Barney Jones was the second son of Count Anvard, a historic and prominent family in the southwestern part of the Ridill Kingdom.

In noble society, the second son or younger was always treated as a spare for his older brother. No matter how incompetent or stupid the older brother was, he will always be the one to inherit the family.

Barney was aware that he was better than his brother. And, in reality, he was like that. After all, his grades in academics were good enough to impress his tutor, and above all, he had a talent for magic. However, the one who would inherit the family was not him of the second son, but his older brother.

That was why he enrolled in Minerva, the best institute for training magicians.

What he was aiming for was not just an advanced magician level, but the Seven Sages, the peak magician in the Ridill Kingdom.

Once he became one of the Seven Sages, he will receive the title of Count Magician, which was equivalent to the rank of Count. It was a very high rank that grants you to have an audience with the king.

… that way, even Barney as the second son, would have a chance to prove his achievements to his father and brother.

So Barney studied hard, and thanks to his hard work, he was ranked first in both classroom and practical skills.

I'm not like my brother. I have my talents.

He believed that even if he was the second son, he could find his own path to success.

＊ ＊ ＊

It was when Barney was thirteen years old.

When he returned from the study tour, he found one female student surrounded by several male students in the corner of the classroom. A recently enrolled female student named Monica Everett, a.k.a. the [Mute Everett].

She was a petite girl with a doll-like expressionless face, always silent and downcast. Apparently, the boys were intrigued by Monica's inability to speak and were trying to toy with her. They were excited to see who could make Monica talk.

One of the boys picked up a spider from the windowsill and brought it close to Monica's face. Monica remained downcast and did not react at all.

"Hey, pry this guy's mouth open! I'm gonna shove this in her mouth! I bet she'd scream if I did!"

In response to the boy's voice, the other boys reached for Monica's face… but those hands were pulled back just before they could.

The boys' cuffs were burning with puffs of smoke.

"Aaaahh! Wh-What is this!?"

"What are you planning to do with her?"

The boys clicked their tongues blatantly when Barney said coldly, after unleashing his fire spell

"We're in the good part. Don't interrupt us, honor student."

"Your behavior is so unbecoming of a noble… You should be ashamed of yourself."

The boys snapped when he said this while lifting the rim of his trademark glasses.

But Barney didn't hesitate to use a shortened chant (quick spell) and surrounded the boys with flaming arrows.

The boys backed away with a wince, and Barney snickered at them.

"Do you really think you can beat a guy like me who's the best in practical skills?"

Barney was the sole genius in his grade who had mastered shortened chant. In the magic match, the speed of chanting plays a vital role. Therefore, no one could compete with Barney, who had mastered it.

The boys clicked their tongues and walked out of the classroom.

Barney snapped his fingers to dispel the flaming arrows and turned his eyes to Monica.

"Can you stand?"

"……………"

Monica was staring blankly at the floor with her olive eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the spider that the boys had thrown.

Eventually, as the spider began to scurry and escape out the window, Monica raised her eyes blankly to Barney.

"Thank…you…"

Despite her awkward speech, the [Mute Everett] seems to be able to speak properly.

Secretly surprised by this, Monica continued with her words that were difficult to ignore.

"…for savng…that sprider."

"Wait a minute."

Why did it become like that?

He did not do that to save the spider, but Monica. He involuntarily squinted through his glasses to glare at Monica.

"Unfortunately, I hate bugs. So, what I saved was not a spider, but you."

Monica blinked slowly in response and tilted her head to the side.

She pondered for a while as if searching for words, and then started to speak slowly.

"I'm…not afraid…of spiders."

"Hah?"

Monica's face remained expressionless as she mumbled to an astonished Barney.

Upon looking at her again, he was struck by how expressionless she was.

Her face was plain and simple, and if she smiled, she might be as charming as anyone else, but other than the occasional blink, her face hardly moved at all.

Monica was silent with a blank expression, but eventually, she spoke in a whisper, hardly moving her mouth.

"…but I'm glad… that you saved…the spider… Because it would have been…pitiful…if it had gone into my mouth…"

"What kind of logic is that?"

Monica nodded without expression when Bernie expressed his dismay.

Bernie scratched his cheek and asked a question that was bothering him.

"The way of you speak sounds so awkward. Did you come from another kingdom?"

Monica shook her head with a blank expression. Apparently, she was not a foreigner.

"I-I'm sorry… I've been practicing speaking…with my adoptive mother, but…"

Her words trailed off before taking a deep breath. It was as if a person who had forgotten how to speak had remembered how to breathe.

"I hadn't spoken…for a long time, so… I couldn't speak…fluently…"

She hadn't been speaking for a long time… which meant there must be circumstances behind it.

Looking at her pale face and body, which was too thin compared to Barney, who was the same age as her, he could somehow guess that her circumstances had been harsh in their own way.

Barney bent down in front of Monica and reached out his hand.

"Can you stand?"

Monica widened her eyes and looked at Barney's hands.

Then, she hastily squeezed the pocket of her uniform.

"Um…I don't have…a lot of money…"

Barney's cheeks twitched.

"Please don't look down on me. I'm a proud member of the Jones family. I would never extort money from you."

Barney grabbed Monica's hand to help her to her feet, but she was still somewhat dazed, looked like a doll that had just been pulled by a puppeteer.

Her eyes rounded slightly when Barney brushed the dust off Monica's robe. It was a very slight change in expression. However, he was strangely happy to see the change in the expression of this doll-like girl.

"You really are quite a handful, aren't you?"

"I'm…sorry…"

"You should be thankful for that, no?"

When Barney said that, Monica's lips moved slightly, murmuring.

It was too subtle to be called a smile, but the corners of her mouth were certainly lifted just a little bit.

"…thank…you…"

"Your welcome."

＊ ＊ ＊

From that day on, Barney began to look after Monica in any way he could.

Monica was a real klutz, falling down in the middle of nowhere, getting her hair all shaggy, losing her personal belongings all the time, she simply couldn't take care of herself.

Academically, she was as good as Barney at magic formulas and anything involving numbers, but her grades in general education were abysmal. Especially in history and languages, it was devastating.

I guess it can't be helped, so said Barney, opening his notes before giving her explanation, and Monica thanked Barney in a hushed voice in response.

In this way, as they studied together every day, Monica's speech gradually became more fluent and her facial expressions became more expressive.

Whenever she got in trouble, Monica would cry out to Bernie with her eyebrows downcast, and when he fixed her shaggy hair, she would give him a smile like a blooming wildflower.

He was the one who had changed Monica. Barney felt some pride in it.

—Thanks, Barney.

—Barney, Barney, help meeee!

—You're incredible, Barney!

Those little words of Monica's always filled Barney's pride.

… while the truth, he's got a faintly conscious from it.

When Monica's hair was messy, it was because her classmates had cut it by force. When her personal belongings went missing, it was because they were being hidden. Nevertheless, Barney averted his eyes from this fact and continued to take care of Monica.

Surely he subconsciously hoped that Monica would isolate herself. Because the more isolated Monica got, the more she relied on him. That way, he could continue to be a dependable honor student.

＊ ＊ ＊

While Minerva, an institution for training magicians, taught practical spells as a matter of course, the students were forbidden to actually use spells during the first six months of their enrollment.

A spell was a powerful weapon that could wreak havoc if used in the wrong way. That's why it took at least six months to learn the fundamentals before moving on to practical training.

Barney has been attending Minerva since he was seven years old, and by the time he was thirteen, he had mastered all of the intermediate spells and was able to use some of the advanced spells as well.

Above all, he was the only person in his grade who had mastered shortened chant.

Therefore, in practical training, he was unbeatable.

Monica, on the other hand, has only been in school for a short time and has only recently begun to learn the basics.

Barney was convinced that Monica's understanding of magic formulas was so high that once she learned how to manipulate mana, she would catch up with him in no time.

However, in her first practical class…

"How long are chuu going to stand still?"

"………………….."

Even though the teacher urged her to do so, Monica only turned pale and quivered her lips, eventually, the class ended without her even being able to chant, let alone use a spell.

When recess came, Barney closed in on Monica.

"What the hell was that? Didn't you get the theory perfectly?"

"B-But, I was too scared…to speak out in front of so many people."

Then Barney finally remembered. Monica was now able to speak more normally in front of him, but she still couldn't talk to other people.

"I'm really scared when I speak in front of people… I'm scared that people will look at me the moment I say something… I'm scared of their stares…"

"If you keep saying things like that, you won't be able to use magic no matter how long it takes."

"…I know."

Monica hung her head down with teary eyes. She must be really frustrated. After all, Barney had seen next to her how diligently she had studied for the past six months.

I would like to do something about it, he thought, and a good idea came to his mind.

"Right, if you're bad at speaking up in front of people, you just have to reduce your chanting."

"…eh?"

"I'll teach you shortened chant. With it, you could cut the chanting time in half, since it would be easier on you, right?"

At Barney's suggestion, Monica fidgeted, kneading her fingers, letting her gaze wander.

"But… Do you think I can do it?"

"I'm sure you can do it. I know how much you've studied the fundamentals, and I'm sure you'll be able to understand the shortened chant in no time."

When Barney said this in an unusually passionate tone, Monica's cheeks flushed red in response, and she nodded her head.

"I'll do my best… hehehe, you're really can be depended, Barney."

"Hmph, of course. After all, I am the man who will become the Seven Sages in the future," said Barney as he puffed out his chest and Monica smilingly nodded in response.

"Yeah, I'm sure you can become one of the Seven Sages. You're an amazing person, after all."

Monica's naive admiration tickled Barney's heart.

He thought his path to a bright future was clear. And Barney never doubted that.

… yet, for now.

＊ ＊ ＊

In the classroom of the practical class, a gasp filled the air. Everyone was speechless, watching the scene in front of them as if they were glued to it. This was an unprecedented feat that no one in this room had ever seen before—no chant spell.

This was done by the girl who had failed the practical test the most… Monica Everett.

What is this… I didn't know any of this…

Monica raised one hand lightly, and a small whirlwind erupted, spiraling around and around. Throughout all of this, Monica's mouth remained shut.

I never taught her any of this!

Barney was stunned. The only thing he had taught Monica was how to shorten the chant. When they were alone, Monica was able to use shortened chant, and he assumed she would demonstrate it in this class.

If she demonstrated the shortened chant, the people around her would surely look at her differently. If she did, Barney was going to proudly say that he was the one who taught Monica.

But the scene that was happening in front of his eyes was more than just a shortened chant.

This time, when Monica lifted her other arm, an arrow of ice was created. Again, without chant. She could also use other spells without chanting, even if it wasn't her favored attribute, wind.

She had enrolled in Minerva six months ago. And it had only been two weeks since she started her practical class.

Monica Everett was a true genius, in a realm that could not be reached through hard work alone. That fact was drowning Barney with despair.

While Monica looked at him with admiration, Barney felt deep anger and jealousy.

If Barney hadn't been there, she wouldn't have been able to have a proper conversation!

If Barney hadn't been there, she'd be all alone in class!

If Barney hadn't been there, she'd hardly be able to do anything!

Feeling terribly betrayed, Barney gritted his teeth with his eyes staggered with jealousy behind the glasses.

＊ ＊ ＊

From the moment Monica demonstrated her no-chant spell, the environment around her changed drastically. She was treated as a scholarship student and became a pupil of Professor Gideon Rutherford, one of Minerva's most distinguished professors.

It was well known that most people who had studied under Professor Rutherford had been chosen as the Seven Sages. Rumored that Monica would eventually become one of them.

Monica was now under the direct supervision of Professor Rutherford and rarely showed up for regular classes. This naturally meant that she had fewer opportunities to see Barney.

Since the day Monica used her no chant spell, Barney has not spoken to Monica even once. On several occasions, Monica had tried to talk to him, but Barney had ignored them all.

Barney's idea of a perfect future started to go haywire little by little from that time on.

To shorten the distance between him and Monica, Barney trained tirelessly, but as a result, he suffered from mana poisoning and ended up in the infirmary. Struggling as the mana consumed his body, Barney felt so much hatred toward Monica.

The reason why he was suffering so much was all because of Monica. Because of Monica, he has become this crazy. It's all Monica's fault.

—Monica had ruined Barney's life!

＊ ＊ ＊

In the winter of her fifteenth year, Monica was chosen as one of the Seven Sages.

The fact that the youngest of the Seven Sages had been chosen from Minerva's students caused much excitement in the academy.

Especially on the day of the inauguration of the Seven Sages and its parade, the whole academy was in an uproar. But all the cheering and praise for Monica was just irritating noises to Barney.

He believed that even Barney, his brother's spare, would be recognized by the people around him if he mastered magic and became the Seven Sages. Barney never doubted that he could become one. But the person chosen as one of the Seven Sages was not Barney, but Monica. He was not even invited to the selection process.

"Barney!"

A voice called out to him when he was leaving Minerva's library. The person who was running up to him was Monica.

Now that she was one of the Seven Sages, she can no longer be called a student of this school. She was wearing an indigo robe that only the Seven Sages were allowed to wear. The beautiful staff in her hand was also something that only the Seven Sages were allowed to hold.

Monica hugged her staff to her chest and fidgeted with her fingers. Her childish gestures, her body that was too thin for her age, and her young face were no different from the Monica that Barney knew.

But she was no longer Barney's friend. The [Mute Everett] had become the [Silent Witch] of the Seven Sages.

"Um, f-for a long time… I really want to thank you, Barney…"

Monica was stammering, trying her best to speak.

But Barney coldly interrupted her.

"Are you mocking me?"

"…huh?"

Monica's expression froze.

Oh, what a wonderful feeling is this. thought him as he wanted to distort that face even more.

"You want to thank me? Haha, is that sarcasm? You must have been looking down on me, right?"

"Huh? W-Why would I? No, I would never… I just thought that you were an important friend of mine…"

"You're not my friend."

Monica's eyes were wide open, and tears were slowly welling up in them.

Feels hurt more, he thought.

Monica should have gone to pieces, so shredded and tattered that she would never be able to recover again.

"You must be a detestable person to come all the way to see me in the formal attire of the Seven Sages. Does it make you feel good to make fun of me and look down on me like that? Hey, tell me, Miss Seven Sage?"

A teardrop falls from Monica's eye.

Monica's nose turned red before she cried like a child.

That miserable crying face, that crying voice, filled the hole inside Barney's heart just a little bit.

"What a shameful way to behave for one of the Seven Sages. Though, I don't consider you to be one of them. You'd be better off holed up in an isolated mountain cabin."

Monica was slumped there, sobbing.

Barney walked past her quickly, heading for his room.

The pitiful cries that reached his ears made him feel better, if only slightly.

After that incident, Barney never heard any more about the activities of the Silent Witch. Rumor has it that the Silent Witch lives a hermit-like life in a mountain cabin. Probably would never see Barney again.

… this is for the better.

Thus, Barney Jones finally regained his peace of mind.