Howard Kennett was the life of the party in the Special Selection Unit Astral. Thanks to his cheerfulness, the team was always in high spirits. While Flor would occasionally voice her grievances about him, his presence was generally indispensable to the unit.
He had been born into a family of middle nobility.
While some aristocrats schemed and plotted to ascend to the ranks of the upper nobility, House Kennett was a peaceful family, devoid of such naked ambition.
As the third son, Howard was never destined to inherit the headship of the house. This granted him the freedom to pursue his own interests, though a lingering sense of guilt toward his eldest brother remained. However, his brother would always reassure him.
"Howard, you have a talent for sorcery. A far greater talent than mine. In truth, I believe it should be you who inherits the house instead of me... but I'm the eldest. This is simply the way things are."
They were nearly nine years apart. Because of the age gap, the young Howard hadn't truly understood his brother's words at the time. He simply listened to them with a vague, detached sense of comprehension.
"Brother..."
His brother would pat his head. Though Howard didn't understand the weight of the words, he could tell his kind brother was trying to convey something important.
Unfortunately, their time together did not last.
"..."
The sky was overcast.
Rain poured down relentlessly, as if the heavens had opened up. Drenched by the downpour, Howard stood in a graveyard. Dressed in mourning clothes, he stood motionless and alone.
The funeral was over.
The relatives had already departed for home.
What thoughts occupied Howard’s mind as he stood before his brother’s headstone?
Several years had passed since then. He had become a second-year student at Diom Magic Academy. His talent as a sorcerer had blossomed, and he was now hailed as the greatest genius the academy had ever seen.
Rumors suggested his potential might even lead him to join the ranks of the Seven Grand Sorcerers one day.
It was during this rise to prominence that his brother died. He had been murdered. As the next head of House Kennett, he had been traveling to pay his respects to other nations when he was unlucky enough to be set upon by bandits.
The cause of death was a single knife thrust to the heart.
As Howard looked upon his brother’s face inside the coffin, he shed no tears. Seeing him look as though he were merely sleeping, Howard wondered if he was truly gone. At the same time, he felt a simmering frustration at his own powerlessness.
In truth, there was nothing Howard could have done.
Death is sudden and devoid of meaning. His brother had been killed by mere chance. That coincidence was the beginning and the end of it.
However, humans are not creatures that can easily accept pure coincidence. They strive to find some kind of necessity or fate in tragedy. Perhaps that is why people believe in the concept of gods—to find meaning within a fiction.
Ultimately, that search for meaning is a human strength.
"Brother..."
Tears finally overflowed, trickling down Howard's cheeks.
He looked up at the sky. The heavy downpour seemed to echo his silent lamentation.
On that day, Howard made a vow.
He would become someone who could protect others. He hoped that one day, his power would be used for someone else's sake, that he might save a life... that was his wish.
From that point on, he pursued a military career without hesitation. His grades at the Officers' Academy were the highest in his class. Combined with his upbeat personality, he was constantly showered with praise. Yet, he was not the type of man to be satisfied with accolades.
He wanted to be able to protect someone. He wanted to ensure he never lost a precious person again.
Howard desired power—power enough to resist the whims of coincidence.
"You want me in a newly formed unit?"
"That's right."
Howard had been summoned to his superior's office. Having graduated from the Officers' Academy, he had begun his career as a second lieutenant. It went without saying that he was exceptional; he was considered the most promising officer among his peers.
Thus, he had received an early invitation to transfer.
"It’s a newly established unit. It will include Lydia Ainsworth, Abby Garnet, and Carol Caroline, with Major Henrick Fahrenheit taking command. Are you interested?"
"..."
Howard placed a hand on his chin, lost in thought.
By any objective standard, it was an incredible offer. Even Howard knew those three names. Lydia Ainsworth, the greatest genius since the founding of the Arnold Kingdom.
And the two geniuses who followed in her wake.
Known as the Three Prodigies, the three girls had entered the military through grade-skipping and were set to graduate from the Officers' Academy in just a single year. Most likely, this unit had been established specifically for them.
It was easier to manage such exceptional talents if they were consolidated in one place. Furthermore, Howard had heard rumors about the personalities of Lydia and Carol. By all accounts, they were quite the handful.
If asked whether he was interested, Howard's answer was yes.
He had already glimpsed the limits of his own talent. He could see his ceiling. While those around him lauded him as a genius, he knew in his heart that he would likely never reach the level of the Seven Grand Sorcerers.
"I see. I..."
His superior wasn't ordering him to go. Howard was merely being presented as a candidate.
"This is unsolicited advice, but for the sake of your future career, it might be better to decline. These three geniuses—Ainsworth in particular—are too abnormal. There's a chance you'll be crushed by them. If you want a smooth, steady rise through the ranks, I wouldn't recommend it."
"..."
It was a fair warning. Howard had seen many sorcerers go mad with jealousy when confronted by overwhelming, unattainable genius.
His superior clearly expected Howard to be one of them.
But the answer Howard gave was—
"No. I'll go. Please let me join."
"Are you certain?"
"Yes. I don't mind."
"I understand. I'll respect your decision."
There was no grand reason behind his choice. It was, quite simply, pure curiosity. Howard wanted to know why such young girls had chosen to become soldiers.
The greatest genius in history, Lydia Ainsworth.
She was arrogant and uninhibited. Her future was brilliant, yet she had chosen the harshest military path available. He wanted to see a unit where talent far superior to his own was gathered. He had always been the one in the lead.
Because of that, he wanted to encounter existences that loomed larger than himself.
That was his motivation.
"Ainsworth. Got a moment?"
"Hmm? You’re... Howard, right?"
"Yeah."
"You can just call me Lydia."
"Then I'll call you Lydia."
On the night the Special Selection Unit Astral was officially established and Howard’s membership was finalized, he visited Lydia.
"So, want to go grab some food?"
"Just the two of us?"
"Yeah."
"What's this~? Are you interested in me~?"
She wore a teasing smirk. Lydia was undeniably beautiful. If one could overlook her personality, there would be no shortage of men wanting her for a wife. Of course, her personality was so fierce that overlooking it was an impossible task.
"Yeah, I'm interested in you. So, how about it?"
Howard affirmed her question with a refreshing, honest expression. Lydia realized there was no ulterior motive in his gaze; he was inviting her out of genuine interest.
She accepted the invitation.
"Fine by me. And I assume Howard is paying?"
"Leave it to me. You can eat as much as you like."
"Hehe. Don't go regretting those words, okay?"
At the time, Howard did not yet know Lydia well. He hadn't the slightest inkling of what was to come.
He never could have imagined that Lydia was a glutton who would far exceed his wildest expectations.
"..."
He stole a glance at Lydia walking beside him. To the naked eye, she was just a young girl. She should have still been in the Magic Academy, yet she had skipped grades, graduated early, and finished the Officers' Academy in a single year.
There was no doubt she was a genius among geniuses.
That was why Howard wanted to know. What was going on in the mind of a true genius—one that defied comparison?