Extra: A letter to a friend. Ken's POV.
I still remember the day Lady Valentina gave birth to Lord Pilemon. He was a lovely child with innocent green eyes. I thought this boy would soon become another talented member of the Notos family, just as Paul was demonstrating. A rare smile appeared on my lips when I saw the child cry for the first time.
I thought that child would be a blessing to the family that had taken me in.
It's just a pity that I was wrong.
When Pilemon turned 3, I noticed something strange about the boy. He was unusually well-behaved. Always respectful to his parents, smiling and respecting everyone, even the servants. He was also very diligent in his studies, excelling in everything related to being a nobleman. A lovely, understanding, and extremely likable child.
But for some reason, with the experience of a Water God Style swordsman, I felt that something was not right with this boy.
Something fake, full of calculation. That feeling sent a shiver down my spine every time I saw the child's smile.
Perhaps I was overthinking it. What kind of scheme could a child have? And isn't it a good thing to be innocent and well-behaved? Lord Amarant and Lady Valentina were very pleased; they laughed a lot. I should have been reassured.
And then that fateful day came.
"I feel sorry for Pilemon for having a brother like you!"
Lord Amarant said that, bluntly, to Paul. I was there, I saw the shattered look on the eldest son's face.
"Huh?" Paul - the eldest son - couldn't believe his ears. His eyes widened, losing focus.
"The boy is so young and already so understanding, he does everything well. He acts like a nobleman and always tries his best. Not like you!"
Then Lord Amarant had someone take Paul away. He was locked in his room, forbidden from going out, forever.
A difficult decision.
And a reasonable one, especially when Paul had been unable to control himself and had 'played around' with a noblewoman he shouldn't have touched. If we're talking about the Notos family's tradition of unusual promiscuity, Paul took it to a whole new level. With his handsome looks and the air of a genius swordsman, Paul made countless girls swoon. He had no self-control, so what happened today was not unforeseeable.
I said nothing, just stood there like a statue, my eyes fixed straight ahead. I am a knight, and a knight does nothing but obey orders.
I suddenly heard the sound of helpless teeth grinding.
Lord Amarant was in pain.
No parent would want to treat their son like that.
"Ken."
Suddenly, Lord Amarant spoke, his authoritative voice having returned.
"Yes, my lord?" I bowed my head, awaiting his command.
"You will guard Paul's room. Do not let him leave."
"I will obey."
And so I became the gatekeeper for Paul.
I was there throughout the entire time he was imprisoned. I knew about the times Lady Valentina secretly visited him. I knew about the times Pilemon came to laugh and gloat in Paul's face.
I chose to remain silent.
Because I knew that nothing I said would help.
I thought Paul needed a lesson to mature. He needed to learn from his mistakes to become the head of the House of Notos. I had hoped for that.
But perhaps I was wrong. Lady Valentina's death truly destroyed what little fragile connection Paul had left with this family.
Young Paul escaped his confinement, but he was now nothing more than an outcast in his own home. Not only the Lord of the house and Pilemon, but the other servants also looked down on Paul.
A truly unsightly scene.
I wasn't surprised when Paul decided to leave for good, becoming an adventurer who would later even achieve the S-rank.
If there's one thing I regret, it's that I - Ken - should have gone with him. Because besides me at that time, Paul knew Pilemon's true nature. I should have kept Paul here. Not just for his sake, but for the future of this family.
I could see that the House of Notos would soon fall into ruin in Pilemon's hands.
And it would only sink deeper after Lord Amarant's death.
A death too sudden.
Too convenient.
Especially when the nobles under the House of Notos began to notice Pilemon's deceit and cowardice. A part of me, though I didn't want to believe it, suspected that this had been orchestrated.
"I'm sorry, my lord." I bowed respectfully before Amarant's grave, which lay next to Valentina's. "I will not let your family turn to dust."
I had also heard rumors that Paul had married, had a child, and was working as a knight in Fittoa. Perhaps Paul had found a fulfilling life.
The goal of bringing him back as the head of the House of Notos seemed hopeless.
That is why I stayed.
I will not leave. I will do my best to protect the legacy that my master tried so hard to build. Even if my position is lost and I'm sent to be a lowly guard. Even if I'm given an impossible mission by the very person I despise: 'turn that brat into a swordsman before he's 5, or you'll be banished forever'. I will still accept.
Because standing next to me now is a child just as peculiar as Pilemon was back then. A child with a mind that is anything but simple.
And also full of strange contradictions.
He is full of calculation, yet he has a kind soul.
He is a good actor, but he only uses it to hide himself, not to harm others.
He is very stubborn, yet extremely persistent and always thinks of methods no one else would.
He even spends time researching magic, despite having a pitifully small amount of mana.
He always looks at Mia with improper eyes, yet he respects her with everything he has and never crosses the line.
He always says he wants to continue being a nobleman and enjoy life, yet he gazes out the window, thinking about things a nobleman would never experience.
A child unlike any other. Complex and difficult to see through. It's as if I'm looking at a scheming, middle-aged man.
Yet within that calculation, I can see a strong desire for freedom. A little bit of Paul has appeared in that small figure. An image that has made me feel guilty for many years.
That made me realize something important.
At least there's one thing that Atur has been honest about. He admits that he has no innate talent. I've seen how a true talent like Paul progressed. Atur certainly can't compare.
But to say that Atur is not a genius would be a lie. He is a monster when it comes to effort and frenzied training. He never stops developing, in swordsmanship, spirit, knowledge, and even magic. A person who is not afraid to find a new path that no one else has thought of, no matter how crazy it may be.
Atur will go far; I can see that clearly. Not just farther than me, but perhaps even farther than that.
And that was when I decided that I would no longer be a masterless swordsman.
I have found my master.
I will protect Atur. I will dedicate myself to his growth. That is my last hope for the future of the House of Notos.
That is my promise, as a knight.
And that is why I am writing this letter to you, Tantris.
Atur's 5th birthday is approaching. He will soon be sent to study. Please take him as your disciple. I believe you will find a worthy opponent for your genius little sister.
Atur's POV.
"Hah!"
Thwack!*
"Block right!"
Clang!*
As usual, I was in the mansion's training yard, getting beaten up by Ken. However, compared to a few months ago, I could now block about 40% of the man's attacks.
It was all thanks to my 'Reading' skill, which had indeed leveled up from practicing swordsmanship every day, playing rock-paper-scissors, and talking to people. Although it was still nothing compared to the level of an 'advanced' swordsman like Ken, according to the knight's assessment, my 'Reading' was already at the Intermediate level.
Speaking of the ranking system in this world, every skill, magic, or proficiency is divided into 7 levels: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Saint, King, Emperor, and finally, God.
Most people, with a little talent and effort, can reach the Advanced level in a certain skill and live a fairly stable life with it. Like Ken here, he is an Advanced-rank Swordsman of the Water God Style. Although it's only the third level on a scale of seven, it's still an achievement that not everyone can reach, requiring training, effort, and talent.
However, you can't judge the strength of two people based on their rank alone. Because the assessment is based on standards set by each type of skill or school of swordsmanship. For example, an Advanced-rank farmer might be able to plow 10 fields in a day. I'm just guessing, since no one has the time to rank farmers; they're too busy working to make a living.
Let's take a Water God Style Swordsman as an example. A beginner-rank swordsman must grasp basic 'Reading', know the proper stances for swinging and blocking. An intermediate-rank must learn the 'Flow' skill to redirect an opponent's attacks, which is the most important skill for all techniques, from low to high, of the Water God Style. An advanced-rank will not only have mastered 'Reading' and 'Flow' but will have perfected them, performing them as if by instinct.
And after that comes the scary stuff.
From the Saint rank, the Water God Style requires its swordsmen to go beyond 'Reading' and grasp other, more advanced skills of environmental perception. 'Flow' must also be able to redirect attacks that are faster and stronger than normal. And most importantly, they must be able to use 'Battle Aura'.
'Battle Aura' is like 'Haki' from One Piece, a type of energy that only advanced-rank swordsmen or higher can use. That energy can enhance speed, strength, durability... in short, it turns a swordsman into a superman, taking them to a completely different level compared to ordinary people.
In other words, the reason most ordinary swordsmen can only reach the Advanced rank at most is that not everyone can use Battle Aura.
Ken also said that his 'Sensing' and 'Reading' skills have already reached the Saint level, but because he can't use Battle Aura proficiently, he still hasn't surpassed the Advanced rank.
The keyword here is 'not proficiently'.
Meaning he can do it, but when I asked him about it, the old knight just shrugged and refused to demonstrate what that power looks like in real life.
"It's too dangerous," Ken said. "If I accidentally damage something, I don't have the money to pay for it."
A reason that is both reasonable and unreasonable.
"After your 5th birthday, when you're allowed to go outside, I'll show you."
"Promise!"
Back to the main topic, besides 'Reading' and 'Flow', the Water God Style also has skills to block and even nullify magic, which is pretty cool. Ken said I'll learn it when I can use Battle Aura and control 'Flow' proficiently.
And even higher than that are the 'Secret Arts' - the 5 ultimate skills of the Water God Style. Usually, just by mastering one Secret Art, a person can reach the rank of Water King; two secret arts, Water Emperor; and three or more, Water God.
The reason it's only three instead of all five is that in history, no one has ever truly mastered all 5 secret arts except for the first legendary Water God, Reidar. So if the standard was to master all five to reach the highest position, the Water God Style would never have another Water God.
And while we're on the subject of the power standard system.
Ken said that because each school of swordsmanship or skill has a different way of classifying ranks, sometimes you can't use it to measure who is stronger than whom based on rank alone.
For example, an Advanced-rank swordsman of the Sword God Style could be completely pushed back by an Intermediate-rank swordsman of the Water God Style, or vice versa. Rank usually only indicates what criteria and skills they have achieved, not necessarily an optimal measure of strength.
Ken also told me about my uncle named Paul, a swordsman who reached the Advanced rank in all three major schools of swordsmanship. In theory, he couldn't compare to a Saint-rank swordsman, but because of his extensive combat experience from being an adventurer, combined with his ability to switch between styles, Paul is truly formidable, becoming a legendary S-rank adventurer.
That makes me curious and want to meet my uncle. He could probably teach me a few things.
Someone that talented must be a good teacher, surely he has some method to make me stronger without having to suffer like I do with Ken now. Hmm... maybe I'll run away and find him after I turn 5?
I have another reason to look forward to my birthday.
"Break's over, Atur. We'll be learning 'Flow' now."
"Yes, sir!"
But for now, I have to get stronger! I must reach the Intermediate rank before I'm 10!
And so, the day finally came. My fifth birthday.
In this world, it seems they celebrate birthdays at ages 5, 10, and 15. At age 5, it's the 'introduction' ceremony, the time when a child can step into the outside world, and it's also the day that marks a child's readiness to be 'taught'. For a farmer's family, the child will be taught how to work the fields. For a hunter's family, the child will learn how to set traps and shoot a bow. Or for a noble family, that child will... um... learn how to be a clown.
Like me right now, standing in the middle of a lavish party, wearing a ceremonial outfit so restrictive it's hard to breathe, in the mansion's main hall, which I've set foot in for the first time.
"Greetings, Lord Firun Whitebear." I bowed slightly, my body perfectly assuming the posture of a noble's greeting. "Thank you and your family for coming to my birthday party."
"Oh, young Atur has already mastered etiquette so well? You look quite the part!" The portly man laughed loudly and patted my head like a puppy.
"It's all thanks to my father's teachings," I said with a bright, fake smile that I had practiced for the past year.
Ah... I want to run away from here.
"And this must be the young lady Veronica?" I took the hand of the young girl, who was probably a few years older than me, and lightly kissed the back of it. "You are as beautiful as the rumors say."
It's true that Veronica is pretty. But complimenting a child like that as a Japanese man in his 30s is... a bit wrong. I think I'd be thrown in jail if another person from Earth found out.
"Hehe. Thank you, Lord Atur. It's a great honor." Veronica giggled in response.
"If I may, may I have this dance with you, my lady?"
"The honor would be all mine, Lord Atur."
And so, I led the young lady out for a dance.
The reason I'm doing this is that it will help me make a good impression on others without having to pretend to be a good, obedient boy and listen to people praise Pilemon.
I can see that most of the guests here are nobles of a lower status than the House of Notos. So it's not surprising that they're trying to curry favor with me; they want the Notos family to have a good opinion of them.
Though I have a feeling they're wasting their time.
But whatever, I just got to do my job well.
...
The dance ended, and I returned Veronica to Lord Firun to complete the ritual. Afterwards, I was met with a round of warm applause. They praised me as a god of dance.
Maybe I'll spend some time practicing dancing. Who knows, maybe I'll achieve the title of God. Even if it's useless, being recorded in the history books would be pretty cool, hehe.
"Well, well. So this is the famous young Atur? I finally get to meet you."
Suddenly, a bright tea-colored hair man with slanted eyes appeared next to me. He looked to be in his late twenties, quite young, even younger than I was in my past life. He smiled, but I could clearly see something calculating emanating from this person.
But without needing an introduction, I knew who this was: Philip Boreas Greyrat - the mayor of the city of Roa in the Fittoa domain - the son of the current head of the House of Boreas.
In short, the son of one of the four great noble families. A person of no small status and power.
"Greetings, Lord Philip." I bowed slightly again in the noble fashion. "It is a great honor to have you at my birthday party."
"Oh? You know who I am?"
"Yes, my lord." I nodded politely. "It is my duty to learn about my important guests."
I have memorized the names and identifying features of every guest. But if Philip knew I had written his feature down as 'looks like a fox', there would probably be trouble.
"Hmm...? Very interesting, young Atur." Philip smiled. "I wish my daughter were even a fraction as well-behaved as you."
"Not at all, my lord. I'm just doing what's necessary."
Please don't turn me into the 'that good kid'. It'll be a pain if all the other kids grow up to hate me.
"By the way, are you the only one attending today, my lord?" I began to change the subject.
"Yes. My wife is ill, my father - Lord Sauros - dislikes parties hosted by the House of Notos, and so does my daughter. You see, my father doesn't like flashy, fake things."
I know the Boreas family is known for being blunt, but wow... did he have to be that direct? I heard Philip was the most polite one in that family.
I don't know what would happen if I met the other members of that house.
"Is that so? What a pity. I was hoping to have a dance with Lady Eris."
"Fufu, that might be a difficult task. At her 5th birthday party, Eris punched her dance partner so hard his face swelled up."
In that case, I should say, 'lucky me'.
Although I've never met her, I've heard a thing or two about Lord Philip's daughter. A ferocious and extremely violent child. I heard a royal tutor was beaten so badly he fled from Roa because the girl found him an eyesore.
However, rumors are rumors. I didn't really believe them, so I was curious to see what she was like in person. But now that her own father has confirmed the truth, I no longer wish to be curious.
Please spare me. Stay away from me. I just want to live a peaceful life.
"But thinking about it, you seem to be good at dancing, don't you? You must like it a lot."
"Yes, my lord. I've practiced a great deal. It's a necessary etiquette, so I had to work very hard to perfect it."
"What would you think if I asked you to teach my daughter, Eris, how to dance in the future?"
"It would be a great honor, but I don't think I have enough experience yet." Please spare me. Don't. No! "Besides, I would need my father's permission."
Ah, right. Using that brat as a shield should work. There's no way he'd let me go that easily.
"I've already spoken with Pilemon, and he has agreed," Philip clapped me on the shoulder. "I'll be counting on you in three years."
In three years will be the day of my death. Understood.
...
My conversation with Philip really did make me a bit worried.
Not just because I'm a good dancer or anything. That was just an excuse. Thanks to 'Reading', I could guess that my bright-tea-haired friend had a more complex scheme in mind.
To put it briefly, he seems to see me as a potential candidate for a 'close alliance'. In other words: a marriage prospect.
Come to think of it, I've also considered a few things. A 5-year-old child like me shouldn't be a beginner-rank swordsman with quite a few unconventional skills, including crafting magic tools (I don't know how that got out), which has attracted a lot of attention. Not to mention the fact that I'm quite handsome (as many people have said), well-behaved, polite, and according to many: 'has the potential to become the next head of the family'.
I don't know when I acquired my own 'faction', but they have started to support me from the shadows. Probably including that Philip guy. That makes me a little scared. What if Pilemon sees me as a threat and decides to eliminate me? Or what if Luke no longer considers me his brother?
The thought of Luke glaring at me and saying something like "I don't have a backstabbing brother like you" makes me anxious. Or worse, the scenario of the two brothers having to hold swords to each other's throats like in the movies. If it comes to that, I'll die of a broken heart!
No way, Luke! This little brother will always be a good little brother and won't fight for the position!
This little brother supports you, Luke! Go be the head of the family! I'd rather be a freeloader! I'll help you punch any noble who dares to support me as the head!
Finally, the party ended. I received quite a lot of praise and gifts. Most were useless things like clothes. Some gave me gems, some gave me a book I'd already read... occasionally there were weapons, a light and exquisitely carved rapier, quite impressive, but Ken said it was only for display and not for actual combat, so I had to reluctantly suppress a rare smile.
And unfortunately, no one gave me a single magic tool. Not even a low-level magic staff.
Life is so disappointing.
But that's to be expected. Nobles don't give each other magical things like that. I haven't revealed my magical abilities to anyone (since they're still weak), so they probably don't care.
"Aren't you going to give me a gift, Sir Ken?"
"I give you my dedicated service."
"..."
Of course he wouldn't. What was I expecting?
"If you still wish for one, tomorrow I will give you a training intensity three times the normal."
"No, thank you!"
"Anger is not a good expression for a Water God Style swordsman."
"Tch..."
I know that. Most of the time, I can remain calm, smile, and put on a happy, sociable mask. But for some reason, when I'm around this knight, he always finds a way to pick a fight with me.
Is this a training session against the psychological warfare of the North God Style?
"That's right."
"Please stop reading my mind... Argg!"
I rolled around on the floor of my now five-times-larger room.
That's right, I've been 'promoted'. No longer Atur the Bastard, but Atur Notos Greyrat. I have been officially recognized as a child of this family.
Pilemon acknowledged me, even though he didn't say much other than stare at me throughout the party. That's good, at least today my so-called father didn't glare at me like I was something filthy.
A big step forward, right? Yay.
Now it's time to enjoy life. Ah! The bed here is so soft! It's like being back to the standard of living I had in Japan. The crackling of the fireplace and the gentle whistling outside as the snow falls makes this place feel so peaceful.
This is what it means to be a nobleman's son.
"But don't get used to your new room just yet."
"Huh?" I was about to jump on the bed like a trampoline but stopped. "What do you mean?"
"You are five years old now," Ken smiled faintly. "Which means you will have to go to school tomorrow. The servants have already prepared your luggage."