Chapter 4.1

Chapter 4 – The Former Demon King, Awakening To Ancient Magic

“Somebody bring me a wooden sword! A mock battle between me and Xellos will now take place”

“Yes. Then allow me”

“Yuuki, you will stay there to watch the battle between me and Xellos”

“……Yes”

“I’ll have the servants prevent anyone from coming here. So that no one in the mansion sees the ‘Ancient Magic’. Would that suffice, Kachel-dono?”

“This Kachel can’t help but admire Baron-sama’s thoughtfulness”

Thus, Father and nii-sama are to hold a mock battle in front of me.

Preparations were finished, Father and nii-sama are now facing each other with their weapons in hand.

Father is holding a thick wooden sword with both hands.

Xellos nii-sama, on the other hand, is holding his wooden sword one-handed.

“I’ll be the one to judge who is the winner!”

Standing between them, the tutor, Kachel, exclaimed.

“If either one of you admits defeat or drops your sword, you lose. Is that all right?”

“Mmm…Yes, that’s fine”   “I have no objection here, Sensei”

“Well then, let’s begin!!”

“Here I come, Father!!”

It was Xellos nii-sama who had made the first move.

As he drew something like a figure in the air with his finger, he also started muttering some sort of incantation.

“‘Achieve! I am ────────────’”

“Wonderful, Xellos-sama!”

Xellos nii-sama’s chanting is inaudible to me. It’s unlike any other words I’ve ever heard.

“Activate ── ‘Body Strengthening, Boosted’!!”

Xellos nii-sama kicked the ground and started running.

“── He’s fast!”

I couldn’t help but blurt out.

Nii-sama’s physical ability has improved dramatically.

He immediately closed the gap between him and Father in a split second and swung down his sword with his one hand.

*CLANK*

Father managed to receive nii-sama’s sword with his two-handed sword.

…No, he can’t stop the blow and is being pushed back.

Father, who is two heads taller and about twice as big as Xellos nii-sama, is being overpowered.

I’ve never seen magic with this much power, even in my previous life.

With ordinary magic, the best you can do is have your strength increased by a couple of notches. And yet, currently, nii-sama’s strength and instantaneous power are probably many times greater than before.

…It’s terrifying. So this is the power of ‘Ancient Magic’.

“Xellos. So this is the result of what you have learned, huh?”

“Yes. With ‘Ancient Magic’, I can fight Father on equal footing!”

“This truly is quite a feat!”

Father grits his teeth and pushes back Xellos nii-sama’s sword.

For a moment, nii-sama stepped back then jumped back in just as father was regaining his posture. 

Again, Xellos nii-sama closed the gap and swung his wooden sword.

In terms of speed and strength, Xellos nii-sama is the superior one. But, Father was able to fight back, probably due to his years of combat experience.

Now I understand why ‘Lindbel Magic Guild’ is managing ‘Ancient Magic’.

It’s too powerful and scary to spread to the public.

The spell nii-sama chanted was peculiarly pronounced, with systematic breathing in between each word. It’s probably a language that is exclusive to ‘Ancient Magic’.

Unless you could decipher that, ‘Ancient Magic’ cannot be used.

There’s no way such a strange spell can be chanted without being taught. Even I can’t do it.

So that’s why the ‘Magic Guild’ can control who gets to pass it on.

“How was it, Yuuki! This is what I can do! Do you realize it even just a little bit!?” 

Xellos-nii sama shouted.

“It’s a power you can’t even understand. I’ll use this power to become a high-ranking mage in the magic guild. And then I will raise the Grossalia family to the same status as high-ranking nobles!!”

“This is the power of ‘Ancient Magic’. It’s a power beyond your imagination!”

Next thing I knew, the tutor, Kachel, was looking at me.

“The power to fight on equal footing with a veteran such as Baron-sama. With this in hand, Xellos-sama will rise to the top of nobility! Sooner or later, you won’t even be able to speak to me or Xellos-sama! You can see the differences in our status, can’t you!?”

“Yeah”

I paid no attention to his words.

…This is the first time I’ve seen ‘Ancient Magic’ up close…and I must say, it’s terrifying.

I don’t understand the theory behind the magic at all, to begin with. Just a moment ago, I did my best to memorize the movements of nii-sama’s finger.

Nii-sama used his finger to draw such a crest.

Like this and that…then with the chanting, too….

*BA-DUMP*

My heart pounded.

My limbs became hot. It felt like strength was starting to well up from deep within my body.

── What’s this?

It is as if I had returned to be the ‘Immortal Mage, Lord of Nosferatu’, Dean Nosferatu…from my previous life.

Power and energy seem to be overflowing in my body ──?

What is this? What is this power!?

“I’m sorry, Father, Xellos-nii sama! I’m not feeling well, so I’m going to have to excuse myself now!!”

“…Eh?”   “Are you okay? Yuuki!?”

Both Xellos nii-sama and Father called out.

But I don’t have time to answer them.

I started to move my legs with all my might to get away from the three of them. To somewhere out of people’s sight.

“Wait a second, Yuuki! You have to see my abilities!!”

“Why are you coming after me…Xellos nii-sama”

Moreover, he was still in the state of the ‘Body Strengthening, Boosted’ magic.

I can’t get caught…not right now ──

I increased my running speed.

“── Eh? I can’t keep up!? Why!?”

Nii-sama’s voice faded away.

I turned at the corner of the mansion and entered the backyard.

I then kicked the ground with all my might.

“Hey!? Yuuki!?”

Xellos chased after his younger brother around the corner of the building.

Without pause, he entered the backyard of the detached building. But ──

“…He’s not here”

His younger brother, Yuuki was nowhere to be seen.

“This must be a lie. Why can’t I catch up to him even with my ‘Body Strengthening, Boosted’. I can’t believe Yuuki is that much stronger than me…”

“What’s the matter, Xellos-sama?”

As Xellos turned around, he saw his private tutor, Kachel.

“Yuuki is not here. I couldn’t catch up to him…. Could it be that Yuuki was using ‘Ancient Magic’ as well?”

“That’s impossible”

The tutor, Kachel, shook his head.

“To use ‘Ancient Magic’, it requires a specific set of steps as well as the use of internal magic power. It cannot be used by those who have not been taught of it”

“But!!”

“Xellos-sama has only just been able to use the ‘Body Strengthening, Boosted’, and was probably not able to control it well. Under normal circumstances, you would have overwhelmed Baron-sama in a bout”

“…Sensei”

“Come on, let’s go back to Baron-sama. The goal of showing off your abilities to Yuuki-dono has been achieved. This is enough for today”

“Yes”

Xellos walked off towards the front yard of the mansion.

“But…sometimes…I feel like I’m no match for Yuuki…I just do”

“Let’s have a chat later. That illegitimate child and other matters won’t be a problem. Like I’ve always said, you have the ability”

With that, Xellos left the backyard with Kachel.

“…That was a close call”

I was looking over the backyard from a room.

After running to the backyard, I flew straight up to the second floor, opened the window, and hid inside the room.

My ‘Flight’ skill is still incomplete. Normally, I shouldn’t be able to fly up to the second floor.

The reason I was able to fly that high up to the second floor is because of the ‘Body Strengthening, Boosted’ magic.

Power surged from deep within my body, and it was as if I had returned to the heyday of my previous life.

Thinking that it’s bad, I decided to run away.

“I never thought that ‘Ancient Magic’ could be activated by simply drawing a crest with blood…”

I looked at the palm of my hand.

There was the crest I had drawn with my ‘Magical Blood, Mistel Blood’.

I subconsciously drew it when I saw the mock battle between Father and Xellos nii-sama earlier.

It was a habit I had when I was the ‘Lone Demon King’ in my previous life. Back then, whenever I had something that I wanted to write down right away, I’d cut my fingertips and write it in blood on the palm of my hand or on parchment.

Lyle once said, ‘That’s why they call you a vampire’, while laughing.

“I need to do some more research on ‘Ancient Magic’”

After saying that, I looked at the occupant in the room.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I must have scared you, Martha”

“You jumped in while I was changing and that’s all you have to say?”

Inside the room, the maid was staring at me.

In her underwear. She hugged her halfway undressed maid uniform.

Perhaps it was because she was changing, her usually tied up chestnut-color hair was fluttering and swaying.

“Do you know how surprised I was when the window suddenly opened?”

“…I’m really sorry”

“But I was relieved when I found out that it was Yuuki-sama”

“Wait what? Why do you feel relieved that it was me?”

She puffed out her cheeks after I said that.

Her name is Martha. She’s 15 years old and is 2 years older than me. She’s my personal maid

Her mother had worked for the Baron household, so Martha used to always tag along with her mother to the mansion. To me and Lumia, she is our childhood friend. Martha’s mother is now unwell and works at home doing handicrafts. So to replace her, Martha now works for the Baron household as a maid in training.

“I feel relieved. After all, I, Martha, have pledged her allegiance to Yuuki-sama”

Martha stared at me as she covered her body with the maid uniform which she held in her hands.

“Yuuki-sama told Baron-sama to employ me in the place of my mother when she had to resign from household services at the Baron household. If Yuuki-sama hadn’t said that, mother and I might have been wondering on the streets now”

“…Well, that was before Kachel came”

The Baron household was not as strict as it is now.

“The only person who would take care of me was your mother. Besides that, Martha, you had to take care of me in the detached building, so I thought I was the one who was causing trouble to you”

“That’s not true. Yuuki-sama has visited my mother many times”

“That’s because I feel uncomfortable staying in this mansion all the time, and I don’t know anyone else”

“But every time Yuuki-sama does so, my mother’s health has gotten better”

“That’s just a coincidence”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah”

“Even so…my loyalty belongs to Yuuki-sama”

You sure are stubborn, Martha.

Humans are like that, aren’t they?

“For the umpteenth time, I don’t think of you as a servant”

“You always say that, don’t you? That I’m your partner living together in this mansion”

“Yes, that’s what I had said before”

With me being constantly stared at by nii-sama and the private tutor.

And Martha, who lives alone with her sick mother.

It’s not that easy to live in this Baron household.

“Okay…if you say so, Yuuki-sama”

“In the first place, Martha”

“What is it? Yuuki-sama”

“Aren’t you surprised that I came in through the window on the second floor?”

“Martha is well aware of how amazing Yuuki-sama truly is”

“Is that so?”

“I used to be a crybaby but you protected me well. You would use magic to ward off bugs or cool my burnt hands. And every time you would say, ‘Oh no! Please keep this a secret’, so I keep getting more and more secrets. At this point, there’s nothing to be surprised at anymore”

“I’m sorry about that”

“This time it’s going to be the same, ‘Oh no! Please keep this a secret’. Is that correct?”

“Yeah. By all means”

“Noted”

“I’m sorry”

“By the way, Yuuki-sama. It’s a bit late to say this now, but what are your thoughts after seeing me changing clothes?”

“I know very well that Martha is pretty”

“Thank you very much. In return, I will wash your hair as a token of my gratitude”

“I just washed it the other day, so it’s okay”

“No ー it ー is ー not ー okay”

“…All right”

“Good”

“Well then, I’m going back to my room now. Bring me some tea later”

“Yes. I’ll come over after I finish changing my clothes”

With that, Martha bowed.

I decided to head back to my room.

Some time later.

As I was sipping the tea that Martha had brewed for me, Father came into the room.

“Yuuki, you’ll be staying at an inn in town while Her Royal Highness is here. Martha and a few others will accompany you. However, you are not allowed to return to the mansion until Her Royal Highness has left”

said Father, avoiding my gaze.

“The truth is you don’t have to do that. You also don’t need to seclude yourself in your room. But…when it comes to the instructions of the private tutor dispatched from the ‘Magic Guild’…it’s inevitable”

“I don’t mind. Father”

I was the one who said I could leave the mansion. Besides, it’s not bad to relax at an inn once in a while.

I won’t need to look at the tutor, Kachel’s face.

“Martha is coming with me, right? In that case, I don’t mind”

“…I’m sorry. Yuuki”

Without warning.

Father stretched out his arms and hugged me.

“I’m just an upstart after all, and probably not cut out to be a nobleman. I’m useless. I never thought I’d have to put my own son through such a shameful experience…”

“Father. Martha is watching”

“I’m not”

said Martha, as she turned her back to us.

“Please continue. Baron-sama, Yuuki-sama”

“…She got me”

It’s so embarrassing to be hugged by Father in front of Martha.

I originally thought it was my job to comfort children. 

In my previous life, I used to comfort the crybabies Lyle and Alice like this.

But now it doesn’t feel bad to be comforted by someone else either.

In my previous life, I didn’t know who my parents were.

But now I have Father, my little sister, Lumia, Xellos nii-sama, and Martha.

For that reason alone, it was probably a good thing to be a human.

“Thank you very much, Father”

“I will not inconvenience you any further. Martha, please take good care of Yuuki for me”

“Those words alone are enough. Father”

“Please leave Yuuki-sama to me. Baron-sama”

I slipped out of Father’s arms and bowed. Behind me, Martha followed suit and bowed, too.

I stayed that way until Father left the room.

Why? That’s because I didn’t know what kind of face that a human child would make at such a moment like this.