Chapter 1 …

 Family Arc

 I Have Nothing to Be Proud Of

I, Kaizar von Quist, have nothing to be proud of.

If there is anything at all, it would only be that my parents belong to a ducal family. Other than that, everything about me is slightly below average.

Magic, martial arts, studies—no matter what I do, I’m mediocre.

And that “slightly below average” is by ordinary societal standards. Within the Imperial National Academy of Magic that I attend, especially in magic, I rank among the absolute worst.

In fact, the only students below me are the few commoners enrolled there.

In other words, there isn’t a single noble with grades worse than mine.

“Oh my? Why is a filthy stray dog wearing the skin of a noble walking through the hallway of the Noble Division at the Magic Academy?”

“N-no… well… b-but… I’m technically a noble too—”

“Silence. Surely a worthless piece of trash like you isn’t trying to speak as though you were a noble?”

“…S-sorry.”

The one who spoke to me was Liliana du Gold, the student council president of this magic academy and an incomparably beautiful girl with obsidian-like black hair flowing behind her.

But as always, the only things directed at me were insults and abuse.

If I complained or showed dissatisfaction here, there was no telling what she might do to me, so I obediently apologized instead.

Since when had apologizing stopped making me feel anything?

“Oh? Couldn’t you hear me? I told you to crawl on the floor, rub your forehead against the hallway, and say, ‘Thank you, noble-sama, for graciously allowing someone like me to use this hallway.’ It’s because you can’t even do something that simple that you’ll always remain useless trash. Still, unlike you, I’m kind enough to help clear your mind by cooling your head a little. Water Magic, First Rank—【Water Sphere】.”

“Guh…!”

Apparently displeased with my attitude, Liliana cast the water spell 【Water Sphere】 and fired it straight at me, slamming it into my stomach.

Even if 【Water Sphere】 was only a First-Rank water spell, Liliana excelled at magic and had taken first place in the academy tournament two years in a row.

For someone like me, who had practically no means of defending against magic, taking her spell head-on was painful enough to make me writhe in agony.

“Honestly, you really are useless trash. Because of you, the hallway is soaked now. Make sure you wipe up all this water later, understood?”

With a look of utter contempt, Liliana said that and walked away.

“…She wasn’t like this in the past.”