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Just a Support Tool
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I woke up in the study where I had spent many years. The mornings at the Aldridge household come early. The cold winter air seeped through the thin sheets, making my body shiver. The hard bed felt even colder than usual. This was the Aldridge library. Without the ability to use magic, I was a ghost, trapped in this library.
I got up, stretched with my hands on the window sill, and looked outside. The light was dim for morning, and the outside world was foggy. Snow had piled up, and the servants were diligently shoveling it away. Thank you for your hard work, even in the cold morning.
Since I became aware of my surroundings, this had been my bedroom, and the view of the backyard from here was my entire world. The library was quite large, with bookshelves filled with books, scattered thick tomes piled haphazardly, and a dust-covered desk, making it a perfect place for hide-and-seek. Very few people from the household came and went, and the old books here were basically in storage. Occasionally, servants would come in to transport specific books without even acknowledging my presence.
Maybe this is my prison.
Two sets of footsteps stopped in front of the study door, and I could hear them whispering. I had a good idea of who they were.
*Bang!*
The door swung open without knocking. Warm air from the hallway rushed into the room.
“Wow, it’s cold!” (??)
“Hey, defective product! Are you in there?” (??)
It was my brothers.
“… I’m here.” (Jack)
“You’re still looking shabby.” (??)
“I can’t believe you’re our brother!” (??)
Their insults were harsh, but that was typical behavior for the Aldridge Household.
“What do you want today?” (Jack)
“You’re lucky today! We’re going to teach you some magic.” (??)
“No, thanks.” (Jack)
I had been deceived by this line too many times. What they called teaching was just a way to use me as a test subject. I was nothing more than a punching bag for their growing magical skills.
“Just come on!” (??)
“I said no!” (Jack)
“Don’t get cocky just because you’re a defective product!” (??)
The oldest brother grabbed my arm and forcibly dragged me out. I tried to push him away, and he stumbled back, falling on his rear end. For a moment, he looked stunned, but soon a scowl of irritation and embarrassment crossed his face as he glared at me.
“You’re our test subject!” (??)
With that, he lunged at me. I braced myself to counterattack, but my fear overwhelmed me, and I crouched down. Then, the eldest brother kicked me mercilessly.
“Ugh…!” (Jack)
It hurt. I couldn’t breathe for a moment after being kicked hard in the chest.
“You’ll eventually be discarded. Just be grateful that we’re keeping you around!” (??)
I was dragged into the backyard.
“Today, I’ll teach you one of the dark magic techniques, how to apply a debuff.” (??)
“Debuff…?” (Jack)
The freezing cold outside was unbearable in my thin clothes. I was shivering in place.
“I just learned it recently.” (??)
“Nii-san, enough with the preamble. Let’s just try it already.” (??)
“Yeah, you’re right.” (??)
The eldest brother began to chant. He extended his arm forward, as if to crush me before him.
“I dedicate myself to Syaitan, a puppet. My soul will be taken by Agnus—” (??)
As he slowly started the incantation, black smoke began to swirl around his outstretched hand. He and the brother beside him wore ugly grins.
—
I jolted awake, drenched in sweat.
Childhood traumas sometimes invaded my dreams. But that one had been too vivid. I turned to the bed and saw Lindsay lying there, still breathing, with a beautiful face.
What are family ties really like? The familial bond that people talk about is so different from the memories I have that I felt nothing at all.
I quietly got up and left the room. The morning sun had just begun to rise, and it was still dim. It seemed the other residents were still asleep. I approached Tristan-san’s room and knocked softly, but there was no response.
Had I arrived too early?
“You’re early. It seems like you’re eager.” (Tristan)
A sudden voice from behind startled me, causing my heart to leap. There stood Tristan-san, dressed in a light outfit with a long collar, clearly made for ease of movement. He had a leather belt cinched around his waist, and he didn’t look like he had just woken up.
“Tristan-san…” (Jack)
He had appeared without a sound, like a shadow.
“I’m going outside. Can you endure the cold?” (Tristan)
“Yes.” (Jack)
Without a word, Tristan-san turned on his heel and walked down the stairs, so I followed him.
—
Feeling the cold outside, my sleepy eyes started to clear. As we walked to the garden field, I suddenly remembered something important that I had forgotten to say.
“Tristan-san, I—” (Jack)
“What is it?” (Tristan)
“Um, well…” (Jack)
“Are you worried about not having magic?” (Tristan)
“Eh…?!” (Jack)
I was caught off guard and let out a strange sound.
“Did Lindsay tell you?” (Jack)
“No, I can tell just by looking.” (Tristan)
“Oh, I see.” (Jack)
“Fred said you had no aura because he couldn’t feel any magic.” (Tristan)
So, a seasoned warrior can gauge a person’s abilities just by looking at them.
“Jack, you don’t need to worry about not having magic.” (Tristan)
“But…” (Jack)
“Certainly, both Fred and I incorporate magic into our fighting. However, I believe that’s merely a crutch for a swordsman.” (Tristan)
“A crutch?” (Jack)
“Yeah. Let’s see…” (Tristan)
Tristan then looked around and settled on a target.
“Look at that tree.” (Tristan)
Tristan-san pointed to a single, sturdy tree basking in the morning sunlight. Thanks to the lack of other trees, its trunk had grown thick and looked very robust.
“I’m going to ‘destroy’ that tree now.” (Tristan)
“Y-yes.” (Jack)
“If it were Lindsay, she might burn it down with fire. Fred might resort to magic because he finds it troublesome. But I declare here that I won’t use any magic.” (Tristan)
Is this person really planning to chop down that tree? Given its thickness, won’t the sword get dull?
“Now—” (Tristan)
Without hesitation, Tristan-san gripped the hilt of his slender sword and lowered his stance. There was still a house’s distance to the target. The tree wasn’t even within range, but even from there, he prepared.
—In an instant, the white swordsman vanished from that spot.
The next moment, he was unleashing a flurry of sword strikes at the thick, robust trunk faster than the eye could follow. It was so fast that the movements of his sword were invisible, but it looked as if his arms were moving at high speed. It could have been just a second.
Having released a final slash, he smoothly sheathed his sword without losing any momentum.
Even that movement was too fast to see. After a moment, the thick tree began to crumble from the bottom, and the top portion fell with a heavy thud, scattering its branches and leaves.
“…” (Jack)
I was speechless. The swordsmanship of a living warrior, which I had only read about in stories, exceeded my imagination.
“Jack, there isn’t just one way to take down that ‘tree’. As you grow as a swordsman, you’ll be able to perform feats like that.” (Tristan)
Tristan-san spoke again without worrying about my reaction, his breath completely unruffled.
“For a swordsman, incorporating magic is merely to gain a safety margin against the enemy. It’s just used as a supplement in combat.” (Tristan)
After witnessing the current scene, I felt a hope stirring in my heart that went beyond mere understanding. I leaned in, eager not to miss a single word of his lecture.
“Certainly, if you can effectively combine swordsmanship and magic, you can unleash even greater power, but being dedicated solely to swordsmanship is sufficient.” (Tristan)
“Yes!” (Jack)
“For anyone who calls themselves a swordsman, magic is merely a tool to compensate for their inexperience. Thus, once you master a certain level of swordsmanship, you should be able to hold your own on the battlefield.” (Tristan)
In Tristan-san’s earnest gaze, I could see a kindness directed at me. I almost felt like he could be my real brother.
“Jack, you’ve been carrying the handicap of not being able to use magic, so you’ve likely experienced feelings of inferiority compared to others. Am I wrong?” (Tristan)
“…That’s right.” (Jack)
“Don’t dismiss that inferiority complex. Even without a ‘staff’, I will guide you on the path of becoming a swordsman.” (Tristan)
“…Yes!” (Jack)
Those were reassuring words.
“Alright, then let’s start with building your stamina. Your physical strength is insufficient for swinging a sword continuously.” (Tristan)
“Yes!” (Jack)
And so, my morning training began.
—
By breakfast time, my body was completely worn out. It had been almost three hours. Running for 30 minutes and then, doing about 30 push-ups and squats. Just going through that series of exercises had left the taste of rusty iron in my mouth, and breathing was becoming difficult.
Tristan-san said nothing as he watched my state. He only added, “Just a little more”, when I looked like I was about to collapse. But I couldn’t afford to repay his kindness with a pitiful sight.
I pushed through with sheer willpower.
“Alright, then we’ll continue after breakfast.” (Tristan)
Despite my pitiful state, Tristan-san’s expression remained unchanged as he led me into hell. When I laid collapsed, gasping for breath, he silently returned to the Liberta hideout. It seemed I would need a considerable amount of guts to continue this. As I laid there, staring up at the blue sky, I heard Lindsay calling out to me. I didn’t even have the energy to respond.
“Hey! If you’re there, answer me!” (Lindsay)
Before I knew it, Lindsay had come close and was surprised to see my dying expression. However, sensing something, her expression quickly faded, and she continued with a cheerful tone.
“You’re overdoing it, huh? Make sure to wash up properly before coming back!” (Lindsay)
With that, Lindsay mercilessly doused me with cold water magic.
Ah, indeed. This really is a support tool…
—
“—Seize their freedom with those chains!” (??)
As soon as the black mist that began to wrap around my brother’s right hand dissipated, it lunged toward me. Despite my resistance, the black mist enveloped me. In that moment, even though it was winter, my body felt as if it was burning with heat, my heart raced, and my head throbbed as if it would burst. My vision suddenly expanded, and the snow began to appear red.
It was a world of red.
Why am I here? What did my brothers do? Why does Aldridge disdain me? What is wrong with me? Why can’t I use magic?
Thoughts spiraled through my mind, threatening to collapse my sense of self.
“Hey, isn’t this guy bad news? Is the debuff even working?” (??)
“This reaction is different from what we learned.” (??)
The voices of my eldest and second brothers echoed annoyingly in my ears.
Is this annoying buzzing really my brothers? Are they family?
My ears seemed to have expanded, picking up every sound around me.
“Shall we try it again?” (??)
“Yeah, it could have been a failure.” (??)
It’s so noisy.
“…Lady-sama was here the other night…” (??)
“…What? No way!” (??)
It’s so noisy.
“…With this, Isaiah-sama will not be satisfied…” (??)
“…Yes, I apologize…” (??)
It’s so noisy.
I could hear everything. The world was loud. Even silence was loud. The ringing in my ears echoed in my head.
“I dedicate my body to Syaitan…” (??)
“Shut up!!” (Jack)
“What?!” (??)
My brother was right in front of me. I couldn’t tell if he was right in front of me or if I was seeing him from afar. But then he suddenly moved away quickly and crashed into a snow mound created by shoveling.
“What the hell is this guy?!” (??)
“This is bad. We messed up.” (??)
The panicked expressions of my brothers enlarged in my vision. I could even see the beads of sweat trickling down their faces. I felt their breaths becoming ragged with anxiety, their heartbeats intensifying.
“Hey! What are you doing?!” (Isaiah)
I could hear the shouting voice of Isaiah Aldridge, the person who should be my father, coming from somewhere far or near, but I couldn’t tell.
“That’s a ghost from the study! Don’t interfere with it!” (Isaiah)
In the next moment, my consciousness shattered with a great vibration.
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