---Max's POV---

 

This. Is. Boring.

 

It's been a week since Hunter ordered me to go back to the mansion. Magnus wasn't there so I couldn't snitch on Hunter about his disrespect. Furthermore, Sisley told me that I'm not allowed to go outside without any explanation.

 

Ugh, anything could be a reason for my current situation; did Magnus, as a High mage, decide that my abilities are too dangerous because it threatens the integrity of the magic conspiracy? I can't sit idly while my execution is being planned!

 

"Young master, I know what you are thinking. Please don't worry, there are new magic books that Lady Sarah has bought just for you."

 

What!? Sarah wants to re-educate me by forcing propaganda into my head! Unacceptable! I have to get out of here as quickly as possible. Hunter isn't around, so maybe I can just jump out of a window and hope for the best?

 

Hmm… but if I leave, Alice would be all alone with no one to protect her from being brainwashed. If I'm going to escape, I have to bring her with me. Moreover, I gotta get some money too for-

 

"Hey brother! I heard that you defeated a slime, moreover, you did it with your 'anti-magic'. Why didn't you bring me with you to see it!"

 

"Sorry Alice, but I really couldn't risk it. Mom would kill me if she knew."

 

"Coward."

 

… This girl, it was just a couple of years since she cried for breaking some silly rule. What happened to my cute little innocent sister?

 

"Ok ok, how about I let you touch the null dust, you said you were interested in it, didn't you?"

 

"Eh, you'll really let me have it!? You are the bestest brother!"

 

Her frown instantly turned upside down as if she wasn't angry moments ago. I have a weird feeling that Alice manipulated me.

 

Must be my imagination.

 

I took out a small wooden box which was hidden under my bed, then took out a small silver spatula which was on top of the box and used it to pick a small amount of black powder. I gestured for Alice to open her hands and dropped the null dust on her palms. The powder started to weakly glow the moment it made contact with Alice's skin.

 

"Wow, it feels so weird. I'm getting a tingly feeling and my hand is getting numb. What's going on?"

 

"You attract mana at such a high rate that it's reacting with the null powder. The resulting feeling is due to the interference with your mana flow."

 

I already know this because I've tested it out before on Alex. It was difficult finding a good time to use him as a test subject since he's usually out working to become a 'worthy successor' as he calls it.

 

"Umm… so can I use 'anti-magic' now?"

 

"Theoretically, yes. That would require someone to cast a spell so you can test it out, however."

 

"Oh ok."

 

Out of nowhere, a perfect ice prism formed so fast that I would've missed it if I had blinked. Alice has casted a miniaturized version of glacial shield, according to the magic formula she used.

 

Wait, that's not important! Why is she using magic!? I told her not to! Was she brainwashed without my knowledge?

 

"Hehehe, you look surprised, brother. I have revised the magic formula to fix the flaws that you pointed out in the spell, so now it is a moving shield that can intercept spells before they even get close! Are you proud?"

 

No I'm not! It's still magic which makes it fundamentally flawed! I have to stop her quickly before she joins the circus.

 

"Alice, even though you changed a couple of things in the spell, it's still useless. That's becaus-"

 

"Yeah yeah, I know. All spells can be eradicated using 'anti-magic' as you've always said. That's why I want to try it out!"

 

Alice touched the floor with the hand containing null dust then a spark flickered before the glacial shield collapsed and disappeared into nothingness. I didn't even tell her how to use the null dust. She probably snuck a peek at me while I was practicing in my room.

 

"Wow, that's so cool. I just erased a small part of the magic formula, yet the whole thing vanished almost as if I used dispel. No, this is better than dispel! Brother, can I have more null dust? Please?"

 

No, don't look at me with these puppy eyes anymore. I can't take it!

 

"Ok Alice, but only a little, alright? Make sure to store the null dust away from you because it will decay quickly when exposed to mana."

 

"Yay! Thanks, bestest brother!"

 

"Hold up! Don't run away with the entire box!"

 

… She's gone. Oh well, I'll just make more in the workshop when I find a way to get out of this prison. For now, I want to take a nap and forget about the fact that my sister used magic right in front of my eyes with no shame at all. I stared at the ceiling lamp as I fell in deep thought.

 

Anti-magic is so perfect, being my most valuable weapon to eradicate magic, yet it is very incomplete. I tried using it to end the ceiling lamp once and for all, but it didn't work simply because the walls acted as insulators so technically the lamp isn't in contact with the floor. It's weird, really, since anti-magic can still affect magically floating objects. There's also the problem that I have to constantly make null dust in large amounts which could be unsustainable in the long term.

 

The only solution I see is to unlock more pages of the cursed book and learn from it.

 

No… I won't rely on such a suspicious thing. Who said that I can only learn by reading a book? I can perform all sorts of tests using trial and error to find out the secrets of anti-magic without relying on an obviously magical book. Yes, I have a workshop that can act as a laboratory and there's no shortage in manpower to make it happen. The only obstacle in my way is money; one gold coin a month is the budget of my entire regiment. Maybe I can beg Magnus to give me more money?

 

A knock on my door broke my train of thoughts, so I got up from my bed and opened the door only to have my mood instantly ruined.

 

"Young cub! Are you happy to see me? It's been a week since I last saw you. Don't give me that look, will you? I'm sorry about what happened."

 

"I'm still going to tell dad about what you did. Where is he anyways?"

 

"Oh, just the usual. Duke Magnus is busy dealing with Soul Corruption cases, is all."

 

"When is he coming back?"

 

"Anyways, did you know that he was so impressed by your performance that he increased your budget to three gold coins?"

 

Oh, is that true? How convenient! Wait, then why am I locked inside the mansion?

 

"Alright young cub, you are now allowed to go back and lead the knight order. You have to remain close to me, though. Sisley will follow us, too."

 

"Huh? Why?"

 

"Lady Sarah's orders."

 

Sarah said that? I knew that she's a little unstable, but why send a maid to follow me? Things are really getting weird. Must be because of magic. Whatever, I got the financial support needed so now it's possible to upgrade the fortress.

 

***************************************************

 

Almost two years have passed, with most of my work focused on improving Fort Erosion to become an actual fortress. Three new cannons have been added to the arsenal, while the walls have been rebuilt with a touch of null dust to withstand magic assault. People may call me paranoid since the biggest threat comes from forest monsters, but these defenses are a necessity to achieve my goal.

 

The arsenal of my troops has also been upgraded. This was achieved by the combined efforts between me and Narko through using a mixture between null dust and drake blood, which is similar to dragon blood. The result was a crimson coagulated mess that could be infused in metal, making a way better alternative than covering a sword with null dust.

 

Yes, things have been going great, except…

 

"Young master, Lady Sarah and young lady Alice will be visiting for lunch. I shall prepare the dining hall."

 

Since when did my fortress turn into a vacation home!? Lately, Sisley brought a bunch of servants with her here claiming that they are needed to clean the place. Not long after, she turned some unused rooms into living quarters that Sarah and Alice use to stay over. Things are chaotic!

 

"Open the gates, the Lady has arrived!"

 

They are already here, maybe if I hide inside the bathroom, they'll forget about my existence?

 

"There you are Max. You know? It is a bit disrespectful to not greet guests when they arrive. Ah! Don't worry though, I am not mad at you, of course. I just wanted to let you know that for when you grow up and have guests other than your family."

 

Oh no. It has already begun. The endless lectures from Sarah have been haunting me in my nightmares since she first came here. She even lectured me on how the uniforms of my regiment looked bland which she took the liberty to decorate as much as possible. At least Sarah got good taste by mixing silver white to contrast the black null dust, and she paid for it herself so even Martin approved.

 

That nerd gave me a headache when I was managing the budget. He vehemently refused my plan to get twenty cannons claiming that we don't have the manpower to use them all.

 

Ok he might be right on that one. I'm not perfect, give me some slack.

 

"Young cub and… Lady Sarah, forgive me but I need Max for something important."

 

Hunter, you are such a bro for giving me an opportunity to escape from this predicament. I'll make sure to reward you later.

 

"Hunter, why don't you just say it here. It is not a secret big enough to hide from me, is it?"

 

"... Very well."

 

No, don't say that you traitor! You didn't even try.

 

"Max, this is something that I forgot to tell you before, but you are allowed to take C-class quests by the duke's permission."

 

Oh, that's cool, though I'd like to take B-class quests since these include the suppression of Soul Corrupted mages.

 

"What do you mean by 'forgot'? When was my son allowed to take quests without my knowledge?"

 

"Lady Sarah, it was by Duke Magnus's permission that-"

 

"I said when."

 

Now that's a rare sight. Hunter is cowering like a little pup while Sarah is staring daggers at him even though she's still smiling.

 

"... Around a year ago."

 

"You mean at the same time Max got his budget increase, right?"

 

"...Yeah…"

 

Eh!? That means while I was messing around in the fortress, I could've been taking quests? This. Bastard.

 

"P-Please calm down a little, you know that the knight order is still new and not up to the normal standards, so I-"

 

"Save your breath, Hunter. If you have anything you want to say, I'd be glad to listen in the main office with my husband when he returns."

 

"... Yes, Lady Sarah."

 

Looks like Hunter is going to get what he deserves for his incompetence. Maybe I'll get a better replacement? Or should I just tell Magnus that I don't need any? He's been out for a while, though.

 

"I'm so sorry, Max. I should've caught on to your current permissions without relying on that dog. Don't worry, while Hunter is away, you can rely on Sisley from now on."

 

"Sure, mom."

 

I have a bad feeling about this. Who would want a maid as the replacement for a vice-captain? I should probably keep an eye on her before she turns the entire fortress into a second mansion for my family.

 

I walked towards my office, only to see Sisley already messing around with papers as if she owns the place. How did she know about Sarah's decision when it was just five minutes ago? This maid is too scary.

 

"Young master, since master Magnus is busy with work which lasted more than a year, there are plenty of quests that have been collecting dust. I recommend prioritizing the most urgent tasks first followed by the oldest ones to decrease the pressure on the adventurer's guild while increasing your reputation at the same time."

 

Oh, seems like I judged Sisley too hard. She sounds like she knows what to do as if this wasn't her first experience in dealing with a military force. I'll still keep an eye on her, though.

 

A day later, Sisley came with Martin holding onto three pieces of paper. Martin looks a little happy for some reason, this usually happens when we are about to gain a lot of money.

 

"Young master, I have brought with me three different D-class quests that I judged to be of equal importance to finish."

 

"I'd also like to add on to what Sisley has said by not only taking one of them but choosing at least two since they are all profitable."

 

Wow that seems like fun. Sisley didn't seem enthusiastic about the idea, apparently.

 

"I suggest that you only choose one, young master. The time limit for each quest is three days, so we will end up having to fight without a rest in between."

 

"No, we will do as Martin has said for now. Show me the quests and I'll make the final decision."

 

Quest 1: Goblin Shaman (D)

A small group of goblins, led by a shaman, has settled down in the Osmic forest and is attacking passersby.

Reward - 3 silver

 

Quest 2: Stray Orc (D)

One orc has left its pack and has moved towards the boundaries of the Osmic forest, threatening lower ranked adventurers due to its abnormal presence.

Reward - 1 silver

 

Quest 3: Shadow Wolf (D*)

A gray wolf has evolved into a variant capable of using dark magic. The monster's power is predicted to be D, but scout reports are lacking. A light magic user is recommended.

Reward - 5 silver

 

That's an easy choice to make. 1 and 3 are perfect since they are both related to monsters which use magic.

 

"We will accept the first and third quest. Prepare the troops for an extended mission since we will finish both quests on the same day."

 

"Eh? Young master that… Very well, I'll relay the message forwards."

 

"I knew you were going to choose the quests that give the highest rewards. As expected of my captain."

 

I didn't really take that into perspective, but I won't spoil his mood for now. I also have to get ready to try out the new drake/null dust mixture in real combat. I should theoretically be able to wipe out large portions of magic formulas with it.

 

If all goes well, I should have enough proof that magic is useless by the time I'm 14 and officially become the leader of my knight order. No, calling it 'knight order' is such a hassle so the first thing I'll do would be change its name. Yes, something that's relevant to my goal and fits the regiment.

 

'Anti-Magic Division' sounds nice.