Magic Is Omnipotent
The power that turns desperate wishes into reality. In the past, it was called the power of the gods. Even now, after it has been studied and reduced to something humans can wield, it remains the exclusive domain of those with noble blood.
Avon Franz let out a small chuckle at the random thought that crossed his mind, his gaze fixed on the distant castle. It would soon belong to his… no, to that pathetic son of his.
He had passed by the small villages along the way without bothering to touch them. Suddenly, thoughts of that son surfaced again.
“He was certainly born with an unusual fate…”
From a young age, he had begun controlling his magic power. Now, he refused to reveal his full strength to anyone. To grow one’s magic and become stronger, one had to age, train with magic, or earn the awe and reverence of those around them. That was the conclusion of all research so far.
Could a child born with overwhelming power live a normal life when that power lashed out unconsciously? No, it was impossible. That was why the child’s birth mother or an equally powerful blood relative had to stay close and manage it. Aidan had been raised that way.
But in Leoric’s case…
“It really was strange.”
“…Hm.”
Someone descended from the sky. A pale blue light reminiscent of the heavens wrapped around him. The once-still atmosphere began to churn, whipping up a fierce wind.
It was the Sky of Boran. William Boran, the Count known as the Wind of Boran, had arrived.
“You really came all this way?”
“That’s right. Took about an hour, I’d say. Getting old really does wear you out.”
“Always with the dramatics.”
The middle-aged man with wildly tousled blue hair laughed as he approached Avon Franz. He had flown all the way from Boran territory in just one hour—a feat that demonstrated his extraordinary ability.
William Boran, too, was thinking of the Franz family’s second son.
“I’ve thought it since he was little—he really was no ordinary brat.”
“Was he?”
“Mm. Pretty sharp for his age, too.”
“…Heh.”
At his close friend’s words, Avon Franz smiled as well.
“The last time I saw him, I couldn’t even sense his magic.”
“His control has already surpassed mine.”
His second son, Leoric Franz. Considering the magic he had wielded when he was still immature, the power Leoric possessed now had to be on the same level as Aidan’s. That was only an assumption, though—because even Avon couldn’t grasp the full extent of his son’s strength.
“To hide one’s magic so perfectly… We didn’t manage that until we were thirty.”
“…Have you seen the Artificial Sun?”
“Yes. I have.”
The Artificial Sun created using Magic Stones. The technique his son had invented was peculiar in its own right.
“It’s not that no one has ever used magic stones for technology before, but his is different. The magic used in the technique doesn’t dissipate. In fact, it seems to increase over time?”
“Leoric didn’t explain the details, but it seems related to the sun.”
“From the Golden Franz to the Sun Franz, huh.”
He had overheard something about solar heat in passing, but the words his second son occasionally let slip were unfamiliar even to him.
“He’s strange. Really strange. Well… if my future son-in-law is that impressive, I suppose it doesn’t matter?”
“Future son-in-law.”
At those words, Avon thought of Irina Boran. The girl from the Boran bloodline had been clever and sharp-eyed even as a child. She was more than qualified to become his daughter-in-law, but…
“No way. That can’t be it, right?”
Seeing Avon lost in serious thought, William looked at him with an expression of pure disbelief.
“As a father, wouldn’t you worry if a good match appeared for your daughter?”
“Wow, you… That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”
William’s youthful tone slipped out in response to Avon’s words. Avon turned his head to avoid his friend’s incredulous stare.
“Good grief. The Bachnia clan all of a sudden? It’s ridiculous.”
“He’s my son, but he has a strange way of getting tangled up with women.”
“A man with Franz blood, no less?”
The Franz family had suffered from a lack of heirs for generations. Even Avon had never expected to have a second son. Their bloodline was thin, and their sexual drive—strictly speaking—was nearly nonexistent. The mandatory “defensive battles” that occurred every time he met with his wife were a headache even for him. He loved her, but that kind of love was a little different.
Without noticing how pale Avon’s face had become, William let out a sigh.
“He’s overflowing with lust, messing around with this woman and that, yet his skill at handling magic is superb. And he doesn’t even use the Franz family’s golden magic or the Golden Lion. He created his own technique called the Sun.”
The immense magic contained in one’s bloodline also influenced the user’s mind. The symbols of the Franz clan were gold and the Golden Lion. The fact that Aidan used the same Golden Lion techniques as his father wasn’t because he had learned them from Avon. It had simply come to him naturally.
But when he looked at Leoric—who remained completely unaffected by the clan’s traits and instead forged his own path—
“He’s not planning to found a new kingdom, is he?”
“I can guarantee he has no such intention.”
“Really?”
William was only worrying because he hadn’t seen how much the boy hated being bothered. Avon, who had witnessed it firsthand, was certain it would never happen.
“He has no great desire for power. He only accepted the Muller lands because he was practically forced into it.”
“That guy…”
He really was an odd one. William muttered to himself as he gazed at the distant Muller castle.
“It certainly is… close to Bachn.”
“There are other territories in between. There’s also the River of Steel and the distance to consider. The conditions aren’t exactly ideal.”
“True, but… that’s only if we leave those territories alone, isn’t it?”
With a fierce smile, William Boran looked at Avon Franz.
“Have you noticed how suspicious the current political climate has become lately?”
“I have.”
Generational change was inevitable. Even Avon, who had been relatively young during the last great war, was now old. How many people still remembered that era?
“The insolent ones have started making their move.”
“…This is the perfect opportunity.”
If they had forgotten the past and were baring their teeth, all they had to do was bite back. The generational shift wasn’t limited to them alone. Avon Franz thought of his children and their subordinates. If successfully carrying out a generational transition was the duty of a family head, then Avon had fulfilled that duty admirably.
“If we gain just cause, all we need to do is start a war.”
“Kuh. Looks like I’ll be returning to the battlefield after all.”
“Nothing’s been decided yet.”
“True enough.”
From somewhere, William Boran produced a bottle of liquor. He poured some into a cup and handed it to Avon, who accepted it slowly and began to drink.
“Ah, now that I think about it, I heard he’s holding a coming-of-age ceremony.”
“That damn eavesdropping of yours never fails to ruin my mood, no matter how many times I experience it.”
“Hahahaha. No, this time it really was a coincidence. I just happened to fly over Franz territory and caught the sound.”
Eavesdropping—William Boran’s signature technique. It allowed him to gather vast amounts of information even from incredible distances. He had been using it habitually when he happened to pass over Franz and overheard the news. Recalling that moment, William laughed.
“Maybe because he’s so sensitive to magic, I couldn’t eavesdrop anywhere near Leoric. I only figured it out from the servants preparing for the event.”
“I see… A coming-of-age ceremony. He came up with a good excuse.”
“It seems Leoric has taken a liking to that princess. Is she beautiful?”
“I heard she’s still quite young.”
The reason Leoric had given for the ceremony was the honor of Bachn—more precisely, the honor of that princess. Both family heads immediately understood the situation and nodded.
“He really is your son. Bold. Even as a proxy head, to make such an important decision for the Franz family so quickly.”
“Mm.”
Avon had known from the few times he had assigned him tasks that his son had a talent for work. Of course, the saying that position makes the man was true—anyone could produce results with enough time and effort. But his son handled matters as if he were already familiar with them. It was as though he had worked in such organizations before.
“If that princess becomes queen… Well, even if she fails in the succession dispute, it doesn’t matter. The Bachnia clan and the Bachn Kingdom now owe Leoric a debt.”
That debt would prove useful one day. Avon didn’t know how far ahead Leoric had calculated, but…
“…It would be good for me if she became queen. Our Irina was so excited about seeing Leoric this time. She’ll probably burn with jealousy if she sees that princess by his side.”
William spoke as if worried for his daughter, but the mischievous smile on his face betrayed him. He turned his body.
“Well, someone like Leoric should be able to handle three wives and four concubines.”
“What a horrifying thing to say.”
“Come on, other families do that much. You Franz are the weird ones.”
Seeing Avon genuinely disgusted, William recalled his own youthful struggles with women and chuckled. His body slowly began to rise into the air.
Amid the swirling winds, he looked down at Avon one last time.
“I suppose I should send Irina to this coming-of-age ceremony.”
“And you?”
“I’d love to attend the Franz family’s coming-of-age ceremony, but I’m busy dealing with those capital bastards.”
The capital. His own wife was probably still engaged in political battles against the capital’s nobles and royals. If she was the kind of iron-willed woman who was more Franz than the Franz themselves, she was likely crushing them with a smile.
“Send my son if you have time.”
“Didn’t you say she was pregnant? Be careful.”
Red Blood. At those words, William gave a wry smile.
“Those bastards really are persistent. Take care.”
“Mm.”
Watching William disappear into the sky as a streak of blue light, Avon once again fell into thought as he gazed at the Muller castle. He hadn’t been unconcerned about the territory, but seeing what had been accomplished so far, it was clear his son was doing well. All that remained was war.
“A territory as a coming-of-age gift.”
It was the perfect present for his second son. With that thought, Avon erased the liquor in his hand using magic power and turned around.
Now, war was approaching.