The Youngest Son of the Count
The Youngest Son of the Count
There is a genre called Rofan.
Literally Romance Fantasy.
Simply put, a story set in a fantasy world with love taking center stage.
I liked romance.
And since I also liked fantasy, I tended to enjoy the Rofan genre.
Honestly, even if it wasn't strictly Rofan, male-oriented or female-oriented didn't really matter—as long as it was entertaining, I was basically a stray dog devouring almost whatever was put in front of me.
However, right around the time my interest in web novels was gradually waning...
"Eung-ae."
I was born into another world.
***
Isekai reincarnation.
Experiencing firsthand what I had only ever encountered through text in novels could be described as complex and nuanced.
"So it turns out like this."
My cause of death in my previous life was overwork.
It wasn't that my workplace was a black company.
'Work was just genuinely fun.'
People looked at me and called me a crazy bastard.
Saying I was the only crazy bastard who sincerely enjoyed work because it was fun.
I also sympathized with that to some degree, but...
'Hmm. But it is fun.'
Even with ordinary work, should I say there was fun in the process itself?
Because the sense of accomplishment after finishing the process was so immense, I worked without taking a break.
Since I had no one to meet anyway, I voluntarily worked overtime as well.
When taking a break, I'd just read web novels in my spare time.
Since my cause of death came about like that, once I could speak or move somewhat freely after reincarnating, I started doing things I could do or found interesting.
If you were to ask what interested me the most among them, it was magic.
For reference, the place where I was born was a rather prestigious Count's family even in the Empire, and being the youngest, I could freely do whatever I wanted.
Perhaps that's why, when it came to magic books or anything else...
I had parents who let me do whatever I wanted to do, and bought me any magic book I desired.
That was around the age of 5.
From then on, I spent the entire day reading magic books piled up like a mountain.
Mastering magic theory.
Trying it out myself.
If I felt something was lacking, I'd ponder over it alone and solve it.
That was how I lived my life.
If there was an anomaly—or rather, a non-abnormality—along the way, it was probably the fact that a mysterious system window suddenly popped up to inform me that this place was inside a Rofan.
Nothing particularly changed after that.
Since my sole interest was magic, I didn't have the time to care whether it was a Rofan or whatever.
Thus, 15 years flowed smoothly like a quietly flowing river without any anomalies.
Becoming an adult at 20, I became a mage.
And quite a strong mage at that.
'8th Tier.'
Mage tiers exist only up to the 9th Tier.
I heard that a 10th Tier exists, but that only exists as a rumor.
While the 9th Tier is the maximum among known tiers...
Even so, the number of mages who achieved the 9th Tier did not exceed three throughout history.
Therefore, the standard for an archmage is set at the 8th Tier.
And becoming an 8th Tier effectively means possessing military strength equal to a nation.
Normally, if news of such power spread, people would go crazy trying to recruit me.
From when I was young until now.
Because I never stepped foot outside even once, spending the entire day cooped up in the corner of my room researching only magic, my existence remained unknown.
Thanks to that, I was able to spend peaceful days.
It was while I was enjoying a tranquil life as the youngest son of the Count's family.
Someone approached me while I was reading a book in the garden.
I could clearly sense the presence, but I didn't bother turning around.
Because it was as clear as day who it was.
"Has our youngest been doing well!"
Something heavy yet soft pressed against my head, and my sight was obstructed by my hair cascading down.
I closed the book I was reading.
"Noona. Aren't you 28 years old now?"
"Eo-heo, it's rude to ask a lady her age."
"First off, let's talk after you step back a bit."
Only then did Noona step back.
She naturally sat down across from me.
"So, did your expedition go well this time?"
"Look at you, little brat. Just because it's been a while, you've got no filter with your Noona."
"What did I..."
"That tone!"
Noona glared at me.
"That stiff tone of speech, like a sage who has mastered all the truths of the world! I cannot forgive it."
"Ah, yes."
"Again!"
Under her intensely piercing gaze, I let out a deep sigh.
"...Got it."
Only then did Noona nod as if satisfied.
She was a bothersome Noona in many ways.
"What about Hyungnim?"
"Lowell is obvious as usual. He's totally infatuated with some woman recently."
Noona's face became one of utter fed-up disgust.
Hearing this for the first time, I put on a puzzled expression.
"That's news to me."
"She's supposedly the daughter of some Count's family. He's chasing after her tail, saying he'll win that woman's heart no matter what. Pathetic, so pathetic. Is it right for a guy calling himself a man to act so servile toward a single woman?"
"Aren't you a woman yourself, Noona?"
"That's why I hate guys who are servile, foolish, and weak. By rule, if you were born a man, you should be strong and possess fitting dignity and masculinity."
Noona had a look of genuine disgust on her face.
"When I meet him later, I'm going to kick that bastard's ass first. I really don't get what that bastard calling himself a man is doing out there."
"The way I see it, Noona, instead of scolding Hyungnim, you should be worrying about yourself first."
First off, contrary to her speech, our Noona's appearance—strictly speaking—was the face of a young lady who would fit right in enjoying tea time in high society.
Her beauty was that outstanding, without calluses anywhere, and she looked remarkable externally...
...yet despite her outward appearance, she was quite a formidable powerhouse in the Empire.
First of all, as can be seen from the fact that I am an archmage...
Our family's bloodline was quite impressive.
We weren't a prestigious magic family, but since we had long been famous as a prestigious family of swordsmen, Appa, Noona, and Hyungnim were all among the strong.
'Well, I'm an irregular, so I should be set aside.'
For that reason, Noona's ideal type was a man stronger than herself...
'Which didn't exist.'
As could be seen from how she had no partner she was seeing—let alone marriage—despite being 28 years old.
Most of the men who proposed to Noona ended up getting dumped, and on top of that...
...the noblemen who gallantly rushed in at her claim that she'd accept the proposal of anyone who beat her were all beaten to a pulp and dropped, so not a single human ever succeeded in proposing to Noona.
Thus, as time passed, despite her age of 28, Noona's male experience was zero.
Naturally, Omma and Appa didn't view Noona's current situation very favorably.
"Noona. By now, it's time you change your taste. You got chewed out big time by Omma over that last time."
It wasn't that Omma and Appa had the personality to force marriage...
In fact, their stance was that she should marry someone she loved...
...but given Noona's personality, it was true there was a problem, as she might end up never holding a man's hand until she died of old age.
As proof, Noona also had a very guilty expression on her face.
"But there's no guy I like. If they were around our youngest's level, it would be beyond decent—it'd be downright satisfying. But every single guy calling himself a man is feeble and weak to the bone."
"Noona. I'm on the extremely feeble side."
"Well, you're a mage, so that's understandable. Besides, our youngest is strong and cute, so it's fine."
No matter how I thought about it, the rose-colored glasses Noona wore didn't seem to have any intention of coming off.
Cute? What cute, I'm a 20-year-old adult.
"More importantly, little one, don't you have anything like that?"
"Like what."
"What do you mean, 'what'? Like having someone you like?"
At Noona's words, I knitted my brows.
"As if."
My daily routine begins and ends with reading magic books all day long, so someone I like, my foot.
In the first place, I didn't even know a single woman.
Letting out a chuckle at my reaction, Noona asked.
"You know the capital has been in a huge uproar lately, right?"
"Why?"
"Don't tell me you don't know?"
"We've lived together for so long, and Noona, you still don't know me?"
"It's made such a huge fuss. It's front-page news in the papers, and even farmers tilling the fields know about it. Mmm, as expected of our youngest, I suppose."
Noona nodded as if she understood.
"It's nothing much, but there's a woman possessing beauty while excelling in every field. Supposedly, the Crown Prince, the other princes, and the children of the Archduke's house fell for her. Even the pupil of that secretive Magic Tower Master fell for her."
Listening to Noona's words, I thought for a moment.
'...Isn't that a Rofan protagonist?'
I already knew the fact that this world was a Rofan from the system window that popped up in the past.
In practice, I had lived while completely ignoring it.
Whether this place was a Rofan or an ordinary fantasy...
...it didn't really affect my life.
To think news would reach me like this, though.
"Hmm? Are you interested, little one?"
"Not really."
I did have interest, but it wasn't that kind of interest.
Just mild curiosity.
However, listening to the stories, she seemed to possess quite versatile talents.
As expected of a protagonist, one might say.
'Is she good at using magic too?'
That thought suddenly crossed my mind.
Would the female protagonist in a Rofan be good at magic as well?
If she excelled in every field, she'd probably be good at magic too, so I grew curious about what realm she might be in.
'It'd be nice to check later, though.'
Since it was a distant matter, I decided not to care too much.
It wasn't as if we'd be deeply involved anyway.
***
A Baron's house located as you go all the way down through the southern region of the Empire.
Born in a place with a small countryside as its territory, the woman received all the attention and praise of the world.
Talents that would be hard to possess even one of.
A woman who excelled in various fields to the extent that it could be called versatility, causing a stir beyond social gatherings and across the entire Empire.
The Crown Prince, and the prince competing with the Crown Prince.
The eldest son and second son of the Grand Duke's house.
The successor of a massive merchant guild.
The Saint of the Church.
The successor of the hero, and so on.
A woman who received interest from all of them without exception and was loved so thoroughly that she could be called the master of this world, yet...
...if there was one secret to such a woman...
...it was that she had zero interest in them...
...and the only person she cared about was a single individual.
As she gazed out the window, longing filled the woman's face.
"Leon Arvis."
The sole archmage born into a prestigious family of swordsmen.
Recalling that name.
She whispered softly.
"In this life, surely..."
...may it be for you.
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