Ermes and Katia's exploits continued to gain traction in the days that followed.
The movement among the nobility to reassess Katia remained as strong as ever—but at the same time, another figure was drawing equal attention: Ermes.
The fact that Aster had publicly revealed his full identity at that party likely played a major role. More than a few people had begun connecting the dots between the servant who had wielded magic so powerful it could only be described as Bloodline Magic right at Katia's side, and the genius boy who had once been expelled from the Marquis House.
Praise for Katia continued to pour in—and whispered alongside it, with equal or even greater fervor, were words like these:
"That boy truly was the genius the rumors made him out to be."
"The talent dwelling within him must have been so immense that it simply took time for him to awaken."
"Expelling him at the mere age of ten was far beyond excessive. The Frenbreed Marquis apparently lacked the eye to recognize true talent."
"A house that was once a duchy—a magic family whose contributions helped forge this very kingdom. How far they've fallen—"
"—and so on, spout the nobles who fail to see the essence of the matter."
"Your Highness, then..."
The head of the Frenbreed House—the very subject of these rumors—was currently in the company of his son and Ermes's elder brother, Chris.
Subjected to the displeased gaze of the second prince, Aster, who sat in the seat of honor in a chamber of the Royal Palace.
"You two are different, I trust? Surely you don't believe that expelling Ermes was a mistake as well?"
"O-Of course not, Your Highness!"
Zenos bowed so low he nearly prostrated himself, his face somehow even more haggard than the day he had cast Ermes out, affirming the prince's words with desperate haste.
"That Ermes boy is, without question, a good-for-nothing utterly devoid of Bloodline Magic! Your Highness was entirely correct to order his swift banishment! And like Lady Katia, he has undoubtedly sunk his teeth into some shady method or other—there is no doubt about it!!"
"Is that so. Then—why have such absurd rumors been allowed to spread this far?"
"Kh—"
Yet a single follow-up question, delivered in that cold voice, sealed every word in his throat.
"And furthermore — that Chris cowering beside you, when I ordered him to capture Katia, he was driven off by that very Ermes and came slinking back in disgrace, didn't he?"
"Y-Your Highness!? How could you possibly know that—"
"Oh, so it was Ermes after all. And you knew it was Ermes, yet you hid that from me."
"!!"
Chris, who had once filed a false report out of foolish pride, lowered his head with an expression of abject terror.
"If you can't even acknowledge your own mistakes, it shows just how small you are, Chris von Frenbreed."
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
"That was about Ermes!? You — you useless son of mine!!"
"You as well, Zenos von Frenbreed. I ordered you to uncover the truth behind the dark arts that Katia and Ermes are practicing — why haven't you produced any results?"
"H-Hiii!!"
"Th-Then what about you, Father!?"
Of all things, Chris — whom he had appointed as next heir in place of the very Ermes he had once cast out — had been defeated by Ermes himself.
When Zenos learned this fact, he flew into a rage and struck Chris across the head, but upon being called out by Aster, he began trembling and rising — at which point Chris seized the moment to undercut him.
Showing not the slightest interest in the ugly quarrel unfolding before his eyes, Aster muttered to himself.
"...How infuriating. There are far too many incompetents in this country. Why can no one carry out my orders satisfactorily? Why are there so many who stand in my way? Why do those who fancy themselves superior never stop multiplying?!"
And with absolute conviction, Aster spoke those words.
"
There can be no one
,
superior to me
would there be.
——!!"
◆
The Kingdom of Yustia — a magical nation where the royal house of Yustia sits atop a feudal system built on the foundation of magic.
Aster Josef von Yustia was born into that very royal house as the Second Prince.
"Oh, this child is a genius!"
His father — the King — lifted Aster high in celebration of his birth, then proceeded with a simple magic power measurement of the newborn. When it was done, his words overflowed with pure delight.
"Such vast, dazzling magic power! There is no doubt — this child will become a magic wielder worthy of representing the royal house, a Hero Prince!"
Whether he read into the King's expectations, or whether it was calculation on the part of those around him—
Aster spent a childhood spoiled far beyond what was considered excessive even for royalty — and, befittingly, grew into a selfish little tyrant.
Even so, under normal circumstances, at some point he would have encountered someone above him and had his arrogance broken down, leading to at least some measure of correction.
But Aster was, without question, a genius.
He absorbed his tutors' lessons in an instant, his memory and physical abilities were outstanding, and his magic power grew at a steady, astonishing rate without him even trying.
No matter how willfully he behaved, there was no one — neither in standing nor in ability — who could put him in his place.
In fact, he had even crushed his home tutor head-on in a magic power contest at the mere age of four, and from that catalyst, his arrogance only accelerated further.
Yet even for him, his first defeat came at last.
"What? You're saying there's someone out there with more magical talent than me?"
"W-Well, it's only a possibility, Your Highness! However, the head of that house has been boasting about it quite proudly, so…"
Hearing that rumor from a palace attendant, he naturally brushed it off with a laugh.
"What is that person's name?"
"Um, let me see... Ermes of the Frenbreed Marquis House, I believe?"
Interesting. I'll have to see for myself.
Several days after hearing that rumor, Aster learned that the Marquis of Frenbreed was bringing Ermes to the Royal Palace.
Determined to teach this visiting upstart that there was always someone better, he approached Ermes from behind without being noticed — and looked at him.
He can't win. That was his first thought.
What is that.
What is that thing?
A human being possessed of such vast, pure — beautiful magic power. And a boy his own age, no less.
"Impossible. There's no way this is real...!"
Aster immediately fled to his room, threw a blanket over his head, and trembled as he whispered from inside his bed.
Up until now, he had truly believed himself to be the greatest mage in the world — and he had just experienced a shock as though the world itself had been shattered to pieces.
He couldn't accept it. If he did, he would break.
That was his gut instinct, yet he couldn't muster the courage to look one more time.
Starting the next day, he threw himself into relentless training and grew at a pace that drew praise from everyone around him, but not a single image of surpassing that monster ever came to mind.
No matter how hard he tried, no matter how desperately he pushed, it felt like he could never reach it. Eventually, his heart buckled under the weight of a hardship he had never known in his entire life.
In the end, he felt he had no choice but to acknowledge it.
That boy named Ermes was a more talented mage than himself.
But he simply could not accept that.
And so he thought:
"This is a mistake. It has to be some kind of mistake! For someone other than me to be the greatest mage in the world — no way!!"
As if answering that very wish of his.
At the age of seven, it was discovered that Ermes had no Bloodline Magic — in other words, he was what this country called an "incompatible defect."
"Ha, ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!"
I knew it! I just knew it all along!
In exchange for possessing high magic power, he was never born with Bloodline Magic. That meant magic power was utterly worthless.
In other words — he's not even a mage. I'm the greatest!
And at last, he became absolutely, unquestionably convinced.
He was the most exceptional human being in the world, surpassing everyone — truly chosen by God.
He had been born to make no mistakes, for everyone to bow before him, and to lead this country, this world, with his own hands.
He was, without question, the protagonist of this world.
Precisely because he had nearly broken once before, that conviction hardened into something unshakable. No one would ever be able to change it again.
One day, one of his tutors taught him in a lesson on morals.
What kind of person a hero was. What nobility truly meant, and what it was to be a person of justice.
I see
,
then it must be I
who is that person
.
After all, he was chosen to be exactly that.
Without needing to do anything, without needing to change a thing, he already knew what was right and could correct what was wrong.
A Noble Hero Who Destroys Evil and Upholds Justice
That is why he chose Catia as his fiancée — she was a brilliant duke's daughter befitting a place at his side.
Absolutely not,
because he was on good terms with
Ermes, who had forced him
to taste defeat,
and
thought to steal her away
out of spite.
.
That is why he broke off his engagement with Catia and took in Sara — because there was a problem with Catia's magic.
Absolutely not,
because Catia, with all her criticisms,
had a tiresome personality,
and
because Sara, being more obedient,
was more to his taste
both in appearance and temperament,
for such
a vulgar reason.
.
So the reason he had tried to have Katya captured was that she defied his every judgment and was plotting to bring the kingdom to ruin.
It was absolutely not
because, despite being abandoned by him,
she showed not the faintest
trace of attachment
and that made his blood boil—
that was not why.
.
He convinced himself of this, and pressed forward without ever questioning it as truth.
That was how everything had gone well until now. Nothing was wrong.
And so, this time would be no different.
"...I've thought of something."
"Eh...?"
"Wh-what is it, Your Highness?"
The Frenbreed father and son, who had been bickering nonstop in hopes of escaping Aster's punishment, spoke up hesitantly.
"The reason those lot can move freely is that old fox—the Duke of Trachea—has been obstructing our actions."
"Y-yes. Even when we try to have them arrested, he brandishes his authority as Minister of Justice."
"'We cannot act without formal charges.' That's all he ever says. Utterly infuriating..."
"Then let us prepare those charges, shall we?"
The Frenbreed father and son froze for a moment, then, grasping the meaning, posed their question.
"Y-you mean... framing Lady Katia with a false accusation...?"
"It's no false accusation. There is no doubt whatsoever that they are guilty."
Aster rose slowly to his feet and began to lay out his argument.
"But those smug rats have managed to cover it all up, and every last idiot noble has been completely taken in! So why don't we step right into their ring and play by their rules? The nobles may be fools, but they are still the pillars that support this kingdom. It's the same as the party affair — sometimes they need to be led to the truth through falsehoods, through staging!"
"O-oh..."
"I'll show those who think they've won through petty cleverness what a truly superior person's scheming looks like — not the kind of low cunning you two traffic in!"
Then, his sour expression from moments ago completely transformed, he flashed a daring grin as though drunk on his own idea.
"I'll be needing your cooperation as well. You can see the truth of things, which already makes you marginally better than the rest of those nobles. Now go and earn back the trust you threw away with this latest debacle — and do it spectacularly!"
"Y-yes, sir!"
"We will serve you with our whole hearts and souls!"
Ermes and Katia had taken up some kind of dark arts to gain their power.
After all,
there was no mage
who surpassed him,
and
anyone who appeared to
must surely be harboring
a fatal flaw,
without doubt.
.
Just as it had been revealed that Ermes had Incompatibility.
Through the hands of those who harbored such a conviction stronger than anyone else's, and who believed in it blindly.
Movements began to once again draw a conclusion favorable to Aster, just as they always had.
That was the reason Aster knew Ermes.