On my birthday, I turned twelve years old.

　In our culture, we don't count the years, but the day you are born is the first day of your life. Just as New Year's Day was a day of celebration in my previous life, there was a tradition here to celebrate birthdays.

　I didn't have such a thing, though, because I was treated like a tumor.

　On Luft's and Glei's birthdays, the food was fancy and I got gifts and stuff. It's definitely alienating.
　It's hard to be a concubine's child. Whatever.

''........''

　I think about that at the breakfast table.

　My family is all here, but the only sound is the clatter of dishes at the quiet dining table.
　It's kind of funny, like I'm trying not to mention that it was my birthday yesterday.

　But there's nothing special to talk about.
　Nothing has changed recently.

　The only thing I can say is that Glei is breathing down her neck that she's going to go to a magic school.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on. It's time for him to decide what to do with his life. Unlike Luft, Gurai can't take over the family, unlike Luft, he seems to plan to take the exam next spring and transfer to the high school of the Imperial Academy of Magic to pursue a career as a researcher in magic. He's been saying this for years.

　But there's nothing special to study or practice magic just to breathe.
　I don't know what the high school exams are about, but I'm not sure that's enough for you, Gry.
　Is this the time for you to be quietly biting into bread like that?

'I'll be at the town council meeting today. I'll be back by nightfall and you'll take care of the rest.
Yeah, have a good day.

　My father, Blaise, tells me so, and my nurturing mother answers quietly.

　As if that was a signal, the breakfast table was soon adjourned.

　I see.
　Come to think of it, there was no tutoring today.
　Well, let's see what we're going to do.


****


　We walked through the garden of the mansion to a separate building away from the house.

　I asked the maid where Eifa needed me and she told me that she was cleaning the guest's detachment at the moment.
　Along with asking about the state of the human spirit, I wanted to pay attention to something.

'Hey Seika!　Wait.

　Then, suddenly, I'm stopped like that.
　I turn around and see two figures.

''Brother Glei. Brother Luft too. What's going on?
Seika!　I'm going to teach you the sword from today. You should be grateful!

　Huh?　What a surprise.
　When I look closely, I see that both of them are holding wooden swords for training.
　I nodded my head, and Gurai growled at me in a loud voice.

You're already twelve, aren't you? Are you thinking about what you're going to do after you leave home?
Ummm ... nothing.
'How long do you think you're gonna get away with it?　You can't take over the house, you know that!　Let me tell you, the prestigious Lamploog family can't keep a useless, magic-less, and concubine's child in the house forever!

　It's not like you're going to be able to take over the family business, but you can't be that good a patriarch.

I'm sure you're not going to be able to pursue a career in magical research like I did. The only way to do that is to join the army. It's a good idea to have a good time with them. Be thankful.
''Well as Seika knows, we're learning the sword from Squire Teo, the head scribe. So I'm sure he can teach you a few things. That is, of course, if Seika is willing.

　Luft took that back.
　Hmm, a sword.
　I know Gly wants to beat me to a pulp, but I can come along for the ride.

Sure. "Sure, where?
This is good.

　Glai throws a swing of his wooden sword at my feet.

"Isn't that fun to do?　Let's have a quick mock-up.
Glei, just...
I'll be out of here in the spring, all right? I'll have plenty of time to teach you by then.

　I picked up the wooden sword while Glai held it up with a licking gesture.

　It's the first time in decades that I've learned swordsmanship.
　The school I learned from is a taijutsu school, and this is a one-handed straight sword, but I wonder if I can apply it.

I don't want to do this anymore either. Come on, brother Luft, be a referee.

　I'm not going to be able to get away with it.

You're going to have to be very careful, Glei. Then let's begin.

　For now, I decided to take a waiting posture.
　With the cutting edge pointed at the opponent's eyes, I looked at Gurai's way out.

　........Mm, this guy is surprisingly cautious.

　A few fights are exchanged, but they only feint and check, and do not attack in earnest.

Glai, what's the matter?　Aren't you going to attack it like you usually do?
Shut up. This guy has an opening......

　I don't blame you.
　Well, I can do it myself.

"Master Luft, Master Luft...

　Both Glai and I lowered our swords at the sudden sound of the voice.
　I saw that one of the servants was out of breath and was about to run to Luft.

'What's the matter!　What happened?
Yeah, well, there's been a large monster attack near downtown.

　Luft changes his expression.

'Monster!　So, what's the matter with you?　Damage?
'Hi, the damage was fortunately uneventful because the husband who was there was repelled by fire magic.
'Right. Then....
'But the monster has fled into the forest again. If it's fleeing along the mountainside, it could be headed this way!　That's why the master told me not to leave the house today or tomorrow.

　That's when.
　Sensing a huge presence, I drop my sword and turn my attention to the ceremony.

"Here it comes, brother Luft.
Seika?　What...?

　The sound of a large object kicking the earth.

　And.

　A huge shadow suddenly appeared and crashed into the wall of separation with a roar.

''Wha, what!?''

　A red-black shadow buried away.
　A huge body covered in its mucus slowly raised its head.

　It was a salamander of tremendous size.

''E, Elder Newt!　And what's the size of it?

　It could be three feet long (about nine meters*).
　Its hefty head was high enough to look up.
　It was like a whale. Maybe it was a mountain lord?

'Uh-oh!
'　Run, run to the mansion!

　Glai was the first to run off with a pathetic scream. Followed by a half-weeping servant and Luft.
　Well, that would happen.

''Seika!　Come on, you too.

　I don't listen to my brother's words on my back.
　I can't back off yet.

"Geez...

　It was then that I saw a startling sight.
　Beside the rubble of the detached building, I saw several maids and Yifa.

　Yifa was pulling hard on one of the maids, who was unable to move as if she was sitting up.
　Did that little bit of movement touch her instincts? Elder Newt's head turned to Yifa.
　The pitch-black eyeballs gyrated as if they were assessing their prey.

　Not good, this is.........

　Suddenly, the jaw is opened wide.
　The moment it strikes Yifa........

　A wall of orange flames stood up to protect Yifa.

''Guu~! --GH!

　He screamed like a crushed frog, and Elder Newt, touched by the flames, sputtered around.

　What the hell was that? The human soul protected Yifa...?
　No. I don't think that that natural phenomenon-like demon has such an intention. If that's the case.......................then that was Yifa herself.

"...nice.

　I chuckle a little and break the instant-death curse I've been assembling.
　I'm glad I didn't have to use this one. It almost ruined the whole thing.
　I think Yifa and her maids are gone now, so I think they'll be fine.

　I slowly make my way over to the giant salamander.
　After recovering from my panic, it seems that it has chosen me as its next target in good order.

　A red-black behemoth is approaching.
　I point my wand at it.
　It's not very good with fire, I guess.
　I'm going to have to use fire magic to defeat it.

　Elder Newt has the attribute of water. In the five elements, water and fire are in conflict, but at the same time, strong fire does not accept water conflict.
　And the salamander is a naked worm. The salamander is the earth element. The root of the tree is the root of the tree, i.e., the tree gland, which constricts the soil.

　This is a jutsu that is unrelated to the old five elements ideology, but it is in line with it.
　Oh well.
　If it works, whatever works.

''Phase of wood and fire and earth - the art of poisonous demon fire.

　The blue fireball I fired bounced off Elder Newt's lower jaw.

　With a decapitated roar, the giant body slumped again.
　But this time, it didn't last long.

　Elder Newt gradually became weaker and weaker in its movements, and eventually began to convulse upward on its belly.
　And finally, it stopped moving.

''Tempest complete,''

　Although it wasn't that strong of a flame, Elder Newt was completely out of breath.

　And so it should be.
　I was mixing poison with the demon fire.

　The pyrethrum, which was cultivated in the Eastern Roman Empire, had an unusual poisonous effect on insects, frogs and snakes, but was harmless to humans.
　That ingredient was invoked as wood chi, which is the current jutsu. The poison of pyrethrum, which was vaporized by the phosphorus fire and absorbed through the mucous membranes of the skin, must have had a great effect on the salamander. I may have inhaled some of it, but it didn't hurt.

　By the way, this was the first time I'd used it as a jutsu.
　I'm glad to hear that. I'm glad it worked.

"Seika... has... defeated... the monster...?

　Luft's voice. He looks stunned.
　Oh, he hadn't escaped yet.

'Was that Seika-sama...?
Oh, all those monsters in a single blow...
'The Seika-sama... the Seika-sama has defeated Elder Newt!

　Cheers and applause came from all over the mansion.
　Apparently, everyone was watching the commotion from a distance.

　That's good. That's what I wanted.

　Come to think of it, I've never gotten this much praise in my life, I realize.
　It's kind of itchy.
　I don't remember ever getting used to this in a previous life.