Chapter 1 – Wait for me Oniisama.

The First Year.

Bashin, the folding fan closes with a hard sound.

He was casting his magic with in no particular direction, and it faded away without even forming a single shape.

The boy, who was awoken forcefully from the limits of his nervousness, gaspingly took a deep breath after he had unconsciously stopped breathing.

A woman with neatly arranged, slightly golden brown hair, gazed at the boy with cold eyes. “Gilford, don’t tell me that you can’t even form a fireball.”

I am very s-s-sorry step m-mother.

The woman who deeply disappointed, without finding words to say, sadly put her hands on her head, sighing deeply.

With this, the person whom you could call the boy’s last stronghold, had given up on him. Now she could no longer protect him.

This was the one magic in which the woman was the strongest in, in the entire clan. So, she was the best judge for it and the boy had failed in that test.

This woman did not have any space in her heart to accommodate incompetent people.

Even if this the final result, it pains the heart.

However…

When I watched the good looking boy who was trying to apologize with his shaking shoulders, his trembling breath, his eyes covered with a fresh membrane of tears, my heart began to beat fast, on its own.

The moment when the bishounen with his dull gray hair, green eyes, with tears of frustration, abandoned by the beautiful blonde woman. The moment when he is let to fall to the very depths is the most important part of this story of climbing back up from the depths.

To think that this picturesque scene would come before my eyes is something I never thought of.

To the eyes of outsiders, the step mother may have looked cold hearted, but even if she did not show sympathy, she had the kindness to not give up on him and teach him for many years.

But, for Okaasama, who had a weak body, such worries were not possible.

If she had to guide those who failed the exams, without a doubt, she would collapse.

While calming my heart down, which was throbbing with emotions, I stepped between them to undertake her duty myself.

“Okaasama, can I take the duty to take care of Oniisama?”

After gaining the permission of Okaasama, I waited for her to leave the room.

Now, now, from now on, its my turn.

I turned to the bishounen, and with a villainous, tough expression, I formed a fireball as big as my hand in the air in front of him.

Although this magic, in which the boy was desperately struggling, was not my field of expertise, I produced many of them at once.

One, two, three, …, twenty.

Upon seeing my small body surrounded by fireballs, the boy’s eyes seemed to be dyed with hopelessness.

“I will not forgive talent less people to stay in our Luzil family.”

As I raised my small hands, the fireballs followed it and then they all went towards the boy.

Regardless of the fact that there was a protective shield around him, touching the fireballs would burn him. 

“Oniisama, I’ll make you understand the difference between us.”

Age, or position doesn’t matter. Those who are stronger, hold an advantage over those who are weak.

It does not matter if you are the oldest brother, older sister, the father, the daughter, a master or the youngest brother.

The absolutely meritocratic Luzil family is extremely muscle-headed. The one who shows his merit is regarded more highly, regardless of his experience, sex or age.

Just like what we see in a lot of fictional stories, [I] have been reincarnated.

There used to be a book which underwent a silent boom, becoming more and more popular and right when people started to think that the anime adaptation is right around the corner, with such exceptional timing, the publishers went bankrupt and the series was postponed.

The series was called ‘The Magician and the Country of the Night’.

At that time, I was totally crazy about it.

A book was released every year. At worst, a book was released every 3 years. This book, which was published at such a slow pace, for me, who spent my days in boredom, was the only thing on my mind that I used to look forward to.

There were many characters I liked, but among all of them, I liked the main character the most.

He was the (strongest character), which is often the characteristic of the protagonist, but the main reason he looked extremely cool was because, in this book, his mental growth is not something which takes place only when he is forced to act.

His early life, an unfortunate childhood, an open world which he had never seen before, a journey with friends, a scheme which stood in his way, the blessings of the spirit of protection, lamentations on the battlefield and growth.

It was the spice which made him shine during every turn in his life. Regrettably when he was about to defeat the last villain, the publishers collapsed.

Well, the world I was reincarnated into was no doubt, that of ‘The Magician and the Country of the Night’.

When I was younger, my memory used to be hazy, so I was not sure. But, as I grew older I matured, I could finally recognize the situation I was in.

I realized that in my near future, the protagonist, my older brother, was going to become the Grand Aquamancer.

Honestly, when I realized it, I got so excited that I couldn’t get to sleep for days.

After all, I was reborn as a character of my favourite novel of my previous life.

I used to spend everyday excited. In this excitement and enthusiasm, I studied my magical studies hard.

I used to show my parents my prowess which was well beyond that expected of my age. I even mastered some of the magics.

But, little by little, I started to calm down and when I did so and traced my memories, one by one, I remembered that, the path that the person who was to be older brother would take, was filled with hardships.

Of course, difficulties are a part of growth, so I don’t intend to negate that.

Also, the fact that there will always be conflicts be it friends or foes, lamentations are unavoidable and are an essential part of one’s growth. So that isn’t a big problem.

Although, although, …

The problem is that, my Oniisama, the one who was going to be the greatest future magician of our country, who is certainly the protagonist, was a late bloomer.

The Luzil family where Gilsama and I were being raised was a fire magicians clan.

The family is the direct descendant of a great magician, who in the Sokuni period, reduced enemy troops to ashes and established clear borders.

Currently, the clan is the key for our country to defeat any neighbouring countries  who are vigilantly waiting for an opportunity to attack our country.

Would there be any nobles who wouldn’t take pride to be part of such an important position? No, there aren’t.

As a result, strength is the most important thing in our family which is completely meritocratic.

That is why, a late bloomer such as Oniisama was treated as a being lesser than a worm in this house.

One day, suddenly, Otousama brought a boy to our house saying “He is my son”, which, inevitably, caused a huge uproar.

In the novel, there weren’t any such parts but probably after seeing the talent of his daughter, he got carried away and he might have thought that the seed he had previously sown might be strong as well.

Gilsama, was a boy older than me, he was a child created during Otousama’s political engagement to Okaasama.

From a long time ago, the couple of this political marriage just played their parts as husband and wife, so it was only a matter of time before their relationship crashed to the worst possible conditions.

As this relationship was formed only of trust, it couldn’t be helped that this happened.

Even so, because she belonged to the Luzil family, the main defence of the country, Okaasama had her resolve.

It’s good to have even one more magician serving the country. That’s why she spared no effort to teach Gilsama the magics of the Luzil house.

The result was that Oniisama did not have any talent when it came to pyromancy.

With that, the symbol of the unfaithful husband was an untalented, good for nothing boy. The existence of the was imposed onto Okaasama and her pride as the princess of the Royal Family had long been torn apart.

If Gilsama had even a shred of talent in pyromancy, when he grew up, he’d word as logistical support, which, his father would be able to bear as he would somehow be connected to the field of supporting the country.

However, even after relentless attempts at teaching, the boy did not show any power.

As a result, those who sympathised with Okaasama, watching her being driven into a corner and those who were envious of his position, verbally abused Gilsama. He would spend 10 pitiful years like this.

That was what was written in detail in the novel. As this is a meritocratic house, these things cannot be helped. However, calling these trials necessary for growth, is far too much.

“The only one who is at wrong here is Otousama and his loose lower body. Gilsama and Okaasama are too pitiful.” I used to think so, angrily.

Thankfully, [I] am Origa Emelda Luzil.

I am the one who was called the strongest villain in the novel, the lady of the inferno, Origa.

In the novel, Origa, who was said to be a pyromancer sent from heaven, had a fiery personality and used her strength to mow down anyone and everyone in her path, and by the age of 16, she would take the position of clan head from Otousama for herself.

And then, because of her severe meritocracy, many incidents – No, this is not something relevant to our story right now.

Even if I tell the story beforehand, there shouldn’t be any problems as the future is already written.

This is a story about the magician, Gilford’s growth and it leads to the end where he rescues their country.

Apart from the matters of his sudden blooming of talent and his reign as the best magician in the country, I think it is possible for me to interfere.

So, that is how it is.

I want to hurry up and polish his abilities so that no one can say anything about him anymore and thus, release Gilsama and Okaasama from their unfortunate fate.

So, each and everyday, I do nothing but devote myself to play the villain.

I am sorry Oniisama.

Just endure this a little longer.