I wanted nothing more than to spend my days reading books.
From a young age, I loved reading.
As the only son of the Valencia Count, a provincial noble, I had an ideal environment.
The territory was governed peacefully, and the mansion was so calm it felt almost peaceful.
It was the perfect setting to immerse myself in books without a single worry.
My parents were proud that I began reading on my own as soon as I learned the alphabet, and they happily bought me any book I wanted.
Unlike other nobles, I never needed a tutor—I absorbed all the knowledge I needed through books.
However, as I passed the age of ten without making a single friend, spending all my time locked in my room reading, my parents began to worry.
“Eriol, don’t you think it’s time you started attending school?”
“I don’t think it’s necessary. I can learn everything I need from books at home.”
“Ahem, but school is where you make friends. Those friendships become your connections later in life.”
“Father, do you still maintain friendships with the people you met at my age? Do you rely on them to govern our territory?”
“…….”
“If the time comes when I need connections, I’ll make them myself. For now, I want to focus on expanding my knowledge through reading.”
“B-But staying inside all the time isn’t good for your health! Kids need to run around outside with friends to stay strong!”
“Then I will exercise.”
“Exercise?”
“I will take an hour-long walk outside every day. And I’ll do strength training every other day.”
“…….”
“According to what I’ve read, that should be sufficient.”
My parents tried their best to convince me, but they always failed.
They could have forced me, but they loved me too much to take drastic measures against their only son.
I was grateful for their kindness and enjoyed my leisurely life of reading.
Of course, I knew that this life was only possible because of my parents’ generosity, so I made sure to be a model son.
I woke up and went to bed at the same time every day, never pulling all-nighters.
I exercised as promised and followed a healthy diet based on what I had read.
Although I spent a lot of money on books, I stayed within my allowance. Compared to other noble children my age, I probably spent even less.
I thought this peaceful life would last forever.
When my father retired, I would inherit the title and have more responsibilities, but with my knowledge, I could govern efficiently and still have plenty of time to read.
By then, I’d have access to more funds and be able to afford the rare books that were currently beyond my reach.
I planned to live a quiet life, reading until the day I died.
That was my dream.
But on my eighteenth birthday, my entire life plan was shattered.
What happened, you ask?
My family went bankrupt.
“Oh no… oh no…!”
My mother’s cries filled the mansion.
The grand home she had painstakingly decorated was now in shambles.
Laborers had stormed in and were talking away anything of value.
“Dear! I told you not to invest in stocks!”
“It wasn’t stocks—it was futures trading! How many times do I have to tell you?!”
“Whatever it was, you lost everything! How are we supposed to recover from this?!”
“Damn it, I don’t know!”
As my parents argued, I felt a sinking despair.
Even my beloved books—eighteen years’ worth of collected treasures—were being taken away by debt collectors.
My books… My books…!
In my study, workers were tying up stacks of books with rope, preparing to cart them away.
Soon, they would all be sold off for next to nothing.
That alone was unbearable.
But it wasn’t just my books.
“Dear! What’s going to happen to us now?”
“We’re losing our land, so… we’ll be out on the streets.”
“Oh no…!”
With my family ruined, my future was in ruins too.
My dream of inheriting my father’s title and ruling the territory while enjoying my quiet reading life… was gone.
Now, I was nothing more than the son of a fallen noble.
I needed to find another path.
But what could I do?
The only thing I have is the knowledge I’ve gained from books.
What road should I take now?
Which path would be the right one?
As I sighed, lost in thought about my uncertain future, a solemn voice called out.
“It seems things have taken a turn for the worse.”
I turned my head.
And there, standing in the hallway, was someone I had never seen in our home before.
“Uncle.”
Yes.
It was my uncle.
“So, you do remember my face.”
“It would be hard for anyone to forget your face, Uncle.”
To use a cliché, he was a sculpture-like beauty.
His features were so perfectly balanced that he almost didn’t seem human. Even his sharp, piercing gaze—cold and intense—was flawless.
His physique was the epitome of the golden ratio, and on top of that, he was dressed in the finest garments, exuding an air of absolute elegance.
He was a man whose sheer perfection seemed out of place against the modest interior of our estate.
Yeah, there was no way I could forget someone like him.
It had been a long time since I’d seen him in person, but I had come across his face many times in magazines.
After all, he was one of the most famous figures in the continent’s magical world.
‘One of the Ten Great Mages of the Continent… Professor Kaisel Valencia.’
A prodigy who became the youngest professor in the history of Ars Magna Academy, the world’s most prestigious institution for magical education.
A man recognized as one of the continent’s top ten mages—he was my uncle.
“K-Kaisel!”
My father, upon seeing his younger brother, rushed forward in a panic.
“H-how did you find your way here? Don’t tell me you came to help me?!”
“There’s no way I would, Brother.”
“W-what?”
“I came to see Eriol.”
“E-Eriol?”
My father’s face twisted in confusion.
And I was no different.
“Uncle, you came to see me?”
“That’s right.”
“But why…?”
As I looked at him in puzzlement, Kaisel reached into his coat.
Then, he pulled out a piece of paper.
“Do you recognize this postcard?”
“That’s…”
I did.
It was a reader’s postcard from the January issue of Ars Magazine, a monthly magic publication from Ars Magna Academy.
“You’ve been sending in answers to the magic quizzes published in the magazine every month.”
“Yes, I wanted to win the book gift card.”
“How many times have you won so far?”
“Not even once.”
“Of course not. The competition is fierce—over a thousand people get the correct answer each month.”
I hadn’t known that.
If I had, I wouldn’t have bothered sending them in.
“But in the January issue, only one person got the correct answer.”
“…Excuse me?”
“That person was you, Eriol.”
“…What do you mean?”
Didn’t he just say that over a thousand people usually got the correct answer each month?
And now he was saying that I was the only one who got it right in January?
“There was a mistake by the editorial team. The quiz for the magazine and a research problem meant for the academy’s professors got mixed up.”
“A… professor’s research problem?”
“Yes. Apparently, the documents were swapped when they were being sent in.”
“……”
“You solved a research problem meant for professors, Eriol.”
After saying that, Kaisel smiled for the first time.
A cold, overwhelming smile.
“I was planning to solve that problem myself, before any of the other professors could.”
“Uh… I’m sorry?”
I wasn’t sure if this was something I should apologize for, but I did anyway.
“There’s no need to apologize.”
“…Okay.”
Kaisel’s gaze drifted toward the study.
“They’ve completely emptied your library.”
“Yes, they have.”
“Do you regret it?”
“Of course.”
“If you become a mage, you’ll be able to build a library far grander than that.”
“…!”
I swallowed hard at those unexpected words.
If I became a mage, I could have an even bigger library?
“I’ll be clear about this, Eriol.”
“…Uncle.”
“You have talent in magic. You must become a mage.”
Fixing his gaze on me, Kaisel spoke in a tone that left no room for argument.
“Come to Ars Magna Academy.”
Leave a Reply