---

In a small territory outside the Empire.

“Whoa! Whoa!”

On a bed, a man was born. After the doctor cleaned the blood and amniotic fluid from the baby, he wrapped him in a soft cloth and handed him to the mother.

“Congratulations. It’s a healthy baby boy.”

“Ah…”

The woman’s face was haggard. Not only that, her hair was drenched in sweat and a mess.

A single tear rolled down her cheek, born not of pain, but of joy.

“You’ve worked hard, dear.”

The man next to her, proud of the woman and the child, wiped her tears. But even he had misty eyes, on the verge of tears himself.

“You too.”

“What did I do? All the hard work was you, dear.”

The fruit of the love between the woman and the man. Although tears flowed from both of their eyes, they smiled beautifully at the joy of becoming parents.

“What should we name this child?”

“Well, I already have a name in mind.”

Gently stroking the sleeping child’s cheek, the man said.

“Luke. From today, your name is Luke.”

*

The year Luke turned 7.

– Thud!

A stone flew and struck Luke’s head. Blood trickled down from the spot where the stone hit, burning like fire with pain.

“Get lost, demon spawn!”

Black hair was rare in this world. Even adults thought it was ominous when they saw Luke’s hair, so how would kids his age think?

The result was the current situation. He was openly bullied. Those bullying him were the children from well-off families in the territory. And at the center of it all was the son of the lord, the baron.

“You’re just an orphan with no dad!”

Luke didn’t start out without a father. Because of the disparity between the rich and the poor, his dad worked hard to support the family.

But… when Luke began to babble, his father went into the forest to work and was attacked and killed by a monster.

That’s why Luke didn’t even know his father’s face. Just a blurry image from when he was a baby lingered in his memory like a wavering reflection.

There was nothing strange about it. It was not uncommon for people to die in those times. But that didn’t mean it felt right.

When his mother first heard of his father’s death, she cried for several nights.

His father’s absence forced young Luke to grow up faster than others, primarily emotionally rather than physically.

– Thud!

Once again, a stone hit Luke’s head.

“……”

It must have been quite painful for a young child to endure, yet Luke remained silent as he took the blows.

Just as another stone was about to soar toward him.

– Thud.

“……?”

Someone caught the flying stone. The sound that followed was the clanking of armor moving.

As Luke wondered what was happening and raised his head, a knight in large armor, adorned with white and gold embroidery, stood protectively before him.

“You should get along with your friends. Bullying isn’t right.”

The heavy voice of the middle-aged man thundered, startling the kids who were bullying Luke and causing them to flee.

By the looks of the armor, no one in the Empire would be unaware that he was from the Imperial Knights.

No matter how noble a child one might be, they were all just ordinary kids in front of the Imperial Knights.

As the knight watched the fleeing kids, he then turned back to look at Luke. He took out a small handkerchief from somewhere and wiped away the blood flowing from Luke’s forehead.

“Hey, kid. Why were you just taking the hits?”

“…Fighting wouldn’t help me win, and their words aren’t entirely wrong.”

If he were to get hated for fighting back, it would only make his life harder. So he thought it was better to just occasionally endure the bullying.

“Aren’t you frustrated?”

“……”

Had he grown accustomed to it? That wasn’t the case. But nothing would change either. They were stronger than Luke, and from birth, he was the weak one with no magical power.

Moreover, if Luke caused problems, all the blame would fall on his mother, who worked hard to support him without a father.

Knowing he didn’t want to burden his mother any further, who was already struggling, Luke acted like a well-behaved child.

“I see. Then let me tell you an interesting story.”

The knight sat down next to Luke.

“When I was young, full of vigor, I got into a fight with the child of a nobleman. I later discovered he was the heir of the lord of the territory where I lived.”

As expected… Luke thought. The temperament of nobles must all be the same.

“So, what do you think I did?”

“Well… I don’t know.”

Typically, one would kneel and apologize. But the knight laughed heartily and gave an entirely different answer.

“I beat that noble’s child to the brink of death.”

“…How are you still alive?”

It was astonishing. What he had said was such a grave crime that he could be executed on the spot for it.

“Of course, the knights from the territory all came to catch me. And I beat them all up too.”

“……”

“However, I was just a child at the time, so I eventually got caught. Luckily, just before my execution, news of my deeds reached the Emperor’s ears, and I was recognized for my potential and recruited into the Imperial Knights.”

Unrealistic. Luke thought but couldn’t argue. After all, the knight before him was living proof.

“The world is unfair. But thinking that this unfairness only applies to you is a grave mistake.”

As the knight said, there were many others in the continent who had it worse than Luke.

Orphans who lost both parents to monsters. Children born with physical disabilities. Even those abused by parents who should have loved them.

If they looked at Luke, they would probably think he seemed happy.

“Overcome such unfairness with your own skills and prove it to everyone.”

Immediately after, the knight handed Luke a gold coin before disappearing. That was the catalyst for Luke to pursue his dream.

Later, he would hear the rumors that today was the day of the regular inspection of the territory Luke lived in.

Everyone in the territory, including the lord, was bustling because an inspector was visiting, and the knight who helped Luke was one of the Imperial Knights assigned to protect the inspector.

When Luke returned home, his mother was preparing a meal. Looking at her back, Luke cautiously spoke up.

“Mom, can I tell you something?”

“Hmm? What is it, Luke?”

“Um, I want to go to the Academy.”

To Luke, who had made his dream of becoming a knight after meeting the knight, graduating from the Academy was essential. Especially if he wanted to join the Imperial Knights, not just any ordinary knight.

So, this was the first time Luke made a request to his mother.

However, the tuition for the Academy was exorbitant, far beyond what a commoner like him could afford. Luke’s family struggled to make ends meet.

“Of course, you can.”

“……!”

But parents often know their children well. His mother had long since realized Luke was pretending to be good for her sake and accepted his request without hesitation.

Luke was taken aback, not expecting such an easy approval.

“But isn’t the Academy highly competitive?”

“……”

Just as she said, the Academy was inundated with students wanting to enroll every year. Graduating from the Academy would open doors to joining the Imperial Knights, just like the knight he’d met.

That made Luke pout a bit.

“Then I have to work hard starting today, right?”

“……!”

Even without magical power, she believed in her child.

“Okay!”

From that day on, Luke’s days were turned upside down.

During the day, he helped with adult work to save money for the Academy, and in the evenings, he dedicated himself to training with a wooden sword he made by carving wood himself.

Yet, just having no magical power already put him at a disadvantage. If others could use magic to exert strength tenfold, Luke had to achieve that strength using only his physical abilities, requiring at least double the effort… or even more.

Still, he didn’t give in. He swung his sword with a single determination to reach his goal, one others would have given up on long ago.

Time passed, and Luke turned 20.

On the day he was set to take the entrance exam and leave for the Empire.

“Be careful. Don’t get hurt.”

“Yes. I’ll return as a proud son. You need to stay healthy too, Mom.”

After a brief farewell, the mother and son hugged tightly. Tears flowed as she watched her son, whom she had given birth to with such pain, now grown and setting off to chase his dreams.

Feeling an emptiness that would soon be felt, yet also pride in the son she had raised well, tears streamed down her face.

Trying to smile bravely, Luke wiped away her tears.

“I’m really going now.”

“Yes… if it gets tough, you can always come back. Don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”

“Yes. I’ll remember that.”

Immediately after, Luke climbed into the cart heading toward the Academy.

*

Two weeks later, after traveling from the territory to the Empire.

Upon arriving at the Empire, Luke couldn’t contain his awe. The territory he lived in had seemed huge, but the Empire was on an entirely different scale.

Its solid, tall walls made it seem like no monster could breach them.

The young man from the countryside, visiting the capital for the first time, totally forgot he was an adult, gazing wide-eyed at the Empire until he suddenly remembered.

“Oh…! The entrance exam!”

Today was the day of the entrance exam. If he was late, he would be automatically disqualified, so he rushed toward the Academy. He had memorized the map of the Empire the day before, so finding his way wasn’t an issue.

“Wow…!”

With his first step into the Academy, Luke let out an exclamation. It truly deserved to be called an elite educational institution.

“Oops, this isn’t the time for that.”

If he lost focus for even a moment, he’d get distracted. Time to concentrate. The Academy’s main entrance had arrows directing to the location of the exam room, so he followed them.

The exam seemed to take place in the training grounds. Upon reaching them, he found someone checking names at the entrance.

“What is your name?”

“Luke.”

“Confirmed. Please take a seat in the empty spot inside and wait for the examiner to call you.”

“Thank you.”

The exam format involved one person entering the training grounds at a time when called by the examiner to showcase their martial arts against dummies.

“Huh… I’m nervous…”

For Luke, who had no magical power, it was vital to showcase as much as he could to pass the exam.

“Overcome such unfairness with your own skills and prove it to everyone.”

The words he heard from the knight during his childhood. He had never forgotten them for a moment. Now, he just needed to prove that he was stronger than those with magical power.

Luke clenched his trembling hands tightly.

“Aren’t you too nervous?”

“……?”

Startled by the sudden voice, he turned to see a young man, bearing the demeanor of a noble, with a refined appearance watching him.

“If I may ask your name?”

The question unintentionally caused Luke to speak respectfully. One could never tell what trouble could arise if he were impolite to a noble before even entering the Academy.

Seeing Luke’s formal demeanor amused the young man, prompting a chuckle.

“You don’t need to be so tense. The Academy treats commoners and nobles equally, right?”

He talked as if he had already been admitted to the Academy, even though they hadn’t officially enrolled yet.

“And I am just a commoner like you.”

“How do you know I’m a commoner…?”

“Nobles don’t feel nervous about things. Look around.”

At his words, Luke glanced around. The other examinees were filled with an unwavering confidence that they would take the top spot without a doubt.

“You’re right… it’s just as you said.”

“See?”

But being a commoner was still being a commoner. Who on earth was this guy? Pondering that question with a curious gaze, the young man extended his hand for a friendly handshake.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Arthur. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

 

---