-Joshua Raytheft heard about it after he had finished suppressing the alien invaders in the eastern part of his domain.

　Just before the war in Nadar ended.
　An alien race that threatened the eastern part of the kingdom, the Flood Tribe, invaded the territory of the eastern nobility, looting and assaulting nearby villages.
　The aristocrats immediately sent a strike force consisting of private soldiers and collectors, but they were unable to achieve the desired results due to the unpredictable fighting style of the flood tribesmen. On the contrary, they suffered losses.
　The nobles, who were unable to defeat them, asked for reinforcements from the Clemellia family, the first of the eastern military families. Joshua received Perth's orders and led 500 troops to attack the flood tribe and repel them.


　After a few days, he was on his way back to the capital.
　Like Joshua, Raevan Meier, one of the three viscountesses assigned to assist Perth, came to ask for help.


"Well, well, well, Mr. Joshua, congratulations.


　There was a slight tinge of admiration in his voice. Viscount Meyer approached, his hands rubbing in the manner of a merchant.
　Joshua frowned as he congratulated him with a strange smile on his face.


Joshua frowned. I'm not sure what you mean by "congratulations" .......　I have no idea what you're talking about.


　So, Joshua has defeated the floods many times before.
　Joshua is so feared and hated by the flood tribes that they call him "Silver Fire".
　He does not deserve to be congratulated for winning a small battle.
　However, Viscount Meyer does not lose his smile of obedience.


"You must be joking. Your family's success on the battlefield is a true honor for a military family. There's no need to be modest.

"My people?　"My people?　Sir Revan, I really have no idea. What the hell are you talking about?

"Is this really ...... true?


　I'm really not sure what you're talking about, Mister Levan." "Is this true?" "Yes," Joshua nodded at the puzzled Viscount Meyer, who now looked surprised.


I heard that your son received a medal directly from His Majesty the King in King's Landing.

"A medal from His Majesty?　What does that ...... mean?

I don't know much about it, but I've heard that he participated in the defeat of Poluk Nadar and was awarded the top rank.

...... No, there must be some mistake.　It's impossible for that incompetent to be awarded a head rank, much less a medal.


　Of course, Joshua refused to believe it. In fact, he even suspects that he is being carried by Viscount Meyer.
　To Joshua's dubious expression, Viscount Meyer gave him more credible information.


I'm sure His Excellency Perce knows about this. I've heard that you were there during the ceremony.

"............


　Naturally, Joshua was stunned to hear those words.
　If Perth vouched for him, his suspicions would be shaken.


　What has Viscount Meyer misunderstood? What did Viscount Meyer think?


No, Sir Joshua, I was completely fooled when you called your son incompetent and disinherited. At the tender age of twelve, he rose to the top of his class and was decorated. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're going to do and how you're going to do it.

"Oh, yeah. ............


　I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.


　--It's a mistake for that incompetent to be awarded a decoration.

　--He must be mistaken for someone else.

　--He's wrong. He must be.


　These words kept popping in and out of Joshua's head.
　It's as if he's saying them to himself.
　Needless to say, Joshua was preoccupied until the end of Viscount Meyer's persistent pursuit.


Joshua Raytheft


　It was about two weeks after Joshua Raytheft had heard from Viscount Meyer about the Order of the Arcs.
　On this day, Joshua was visiting the mansion of Perce Clemmeria in the royal capital.


　The reason for his visit was, of course, to report to Perth about the suppression of the flood tribe.


　On the way to Perth's office, guided by one of the butlers, a man walks up from the end of the corridor.
　It is a young man with light brown hair.
　He is slender, shorter than Joshua, and of a build that would make you nod in agreement if he were a civilian.
　However, thanks to his body's martial prowess, he looks larger than his small stature.
　His gestures are refined, and he walks with an air of dignity, as if he has a well-developed torso.
　The dignity he wears is that of a military nobleman.
　The fact that he is so skilled for his age may be due to the fact that he is the heir to a family of fine swordsmanship.


　His name is Ian Kremeria. He is the eldest son of Perce Clemmeria and brother of Charlotte. He was to be the next head of the Clemmeria family.


　Joshua gave Ian a perfunctory bow, and he approached him with a calm expression.
　The gentle tenor of his voice echoed from his thin mouth.


"This is Viscount Raytheft.

"Dear Ian. It's been a while. How are you, sir, in the heat of the moment?

I'm doing fine. I am able to sleep peacefully thanks to the work of the Viscount. I am grateful to you.


　After the exchange of such seasonal greetings, Ian gave him a word of thanks.




"Viscount. Thank you for your service in defeating the alien race.

Haha. Thank you, sir.


　Joshua bowed his head, maintaining his stiff demeanor.
　Ian is the one who will eventually inherit the Clemellia family. Because he is the one who will be above the eastern nobles, including Joshua, he has been acting in this reverent manner since Ian was a child.
　On the other hand, Ian's attitude toward him is no different from that of a superior, although he uses polite words.


I'm sure it wasn't enough for the Viscount.

"No. I'm not sure what to say. They are nothing to be afraid of in the face of a well-organized army. If the five ...... generals show up, we won't be able to say that.

"Hmm. Mountain monster, four tiers, glance, Hidaru, Zato.


　Ian uttered a strange name.
　These are commonly called the five generals of the flood tribe. These are the five generals of the flood tribe, a group of barbaric and evil people who, once they are at the head of the tribe, turn into a group that rivals the best armies.


Recently, they have become eerily quiet.

"I've heard that they're quiet when they're working on some nefarious scheme.

"Well. Master Ian, be careful when you're assigned to defeat them.

Yes. I'll keep that in mind.


　Ian nodded, said his goodbyes, and left the place.


　After standing and talking, Joshua was again led by the butler to Perth's office.
　When he entered the room, he found Perth behind his desk.
　He was looking over some documents and seemed to be working on his generalship.


　Joshua walks up to Perth and bows his head.


"Sir. I'm here to report on the recent suppression of the flood tribe.

I'll take it.

I accept. I have followed your order and led a mage unit to repel the scattered flood troops.

Hmm. Well done. Isn't that a ...... battle?

Yes. We didn't have much of a response.

So, you think that the work of the flood clan was a preparation for some kind of strategy?

No, they weren't very strong and there was no suspicious activity. No, they were not very strong and there was no suspicious activity. It was probably just the usual way of settling grievances within the tribe.

"That's annoying. It's annoying. Why can't they just do it in their own domain?

Exactly. We'll have to destroy those barbarians sooner or later.


　Joshua's statement is quite radical, but it is also the consensus of the eastern nobility, including Perth.
　That's how creepy the flood tribes are to the people of the kingdom.
　Not only do they kill, rob, and rape, but they also ritualistically play with human lives.
　The devastation is terrible. After they have attacked the villages, we are treated to a gruesome spectacle that could almost be described as the work of demons.
　Since House Clemellia became the leader of the eastern region, they have been trying to destroy the tribe, but they have yet to succeed.


What about the situation in the Barony?

Three villages in the barony have been severely damaged.

...... I see. I'll tell the Baron to take good care of them. Thank you.

"I'm willing to sacrifice myself if it's your command.


　Joshua said, bowing lightly.
　The report of the suppression is now complete, but Joshua will not leave the office.
　But Joshua does not leave the office, because what follows is important to him.


I'd like to ask you a question, sir.

"What is it?


　What is it?" Perth asks back, and Joshua looks as if he's chewing on a bitter bug.


Before returning from ...... the east, I heard from Lord Revan that Arx received a medal from His Majesty the King. Since His Highness knows about it, that's why I'm here. Is it true that he was awarded the medal?

"Hmm, you didn't know?　Well, you didn't know that he was decorated for his role in Nadar's rebellion.


　Perth knew what was going on, but he was a fool.
　Joshua gave a small nod of acknowledgement to Parth, who didn't show any fear, then took another step closer and asked.


"Sir. There must be some mistake to think that that incompetent man got a medal.

No, it's true. No, it's true. He was invited to the honor ceremony and was decorated there.

That's impossible!　That's an incompetent man with little magic power!　There's no way he's good enough to get a medal!


　While Joshua was getting emotional, Perth's gaze suddenly sharpened.


"Joshua. Joshua, the awarding of the medal was decided at the discretion of His Majesty. It is unbecoming of a nobleman of the realm to disagree with that. Isn't that right?



No, no, what I just said was not intended to be a criticism of the royal family at all. ......


　When Joshua realized that his statement could be a criticism of the royal family, he dropped his agitated tone.
　I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but I'm sure you've heard of it.


I've only heard about it, but it's an undeniable fact that the Arks played an active role in the Western War. We were the first to notice Poluk Nadar's rebellion, and after saving his highness from danger, we served his highness at his side and went straight into battle. On the battlefield, he destroyed the Imperial Guard's mage troops and killed the squire of House Nadar. In recognition of this, His Majesty awarded him the Order of the Silver Cross with the third degree of merit.

"Silver Cross? ......?

Yes.

But!　But! You can't be awarded the Cross for defeating a single squire. ......


　That's not possible.
　In the kingdom, orders and knighthoods are only given for great achievements, and most of the rewards for good work are in the form of money or letters of commendation. By that standard, it is completely unreasonable to give a medal to a man who has killed a military officer.


The actual credit is not limited to that. The actual credit is not only that, but Arx has performed well enough that he should have been awarded the Golden Cross. The announcement of that was postponed due to political considerations.

That's ridiculous. ...... It's really not.

Yes.


　Joshua's surprise at learning that Arx had been decorated was considerable.
　Joshua thought that Arx was incompetent and did not doubt it.
　It was a bolt from the blue that a failed mage from a mage military family with a much lower level of magic power than the standard could be active on the battlefield.


　I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but it's a good idea.


Joshua. How long are you going to turn your back on this?

"How long are you going to turn away, Joshua?" "What do you mean, turn away, sir?

Arx, of course.

With all due respect, sir, I don't remember turning my back on that thing. No, I stopped paying attention to it the day it was discovered to be incompetent.


　When Joshua said this ruthlessly, Parth let out a small sigh.


It's not every noble family that has such a talented and clever child. It's impossible to call him incompetent, no matter how hard you try.

No, sir!　He has no talent!　I'm not sure what you mean by that.　I'm not a mage.　I'm sure you're not a mage, but a mage's superiority is determined by the amount of magic he possesses!

"Joshua. Why do you care so much about the amount of magic power you have?　Your brother has less magic power than you do. And yet he became a national mage. Did the amount of magic power have anything to do with it?

"...... With me and my brother, you can say it's within the margin of error. It is because of your tireless efforts that your brother has become a national mage.


　Joshua said and shook his head.


But that's not true. He has too little magic power for a mage of a noble family.

But then Arx got the credit for the Order of the Cross.

That's just a coincidence. It will surely come back to haunt him. There will always be people with dazzling talent and tremendous magical power.


　Suddenly, Joshua's red eyes took on a dark glow.


"...... Sir. You know how I felt when I first saw the national mage?　You will be struck down and shown that there is an absolute difference that you can never win. That feeling of being shown that the have-nots can never win against the haves.

You have a point. But isn't that something that can be overcome by one's own efforts?　Even if you are born with a gift or natural disposition, can't you make up the difference with another skill or knowledge?

"My Lord, that is the ravings of a gifted man. Magical talent has a cruel effect on those who do not have it. Therefore, those with little talent can only close the gap with the amount of magic power they have. As long as you have the magic, you can use your magic to do great things.

How about forcing those values on my son and depriving him of a future?

No. No. No. No. There's no future in that. A mage with little magic can never have a bright future. When it comes out in the future, it will always be defeated by those with more magic.


　Joshua said, and continued.


Perhaps it will try to enter the academy. Then you'll know for sure. Just as I did.

"Joshua ......


　Perth couldn't speak to him as he bared his dark sensitivities.


　...... Joshua was no ordinary man. He is a legitimate heir to the Raytheft family tradition, and has demonstrated his talent as a mage and military nobleman.
　This is evidenced by the fact that he has defeated the unpredictable and unsuitable flood clans on numerous occasions. He even thinks that he is a better general than a poor conqueror who is suddenly appointed.
　That is why Perth keeps him at hand and trusts him.
　Therefore, Perth tried to persuade him, but as expected, Joshua did not listen to him.




"Yes, that's why. The nobles with less magic should be crushed. They have to be. Otherwise--


　Joshua kept repeating this until his emotions calmed down.



After Joshua left.


　Ian, who had passed Joshua in the hallway earlier, appeared in the office after Joshua had left.


"Father. What are you talking about with the Viscount?　I'm sure you're not the only one who has a problem with this.

No, it's business as usual in the east. No, the east is business as usual, no major problems other than the floods.

So?

You know. It's Arx Raytheft.


　When Perce said that, Ian clapped his hands as if to say, "Oh, him?


Oh, that's him. I heard he was quite active in the war in the west.

"Mm.


　Ian also knows Arx, and of course he has heard about his circumstances and personality. He said that he was a boy who was disgraced as incompetent and disinherited just because of his low magic power.
　Joshua also thought that if his son, whom he had given up on, played a major role on the battlefield...


"I see. So the Viscount is not at peace?

I don't understand how he can be so stubborn about his own son, who is his blood .......

I don't understand it either. There are many ways to go, even if you have little magic. Why do you hate him so much? ......


　Remembering Joshua's stubborn attitude, Perth frowned.
　Ian tried to change the subject as the air in the room became depressed.


"Speaking of which, Father. I heard that Arx Raytheft will be showing up at the headquarters dojo soon.

Yeah. Charu said he'd like to try his hand at it.

Hmm. Does that mean you want to beat him?


　Ian smiles mischievously, while Perth smiles wryly.


No, I think it's purely for the sake of competition. I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this.

I've always wanted to meet him. ...... Are you interested in his abilities, father?

I've only heard of Arx's abilities. I've only heard about Arx's ability. Besides, Arx will eventually become His Highness' personal attendant. I have to know what he's capable of.

"His Highness' close attendant is .......

His Highness has requested Arx himself. I'm sure of it.


　Ian snorted at Perth's words, but he was understandably surprised.
　Arx is the son of a disinherited son. The fact that such a man of almost the same status as a commoner would be desired by the Dauphin's retinue was something that had never happened before, and something that he would never have thought of.


He was smart enough to realize Poluk Nadar's scheme. His willingness to sacrifice himself on the battlefield. His Highness' trust in Arx is exceptionally high.

"Is it partly because we are close in age?　As I recall, His Highness was around the same age as Arx Raytheft.

Yes, but there is no doubt that Arx is capable.

That makes me look forward to the day he comes to the ...... dojo.

Oh. I want to see what kind of sword he can show me.


　Suddenly, Ian asked.


You and Char have been fiancées for some time now.

I hope so, but I'll have to defer to His Majesty's decision on that.

I hope so, but it will be up to His Majesty to decide.

"Yes. The reason for this will be known in due course. Before he was awarded the medal, Arx had accomplished one great feat as a mage.

It's .......


　Perce stood up from his chair while Ian showed his surprise again.
　When he looked out the window, he saw Joshua walking toward the carriage.


"............


　There was no doubting Arx's talent.
　However, Joshua would never acknowledge Arx in the future.
　He said he would be crushed by someone with more magic.
　That's probably true.


　--Because Joshua himself was like that, must Arx be like that too?


　Joshua had a lot of magic, but Arx had little magic. If he admitted to Arx despite this, he would be admitting to himself that he was not gifted.
　But...


"...... Joshua. I'm not going to let a little bit of magic stop me from looking up.


　Even though he was disinherited and treated coldly, he was never demeaned.
　He did not feel pessimistic about his lack of magic power, but instead used it as a springboard to learn magic from his uncle, Crabbe.



　Even when Perce first met him, Arx was looking ahead and had a strong will.
　The same was true when he presented the magic meter at the Mage's Guild.
　He had the power to look up and move forward.
　Those who walk upward will continue to walk on their own feet, even if their path does not bear fruit.

　And I'm sure that the boy would find a way to solve even that. There was something about him that made me feel that way.