CHAPTER 1: A GOOD-FOR-NOTHING YOUNG BOY

“You’re a failure.”

A cruel, cold voice echoed throughout the office.

“I did all that for you since you were born, yet you had the audacity to betray my expectations.”

A voice filled with equal amounts of disappointment and wrath was hurled at a young boy around 16 years old standing in the center of the room.

“You accomplished absolutely nothing, and you didn’t even show a sign of awakening. Do you understand how I feel about having to keep some worthless kid who only takes up food in my house?”

He irritably slammed the desk with a bang. In response, the young boy’s body trembled in apparent fear.

He knew that what was happening now, as well as what was to come, wouldn’t end in just scolding.

The boy raised his voice, clinging onto a sliver of hope despite the odds.

“F-Father, I—”

“SHUT UP! You no longer have the right to call me Father!”

However, his fleeting torch of hope was dowsed before it even had the chance to burn.

“Hermes, as of today, I disown you! From here on out, I shall never permit you to call yourself by the Flembreed name! DO NOT EVER STEP FOOT INTO MY HOUSEHOLD AGAIN!!”

That was the moment the boy named Hermes von Flembreed—no, he was now merely Hermes—was banished from the Flembreed marquis household, a family prestigious for their skill in magic, by the hand of his father, Zenos von Flembreed.

The nation of magic, Eustia.

Just as the name would imply, this was a kingdom known for magic being deeply ingrained in the nation.

The aristocrats of this country saved their people from the invasions of other countries and the tyranny of the monsters which threatened their country, which in turn brought them high social status and privileges.

The class system, which based itself on magic, now became the foundation of this country.

As a result, those who held the status of royalty and nobility wielded immense skill in magic, without exception.

That’s right—without exception.

The reason being that those who weren’t skilled in magic were no longer nobility.

Sitting in the corner of the magic nation Eustia’s nobility, there existed the marquis household Flembreed, a family noted for their prowess with magic.

Hermes was born as the second son of that household.

“Ooh, this child is a genius!”

His father held Hermes in his arms and celebrated his birth, then subsequently carried out a simple mana measurement test on him. After his father—Zenos—finished the test, he cried out with a look brimming with so much joy it could be called ecstacy.

“How transparent and vast his mana is! I’m sure of it—this is the wonder child, who God bestowed to me to save my household!”

…But I digress.

The Flembreed household went far, far back as a relative of the royal family. In other words, they held the qualifications of dukedom, and they were actually called dukes up until a hundred years ago.

However, they were unable to produce useful magicians within the past few generations, and the management mistakes of their territory piled up one after another. As a result, they were demoted to marquis status. They were referred to as a so-called washed-up household, whose demotion to count was even thought to be possible depending on future circumstances.

That’s why it was no wonder that Zenos, the present head of the family, saw Hermes as the messiah, as he possessed both tremendous and high-quality mana at birth.

“You all, this child is the being who shall save my household; Raise him earnestly and courteously. Those who do anything to detriment this child shall be immediately beheaded, so treat him with that in mind!”

Zenos tyrannically hurled instructions at the surrounding servants, his pupils glittering with an unsightly mix of desire and ambition.

Thus, Hermes spent his childhood being excessively pampered by the servants. However, contrary to the expectations of those around him, he didn’t end up as a selfish little boy who ran wild as he pleased.

Being raised surrounded by upright servants must have proved fortunate; He grew up to be an honest boy at heart who knew right from wrong, albeit a little overconfident.

“Father, Father! I got praised by Teacher for my mana emission training today! He said that this kind of mana output was the best among generations in my age group!”

“Ooh, as expected of Hermes, my son! Alright, I’ll give you a reward. Do you have something you want?”

“Then, I want the magic book that’s said to be treasured by the royal family!”

As long as he put out results, he had a great relationship with his father.

Hermes was overjoyed by that, and above all, he himself loved magic. As a result, he made great efforts at his foundational mana control and mana emission training, gradually spreading his name as a child prodigy.

“You’re doing magnificently, Hermes. One of these days, you’ll become the greatest magician in the history of this household. Aah, I cannot help but look forward to what sort of Bloodline Magic dwells within you!”

Bloodline Magic.

As the name would imply, that was magic inherited from lineage, the symbol of those fit to be nobility.

Its abilities were—if explained briefly—extraordinary.

If compared to the so-called “Generic magic”, which anybody could use, there existed a difference in performance as separated as heaven and Earth.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that nobility could remain nobility due to their ability to inherit it. It absolutely dominated the lives of nobility, setting the social status of those who inherit it in stone depending on what kind of Bloodline Magic they received.

“It must be the magic that either the predecessor or I inherited, or perhaps it’s a powerful magic from a collateral family. No no, my household is descended from the royal family. It could even possibly be the manifestation of the now-lost, royal legendary magic..!”

“How exciting, Master!”

“I agree. We’re talking about Hermes here; he’s surely bound to be blessed with with splendid magic!”

Zenos began counting the chickens before they hatched, and the servants went along with him and flattered me as much as they could.

Hermes innocently believed in the future that his father spoke of.

He had outstanding talent in magic.

There was no doubt that he would manifest an extremely powerful Bloodline Magic. 

Bloodline Magic manifested from ages five to six. For Hermes, that would be next year or the year after.

No matter what magic he’d receive, he’d control it at will in the near future and become a great magician like the fairy-tale heroes that galloped through the battlefield and crushed the forces of evil.

He firmly believed in such a future without a smidgen of doubt.