Chapter 3: Target of Magic
Lucas Eberrn, the father of Rest and Cedric, serves as the court magician. Renowned as one of the finest magic users in the realm, his exceptional talent had been passed down to his only son, Cedric. However, it was not merely the talent that Cedric inherited. He had also fully embraced the malevolence and twisted personality that came with it.
“Hahaha! Run, run away!”
“Ugh…!”
Within the grounds of the Eberrn Honorary Viscount House, Cedric unleashed a barrage of spells. Fireballs, each the size of a fist, chased after Rest, scorching his clothes and skin.
“What’s wrong? Tired already? If you stop, you’ll get hit! Hahahaha!”
Cedric cackled obnoxiously, striking fireballs at Rest as he dashed through the garden. As the son of the court magician, Cedric aspired to follow in his father’s footsteps, yet he made a daily habit of using Rest as a target for his magic. Children learn by watching their parents. Witnessing his father belittle Rest and his mother abuse him, Cedric found joy in tormenting his half-brother in the same manner. With no one, including his parents, to intervene, the training had escalated to near-lethal levels.
“Please, forgive me… Have mercy, I beg you!”
(He never gets tired of this… He’s just like his parents. There’s no way he’ll grow up to be a decent adult.)
As he desperately pleaded for his life while fleeing, Rest silently spat out words of contempt in his mind.
(Are all nobles like this? Between a father who violated his mother and a stepmother who torments me out of jealousy, they’re all worthless scum.)
“Hahaha! Here’s the finishing blow! Try my newly learned spell… [Thunder Ball]!”
“Waaaaaaah!”
A sphere of lightning struck Rest’s back. The searing current sliced through him, and he collapsed, motionless.
“What? Is that it? I guess a commoner child with no magical power just can’t cut it!”
Cedric puffed out his chest in satisfaction and kicked Rest’s fallen body with his toe.
“Make sure to clean up the garden. If you slack off, you’ll regret it!”
“…………”
“Haha, what a piece of trash! I can’t believe this is my brother!”
With his final words of disdain, Cedric swaggered away from the garden.
“…………”
Rest lay still for a moment, pretending to be unconscious, before finally rising once he sensed that Cedric had completely left.
“Good grief… Is it finally over?”
He stood up and immediately activated his magic. Using [Healing], he mended his wounds, and with [Purification], he erased every trace of dirt and grime from his body.
To an outsider, it might have seemed like he had been mercilessly bombarded with magic, but in reality, the damage was not as severe as it appeared. He had deliberately exaggerated his reactions, feigning pain. In truth, he had minimized the damage by enveloping his body in magical power.
(So now it’s lightning magic… He’s quite skilled, that one.)
Whenever Cedric learned a new spell, he would invariably use Rest as a test subject. Being the son of a court magician, Cedric’s magical prowess was genuine, even if his character was lacking. He could wield a diverse array of spells.
(I don’t know any other magic users my age, but he must be exceptional.)
If only he had a better personality, Rest could have respected him as an older brother. They say that the heavens do not bestow two gifts upon one person; it seemed that the gods had granted Cedric only magical talent, neglecting to endow him with the virtue to use it wisely.
“[Thunder Ball]”
Concentrating his magical power, Rest released it outward. A crackling sphere of lightning appeared in his palm, larger than the one Cedric had used earlier.
“…As always, it’s helpful that he showcases every spell he learns. It’s quite educational.”
This was the reason Rest willingly participated in Cedric’s training instead of fleeing. Perhaps it was a perk of his reincarnation, but Rest possessed an inexhaustible well of magical power and the ability to replicate spells he had seen once. As a child of commoners, he had no opportunities to learn magic through books or tutors. However, thanks to Cedric using him as a test subject, he was able to master many spells.
(…I wonder what that foolish brother would think if he knew he was contributing to the growth of the brother he looks down upon.)
Cedric might be a magical genius, but Rest was convinced that he surpassed him in talent. If he could showcase this talent to his father, perhaps his treatment would change. Yet, honestly, Rest had no desire for that man’s recognition.
“Not yet… It’s still too early. Just three more years until adulthood…”
Rest clenched his fists, reminding himself of his resolve.
He was still only twelve years old. In this kingdom, adulthood was reached at fifteen, and he had three long years ahead of him. No matter how skilled he became at magic, he could not secure a proper position while still a minor. In fact, it was likely that unscrupulous adults would exploit his magical abilities without offering him any compensation.
So for now, he would not reveal his fangs. While it would be easy to kill his stepmother and Cedric, he was honing his magical skills while enduring their torment.
(I will definitely outsmart them one day. I will rise far above my father and Cedric…!)
Wealth, status, power. He would surpass them in every aspect. He would elevate himself to a position where he could look down upon and crush those of the Eberrn Honorary Viscount House!
(For that, I will endure being a test subject or treated like a dog.)
Now was the time to bide his strength. He would endure in the cold stable, sleeping on straw and eating scraps like a dog.
With determination in his heart, Rest clenched his fists and began to tidy up the garden.