Diusir dari Keluarga di Usia 8 Tahun - 01

Diusir dari Keluarga karena Bakat Sihir Produksi, Malah Dapat Desa Terpencil yang Bisa Disulap Jadi Kota Benteng?

"Tidak punya bakat sama sekali pada Empat Elemen Sihir? Masa iya, dari keluarga bangsawan Marquis ada anak seekor ini."

Itu adalah kata-kata ayahku, tepat setelah hasil tes bakat sihirku keluar.

Di dunia ini, sihir itu hal biasa. Makanya, setiap anak yang menginjak usia delapan tahun wajib dites. Alasannya, dulu pernah ada banyak tragedi karena anak-anak dites bakatnya terlalu dini, jadi sekarang sudah jadi pantangan untuk melakukannya sebelum umur delapan tahun.

Nah, bakat sihir yang dianggap 'pantas' untuk bangsawan cuma dua: Sihir Empat Elemen (buat perang) dan Sihir Penyembuhan (buat perlindungan). Soalnya, dua jenis sihir inilah yang bisa dipakai buat melindungi keluarga dan wilayah kekuasaan.

Sedangkan sisanya? Dianggap nggak pantas. Ada Sihir Pencuri yang bisa nguras tenaga, mana, atau barang lawan. Sihir Transformasi yang mengubah tubuh. Sihir Pengendali Pikiran yang pakai suara atau cahaya. Sihir Penilai yang bisa liat detail orang atau benda. Sihir Boneka yang bisa ngatur boneka atau mayat. Dan masih banyak lagi.

Nah, Sihir Produksi yang menjadi bakatku ini juga masuk daftar 'nggak pantas' buat bangsawan.

Sihir Produksi itu ya bikin barang, kayak alkemi. Masalahnya, sihir ini butuh mana yang sangat besar, tapi hasil yang didapat biasanya kecil dan nggak sebanding. Kebanyakan penggunanya cuma bisa bikin pedang atau perhiasan dari bahan yang sudah ada. Memang ada sih yang bisa menciptakan barang baru, tapi itu sangat langka.

Terus, poin terpentingnya: orang tanpa bakat Sihir Produksi juga bisa kok bikin barang-barang itu. Penemu nggak perlu bakat sihir, pandai besi juga nggak perlu bakat sihir. Jadi, pengguna Sihir Produksi itu dianggap yang paling sial di antara para penyihir.

Bakat sihir itu urusan genetik. Kalau orang tua punya Sihir Empat Elemen, kemungkinan anaknya juga punya bakat sama bisa lebih dari 50%. Apalagi kalau kakek-neneknya juga sama, bisa sampai 70% lebih.

Makanya, bangsawan punya tradisi kuat buat menikahi sesama pengguna Sihir Empat Elemen. Kalau satu keluarga semuanya pengguna Empat Elemen, hampir 100% anak-anaknya juga akan punya bakat itu.

Lama-lama, tradisi ini jadi kaku banget. Punya anak dengan bakat selain Empat Elemen atau Penyembuhan bisa jadi aib besar buat keluarga bangsawan. Mungkin untuk bangsawan kecil atau ksatria, hal ini nggak terlalu jadi masalah. Tapi di keluarga besarku, aturan ini dijunjung setinggi langit, kayak kitab suci.

"Keluarga kita ini keluarga petarung," ayahku melanjutkan. "Aku sendiri yang mengangkat derajat keluarga Fertio dari Count menjadi Marquis berkat kemampuan tempurku. Karena itu aku menikahi ibumu, Mira, seorang penyihir api yang sangat kuat. Tujuannya jelas, untuk meningkatkan kualitas sihir di garis keturunan kita. Ibumu adalah istri dan ibu yang baik, tapi sayang, tubuhnya lemah, berbanding terbalik dengan kekuatan sihirnya. Kalian berempat, putra-putraku, adalah harapan terakhirku."

Ayahku, Marquis Jalpa Bull Ati Fertio, bicara dengan wajah getir.

[Ibuku, Mira, meninggal saat aku berusia lima tahun. Ayah memang punya istri kedua dan ketiga, tapi anehnya, hanya ibuku yang melahirkan anak laki-laki.]

Kekecewaan ayahku waktu ibu meninggal sangat besar. Sejak itu, pendidikan kami berempat jadi jauh lebih keras dan ketat.

Kakak tertua, Murcia, mewarisi bakat angin dari nenek dari pihak ibu. Sedangkan kakak kedua dan ketiga, sesuai harapan ayah, punya bakat api. Murcia yang saat itu berusia tiga belas tahun dan sedang disiapkan jadi pewaris, sering direndahkan oleh dua adiknya yang puja-puji ayah karena bakat apinya. Tapi itu malah bikin Murcia bekerja lebih keras, sampai rela begadang demi membuktikan diri. Hasilnya, meski bakatnya bukan yang 'ideal', ayah akhirnya mengakuinya juga dan posisinya sebagai pewaris nggak goyah. Kakak kedua dan ketiga kesal, tapi mereka cuma bisa nyinyir soal perbedaan umur, sementara perundungan tetap saja terjadi.

Di tengah situasi itu, giliranku, anak bungsu yang berusia delapan tahun, menjalani tes bakat. Dari kecil aku sudah dibilang berbeda, jadi ekspektasi ayahku sebenarnya cukup tinggi.

Tapi... hasilnya mengecewakan. Bakatku adalah Sihir Produksi, level terendah.

Ayahku kecewa berat. Kakak kedua dan ketiga yang selama ini waswas padaku, sampai ketawa senang. Murcia, kakak sulungku, cuma bisa prihatin.

"Hebat, ya, pengguna sihir produksi! Pasti dia akan memimpin keluarga bangsawan kita ke puncak tertinggi... lah, masak iya sih. Masa depan apa yang bisa-"

Belum selesai ayahku bicara dengan nada yang mulai nggak enak, Murcia memotongnya sambil tersenyum.

"Ah! Ayahanda, bukankah kita punya desa terpencil itu? Desa di wilayah kita yang nggak berkembang gara-gara lokasinya susah. Bagaimana kalau desa itu diserahkan saja ke Van?" [Van adalah panggilanku.]

"Desa yang nggak punya nama itu? Untuk apa?"

Ayahku heran, Murcia menjawab dengan tenang.

"Desa itu berbatasan dengan Kerajaan Yelinetta. Di sisi lainnya, berbatasan dengan wilayah milik Count Ferdinand. Jaraknya memang jauh dari pusat, tapi posisinya strategis, bisa jadi benteng pertahanan. Intinya, desa itu punya nilai penting secara militer. Bahkan selama ini sering dipakai buat latihan ekspedisi menghadapi Count Ferdinand, jadi sudah kayak pos militer gitu."

"Aku tahu itu. Penduduk asli di sana cuma sekitar seratus orang. Nggak ada hasil bumi spesial. Di utara ada Pegunungan Wolfsburg yang isinya monster kuat banget, kita bahkan nggak bisa berburu di sana. Wilayah itu dulu direbut dari Count Ferdinand pas kita naik pangkat, dan dia pasti masih dendam. Makanya, kirimannya suka ganggu desa itu."

Ayahku memotong penjelasan Murcia, lalu tiba-tiba matanya berbinar.

"Oh...! Paham! Maksudmu, kalau desa terpencil itu kita kasih ke Van, kita jadi punya alasan buat menempatkan pasukan ksatria di dekat perbatasan Count itu. Ditambah lagi, wilayah itu memang belum sepenuhnya setia sama kita. Kalau anak kandungku sendiri yang ditugaskan di sana, meskipun cuma formalitas... Paham. Ide bagus, Murcia. Akhirnya ada juga gunanya anak yang nggak berguna ini."

Murcia langsung menunduk dalam-dalam memberi hormat.

Begitulah, ayahku memerintahkan aku untuk jadi penguasa di desa perbatasan itu. Ayah dan kedua kakakku yang lagi senang pergi meninggalkan ruangan, menyisakan aku dan Murcia.

"Kakak..."

Begitu aku panggil, senyum Murcia langsung luntur, berganti ekspresi sedih. Dia mendekat, lalu membungkukkan badannya di depanku, dia yang sepuluh tahun lebih tua, minta maaf.

"Maafkan aku, Van. Aku yakin kamu akan jadi bangsawan yang bijaksana dan mampu meski tanpa sihir hebat. Makanya aku nekat ngajuin usul itu ke ayah. Kamu boleh kok benci aku."

Aku cekikikan denger penjelasannya yang kikuk itu, lalu geleng-geleng kepala.

"Justru kakak udah nyelametin aku, 'kan? Kalau nggak ada kakak, bisa jadi mereka udah ngurung aku, atau bahkan dibunuh. Paling parah, mungkin lidahku dipotong dan dijadiin budak. Bisa saja itu terjadi. Aku nggak akan sia-siain kesempatan yang kakak kasih di saat genting ini."

Mendengar jawabanku, Murcia tertegun, matanya membelalak.

"...Sepertinya Van memang jenius juga, ya. Mungkin keluarga ini bakal menyesal karena sudah mengirimmu ke perbatasan."

Aku bilang sambil tersenyum getir, dan Murcia menatapku lekat-lekat dengan wajah serius.

"Aku tahu kemampuanku terbatas, tapi aku akan lakukan yang terbaik. Meski cuma sedikit... demi Van..."

"Makasih, Kak."

Aku jawab sambil tersenyum, dan Murcia tertawa kecil.

"Kamu memang anak yang aneh. Dari kecil kamu tuh kayak bisa baca pikiran orang dewasa, dan cara belajarmu juga dalam. Itu sering diceritain sama Kepala Pelayan Espada dan pelayan pribadimu, Till, dengan senang."

Kata Murcia dengan nada bahagia, matanya menyipit nostalgia.

Kicked Out at Eight for Being a "Useless" Production Mage, Now I'm Getting a Whole Village?

"No aptitude for any of the Four Elemental Magics? To think that I would see such a failure within a marquis' house."

That's what my father said. Right there, in front of everyone, after my magic aptitude test results came in.

See, in this world, magic is pretty much everywhere. That's why, when you turn eight, you get tested. It's a whole thing. They used to test kids younger than that, but apparently, it caused a bunch of tragedies back in the day. So now, eight is the magic number.

Now, for nobles like my family, there are only two types of magic that are considered 'acceptable': Four-Element Magic (the combat kind) and Healing Magic (the protective kind). These are the ones you use to, you know, actually protect your family and your land.

Everything else? Yeah, not so much. There's magic that steals stuff – energy, magical power, even objects. Magic that transforms your body. Magic that brainwashes people with sounds or lights. Magic that lets you see every little detail about a person or thing. Magic that controls puppets or even corpses. The list goes on.

And guess what? Production Magic, the kind I ended up with? Also on the 'not suitable for a noble' list.

Production Magic is all about... well, producing things. It's like alchemy. The problem is, it uses up a ton of magical power, but what you actually get out of it is usually pretty small potatoes. Most people with this talent just end up making basic stuff like swords or jewelry from materials that are already there. Sure, there are rare cases of people inventing new things, but they're, well, rare.

The real kicker? People without any magic talent at all can do the same stuff. An inventor doesn't need magic. A blacksmith doesn't need magic. So, yeah, Production Magic users are pretty much considered the unluckiest mages out there.

Magic talent is all about genetics. If your parents have Four-Element Magic, there's more than a 50% chance you'll have it too. If your grandparents also had it? That chance jumps to over 70%.

That's why nobles have this long-standing tradition of marrying other Four-Element Magic users. If you've got a whole family of them, it's almost 100% certain the kids will have the same talent.

Over time, this tradition got super rigid. Having a kid with any talent other than Four-Element or Healing Magic became a huge disgrace for a noble house. Maybe for smaller, local nobles or knights, it's not such a big deal. But in a family like mine? This rule is treated like the absolute truth, like something out of a holy book.

"My family is a military family," my father continued. "It was my own combat prowess that elevated our Fertio family from counts to marquises. That's why I married your mother, Mira – a fire mage stronger than even some barons. It was to strengthen the magical power in our lineage. She was a good wife and mother, but sadly, her body was weak, the complete opposite of her magical power. The four of you, my sons, are my last hope."

My father, Marquis Jalpa Bull Ati Fertio, said all this with a bitter look on his face.

[My mother, Mira, died when I was five. My father did take a second and third wife, but strangely, my mother was the only one who bore him sons.]

The disappointment when my mother died hit my father hard. After that, the education for us four boys became much stricter and more intense.

My oldest brother, Murcia, inherited our grandmother's wind magic. But my second and third brothers, just as our father hoped, got fire magic. Murcia, who was thirteen at the time and being trained as the heir, was constantly put down by our two younger brothers, who were doted on by our father for their 'ideal' talent. But instead of breaking him, it just made Murcia work even harder. He'd even cut into his sleep just to study and train. In the end, despite not having the 'ideal' talent, he proved himself and our father finally acknowledged him. His position as heir was secure. The second and third brothers weren't happy about it, but all they could do was make snide remarks about our age difference. The bullying, though, never really stopped.

Right in the middle of all that family drama, it was my turn. I was eight, the youngest, and about to get my magic aptitude tested. I'd always been told I was a bit different, so honestly, I think my father had some pretty high hopes for me.

But... well, the results were a letdown. My talent? Production Magic. The lowest tier.

My father was crushed. My second and third brothers, who had been kinda wary of me, were practically grinning. Murcia, my oldest brother, just looked at me with sympathy.

"Amazing, a production magic user! Surely he'll lead our noble house to even greater heights... yeah, right. Like, what future could he possibly—"

Before our father could finish that sentence – and it was starting to sound really bad – Murcia cut in with a smile.

"Father! Don't we have that remote village? The one in our territory that's been struggling to develop because of its location? Why don't we just... give it to Van?" [Van is me, the main character.]

"That nameless village? What for?"

Our father looked confused, and Murcia answered calmly.

"That village borders the Kingdom of Yelinetta. On the other side, it borders Count Ferdinand's territory. It's pretty far from the capital, sure, but its location is strategically important – it could be used as a defensive fortress. Basically, that village has military value. In fact, it's been used so often for training expeditions against Count Ferdinand that it's practically a military outpost already."

"I know all that. There are only about a hundred locals living there. They have no special resources. To the north are the Wolfsburg Mountains, packed with monsters so strong we can't even hunt there for resources. We took that territory from Count Ferdinand when our family was elevated, and he's definitely still holding a grudge. That's why his knights keep harassing the place."

Father cut off Murcia's explanation, then suddenly his eyes lit up.

"Oh...! I get it! You're saying if we give that remote village to Van, we'll have a legitimate reason to station our own knights near Count Ferdinand's border. Plus, that area isn't exactly loyal to us yet. If my own son is posted there, even if it's just a formality... I see. That's perfect, Murcia. Finally, a use for the useless one."

Murcia bowed deeply in response.

And that's how my father ordered me to become the lord of that border village. My father and my two other brothers, all in a good mood, left the room, leaving just me and Murcia.

"Brother..."

The moment I called out to him, Murcia's earlier smile vanished, replaced by a sad expression. He walked over to me, then bowed his head – him, ten years older than me – and apologized.

"I'm sorry, Van. I truly believe you'll be a wise and capable noble, even without powerful magic. That's why I made that seemingly reckless proposal to Father. It's okay if you hate me for it."

I couldn't help but chuckle at his awkward explanation. I shook my head.

"Brother, you just saved me, didn't you? If you hadn't stepped in, they might have locked me away, or even killed me. Worst-case scenario, they could have cut out my tongue and sold me as a slave. That was a real possibility. I'm not going to waste this chance you've given me, especially not in a situation this desperate."

Hearing my answer, Murcia was stunned. His eyes went wide.

"...I guess Van really is a genius after all. Maybe our family will regret sending you away to the border one day."

I said that with a wry smile, and Murcia looked at me intently, his face serious.

"I know I don't have much power, but I'll do whatever I can. Even if it's just a little... for your sake, Van..."

"Thanks, big brother."

I smiled as I answered, and he let out a small, dry laugh.

"You've always been such a strange kid. Ever since you were little, it's like you could read adults' minds. The way you study and think is so deep. Head Butler Espada and your personal maid, Till, have been happily telling me stories about you for a long time."

Murcia said this happily, his eyes narrowing with nostalgia.

Terima kasih sudah mampir! Jika kamu menikmati konten ini dan ingin menunjukkan dukunganmu, bagaimana kalau mentraktirku secangkir kopi? 😊 Ini adalah gestur kecil yang sangat membantu untuk menjaga semangatku agar terus membuat konten-konten keren. Tidak ada paksaan, tapi secangkir kopi darimu pasti akan membuat hariku jadi sedikit lebih cerah. ☕️

☕ Buy Me Coffee