Chapter 1: Being Kicked Out at the Age of Eight

Posted bytheredsargeantJuly 18, 2020Posted inFun Territory Defense

Original Authors Note: I’m going to write with a lot of gags and have lots of fun.
Please read it!

T.L.
Note: The notation [] will be used for internal monologue

“No aptitude for any of the Four Elemental Magics? To think that I would see such a failure within a marquis’ house.”

　That was what my father said.

　When you turn eight years old, your magical aptitude is assessed.
This is because, in this world where magic is commonplace, it is important to know who has what kind of magic aptitude.

　The reason you are tested when you are eight years old is that it is taboo to test anyone younger than eight.
It is believed that premature assessment has caused many tragedies in the past.

　By the way, there are two types of magic aptitude accepted by the nobility: Four-element magic which specializes in combat and healing magic which focuses on protection.
Each is used in order to safeguard noble houses and their fiefdoms.

　On the other hand, there exists magic which is not appropriate for a nobleman.

　There is magic which steals physical strength, magic power and objects from the opponent; transformation magic which alters one’s body; magical brainwashing which uses sound and light to bewitch and manipulate the opponent; appraisal magic to see the details of objects and people; puppetry magic to manipulate puppets and corpses; and many, many other magical aptitudes.

　Incidentally, the magic of production which I was judged to be suitable for is also considered unsuitable for a nobleman.

　The sorcery of production produces things(T.L.
note: Ah yes, the floor is made of floor).
It is also known as alchemy.
This magic consumes large amounts of magic power, but what you could make was piddling in comparison to the investment.
Most production magic users just prepared materials such as iron and copper and used it to make swords and accessories.

　There are some who invent things that didn’t exist before, but they are a rarity.

　However, there is a caveat: such things can be done even by those without an aptitude in production magic.
An inventor has no need for magical talent, and a blacksmith does not need magical talent either.

　Taking these factors into account, the users of production magic were generally considered to be the most unfortunate among the magically gifted.

　Aptitude for magic had a lot to do with genetics.
If the parents were four-element users, there was greater than fifty percent chance that their children would have the same magic aptitude.
Furthermore, if their grandparents were also four-element users, more than 70 percent of the children would have the same magic aptitude.

　Hence, there is longstanding tradition that nobles will take a person with an aptitude for four-element magic as their consort.
If everyone in the family is a user of four-element magic, the chances of a child having an aptitude for the four-element magic are almost 100 percent.

　Over time, the tradition became progressively rigid.
It eventually became disgraceful for a noble house to have a child that was determined to have any other aptitude than the accepted four-element or healing magic.

　That distorted ideal is not so prevalent in the houses of weak local nobles and semi-aristocratic knight barons.
However, when it comes to noble families like my family, it is espoused as if it were the Bible or something.

“My family is a military family.
It was my martial prowess that elevated my Fertio family, which had been counts for generations, to the rank of marquis.
That’s why I married Mira, a fire mage stronger than those of the barons.
It was to improve the power of my magic.
Mira was a good wife and mother, but her body was weak in inverse proportion to the strength of her magic.
You, the fourth male to carry the blood of my lineage, are the last.”

　My father, the Marquis Jalpa Bull Ati Fertio, said with a bitter expression.

　[My mother, Mira, died when I was five years old.
There was also a second and third wife, but strangely, my mother was the only one to give birth to a boy.]

　My father’s disappointment was great when my mother died.
It was then that the education of the four remaining boys took a turn to be more strict and rigorous.

　The eldest, Murcia, had my maternal grandmother’s aptitude for wind magic, but the second and third sons, as my father wished, had fire magic aptitude.

　Murcia, who was thirteen years old and in the midst of being educated to become the heir of the family, was ridiculed by his two younger brothers, who had an aptitude in fire magic.
Watching those second and third sons get unfairly pampered inspired Murcia to work harder, in order to prove his worth.
He even cut into his sleeping schedule in order to improve himself.
In the end, he became a respectable nobleman in the eyes of his father, even despite the undesirable wind attribute.

　His hard work paid off, and his position as heir of the family did not change.
The second and third sons were not amused, but in the end, they mocked Murcia for his age difference rather than his ability, and the harassment continued.

　In the midst of this, I, at the age of eight, was to be evaluated for my magical aptitude.
I’ve been told from an early age that I’m different from the norm, making my father’s expectations high.

　However, the result of the appraisal was that I was a production magic user of the lowest order.

　My father was greatly disappointed, and the second and third sons, who were wary of my perceived talent, were pleased to the point of smiling.

　Murcia was simply sympathetic.

”Incredible, a production user! Surely he will lead our noble house to new heights… not.
What would I eve-“
(T.L.
Note: I took a bit of liberty when translating this part because the raw MTL was just indecipherable word soup.
I will post the original below to see if anyone can find a better way to translate it.)

　Murcia interrupted his father’s words, which were turning a bit disturbing, with a smile.

“Yes! Father, there was that outlying village! A village that is within the territory of our Marquess family, but is completely unable to develop due to its location.
Why don’t we leave that place to Van?”(T.L.
Note: Van is the fourth son, and the MC)

“That unnamed village? Why?”

　When my father wondered, Murcia answered with a smile.

”Bordering the village is the Kingdom of Yelinetta.
On the opposite border is Count Ferdinand’s territory.
It’s quite far away, but it is fortified, a defensive base.
In other words, the village has strategic value.
It has been used for the training of expeditions against count Ferdinand, to the point that is has become like a military encampment.

“I know that.
There are only about a hundred people native inhabitants.
There are no special products, and the Wolfsburg Mountains to the north are home to such powerful magical beasts that we can’t even hunt them for resources.
It is a territory taken from count Ferdinand during our rise in peerage, he still holds a grudge.
Because of this, his knights are occasional sent to harass the territory.”

　My father interrupted Murcia’s words to say this, then looked up in realization.

”I see! I understand.
In other words, if we leave the frontier village to Van, it will give use justification to set up a knightly order in the territory near the count.
Additionally, the newly acquired territory is still not very loyal to my house.
If my flesh and blood son is posted there, even if only in form…….I see.
That’s as good as it gets, Murcia.
I’ve found a use for the useless.”

　Murcia bowed solemnly bowed his head in reply.

　And so my father ordered me to assume the position of lord in the frontier village.
My father and the second and third sons, who were in a good mood, left, leaving me and Murcia alone in the room.

”Brother………”

　When I called him that, Murcia’s smile from earlier became a sad expression as the smile were a lie.
When he walks right up to me, he bows his head to me, who is ten years younger than him, and apologizes.

“I’m sorry.
I believe that Van will be a wise and capable nobleman even if he doesn’t have any magic.
That’s why I made such a seemingly reckless proposal to father.
If you want hate me, you can hate me.”

　I chuckled at such a clumsy explanation and shook my head from side to side.

”Not quite, you saved me, didn’t you? If it hadn’t been for your intervention, they would have locked me up, or killed me, or in the worst case scenario, pulled out my tongue and made me a slave.
There was a chance that they could have done that to me.
I will never forfeit the opportunity you gave me, one given in such a dire situation.”

　As I answered that, Murcia looked up and stared at me, his eyes round and wide.

”……I guess Van is a genius after all.
I suppose our family will regret sending you off to the frontier.

　When I said that with a bitter smile, Murcia gazed at me with a serious expression.

“I know that there is little I can do, but I will do what I can, the best I can.
Even if it is just a little… for Van’s sake I hope….”

“Thank you, brother”

　When I reply with a smile, Murcia laughs dryly.

“You have always been an odd child.
You seemed to be sensitive to the subtleties of the adult mind, and seemed to study and think more deeply than I had.
The butler Espada and the personal maid Till have been happily telling me of your exploits for a long time”

　Murcia said happily, and squinted his eyes nostalgically.

Original Author’s Note: Next time I’ll post six chapters in a row of the past!

The original of the word soup which I mentioned earlier:
”We’re going to develop even bigger from now on, a production-based sorcerer from a marquis family that will develop even bigger, and so on, and so on, and so on, and so on, and so on, and so on, and so on, and so on, and so on, and so on, and so on, and so on, and so on, and so on, and so on, and so on, and so on, and so on.
I can’t … well, I better.”