The next day, after being surprised during the birthday celebration where it was revealed that grandpa has not taught me the common sense of this world, I once again went to that plain where I practiced magic, together with everyone else.

When “gate” opened, everyone was so surprised to the point where their jaw dropped.

As for the reason why we came there, they wanted to confirm what kind of magic I have learned from grandpa since I was ignorant about this world. This idea was brought up by grandma, everyone else agreed and said they also wanted to see, too, and so I brought them along.

“Haa… Although I was surprised by the “gate” magic he used, when I think about the fact that he especially came all the way to this place to practice magic… Ah, I don’t want to think about it too much.”

“Although you said that, Master Melinda, if we don’t check it out, we won’t know what kind of trouble s.h.i.+n-kun might get himself into, so just give up and let’s go confirm it.”

…Somehow grandma and Uncle Dis said some rude things. Well, that’s fine as well, and since everyone is here, I shall go at it at full force.

And like that, not only did I showed them ‘Fire’ magic I showed grandpa yesterday; using ‘Water’, I turned it into a whip and also made a frozen water bullet fly.

Using ‘Wind’, I made a downburst occur by utilizing ‘Gust, Vacuum Wave, Whirlwind, and Atmospheric Pressure Difference’ and generated electricity. With it, I used ‘Lightning Strike’; I bent ‘Light’, invoking optic camouflage.

I also gathered sunlight and shot a beam from the sky. Using ‘Earth’, I created an ultra-hard wall, shot a barrage of the surrounding earth, and made protruding cone-shaped stakes on the ground as a counter for people who would try to charge towards me.

After I showcased different kinds of magic, I turned around to look at everyone.

Everyone somehow gave a dry smile as if they had given up on something.

It was rare to see this kind of expression on Chris-neechan’s face.

While I was thinking of this, grandma Melinda walked towards grandpa and grabbed him.

“Merlin! You… You… Why did you not teach this child ‘prudence’!!!"”

“Certainly…”

“This is slightly terrible, huh…”

Eh~ Isn’t everyone being a bit cruel?

“But you see, he absorbed everything I taught him, and so I unintentionally wanted to see how far he could go.”

“What do you mean ‘and so!’ It’s appalling!!”

Ooh, grandma Melinda got super angry.

“If we don’t consider it properly, he won’t be able to go out into the world… Magic with this much destructive powers… Even with just the transfer magic called ‘gate’ which s.h.i.+n-kun used earlier… If any country gets their hands on s.h.i.+n-kun, the possibility of them aiming for world domination is high.” Uncle Dis started to talk about unpleasant things.

Eh? Was it really that dangerous? My magic can’t be used by just anyone?

“Yeah, in addition, he also received martial arts training from Michel-sama. He can also do close-range battle, and as for long-range magic, he has this kind of power. If this was known, every country would desperately attempt to capture s.h.i.+n for themselves.” Chris-neechan also interjected.

Eh? Was it this serious?

While I was bewildered by how things unexpectedly turned out, Uncle Dis opened his mouth once again.

“…Master Merlin, there’s something I’d like to talk about, is it okay?”

“Huff… Huff… Before that… can you… do something… about this grandmother?”

“Whose fault is it! Whose!”

Grandpa, who was being choked by the nape of his neck, said with a faint breath.

Grandma, if you get too excited, it’s not good for your body.

“Whose fault is it! Whose!”

Not good, this time, she was aiming for me.

Thanks to that, grandpa escaped from grandma’s constriction and started the talk with Uncle Dis.

“Master Merlin, truth be told, s.h.i.+n-kun’s power is abnormal. He has a power that can disturb the power distribution of every country. In addition, s.h.i.+n-kun is ignorant of the world aside from this forest. If he was to be thrown to society as he is, he will be manipulated by every country’s intentions. That is not good for either s.h.i.+n-kun or for the world.”

“What you say is right…”

Well, that’s a bit cruel. Even when I’m like this, I was a proper member of the society in my previous world. However, since I didn’t tell anyone about it, they, of course, had no idea.

“Therefore, here’s an idea. Why don’t you admit s.h.i.+n-kun into a certain Advanced Magic Academy in my country?”

“…That, are you attempting to take s.h.i.+n in on behalf of your country?”

There was a certain sharpness in grandpa’s voice… This was the first time I’ve heard him speak in this kind of tone…

“Right now, in this place, I swear I will not use s.h.i.+n-kun for military purposes. I’ve watched s.h.i.+n-kun grow up ever since he was an infant. To throw s.h.i.+n-kun, whom I have always treated as my own nephew, in the midst of wartime, my feelings won’t permit it.”

“If it’s like that, then what exactly do you mean?”

“As you might have already known, there’s an Advanced Magic Academy in the capital of my country. This academy is an inst.i.tute for higher education where we train students who are particularly excellent amongst the students who have finished their secondary education at the age of 15. It is a place where the especially talented people, even amongst magic users, have gathered. If it’s that place, we can find out how abnormal s.h.i.+n-kun’s magic is, and compare it to the level of other magic users who are generally deemed as excellent.”

…I am, abnormal? Seriously?

“Moreover, the enrollment to Advanced Magic Academy starts from the age of 15. Don’t you think it’s the perfect opportunity for s.h.i.+n-kun, who never went out with people of the same age, to make friends? Although Chris and Sieg are close in age, well… they’re like this…”

Ah, Chris-neechan and Sieg-niisan, who were glaring at each other… suddenly averted their eyes.

… Like that, of course, they’ll get treated as ‘like this’…

“I see what you mean…”

“Certainly, Master Merlin has a house in the royal capital. If he were to live there, I think he can learn the common sense of the general society, such as how to use money, etcetera.”

“Hmm… um, s.h.i.+n.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“I believe what Diseum had proposed is the best choice, but what do you think?”

Diseum? Who is… Aa! It was Uncle Dis’s real name!

“I also think it’s okay. I wanted to try to go to school, and maybe I can make friends of the same age, too? Somehow, I feel really excited about this.”

Certainly, I don’t feel lonely since everyone cares about me, but, of course, I also want to experience fooling around with friends of the same age.

“Is that so? If that’s the case, I will say something to the academy. However, although I personally think it’s okay for you to enroll immediately, but as a formality, you’ll need to take the entrance examination, okay?”

“I don’t mind.”

“I’m sorry. The reason you have to take the exam is because the cla.s.s division after enrollment is decided based on the result of the exam. In addition, my country’s Advanced Magic School has a perfect merit system, where a n.o.ble’s authority cannot be used unconditionally.”

“What happens if you are found to be taking advantage of your authority as a n.o.ble?”

“You will be sentenced with a severe punishment.”

“Scary!!”

“Because it is an act that reaps the sprout of an excellent magician, it is sometimes regarded as an act of treason towards the nation. s.h.i.+n-kun also needs to watch out, okay?”

I was told this while being smiled at.

“Really, I won’t do anything that will cause trouble for grandpa. That aside, since we’ve started talking, for a while now, I kept hearing words such as ‘my country,’ and about authority. Who exactly is Uncle Dis?”

I used this chance to try asking about the things I was curious about.

“Ohhh, come to think of it, I’ve never mentioned it, huh. My real name is ‘Diseum Von Earls.h.i.+de,’ the King of Earls.h.i.+de Kingdom.”

… To think that he was the King.

“Then… Chris-neechan and Sieg-niichan are…”

“I am a Knight of the Imperial Knight Guard Division, and came here as a guard for His Highness.”

“I am a Magician of the Imperial Court Magician Division. I’m also a guard for His Highness.”

To think they were the King’s guards.

“Eh~! Putting aside Chris-neechan, Sieg-niichan, you’re lying!”

“Wait a minute, what do you mean by it’s a lie?! Also, what do you mean by ‘putting aside Chris!?"”

“Huhu, as I thought, s.h.i.+n has eyes for these things.”

“What did you say?!”

“What is it? Ah~n?”

They started to glare at each other again.

“Well, putting aside these two,” “”Oi!”” “Who is Michel-san?”

Somehow it’s a bit noisy at the back, but I’ll just leave it be.

“I’ve already retired from the Knight Order a few years back. Before I retired, I was the Knights’ General.”

What? Is this a full line-up of this nation’s leaders?

“But what is a King doing visiting grandpa occasionally?”

“Hmph, even though you learned I am the King, you still didn’t change your att.i.tude, huh?”

“Because I knew uncle from way back. Maybe because of that, I think of you as a relative uncle. So even if you tell me to change my att.i.tude towards you now, I won’t be able to do it.”

“Hahaha, that’s good, that’s good. Even my real nephew, niece, moreover, my own son and daughter speak to me formally. Only you can speak this casually. I sincerely ask you to not change, okay?”

He’s quite a sociable King, huh.

“I understand, but what’s the reason you came here?”

“Oh, that’s right. s.h.i.+n-kun, do you know about the story where your grandfather, Master Merlin, subjugated a demonized human, also known as a devil?”

“Yeah, I’ve heard it from grandpa. At that time, a few towns or villages vanished without a trace, and a country was destroyed.”

“Do you know the name of that destroyed country?”

“No, I haven’t heard of it… but…”

From the flow of the story, surely…

“That’s right. As you might have already guessed, it was my country.”

“Is that so…”

“At that time, I was still an Advanced Magic Academy student. A devil appeared in my country and destroyed a village. My father… who was the King at that time, he and the country’s top bra.s.s had an uproar like a beehive being poked. In many occasions, subjugation forces were sent but they all met defeat, and this happened repeatedly, until finally, a town was destroyed. It was then when the subjugation request was made to young Magicians of the Magic Academy, and I also wrote my name down to partic.i.p.ate in the subjugation force.”

Was it okay for a Prince to do such a dangerous thing?

“Wasn’t there any opposition from anyone?”

“Of course, there was a big opposition. At that time, the ceremony for the Invest.i.ture of the Crown Prince had already ended and was already the Crown Prince. But my pride as a high achiever in the Magic Academy that had merit system couldn’t allow it. I can’t stand it when my friends were to go to their certain death while I sit around alone in a safe place.”

So cool~ Uncle Dis is seriously so cool~

“Oo…”

“But… Of course, scary things are scary. As the departure day came closer, the days where my friends and I couldn’t sleep pa.s.sed by. And then, we finally departed and actually faced the devil. Until now, I can still remember the despair.”

“Then? What happened?”

“Not only us, the Magic Academy students, but there were other skilled Soldiers and Magicians who were also overwhelmed by the devil. And when I thought that was it, at that time the one who appeared was…”

“Grandpa.”

“Him and Master Melinda.”

Eh? Grandma was also at that place?

“I am just an Enchanting Magician. I was only there as support.”

“But still, you were amazing.”

“Is, is that so?”

Grandma was being bashful. She maybe looked a bit cute.

“Like that, the two who appeared gallantly, even though it was a close fight, finally defeated the devil. Master Merlin who faced his enemy with violent force, and Master Melinda who controlled magic tools with a figure that can only be described as bewitching; both of their figures would make one yearn for them to the point of trembling.”

Violent? Bewitching?

“Grandpa… Grandma…”

“Don’t say anything… It was the folly of youth…”

“What is it? I still can be of lots of use, right?”

Grandma…

“Well, anyway, like that, they defeated the devil. Besides, since I was at that place, as the people who averted a national crisis and also saved the Crown Prince, they were both treated as heroes by the nation. Since then, I became friends with Master Merlin regardless of position. This continued on even after I became King, and even now, I occasionally came here to have him listen to my complaints about politics.”

Is that so… wait a minute…

“It was only for complaints!?”

“Of course, it is. The governing a nation is my job and my responsibility. Even though it’s Master Merlin, I cannot push that responsibility to him, can I?”

So cool~, Uncle Dis is really so cool~

“Because of that, since you’re the grandson of the person whom I am greatly in debt with, I have no intention of using you for politics or military affairs, so you can rest a.s.sure and just come.”

“Nn, I understand. Well, when would it be okay for me to go?”

“Ah, since the exam starts after the new year, it would be great if you can move to the Royal Capital before then.”

Because of that, the decision for me to move to the royal capital has been finalized. Since I also needed to learn about the common sense of the society, grandpa would also move together with me.

Although it’s a bit shameful that I cannot be independant from grandpa, I also feel a bit happy. I can’t wait to see what kind of life I would have in the royal capital.

And so, I finally tried asking the thing that was bothering me.

“Speaking of which, it seems that in the past, grandpa and grandma Melinda teamed up together in a party?”

When I said that, the atmosphere somehow turned strange.

Eh? What?

“To say they were together in a party… weren’t those two originally a married couple?”

Chris-neechan dropped an extra-large bomb.

“EEEEeeeehhhhh!!!”

“…Hoho.”

“…The folly of youth.”

Seriously?