Chapter 1: Expulsion

After being reincarnated into a fantasy world, I had always wanted to become a mage.

Fortunately, the family I was reincarnated into possessed enough power and influence to allow me to learn magic.

Calix Pailyn, the eldest son of the Duke of Pailyn. That was my name.

I had no interest in the family’s succession struggles or power disputes.

Perhaps disappointed in me, my father accepted my request to go to the magic tower.

And so, in my early teens, I became a mage.

I didn’t have any grand ambitions.

I simply loved the very existence of magic.

Even if I had no talent, just learning and mastering magic was enough.

It didn’t matter if juniors who entered the magic tower later than me surpassed me, or if my pathetic talent couldn’t advance beyond the basics for years.

What mattered was my heart’s love for magic.

However, it seemed that wasn’t enough for others.

“Calix Pailyn, you are expelled from our magic tower.”

One day, my master said that.

And he listed several reasons for my expulsion.

But ultimately, all those reasons boiled down to one thing.

Because I had absolutely no talent for magic.

“Anyone can see that your mind is excellent. It’s just that your ability to handle mana couldn’t keep up with your intellect.”

If your mana manipulation ability had been even half as good as your intellect, you would have become a great mage.

My master said that, and then added one last remark.

“In short, you haven’t been blessed with mana. If you understand, accept it gracefully, abandon your futile dreams, and return to your family.”

“But I want to learn more magic…!”

“Get out.”

To me, who was about to protest, my master pointed to the door with his finger and spoke.

Faced with his stubbornness, I trudged out of the room.

****

“Oh, senior Calix. Why do you look so gloomy? Did you just realize how terrible your own talent is?”

Someone spoke to me as I was trying to pack my last belongings.

A beautiful girl with dazzling blonde hair and blue eyes.

But I knew her true nature was the exact opposite of her appearance.

Aria Dione. She had entered the magic tower a year after me and was widely recognized as a prodigious talent, even being considered the next tower master.

In other words, she was a mage who entered the magic tower with true talent, unlike me.

“Even though you’re a senior with trash-like talent, it pains me to see you look so gloomy. Shall I teach you some magic? Who knows, if you become even half as good as me, you might improve a little.”

Aria’s voice, effortlessly poking at my sore spots.

Normally, I would laugh off her sharp remarks, but enduring them in a situation where I was being expelled from the magic tower was too much.

“So, I’ll review your magic every day, and in return, you can at least thank me…”

“I don’t need it.”

Aria’s mouth instantly snapped shut, and silence fell.

I took a step and said,

“You don’t need to bother, so don’t talk to me unnecessarily.”

“Haha, senior. What a joker.”

“Does it look like a joke?”

The air instantly turned cold.

Aria could easily crush someone like me if she put her mind to it, but I wasn’t in a situation to care about such things right then.

“…Are you angry, senior?”

For some reason, Aria was hesitant and seemed to be gauging my mood, unlike her usual self.

‘Why?’

‘She was the one who usually tormented me so much.’

‘Wasn’t she the girl who inflicted so much pain on me with her sharp words during the time I desperately clung to the magic tower despite being insulted and ignored?’

However, seeing the girl shrink as if this was the first time I’d gotten angry, I felt awkward and said,

“It means things have turned out exactly as you wished. I’m being expelled from the magic tower.”

“-What…?”

Looking at Aria, whose eyes were trembling, I continued.

“You hated me, didn’t you? For clinging to the magic tower so desperately despite having no talent.”

The girl stared blankly at me, saying nothing.

“Congratulations. It’s exactly as you wanted. I’m being expelled for lack of talent, so rejoice to your heart’s content.”

“No, wait-”

Without listening to her next words, I turned my head and walked past her.

And so, I left the magic tower.

****

Even after returning to the family from the magic tower, there was no place for me.

That was only natural.

The eldest son, who was supposed to inherit the family, had left for the magic tower to become a mage, only to suffer the humiliation of being expelled for lack of talent.

“Calix, what audacity do you have to return?”

Those were the first words my father, Duke Pailyn, uttered to me.

I couldn’t say anything in front of him and kept my mouth shut.

“You abandoned your duty as the family’s successor to become a mage, and then you get expelled for lack of talent? How much more disgrace do you intend to bring upon my name before you’re satisfied?”

“…”

“To call such a fellow my eldest son… Enough. I don’t want to see your face; get out of my sight.”

I bowed my head to my father and then turned to leave.

Then someone grabbed my arm and said,

“Even if your father speaks like that, he doesn’t truly hate you. You’ve returned, so rest comfortably today.”

It was my mother, the Duchess Pailyn.

I quietly kept my mouth shut at her words.

‘Because I knew my father wasn’t that kind of person.’

‘I never expected anything from him in that regard anyway.’

‘If anything, all of this happened because of my own lack of ability, so it would be ridiculous to blame anyone else.’

As I thought that to myself and forced a bitter smile, my mother spoke.

“Your fiancée sent a letter. Why don’t you take a look?”

“…Euphiel?”

I unconsciously furrowed my brow at the image of her that popped into my mind.

‘Knowing her personality, there was almost no chance of anything good coming from it.’

However, unable to openly disregard my mother’s words, I went into my room and read the letter from my fiancée.

[To Calix.

I heard you were expelled from the magic tower.

How truly grateful I am that my fiancé has brought such disgrace upon my name.

Now, stop with your foolish notions and fulfill your duties as the eldest son of the Duke of Pailyn.

-Euphiel]

As expected, it didn’t defy expectations.

I read my fiancée’s scathing letter and finally realized.

That I was useless not only in the magic tower but also in my family.

It was too late now to act as the eldest son and successor of the family.

My dream of becoming a mage had shattered into pieces.

Even my fiancée, Euphiel, felt dissatisfied with me and had written a letter, how pathetic I must be.

Indeed, having a fool who was expelled from the magic tower for lack of talent as a fiancé, there was no greater disgrace.

If I were to disappear, Euphiel could marry another man from the Pailyn family and gain a politically more capable husband than me.

Realizing that fact, I was finally able to make my decision.

“Let’s leave.”

To wherever I was needed.

There was one place that roughly came to mind as a destination.

For war was still being waged daily in the northern regions.

Although I was a terrible mage, bad enough to be expelled from the magic tower, I had at least mastered basic magic.

I would be at least a little more useful than an ordinary soldier.

I made my decision and resolved to leave immediately.

I packed my belongings and put on a thick robe.

After preparing, I looked at my reflection in the mirror one last time.

The appearance of a young man with black hair and eyes.

It was the face I had seen ever since reincarnating into this world, but now, even that face felt pathetic and displeased me.

“It’s better to change it.”

The identity of Calix Pailyn, the disgrace of the Pailyn family, was tiresome.

It would be far better to be an unknown commoner.

I used disguise magic to change my face and dyed my black hair and eyes red.

“Good, let’s go.”

And so, I set off towards the North.

****

At the empire’s northernmost frontier, the Northern Front was always short on manpower.

The empire had been trampled by barbarians who hated it more than once or twice, so the empire poured countless soldiers into the Northern Front, but the barbarians were stronger than the empire anticipated.

A situation where tens of thousands of soldiers had died or disappeared.

Despite that, the Empire’s Northern Front still lacked soldiers.

This meant that when enlisting in the army, they weren’t strict about identity and would allow even somewhat suspicious individuals to join.

Concealing my identity, I was going through the procedures to enlist in the army at the Northern Front.

“Name?”

“Cal… no, it’s Kyle.”

From now on, there was no failed noble young master, Calix Pailyn.

There was only Kyle, the commoner.

The conscription officer glanced at me and continued in a dry voice.

“Specialty?”

“I can handle basic level magic.”

“Good.”

The conscription officer nodded.

And so, I officially took my first step as a soldier of the Northern Front.