Chapter 4: The Young Man Named Al

The Levian Ducal Family, Head of House’s Study

“If he turns out to be a worthless man… I’ll cut all ties with Father, got it?!”

Selestaria slammed the door with force, her frustration echoing in the quiet study, and stormed out without a backward glance.

“………………….”

(Forgive me, Seres. But I truly believe that he will make you happy. That is why I had to mark my claim before he was promised to another house. This was a matter of timing—please understand.)

Danz Levian, head of the ducal family, let the memory of a chance encounter with Al from two years ago drift through his mind.

◇◇◇

It happened when Al was still a second-year student at the Imperial Academy.

Danz had been sent to the academy on official business and had harbored a quiet hope of catching a glimpse of his daughter, who was then a third-year student.

Dressing unobtrusively to avoid drawing attention, he made his way across the campus grounds.

(Hmm… today is an exam day. I had hoped to see Seres, even if just briefly… but it seems luck isn’t on my side. Well, my work here is done. Time to return to the ducal estate.)

Just then, the school bell rang, and students poured out of classrooms in a throng. To avoid being caught in the chaotic flood, Danz abandoned the idea of seeking out his daughter and headed instead for the quieter back gate.

───Then he saw something.

“Did you bring this week’s tribute money?”

“Ah, um… well…”

“I asked if you brought it!!”

“Eek!”

A timid, short boy was being extorted by a rough-looking student. Apparently, he was being forced to pay a weekly ‘protection fee’—nothing more than a regular shakedown.

“We’re poor… we don’t have any more money…”

“Then steal it from somewhere, why don’t you!!”

“T-That’s… really not possible…”

“Huh!? You little runt, got a problem with that!?”

“N-No…”

Danz exhaled a quiet, inward sigh.

(So even the Imperial Academy harbors such students. As the head of the esteemed Levian Ducal Family, I cannot simply stand by.)

He was about to step forward when another boy appeared from behind.

“Yaaawn… better get home and sleep.”

Before Danz could react, the new boy had arrived at the scene and spoke a single, oblivious sentence:

“Hey, you there. Move aside, you’re in the way.”

“Huh? In the way? Who are you? What grade and class are you?”

“You’re noisy, aren’t you?”

“You little punk!! If you don’t want to get hurt—”

The bully never finished his threat. He collapsed to the ground, defeated, before he could even utter his cheap line.

“Ha… what was that about?”

“Uh… first, thanks. But… what did you just do?”

“I just knocked him out for a bit.”

“Knocked him out?! You wield some pretty incredible magic!”

“Nothing too special. But why were you being targeted in the first place?”

“…He was going to hit me if I didn’t pay him money.”

“Ah, so you were being extorted. Now’s your chance to fight back.”

“I… don’t really want to do that.”

“Then I’ll cast a spell for you so they won’t bother you again.”

“Wait, there’s such a spell?”

“Yeah. Every time they see you, they’ll be struck with psychological terror and haunted by nightmares at night.”

“Wow, that’s amazing!!”

“Whether it’s amazing or not, it’s certainly rare.”

Danz listened intently from the shadows.

(Nightmares as a magic effect? I’ve never heard of such a spell. Wait—nightmares… could it be… a dream-attribute magic? Then this boy… he must be Al, the second son of the Baron of Dragals, who’s been the talk of the town recently!)

The bullied boy bowed his head.

“Thank you for helping me.”

“I didn’t help. I just dealt with the obstacle in my path. No thanks necessary.”

With that, Al resumed walking toward the back gate.

(So he’s not some prodigy with a big ego, just a kind young man who’s bad at hiding his shyness… I can’t let this opportunity slip away.)

Al quickened his pace to reach the exit and get some sleep… but then a voice called out.

“Wait a moment, young man.”

“Ugh… what now?”

(Why do strange people keep getting in my way today…)

Reluctantly, he turned to see a distinguished middle-aged man standing there.

“May I have a word? Just a moment, that’s all.”

“……………”

(The magical aura, the demeanor, the tone… Could this old man be someone important? Hah… better just humor him briefly, to avoid trouble later.)

“…If it’s really brief.”

“Thank you. Let’s sit on that bench over there instead of standing.”

Al trudged after him, and they took a seat.

“You are Al, the second son of the Dragals Baron House, correct?”

“You figured that out quickly.”

“A nightmare-inducing spell could only be dream-attribute magic.”

“You were eavesdropping just now…?”

“Indeed. Had you not shown up, I was prepared to intervene myself.”

“I see.”

Danz cleared his throat.

“First, I must praise you. Your restoration of dream-attribute, an ancient and nearly forgotten magic, is beyond measure.”

“Well… it’s a rather niche, minor magic, really.”

“Don’t belittle it. There’s no hierarchy in magic.”

“…That’s the first time anyone’s said that to me.”

“Hah hah hah. In my youth, I too dedicated myself to studying ancient magic. I understand its importance.”

“You said in your youth… so you don’t study it anymore?”

“No. I didn’t follow the path of a scholar. I had to abandon it after leaving the academy. Even if I had continued, I would have been mocked as a stubborn fool.”

There was a faint trace of regret in Danz’s expression.

“You don’t need to be a scholar to study magic. And being called a fool by others… often doesn’t affect you at all.”

“…You don’t think I’m a fool?”

“No. I can’t see a single reason to.”

Danz’s brow twitched in surprise.

“Whatever reason you had for your research, you seem wealthy enough. Why not start over, collect the grimoires anew, and continue?”

“Do you… think I’ll succeed?”

“I don’t know. But if you don’t give up, somehow you’ll manage. That’s often how the world works.”

Danz had buried his own research, afraid of criticism, fleeing from ancient magic—stifled by the very conventions of nobility.

(To think I hadn’t realized something so simple…)

“Well, I should get going…”

“Wait. Tell me about your family before you leave.”

(I am, after all, the head of my faction… and perhaps this young man is worthy of being Seres’ fiancé. I need to be sure.)

“…Alright…”

Al sat down reluctantly once more.

“What kind of family do you come from?”

“My parents are kind. My brother is kind. My sister is kind too.”

“So you were blessed with a gentle family.”

“Pretty much.”

“Honestly, students like you, who rarely come to school, are sometimes mistreated at home. But Dragals treated you differently?”

“Yes. Even the servants and villagers are strangely kind.”

“I see… you were born into a good domain.”

“Honestly, for my life, that matters more than ancient magic.”

“Hah hah hah. Indeed.”

Danz analyzed silently.

(Disregard his speech style: good character, good family, good domain. His intellect speaks for itself. Now, I only need to test his courage as a leader.)

In a deeper, weighty tone, Danz asked:

“Suppose your lands were invaded by a foreign army. What would you do?”

(Alright, let’s hear his honest answer. Will he lead his forces, evacuate his family, or call upon our faction?)

“Eh, that’s obvious. If an enemy army attacked my lands, then—”

“!?!?!?”

Danz’ eyes widened in shock.

“…Well, I should get going… yawn… so sleepy.”

Al yawned, heading toward the back gate.

(Who exactly was that man…?)

From Danz’s perspective, Al’s retreating figure seemed larger than any mountain peak he had ever seen.

“………………”

The Levian Ducal Family, Study

“Al Dragals… I look forward to seeing you again at the next medal-awarding ceremony.”

(I have no doubt you’ll show me something fascinating once more.)

Danz grinned, picking up his paperwork, his thoughts lingering on the extraordinary young man.