I wonder why I didn’t notice before? She wasn’t worried about me; it wasn’t that she couldn’t stand to see me get hurt.

She was just disappointed in me.

I saw it in her eyes.

“Why is it that you are my son?” that’s what they said to me.

Does mommy hate me? Has she always? Is this why she looks so tired all the time? Or am I the only one she looks at that way?

This is so dumb.

All those times she watched me get beat up by dad and Lucius, she never stayed until the end. She must have been bored.

She probably couldn’t stand her inferior, second-wife kid get beaten around by the First wife’s son.

I think I understand you now, Lucius.

I give up. I don’t care anymore.

When I saw mom’s face I froze. Luc got close to me and pushed me to the ground. Apparently, he pummeled me so hard I had lost consciousness.

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There’s not even a scratch on me now. Freesia healed me. Zach must have left while I was sleeping.

Lan came to see me. She told me Lucius got a really big punishment from Freesia.

“Wolf granny was teaching him how to channel magic in his body,” she told me.

That’s probably why he could cut my spell in that way.

It seems he just keeps getting stronger and stronger. I can’t beat him, I’m nothing compared to him.

I’m not smart enough to win against Lan, either.

I give up. Magic is dumb. Adventuring is dumb and pointless.

It was a lucky break. I didn’t tell grandad about wanting to be an adventurer. It would have been really sad to do that just to go back on my word immediately.

This way, I can do it without feeling bad.

Or at least not that bad.

The adults know best. They must have realized I don’t have what’s needed. So… they found me a job I can do. That’s why I’m going to be the village chief.

Sounds nice. I’m going to be the leader of everyone around here. I’m going to live in a big mansion, it doesn’t have any downsides. I don’t even know why I thought about becoming an adventurer.

Being in the wild, traveling all the time, I bet the blisters must be dreadful, and the smell, a lot of the adventurers that pass through town smell of onion, sweat, and sadness for some reason.

Putting my life in danger for stupid people I don’t care for, who knows I could end up catching a plague or getting myself locked up in a scary dungeon-looking basement for years.

There is no reason for me to lower myself to such standards.

Life is easier like this.

I made up my mind, from tomorrow onwards I’ll put more effort into my studies, I’m already good at that.