Half a year after I turned 9.
Thanks to training without a rest, my physical strength and mana have increased nicely.
"Gather the people! Get all the strong ones!"
Biffgel shouted such things when I was just got up in the morning.
Whom was he calling anyway, today our father Castor isn't home.
He might have gotten full of himself since the one who would restrain him isn't here.
However, I don't understand how that relates to gathering the people.
I wonder if he's going to beat me up with number or something. Then I'll neatly counterattack at Biffgel only. I feel sorry for the people who get involved in his mess.
"Mathias, don't come you. Stay still in the house... no wait. You should go into the forest today!"
I was trying to ignore him as I went out of the house, but Biffgel found me.
I probably should've used stealth magic instead of cutting corners there.
I thought of the above for an moment, but the content of the reply was beyond my expectations.
Biffgel encourages me to go outside....?
Don't tell me, Biffgel has finally come to his sense--
"Mathi. You shouldn't go today. A monster has appeared in the forest."
No, he didn't. What, he just wanted me to die huh. That's the Biffgel I know. I was worried for a second there.
When I heard monster I used 【Passive Detection】 to infer the situation in the forest.
And then, I found a reaction of a monster at a distance that the usual me wouldn't have found.
I found it not because 【Passive Detection】 was in good form today or something.
The size of the reaction was big.
Of course, it's small compared to the powerful monsters I encountered in my past life, but it's far bigger than the reaction of the lowest class monster.
Even in the best case scenario, Biffgel wouldn't last 10 seconds, Reich would probably only able to hold on for 30 seconds.
However, there is a very easy method to deal with this monster.
"Isn't it better to leave it be?"
Judging from its movement looking from far away, it doesn't seem to have noticed the village's existence.
Of course it doesn't look like it's coming either. There's a high chance that it'll just disappear somewhere if we leave it alone.
Once our father Castor comes back, I'm sure he can beat it. There's no point at all in Biffgel specially gathering people and challenging it.
"You think I'll let a monster that tramples our territory go away! I will definitely kill it with my own hands!"
Ooh. It's unusual for Biffgel to say something noble-like.
I saw through your scheme though. Biffgel wanted to make a meritorious deed by challenging the monster.
"Reich-niisan, aren't you stopping him?"
I don't care if Biffgel goes to challenge the monster alone, but I feel sorry for the people.
"I'd also prefer we do that, but I can't."
"Why?"
Since father isn't here right now, the people shouldn't be obliged to follow Biffgel if the eldest son, my brother Reich opposes it.
It seems the people don't like Biffgel either, there's probably no one who would obey him voluntarily.
"That's cause I'm the first candidate for the next head of the house, in other words, I'm the acting lord!"
It was Biffgel who answered my question.
I understand that the next head acts as the acting lord when the present lord is absent, but--.
On top of being the second son, the idiotic Biffgel being the first candidate for the next family head....
"Oh dear, you must be kidding me."
I spoke with weird wordings reflexively.
That's impossible isn't? I look at Reich with that feeling.
"It's the truth, Mathi."
Wh...at...
"Seriously?"
"Unfortunately yes. ...There's various rule for the criteria to select the next head. If it's something that affects magic prowess like the Glory Crest, a second son will be preferred."
Glory Crest huh, the same nonsense Biffgel spouted.
Even Reich is going along with that nonsense....?
I reflexively activates detection magic to check whether someone has put me under hallucination.
However, I couldn't find any trace of illusion magic.
Reich is also not under mind-control magic. Just what's happening here.
"There's a regulation from the country for that.... ah. Here it is."
Reich took out a paper after after saying that.
The title is 『Noble of Eis Kingdom - Basic Criteria for the Next Family Head』, with a big imposing seal stamped on it.
I try to read it. I've been studying while training my strength and magic, so I can read letters now.
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Noble of Eis Kingdom - Basic Criteria for the Next Family Head
In accordance to the criteria below, the one with higher score will be preferred as the next family head of a noble house.
However, in cases of special circumstances, this isn't restrictive.
Eldest son 5 points
Sons other than the eldest In case they're younger than the eldest son, minus one point per a year difference.
Glory Crest 5 points
Magic Prowess The higher one 3 points
Female -2 points
Disqualified Crest -200 points
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....A scoring system.
It is a valid system to compare multiple things for important matters, but I'm not sure if it should be applied here.
No. Leaving that aside, magic prowess shouldn't be what is important to have for a noble. What're you going to do if a magic nerd who doesn't know anything else becomes a territory lord.
Apparently, according to this chart, a second son or a girl could be the family head as long as they have the correct age, Glory Crest and magic prowess.
On the contrary, people who have the Disqualified Crest (If what Biffgel said is correct, it's the crest I have) can't become the family head unless they're 200 years apart with their younger sibling.
Then let's compare Biffgel and Reich in accordance to these criteria.
Reich is the eldest son, +5.
Biffgel is the second son with one year difference, and has the Glory Crest, +4.
--I see. Their positions change depending on their magic prowess.
And judging from what Reich-niisan said, it seems Biffgel's magic prowess is better.
This is, well, that may be so. I've never seen Biffgel and Reich practicing their magic.
And, in case you don't train at all, the First Crest is strong.
Well, since First Crest has a low growth rate, a mere 8 year old would overtake the difference as long as they train properly.
"Then, I'm going too-"
"Don't come."
I don't really mind at all if it's just Biffgel getting himself destroyed, but I can't ignore it if he's going to drag my brother Reich into it.
With that in mind, I was going to participate as well, but I was dismissed within seconds. Well I only said it without much thought since they originally told me to not go.
"I told you to go to forest earlier, but it'd be bothersome if you get in the way.... Alright, you're not to go out of the entranceway this whole day. This is an order from the acting lord. Bye."
Biffgel left the house after adding that.
I can't exactly leave them alone. It seems Reich is following them.
Now then. What should I do now, the acting lord told me not to go out of the entrance way. Since it's an order from the acting lord, I have no choice but to obey it.
It can't be helped, let's go out through the window.
The acting lord is really kind, telling me that it's okay to go out through anything but the entrance way.