Chapter 3: The Perfect Failure
My fifth birthday started with a feast I didn't want.
The great hall was decorated with banners showing the Valmont family crest—a silver eagle clutching a sword against a deep blue background. Servants had prepared tables loaded with roasted meats, fresh bread, exotic fruits imported from the southern kingdoms, and desserts that probably cost more than a commoner's yearly income.
All for a birthday party I couldn't care less about.
But appearances mattered. So I smiled and thanked people and acted like an excited five-year-old should.
Mother kissed my forehead that morning. "My baby is growing up so fast. Today you'll discover your magic, just like your brothers."
I hugged her back, feeling genuinely guilty. She'd been nothing but kind to me these past five years. In a few months, she'd think I was dead.
I'm sorry, Mother. But this is necessary.
Father barely acknowledged me during breakfast. He was discussing trade agreements with some visiting nobles, only glancing my way once to grunt, "The tester arrives at noon. Don't embarrass the family."
No pressure or anything.
Cedric, now eleven, sat ramrod straight and ate with perfect manners. The ideal heir. He looked at me with the same expression someone might give a mildly interesting insect.
Brennan was friendlier. He leaned over and whispered, "Nervous?"
"A little," I lied. Honestly, I was more worried about making my suppression technique too obvious than about the test itself.
"You'll do fine," Brennan said, punching my shoulder lightly. "Maybe you'll get lightning affinity or something cool."
I forced a laugh. "Maybe."
The morning dragged on forever. Distant relatives I'd never met came to offer birthday wishes that felt more like business transactions. "Young Aldric, may your magic shine bright for House Valmont." Translation: don't screw this up and make us look bad.
I smiled and nodded and counted the minutes.
Finally, noon arrived.
The Magic Association representative was the same man who'd tested Brennan—Master Horace, a thin, severe-looking old man with gray hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. He wore the Association's formal robes, deep purple with silver stars embroidered along the hems.
He set up the testing crystal in the center of the hall, placing it on a velvet cushion atop a marble pedestal. The orb caught the light from the windows, throwing rainbow reflections across the floor.
Everyone gathered around. Family, servants, nobles, guards. All watching.
Great. An audience for my spectacular failure.
Master Horace cleared his throat. "Young Lord Aldric Valmont, please step forward."
I walked slowly, making myself look smaller than I was. Shoulders slightly hunched. Eyes down. The body language of someone uncertain and weak.
The crystal was cool under my palms when I touched it.
Immediately, I felt it probing. Like invisible fingers reaching into my chest, searching for my mana pool. The sensation was invasive and uncomfortable, but I kept my face neutral.
This was the critical moment.
I'd practiced this exact scenario hundreds of times over the past year. The suppression technique was layered in my chest like an onion, fold after fold of compressed mana wrapped tight. To any external detection, it would appear as barely a flicker.
The crystal began to glow.
Faint brown. Earth affinity.
Weak yellow. Air affinity.
Both colors were dim, struggling to even register. The light was so pathetic that people in the back probably couldn't see it.
Master Horace frowned. He leaned closer, studying the crystal intently. "Hmm. Unusual."
My heart pounded, but I kept my breathing steady.
"What is it?" Father's voice cut through the silence like a blade.
Master Horace straightened. "Young Lord Aldric possesses dual affinity—earth and air. However..." He paused, looking uncomfortable. "The strength registers at low F-tier for both. Barely functional."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Father's face darkened. "Test again. The crystal must be malfunctioning."
"Your Grace, I assure you the crystal is—"
"Test. Again."
Master Horace swallowed but nodded. He had me place my hands on the crystal a second time.
Same result. Weak brown and yellow, flickering like dying candles.
A third test. Same thing.
The silence in the hall was deafening.
Father stood abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the stone floor. "Everyone out. Now."
The nobles and servants scrambled to leave. Even Mother hesitated, looking between Father and me with worry in her eyes.
"Elara. You too."
She left, throwing me one last concerned glance.
Only family remained. Father, Mother reluctantly lingering by the door, Cedric, Brennan, and me.
Father's mana flared, hot and oppressive. The air in the room seemed to thicken. "F-tier. The lowest possible rank. Do you understand what this means?"
I kept my eyes down. "I'm sorry, Father."
"Sorry?" He laughed, but there was no humor in it. "The third son of House Valmont, and you're practically a cripple. Cedric has B-tier dual affinity. Brennan has C-tier. Even the servants' children test higher than F-tier."
Each word hit like a physical blow.
Cedric watched with cold indifference. Brennan looked sympathetic but said nothing.
Father paced, his boots echoing. "I cannot have this embarrassment attached to the Valmont name. If word spreads that my son is defective..."
"Casimir, please." Mother's voice was soft but firm. "He's still your son. He's only five years old."
"A son who brings shame to this house." Father stopped pacing and looked at me with disgust. "I'll give you one chance. In three months, we'll test again. If your affinity hasn't improved, you'll be sent to manage the borderlands estate. Far from the capital. Far from anyone who matters."
The borderlands estate. I'd heard servants mention it—a remote territory on the edge of the duchy, barely developed, surrounded by forest and monster-infested areas. Essentially exile for unwanted family members.
Perfect.
"I understand, Father." I made my voice small and defeated.
He waved dismissively. "Get out of my sight."
I left quickly, hearing Mother arguing with him as I walked away.
Brennan caught up with me in the hallway. "Aldric, wait."
I stopped, turning to face him.
His expression was conflicted. "I... look, Father's harsh, but maybe the Association made a mistake? Or maybe your affinity will develop late?"
Sweet kid. Trying to make me feel better about something that was completely intentional on my part.
"Maybe," I said quietly. "Thanks, Brennan."
He squeezed my shoulder and left.
I walked to my room, closed the door, and let out a long breath.
Phase one complete.
The next three months were carefully orchestrated theater.
I "tried" to improve my magic. Sat in the library looking at beginner magic texts, making sure servants saw me struggling. Attempted simple spells in the practice yard, failing dramatically. Asked Brennan for help with basic mana circulation techniques that I'd mastered years ago.
Everyone watched the disappointing third son try and fail to overcome his pathetic affinity.
Father ignored me completely. Mother tried to be supportive but I could see the disappointment in her eyes. Cedric treated me like I didn't exist. Only Brennan still made an effort to be kind, which made me feel worse about the deception.
But I stuck to the plan.
At night, I continued my real training. My mana pool had grown to the size of a watermelon now, massive and dense. I practiced combat magic in my room with the windows sealed and sound-dampening spells active—fireballs the size of basketballs, water whips that could cut stone, earth spikes sharp enough to pierce armor.
My comprehension ability let me master advanced techniques that mages twice my age struggled with.
I also started developing the foundation for my future kingdom. Planning. Research. Preparation.
I studied economic theory from the library, learning about trade routes, currency systems, taxation models. I memorized maps of the empire and surrounding territories, looking for remote areas that could serve as a base. I read about different races and their cultures, thinking about who I might recruit as citizens.
The system occasionally chimed with updates.
[SKILL IMPROVED: MANA SUPPRESSION TECHNIQUE - Level 5]
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: ADVANCED ELEMENTAL MAGIC - Fire, Water, Earth, Air]
[COMPREHENSION PROGRESS: Economics (Expert), Geography (Advanced), Military Strategy (Intermediate)]
Three months passed faster than expected.
The second affinity test was even more humiliating than the first.
This time there was no celebration. Just Father, Master Horace, and me in a small side chamber. The crystal glowed the same weak brown and yellow. F-tier. No improvement whatsoever.
Master Horace looked genuinely puzzled. "I've never seen affinity completely fail to develop. Usually there's at least minor growth in young children..."
Father cut him off. "That's enough. You're dismissed."
After the mage left, Father turned to me. His face was carved from stone. "You've had your chance. Tomorrow, you'll be sent to the Thornhaven estate in the borderlands. A small staff will accompany you. You'll remain there indefinitely."
"Yes, Father."
He studied me for a long moment. "You're no son of mine. Don't use the Valmont name in public. You're simply Aldric now."
The words should have hurt. Maybe they would have if I actually cared about his approval.
"I understand."
He left without another word.
That night, Mother came to my room. Her eyes were red from crying.
"Aldric, I'm so sorry. I tried to convince him to let you stay, but—"
"It's okay, Mother." I hugged her. "Really. Maybe the borderlands will be good for me. Quiet. Away from all the pressure."
She held me tight. "You're still my son. No matter what your father says. Write to me, please?"
"I will."
It was a lie. But a kind one.
The next morning, I left before dawn.
A small carriage waited in the courtyard. My "staff" consisted of three people: Marcus, an old retired soldier who'd lost an arm in battle and been assigned this duty as a semi-retirement; Helena, a middle-aged maid who'd apparently offended someone important and was being punished with exile; and Thomas, a young clerk fresh out of training, probably assigned to me because he had no connections or prospects.
All three looked miserable.
I climbed into the carriage with one small trunk of belongings—mostly clothes and a few books. Everything else I'd need, I'd create myself.
Mother and Brennan came to see me off. Father and Cedric didn't bother.
"Be safe," Mother whispered, kissing my forehead one last time.
Brennan pressed something into my hand. A small dagger with a quality enchantment—sharpness rune, probably worth a decent amount. "For protection. Just in case."
I wanted to tell him I could probably destroy a small army by myself at this point. Instead, I said, "Thank you. I'll treasure it."
The carriage pulled away.
I watched the castle shrink in the distance, feeling nothing but relief.
Goodbye, Valmont family. Thanks for the educational five years.
The journey to Thornhaven took two weeks.
We traveled through increasingly remote territory, leaving behind paved roads for dirt paths, passing fewer and fewer settlements. The landscape changed from cultivated farmland to wild forest. Monster activity increased—we saw evidence of wolf packs, heard strange roars in the distance at night.
Marcus handled guard duty competently despite having only one arm. Helena cooked meals over campfires and maintained the camp. Thomas kept detailed records of our journey, noting landmarks and distances with obsessive precision.
I observed them carefully.
Marcus was bitter about being discarded by the duchy after years of loyal service. Helena was resentful about her exile. Thomas was just scared—this was his first real assignment and he'd been sent to the most dangerous, remote corner of the territory.
Three people who have no loyalty to the Valmont family. Perfect.
Thornhaven "estate" was a joke.
We arrived to find a run-down wooden manor house that looked like it might collapse in a strong wind. The surrounding village—if you could call it that—consisted of maybe fifteen families living in shabby cottages. The land was overgrown, the fields barely maintained.
This was where unwanted Valmont family members came to be forgotten.
Marcus whistled low. "Well. This is grim."
Helena's face was pale. "We're supposed to live here?"
Thomas just looked like he might cry.
I climbed out of the carriage and surveyed the area with my mana sense.
The region was actually rich in natural mana—the wild forest meant less human interference, allowing ambient energy to accumulate naturally. Good for cultivation. The forest itself extended for miles in every direction, largely unexplored. Perfect for hiding activities.
And the nearest real settlement was three days' ride away.
This is actually ideal.
"It's not that bad," I said, injecting false cheer into my voice. "We'll fix it up. Make it livable."
Marcus gave me a look that suggested he thought I was crazy.
Over the next month, I played the role of a naive young noble trying his best to improve his situation.
We repaired the manor house—or rather, Marcus and some hired village workers did while I "supervised." Helena established basic household routines. Thomas tried to organize what passed for local administration.
The villagers were wary at first. They'd been abandoned here for years with minimal support from the duchy. But I made efforts to be friendly. Learned their names. Asked about their problems. Promised to help improve conditions.
Small gestures. Building goodwill.
I also explored the forest extensively, claiming I was "practicing magic" or "gathering herbs." Really, I was scouting the area, mapping the terrain with my mana sense, looking for the perfect location for my future kingdom.
Two months after arriving at Thornhaven, I found it.
Deep in the forest, about a day's hard walk from the estate, hidden behind a ridge of steep hills—a valley. Natural, defensible, with a freshwater river running through it. Rich soil. Abundant wildlife. And most importantly, completely isolated.
This is it. My kingdom's birthplace.
Now I just needed to stage my death and disappear.
That part required careful planning.
The forest was known for monster attacks. Direwolves, razor-back boars, occasionally something worse. People who ventured too deep sometimes didn't come back.
I spent a week tracking a particularly aggressive direwolf pack, learning their patterns. Then I "accidentally" led them near the estate during one of my "training sessions."
The attack happened at dusk.
I'd told Marcus I was going to practice earth magic near the forest edge. He'd protested but I'd insisted, playing the stubborn young noble.
The wolves came right on schedule.
Six of them, each the size of a small horse, with glowing red eyes and fangs like daggers. They surrounded me, snarling.
I screamed convincingly.
Marcus came running, sword drawn despite having only one arm. "Get back to the house!"
I "ran" but made sure to stumble, falling dramatically. The wolves closed in.
Marcus fought bravely. He managed to injure one wolf before the pack overwhelmed him. He went down hard, blood spreading across the dirt.
I let one wolf get close, its jaws snapping at my throat.
Then I released just enough real magic to create an explosion.
A massive burst of fire and force erupted, throwing wolves in every direction, setting trees ablaze. The kind of desperate, uncontrolled magic a panicked F-tier mage might accidentally unleash in their final moments.
In the chaos and smoke, I used earth magic to create a duplicate body—compressed dirt and stone shaped to look like me, complete with my clothes and even false blood. I positioned it in the center of the blast zone, burned and mangled beyond easy recognition.
The real me disappeared into the forest, invisible and silent.
Behind me, I heard Helena and Thomas arrive, screaming.
They'd find Marcus badly wounded but alive. They'd find my "body." They'd report back to the duchy that young Lord Aldric had been killed by monsters, dying in a tragic magic accident while trying to save his guard.
Father would probably be relieved. One less embarrassment.
I ran through the forest using enhancement magic to boost my speed, covering the distance to the hidden valley in just a few hours instead of a full day.
When I finally stopped, standing at the edge of my future kingdom, I dropped all pretenses.
The suppression technique released.
My full mana pool expanded, vast and powerful. The air around me shimmered with released energy. Magic flowed through me like a river finally allowed to flood its banks.
I was five years old.
I had the magical power of an A-tier mage.
I had infinite comprehension.
I had modern knowledge from an advanced civilization.
And I was completely, gloriously free.
[MILESTONE ACHIEVED: ESCAPED SUPERVISION]
[KINGDOM BUILDING QUEST ACTIVATED]
[CURRENT OBJECTIVE: ESTABLISH FIRST SETTLEMENT]
[REWARD: BASIC CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE PACKAGE]
Information flooded my mind. Building techniques, structural engineering, basic infrastructure—everything I needed to start creating a civilization from scratch.
I looked out over the empty valley and smiled.
"Alright then. Let's build a kingdom."