Published at 20th of February 2020 3:22 pm

Volume 1, Prologue

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Translated by: Reiji

The Kingdom of Bahnseim──

A large country that is considered to be the greatest nation on the continent. Located in the center of the continent, it’s surrounded by many neighboring countries. And, three hundred years after its founding, it has reached a critical juncture.

The country was founded in the past after the defeat of another kingdom that ruled the continent through fear – The Sentras Kingdom. The Sentras Kingdom was a country governed by a system of nobles with the king at the forefront. The country decayed, and the Sentras Kingdom lost the qualification for ruling the continent. It was soon destroyed, and now, three hundred years have passed since the birth of the first generation King of Bahnseim. Amidst the Bahnseim Kingdom that had continued to prosper, there is a provincial noble house that is in a special position – the Walt House, with a history of 250 years.

It is a provincial noble house whose founder, while being born in a knight house of the royal court, left the palace and embarked upon an expedition to reclaim a forest.

The First Generation, Basil Walt, was born as the third son of a knight house in the Capital. He applied for an expedition, reclaimed an area of the forest where monsters were living, and created the foundation of the Walt House.

The Second Generation, Crassel Walt, succeeded the First and maintained the land before entrusting it to the Third Generation, Sleigh Walt.

The Third Generation, Sleigh, took part in a famous battle recorded in the history of Bahnseim – the retreating battle of Remlraudt. He stopped a large army’s invasion with just a handful of troops, and was known by the people as Bahnseim’s righteous general. Sleigh was the first person who carved the name of the Walt House into the history of Bahnseim.

The Fourth Generation, Max Walt, received the merit from the achievement of his father Sleigh Walt, and obtained the court rank of Baron. He was recognized as a true noble and the prosperity of the Walt House knew no end.

But, the Fifth Generation, Fredricks Walt, was a stark contrast when compared to his grandfather and father. He was known as a lustful man. Although he advanced the house rank from a Baron to Viscount, he welcomed four mistresses several years after marrying his wife.

The Sixth Generation, Fiennes Walt, lived in a dark period of Bahnseim’s history. He worked hard to enlarge his own territory. He formed connections with the nobles in the Capital, and began snatching away the territory around him. It was said that the name of the Walt House fell to the ground in those chaotic times.

But, when the Seventh Generation, Brod Walt, was born, light shined on the Walt House once more.

At the time, Bahnseim was still in a state of chaos, with multiple invasions from other countries occurring.

The Walt House advanced in rank and became a Count house. Brod, who was leading the house, displayed a magnificent effort in saving Bahnseim from its predicament. He even obtained the position as an advisor to the royal family, and it was said that the Walt House had regained its honor.

Such a Walt House reached the eighth generation──

──When it became the generation of Maizel Walt, dark clouds began to cover the house once more.

.

Under the jovial sunlight of Spring──an event that doesn’t suit such clear weather was occurring.

The mansion of the Walt House was one worthy for a Count. It has walls surrounding its vast grounds. In addition, the mansion was designed by a famous architect. While it was built extravagantly, the construction of the building also pursued functionality. Even the garden, from its front yard until the courtyard, all the way to the backyard are all maintained scrupulously. Not just the lawn and the trees, but even the fountain and the pond are beautifully arranged.

In a corner of this Walt House mansion, there was a place where the lawn was gouged out and the soil exposed. A boy and a girl were currently facing each other there. The adults made a circle surrounding them. The suited figure with a well ordered beard, Maizel Walt, is the father of me and the little sister that I’m currently facing. He’s wearing a pair of white gloves, and in his hand he held a pocket watch that I think he’s using to pay attention to the time.

How much time has passed? Several hours? Or perhaps several minutes? ……Really, how did it become like this?

Next to our father is mother, Claire Walt, wearing a light blue dress. She is standing with a maid holding an umbrella over her. Both of their gazes are directed not at me, but to my little sister Celes Walt. My little sister──the perfect, little sister.

If there existed an existence that is loved by the Goddess, surely that must be Celes. I tightly gripped the handle of the saber I received from my parents on my tenth birthday. It became slippery with the blood and sweat from my hand.

I had thrown away my coat and am only wearing my shirt and trousers. There were injuries all over my body. Cheek, shoulder, arm, chest, thigh……there are a lot of places that were hit by Celes. But, all of the wounds are shallow. She intentionally left me with just these shallow cuts and is simply toying with me.

In contrast, my little sister, who is two years younger than me, is fully composed. She is holding the rapier──a sword with a sharp and thin blade that specialized in stabbing──that she received as a birthday present, just as I had, and is touching its blade. Celes looks like she is merely playing with a toy that was just bought for her, and shows a gaze of satisfaction at the rapier with a yellow gem embedded in its handle.

It’s an item that is created using the best material by the best craftsman.

My saber is also an item of quality, but it is inferior compared to Celes’s rapier. The chip in its blade is standing out, and then the area around the handle is stained black.

Until now, I have swung this saber for who knows how many thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of times already, in the hope of making my parents look at me.

And yet, I’m not a match against Celes who received her rapier only today.

I don’t want to think that it’s only the difference of our talent. Celes is also receiving education, but unlike me who is a male, she should only have been taught how to handle a weapon to the degree of self-protection.

Against such a Celes, I’m unable to even touch her.

Celes touches the blade of her rapier with her fingertip, and opens her mouth to speak without even looking at me. Boredom is coloring her words.

「Are you finished already, Onii-sama? Even though you were swinging your sword like an idiot day after day, this is all you amount to in the end? It’s really problematic for a boy of the Walt House to be like this.」

I gritted my teeth and glared at Celes. This match had started on a whim of Celes. Celes, who’s birthday was being celebrated today, was overjoyed when she received a rapier that she had been asking our parents for since some time ago and,──

『I want to try fighting him.』

Apparently she said that.

I said apparently because I wasn’t there when she said that. Currently, I’m not allowed to spend time together with my family. My days are spent confined to either the room given to me or polishing my swordsmanship and magic in the only corner of the garden that I’m permitted to use.

How did it become like this? Even though everything should have been normal until that day.

Frustration is welling up and my chest is pained with sadness. My own worthlessness is unforgivable. But, I came to think somewhere in my heart that it cannot be helped I cannot win against Celes. I hate myself for being like this.

Even if I cannot win……at the very least, if it’s just one attack…….

When I’m thinking that, I can hear a voice. It’s father’s voice.

「Good grief, it’s just like Celes said. For a boy of the Walt House to look so unsightly……I don’t have any face to look at our honored ancestors. You are no longer a member of the Walt House.」

The emotionless words were still continuing.

This time, the words come from mother.

「I wonder why this kind of useless child was born. But, with this it has become clear now, dear.」

「Yes, you are right. The heir of the Walt House is Celes.」

My parents who are behind Celes are looking at me with a cold gaze. But, my parents’ affectionate eyes are directed towards Celes unsparingly.

I look down once before lifting up my face once more.

Celes’s twisted smile is there. My little sister who looks beautiful even with such an expression is twelve years old, even so, she possesses a charm that can already be described as bewitching.

「Not yet.」

I fired myself up.

「It’s still not over yet!」

I pushed down my fear and took a step forward. I thrust my saber towards my biological sister. I know how much strength that thrust is filled with. If it hit, I’m confident it will pierce through even Celes. But, that’s only if it hit.

「It will be the same no matter how many times you repeat it. I’m finished with you already.」

Saying that, Celes rotates her body while dodging my saber, and then she stabs my leg as she passes through me.

The rapier is pulled out when we are separated and the pain attacked me a moment later.

With our positions switched and us back to facing each other, Celes lowered her rapier languidly and pushes her left hand out towards me.

「It’s fun looking at your tattered state, but…I’m bored already. So, can you disappear for me? Also, amuse me a bit before that.」

The smiling Celes stretched out the fingertips of her left hand and she began to cast magic. It looked as though sparks of fire were gathering on her fingertips. It’s fire element magic.

A chill that made my spine shudder drove me to also use magic.

「Ice Wall!」

I swung my left hand and made a wall of ice manifest. Ice jutted out from the ground and created a wall, the coldness of which cooled down my heated body slightly.

Looking at the magic, the difficulty level is at the beginning of the intermediate level, it can only be used by magicians──nobles with considerable strength. Celes who saw that fired the simplest magic.

「Fire Bullet……I wonder how far you can endure.」

Celes grinned and from her left hand──from her fingertips a fire bullet is fired. Firing a small ball of fire is the characteristic of Fire Bullet.

But, Celes’s magic isn’t the Fire Bullet that I knew. The thing that could hardly be called a “bullet” slammed into the wall of ice with a terrific force.

Even though normally it’s a magic that only fired at most a few shots, Celes’s magic possessed a powerful strength that attacked consecutively.

The wall of ice rapidly melted and began to fall apart. The surrounding temperature is increasing.

「One more layer!」

When I added more ice to the wall in order to endure the attack, Celes’s voice came from behind. Even though she should be in front of me, when I turned around her smiling face was there.

「Is that all? You really are just a small fry.」

My little sister swung up her left hand and pushed it at me.

If I don’t evade it──

I was thinking something like that, but my body isn’t moving well. Inside this sensation where time feels like it’s moving slowly, Celes was the only one moving normally.

When my cheek got punched and sent me flying, my back slammed into the ice wall that I created and I fell to the ground.

When my hand pushed on the ground to stand up, a shadow fell on the lawn. When I lift my face up, Celes’s red shoe could be seen looming right in front of me. I put my left hand forward and blocked Celes’s kick, but this time I’m sent flying again and smash through the wall of ice.

I took a falling stance to kill the momentum when falling to the ground, but I felt intense pain from my left hand. It looked like my left hand was broken.

Celes saw my figure,

「Uwaa, how unsightly.」

She put her hand on her mouth and laughed. She looked like she was really having fun seeing me like this. My aching left hand dangled down powerlessly while my right hand held my saber in a stance where half of my body is bending to the extreme. But, Celes is──

「You still want to continue the sword play? Well, it’s fine. This time I’ll cut you even deeper than before.」

I stepped forward and closed the distance of several meters in an instant, then I swung my saber horizontally to cut Celes down. But, I don’t feel any feedback from my saber. Far from that, pain that is even more intense than before attacked my shoulder and thigh.

My blood is dripping down on the ground.

When I managed to turn around, Celes was already readying her rapier.

「I could have killed you three times during that just now. Was that you being serious……Lyle?」

It felt like it’s been ages since I saw the figure of my little sister calling my name.

Yes, I am Lyle Walt──the man who should be inheriting the Walt House. Right now I’m hiding in the shadow of my superior little sister, and also a man who is called an incompetent. In the past my parents put their expectations on me, and even the house’s retainers and the mansion’s servants called me a prodigy or the like. That I am a genius worthy to be the heir of the house of Walt…….

──Even that only continued until I was ten years old.

Celes had begun to display a talent that surpassed me in every aspect when she was less than eight years old. After that, I had been treated coldly ever since that talent was noticed. The affection of my parents that was poured onto me until then was transferred to my little sister, and the retainers and also the servants also gave me looks of disgust.

My everything was denied. Even so, I──

──I just wanted my family to look at me one more time.

I polished my sword skill, hoping that my parents who only looked at Celes would realize I exist and look my way. I polished my magic, read books, and endeavored to perform what I’m told without fail until now.

But, in these five years──my parents didn’t speak to me kindly, not even once.

I tightly gripped my saber and glared at Celes.

At the very least one strike!

Thinking that I must not hurt my younger sister is a thing of the past. Right now, I’m pointing my saber at Celes with the serious intent of killing her.

I intended to treasure her as my little sister. I even intended to be affectionate to her.

Why is something like this……did I do something without me realizing it?

「Do you hate me that much? Why!? Why are you doing something like this!?」

Celes looked uninterested hearing the yell that came from my heart and,

「I hate you. You are what I hate the most in the world. But, as for the reason……eh? Come to think of it, I completely forget why I came to hate you. But, disappear already from my sight──」

My little sister, speaking such a thing with a cute face, only became expressionless after saying 「disappear」. No humanity could be felt from her then. I’m scared. At the same time, I took a step forward in order to push down my fear.

Celes swung her rapier and that iron blade looked like a bending whip. It looked like the rapier had a mind of its own.

It looked like it’s possessing a will and coming to kill me, I──

One attack! If it’s for the sake of landing even a single hit!

When Celes’s rapier is going to wound my shoulder, I intentionally took a step forward. The rapier stabbed. And then, I swung my saber.

Celes looked a bit surprised, but she dodged my attack within a hair’s breadth and pulled out her rapier. My blood stuck on the rapier and blood spurted out from my shoulder. It felt like everything was happening in slow motion.

Here!

I changed the direction of my saber and forcefully changed the trajectory of my slash and slashed back without pause.

Celes’s eyes that looked composed until now opened wide and she hurriedly leaped back from in front of me. But, Celes’s dress──her skirt’s cut-off piece is fluttering in the air in front of Celes.

It reached. My attack reached Celes!

Celes looked at the fringe of her skirt expressionlessly and turned her face toward me. A frown formed on her eyebrows and she glared at me with immeasurable hatred filling her gaze.

Celes turned her gaze toward her rapier’s handle just for a moment before opening her mouth.

「This piece of trash. This incompetent. Even though I’ve allowed you to live, you got carried away and touched me, there is no way that can be forgiven. Yes, you can just disappear already for real. Burn to ash in this place!」

Celes swung her rapier to the side and began casting her magic. The surrounding temperature rose and wind coiled up from the ground.

「Wha, don’t tell me」

I also used magic right away. I created an ice wall around me and prepared a lot of water.

Celes glared at me while,

「That’s pointless. Fire Storm!」

Wind blew violently and flames riding the winds manifested. Like that the flames increased in momentum──the storm of flame spawned with me at the center, melting the ice created around me instantly. While the surrounding temperature rose drastically, I also continued to use magic.

Is this the end……at this kind of place……I, for what……why……why was I born?

Tears flowed. Right after that, the storm of flame attacking from the surrounding vanished and I looked around me. In front of me Celes is looking at me expressionlessly, the surrounding adults──my parents and also the retainers are gathering at Celes’s side. My excessive use of magic caused my Mana to become extremely exhausted. I fell to my knees and collapsed. My hand let go of my saber and I kept lying down on the ground while looking at the approaching Celes. Celes took my saber into her hand.

「……This is your treasure isn’t it? It’s crumbling already. Is it that important to you?」

Celes looked down at me. I wrung out my last bit of strength,

「……Don’t touch it.」

When I tried to resist, Celes immediately kicked me and sent me flying. My body rolled across the burnt and gouged lawn, and was stained with mud. When my rolling stopped, Celes stepped on my head and with an intentional attitude,

「Is that so……but, you don’t need it anymore.」

She tossed the saber up into the air. Celes’s metal rapier was dyed a red color, and then she proceeded to chop the saber that was tossed up in the air into pieces as if it were a stick of butter. My saber fell to the ground in tatters. I, who reached out with tears flowing down from my eyes, recalled the warm conversation with my parents that was already fading inside my mind.

In the past father handed this saber to me while saying this.

『Lyle, too, is a man of the Walt House. You should carry a weapon of high quality.』

My mother who saw that looked at me with a slightly exasperated face.

『Dear, you’re spoiling Lyle like that. My, but Lyle, that looks good on you. As expected from my son.』

Hearing that father,

『He’s my son too though, right? What, after several years even you will go outside and fight monsters. The time for you to fulfill your noble’s oblige will come. It would be an embarrassment for the heir of the Walt House if your weapon at that time looks seedy. We are a Count house, after all. Lyle, you must polish your skill to match your weapon, okay?』

When was the last time I saw my parents’ smiles? I can’t even remember that far. Before my hand reached the saber’s pieces, I can feel my consciousness fading away.

──It felt like my heart broke, the same as my saber lying in pieces on the burnt lawn. I can’t win. I won’t be recognized, no matter how hard I work──

The surrounding people left me behind and gathered around Celes.

「As expected from Celes-sama.」

「Even so, I cannot bear it knowing that this worthless person is a fellow pupil.」

「With this, the Walt House’s prosperity is secured.」

Even the knight I looked up to, Beil Randberg, the one who taught me various things in the past, is looking down at me and praising Celes.

The senior apprentice who was my fellow student, Alfred Virden is looking at me as though I’m a piece of trash.

The servants are laughing, looking happy that I will be gone.

……Am I really that hateful? Am I really that much of a nuisance!?

And then, I can hear my parents’ voices.

My father.

「With this our only child is Celes. No, since the beginning we didn’t have any child other than Celes.」

My mother.

「That’s right. More importantly, dear. Celes’s dress has been dirtied. We have to buy her a new one.」

Hearing the voices of my parents worrying about Celes’s dress more than me, it felt like I am being forgotten completely. The footsteps are gradually getting further, I also cannot hear their conversation anymore.

Frustrating……it’s frustrating…….

It’s when I ran out of strength and thought that this might be where I’ll die. Someone was approaching. Thinking that perhaps they are going to finish me off, when I began to think that I want to be released from all this pain, I heard a voice.

「How heartrending……why is something like this… If only Brod-sama were still alive.」

Someone’s voice spoke of my grandfather’s name. At the same time I slightly recalled my kind grandparents.

I see, if I die perhaps I’ll be able to meet grandfather and grandmother again. But, I have no face with which to meet them…….

Thinking that, my consciousness cut off.

──While Lyle was losing consciousness, there was also movement in Forxuz House.

The Forxuz House, possessing territory that was adjacent to the Walt House, had a master-servant relationship with the Walt House.

It was described as a house that was loyal to the Walt House rather than the Bahnseim Kingdom. In the mansion of such a Forxuz House, in front of the current head of the house, Gerard Forxuz, a girl was standing. Gerard sat on a chair with his folded arms placed on the table. He opened his mouth with his daughter, Novem Forxuz, in front of him.

「There is news. Lyle-sama has been disinherited, and then he will be banished. There is also a notification that his engagement with you has been dissolved.」

The daughter in front of him──the second daughter of the Forxuz House, Novem, had a slightly lower status than required to marry into the Walt House that was at the rank of Count. Originally it would be impossible for her to be engaged into the Walt House, but around the time when Lyle began to be treated coldly, the engagement was put into place in the form of a proposal coming from the Forxuz house. The surroundings thought that they were placing their bets on Lyle who was deserted by his parents. Novem opened her mouth.

「Is that so. Then, I will go to Lyle-sama’s side. I have been in your debt until now.」

Gerard was half-exasperated seeing his unperturbed daughter.

「You acted as though you understood everything. You were like this since you were little. ……Protect Lyle-sama. It’s only a bit but I’ll prepare traveling expenses for you.」

Then Novem rejected it.

「It will be a bother for this house. If it’s known that this house is giving assistance, there is also a possibility that the Walt House will doubt this house. It won’t be a problem if you just turn a blind eye to me.」

Gerard made a slightly troubled expression seeing his daughter firmly asserting so. And then, he sighed and stood up. He took into his hand the staff decorating the wall of the room.

「Doubt will be placed on us simply from you accompanying Lyle-sama. But, it will pain my heart to not give you anything.」

The Magic Tool that was the heirloom of the Forxuz house.

It was a Magic Tool that displayed power from the Art that was carved into a special metal that contained Mana. Arts were a blessing that was granted to humans from the Goddess. It was similar to, but not actually, magic. Arts that changed so the user could use magic easier. Arts that could allow the user to gaze at faraway places that normally couldn’t be seen. Various Arts existed. But a single human could basically only manifest one Art. And then, when they polished their Art──continuing to use it until they were proficient, and they trained themselves, the preparation to be able to use even stronger Arts would be put in order. Through that, the Art would level up where it would be possible to use at a higher stage. If it was an Art that strengthened the body, the second stage would be an Art that strengthened the body even further, and at the third stage, the stage that was the last as a matter of fact, it would be an Art that displayed strength many times over.

And then, Magic Tools were created in order to use multiple Arts.

Magic Tools. Carving several Arts from the beginning into a tool, so that a single human could also use several Arts other than their own. A Magic Tool where the user could choose and reproduce an Art. Gerard took it into hand and handed it to Novem.

「Take this. If it’s just a single staff, I’ll be able to make an excuse even if the Walt House questions us. Besides, you are the one most suitable to possess this. If it’s you who succeeded the name Novem……」

Novem carefully accepted it with both hands and gave a deep bow.

「Thank you very much, Chichi-uefather. Then, excuse me now.」

It was a reaction that was too indifferent towards her own biological father. But, Gerard was smiling.

「Your interaction with me is just like you till the end. If I have to speak as a father, this is the scene where you ought to show tears and act as though you are unwilling to part with your family. ……Just go to Lyle-sama’s side.」

Obeying Gerard’s words, Novem left the room.

Gerard who was watching her talked towards the back of his daughter who wasn’t looking back.

「Surely, you won’t even shed tears even if you are facing me as an enemy huh, Novem. But, that’s fine. You are fine like that.」

Gerard said that and sat down on his chair──

My body is hot. Also, the pain is terrible.

I, who am feeling the pain in my body and the unpleasantness inside this dark world, wondered whether this is the afterlife. I fought Celes, and then, what happened? While thinking such a thing I can hear a voice.

The voice sounded like it’s coming from afar. Somehow, it seemed there were multiple voices.

Who? The first voice sounded wild. It felt like the voice was looking for me.

『Oi, ain’t he coming? Or rather, he’s nearby. He is a bit far but he’s certainly there!』

The second voice sounded rebellious towards the first voice.

『You’re noisy. Everyone here understood that already. Just be quiet.』

The first voice became belligerent.

『Whaat! You, is that something you say toward your old man, huh!? Come outside!』

『There’s no way we can go outside, are you an idiot? No, I already know that you’re an idiot……』

Then, this time a relaxed voice that was different from the two came. The voice sounded amused by the two’s reactions.

『Haha~, even so I never even thought that we would be able to meet like this. So this is a “Gem”……no, it’s better to call it a “Jewel”. Calling it like that is more fitting. Now then, I wonder who it is that woke us up? Any ideas, Max?』

The number of people is more than three. Besides, a person’s name was mentioned. Parent? Also, Max? It feels like I’ve heard it from somewhere……more importantly, just where in the world are these voices coming from…….

When I tried to listen to the surrounding voices, a voice that sounded serious unlike the previous voices came.

『As expected, it’s impossible to specify the person in detail. Though there is this feeling that it’s someone related to us. I think that’s why we were awakened. Now then, what is your opinion, son?』

Son? Just what kind of relationship do these guys have? The number of voices is increasing, and another new voice can be heard. A person spoke with a voice that slightly sounded like he found what was happening as bothersome, as though he were uncaring.

『No idea. Or rather, our appearance is young. My age was quite advanced when I died though.』

A hearty voice replied to that opinion.

『Isn’t it great that we’re back in our prime? Even so, I didn’t know that the inherited Gem had this kind of effect. I didn’t experience anything like this in my time. What about you, Brod?』

Apparently the name of the person who was addressed is Brod. And then, I am familiar with that name. The same name as my grandfather? Don’t tell me that this really is the afterlife. Then, the person called Brod shouts,

『……I’m sure. This feeling, I’m sure this is my grandson Lyle! Can you hear me, Lyle! Talk back!』

The person sounded like grandfather, but it’s strange. The voice sounded younger than the voice I know.

Even so, certainly it’s a nostalgic voice. It’s slightly different from my memory, but I have no doubt that this is my grandfather’s voice……even so, just what is going on? While I’m pondering, the first wild voice said,

『In that case, is it that? That means my house has continued for at least eight generations, huh!』

It’s the relaxed voice that corrected the mistake.

『Gramps, that’s wrong. The seventh said that it’s his grandson. At the very least, it must be the ninth generation. Although, that would be the case if he inherited the house.』

The first voice that spoke wrongly with a loud voice fell completely silent, perhaps from embarrassment. But, I don’t really get it. There is the voice of my grandfather, and then there is something like a child or parent mentioned……besides gramps? Just what is the relationship between these voices? It’s as though…….

When the voice that addressed my grandfather without any honorific heard about my existence,

『In that case, he’d be my great grandson. I’m looking forward to meeting him.』

Gre, great grandson? That means there is my great grandfather……could it be. I disregarded it when hearing the name, thinking there is no way. No, impossible. Such a thing is absolutely impossible.

The voice that came second is,

『Well, at the very least the house continued until the eighth generation. Haha~, somehow that feels deeply moving.』

Saying such a thing.

I got a really preposterous idea. Don’t tell me, the family heads of the previous generations were waiting for me in the afterlife? Confused, I felt my consciousness fading just like that. But, I can hear only the voices calling out to me from afar.

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