‘’Sigh…’’
Really, being born a woman is just so frustrating.
As a sorceress, if I were a man, I would have been valued much more.
Despite being a sorceress, I, a female mage, often seem to draw the short straw.
Well, even though I belong to the prestigious Gardener family of mages, it’s probably my fault for being the second daughter who surpassed her three older brothers and one older sister to be the first to master the secret techniques.
“Margaret is our pride!” my father would say, but that was just lip service.
In the end, it’s all about “a woman’s place…”
My first job after graduating from the academy is as a tutor for a country knight’s child; they’re completely underestimating me…
Sigh, it can’t be helped.
I suppose it’s not bad if I think of it as part of paying my dues.
I’m not despised enough to be sent to certain death, and if I think of it as harassment because I’m a woman, well…
But still, the Ravant House of Knights?
Never heard of them…
Sigh…
What I arrived at was the countryside of the countryside.
Another sigh.
I certainly didn’t expect it to be a dazzling and advanced city like the capital.
But this is… just too much.
A knight’s domain? More like a mistake for a cold village. It’s not big enough to be called a domain.
Passing by the dirty, emaciated villagers, I headed to the lord’s mansion, which was also quite small.
After all, it’s just a backwater, dead-end country knight.
Meeting him confirmed it, a boorish knight without a hint of intelligence.
Can’t he use a single honorific when speaking to me, his patron’s retainer?
His character must be quite good, but without manners, any personality is scorned.
And then I was introduced to…
Heh…
This time, I sighed for a different reason.
Because it’s the countryside, he’s dressed simply and dirtily, but he’s not an unattractive child!
Compared to the villagers, he’s bigger and more solidly built…
Above all, his glossy long black hair is so beautiful that it makes me, a woman, jealous.
His facial features are so beautiful that I can’t help but sigh.
When he grows up, he’ll surely be a very handsome young man.
I wonder if he could make a living just with his good looks?
In the capital, he’d be very popular as a male prostitute, I bet.
So, what was it again?
Oh, right, a magic tutor.
Hmm, it’s also a ridiculous story…
They say he drove away a band of thirty thieves with magic, but isn’t he the son of that boorish knight?
It seems to be a common story. Foolish nobles overly praise their children who can use a bit of intimidating magic as geniuses.
These people must be the same.
A child of a non-mage and a mage rarely becomes a sorcerer because the blood is too thin.
Even in my family, my brother couldn’t become a sorcerer because his blood was too thin, despite both parents being sorcerers.
…But still, for the son of that boorish knight, he’s quite a smart child.
His speech is polite, and his demeanor is proper.
He’s not a foolish son of a foolish parent, and it would be good to teach him a thing or two.
But still, I don’t intend to look after him that closely.
Let me make it clear so there’s no misunderstanding.
“You might be amazing in the countryside, but in the city, there are plenty of people like you,” I’ll say.
When I told him that, the boy replied,
“Heh… I understand! Then first, I’d like you to see my magic, so let’s go to the forest!”
So, I followed him as he said.
And then…
“Please watch! This is my magic! ‘Tiltwait Run’”
With just those two words of incantation, the earth in front of me was deeply gouged out.
Impossible.
This can’t be happening!
Is it the “Shortened Incantation,” a secret technique only used by the higher echelons of sorcerers?!
No, even for a shortened incantation, two measures are too fast!
Besides, the incantation for large-scale magic should be slow by nature!
And what is this magic?!
It seems to be wind attribute since it’s invisible, but wind doesn’t have the power to annihilate the earth!
And this scale!
The forest as far as the eye can see has disappeared as if it never existed!
Even with fire attribute magic, there would be remnants left, but this is as if it’s denying the very fact that ‘it was there’…!
Scary…! Scary, scary, scary!
This isn’t right!
Because this child…
He doesn’t have a trace of magical power?!
…Not a trace?
The magical power that should dwell in all things is absent?
…Has he mastered the secret technique “Magic Seal,” which hides magical power!!!
What, what is that?!
Magic Seal is a half-legendary technique that high-class sorcerers can only achieve after years of training and maybe in their later years?!
What…?
What is this child…?!
A monster…?!
I was so terrified that I immediately begged for my life.
I can’t win… absolutely not.
This is ‘Hollow Blue,’ the secret technique of my Gardner family. It’s faster to activate, larger in scale, longer in range, and more powerful than any other magic!
“Hey, hey, lift your head up, teach. I wasn’t planning on killing you right away.”
The child… no, Lord Exas, who had a beautiful smile that made people like him, now had a devilish grin.
“Yes…”
I cried and wet myself.
That’s all I could do.
“Just, you know, I’m pissed off being underestimated. If you behave properly, I won’t get angry, okay?”
“Thank you…”
“Well, teach, as long as you spill all the knowledge you have, that’s fine. But if you do anything unnecessary… you understand, right?”
“Eek! I understand! I won’t do anything!”
Here, I’ll be killed!
If I do anything unnecessary, I’ll be killed!
What a safe rear assignment! I’d rather fight the enemy country on the front lines than deal with something like this!!!
