My Conquest of the World through Ice Magic

With Ice Magic, I Shall Conquer the World

Chapter 1: Useless

TN: Enjoy! I think this series is going to be an interesting one, based on how everyone treats the MC before he gets his powers 

Sentences are really choppy because that’s just this author’s writing style (short sentences).

A world full of swords and martial arts.

In this world, [strength] is justice.
Training and discipline, day after day.
Although I made it into a guild, for a talentless person like me, something like learning true [skill] is impossible.

“Oi oi, what’s wrong! You coward!”

“Gh…”

Guild Leader Regza’s roars resounded throughout the training arena.
My grinning comrades were watching the training session.
No, that’s not right. I’ve never thought of those guys as comrades.

“What the hell, you. What you have learned up until now!? Do you remember nothing!?”

Regza’s greataxe swung down on me.
With great difficulty, I blocked his blow using the hilt of my sword.

“Don’t block with it, dodge! What do you think a rapier is for? Do you not have any ability to analyze your situation!?”

Regza stepped towards me, greataxe in hand.
The crest engraved within the axe was glowing.

“Yeah!! Finish him!! The special technique of the Guild Leader!”

A lone voice rose from the audience.
At the same time, a sense of excitement grew within the arena.

“<Full Charge * Pound>!!”

A light began flowing out of the crest as Regza shouted.
At the same time, Regza swung the axe with all his might.
I was struck with a force that felt like it was crushing my whole body.
And then, I was blown away, crashing straight into a wall.

“Ugh…”

Unable to recover from the hit, I slowly lost consciousness.
I could hear the Guild Leader and my comrades laughing.
The powerless me had no way to respond to that mocking laughter.

— With that, I finally blacked out.

===

“Nn..”

I woke up.
But, the back of my head and abdomen were still in great pain, and I felt like I was about to faint again.

“Are you OK…? Onii-chan…?” [TN: Onii-chan = big brother]

I was face to face with a young girl.
It was my step-sister, Miria.
That is to say, I was in my house.
With great strain, I sat up.

“Ah, don’t push yourself. Zenon-sensei said you should rest for 2 or 3 days.”

“… I see.”

The doctor of a count’s family that works for the imperial household.
Maybe my bones are broken, although I wouldn’t know.
I sighed, and laid back down.

“Is Uncle not here today?”

“Mhm. He’s still on his business trip. Mother is also going to some count’s party, so tonight it”ll be just us two.”

Hanging on the edge of the bed, Miria looked really happy for some reason.
I turned away to avoid that smiling face.

It’s been 3 years since I was adopted by the Count Teremius family.
Since my parents were killed in the war, they took charge of me.
However, I was only an acquantaince, so my whereabouts were not particularly important.
2 years ago, I began working at the town’s guild as a mercenary.

“At any rate, Regza-san is really cruel, huh. Always messing with Onii-chan.”

Miria prepared a wet towel and wiped my forehead.
Perhaps she was looking after me even while I was unconscious.

She began noticing Regza’s treatment of me earlier this year – we’re a step-brother and litle sister after all.
I wonder if I should tell Count Teremius about it?
Hearing it from his own daughter, he might recognize the small problem.

“It’s fine, I can do it myself.”

“It’s okay. I want to do it, so Onii-chan just stay still. ‘Kay?”

Forced back onto the bed, I sighed resignedly.
She’s really happy to care for me, but it’s definitely not love.
I guess it’s more like, I’m her pet.
An orphaned, pitiable animal–.
A step-brother who, despite being a guild member, has not even the slightest bit of [skill].
I chewed on my lips, still avoiding Miria’s gaze.

“Hey, Onii-chan. Can’t you leave the guild and help out with Father’s work? I could ask, you know?”

“Stop it. There’s no way someone like me could aid Count Teremius. And anyways, I only got into the guild because of his recommendation.”

“Gah… Onii-chan is always like this. Never wanting to quit, and always patient.”

“…..”

Feeling like I was seeing straight through Miria’s heart, I tried to avoid her gaze once again.
The guys who joined after me would surpass me one by one, and even my juniors mocked me every day.
Why can’t I learn any [skill]?
Why, when learning new techniques, am I slower than the others?

(Damnit!)

My blood boiling, I kept chewing my lips.
Right now, there was certainly no surplus of Miria’s kindness.

I wanted to triumph.
The enemy soldiers, who snatched away my parents’ lives—.
Those guys in the guild treating me like trash—.

I cursed them in my head.
It’d be nice if they could disappear from this world.

===

Having spent a day and a half recovering, I headed back to the guild.
My body still hurt, but I might be expelled from the Count’s family if I were absent any longer.
Without a decent income, I really had nowhere else to go.

“So, you’re finally back.”

The guild door opened, and Regza’s voice immediately greeted me.
The skinheaded and swarthy guild leader – the [Greataxe] really suits him.
An old friend of Count Teremius, Regza was the person whom I was sent to work for.

“… Where is everyone?”

Behind the counter and at the tables, there was no sign of any guild members around.
I sat down on a nearby chair and glanced at a notice on the bulletin board.

“There was an important meeting. You were absent, but everyone else went. We couldn’t leave this place empty though, so I stayed behind as a caretaker.”

So said Regza, as he stood there unsteadily with a wine bottle in his hand.
“Caretaker”, huh?
He just forced his underlings to do a job he didn’t like, and spent his whole day drinking, right?

“Whaaat? That discontent face. You wanna go through more hellish training? Hahh?”

Regza’s face, reeking of alcohol, was too close.
Anyways, there was nothing interesting there.
Thinking of some excuse, I prepared to make my way out.

“Leaving already? You have work to prepare for too ya know?”

“Eh?”

I couldn’t believe my ears.
Just now, what did he say?
“You have work”?
For me?

“You’ve worked here for almost 2 years, right? Although normally our members are ready for action within half a year, you haven’t made any progress. Aren’t you embarrassed? You are a member of the Teremius family, after all.”

“… Did Count Teremius say something?”

Sighing, I got up from my seat.
It was pretty unusual for me to get any work.
After too many disappointments, the Count probably asked Regza to give me any easy job.
Or maybe, Miria asked the Count?
“Won’t you please give my poor brother some work?” or something like that.

“Hah, very insightful. Happy, aren’t ya? To have some work.”

He violently handed over a work request for the guild.
I unhappily read the contents.

====================
[Requester]
Gernold Teremius
[Request Contents]
Eliminate the [Big Sleeping Hare] deep inside Vizend Cave.
Retrieve and deliver the drop item [Big Sleeping Hare’s Light Purple Pelt].
[Reward]
500 Gold
====================

“Ha ha ha! A fun job, right? Hunting a sleeping hare in a deep cavern! The perfect job for you!”

Regza’s loud voice rang out as he took another swig from his wine bottle.
Tightly gripping the request, I got ready to go.

“Are you going? Well, you gotta, right? After all, it’s a request from Gernold himself! As if you could decline! Gahaha!”

Without replying, I opened the door and walked out.
Behind me, I could still hear Regza loudly laughing.

(What an idiot!)

I might as well leave this town now.
You see, the [Big Sleeping Hare], well, it’s a monster so docile that even a woman could beat it.
The drop item, [Big Sleeping Hare’s Light Purple Pelt], is an item that’s neither unusual nor special. It’s commonly used in trade because of how easy it is to obtain.
And yet, Count Teremius still sent me to Vizend Cave to get it.
My entire job, is to just kill the hare and retrieve its drop.
Basically, they’re making me look like an idiot.
I think that even I could easily defeat a [Big Sleeping Hare].

(Damn it, damn it, damn it…!)

Suppressing my desire to shout in anger, I began heading towards the town’s eastern gate.
Vizend Cave is a small cave a short stroll away from the town.
Since all the dangerous monsters here have been exterminated by the guild, the journey is a safe one.
Better get this stupid task over quickly.

Almost unable to control my anger, I departed from the town.