I'm a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic: Volume 3 E-Book

Nazuna Miki

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: I'm a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 201

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Despite the obstacles along the way, Liam’s rising nation of monsters is showing great progress, in no small part thanks to all his novel and ingenious magical ideas. However, although Liam is content just watching over the city of magic that he and his familiars are building, the surrounding nations aren't willing to leave it alone. From an eccentric princess to battle-hungry hunters, all sorts of groups start showing interest in this newly emerging power—and when the less friendly ones start jumping into the fray, Liam realizes that ruling a country will never be easy. Can he step up as the king of this magical nation and defend the land that his familiars now call home?

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Character Profiles

I’m a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic: Volume 3

Asuna and Jodie’s Girl Talk

Beneath the Moon

The Elven Raffle

Afterword

Color Illustrations

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Table of Contents

.91

A flash of light illuminated the room in an instant. The windows were all shut, blocking off the high afternoon sun outside, but the white light that manifested in the ceiling made the space much brighter than any seeping sunlight ever could.

“W-Wow... So this is magic...” Flora whispered, astonished by the spell she had cast herself.

This girl was delivered here from Parta as a bride but had since moved into our town and become my familiar, giving her the opportunity to now cast this illumination magic spell.

“Can you dispel it?” I asked.

“I will try.” Through the Ancient Memoria, Flora attempted to cast the spell to undo this magic. It took her a few minutes since she had yet to master it, but the room soon dimmed again.

“Looks like you’re all good.”

“Yes... This is amazing, Liam. Everyone can use this magic, right?”

“Yep. I plan to lay the high mithril silver out under the roads and everyone’s houses,” I answered under Flora’s astonished gaze. “Then, I’ll load them up with some spells I’m planning to make. There’s the spell you just used for lighting, but also some simple nonoffensive flame magic for cooking and water magic to use in place of wells...”

“This wasn’t all?”

“I mean, we’ve got our hands on tons of high mithril silver. I wanna make the most of it, not just for battle.”

“Even then, are there not more useful places to use it on?”

“No. This will do.” I thought back to my life before I became the fifth son of a noble house. “Light, fire, and water... If everyone can easily access those three essentials, then they would have much more time to accomplish other things. That’s why this is imperative.”

“Oh...”

“Ha ha.”

“What’s wrong, you two? I mean, Flora?” I realized Flora couldn’t hear Lardon, so I asked her first.

“Oh, um... I was just thinking how this newly built town is already enjoying a much more convenient lifestyle than Parta’s capital.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Parta’s monarch, the Grand Duke, as well as the nobles... None of them think of how the citizens live like you do.”

“That...sounds like a tough country to live in.” But I get what she means. Before I became Liam, it was painfully obvious how little thought the upper class of society ever gave to our lives.

“So...I think you’re amazing, Liam.”

“I’m just doing what I want to, though.”

“Please, there’s no need to be hum—”

“No, I mean it. Making, practicing, and using magic... That’s all I really want in life.”

Flora’s gaze sparkled as she nodded quietly. “I understand,” she murmured.

Why’s she looking at me like that?

“Ha ha.”

“There you go again. What is it this time?”

“Shall I take a guess at her inner thoughts?” Lardon teased. “‘He says that, but he still tries to better everyone’s lives, while those in Parta would only try to better their own. What an amazing person,’ is what I wager she is thinking.”

“O-Okay...” I muttered. Lardon probably wasn’t too far off there, judging from the look of respect on Flora’s face. This is kinda awkward, though. I should change the topic...

“Milord, can you hear me?”

“This voice... Gai?”

As luck would have it, Gai suddenly cut into our conversation. He was using Telephone, which—unlike Telepathy—made his voice audible to those around me. Of course, Flora could hear him too. The girl flinched before staring with much intrigue at this relatively new spell of mine.

I quietly sighed in relief now that her attention was diverted. “Is something up?” I asked Gai.

“Some humans have come seeking an audience with you.”

“An audience? Who is it?”

“She claims herself the captain of Quistador’s Dragoons.”

Flora gasped. “The Dragoons?!”

“Do you know about them, Flora?”

“I do! Quistador’s Dragoons are very famous. They’re a unit of dragon riders.”

“Dragon riders... That sounds incredible.”

“It certainly is. Their dragons are very strong and well-trained, and they’re as loyal as dogs to their riders and as ferocious as lions to their enemies.”

“Wow.”

That...sounds impressive, all right.

From Flora’s room, we teleported to one of the meeting points I had set. Soon, I saw Gai and several other giants leading a group of dragon-riding humans this way.

Wow. So those are the Dragoons, the dragon riders, huh? They looked just as cool and gallant as their title made them sound. I could easily imagine they were plenty popular in Quistador.

However, once they got close enough to see me, the dragons abruptly stopped in their tracks. They froze in place, only moving to lower their heads to the ground.

“What’s going on?!”

“I don’t know! The dragons won’t listen!”

“Hey, settle down!”

“Mine is frightened!”

They were still far enough that their bellows sounded no louder than whispers to my ears. What’s going on over there? It didn’t seem like they were gonna get any closer, so I figured I’d go over to them instead.

“Eek!”

That moment, the girl at the very front who seemed to be their captain yelped in surprise. The dragon she was riding suddenly bolted up on its hind legs, looking terribly frazzled—as did the other dragons in their crew.

“Y-Your Highness, it’s him! The dragons are afraid of him!” One of her subordinates pointed at me.

“Uh... Me?” I was frankly still a bit lost, but I decided to step back a few dozen meters. Even from this distance, I could easily tell that the dragons were calming down. “Huh... They actually were afraid of me? But why?”

I heard Lardon chuckle. “You must have triggered those lizards’ survival instincts.”

“Survival instincts?”

“Wild animals fear the strong. It is in their nature.”

“Okay...” I’m not sure how to feel about that, I thought wryly.

.92

The dragons were so frightened, I actually found myself feeling bad for them. In that regard, they were completely different from Lardon and her kids. “But still, isn’t this too much? They don’t look that different from the Lardon Juniors...”

“Do not lump me and mine in with those lizards,” Lardon groused, sounding vexed for once. “I do acknowledge the similarities in our appearances, but only to the extent as humans are to starfish.”

“That’s barely similar at all!” Not even monkeys? Really? Wow... “Right, my bad. Guess I judged a book by its cover.”

“As long as you understand.”

Meanwhile, the captain seemed to have given up on controlling her dragon and hopped off its back. She strutted right over to me, stopped just five meters away, and gracefully held her hand up by her mouth.

“Oho ho ho!” She threw her head back and laughed heartily. “Hear me! My name is Sheila. Sheila Austrom! I am the nineteenth princess of Quistador, as well as the first head of the Austrom house.”

“Oh... A prime number...” I mumbled for no particular reason, unable to keep up with this unique new character who suddenly popped up in front of me.

“Are you Liam Hamilton, the king of this nation of monsters?”

“Y-Yeah. That would be me.”

“Splendid.” She thrust a finger toward me. “I challenge you to a duel!”

My mouth fell agape at the sudden and incomprehensible development. “Sorry? A duel, as in...?”

“A foolish question! What else must people do in order to better know one another?”

“Um... Maybe share a drink or—”

“They must fight!” she interjected, and with some very manly words too.

“Uhhh...”

“Oho ho ho! You seem quite baffled. Yes, I know what you want to say.”

“Oh, you do?” And here I thought she was entirely beyond comprehen—

“I’m certain you wish to point out that intercourse is a much faster method for a man and woman, but alas, you are a child, and I am a virgin. In other words, such a method is not viable for us. Bereft of that, we are left with the second best option.”

“Huuuh...?” I stand corrected. She is beyond comprehension. Besides, I had absolutely no reason to fight her. I needed to find a good way to turn her down and send her back on her way. Though I could also hear her out if there’s some good reason for—

“Now then, fight me. This way, I shall determine whether you are worthy of being Quistador’s ally.”

I sucked in a breath. “Quistador’s ally...” So, she must want to talk about forming an alliance. Well then, I had all the reason I needed to agree to this duel.

I hadn’t formed relations with any of the three surrounding nations. Jamille offered Scarlet as a bride, but that had yet to take any official shape, and we had no idea how the whole Izie incident would impact their stance. Parta sent Flora over, but the implications of that were hazy at best considering the circumstances behind the move.

Now here was Sheila, having come with talks of an alliance.

I sized her up. She was quite the eccentric princess...but I didn’t hate her. I got the feeling she wasn’t a bad person at heart.

“All right. Let’s do it.”

“Oho ho ho! A commendable spirit!”

“Will we fight right here?”

“But of course. Then, I shall begin.”

“Sure—”

Right as I nodded, Sheila disappeared! I let my guard down! I hurriedly put up eleven magic barriers and twelve physical barriers, a total of twenty-three. Just in time too—I heard a barrage rain down behind me and felt a shock wave as ten of my physical barriers were shattered.

“Not bad!” Sheila said in praise, but her voice did not come from behind.

To my left! I whipped my head around, but by then, I could only catch sight of her afterimage. I threw out another few physical barriers, a decision instantaneously rewarded. Another barrage of blows shattered the barriers behind me—in other words, to the right of where I was initially facing.

“A physical barrier, I see! Then how about this?”

Suddenly, waves of sharp, crackling heat assaulted my body.

“So you have an antimagic barrier too. Then allow me to try this next!”

I could never catch sight of her; all I could do was react to her voice. At this point, I finally understood that she was simply moving too fast for me to see.

“Dodge!” For once, Lardon yelled out a warning, which prompted me to move without even thinking. Using Teleport, I quickly jumped a short distance away.

An explosion gouged the ground where I just was. Once the cloud of dust cleared up, there stood Sheila with a red sword clutched in her hands, its blade still buried in the earth. The edges of the small crater it left behind were scorched red, as if melted.

“What’s...”

“That is a magic sword,” answered Lardon. “A sword not purely tangible, nor entirely made of magic.”

“That’s why you told me to dodge...” The attack she launched at me probably wasn’t something either of my barriers could defend against.

“Oho ho ho! How unfortunate, Liam Hamilton, for this next attack shall cement your loss!” The next moment, Sheila disappeared yet again—but in response, all I did was quietly close my eyes. “Have you given up?!”

Ignoring her taunt, I stretched my left hand out.

“Hngh?!” Sheila abruptly withdrew her attack, and I sensed her retreat. “Preposterous... How about this?!”

She charged in again, and this time, I raised the same hand upward. I heard her suck in a sharp breath and fall back once more. “You’re keeping up with my speed...?”

“No. It’s thanks to this.” Instantly, I was surrounded by a faint purple mist. She wasn’t my enemy, nor was this a duel to the death. We were just fighting to get to know one another, so I willingly revealed my trick.

“Oh! That’s...”

“It’s my mana,” I answered. “I can sense you if you step in here.” I came up with this on the fly, so I was relieved to see it working well.

Since my sight couldn’t catch up to Sheila’s speed, I spread my mana around me like a shroud of mist to sense whenever she stepped within range. My body wouldn’t be able to keep up even then, however, so I linked up my mana with my hand so it would be drawn to wherever I was lacking in defense.

It was a simple trick, really. It followed the same logic as draining a pool of water; the volume always flowed to where it was being drawn. My physical abilities couldn’t keep up with her, but I had magic to fill in the gaps for me, especially after I learned how to manipulate mana better through Lardon’s training.

Sheila chuckled, looking extremely pleased. “Intriguing. Oh, you are quite intriguing indeed,” she said while sheathing her sword.

“Are we done?”

“Yes. I understand how strong you are now. Your mana, as well as how you control it... Why, I could even appoint you the head court magus in Quistador.”

Now she’s singing me praises...

“I would like to have a talk with you. May I?”

Finally, Sheila and I were on the same page.

.93

I teleported Sheila and her entourage from the outskirts to the reception hall in an instant. They looked around in shock, unable to comprehend the sudden change in scenery.

“What is the meaning of this?” Sheila murmured, eyeing me with both wariness and curiosity. “An illusion?”

“Teleport,” I answered. “It’s Lardon’s spell.”

“The Dragon’s Diadem?”

“Hm?” I cocked my head at the unfamiliar title.

“Am I wrong?” Sheila asked.

“Well, uh...”

“She is not mistaken. That refers to me,” Lardon answered. She sounded somewhat disgruntled, which surprised me quite a bit, considering how unfazed she’d been about being called an evil dragon before. I wonder what’s up.

“Um... Seems you’re right.”

“I see. I’ve heard you wield many of that dragon’s spells. That appears to be the truth.”

“Right... Anyway, come on in.”

Half of Sheila’s subordinates stayed on the front lawn to watch over their dragons, while the remaining half came into the reception hall with us, where we were welcomed by the noncombatant elves I stationed here. Important guests would come and go in this building, so I found it best to have the clever and tactful elves work here.

After leaving the subordinates to them, I personally escorted Sheila to the most extravagant room in the building. The windows here were made of highest-quality glass and reached all the way to the three-story-tall ceiling. A soft carpet led us to two armchairs.

“After you.”

“Why, thank you.”

After letting Sheila get settled first, I took my seat and faced her. “So,” I began, “you mentioned an alliance, right?”

“Oho ho ho! I did indeed!”

“Any conditions?” I thought back to recent events. Both Jamille and Parta had come with some sort of marriage talks on hand, so I wondered if Quistador might be the same. In fact, maybe this princess in front of me...

“A military nonaggression pact,” Sheila answered.

I blinked, lost for words. “That’s all?”

“Yes.”

It sounded too good to be true. Military nonaggression went without saying when forming an alliance. I might not have been born a noble, but I still knew it was the barest of minimums, an obvious agreement that need not even be said. I couldn’t help my simmering suspicions when she said that was all she needed.

“My, your doubt is written all over your face. Do you not believe me?”

“Honestly, no.”

“In Quistador,” she began, “there is a warning that has been passed down to every generation: ‘Do not turn against the Dragon’s Diadem.’”

“Against Lardon?” I leaned forward. “What happened?”

“Our country was nearly annihilated by the dragon.”

“What?” I inwardly asked Lardon if that was true. “Hmph,” was all she replied, sounding just as disgruntled as earlier.

That’s practically a yes. So something did happen in the past. But anyway, just by the fact that Lardon acknowledged it as an incident at all, I could already imagine how traumatized Quistador must be. Could this have something to do with the Tri-Draconic War?

“That is one of the reasons why I, the leader of the Dragoons, was dispatched here,” Sheila continued. “If you truly did inherit the powers of the Dragon’s Diadem, then our dragons would surely react in some way.”

“Oh...” I recalled how those so-called “lizards” acted around me.

“And the outcome was as we thought,” she finished. “Not once in the past century have our dragons ever defied their rider’s orders.”

“Wow. Really?”

“Indeed, for only the most thoroughly trained dragons are allowed into the Dragoons. Thus, I surmise you are undoubtedly related to the Dragon’s Diadem in some manner.”

“Ohhh...” With everything laid out, I was starting to understand why she was satisfied with a nonaggression pact.

“What say you?”

“Hmmm.” I looked inward for an answer. “Lardon, what do you think?”

“This is your country. Do as you please.”

“But this also involves you. Give me some advice, will you?”

Lardon sighed. “Then you would do well to accept. The fewer enemies you have, the better. Even for militaristic nations, it is wise to face only one foe at a time.”

“I see...” I nodded and faced Sheila again. “All right. I’ll accept your alliance.”

“Oho ho ho! A truly wise decision!” She brushed the back of her hand by her cheek and laughed out loud.

Her reaction is as extravagant as always, I thought—until I realized her temples were coated in sweat. Was she...nervous? Because she was negotiating with someone who can wield Lardon’s power? In that case, maybe she was putting up a brave front all along. I found that kind of cute.

At the same time, I got even more curious as to what exactly Lardon did, but it didn’t seem like the dragon in question was willing to answer. Guess I’ll ask Scarlet later. She’d know about the Tri-Draconic War.

“Well then...” Sheila stood and offered me her hand. After I shook it, reciprocating the gesture, she cocked her head. “By the by, I have a question for you, one no amount of investigation could answer for me.”

“Hm?”

“What is the name of your country?”

“The name... Um...” Now that she mentioned it, I never decided on one...did I?

As I was racking my head over how to answer, my body began glowing. That glow parted from my figure, converged in the air of this three-story-tall hall, and took its own shape: that of a gigantic dragon.

“Lardon?! What’re you up to?”

Beside me, Sheila had frozen like a statue, her face now pale as a sheet. No, seriously, what the heck did Lardon do to you all?

“This country’s name...is Liam-Lardon,” declared the dragon. “The nation ruled by the human to whom I grant full authority.”

“Huh?” She’s including my name in it? What’s going on all of a sudden?

“L-Liam...” Sheila’s gaze shakily turned to me, and in it I could see both fear and, for some reason, respect.

“This also involves me, no? So I did as I pleased.”

“Oh...” Is she getting back at me for earlier? Jeez, what a kid.

As I was grumbling at the childish dragon, I failed to notice the implications of this entire matter. The fact that Lardon personally appeared and included me in the country’s name would boost my status and prestige by unprecedented levels, spreading the word throughout the world in no time at all.

But right now, I had yet to realize that.

.94

After Lardon withdrew, I continued discussing a few things with a still frazzled Sheila about the alliance between Quistador and...L-Liam-Lardon. The finalization of the details and official signing of the documents would come at a later date, but I had a feeling it wouldn’t stray too far from the general gist of a military nonaggression.

Throughout our talk, Sheila kept casting a few glances at thin air. Clearly, Lardon’s sudden appearance earlier was still plaguing her mind. While the new name of our country was a bit embarrassing, Sheila’s reaction told me it would serve as a great deterrent for war in the future.

By the time we finished our meeting, the sun outside the window was already setting. The sky gradually dimmed, welcoming the night.

“Let’s stop here for today.”

“Very well.”

“I had your lodging prepared for you. Follow me.” I got on my feet and headed for the door.

Sheila followed me through the corridors and out the reception hall. By then, the sun had completely sunk beyond the horizon. It was officially evening.

“Huh?”

“What’s up?”

“It’s bright...” From the reception hall’s front gate, Sheila swept her stunned gaze across the townscape, where ten thousand residents were going about their lives amid the ongoing construction rush. This hall was built atop an elevated spot in the land, as per Scarlet’s advice. From here, it was easy to overlook the town.

“It’s bright?” I parroted.

“Light is seeping out of all the windows,” she pointed out.

“Ohhh. That’s because of a magic spell called Light.”

“Magic?!” Sheila whipped her head around in shock.

“Yep. I used Ancient Memoria... Ah, well, I laid out this grimoire-equivalent material along the roads and branched it out into all the buildings. It’ll take them a while, but now, it lets everyone cast magic indoors.”

“Huh...?” Sheila stared blankly at me for a moment. “You made the buildings...like grimoires?”

“Essentially, yeah.”

She blinked a few times. “All of them?”

“All of them,” I said, nodding. I walked toward the house closest to the reception hall and stood by its window. Then, I faced Sheila and pointed inside.

“The room is bright even without a light source... Huh?! Did they just create water?”

“Those are also spells. I made it so all households can use illumination, water, and flame magic.”

Sheila’s jaw dropped. As her mind struggled to process what she’d just learned, the night slowly but surely set in. The residents began casting Light within their houses, painting an evening townscape that was bright enough to wash out the twinkling stars.

“It’s like a nightless city,” murmured Sheila.

“That sounds kind of cool.”

“How did you do this?”

“With a vein deposit of high mithril silver I found.”

“You even have high mithril silver?!” Sheila was shocked yet again, and understandably so. I’d gotten a thorough taste of just how precious the metal is, so I could relate to her reaction. “Then even your military strength should be...”

She mumbled something with a terribly somber look, but I wasn’t able to catch what she was saying. “Hm?”

“No, it’s nothing,” she said, smiling wryly. “More importantly, all these lights are forged with magic, yes?”

I nodded.

“You also mentioned water and fire. I take it your town uses magic in place of a water system?”

“Exactly. Everyone loves how convenient it is.” I was a little smug about how I managed to achieve all this with magic.

“If all the residents are casting this much magic on such a large scale, I can only imagine how much manastones you are producing.”

“Manastones? What’re those?”

“Are you not aware?”

“No.” I shook my head. This was the first I’d heard of it. “What is it?”

“Oho ho ho! Very well! Allow me to educate you myself.” Sheila laughed with her hand over her mouth, almost as if she wasn’t slack-jawed just moments ago. “Many metaphors can be used to explain manastones, but my favorite would have to be poop.”

“P-Poop? As in...?”

“Feces, yes.”

“O-Oh...” Not the kind of word I was expecting to hear from a princess’s mouth...

“I refer to it as such for its qualities as a fertilizer.”

“Fertilizer...” My expression smoothed over as I turned the word over in my head.

“Try casting a spell,” Sheila urged.