Seventh volume 1, p.1
Seventh: Volume 1, page 1
Prologue
This year marked three hundred years since the founding of Banseim Kingdom, the greatest country on the continent. It was nestled in the very center of the landmass and surrounded by a number of foreign neighbors.
Banseim had risen up from the ruins of the Centrus Kingdom, which had once unified the continent and ruled it with fear before it fell. The man who’d led the charge to overthrow the long-corrupt kingdom and absolve it of any right to rule became the first king of Banseim. Three hundred years had passed since then, and a king and the aristocracy still governed the kingdom today.
As Banseim continued to thrive, one regional noble family grew to hold an important position in the kingdom: the Walts. They had over two and half centuries of history behind them and were descended from knights of the court who’d left to develop forestland for themselves, thus becoming regional nobility.
The founder of the noble house, Basil Walt, had been a court knight and the third son of his family. He’d elected to join a pioneering group, clearing out a beast-infested forest to build the foundations of what would become the current-day Walt family. His successor was Crassel Walt, a man who merely maintained what he’d inherited before passing it off to the head of the next generation, Sley Walt.
Sley had fought in one of the most famous battles in Banseim history, the Retreat of Remlrandt. Although he and his limited troops were overwhelmingly outnumbered, they’d managed to stop a massive invading army. He later became known as the Hero General, becoming one of the notable names in the Walt family history.
The fourth generation head was Marcus Walt, who’d inherited a baron title thanks to his father’s notable accomplishments. The rest of the aristocracy soon took notice and accepted him into the fold, thus beginning a seemingly boundless surge of prominence for the Walt family. Well, at least until the next successor, Fredriks Walt, took over.
Unlike his father and grandfather before him, Fredriks was known for being a lecher. The Walts had somehow obtained viscounty status under his rule, though just a few short years after marrying his wife, he’d already taken on four mistresses.
During the reign of the next Walt head, Fiennes Walt, Banseim plunged into a dark age. Fiennes had taken advantage of the situation to expand his lands, make connections with court nobles, and systematically steal border territories. In the eyes of the people, his actions dragged the Walt name through the mud.
The birth of the next successor, Brod Walt, marked a new golden age for the Walts. At the time, chaos still reigned in Banseim, inviting foreign countries to take advantage and invade. The Walts had moved up from a viscounty to an earldom by this point, and it was Brod who’d taken the initiative and swooped in with all the fury of a lion to save Banseim in its time of need. In doing so, he was welcomed as an adviser to the royal family, thus restoring glory to the Walt family. However, in the next generation, under Brod’s successor, Meisel Walt, darkness again descended upon their house.
It was a spring day bursting with sunlight, which ill befitted the events taking place.
The Walt estate was appropriately vast and opulent for an earldom. A fence encircled their spacious lot, on which sat their mansion designed by a famous architect. Although the place was luxurious, it didn’t forsake functionality in the process. All of the gardens—the one out front, the one in the inner courtyard, and the one in the rear courtyard—were perfectly maintained. The lawn and trees were trimmed frequently, of course, and even the fountains and ponds were cleared and cleaned regularly.
In one corner of this picturesque property, the lawn had been gouged out, leaving the bare earth exposed. It was here that a boy and girl stood opposite each other, surrounded by a group of adults clad in suits and sporting impeccably groomed facial hair.
I was that boy, and standing across from me was my sister, as well as my father, Meisel Walt. He was wearing white gloves and kept glancing down at his pocket watch, concerned with the time. As I watched him, I wondered, How much time has passed? Has it been a couple of hours by now? Or only a few minutes? Seriously, why is this even happening?
My mother, Clare Walt, was wearing a blue dress and standing beside my father. A maid stood next to her, holding an umbrella to shield my mother from the sun’s rays. Neither my mother nor my father were looking at me; their gazes were glued to my younger sister, Ceres Walt. My perfect sister. If there was anybody in this world beloved by the Goddess, it would have to be Ceres.
My fingers tightened around the hilt of my saber, a gift I’d received from my parents on my tenth birthday. It was currently slick with sweat and blood. I’d long abandoned my jacket and was now clad only in a shirt, vest, and trousers, and my skin was covered in cuts and scrapes from head to toe, quite literally. All of them were wounds Ceres had inflicted on me, and there were no small number of them, though they were all shallow. She’d done that on purpose, to toy with me.
In contrast to my bedraggled appearance, my sister—two years my junior—looked pristine and perfectly at ease. She also carried a weapon my parents had gifted her. It was a rapier, a slender yet exceedingly sharp sword made specifically for piercing your opponent. Her fingers traced over the blade. As far as she was concerned, it was merely a brand-new toy she’d barely played with. She eyed the yellow Gem encrusted in the hilt with a look of satisfaction. The sword was a masterpiece, made by a great artisan from the best materials possible.
My saber was quite sharp, but it didn’t even begin to compare to her weapon. The blade was noticeably chipped, and the hilt had grown black with grime. I wanted so desperately for my parents to look my way that I practiced with it frequently, swinging it some ten thousand—no, hundred thousand—times.
In spite of my efforts, I couldn’t compare to Ceres and her skill, even though she was wielding a rapier she’d only just received today. I didn’t want to believe it was simply a difference in talent that separated us. Ceres was receiving an education just like mine, except that since she was a girl, her weapon training was supposed to be limited to mere self-defense. Yet somehow, I couldn’t even lay a finger on her.
Her fingers continued brushing over the blade as she began to speak, never once bothering to look my way. Her words oozed with boredom. “Are you done yet, dear brother? You swing that sword every day like a fool, but this is all you have to offer? And you call yourself a son of House Walt? For shame.”
I gritted my teeth and glared at her. We’d only begun this little duel thanks to one of her whims. During her birthday celebration, my parents had gifted her this brand-new rapier. Delighted, she immediately said, “I want to fight him.” Or so I’d heard. I didn’t know firsthand because I hadn’t been here. I didn’t spend time with my family; my days consisted of commuting from my room to the small space I’d been allotted in the corner of the garden, the place where I polished my magic and sword skills.
Why had things turned out like this? Everything had been normal until that one day. Frustration rose like bile in my throat, sadness like a knife digging into my heart. I couldn’t forgive myself for being such a coward, but somewhere deep down, I was beginning to accept the fact that I simply couldn’t win against her. I hated myself for it too.
Even if I can’t win, if I could just land one hit on her...
As I was busy thinking about my next move, my father’s voice broke through the air. “Ceres makes a fine point. I can hardly believe a boy born into the Walt family is standing before me looking so pathetic. I cannot face our ancestors like this. Suffice to say, you’re no longer a part of our family.” His words were flat, bereft of all emotion.
Not willing to miss an opportunity to disparage me, my mother added, “Why couldn’t you have been born with even an ounce of talent? Oh well. I suppose this has cleared any doubt at least, hasn’t it, dear?”
“Indeed, it has. My heir will be Ceres.”
Both of my parents regarded me coldly as they stood behind my younger sister. The way they glared at me was far different from the way they gazed at Ceres, their eyes filled with familial affection.
I lowered my eyes to the ground for a moment. When I lifted them again, Ceres greeted me with a deranged smile. That expression would have looked hideous on anyone else, but she was still beautiful. Even at the tender age of thirteen, she had an intoxicating charisma about her.
“Not yet,” I said, trying to work myself up. “It’s not over yet!” I tamped down whatever fear I felt and lunged forward, thrusting my blade at my little sister. I was fully aware of the power behind my attack; it would pierce right through her if my aim was true. Alas, that was only if I didn’t miss.
“It’ll be the same no matter how many times we do this. You’ve already served your purpose,” Ceres said, deftly rotating her body to evade my attack. As my momentum brought me closer to her, she plunged her rapier into my foot. Before she leaped away, she ripped it back out again, and the pain flared seconds later.
We shifted our respective positions and turned to face each other once more. Ceres lazily lowered her rapier and thrust her other hand at me, pointing. “Enjoyable as it was watching you fall to pieces by my blade, I’m bored of this now. Can’t you just disappear already? Or at least try to be a little more amusing.”
Magic began forming at the tips of her fingers, fiery sparks coalescing. She was planning to use fire magic.
A chill ran down my spine. “Ice Wall!” I bellowed, swiping my hand through the air. Ice jutted up from the ground, rising around me. The chilly air it produced cooled my heated body.
&
In response, Ceres used the most basic of spells. “Fire Bullet. We’ll see how long your little Ice Wall lasts.” She grinned from ear to ear as she launched her fireball at me.
Normally, the spell would be extremely small and compact, but Ceres’s Fire Bullet was like none I’d ever known; it was much larger, and it slammed against my barrier with impressive force. The spell typically consisted of a single round, or several at most, but on top of its overwhelming power, it fired repeatedly without pause. My ice wall rapidly melted, and with its destruction, the surrounding air began to heat up.
“One more!” I thrust my hand forward, intending to erect a second wall to shore up my defenses so I could hold out, but suddenly, I heard Ceres’s voice behind me. She’d been right in front of me a second ago, but when I whipped around, there she was, smiling at me.
“That’s all you’ve got? You really are a worthless whelp.” She reeled her arm back and then swung.
I have to dodge! I thought instantly, but my body couldn’t keep up. Time slowed to a crawl for me, but not for Ceres; she moved at the same speed she always did. Her left hook landed on my cheek, hurtling me backward. I slammed into the very Ice Wall I’d created, then collapsed onto the ground.
I pressed my hands against the dirt, trying to push myself back onto my feet, but a shadow fell over the grass in front of me. I lifted my chin in time to see Ceres’s red shoe rushing toward me. Raising my left hand, I managed to block her kick, but the force of it shot me through the air again, this time shattering the Ice Wall. I curled my body to soften the impact when I hit the ground, promptly popping back up to my feet, but my left arm was throbbing murderously. Apparently, her kick had broken the bone.
Ceres studied me. “My, how unsightly.” She pressed a hand over her mouth and giggled, seemingly enjoying my battered state.
My left arm dangled uselessly at my side, pain still shooting through it. I gripped my saber tighter and twisted my body back into a fighting stance.
“You really want to keep up this little sword fight?” Ceres asked. “Well, fine, I guess. I’ll stab my blade into you even deeper this time.” She leaped forward, and in the blink of an eye, she’d closed the several-meter gap between us.
I slashed sideways, trying to cut her down, but my blade only met empty air. Worse yet, a familiar yet unbearable pain ripped through my shoulder and thigh. Blood trickled from my freshly opened wounds, peppering the ground.
I glanced over my shoulder to see Ceres taking a stance with her rapier.
“I had three chances to kill you just now. Is that really all you’ve got, Lyle?” she questioned, finally using my name. It felt like forever since I’d last heard it from her lips.
That’s right. My name is Lyle Walt, and I was supposed to be the next successor of the Walt family. Alas, my superior younger sister outshone me, and I was deemed worthless.
There was a time when my parents had expected great things of me, when our retainers and servants had called me a child prodigy. I was a genius, they’d said, perfectly fit to continue my family’s legacy. That had lasted until I was ten years old.
At only eight years old, Ceres had surpassed me in every area. All the warmth my family had shown me evaporated as they turned cold and distant. The love they’d showered me with was instead directed at my sister, and even the retainers and servants began to regard me with icy looks. They all rejected me entirely.
In spite of all that, I still wanted my parents to acknowledge me again. Just once would be enough. I tirelessly practiced my sword skills in the hopes that they would peel their attention from Ceres long enough to notice me. I also polished my magic, read a number of books, and followed any lessons I was given to the letter. Yet for all my efforts, my parents had not once offered me a kind word these past five years.
I readjusted my grip on my saber and glared at my sister.
If I can get just one hit in, I thought.
Years ago, I thought I could never bring myself to hurt my younger sister, but that had passed. Now, I turned my blade on her with the intent to kill. I’d looked after her and protected her for so long. Fawned over her, even. So why was this happening? Did I mess up at some point without realizing it?
“Do you really hate me that much? Why?! Why are you doing this?!” I shouted.
“I do hate you,” Ceres answered, sounding bored. “I hate you more than anyone else in this world. Why, you ask? Hm... Come to think of it, I can’t even remember why I hate your guts so much. Oh well. You can just disappear from my sight.” She’d acted all cutesy until she hit upon the word “disappear,” when all emotion—any glimmer of humanity—drained from her face.
Fear welled within me, and in an attempt to drive it back, I advanced a step.
Ceres swung her rapier. The blade looked as supple as a whip to my eye, almost as if the weapon were actually alive. It was as though it possessed a will of its own and was coming to kill me.
Just one! I told myself again. Just get one hit in!
As her rapier came bearing down on my shoulder, threatening to bite through flesh, I purposefully lunged rather than dodge it. Her blade cut into me, but I swung my saber. She was surprised, but she narrowly avoided my attack, yanking her rapier out of my shoulder in the process. The metal was painted crimson. A split second later, blood came gushing out of the wound I’d sustained from her attack. Everything played out in slow motion before my eyes.
There!
I flipped my saber around, forcefully changing its course so I could bring it slashing back at her. She’d looked completely at ease until this point, but now her eyes widened. She quickly tried to put some distance between us, and the movement made her skirt flutter, the hem dancing in the small space between us.
I’ve done it. My attack is going to land!
The tail of her gown briefly drew Ceres’s attention, her face unreadable, but then her eyes shot back to me. Her brow was wrinkled, and she was glaring with such unbridled hatred and anger that I flinched, stopping my attack. In that split second, her eyes wandered to the grip of her rapier. Her lips spread into a smile.
“Garbage. Useless worm. I’m gracious enough to let you keep breathing, yet you have the audacity to think you can touch me? I won’t allow it. Yes, it’s time for you to disappear now. I’ll char you to a crisp right where you stand!”
She flipped her rapier to the side and began forming her magic. The temperature around us shot up. Wind began whipping up from the ground.
“Y-You can’t mean to...” I didn’t let myself finish as I cast my own spell. I erected a wall of ice around me, using as much water as I could to reinforce it.
Ceres continued glowering at me as she bit out, “That won’t save you now. Firestorm!”
Flames rode upon the wind as it raged around me, gaining momentum and power until it was a full-fledged storm. My icy defenses melted in mere seconds. The heat in the atmosphere was unbearable and stifling. But amidst it all, I kept trying to use my own magic to fight back.
Is this it? Is this where it ends? Why me, at a place like this...? Why...? Why was I ever even born?
Tears poured down my cheeks, and immediately after, the firestorm dissipated. I scanned my surroundings. Ceres was still in front of me, expressionless as always as she gazed straight at me. My family and their retainers had gathered beside her.
After all the magic I’d used, my mana was so severely depleted that I sank to my knees.
The saber fell from my hand as I collapsed forward. But even as I lay on the ground, I kept my eyes pinned to my sister as she approached.
Ceres snatched my saber up and said, “You really treasure this thing, don’t you? It’s so beaten up, though. Is it really that important to you?” She looked down her nose at me—both figuratively and literally.
“Don’t touch it,” I spat, summoning all my remaining strength to choke out those words.
My attempt at resistance earned me a swift kick, which sent me tumbling with such force that my body carved a visible hollow in the ground, cutting straight through my parents’ lawn. The heat of her spell had mixed with my melted ice and turned the rest of the ground to mud. By the time I skidded to a halt, I was covered in it.
