**Chapter 4: Sharpening My Fangs**
“Welcome back… I suppose.”
“Neigh!”
As Rest returned to the stables after finishing up at the training grounds, two horses whinnied in greeting. He affectionately stroked the head of one horse that nuzzled against him while surveying the inside of the stable.
“Ah… Is there a delivery again today? I always feel so guilty about this.”
In a corner of the stable, a cloth-wrapped bundle lay discreetly. Unwrapping it, Rest discovered bread, cheese, dried meat, and a healing ointment inside. This was a secret offering from one of the servants working in the mansion.
Rest’s mother had once been a maid in this very estate. She had been taken advantage of by the master, Lucas Ebern, and after bearing a child, she was cast out. However, among the long-serving staff, there were those who were familiar with her. The servants who had been close to his mother felt sympathy for Rest’s plight and looked out for him in various ways. Though they couldn’t openly protect him from the abuse in front of their master, they would sneak him food like this.
“My mother was fortunate to have such colleagues… Though, it seems she was unfortunate in her employer.”
“Delicious…”
He took a bite of the bread and nibbled on the cheese. Each item had a simple taste, but compared to the scraps served at the breakfast table, it was like night and day. While eating, he glanced out the stable window toward the mansion. The warm glow of lamps spilled from the windows, creating a stark contrast to the cold, drafty stable he was in.
(They probably don’t care if I freeze to death…)
Setting aside thoughts of his unfaithful stepmother and half-brother Cedric, Rest couldn’t help but wonder how his father, Lucas, could treat him with such disdain. Despite being his own flesh and blood, a child conceived through force, Lucas showed no signs of taking responsibility.
(Does being a newly risen noble make him so important? He’s just an ‘Honorary’ Viscount without any territory. He’s hardly different from a commoner.)
Rest grumbled inwardly, but he knew that if he ever voiced such thoughts to his father, he would be met with a furious wrath and punishment.
Though the Ebern family held noble status, their title could not be inherited. An Honorary Noble was a temporary title tied to specific positions, and once the position was relinquished, the title would be stripped away, returning them to commoner status. Lucas was a Court Magician, a wizard directly under the king, and it was through this position that he had been granted the title of “Honorary Viscount.” They boasted of their noble status, yet in reality, they were not much different from commoners.
(But if Cedric were to receive the title of Honorary Viscount, he would be recognized as a legitimate noble family…)
While the title of Honorary Noble was temporary, if the same title were held for three consecutive generations, they would be acknowledged as a hereditary noble. The Ebern family had produced Court Magicians for two generations, thus earning the title of Honorary Viscount. If Cedric, the third generation, were to become a Court Magician and gain the title as well, they would be granted the hereditary title of “Viscount,” solidifying their status as true nobles.
(That’s why they indulge Cedric, showering him with praise for his magical talent and allowing him to act however he pleases… It’s utterly ridiculous.)
If they truly considered him the important heir, they should be educating him to behave properly. Becoming a proper Viscount would increase his opportunities to enter high society, and if he lacked proper etiquette, he would only embarrass himself.
(…But I suppose it doesn’t matter to me. I couldn’t care less where Cedric embarrasses himself. I’ll just focus on honing my magical skills.)
Once he turned fifteen, the age of adulthood, he planned to leave this mansion and strive for success on his own. Until then, he would continue to sharpen his skills and grow stronger.
“…Maybe I’ll head to the forest tonight.”
With the last piece of cheese tossed into his mouth, Rest murmured to himself.
Rest lived in the mansion of the Ebern Honorary Viscount family, located on the outskirts of the royal capital. Nearby was a forest inhabited by magical beasts, and Rest often ventured there. His purpose was clear: to hunt magical creatures and train his magic.
One day, he would leave home and establish himself through his own power. Until then, he would continue to sharpen his fangs in secret, biding his time.