mia and I looked around for the interloper, and I was surprised to see that it was Lloyd who had spoken.

“Fight me first,” he demanded. “You lose a rank duel, and you won’t be able to do another for a whole month. You ain’t ready for the silver-haired girl.”

Mia gave him an appraising look. “You’re the second son of the house of Arbuthnot, aren’t you? Lloyd Iris Arbuthnot. I know you. They say you’re quite skilled at magic. So that’s what has made you so arrogant, eh? All right, let’s do it. I’ll show you what it means to be in another league!”

“Heh, great. C’mon and show me then, pipsqueak.”

Sparks flying at breakfast, huh? This academy sure is turning out to be an interesting place.

 

***

 

I took a few classes in the morning, mostly lectures on different elements. There were, of course, no practical demonstrations or magic duel lessons that I could take for my Dark element, but I decided that it would be worth taking classes in the other elements regardless. I was capable of absorbing mana with Dark, then using it to cast whatever spells I had absorbed, which meant that I was capable of, under certain conditions, using just about any element.

That’s why I thought that it’d be worth taking those classes at least, but I’m gaining nothing from them. The problem is how inefficient they are, spending ninety minutes going over things that I could grasp in five. If all the other classes are like that, I don’t need any of them. I’ll just make use of the instructors and the books when I have questions.

Right now, I’m in the Great Library of Aslan Magic Academy, and this place really is a treasure trove. It was worth entering this school just to gain access to it. If the classes are useless and I can’t challenge any of the upper­classmen to rank duels for the next month, then I’ll spend the time studying magic in here, I guess.

I’d found a couple classes that seemed promising, though, like one called Magic Pharmaceuticals. I planned to venture out for that in the afternoon, but otherwise, I’d stay holed up in the library. It’s about time I got moving if I want to make it to that class, actually.

“…Ah.”

I stepped outside the Great Library and immediately heard a voice. I turned to see Abel standing before me.

“H-haven’t seen you since yesterday…”

He was less than a commoner yet refused to address me with appropriate formality. Honestly, though, that did not trouble me.

I suppose that’s a sign I respect him. At least to some extent.

“Abel, was it?”

“Yeah… Um, can I call you Luke?”

“Call me whatever you please.”

Abel looked awkward and hesitant, constantly on alert for my reaction to his every word. There were none of yesterday’s injuries on him, despite the fact that they should have been quite significant.

Those priests sure are impressive with their Healing magic.

“You can’t use elemental magic, can you?”

He hesitated. “No. You sure know a lot, Luke.”

“What did you do all morning?”

“Oh, uh…one of the instructors, Brad, saw us fight the other day…”

“Oh?”

“He said he’d train me up good…sorta forced me to go with him.” Abel gave an exhausted little laugh.

Brad’s training must’ve been tough, huh? Well, he’s lucky. He’s got this power to draw the people around him to his side, which is fitting for the main character, I suppose. He’s a formidable foe indeed.

“Why did you come to this academy?” I asked.

“Huh?”

“Answer me. Quickly.”

“Ah, um,” Abel stuttered, “t-to get stronger, I suppose.”

“Why do you need to get stronger?”

“Well…” My question was casual and rather mundane, but Abel’s demeanor shifted completely the moment I asked it.

This might actually be interesting, I thought to myself with mild amusement.

“So that nobody takes anything from me again, I guess.”

Ha ha ha!

What’s with that look in your eyes?! Are those really the eyes of a main character?

For just a brief flash, truly just an instant, I saw black nothingness in Abel’s eyes.

Unfortunately, I don’t know much about the original novel. What happened to put that darkness behind his eyes?

“I see. And what if…?” I paused thoughtfully for a moment.

For some reason, I felt the urge to tease him a little. I wanted another glimpse of the abyss within him.

“What if I took something that was truly precious to you?”

Abel stood still and silent.

“You can’t beat me—you learned that yesterday, right? So, what would you do? C’mon, tell me. What would you do if—”

“I…”

I don’t need to be asking him this.

But I just can’t help myself. I’m dying to know how he will answer me.

“I-I…I would do what I had to do.”

Abel’s answer was simple, but I sensed the real meaning implied by those words. There was something dark that lurked behind them.

“Ah ha ha! Good answer.”

I won’t underestimate him. This unknowable strangeness is who he really is. Good. I’m sure it’ll pay off in the future that I’ve experienced it now at such close range.

“Ah ha ha,” Abel echoed my laughter. “S-sorry, that was a weird thing to say.”

Abel’s unsettling demeanor completely vanished. Now he attempted to smooth the incident over.

I’ll never get bored at this academy, huh? I wonder what classes he’s taking, anyway… Is he going for Magic Pharmaceuticals like me? Well, not that it matters. I’m here for the same thing he is, ultimately: To do what I have to do.

 

***

 

The royal capital, dead of night.

The back alley smelled of blood. Two figures moved like shadows along the dark street, then emerged in a flash, leaping up to the roof of a nearby building. As the moonlight shone upon them, it was easy to see how vanishingly little skin their clothes exposed to the midnight air.

“Another miss.”

“I’m tired of this. We should get more direct.”

“Direct? Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

One of the voices was male, the other more androgynous.

“Man, that’s messed up. We’ve just gotta keep at it, take our time. Y’know, I’m actually starting to like living here.”

“Have you forgotten our mission?”

“Nah, I didn’t forget.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be the one to do it.”

“But I’m supposed to…”

“They’re elemental magic users. Their area-of-effect annihilation abilities are a threat, but they aren’t invincible. The people of this country trust too much in magic. This’ll be easy.”

“Ah, fine. You never listen to me once you’ve made up your mind. Just promise me one thing: Promise you won’t panic. Go slow, and be precise.”

“Got it.”

With those two words, the figures disappeared into the midnight black.

Chapter Four:
A Brother’s Frenzy

 

“I MEAN, THIS ISN’T RIGHT! THEY HAVEN’T COMMITTED any crime, but they’re slaves just because they look a little different.”

It had started with something small and insignificant. This morning, I asked Abel something out of idle curiosity: “What would you want to do if you became a Magic Knight?” He answered that he wanted to create a small village; to gather the people he cared most about in a place where he could protect them. He explained that not everyone was strong, so he wanted to use his strength to at least ensure the safety of those within his reach.

He also said something else:

“I want to free slaves.”

He mentioned wanting to free the “beastlings” and “elves” in particular, those that were only enslaved as they belonged to a demi-human race. The terrifying thing for me was that, at first, I didn’t understand him. I hadn’t even considered it odd that those of the demi-human races were enslaved.

Why must they be freed? It’s only natural that the demi-humans are our slaves. Subconsciously, somewhere deep inside, that must be what I actually believed.

Even scarier, my subconscious opinions on the matter weren’t uncommon. I wasn’t any sort of radical outlier when it came to slavery, and almost everyone who listened to Abel’s spiel thought it was completely normal that all demi-humans were slaves. Everyone, that is, except for Lily, who seemed to have heard it from him before and didn’t look terribly surprised.

Come to think of it, I’ve only rarely seen beastlings and elves in my family’s domain, but whenever I have, they’ve almost always been serving someone… The only exception being adventurers that seem to come from other nations.

“Demi-humans are the slaves of humankind.”

Everyone knows that. It’s just common knowledge in the Kingdom of Milestia, a reality soaked into every bone in my body. That’s why I didn’t notice it.

I felt strange, thinking about this, as if some knowledge that wasn’t even contained within my brain was denying what I knew to be true.

It’s only because I was reborn into this world that I realized it. I—Luke—never thought it strange until this very moment. How did Abel come to defy common sense like this? Wasn’t he born in this country?

“No sense in thinking about that now.”

It’s not a problem that I can resolve immediately, and honestly, there are other things that I need to focus on. I guess once I’ve become one of those Magic Knights and have all the freedom and authority that entails, I might go ahead and change the stupid “common sense” of this world. We shouldn’t be exploiting and excluding slaves from society. We should be using them in a more sensible way. I’m not fond of these illogical practices. That said, emancipation would pose a number of issues, and all this can’t be solved in a day or two. I’ll need to study more history books.

My thoughts wandered in this way as I left the library, but I quickly forced myself to switch gears. I had to prepare for my last class of the day, Special-Magic Battle Practicals. The name of the teacher for the class hadn’t been written on our handouts—it just said “guest instructor.” There were actually several other classes with similar instructor listings, so it wasn’t that unusual. The description for the class read that it featured “practical battle demonstrations, on the assumption that one’s enemy might deploy special elemental magic.”

Mwa ha ha, now that sounds like exciting stuff. I wonder what class is going to be like. I’m sort of looking forward to this.

 

***

 

“Long time no see, Alice.”

“No… It can’t be…”

Alice reacted in shock and horror. Even I was completely taken aback.

“Nice to see you too, Luke,” the instructor said with a smile. “I think it’s been a year and a half since we last saw each other?”

“Uh, yeah.”

He was a young man with silver hair, sharp blue-green eyes, pale skin, and unmistakably handsome features.

It was, of course, Alice’s older brother, Yolande.

“Is everyone here? We’re about to get started!”

Alice was more shaken than I’d ever seen her before.

“Hey,” Mia whispered to Alice. “Your brother’s like, super good-looking, isn’t he?”

“What do you see in him?” Alice hissed.

She looked at Mia with deep, genuine displeasure in her eyes.

But objectively speaking, Yolande is a really attractive guy. Some of the other girls in class were also whispering about him.

“H-he’s so cool…!”

“Whoa, he’s super hot!”

Alice just sighed at them.

“I’ll start off with a simple introduction, shall I? My name’s Yolande Elias Lonsdale. It’s nice to meet you. Just go ahead and call me Instructor Yolande! As some of you might have already noticed, Alice over there is my little sister.” Yolande smiled, and Alice narrowed her eyes at him in silent annoyance.

The two of them make quite the contrast as siblings. Alice described her brother as worthless, but I’m not so sure. I felt a weird power from him when we actually met in person the first time.

“I also hold the title of assistant division commander of the Second Royal Magic Division—though this is only my first year in the position, I must admit.”

Seems like Yolande being worthless is a thing of the past. I knew he was a member of one of the Royal Magic divisions, but only as a regular old foot soldier. That was two years ago, so I guess he caught the attention of his superiors sometime in the interim. It was also two years ago that I was forced into my engagement to Alice.

This is the first I’m hearing about his advancement to assistant division commander, though. It’s unheard of for a foot soldier to reach that rank in just two years. That’s a truly exceptional rise.

“Right, then, that’s about all for my self-introduction. Let’s get on to the class itself. I’ve called my class Special-Magic Battle Practicals, but who here knows what it’s actually about?”

“Me!”

One boy’s hand immediately shot up into the air.

“All right then, you. What’s your name?”

“Logan Rolle Compton, sir!”

“Okay then, Logan, mind answering the question for me?”

“This class is for practical battle demonstrations, on the assumption that one’s enemy might deploy special elemental magic! Sir!”

“Correct. And what kind of special elemental magic might we be talking about here?”

“Ah… I don’t know!” answered Logan.

“Okay then! Thanks for being honest!”

Alice watched her brother interact with the straight-backed boy named Logan, and it seemed she couldn’t help but mutter to herself.

“Gross,” she whispered under her breath.

Yolande stopped in his tracks for just a brief moment, and the blink-and-you’d-miss-it shiver that ran through his body didn’t escape my eyes.

Huh? What was that?

I felt like I had caught a glimpse of something absolutely terrifying.

“I’ll g-get on with the explanation. There are four basic elements—Fire, Wind, Water, and Earth. What I’m talking about are the elements that diverge from those main four. For example, my own Magnet element.”

Magnet, eh?

“Right, then, you there! The large boy!” said Yolande, jabbing his finger at the class.

“M-me?” the boy in question spluttered.

“Yes, you. What is your name? Just your first, please.”

“It’s Hugo!”

“Okay, Hugo! What’s your element?”

“It’s Rock.”

“All right, that’s a good one. Will you try to cast a spell on me, then? Make it as powerful as you can, now.”

“A-are you sure…?”

“Yes, I am. Rest assured, you won’t be hitting me.”

“All right,” Hugo replied, seemingly fired up by the provocation. “Here goes!”

“Sure, whenever you’re ready.”

“Magic Bullet of Rock.”

In an instant, he formed a giant boulder in the air and sent it flying toward Yolande.

Quite speedy too. Not bad. When the attack’s coming that fast and that wide, you’d need to react immediately to have any hope of dodging it.

Yolande, however, stayed exactly where he was.

“Please dodge!” screamed Hugo, beginning to panic.

“Repulse.”

At Yolande’s incantation, the giant boulder changed course, floating harmlessly over his head.

“See? It didn’t hit me.”

He laughed like a child.

“Whoa…”

Almost everyone in the class was left speechless, Hugo included. After watching his demonstration, I felt I had a basic understanding of his Magnet element.

That’s really powerful magic.

Mwa ha… And he’s worthless, is he? Give me a break, Alice.

“My Magnet magic is capable of magnetizing any object. What I did just now was quite simple: I imbued the rock with one polarity and the ground with the opposite, which allowed me to use the resulting repulsion to redirect it.”

I see.

“You think my ability’s strong, eh? Magnetic repulsion and attraction are quite strong, yes. But you know, I can only magnetize objects that are within about a sixteen-foot radius of my body. I can’t repulse things like heat or cold, and the more attraction or repulsion I induce in a target, the more mana I consume doing it. I don’t have much in the way of area-of-effect attacks… There are all kinds of disadvantages.”

Yolande continued.

“I just told you my weaknesses, but in a real fight, you’ll need to find your opponent’s weak points all on your own. That’s what I hope to teach you in this class. I want to teach you how to use your own elemental magic to force your advantage, just as I do.”

This class doesn’t sound bad at all. Clearly I made the right decision in taking it.

“I’ll also be bringing in some of my comrades from the magic division to act as your opponents during class.” He paused and looked around. “Well then, that’s it for my explanation.”

From what I could see, most of the people around me were just as captivated by the class as I was. The only one who looked conflicted was Alice.

“Let’s see… Luke!”

He suddenly called my name.

“I hear you’re the most talented one here. How about it—do you feel up to fighting me?”

“Mwa ha ha.”

Such a gentle smile…and such intense hostility I feel emanating from beneath it. He really must hate me. But why? I don’t recall doing anything to him.

“Sure, let’s do it.”

“Good.”

The others looked on as I walked toward Yolande. He stepped back to put some distance between us.

“I’ll be using a sword too,” said Yolande, unsheathing his blade. “It suits my element.”

“I see.” I raised my own sword.

“Whenever you’re ready.”

“I won’t hold back, then.” I prepared a spell.

“Dark Spirit Drain.”

The spell was simple but powerful. It used my Dark element to suck mana from a target.

To a magic user, mana is lifeblood; without it, they’re rendered helpless. That’s why I’m absolutely confident that Dark is the strongest element there is. I have such a significant advantage over other magic users. But right now, something’s wrong. I’m not absorbing his mana.

“I know about your Dark element, but did you know that I can magnetize my own mana? I’m applying enough attraction to prevent you from pulling it away, canceling out your ability by keeping it in balance. I’m surprised. It turns out you’re not so strong after all.”

“Mwa ha ha ha!”

Man, this is so much fun. I can hardly contain myself.

“Apply Dark.”

The sword in my right hand became cloaked in darkness.

“Armor of Darkness.”

My darkness formed into a suit of armor, covering my body from head to toe.

“Fortify Strength × 2.”

I felt a massive amount of energy surging through my body.

“Here goes!”

“C’mon then.”

I grinned so wide I felt as if my face might split open as I kicked hard off the ground.

 

***

 

Yolande thought that his little sister, Alice, was the most beautiful thing in the world. No man could possibly keep away from her, and it was because he understood that fact better than anyone, that Yolande knew the day would come when he would have to let her go. He had prepared himself to accept it. But when he saw that his beloved sister had been altered, twisted by the demon Luke, something changed within Yolande as well. He could not accept this. So it was that Yolande revealed his true power, which he had been concealing for his own purposes. A monster that was never meant to have anything to do with the original work had now been unleashed.

 

***

 

This is fun… So endlessly enjoyable!

With limited mana reserves, it was normally impossible for magic users to maintain a spell with a constant, long-lasting effect. Many of Luke’s abilities should have been impossible, but chief among them was certainly the Dark Blessing spell. He developed it to combat Amelia’s Sound magic, and it made use of a number of Protection and Information magic spells. That was quite a while ago now, and since entering Aslan Magic Academy, Luke had devised a powerful new spell built upon that foundation.

He called it “Dark Spirit Drain.”

It used the nature of Luke’s Dark element to suck mana from a target, but not a human one. Instead, Luke targeted the mana in the air around him. Put simply, it allowed him to regenerate mana over time. This spell was difficult to disrupt, as well—if the target was not a living being, it could not resist, after all.

That was the contradiction that was born of Luke’s abilities; no matter how much magic he cast, the amount of mana he had at his disposal never dropped for a moment. In fact, it only ever increased. By devoting himself completely to his studies, Luke had succeeded in greatly improving the absorption of his Dark element, and the gap this contradiction created between him and other magic users was now massively significant.

In other words, Luke did not possess the one great weakness of all other magic users—he could almost never run out of mana.

Yolande had successfully managed to resist Luke’s Dark Spirit Drain, which was a testament to his own incredible power. Still, the fact remained that given the significant disparity between their mana reserves, Yolande would be the first to run out. Yolande realized this and provoked Luke, knowing that Luke was sure to rise to the challenge, even if he did sense that the provocation was deliberate. He had been right. All Luke had to do to claim victory was to keep using Dark Spirit Drain—especially since he had deliberately left some of his strength in reserve so that he could strengthen it in the middle of the fight.

But that would be boring.

I want him to show me everything his powerful Magnet magic is capable of. Then I want to crush him, head-on.

It was an arrogant desire, and one that Luke could not resist. In this case, arrogance was the only reason he had. But for him, it was enough.

“Ah ha ha ha!”

“You’re strong.”

A battle of swords ensued, blows that were just slightly too fast to be human—a speed made possible by magic. Those who looked on were left completely speechless by the spectacle, almost in disbelief that the fight taking place was between fellow magic users. The duel was so beautiful, so captivating, that none could bear to look away.

Abel found it particularly hard to tear his eyes away from their battle.

This is it, he thought.

He didn’t know why, but the duel made Abel realize something. He was convinced of it now.

The place I’m aiming for…it’s beyond this!

The story had changed significantly due to Luke—who should have been left to lazily, aimlessly drown in his own talent—taking charge of his life. Luke’s tireless pursuit of strength had driven Yolande to step up into a bigger role, despite his lack of relevance to the original book. In a roundabout way, the divergence and subsequent convergence of unexpected story branches spurred Abel to grow even stronger than he was ever meant to.

Luke parried a blow and sized up his opponent again.

In terms of raw speed, Yolande is just slightly faster than I am, even with these two stacks of Fortify Strength on me, thought Luke as the two of them crossed swords.

Incredible. He’s like an upgraded version of Abel.

Yolande’s mana was imbued with the magnetism of his element. Applying that mana to any objects, not just metallic ones, allowed him to attract and repulse them at will.

That’s really powerful magic… But I can also imagine how difficult it must be to actually use. He’s using his magnetism to facilitate that incredible speed and those unconventional movements that make a mockery of the laws of nature. Mwa ha… There’s such fearsome precision to his magic.

Yet the majority of Yolande’s spells had been rendered useless due to Luke’s Armor of Darkness. The spell did not just provide physical defense but also a guard against all magical interference. It was this ability that prevented Yolande from applying magnetism to Luke himself. Had Yolande’s opponent been anyone else, whether warrior or magic user, the duel would have simply been a matter of prolonging the moment he got in close enough to claim victory. Luke understood that fact, and it was precisely for that reason that he made the decision he did.

Luke resolved to use no further magic during their fight.

Yolande’s Magnet element could even affect other spells, provided they could be imbued with magnetism—but that did not apply to Luke’s Dark element. Dark swallowed all, and Magnet spells were no exception. If Luke were to use more of his Dark magic, the duel would be over far too quickly and easily.

What Luke sought was something else.

He wished to stand toe to toe with his enemy, face off on the same grounds, and twist them into submission with overwhelming strength.

He wanted a complete triumph; an undeniably clean victory with no excuses or complaints.

He believed without a shadow of a doubt that he had the ability to bring his selfish desire to fruition. His confidence was not the groundless kind, but the sort backed up by everything he had experienced up until that point in his life.

In terms of swordplay alone, Yolande is weaker than Alfred. It’s just that his magnetic abilities are aiding him. It’s going to take me a while to get a feel for how to handle them. They’re pretty tricky to deal with…

I…can’t land a hit. Luke’s completely on defense, blocking every hit at the last moment. I feel so little resistance from these strikes, it’s like I’m cutting through water. Ah, he’s got good eyesight. Very observant. He’s much better than I expected.

Their thoughts intertwined as they fought. To all those captivated onlookers, it must have appeared that Luke and Yolande were equally matched. That assessment was fairly accurate, given that Luke had arbitrarily forbidden himself from using several of his spells. However, that wouldn’t be true forever. Luke grew during battle, his technique maturing and adapting at a violent pace as he watched his opponent—his breathing, his timing, and his own unique rhythms. Luke steadily formed a clear picture of his enemy, as if sneering at his form, developing foresight that verged on premonition. With the element of magnetism, Yolande had an almost unlimited number of combinations with the sword. It wasn’t just his irregular movements that Luke had to watch out for, but the erratic vacillation between fast and slow due to his manipulation of the strength of the magnetism.

But all humans have emotions. Nobody can completely discard their own feelings. There must be some movements he hates on an unconscious level, some techniques he despises—and that will turn his unlimited abilities into limited ones.

He really is incredible.

Time slipped away as the attacks continued, and before anyone realized it, offence and defense had changed hands. The only one in the audience who wasn’t enthralled was Alice, whose head was presently a mess of dancing question marks.

Is that really my brother…? she thought.

Everything she had ever known to be true told her otherwise, but she could not deny what was currently unfolding before her. She had terrible butterflies in her stomach. Eventually, they rose, slowly burning a furious hole deep in her chest as she reckoned with the actual truth:

He lied to me.

She was angry at the betrayal. In that moment, she likely gave no thought to the cruel punishments that she had inflicted upon her brother over the years. All she felt was indignant rage flaring up inside of her.

The next emotion that filled Alice’s heart was frustration. Luke was smiling and seemed to be having so much fun while fighting the older brother that Alice had always viewed with such disdain. She feared that she could never satisfy Luke if she remained as she was, and that fact filled her with regret and frustration.

I want to become stronger than I am now, Alice thought, and she truly meant it.

I want Luke to look at me.

Alice was incredibly talented in her own right and, in the original work, was likely never meant to have such a thirst for power.

But Luke had made an effort.

That one action would come to warp the story in every single aspect. The battle had been underway for over a thousand strikes and had appeared as if it might continue forever, when it suddenly came to an all-too-easy end—the inevitable one. Yolande’s sword was knocked from his hand, flying through the air to lodge itself in the ground some distance away.

“This means I win, eh?”

Yolande paused. “Yes. I give up.”

There was a moment of silence, then an outpouring of cheers and applause.

“Whoa!”

“That was amazing!”

“Did you see when…?”

The students chattered excitedly, and the acclaim was universal and unreserved.

Just as planned, Yolande thought to himself.

Yolande had, in fact, also been present at Luke’s fight against Abel. He saw Luke’s true strength in that moment and had known from the outset of their duel that he had no chance of beating him. He hadn’t expected Luke to hold back, of course, but everything else had been largely as Yolande expected. But then why did he challenge Luke in the first place, you might ask?

For Luke’s own sake? So that the students could learn?

No, it was all to fulfill his own desires.

I’m supposed to be an instructor, yet I provoked Luke into a fight and lost. To add insult to injury, Alice saw the whole thing…

“Ah…oh m-my, how p-pathetic I am,” Yolande began to pant, overwhelmed.

In fact, it was all for the purpose of exposing his shame to Alice. Intense emotions raged within Yolande’s heart. He could no longer even stay on his feet and sank to his knees.

“A-are you okay?! Should I call a priest, Instructor Yolande?!”

“I-I’m fine… Mm…I’m j-just a bit tired…”

Then he met Alice’s eyes. They were drenched in the worst sort of disgust; a look she reserved for those she did not consider human. It was as if she were looking at a piece of filth.

Yolande’s brain short-circuited, and his consciousness was easy prey for the wicked and raging emotions within him.

“Huh? Instructor?! Everyone, come quickly! Instructor Yolande has passed out!”

 

***

 

Sunset was spreading across the sky as I left the academy. I walked towards the dormitories, feeling the slight chill on my arms as I went. I was slightly fatigued, but had a bottomless feeling of joy in my heart nonetheless.

That fight against Yolande was fun. Really, truly enjoyable. When was the last time I got that excited about something? Honestly, it was way more satisfying than the fight with Abel.

Perhaps that was the reason why my legs felt light underneath me, despite my tiredness.

“Luke.”

I heard a voice.

“Yolande?”

“Can we talk for a moment?”

“Sure.”

I’m in a good mood, and it’d be hard to think up a reason to refuse.

Yolande and I walked side by side under the evening sky.

 

***

 

Once there was a young boy who was very clever—too clever, even. He began to notice the “strangeness” when he reached the age of five. Those around him were simply unable to understand things that he took for granted as obvious. They were terribly unintelligent, he judged, and they could hardly be considered humans at all. This cruel reality overwhelmed the young boy, driving him into a bottomless pit of loneliness and isolation. It was so very dull.

From that point onwards, the boy’s view of the world began slowly but steadily to shift, as color faded from everything around him. All of his hope for the future eventually dried up, and he started to lose his reason for living. The faded, colorless world took a great toll on him, and his mind began slowly to warp and twist. He no longer cared whether he lived or died. By the time he reached his ninth birthday, the young boy had lost all attachment that he once had to the world. He lived only because he happened to still be alive. It was an incredibly passive life.

But one day, the world finally smiled at the boy.

He was injured, just slightly. The wound was nothing much, a small cut that any child might find themselves with after rolling in the fields with their friends. The cut didn’t trouble him in the slightest.

“Are you okay, Big Brother?”

Someone spoke to him. It was Alice, who was four years old at the time. She had been so insignificant to him up until that point that he had been unconsciously ignoring her, even when she did enter his line of sight. That was the first time he had really paid any attention to the existence of his little sister.

An angel.

That was the moment that color returned to the young boy’s world. He’d been shown a single beam of light in the darkness. She was so innocent at heart, kind in a way that was completely pure and unclouded. If she was not an angel, then nothing was, thought the boy. It was such a small thing, but it restored to his life such meaning so quickly and completely that it made everything he had been through feel like nothing at all. But in truth, it was too late. Far, far too late, indeed. The days of despair had eaten away at his heart, and the youth was twisted beyond repair.

I want to drag this angel down… To turn her into a devil.

The boy’s heart was ruled by a desire so heinous that it would have been incomprehensible to any normal man. He wanted to take those pure eyes filled with endless kindness and turn them cold and contemptuous.

The thought sent a shiver up the boy’s spine and made all of his hair stand on end. He resolved then, without a moment’s hesitation, to use all of his abilities to manipulate the emotions of others. The boy decided that he would win the hearts and minds of everyone who got close to Alice, including his own.

By controlling every one of the many variables that determined a person’s character and disposition, he would bring about the angel’s downfall… He would turn her into a devil.

The long-term planning for the boy’s terrible deed began that day. He decided to think of all the time he had spent powerless and despairing at the world as a sort of preparation, a method of maximizing the joy to come. Those around the boy thought of him as incompetent—and that worked perfectly for his purposes. He spent every day slowly nurturing within his sister the right emotions.

He sought to turn Alice into a devil with the heart of a sadist.

He completely manipulated those around him. It should have been impossible, of course, but the gods had unfortunately chosen to bless the young boy with a monstrously talented mind. It was when the boy became a young man that his efforts finally began to bear fruit.

“Big Brother, you disgust me. Would you stay away from me, please?”

“A-ah…”

Everything went as planned. The angel became a devil, and the days became like heaven for the young man. He was so shocked to find that living true to his own heart could bring such vibrant color to the world. Every time Alice showered him with looks of disdain, his body was filled with such uncontrollable pleasure and joy. But just as light had once entered the young boy’s life, the dark returned once more. When Alice was twelve years of age, she was invited to a party.

It was a celebration for a boy named Luke Witharia Gilbert.

As respected aristocrats who worried for their own reputation and standing, the young man had never been allowed to attend parties. It was, in a sense, an inevitable consequence of his playing dumb. To the young man who cared about nothing aside from his sister, Alice, however, parties were of no worth whatsoever.

Then the tragedy occurred.

It only took a single day.

In one day, Alice was changed completely. The young man had spent several years nurturing Alice’s sadism each day, but the boy named Luke had overwritten everything in but a single night. The young man realized it at once: There was no longer any devil in Alice’s eyes when she returned from the party that night.

It wasn’t that the sadism in her had disappeared completely, but that a pronounced sort of “masochism” and “love” now dwelled within her, similar to that of her brother. She no longer looked at him. The young man could not make sense of the situation, even with his extremely talented mind. What could possibly cause a person’s heart to change so drastically in such a short time, he wondered. He could have understood if Alice had simply fallen in love, but then where did the masochism come from?

What did she see? What did she experience? How has she been so thoroughly changed?

A few days later came the announcement that added insult to injury: Alice was engaged to that Luke boy. The young man could do nothing but laugh. He was shown that he had built his own happiness on thin ice.

But strangely, he did not despair.

The days that he had spent with Alice had changed the young man somewhat. He had become human enough to feel genuinely happy that his little sister might find joy of her own. Luke came to visit, and the young man was quite interested in him. He wanted to take the measure of him, this boy who had changed his little sister in a matter of days. The first time he laid eyes on Luke, he knew. He sensed Luke’s demeanor, and after a brief exchange of words, the young man was confident. He had never met anyone who was on the same level as he was until he met Luke—no, Luke was superior, even.

I see, thought the young man. Luke has not changed Alice but has instead returned her to who she always was. Alice must be so happy to have met a man of such stature.

As for why he knew, the young man’s desires and Alice’s were, deep down, of the same sort.

“I want to surpass myself in every way and yet still be abused by the one I love.”

That one twisted desire took complete hold of the young man. He had never had an equal before and had doubted whether one might ever appear. That was why he had tried to turn Alice into a devil.

The young man laughed. He laughed because he thought of how truly happy Alice must be and felt a little envious of her. There would be, he thought, no partner in the world more worthy of standing by Luke’s side than his supremely beautiful and precious little sister. He could not think of getting in their way, but neither could he give up on his own happiness. That is why he scrapped all of his plans and set sail on a new course.

 

***

 

“…And that’s about it. Man, the mistakes of youth sure are something, eh?”

“Huh?”

I figured we were going to talk about today’s class. Something sensible. Not…whatever all that rambling was.

This guy seriously just confessed to me that he’s spent years masterminding some kind of awful plan to groom his sister into his ideal girl. Who does he think he is, Hikaru Genji?!

I felt a chill run down my spine.

“So, let’s talk about the future for a minute,” Yolande continued. “Luke, will you allow me to be one of your pawns?”

“What the heck are you even talking about?”

“Ah ha ha. I know you understand me.”

What’s he laughing about so casually? I feel like I’m finally seeing the terrifying, hidden underbelly of the human race up close.

“This arrangement offers you three advantages,” Yolande asserted.

Ugh, my head hurts… And what’s this terrible sense of déjà vu I’m getting?

“First, I would be an incredibly capable and supremely pliant pawn in your service. I will perfectly accomplish whatever you ask of me, no matter how dirty the task may be. I suppose you don’t trust me in that respect just yet, but don’t worry, I intend to prove my worth to you.”

“…”

“Second, I’ve had a lot of experience with manipulating the emotions of others. Additionally…” He paused and looked around expectantly. “Hm, he should be here soon… Ah, there!”

A bald-headed man wearing a Magic Division uniform floated down from the sky. Upon landing, he deferentially dropped to one knee in front of Yolande.

“I apologize for my lateness, Sir Yolande.”

“Not at all. You’re right on time.”

Flight magic? Pretty impressive, but I’m not in the mood for any of this right now. I’m tired… How much longer do I have to listen to him blather on?

“Allow me to introduce you. This is Gordoba, division commander of the Second Royal Magic Division—of which I am a part, may I remind you.”

The division commander’s taking a knee and bowing to his assistant commander… I see. So this is what he wanted to show me. He’s demonstrating his talents.

“Okay, that’ll be all. You can go.”

“Yes, sir! I’ll take my leave, then!”

Gordoba floated slowly up into the air once more, then disappeared into the sky.

That’s the only reason you called him here?

“He seems quite disciplined,” I commented.

“I did my best with him, that’s why. Most of the Second Division have already sworn loyalty to me. What I’m trying to say here is this—I’m not the only pawn you’ll be acquiring.”

“…”

At this point, I’m confident this guy just isn’t sane. Why’s he trying so hard to win me over? Whatever he’s thinking, it’s so crazy I can’t follow along.

“Lastly…I don’t know if this counts as a bonus for you, but you’ll be able to show me just how happy you make Alice every day… W-wouldn’t that make you happy, Luke? It’d make you feel superior, right?!” Yolande seemed to be working himself up a little too much, and his breathing grew heavy. “Oh my… All I’d be able to do is sit and, ah, comfort myself, you know…? Uh…where’d you go? L-Luke?!”

I walked away and did not turn back even once.

Several days had passed since I learned the terrifying true nature of Yolande, Alice’s older brother. The things that happened that day, however, remained seared into the back of my brain, vivid and fresh in my mind.

I may never be able to forget the things he said. I mean, of course I won’t—I’m engaged to Alice. He’s going to be my brother-in-law someday, which is a horrifying thought. I never thought I’d ever sympathize with Alice either. Seriously, I feel really bad for her. Without that gross older brother hanging over her head, she might have grown up to be a kinder, better-adjusted woman.

Or, who knows, maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part? No point in conjecture, anyway. All I can say for sure is that Yolande guy is so evil he makes me nauseous.

However, the conversation with Yolande did have one large, positive impact on me. That was the day I began to form an interest in the idea of “pawns,” as he phrased it.

Up until this point, I’d only thought to make myself stronger. I never compromised on that, and I don’t intend to start. I’m going to keep learning and growing, of course… But there’s a limit to what one man on his own is capable of. Sooner or later, I’ll need followers who will obey me.

“…Tch.”

I hated the thought of doing what Yolande had suggested. Worse still, I had a rational understanding of how useful he would be to me as a pawn.

As I lamented that fact, a thought occurred to me. There’s another option, another way to pick out the strongest followers, and it’s built right into the very culture of the academy.

I had little interest in them at first, but those rank duels might prove quite convenient for my purposes. One of them must be defeated in the end, after all.

“Mwa ha, perfect for an experiment, then.”

Come to think of it, isn’t this the day Mia and Lloyd are dueling?

 

***

 

The majority of the kingdom’s citizens lived their lives far from any sort of battle, much less the formal duels of those with magical talent. As a result, the rank duels that Aslan Magic Academy allowed the public to spectate were the finest form of entertainment that they had access to.

Abel and Luke’s duel had happened unusually quickly, but most fights were announced to the public before the event actually took place. That was one of several reasons they required all that paperwork. Since Mia and Lloyd’s duel had gone through the proper channels, the public was well aware of it, and the academy’s arena was filled with a great many spectators.

“First-years fightin’ today, right?”

“Yeah, yeah… Third-place girl called Mia’s up against Lloyd in fourth. Oh boy, higher ranks are at it already, eh?! This is hot stuff!”

“Yeah, but, like, the first-years never go as big as the upperclassmen. Their fights just ain’t as intense. Best battles are the third-years, when two veterans go head-to-head.”

“That’s dumb. You’re missin’ out on half of life! These first-years are diamonds in the rough. They’ve got so much potential, can’t y’see how amazing that is? Don’t matter how strong they are at first, what matters is that you can root for ’em. They try their best, they never give up, and you get to watch ’em grow. That’s what’s so great about first-years. We’ve gotta support kids like these! We’ve gotta cheer ’em on!”

“I knew you were weird.”

“You’re weird, not me!”

The crowd continued to gather in the arena for the rank duel to come. Over the past hour, the few empty seats had filled up completely. The crowd waited with heated anticipation, their frenzied energy trapped in the arena with nowhere to go.

“Th-there are so many people here…”

Mia felt true fear for the first time in her life. She couldn’t breathe, and it felt as if someone’s hands had a tight grip on her heart.

“It’s okay… I’m okay…”

There’s no reason for me to be scared. I’ve been chosen, blessed with three elements. Not to mention I’ve been training so hard every day since I lost to Alice during the entrance exam. I can’t lose here, Mia told herself repeatedly, in an attempt to soothe her nerves.

“It’s time. Ready?”

“Yes!”

It’s starting, then.

The unsettling feelings swirling inside of her chest hadn’t faded.

I don’t want to lose. I won’t lose. I just won’t.

That was why Mia had made sure she shouted her response when they called her. She wanted to keep her spirits up, even if she had to fake it and put on a brave face. She walked slowly toward the arena. The fight hadn’t even started, but she felt unpleasant drips of sweat making their way down her spine. The moment she stepped into the arena, she was surrounded by thunderous cheers.

Overwhelmed by the piercing eyes of the crowd encircling her, Mia was thrown even further off-balance. She could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears.

“What’s wrong, pipsqueak? You look nervous.”

Lloyd smiled with ease. His demeanor was completely at odds with hers, and that only made the lead weight that was hanging on Mia’s heart feel heavier.

“Duelists, separate.”

Mia took another deep breath and slowly walked away from Lloyd. She took air in, then let it out, focusing on the physical process to steady her nerves just a little.

I’m okay… I can do this. Then I’ll beat Alice and even catch up to Luke someday. I won’t lose here!

The fire of Mia’s fighting spirit burned fiercely in her eyes as she stared down her opponent.

No matter what, I won’t let you win, she thought, fanning the flames within.

“Not bad! You’ve gotta put up a fight to make this interesting!”

Lloyd flashed a ferocious smile, eager to get on with the duel.

“Duelists, are you ready?”

Both students nodded, each convinced of their own victory.

“Then begin!”

Lloyd had just one element—Fire—but made full use of his incredible talent with it. Mia was capable of using the elements of Lightning, Chain, and Healing. The three combined quite nicely: Lightning allowed her to make magical attacks that could not be dodged, her Chain element enabled physical attacks and could also bind her enemies, and her Healing element allowed her to heal her injuries. No normal magic user would be able to stand against her in battle. She was, indeed, chosen.

A long, intense duel between the two…would have been rather exciting, wouldn’t it? However, this fight came to a sudden and ultimately very disappointing end.

Mia was blessed and cursed with the availability of many options at her fingertips, and she became paralyzed by indecision. She had always known that she was a little bit slow to activate her spells, and her inexperience only amplified the issue. Lloyd, on the other hand, had no such dilemma. He pushed his Fire abilities to their very limits—he did not command mere fire but ultrahot blue flames.

His overwhelming strength was simple and straightforward because that was the nature of fire—his only goal was to burn everything standing before him to ashes. Lloyd did not hesitate, and that was what made him strong.

He used huge amounts of mana to mercilessly bulldoze his opponent with his incredible blue flames. Lloyd’s spells weren’t completely artless, but art certainly wasn’t his focus. On a fundamental level, he concerned himself only with power, confident that raw brute strength was his most powerful weapon in battle.

The blue flames spread wide before Mia, encompassing everything. She felt a sort of instinctive fear jolt through her body. She had activated her Lightning magic at almost the exact same time that Lloyd moved, but she knew that her spell wouldn’t be as powerful, even if it did manage to reach him first.

She quickly redirected her energy into activating a Magic Barrier, but that was all she could manage. She knew that Lloyd’s attack would not relent, and the moment she shifted her attention to anything else, she would be consumed by the flames.

And checkmate. I’m done for.

“Aw, c’mon! What’s wrong?! We done already, pipsqueak?!”

“Argh… I c-can’t…” she choked out with great difficulty.

From that moment onwards, it was only a matter of time. The end was sudden and anticlimactic.

A piercing, awful scream erupted from Mia’s throat.

The last thing that she felt was the intense pain of her whole body being set alight, and the last thing she heard was the thunderous applause and roaring cheers of the people in the stands.

 

***

 

Mia awoke without a scratch on her. She felt heavy as she sat up and looked around. It took a few moments to regain her bearings and remember what had happened.

Her memories of defeat flooded back.

“…Ah.”

A single tear flowed down her cheek.

She desperately held back the rest and, with as much courage as she could muster, thanked the priest who had healed her injuries. With that, she left. She made her way down the hallway, then out of the school building. She walked, then walked some more, and finally began to run. That was the moment that the tears caught up with her. She ran straight to the dormitories and locked the door of her room the moment she was inside. Mia leaned back against the door, slid down to her knees, and slumped over. There was nothing left within her to hold back the tears now. Mia cried, ugly moans of despair escaping through clenched teeth as she sobbed. She wiped away her tears again and again, but they wouldn’t stop, and with them poured her jumbled feelings of regret, powerlessness, and frustration. Mia chose to stay in her shell for a time. She had no idea how long she had been like that when Lily and Abel came to visit, concerned about her. Mia ignored them both. She didn’t feel like talking to anybody at all.

Knock, knock.

Sometime later, there came another knock at her door.

Lily and Abel again? I’ve barely even spoken to either of them; why are they so worried about me?

“I don’t want to talk to anybody. Just leave me alone.”

There was a quiet anger and frustration in her voice.

Mia didn’t know why they seemed so insistent on bothering her, but whatever the reason was, she just wanted them to leave her alone. That was all she wanted.

“Who do you think you’re talking to?” came the unexpected reply, and it sounded even angrier than she was.

Mia immediately recognized the voice—it was Luke. That fact changed nothing, however. She wasn’t inclined to open the door for him any more than anyone else.

“Come out already. Let’s talk.”

“I told you I don’t feel—”

“Silence,” he interrupted. “You think I’m making a request? No, I’m telling you we need to talk.”

The way that Luke spoke was so arrogant, disregarding her feelings so thoroughly that it left Mia stunned.

“Hurry up. I’ll break down this door if I have to.”

“A-all right!” stammered Mia. “Fine!”

Mia reluctantly opened the door a crack, concerned that he might genuinely try to break it down if she refused. Luke pried open the door, her closed heart along with it, and stepped inside without taking off his shoes.

“What?”

“You look awful, Mia.”

His words were heartless. Mia felt anger bubbling up within her.

“Did it hurt?”

“…Eh?”

Her anger was immediately extinguished.

Luke had said so little, but Mia felt like every word wormed its way into her mind, seeping in through the cracks. She couldn’t understand what was happening, but in that moment, Mia felt a clear sense of calm wash over her. Then the tears came pouring down her cheeks once more. It took a moment for her to notice, but when she did, she wiped them away awkwardly in a fluster.

“I-is that all you came here to say?”

“No. I came to borrow a little mana.”

Suddenly, Mia felt the mana draining from her body. Everything was happening so fast it made her head spin.

“Wh-what do you think you’re—”

“Hmph, this is a fine element.”

A little chain twisted and spun rapidly around on Luke’s palm. Mia watched it in stunned silence.

“Healing’s great, of course, but Lightning and Chain are incredible too. I see… Lightning can enhance your physical abilities, but it works on different rules than regular enhancement magic, so theoretically, it could stack in an interesting way. It has its limits, but it’s a good element. Hm, I wonder if you could link Chain with Information magic to create an automated Counterattack spell.”

The chain on Luke’s palm split into pieces. Mia had only ever been able to control two at a time, but Luke had five. That wasn’t all—he had applied Lightning to each link. Mia gaped at the sparking chains, flabbergasted.

“Y-you…”

Incredible… He’s amazing.

Mia had known about Luke—or rather, had thought that she did. But it was in that instant that she realized:

He’s a monster.

Mia was made aware—not logically, but on an instinctual level—that the thing that was standing in front of her was not a person at all, but a monster wearing human skin.

“Hmph.”

In a flash, the spell that Luke had activated was gone.

“Right, then, I came here with a proposal,” he continued, as if nothing had happened. “Will you become my pawn?”

“Huh?”

Mia didn’t understand what he was saying. She knew what all of the words meant, but the proposal came so out of the blue that her brain refused to process it.

“Underling, servant… Call it what you will. I desire for one who will serve me and do what I say without question.”

The tone of Luke’s voice was conversational. He acted so casual about all this.

“I-I’d never join y—”

“Become my pawn, and you will never have to feel like this ever again.”

The words caught in Mia’s throat. She fell silent.

“As I just demonstrated, I am capable of guiding you. You want power, don’t you? You don’t want to feel like this any longer, do you? Become my pawn, then. I will free you from the fear of defeat.”

In the end, Mia succeeded in disregarding the ridiculous proposal—even managing to scoff at it. But Luke’s words had an unknown sort of power to them, sweet and dangerous. They bore a treacherous nectar that made Mia want very badly to believe what he was saying.

Wh-why do I feel like this?

Mia was truly afraid. Before she even knew what was happening, she found herself seriously considering becoming one of Luke’s pawns. Her choice was already taking root in her heart, and it almost seemed natural to her. She felt dizzy, like she was looking down at herself from somewhere above and shook herself back to reality. That bird’s-eye view of the scene was terrifying.

And yet, the sweet poison had already begun to seep into her heart.

“Your p-pawn… What would I have to do…?”

She just had to ask.

“Mwa ha ha.”

Mia’s expression, the slight trembling in her voice—from those small clues alone, Luke was confident that his experiment had been partially successful.

“Nothing difficult. I want you to lend me your powers when I have need of them.”

“You need my powers…?”

“Yes. I need your strength, Mia.”

Mia’s heart trembled at those words. Luke hadn’t come there to comfort her, nor to offer her any kindness. He had no respect for her feelings or boundaries. She’d told him she didn’t want to talk to anyone, and he half forced himself through the door, only to drain her mana and offer some insane deal to be his pawn?

And yet…

Luke says that he needs my powers. Just that fact alone… It makes me happy.

Mia felt a terrifying, intoxicating joy. She hadn’t spent much time with Luke up until that point, perhaps a few hours at most. But suddenly she found each word he spoke to her so sweet it melted her soul, immersing her in waves of warmth and comfort.

I want him to want me more.

An intense, irresistible, and primordial desire possessed her.

And yet…

“I need some time to think.”

In her heart, she wanted to obey him, but Mia somehow managed to stop herself from taking that step.

I shouldn’t make this decision on the spot. I need to stop and think this over.

Alarm bells were ringing in every rational part of her mind that remained functional.

“…Hmph. I see.”

For just a brief moment, Luke looked disappointed. It was only a flash, but the sight sent such pangs of guilt shooting through Mia’s body that she thought her chest might burst open.

I’ve made the wrong choice; I just know it. Oh, what have I done?

Waves of self-reproach assaulted her.

I should take that back. I have to.

But just as she resolved to speak again…

“I’ll ask again tomorrow, then. I have high hopes for your response.”

Luke lightly placed his hand upon Mia’s shoulder. The moment it made contact with her body, his fingers sent a brain-numbing sensation running through her, and her body shivered faintly at the touch.

“Oh…”

Mia’s legs buckled and she slumped to the floor.

“Huh? What’s wrong with you?”

Luke hadn’t expected that. At the slightest touch, the girl had collapsed like a marionette whose strings had been cut. He had no idea what was happening, and the situation only proceeded to get more chaotic.

“Wh-what are you doing?!”

Luke turned to see Lily and Abel standing in the doorway.

 

***

The two of them had been worried enough to come check on Mia a second time.

“A-are you okay?!”

Mia’s cheeks were red and streaked with tears, and she looked up at Lily and Abel with such a strange expression that they knew something was not right. In truth, though, there was nothing wrong with her. Luke’s touch had triggered a number of different emotions within her to explode, and she was in a kind of stupor—but having only just arrived on the scene, Lily could hardly have been expected to know that. What she did see was Mia slumped in a sitting position on the floor of her room, looking distinctly not okay, with Luke standing beside her.

“You! Luke, right?! What have you done to her?!”

“Nothing. You’re so damn loud. Stop shouting everything, girl.”

“Wh-what did you just say?!”

Luke determined that he had accomplished his goal and had no need to engage with the loud girl in the doorway. He walked past Lily and out of the room, ignoring her as she continued to wail and moan at him. He walked by Abel, who had been watching him in silence.

“You came here because you were worried about her too, right, Luke?” Abel said as he passed him by.

“…Huh?”

Luke was surprised, but Abel chose to faintly smile at him. Abel offered nothing more, as if there was no need for anything more to be said between them.

What’s with that look he’s got on his face? Like he knows what I’ve done… He doesn’t know a thing…

Luke responded with silence too, but simply because he was exhausted. He descended the stairs and returned to his own room. Once he was there, he lay down on his bed and lost himself in thought for a while.

It’s going to take a surprising amount of work to create these pawns, isn’t it…? The task is guiding their minds through words and actions to the desired state of loyalty towards me. I might even have to stage a tragedy to accomplish that.

The experiment had come at a very convenient time. One of them had to lose, though it hadn’t mattered much to Luke whether it was Mia or Lloyd. The point was, the loser would be emotional and shaken by their defeat.

Better still that this was her first defeat. People adapt, and so I don’t suppose the second and third time she loses in the arena will affect her as greatly. That’s why this first duel was the perfect opportunity for my pawn experiment.

But the results hadn’t quite been what Luke had expected. He had been confident that he could make Mia one of his pawns, but it hadn’t worked.

“Well, I suppose I did well for a first try. Tch, it does irritate me, though.”

The experience had also demonstrated Yolande’s worth, much as Luke was loath to admit it.

A pawn that can create more pawns is a valuable piece indeed. I cannot afford to let him go so easily.

Luke sighed. “Maybe I’ll do some sword practice.”

Training always helped him to clear the fog from his mind. He took up the sword that hung on the wall of his room and left the dormitory once more.

 

***

 

The next morning, just as the milky-white light of the dawn began to chase the dark away, a visitor arrived at Luke’s door.

“Ahem… I don’t mind. I’ll be your pawn, Luke.”

She looked a little hesitant and shy as she spoke. He was left speechless for a few seconds—he’d thought his experiment had been a failure after all, and it was so early in the morning, his head was still a little fuzzy.

It was all due to the appearance of Yolande.

That meeting, with a man who did not feature at all in the original work, sparked within Luke an interest in gathering pawns. This spark led him to an experiment—an attempt to create a pawn for himself. As a result, the young girl who was meant to eventually rise to the position of Magic Knight had chosen instead to become his pawn.

 

***

 

Mia’s eyelids fluttered open with a start. There was nothing between sleeping and waking, no hazy semi-consciousness, and so the moment she opened her eyes, her brain’s wake center activated. Though her mind immediately snapped to attention, she was physically exhausted from everything that had happened the day before. Even now, she yearned to simply curl up under the blankets once more and remain in that sweet, warm world of slumber, sticky as mud. She didn’t give in, though. Mia sat up in bed and leaned back against the wooden headboard. She placed a hand to her chest.

…My feelings haven’t changed after all.

She had slept on it, but her will was unshaken.

Then I should act. It would be foolish of me to let this chance slip away.

Mia’s mind was made up. She pictured Luke in her head as she had seen him the previous day. No matter how favorably she reinterpreted the events, she couldn’t claim that he was a good person. Mia knew that, of course, but she found herself entranced by him nonetheless.

His words played over and over in her mind as emotions she didn’t even comprehend welled up endlessly within her.

“Will you become my pawn?”

I know I shouldn’t listen to him… I know that these are the whispers of the devil. Maybe he’s just deceiving me.

Mia understood that neither Luke’s words nor his actions came from a sense of goodwill. Despite everything, she knew what her decision had to be. “…I can’t take it any longer.”

I can’t resist. I just can’t.

It was as if she had been dyed black, and no amount of color added could alter that shade. Her mind was completely made up.

Mia got ready quickly, but not carelessly. Rather, there was an efficiency in each and every one of her movements that allowed her to prepare at such speed. Finally, she stood before the mirror in her room and ran a brush through her hair, paying particular attention to fixing her bangs. Once that was done, she opened the door and began walking quickly towards Luke’s room.

She started out quite fast, but the closer she got, the slower her pace became.

“Wh-what do I say…?”

She couldn’t help but wonder aloud—and that was the moment that she snapped back to reality.

What am I, an idiot?! I’m visiting a boy’s room this early in the morning for this?! To become his pawn?! He’ll think I’ve gone insane!

Mia wanted to scream in frustration at herself. She reflexively placed her hands to her face and found her cheeks were boiling hot. She felt like her heartbeat had spread, pounding through every part of her body. As her body heated up, though, her head seemed to cool by the same proportion. The coolheaded, clear-thinking part of her recognized just how improper this was. Her emotions were all over the place, but she forced herself to calm down for a second time.

If I don’t go right now, I feel I might lose the chance forever…

She thought about it further.

After everything that happened yesterday, how could I ever just casually say it when I bump into him at breakfast?

That, Mia convinced herself, would be even more awkward than what she was currently trying to do. She took a step forward. Her legs felt heavy, like she was dragging chains behind her as she walked.

But if I stop again, I’ll only end up going back to my room.

Conscious of that fact, Mia worked up the mana for a spell.

Flight.

Mia floated up into the air, then began to accelerate.

I have to reach Luke’s room quickly.

With that single thought in her mind, she sped down the dormitory hallway. If she hadn’t had the reason left to consider the fact that other students might still be asleep, she would have been sorely tempted to scream out loud to release a fraction of the anxiety that writhed in the pit of her stomach. Regardless, she arrived at Luke’s door in almost no time at all. A bit too soon, even.

She dispelled Flight and dropped gently to her feet. That’s the door. All I need to do now is knock.

How difficult it was, though, now that she was actually there, just to knock. Mia gripped tightly at the hem of her skirt.

Do it, Mia! You’ve made up your mind, haven’t you?! Come on! Come on! Argh.

Her thoughts took her in circles for a while, and she spent five minutes frozen in the cold hallway. Then she realized that this right here, this was her whole problem. It was why she had lost her rank duel the previous day. Lloyd had been strong—stronger than her, arguably—but strength wasn’t everything. The biggest reason for her defeat was her weak, indecisive mind.

Isn’t that why I’m here? To change?

She sighed, paused, and breathed deeply again. “All right.”

My mind’s made up.

She took several more deep, calming breaths, then slowly reached out and knocked feebly on the door a few times. Then she waited. The wait felt to Mia as if every second had been stretched out to a minute or more, but eventually, the door opened slowly before her. Luke’s face appeared in the crack.

The moment Mia recognized him, her heart was thrown into such complete disarray, it was as if everything up until that moment had been a mere prologue to this. Her heart started beating incredibly fast. She couldn’t even manage a simple “Good morning.” Instead, the words that tumbled out of her mouth were the ones she’d come there to say; the ones that she had said to herself countless times that morning. She spoke as if she were reading a script.

“Ahem… I don’t mind. I’ll be your pawn, Luke.”

Luke’s eyes opened wide for a moment—there was much about the situation that he hadn’t anticipated. The knock at the door had also woken him up, so his mind was still fuzzy. Those were the factors that left him speechless for a few seconds, but Mia had no way of knowing that, of course. She had plucked up the courage to say it, but Luke hadn’t answered her yet. That was the one thought that consumed her. Her heartbeat grew even faster.

“Right,” he said finally. “You did well to make this decision. I’m happy you came.”

“…Ah.”

Luke’s approval was like a drug, intoxicating, and it made her feel a little insane.

A shock of excitement pierced through her whole body, as if everything within her had been affirmed all at once. It was Mia’s turn to be speechless then. Her mouth opened and closed, but no words came forth.

I have to say something. Quickly.

But just as she pressed herself to speak, someone else did.

“Well, that was interesting, Mia.”

It was the voice of another girl in the room behind Luke. Before Mia had time to work out who this new voice was, the girl pulled the door open wide.

“Ah!”

It was at that moment that Mia’s brain stopped working entirely.

Alice was standing in the doorway, and she was completely naked.

Why is she in Luke’s room?

Why isn’t she wearing any clothes?

Why does she look so smug?

Questions flooded Mia’s mind, but the information her eyes provided was too shocking to bear. Mia would turn away in embarrassment whenever she saw two strangers kissing, after all. What she saw in front of her was completely incomprehensible, beyond what she could accept as part of reality. Therefore, she chose to let go of her grip on consciousness, and with a bang, she crumpled to the floor. To Alice, shame was a completely foreign concept. She had supreme confidence in her own beauty and was not embarrassed in the slightest to be seen by others.

“…Why did you come to the door?”

“She was being so…interesting. I couldn’t help myself.”

Luke sighed, deciding that Mia could hardly be left lying in the hallway. Though it was tiresome to be engaging in exercise so early in the morning, Luke took her gently in his arms and carried her over to his bed.

 

***

 

The city of Gilbadia, located in Marquis Gilbert’s domain.

As a center of trade, the streets of Gilbadia were lively even at night. Merchants and adventurers from neighboring regions came and went at all hours. Among all the hustle and bustle, all the trouble and strife, life went on, and people found their own reasons to be happy.

Also located within Gilbadia was an extravagant mansion belonging to Claude Gilbert, marquis of this land. Unseen, the doors of the mansion opened, and four men emerged from inside.

“Mind your step, please.”

First, there was the butler of the house, Alfred.

“Sure. Thanks.”

Next came Yolande, followed by Gordoba, a quiet man who served as division commander of the Second Royal Magic Division.

“Mwa ha.”

Finally came the owner of the house, Claude Gilbert. They all lingered a moment outside.

Alfred felt something off about Yolande from the very moment that he stepped inside the mansion.

This man’s evil, he would think to himself. Pure evil of the most detestable kind.

But eventually, that became Tch, he’s gross.

With time, his hatred had mellowed somewhat, and that, too, disgusted Alfred. Meanwhile, Yolande delighted in watching the pieces of his plan fall into place.

Man, he is easy! thought Yolande. Lord Gilbert is a total pushover! He was so wary of me at first, but the moment I brought up Luke, the conversation started going my way!

The reason that Yolande had visited Claude was to set in motion what he had envisioned that day he met Luke at Aslan Magic Academy: a new story, with Luke at the center.

I will make Luke the ruler of this kingdom.

Heh, Luke… If there is one advantage I have over you, it’s that I was born into this world a little sooner than you were.

While Luke was tied to the academy, Yolande had a certain degree of freedom as a young man, and that was what allowed him to set up the meeting. That day at the academy marked the first time that Yolande had ever met someone who surpassed him. He had felt so alone for so long, and the meeting had made him incredibly happy. Luke shone so brightly in his memories. He was completely captivated by the boy.

It is you, Luke! You are most fit to become king.

It wasn’t a selfless endeavor, though. In fact, it was quite selfish indeed. Part of his reason for doing this was to fulfill his own desire to remain at Luke’s side as one of his pawns.

I must be sure to become indispensable to him before he graduates from the academy.

With Claude’s assent to Yolande’s plan, the story progressed at a rapid pace. Why did Claude agree, you might ask? One reason, of course, was the entirely excessive love he bore for his son, but that wasn’t all. Yolande’s proposal had awoken an ambition in Claude that had been dormant for some time. It dissipated like smoke the moment that Luke was born, but that ephemeral aspiration began to take hold once again…

He aspired to usurp the throne.

In his youth, Claude had been possessed of a burning and arrogant conviction that he was the one truly fit to be king of his nation. Yolande’s proposal lit the flame once more.

“You will provide the military strength, and I the firm political support for this move, correct?”

“Yes, Lord Gilbert. I will use the magic divisions to increase Luke’s influence, and I would like you to bring the other aristocrats on board.”

“I heard you were incompetent,” Claude said bluntly. “But it appears that claim was nonsense from those who had no eyes to see your talent.”

“Ah, you flatter me. Well then, do you believe this will be possible in three years?”

There was just a hint of a challenge in Yolande’s question.

“Mwa ha, do not make me laugh. Who do you think I am, exactly? I will find strong political support, a faction more secure than any that has ever existed in this nation. Do not disappoint me, Yolande.”

“I don’t intend to,” Yolande assured him. “I cannot stay for long, so I am afraid I must be leaving now. Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me today, Lord Gilbert.”

“Return whenever you please.”

Yolande bowed deeply. “You have my gratitude.”

With that, Yolande cast a spell and flew up into the sky. Gordoba followed him, and for a while, they flew side by side in silence until Yolande could no longer contain his excitement.

“Ha ha ha! Oh boy, we’re going to be busy!”

The explosion of joy burst from Yolande’s chest, and he had to speak it.

“If there is anything I can do to assist you, please say the word.”

“Oh, I’m going to be working you hard too, Gordoba. Be ready.”

“Yes, sir!” Gordoba replied spiritedly.

Luke…I want to see what kind of king you’ll make. How will you guide this old-fashioned kingdom, so over-reliant on magic power and human supremacy? How will you change this nation? Ah, but I suppose if I take too much of your freedom away, you’ll become upset and uncooperative. We’ll have to get some talented officials on board. Oh, I am so looking forward to this.

Full of anticipation at the thought of what was to come, Yolande could not help but to throw back his head and laugh again, innocent and childlike.

Author’s Note

 

NICE TO MEET YOU, MY NAME IS YUKIHA Kuroyuki.

Thank you so much for choosing to read my book, The Misdeeds of an Extremely Arrogant Villian Aristocrat.

I suppose I’d like to start by talking about this work a little. To put it simply, it’s one of those villain-rebirth stories. The protagonist suddenly becomes this monstrously talented villain aristocrat called Luke, and then all kinds of other stuff ends up happening. There’s no originality to that alone, though. The villain’s supposed to be destroyed at the end of the book but fights to make sure that doesn’t happen. I mean, I’m sure everyone reading this book has read something similar to that storyline before. That’s why I decided to add a little twist to the story. As for what that is—well, if you’ve read this far, I’m quite sure you’re already aware… That’s right—perverts. The accent I’ve added is letting intense, larger-than-life characters take the stage. I decided that instead of having my main character try to avoid destruction, I would place more importance on the changes that come about when he makes a real effort (despite never needing to), and that’s how I formed this story.

As a result, we’ve got doting fathers who just get worse and worse, burly butlers becoming zealous believers, a totally S heroine turning M, and loads of insane people, who were never meant to be a part of this story, getting involved… It’s getting a bit chaotic, isn’t it?

While I’m not going to stray too much from the strong protagonist genre, I’ve also introduced some comedy. I think that’s really down to the influence of the authors I admire, Kugane Maruyama-sensei and Natsume Akatsuki-sensei. Nothing in the world would make me happier than if, during your reading of this book, it made you laugh a little, even just once.

Right, then—I’d like to move on to some acknowledgements.

First, my editor, Kida-san. I’m so grateful to you for finding my work—I cannot thank you enough. But well, when you reached out to me, I clearly didn’t have enough pages for a full volume… I’m sure you messaged me because you believed in me, but it all happened so fast that I clearly remember I was more shocked than happy in the moment. Thank you so much for listening so patiently to my opinions, even though I have no experience with bringing a book into print.

Thank you also to Uodenim-sensei for the wonderful illustrations in this book. I’m sorry for being so selfish with my requests! I kept asking if you’d do this, or draw this that way if you could… I really am sorry for making so many demands of you! I can’t thank you enough for persevering and producing such brilliant illustrations in the end. Thank you so much.

Thank you also to all of my readers who have been supporting me in the online version of this story. It is only thanks to you that this book is in physical print. I hope you will keep reading. I’m sorry the updates are so slow!

Lastly, to everyone who has chosen to pick up this book: I hope you have found some enjoyment in it. This work is also being serialized on the website Kakuyomu, so if you’re interested in what comes next, I’d appreciate if you could take a look.

I don’t know if there will be another volume in this series, but I’d like to keep writing Luke-kun’s story, with all his incredible arrogance and boundless talent, and all the weird perverts that seem to flock to his side. I’m sure he’ll keep trying his best, even when things don’t go his way and his stomach starts to hurt.

Okay then, that’s about all. Once again, thank you so much to everyone who has read this book!

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