Kays Translations

Chapter 3: Target of Magic

Lucas Ebern, Rest and Cedric's father, is a court magician.

He is one of the country's top magic users, and his talent has been passed down to his only... son, Cedric.

However, what's inherited is not just talent.

The malice, the distortion of character—Cedric inherited all of it from his father without reservation.

"Ahahaha! Run, run!"

"Ku...!"

At the Viscount family mansion, Cedric unleashes magic one after another. Fireballs the size of fists chase after Rest, scorching his clothes and skin.

"Look at that! What's wrong? Are you already tired? If you stop, you'll get hit, you know?! Ahahaha!"

Cedric, with grating laughter, throws fireballs at Rest running through the garden.

Cedric, the son of the court magician, aiming to follow in his father's footsteps, routinely turns Rest into a target for his magic.

Children learn from their parents. Watching his father scorn Rest, watching his mother abuse him... Cedric found joy in tormenting his half-brother in the same way.

With no one to stop them, the training, resembling attempted murder, escalates rapidly.

"Forgive me... please, have mercy!"

(He never gets tired of it... He really is the son of those parents? He'll never grow into a decent adult.)

While pitifully pleading for his life, Rest, running away, spews words of contempt in his mind.

(Are all nobles like this trash? The father who violated my mother, the stepmother oppressing me out of jealousy... Truly, there's no one decent among them.)

"Hahahaha! The finishing blow! Try taking my newly learned magic... [Thunder Ball]!"

"Aaaaaaaah!"

The lightning ball hit Rest's back.

Electricity slashed through his body, and Rest fell, unable to move.

"Hahaha! It's over, huh? It seems a commoner child without magic power is useless after all!"

Satisfied, Cedric proudly kicks the fallen Rest with the tip of his shoe.

"Clean up the garden. I won't tolerate slacking off!"

"..."

"Haha, truly like garbage! I can't believe this is my brother!"

With scornful words to the end, Cedric strides away from the garden.

“........”

Resto pretends to be unconscious for a while, but soon, when he sees the coast is clear, he gets up.

"Phew... Finally, it's over."

Standing up, he immediately activates magic.

Healing magic repairs his wounds, and the Cleanse spell removes all the dirt and mud from his body.

Though it seemed like he was bombarded with magic, the actual damage wasn't as severe as it appeared. He deliberately ran around excessively, pretending to be in pain.

In reality, he minimized the damage by covering his body's surface with magic.

(Now it's lightning magic... Quite versatile. He is.)

Cedric always uses Rest's body as a test subject whenever he learns a new spell.

Being the son of a court magician, Cedric's magic abilities are undoubtedly genuine. He can use a wide variety of magic.

(I don't know any other magic users of the same age besides him... He's probably exceptional.)

If only his personality were good, he could respect him as an older brother. However, the heavens, in their wisdom, bestowed only magic talent upon Cedric, neglecting to give him the kindness needed to use it for good.

"Thunderball."

Molding magic power and releasing it outside his body, Rest creates a ball of lightning in his palm. It's the same magic Cedric used earlier, but Rest's version is a bit larger.

"...As always, it's helpful that you showcase the magic you've learned. It's a learning experience."

The reason Rest doesn't run away from Cedric's training is that he possesses endless magic power and the ability to replicate any magic he's seen. It's likely another perk from his reincarnation.

Despite being discriminated against as a commoner's child, Rest hasn't been given the opportunity to learn magic through reading books or private tutors.

However, thanks to Cedric using him as a magic guinea pig, he's been able to master many spells.

(If my foolish brother knew he's contributing to my growth, I wonder what kind of face he'd make.)

Cedric may be a magic prodigy, but Rest is confident that, in terms of talent alone, he surpasses him by far.

To impress his father and change his treatment, he might have to flaunt this talent. But honestly, he has no desire to be acknowledged by that man.

"It's not over... It's still too early. I'll endure until I become an adult."

Rest clenched his fist, reminding himself.

Rest is still twelve years old.

The age of adulthood in this country is fifteen, which means he has three more years to go. No matter how proficient he is in magic, he cannot hold a proper job as a minor. Instead, it seems more likely that he would be taken advantage of by unscrupulous adults, receiving little to no pay.

Therefore, for now, he doesn't show his fangs.

While it might be easy to kill his stepmother and Cedric, who persecute him, he chooses to hone his magic skills while enduring the one-sided torment.

(Someday, I will definitely surpass them. I will rise much higher than my father or Cedric...!)

Money, status, power.

In everything, he will surpass them.

He will look down on and crush the members of the Ebern Viscount family, putting himself in a position where he can trample them!

(For that, I'll endure being a magic guinea pig or being treated like a dog.)

Now is the time to lie low.

To endure patiently – to sleep in the chilly stable, to eat leftover food like a dog.

With determination, Rest clenched his fist and began cleaning the garden.

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