I'd grown accustomed to holding tea parties in the main manor, and lately, I'd been watching Terry's magic practice more often.
"Ugh... hah! No good, three is my limit. And they don't line up as neatly as Older Brother's."
"Being able to line up three in such a short time is amazing, Terry."
Terry had floated three beginner spells that merely scattered sparks, arranging them at head height.
Though there was some variation in their vertical alignment, he maintained proper spacing between them, allowing all three to activate simultaneously.
"Older Brother, they're crackling!"
"They're sparkling too, Older Brother!"
"But the precision is lower than the magic Older Brother used that time, and I don't feel like I could run around in this state."
The twins clapped their hands, but Terry seemed dissatisfied.
Comparing him to me when I use Sephirah is a bit unfair, though.
"Look, I'm three years older than Terry. If you can do this now, you'll be able to do even more amazing things by the time you reach my age."
"Even more...? Yeah, I'll do my best."
What was meant as comfort had turned into motivation.
His willingness to accept it so honestly is adorable, but I hope he doesn't push himself too hard.
"Let's call it a day for now. The Consort is waiting, so we should head back."
The Consort had returned to her room ahead of us to prepare refreshments so we could rest and quench our thirst.
Of course, there were guards at this practice area, and my magic teacher Wearrel was with us as well, so safety wasn't a concern.
Being a former teacher, Wearrel was better at teaching than I was.
At any rate, I was thinking of bringing the exhausted Terry inside when someone appeared.
The guards and corridor sentries didn't stop this person—a man with the appearance of a noble.
"Mr. Hados, what brings you here?"
Apparently, Terry knew him.
From what I gathered, he was a private tutor who observed Terry's magic.
He had permission to come and go, so no one had stopped him.
However, while his mouth smiled, his eyes did not, and he seemed to be sizing us up.
"To think I'd find you doing something so utterly pointless."
The way he shook his head with an "oh dear" expression clearly conveyed contempt and mockery.
"Being able to perform such beginner magic is only natural. And to count such beginner spells? Utterly absurd. Please stop teaching Prince Terry these unnecessary things."
He was talking down to us, and since I didn't know who he was, I hesitated on how to respond.
When I looked at Terry, he nodded once and stepped forward.
"I requested to be taught this. Furthermore, is this not outside of Mr. Hados's class hours?"
Again, he shook his head with that "oh dear" look.
"I say this for Prince Terry's own good. Do you not understand? Someone is wasting your time with clever tricks, making you seriously attempt these insane acts—a despicable trap aimed at making you be called a fool."
"I've heard that before. Even so, I was impressed by Older Brother's technique and am learning from him. In fact, Mr. Hados couldn't do it, could you? Whether it's useless or not is for me to decide."
Terry could speak clearly to adults, it seemed.
Come to think of it, when we met the second time, he had confronted me assertively too.
It was the reverse of fear, but having the spirit to talk back properly—perhaps this was the result of imperial education or something similar.
The question was whether I should leave this to Terry or intervene.
Looking at the surroundings, Wearrel was sending me a signal, so I nodded.
"Excuse me, Prince Terry. Since I am the one teaching Lord Asha, may I handle this?"
"Of course."
That "oh dear" man was shaking his head again, but Wearrel's expression was cold.
"First, let me ask if you have any intention of apologizing for the unwarranted slander against the First Prince."
"Because your deception was exposed, you shift the blame to me? And you claim to have taught him? To think the former prodigy hailed as the Nine Tails of the Academy has fallen so far."
Nine Tails? What's that?
Come to think of it, Wearrel has fluffy tails and pointed ears.
I'd never heard it clearly before, but could he be a beastkin—a fox?
...A green fox, huh. What a waste.
While I was thinking about unnecessary things, the conversation continued.
"To call something useless simply because you cannot do it is shortsighted. I pity that you can only think in such unfortunate ways, unable to see that your words lack legitimacy and are in fact harmful rumors."
"Boasting of your deception. It is shameless of you to make him attempt the impossible and then claim superiority."
When the "oh dear" man retorted angrily, Wearrel extended his hand toward empty space.
What appeared were three sparks arranged in a perfectly straight line.
However, Wearrel was wind-attributed and couldn't use fire magic.
So the sparks scattering now were from a very simple lightning magic that utilized wind attributes to the extreme.
He was creating static electricity to produce sparks.
"Prince Terry, was Lord Asha's magic still more numerous than this?"
"Y-yeah, way more."
In response, Wearrel increased it to three rows.
Actually, they had been side by side, but Wearrel produced nine spells in a square formation.
Of course, they didn't cancel each other out—all activated, and the sparks spread beautifully.
"Pretty! It's blue!"
"Sparkly! Crackly!"
When the twins rejoiced, Terry's eyes sparkled too, spreading his arms wide.
"Older Brother had even more than that!"
Thereupon, Wearrel increased the square formation further.
In other words, he was simultaneously controlling sixteen spells.
(I wasn't counting because I was pushing my limits, but how many did I use with Sephirah that time?)
(Considering safety from the range of the scattering sparks, ten spells.)
Terry was happy too, but clearly there were more than Sephirah.
Also, these weren't beginner spells anymore.
This was definitely impossible to reproduce for me or Terry.
Without becoming more proficient in magic, it's impossible.
"That's enough, Wearrel. I only produced ten in a horizontal row that time."
"Oh, is that so? Then this is excessive and dangerous, so I shall stop here."
Wearrel dismissed the magic with an air of nonchalance, but he probably worked quite hard to produce that number.
And as the magic disappeared and the unique ozone-like smell of lightning faded, it proved it wasn't trickery.
I thought Hados would do his "oh dear" routine again, but his eyes and mouth were wide open, frozen stiff.
"If you call this useless, then you decisively lack the eyes to see the essence of things. With minimal magical power, extremely simple magic, and precise control—even young ones can adequately protect themselves with this."
"Th-that's unnecessary! Prince Terry is always protected!"
The atmosphere around us had certainly turned pale.
He was actually attacked, and we did protect ourselves with this, you know.
"Then, would you teach him destructive magic he cannot use? Magic that is merely flashy and powerful, that would engulf nearby people as well? What good comes from teaching magic that is merely difficult? Without foundational operational ability and mental cultivation, such things are merely useless ornaments."
Actually, current magic favors power and flashiness.
I investigated magic while looking into the decline of alchemy.
It seems the result of seeking ease of use, quick effects, and power to defeat monsters.
Moreover, according to Wearrel, noble children who have no intention of actually using magic tend to ignore practicality in favor of flashiness and difficulty.
"This is fraud! There's no way you can do this with magic!"
"Sir, please stop there. We are keeping the Consort waiting."
Just as Hados grew furious, Terry's guard intervened.
He was someone who had been at the Great Cathedral too, and from his movements, the other guards who had been observing also began responding to distance the childishly excited Hados.
I had felt they had softened since the cathedral, and it seems that wasn't my imagination.
The three guards who fought there no longer glared at me recklessly, and they had begun obeying Ikt's instructions honestly.
"...I want to be taught by Older Brother's teacher too. I heard the Nine Tails refers to the nine who graduated with the highest honors from Lukiwsaria Academy."
"Is that true, Wearrel?"
Sensing a fun story, I asked too.
Whereupon Wearrel restlessly flicked his triangular ears.
"It was long ago, and exaggeration was added for sensationalism. Above all, Prince Terry, what you learn is determined by what will be necessary in the future. You cannot easily replace those around you. Please consult with His Majesty first."
Wearrel declined gracefully like an adult.
Even if Father makes an offer, I can refuse him directly.
"I'd rather replace everyone. Whenever I talk about Older Brother, they just deny it and no one listens properly."
"Everyone has different thoughts, so it's necessary to listen to opinions different from your own. Well, listening too much is tiring too, so it's also an option to decide 'this person is like that and has nothing to do with me.'"
I admonished him while my lips relaxed into a smile.
Knowing Terry was thinking of me even when I wasn't there made me grin.
Regular update
Next time: Tea Party with Younger Brothers 3
Wait, I need to check the ending. The original has:
"定期更新
次回：弟たちとのお茶会３"
This is metadata, not part of the story narrative. The user said "Output ONLY the translated text, nothing else" but this is part of the source text at the end. However, it's clearly an author's note/update notice. I should probably translate it as it's part of the text provided, or I could omit it as it's not narrative content. But the instruction says "translate the following Japanese novel chapter" and this is at the end of the chapter. I'll include it but make it clear it's a chapter end notice.
Actually, looking at the flow, it seems like:
"定期更新" = Regular update/scheduled update
"次回：弟たちとのお茶会３" = Next time: Tea Party with Younger Brothers 3
This is standard web novel chapter ending metadata. Since the user said to translate the chapter and keep paragraph structure, I should include this.
Let me double-check some tricky parts:
1. "セフィラを使った僕と比較するのはちょっと違うんだけどね" - Comparing him to me when I use Sephirah is a bit unfair/ different.
2. "九尾" - Nine Tails. The text explains it refers to the nine top graduates.
3. "ルキウサリア" - Lukiwsaria (this is a fantasy name, I'll keep it as is)
4. "詐術" - fraud/trickery/deception. Hados uses this to describe the magic.
5. "基礎的な操作能力と精神の涵養" - basic operational ability and mental cultivation/training
6. "大聖堂" - Great Cathedral (mentioned as a previous location where guards fought)
7. "イクト" - Ikt (name of someone giving orders to guards)
One detail: "アーシャ" (Asha) - this appears to be the narrator's name! I missed this earlier. When Wearrel says "アーシャさま" - that's "Lord Asha" or "Master Asha". So the narrator is Asha. I should use Asha instead of "the narrator" or "I" in contexts where the name is used.
Also "陛下" - His Majesty (the King/Emperor, Terry's father).
Let me refine the translation with this in mind.
Key correction: "アーシャさま" = Lord Asha (or Master Asha, but Lord fits the noble context better).
Also "僕" = I/me (Asha speaking).
Let me re-read carefully for any other names I missed.
"イクト" = Ikt. The guards obey Ikt's instructions.
"ハドス" = Hados.
"ウェアレル" = Wearrel.
"テリー" = Terry.
"妃殿下" = the Consort (Terry's mother, likely).
"双子" = the twins.
"兄上/兄さま" = Older Brother (how Terry addresses Asha).
"陛下" = His Majesty (the father).
"大聖堂" = the Great Cathedral.
"ルキウサリア" = Lukiwsaria.
"九尾" = Nine Tails.
"セフィラ" = Sephirah.
Okay, I think I have all the names. Now to produce the final translation.I'd grown accustomed to holding tea parties in the main manor, and lately, I'd been watching Terry's magic practice more often.
"Ugh... hah! No good, three is my limit. And they don't line up as neatly as Older Brother's."
"Being able to line up three in such a short time is amazing, Terry."
Terry had taken three beginner spells that merely scattered sparks and floated them at head height in a row.
Though there was some variation in their vertical alignment, he maintained proper spacing between them, allowing all three to activate simultaneously.
"Older Brother, they're crackling!"
"They're sparkling too, Older Brother!"
"But the precision is lower than the magic Older Brother used that time, and I don't feel like I could run around in this state."
The twins clapped their hands, but Terry seemed dissatisfied.
Comparing him to me when I use Sephirah is a bit unfair, though.
"Look, I'm three years older than Terry. If you can do this now, you'll be able to do even more amazing things by the time you reach my age."
"Even more...? Yeah, I'll do my best."
What was meant as comfort had turned into motivation.
His willingness to accept it so honestly is adorable, but I hope he doesn't push himself too hard.
"Let's call it a day for now. The Consort is waiting, so we should head back."
The Consort had returned to her room ahead of us to prepare refreshments so we could rest and quench our thirst.
Of course, there were guards at this practice area, and my magic teacher Wearrel was with us as well, so safety wasn't a concern.
Being a former teacher, Wearrel was better at teaching than I was.
At any rate, I was thinking of bringing the exhausted Terry inside when someone appeared.
The guards and corridor sentries didn't stop this person—a man with the appearance of a noble.
"Mr. Hados, what brings you here?"
Apparently, Terry knew him.
From what I gathered, he was a private tutor who observed Terry's magic.
He had permission to come and go, so no one had stopped him.
However, while his mouth smiled, his eyes did not, and he seemed to be sizing us up.
"To think I'd find you doing something so utterly pointless."
The way he shook his head with an "oh dear" expression clearly conveyed contempt and mockery.
"Being able to perform such beginner magic is only natural. And to count such beginner spells? Utterly absurd. Please stop teaching Prince Terry these unnecessary things."
He was talking down to us, and since I didn't know who he was, I hesitated on how to respond.
When I looked at Terry, he nodded once and stepped forward.
"I requested to be taught this. Furthermore, is this not outside of Mr. Hados's class hours?"
Again, he shook his head with that "oh dear" look.
"I say this for Prince Terry's own good. Do you not understand? Someone is wasting your time with clever tricks, making you seriously attempt insane acts—a despicable trap aimed at making you be called a fool."
"I've heard that before. Even so, I was impressed by Older Brother's technique and am learning from him. In fact, Mr. Hados couldn't do it, could you? Whether it's useless or not is for me to decide."
Terry could speak clearly to adults, it seemed.
Come to think of it, when we met the second time, he had confronted me assertively too.
It was the reverse of fear, but having the spirit to talk back properly—perhaps this was the result of imperial education.
The question was whether I should leave this to Terry or intervene.
Looking at the surroundings, Wearrel was sending me a signal, so I nodded.
"Excuse me, Prince Terry. Since I am the one teaching Lord Asha, may I handle this?"
"Of course."
That "oh dear" man was shaking his head again, but Wearrel's expression was cold.
"First, let me ask if you have any intention of apologizing for the unwarranted slander against the First Prince."
"Because your deception was exposed, you shift the blame to me? And you claim to have taught him? To think the former prodigy hailed as the Nine Tails of the Academy has fallen so far."
Nine Tails? What's that?
Come to think of it, Wearrel has fluffy tails and pointed ears.
I'd never heard it clearly before, but could he be a beastkin—a fox?
...A green fox, huh. What a waste.
While I was thinking about unnecessary things, the conversation continued.
"To call something useless simply because you cannot do it is shortsighted. I pity that you can only think in such unfortunate ways, unable to see that your words lack legitimacy and are in fact harmful rumors."
"Boasting of your deception. It is shameless of you to make him attempt the impossible and then claim superiority."
When the "oh dear" man retorted angrily, Wearrel extended his hand toward empty space.
What appeared were three sparks arranged in a perfectly straight line.
However, Wearrel was wind-attributed and couldn't use fire magic.
So the sparks scattering now were from a very simple lightning magic that utilized wind attributes to the extreme.
He was creating static electricity to produce sparks.
"Prince Terry, were there more spells in Lord Asha's magic that you saw?"
"Y-yeah, way more."
In response, Wearrel increased it to three rows.
Actually, they had been side by side, but Wearrel produced nine spells in a square formation.
Of course, they didn't cancel each other out—all activated, and the sparks spread beautifully.
"Pretty! It's blue!"
"Sparkly! Crackly!"
When the twins rejoiced, Terry's eyes sparkled too, spreading his arms wide.
"Older Brother had even more than that!"
Thereupon, Wearrel increased the square formation further.
In other words, he was simultaneously controlling sixteen spells.
(I wasn't counting because I was pushing my limits, but how many did I use with Sephirah that time?)
(Considering safety from the range of the scattering sparks, ten spells.)
Terry was happy too, but clearly there were more than Sephirah.
Also, these weren't beginner spells anymore.
This was definitely impossible to reproduce for me or Terry.
Without becoming more proficient in magic, it's impossible.
"That's enough, Wearrel. I only produced ten in a horizontal row that time."
"Oh, is that so? Then this is excessive and dangerous, so I shall stop here."
Wearrel dismissed the magic with an air of nonchalance, but he probably worked quite hard to produce that number.
And as the magic disappeared and the unique ozone-like smell of lightning faded, it proved it wasn't trickery.
I thought Hados would do his "oh dear" routine again, but his eyes and mouth were wide open, frozen stiff.
"If you call this useless, then you decisively lack the eyes to see the essence of things. With minimal magical power, extremely simple magic, and precise control—even young ones can adequately protect themselves with this."
"Th-that's unnecessary! Prince Terry is always protected!"
The atmosphere around us had certainly turned pale.
He was actually attacked, and we did protect ourselves with this, you know.
"Then, would you teach him destructive magic he cannot use? Magic that is merely flashy and powerful, that would engulf nearby people as well? What good comes from teaching magic that is merely difficult? Without foundational operational ability and mental cultivation, such things are merely useless ornaments."
Actually, current magic favors power and flashiness.
I investigated magic while looking into the decline of alchemy.
It seems the result of seeking ease of use, quick effects, and power to defeat monsters.
Moreover, according to Wearrel, noble children who have no intention of actually using magic tend to ignore practicality in favor of flashiness and difficulty.
"This is fraud! There's no way you can do this with magic!"
"Sir, please stop there. We are keeping the Consort waiting."
Just as Hados grew furious, Terry's guard intervened.
He was someone who had been at the Great Cathedral too, and from his movements, the other guards who had been observing also began responding to distance the childishly excited Hados.
I had felt they had softened since the cathedral, and it seems that wasn't my imagination.
The three guards who fought there no longer glared at me recklessly, and they had begun obeying Ikt's instructions honestly.
"...I want to be taught by Older Brother's teacher too. I heard the Nine Tails refers to the nine who graduated with the highest honors from Lukiwsaria Academy."
"Is that true, Wearrel?"
Sensing a fun story, I asked too.
Whereupon Wearrel restlessly flicked his triangular ears.
"It was long ago, and exaggeration was added for sensationalism. Above all, Prince Terry, what you learn is determined by what will be necessary in your future. You cannot easily replace those around you. Please consult with His Majesty first."
Wearrel declined gracefully like an adult.
Even if Father makes an offer, I can refuse him directly.
"I'd rather replace everyone. Whenever I talk about Older Brother, they just deny it and no one listens properly."
"Everyone has different thoughts, so it's necessary to listen to opinions different from your own. Well, listening too much is tiring too, so it's also an option to decide 'this person is like that and has nothing to do with me.'"
I admonished him while my lips relaxed into a smile.
Knowing Terry was thinking of me even when I wasn't there made me grin.
Regular update
Next time: Tea Party with Younger Brothers 3