After they returned to Stell Castle, Linde sat obediently beside Ellie, listened to his sister's account, and watched their parents celebrate her bright future, their eyes practically shining.
He felt as though something were gnawing at his heart, hollowing it out bit by bit.
Linde knew his own future had finally taken a turn for the better. At least he could begin his path as a mage. It was better than before.
Being a magic swordsman wasn't bad. He actually liked it. All those days his mother had spent drilling him with a sword since childhood had become part of him.
But while magic swordsmen had once had decent prospects, ever since Oaisis turned toward the Crystal Energy World, most could only become guards or city watchmen. Their magic could power crystal energy equipment, while their agility helped them catch petty thieves.
So younger sons of great noble families like him were usually sent to the capital's defense force or city watch if they had the ability. They received little property, but indulgent parents might give them enough before they formally established separate households to live comfortably.
But his father had blocked both paths.
And no matter how much his mother Helena loved him, she would never jeopardize her other two children's futures for his sake.
He had once thought the only thing he could hope for was Helena's money. Yet the moment Ellie needed it, Helena had offered it without hesitation, without a thought for what Linde would do without it when he stood to inherit so little of the Ster Family's assets.
Ellie had the Hall of Abundance too! And he still had no idea what he would get!
A tiny fief? A lowly title... and barely enough resources to survive?
Would he spend the rest of his