**Chapter 3: Target of Magic**
Lucas Ebern, the father of Rest and Cedric, is a Court Magician. Renowned as one of the finest magic users in the kingdom, his talent has been passed down to his only son, Cedric. However, it is not just the talent that has been inherited. Cedric has also fully embraced the malice and twisted personality that runs in the family.
“Hahaha! Run, run away!”
“Ugh…!”
In the estate of the Viscount Ebern House, Cedric unleashes a barrage of spells. Fireballs, about the size of a fist, chase after Rest, scorching his clothes and skin as he tries to evade them.
“What’s wrong? Tired already? If you stop, you’ll get hit! Hahahaha!”
With a shrill laugh, Cedric hurls fireballs at Rest, who is darting around the garden. As the son of a Court Magician, Cedric aspires to follow in his father’s footsteps, yet he has made a habit of using Rest as a target for his magical training. Children learn by watching their parents. Witnessing his father’s disdain for Rest and his mother’s abuse, Cedric has found enjoyment in tormenting his half-brother in the same way. With no one, including his parents, to stop him, this training has escalated to the point of attempted murder.
“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.)
While desperately pleading for his life, Rest internally spews contempt.
(Are all nobles like this? Between a father who violated his mother and a stepmother who torments me out of jealousy, it seems like only the worst kind of people surround me.)
“Hahaha! Here’s the finishing blow! Try my new spell… [Thunder Ball]!”
“Waaaaahhh!”
A sphere of lightning strikes Rest’s back. The electric current slices through him, and he collapses, motionless.
“What? Is that it? I guess a magicless commoner kid is no good after all!”
Cedric puffs out his chest in satisfaction and gives Rest a kick with his toe.
“Make sure to clean up the garden. If you slack off, you’ll regret it!”
“…”
“Haha, you really are trash! I can’t believe this is my brother!”
With one last derisive remark, Cedric strides away from the garden.
“…”
Rest pretends to be unconscious for a moment, but once he senses that Cedric has completely left, he slowly rises to his feet.
“Finally… it’s over.”
Standing up, he immediately activates his magic. Using [Heal], he mends his wounds, and with [Clean], he erases all the dirt and grime from his body, leaving him spotless.
To an outsider, it may have seemed like he was on the receiving end of a one-sided magical assault, but in reality, the damage was not as severe as it appeared. He had deliberately exaggerated his reactions, pretending to be in pain. By enveloping his body in a layer of magic power, he had minimized the actual damage.
(So now it’s lightning magic, huh? He’s quite skilled, that one.)
Whenever Cedric learns a new spell, he invariably uses Rest as a test subject. Being the son of a Court Magician, his magical prowess is genuine, even if his personality leaves much to be desired. He can wield a diverse array of spells.
(I don’t know any other magic users my age, but he must be quite talented.)
If only his character matched his abilities, Rest would have been able to respect him as an older brother. They say that the heavens do not bestow two gifts upon one person; it seems that the gods granted Cedric only magical talent, neglecting to give him the virtue to use it wisely.
“[Thunder Ball]”
Concentrating his magic, Rest releases it outward. A crackling sphere of lightning appears above his palm, pulsating with energy. It is the same spell Cedric had just used, but larger in size.
“…As always, it’s helpful that he shows off the spells he learns. It’s quite educational.”
This is the reason Rest willingly participates in Cedric’s training instead of fleeing. Perhaps it is a perk of his reincarnation, but Rest possesses an endless reservoir of magic power and the ability to replicate spells he has seen once. As a commoner child, he has been denied the opportunity to study magic through books or tutors. However, thanks to Cedric using him as a magical guinea pig, he has been able to learn many spells.
(What would that foolish brother think if he knew he was contributing to the growth of the brother he looks down upon?)
Cedric may be a magical genius, but Rest is confident that his own talent far surpasses Cedric’s. If he could showcase this talent to their father, perhaps his treatment would change, but honestly, Rest has no desire for that man’s recognition.
“Not yet… It’s still too early. I must endure until I come of age…”
Rest clenches his fists, reminding himself.
He is still only twelve years old. In this kingdom, adulthood is reached at fifteen, meaning he has three more years to wait. No matter how skilled he becomes in magic, he cannot secure a proper job as a minor. In fact, it is likely that unscrupulous adults would exploit his magical abilities without offering him any compensation.
So for now, he will not reveal his fangs. While it would be easy to kill his stepmother and Cedric, he has chosen to endure, honing his magical skills while being subjected to their torment.
(I will definitely outsmart them one day. I will rise to heights far beyond my father and Cedric…!)
Wealth, status, power. He will surpass them in every aspect. He will elevate himself to a position where he can look down upon and crush the members of the Viscount Ebern House!
(For that, I will endure being a magical test subject or treated like a dog.)
Now is the time for patience. Enduring hardship, sleeping in a cold stable with drafts, and eating scraps like a dog—this is the time for restraint.
With determination in his heart, Rest clenches his fists and begins to tidy up the garden.