The Talented Younger Brother

“Oh no, it’s already this late.”

Confirming that the clock hands pointed to ten at night, Jonah hurriedly got ready.

Today was the day for his once-a-month outing.

In secret from his family, of course, and even from the servants.

Though it took a little time, once Jonah finished changing, he pointed at the floor and moved his fingers at an incredible speed in a complex pattern.

Then—a glowing magic circle appeared on the floor.

“Now, let’s go.”

Jonah stepped onto the magic circle, chanted “Coordinates N251, W017,” and instantly teleported from the Langheim mansion to the front of a rundown two-story building in the imperial capital—a journey that would take over two weeks by carriage.

—Knock, knock.

He knocked on the slightly decayed wooden door and waited for the resident to appear.

After a short while.

“…Welcome.”

The person who opened the door was a sullen middle-aged man with an unkempt beard.

Yet his speech was extremely polite, and he bowed upon seeing Jonah.

“Thank you for having me today as well, Mr. Günter.”

Jonah bowed deeply in return to the man—the doctor Günter.

Though Günter now ran a small clinic in the imperial capital, he had served as the Langheim family’s personal physician until four years ago.

However, because Jonah was no longer bedridden thanks to ancient magic, he had been dismissed by Duke Langheim.

That said, Jonah’s ability to act healthy was solely due to ancient magic; in reality, not a single symptom had improved.

For this reason, partly as atonement, Jonah secretly visited regularly like this.

Bringing almost all of the pocket money allocated to him by the Langheim family.

Incidentally, even though it was called pocket money, the amount was considerable.

After all, it was one of the Empire’s five great ducal houses. Jonah’s pocket money alone exceeded the salary Günter had received from the ducal house.

“Now, please come in.”

“Excuse me.”

Guided inside by Günter, he sat down in the examination room chair.

“Now, please relax.”

“Y-yes.”

With practiced hands, Günter examined Jonah’s body.

Perhaps it tickled, as Jonah made a gesture to hold back a laugh.

“…Yes. That’s good.”

“Ah… thank you. Um…”

“The results from last time’s tests will take a bit more time, so I’ll tell you at your next visit.”

Günter answered the timidly asking Jonah in a flat voice while writing something on the parchment on his desk.

Likely recording today’s examination results.

“Then, here is a month’s supply of medicine. Please take it every morning without fail.”

“Yes. Thank you. And here is the payment for today’s visit and the medicine.”

“…I’m always sorry about this.”

Jonah handed over a heavy bag full of gold coins and bowed deeply once more.

Though Günter made a sour face, he accepted the bag from Jonah.

“Then, take care on your way back… though since you’re teleporting with magic, there’s no need to be careful.”

“Ah, ahaha…”

Jonah gave an awkward laugh at Günter’s joking.

“Excuse me.”

Just as when he arrived, Jonah made a magic circle appear on the floor, stepped onto it, and teleported back to the Langheim mansion.

Then.

“…There’s no way I could tell him…!”

With a grim expression, Günter slammed his fist onto the desk and muttered in a strained voice.

“Now then, shall we begin today’s training?”

The next day, Jonah was at the training grounds.

Of course, for swordsmanship training.

In front of him stood the swordsmanship instructor, Moritz Price, with a bored expression and his arms crossed.

Jonah disliked Moritz.

He also served as the sword instructor for his younger brother Sieg, but during training he constantly compared Jonah and Sieg, sighing whenever Jonah—despite instruction—couldn’t move as intended.

Indeed, Moritz’s swordsmanship was first-rate, and Jonah understood that.

However, for Jonah, who had always been compared to Sieg, his words and attitude were nothing but painful.

Even so, he gritted his teeth and pushed himself in sword training because he believed that one day his efforts would be recognized by someone.

Even though no matter how much he trained like this, he would never improve.

“…Let’s end it here for today.”

“Ah… th-thank you… very much…”

Since he moved his body entirely with ancient magic, there was no such thing as muscle fatigue.

However, performing the delicate calculations required to control his body while also matching swordsmanship movements was extremely taxing on his nerves. One wrong step and he could end up in the same miserable state as the dolls from his ancient magic training days.

For this reason, right after training ended, Jonah was always utterly exhausted.

“Haa… If it were Lord Siegvald, he wouldn’t even break a sweat with this level of training…”

As usual, Moritz sighed and muttered.

Completely unconcerned whether Jonah heard him or not.

Whipping his exhausted nerves, Jonah forced his body to stand.

Normally he could control it a bit better, but this was his limit right now.

Such a sight only irritated Moritz further.

Thinking that his swordsmanship was not meant to be taught to a failure of a duke’s son like this.

Then.

“Big brother, you’re in the way.”

A boy with fiery red hair inherited from their father and hazel eyes from his mother directed a cold gaze at Jonah.

It was the second son of the Langheim house and Jonah’s half-brother, Siegvald.