How a Catastrophe-Level Magician Lives

“Darling!”
“Madam, please calm down…!”
“Calm down? How can I calm down in this situation!”
The one lashing out angrily at the person trying to calm her was none other than the first wife of House Phoenix.

A middle-aged woman in a red dress holding a fan in one hand. It was Lady Orleans.

Currently, all the siblings had returned to the family after hearing the news that the head of the family was critically ill.

Alcas, the second son of House Phoenix with red hair, who had grown to nineteen years old by now, stepped forward and spoke:

“Hey. You really can’t figure out the cause?”

The question was directed at none other than the elderly healer who was also the family’s chief physician.

“…Regrettably, it’s an abnormal condition I’ve never seen before. However, one thing I could determine is that currently, the Head of the Family’s body is rejecting and blocking all external interventions on its own.”
“What? Are you saying Father is deliberately refusing treatment!?”
“P-Please calm down. I don’t know why either. Whether this phenomenon is occurring due to the Head’s own will, or if his body is automatically resisting and fighting against it. As far as I can guess with my limited knowledge… my opinion is that the Head seems to be fighting against something external that has invaded his body.”
“…A guess? You’re guessing? You bastard! And you call yourself the family physician!? A physician should be able to determine the exact diagnosis and condition! What? A gueeess!?”
“Ack! What are you doing! Young Master Alcas!”

Alcas grabbed the collar of the chief physician who was sitting in a chair by the Head’s bedside, forcibly lifting him from his seat.

At that moment, someone approached from behind Alcas and grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

“Please calm down, Second Brother. This won’t change anything, will it? I don’t think this is the time for such behavior, at least for now.”

The person who stopped the rough Alcas and spoke was a young man with noble features who looked like a young lord of sixteen years old.

It was Albert, the third son of House Phoenix, with blonde hair and green eyes.

“Albert! How dare you try to lecture me!”
“That’s not what I meant. Please calm down, Brother.”
“Calm down!? You’re telling me to calm down in this situation!”
“That’s enough.”
“…!”

The one who silenced the agitated Alcas with a single cold word was none other than the eldest son of House Phoenix. The first son, Iolus, who had become a proper adult of twenty-four years old, with blue hair and red eyes. Strangely, his hair color was different from his mother, Lady Orleans. Lady Orleans, the first wife of the family, had golden hair in an upswept noble lady-like hairstyle.

“B-But! Brother…!”
“Alcas. Do you want me to repeat myself twice?”
“……”

When he spoke like that, staring at Alcas with a cold gaze, Alcas, who was about to say something, shut his mouth and fell silent.

This clearly showed what kind of relationship existed between the two brothers.

‘To think that Alcas would become so docile, as if he’d tucked his tail between his legs.’

The one standing at the very back by the door behind them was none other than Frey, who was beside Lady Rena.

Currently, not only Lady Rena but also young Reina and the family’s head butler, the elderly Simon, were present in the situation.

Aina was not visible.

It was presumed that she was waiting somewhere outside, as this was a family matter.

At that moment, Lady Orleans, who was by the bedside where the Head of the Family lay unconscious, turned to the group, opened her fan with a snap, and spoke while covering her mouth:

“It seems we have no choice. We don’t know when your father will regain consciousness and wake up. We can’t just keep watching like this. For the time being, I will temporarily take over the family affairs in place of the collapsed Head.”
“””….”””

No one voiced any opposition to this.

It was natural, if anything.
According to imperial law, when the Head of the Family was unavoidably absent, it was common practice for the family affairs to be handled by the first wife if no official heir had been designated as the young lord of the family yet.

Currently, the heir of House Phoenix had not been officially determined.

Normally, it would be right for the eldest son, blue-haired Iolus, to become the heir.

For some reason, however, the Head had not yet selected his first and eldest son Iolus as the heir.

“Sigh… It can’t be helped. I’ll leave it to you. Mother.”
“Very well.”

In response to Alcas’s words, Lady Orleans answered and then, folding her luxurious fan that she had opened with a snap, spoke once more to the group:

“Then, I will go to your father’s, the Head’s, office now. Inform me if you find out the cause. Chief Physician.”
“I will follow your orders…”

After saying that to the chief physician beside her, who looked relieved, she walked towards Frey and Lady Rena by the door to leave the room.

Swish.

“……”

As she passed by Lady Rena, the second wife, Lady Orleans stopped for a moment and glanced sideways at Reina, who was hiding behind Lady Rena, clutching her skirt.

The next gaze was directed at Frey, who was standing quietly beside them, looking at Lady Orleans.

“Hmph!”
Snorting, Lady Orleans finally passed by them completely.
The person who had tried to calm Lady Orleans earlier also followed.

The head butler, Simon, who was waiting by the door, opened it for her and bowed deeply with one hand on his chest, so Lady Orleans was able to leave the room without even opening the door herself.

“……”

Those left in the room now were the head butler Simon guarding the door with his back to it, the chief physician,

The second wife Lady Rena and her daughter Reina,

And the other four brothers.

Although they were all from the same family and bound by the fence of being family, it was truly a rare occasion for all of them to gather in one place like this.

Moreover, since the eldest son Iolus and the second son Alcas did not look upon Lady Rena and her children, Frey and Reina, with favorable eyes,

After Lady Orleans left, only an uncomfortable silence descended, without a single word spoken.

At that moment, breaking the strange silence, Lady Rena spoke first to Frey:

“Frey. Would you look after Reina? I’d like to visit your father for a moment.”
“…I understand.”

Frey complied obediently.

He had never refused a request from his mother in his entire life.

“Reina. Come here.”
“Okay…”

Reina, who had been quiet due to the atmosphere, carefully took her brother Frey’s outstretched hand and approached to nestle against him.

Lady Rena, after confirming this, carefully approached the bedside of the Head, who lay unconscious with his eyes closed and beads of sweat on his forehead.

“Tch…!”

At this, the second son Alcas clicked his tongue as if displeased and strode towards the door where Frey was to leave the room.

It seemed he had been behaving because there were watchful eyes, and he couldn’t treat Lady Rena carelessly like before. After all, he had been severely punished by the Head when caught for that incident before.

However, Alcas didn’t forget to glare once at Frey, who was standing quietly by the door, with eyes full of hostility as he left.

After the second son Alcas had completely left, Lady Rena gave a grateful look to Albert, the third son with curly blonde hair who had courteously stepped aside, and then approached the bedside of the unconscious Head. She stood there for a while, looking down at the unconscious Head with her hands neatly clasped in front of her skirt.

“…Darling.”

The gaze looking down at the Head was clearly that of a wife towards her husband.

Seeing this, the expression of Frey, who was watching from a distance behind, suddenly became tinged with an indescribable look.

“Hey! It’s been a while, Frey! You’ve become quite mature since I last saw you!”
“Brother Albert.”

After that incident, the one walking down the corridor with a view of the rain-drenched scenery outside the window was Frey.

And the person who called out to him in a friendly manner with a smile was none other than his immediate elder brother.

The third son, Albert.

Frey turned around, saw Albert, and spoke first:

“It’s been a while, Brother. How is your academy life here? Is it manageable?”

To his question, Albert answered with one hand on his hip and winking one eye:
“Well! It is. I’m confident I can adapt well wherever I go. But more importantly, how about you? Your life in a foreign country? Since it’s your first time in a foreign land, isn’t there a lot that’s inconvenient in many ways?”
“It’s the same everywhere people live, here or there.”
“Hahaha! I knew you’d say something like that! Still acting like an old man! So, have you made any girl friends there?”
“…Brother. Is that a question? Of course…”

It was then.

“Frey.”
“?”
“?”

Albert’s gaze had already naturally shifted to behind Frey, sensing someone approaching.

Frey also turned around towards the direction of the voice calling him.

And what he saw was:

“…Wow. I was joking, but it feels like I’ve been hit hard on the back of the head.”

Muttering that and then grinning, Albert’s voice was accompanied by the sight of:

Aina, dressed in a white dress showcasing her pure beauty, with her hair styled differently than usual, beautifully braided over one shoulder.

“How is it…? Does it suit me? Frey’s mother prepared it for me.”
“……”

Albert looked at Frey, who had strangely frozen while staring at Aina with his back turned to Albert.

He just smiled slyly once, with a look that seemed to say, “I wonder what kind of expression this guy is making right now?”