Second Year.

Seeing the boy chant the spell for the fireball again and again and again, the maid shoved him hatefully.

To she who was unmistakably a member of the clan and was talented enough to be serve in the main house, this boy was nothing but a target of jealousy.

Even though it had already been two years since the clan head had brought him to the main house, the boy hadn’t learned pyromancy at all.

Even though he had inherited the blood of the man who was said to be the most talented clan head in history, the boy hadn’t inherited even a fragment of his power, and the irritation towards him was just growing.

That even though he had less talent than anyone else, being allowed to live in the main house had invited her jealousy.

That he was living in an environment more favourable than anyone else, and was allowed to learn pyromancy there had invited her jealousy.

But more than anything else―――the fact that he was the elder brother of that girl who was blessed with more talent than anybody else, had invited her jealousy.

And so, she took a disrespectful att.i.tude towards him.

However, there was n.o.body in this mansion that would condemn her for such actions.

“Origa-sama is using it now. Please move, Gilford-sama.”

The boy who had fallen on his backside sluggishly raised his head, and perhaps due to exhaustion, tilted his head with a vacant expression.

―――He had become like this due to overuse of mana.

Because magic that failed to activate would continually drain one’s power, his mana itself had probably run dry.

As for the little mistress, her copper eyes were gazing at her half-brother with a calm expression, and she gave a small sigh.

“You’re an eyesore, Oniisama. How about meditating outside? You might end up being able to use a little magic.”

Such was her pa.s.sing remark, as she pointed outside the window expressionlessly, where the cacophony of roaring thunder and the violent rain striking the ground could be heard.

She was his younger sister, but it was an order from an influential member of the clan who was recognised as the next clan head.

There was no way for the incompetent brother to refuse, and as the maid saw him walk, head hanging, to the door that lead to the courtyard, she felt a feeling akin to satisfaction.

…*

…*

UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHI’MSORRYI’MSORRYGIL-SAMA!

I’m really truly sorry. Even though he’s only 10, if he stands in this heavy rain he’ll definitely catch a cold.

But I can swear that this definitely isn’t meaningless.

Coming into contact with the naturally overflowing elements of magic is one type of direct training method. If it’s fire, then you deal with fire every single day; if it’s wind then you climb up to a high place and spend a day in the wind, if it’s earth then you go into a cave and touch the ground.

By doing that, you can little by little increase your affinity with mana.

Even I spend a few hours every day continually lighting up the bonfires responsible for the mansion’s barrier, and exert myself trying to heighten my affinity.

But even though Gil-sama’s apt.i.tude is for water, the Luzil clan is a pyromancy clan.

There are no natural waterfalls or lakes in our estate, and it’s an environment that’s completely unsuited to training water.

To begin with, although each person in this pyromancy clan has their own differences, they unfailingly have the apt.i.tude for fire.

That’s why n.o.body considered that Gil-sama had apt.i.tude fornothing but water.

In our clan, as long as you have even a little bit of suitability for fire, in order to extend that, all other apt.i.tudes are sealed, and you train up the fire little by little but…

This method that the Luzil family uses that completely sacrifices all other elements to specialise in just the one, has instead become one of the things that’s discouraging Gil-sama’s hydromancy from blooming.

Then if you consider my explanation of Gil-sama’s apt.i.tude just now, you might be wondering ‘Then why not just have him leave the house?’.

However.

The common sense of my old world doesn’t work here.

If we announce this to everyone, it’s quite obvious that Gil-sama will be branded as a somebody swindling the clan, and will be killed.

…Well, what can I say, it was that sort of rough world that was depicted in the novels.

That’s why no matter what, I have to raise Gil-sama while hiding his apt.i.tude, all while becoming clan head as quickly as possible to expel Gil-sama from the Luzil family.

At this rate, his life will really be in danger!

And there’s so much water element in the downpour!

There’s no choice but to forcefully make him touch it!

…But, I really am sorry.

“Keika, the tea.”

Seeing as a sigh almost escaped me, I shook my head to clear it away, and feeling down, I asked the maid for tea.

Seeing her coldly gaze into the courtyard as though she were looking at an irritating bug, anxiety immediately gushed up in me.

Ah-, there was a pattern like this in the novel as well.

Where they looked the door to the courtyard, and Gil-sama was left there even when he collapsed.

What happened after that was terrible, terrible as well, huh…

Uwahh, although it’s to grasp a rare chance for Gil-sama to train, now that his mana is depleted, it’s really easy for him to fall sick.

“Here you go, Origa-sama. I have just prepared it.”

“…Also, please bring Oniisama to the training spot. I shall instruct him.”

Now that I’ve said this, he’ll probably be taken in from the rain in about two hours.

Afterwards I’ll be treating him badly enough to be called abuse, but unlike the novel where they were trying to abuse him as much as I’m trying to hold back, and where they wouldn’t give him medicine even when he fell sick, I’m sure the situation now is definitely better. Probably.

The maid’s face warped in displeasure in the corner of my eye when she heard the word “instruct”, so I gave a small sigh.

I know that Gil-sama has a delicate position, but… Argh, geez! Human relations are so troublesome!

…*

…*

After my afternoon training was over, the message I received from the maid was that I would be dining with Otousama for the first time in a while.

To begin with, just seeing each others faces is limited to one or two minutes at new years.

While wondering exactly what kind of whim brought this about, I hurriedly changed and headed to the dining room to find that, again, something of a rare occurence, Gil-sama was sitting there as well.

Though I was wondering whether it was going to be raining spears tomorrow, with a composed expression I sat down at the table and had dishes carried to me one by one.

Perhaps because he didn’t usually eat such fancy food, Gil-sama was being very careful with his manners and wasn’t really touching the food set out there.

I began to slowly eat, feeling that I should at least set an example.

Otousama who was sitting interposed between Oniisama and I, just sat there sipping wine with a smile as he gazed pleasantly at us.

I’m not good at dealing with this person.

I didn’t really have any favourite characters, but as a fellow woman, I sympathised for Okaasama due to her unfortunate marriage.

But as for Otousama, honestly speaking, rather than the feeling that he was my father, the feeling that he was a person I would one day need to surpa.s.s, was stronger.

Don’t you also think it’s difficult? Before the matter of your parent cheating or whatever, knowing that this person who you aren’t good at dealing with is somebody that you’ll definitely b.u.mp heads with one day.

But there’s also one thing about him that I have unconditional faith in.

It’s obvious that I didn’t know if I had any half-siblings besides Gil-sama, but fortunately, no such characters appeared in the novel.

In other words, there shouldn’t be any such people taking the stage in the open.

I mean, with his children being the heaven-sent child of fire and the one who would later on be known as a grand hydromancer, although we trended in different directions, we both had high apt.i.tude for magic.

If one or two more of us popped up, I’d never be able to handle them, so I’m thankful.

While only Gil-sama and I were quietly eating, Otousama called for more wine, again and again.

He was sitting there with an unreadable expression, but once the dessert was brought to our table, he finally opened his mouth.

“Gilford. I’ve heard the report. Spend more time training. And it’s about time that I give you a tutor for the sword, so continue to apply yourself.”

“…Understood, Esteemed Father.”

While I was watching Otousama uninterestedly imply that Gil-sama wasn’t suited for magic with his curt orders, perhaps he noticed my gaze, because he looked my way with a smile.

Resembling my own, those dark, copper eyes narrowed like a predator’s.

“By the way. It seems that you’ve been working quite hard, haven’t you, Origa.”

“Yes. I am trying my best each day so that I can become a magician that can support the nation and the Ruzil family, even a day earlier.”

“Ohh?”

Thinking that it was the optimal response, I recited a line that 【Origa】 often gave, and in response his red lips curved into a smile.

Although his gaze was directed at his wine gla.s.s, he had cornered me with that low and overwhelming voice of his.

The room was filled with a sodden heat.

…*

“I can’t say I really recommend that way of doing things.”

I felt like my heart had suddenly frozen over.

―――Ahh, it’s here.

The thing that I wanted to hear the least.

As expected, this man had noticed what I’d been doing to Gil-sama.

Would an expert eye notice that I’ve been secretly training Gil-sama in water magic?

Just how many people have noticed this?

Did somebody report this to Otousama?

“…Whatever could you be talking about? I am following the training each day that you have advised me to, but…?”

If he’s been noticed by the clan head, Otousama, then Gil-sama who isn’t even a real member of our fire clan is as good as done for.

His future would probably be a death too pitiful to even look at. A death unlike a protagonist.

There’s no way that this story would allow that.

There’s no way that this story would allow such a change to his fate.

In that case, even if he’s my father, even if he’s the clan head, and even if he’s somebody I can’t match, as long as he gets in my way…

In harmony with these feelings of mine, the candles in the room blazed brighter.

It seems that Gil-sama had noticed the change in my mood because he looked towards me, but I didn’t spare him a glance and continued pouring my gaze onto Otousama.

So that I wouldn’t miss a single action.

So that I could take Gil-sama away from him at any moment.

The person who was receiving my hostility glanced at the changes in the candles atop the table.

“Well then. If you think that it’s cultivating that talent, then do as you wish.”

Otousama spoke in a jesting tone as he closed his copper eyes, and the moment that he did, the heat that filled the room was stopped by mana and faded.

Now that the family head had said that he would overlook it――――now that I had this promise from him, Gil-sama’s safety was as good as guaranteed for now.

Just the fact that things ended without b.u.t.ting heads with him was a G.o.dsend.

I slowly let out the breath that I had been holding, quieted my feelings, and brought a stop to the tremors of the flame.

“If you can surpa.s.s me, then you can do as you like. Well, there’ll be restrictions though.”

“Yes. I understand, Otousama.”

Although I have talent, my experience is overwhelmingly lacking.

No matter how overwhelming my talent might be, at this moment in time, I can’t compare to Otousama.

It’s something that my father, called the most talented in history, has. And it’s something that I am lacking――――experience.

That’s why this isn’t the right time.

But one day, once I can compensate for this deficiency…

-kushuu-

A small sneeze rang out through that frozen and bloodthirsty atmosphere.

I’d completely forgotten that he was there, and when I turned to face him, I found Gil-sama hanging his head in fear of the atmosphere.

Ahhh, geez. Nothing would come out but a sigh.

So depressing.

―――It seems that Gil-sama really did catch a cold.

Take care of yourself, Oniisama!

―――I’ll bring you medicine and warm milk later, okay?!

What do I do about terms like chichiue and hahaue? Obaue etc.? I’ve been translating it as Esteemed ____, since I don’t need to translate otousama etc. that way, but if everyone already knows terms like ojiue and stuff, then I guess I could leave it in? What’s the average level of knowledge for a weeaboo? Would they know terms like aniue and aneue stuff?

“Though I was wondering whether it was going to be raining spears tomorrow…”

This comes with the j.a.panese equivalent of ‘whatever happens’/’come h.e.l.l or high water’; ‘whether it rains water or spears’.