I'm the fifteenth child?

(Author: To whom it may concern... strong fan service/ecchi starts from chapter 47...)

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"(It's the year 454...)"

In the kingdom of Cross, both humans and demihumans co-existed peacefully, and the existence of Magic was an undeniable fact.

The Royal Capital was home to the royal family, the Alufilia Banst Cross, who resided in a large mansion situated at the apex of the city. Despite the long and seemingly unnecessary name, each word held significant meaning.

"(Greetings, I am Lumiere Venrite Alufilia Banst Cross. However, I'm not permitted to use the family's last name due to my mother's status as a mistress.

And even worse, I'm the fifteenth child of the King.)" (Lumiere)

To comprehend this, it was necessary to understand the succession protocol in the Cross Kingdom. Allow me to provide a not so detailed explanation on this matter.

Throughout history, the crown had traditionally been bestowed upon those with the largest army. Upon the death of the King, their eldest son would inherit control of the army and subsequently the crown. However, it must be noted that a larger army could easily disrupt the political landscape. As society progressed, the parliament established a set of rules to ensure a peaceful transfer of power from one monarch to the next.

One important thing about succession was: "Don't be a bastard."

As an illegitimate child of the King, I was considered "Naturally dead" and had no right to succession, inheritance or even the Royal family surname. This was a fact that couldn't be changed, and as such, I had accept my place in society.

While it might seem unfair, it was the law of the land.

"Lumiere! Come down here now!" (Woman)

"Coming!" (Lumiere)

I rolled out of my bed and barreled down the spiral stairs.

It wasn't uncommon for individuals to express surprise at my level of maturity, given that I was only eight years old.

However, this behavior wasn't without explanation...

I possessed a rare, magically enhanced version of the condition known as Hyperthymesia, which allowed me to recall nearly all past experiences in great detail. This included memories from my infancy, as well as minor fragments from my past life that resurfaced from time to time. These memories manifested as either esoteric terminologies or vivid experiences that I'd encountered in my previous life.

"Lumiere!" (Woman)

Now, I was in the spacious ballroom.

She stopped shouting my name when she saw me.

The woman who'd been calling me all this time was Vanessa (25, the eldest child), a real spoilsport in my honest opinion.

The reason for her perceived annoyance was in the practice of Male Primogeniture in the Cross Kingdom.

This meant that upon the death or abdication of the King, the crown was passed down to the eldest son who still lived. Unfortunately for her, as the eldest daughter, she wasn't eligible for the crown and had to concede to cute little baby brother.

"Have you disposed of the garbage?" (Vanessa)

Was she talking about me, or actual garbage this time.

"I-I haven't..." (Lumiere)

It wasn't my fault, really. I had my own things to do.

Although numerous failed attempts, I did my very best to dig deeper into the visions I'd been having lately.

I wanted to learn more about the mysterious world I dreamt of every night.

It had buildings so tall that they touched the skies, and metallic monsters they called "Cars."

The thought of it sent waves of excitement down my spine.

"Make sure you do it now! We'll be having guests tomorrow, so we have to clean up before then!" (Vanessa)

Vanessa sighed.

She was indeed right, tomorrow, was a day for Genevieve (9, the fourteenth child and fourth daughter), she was turning 10.

Birthdays were celebrated anent intervals of five years. So, she had her birthdays coming up when she was five, ten, fifteen and twenty when she'd be considered an adult.

"I'll go do it now!" (Lumiere)

There were ample number of servants to handle such menial labor, but Vanessa preferred hammering her frustrations of not ruling the kingdom on little old me.

Apparently, she believed of all the fifteen children who lived under this roof, I was the one who enjoyed our father's grace the most. Simply because he allowed me, a child born in vestry, to live and roam the royal house freely.

After a frustrating two minutes of carrying the trash out, I could finally rest. The only reason I was exhausted was because the sack of garbage was beyond my physique. Someone as small as I was wouldn't survive carrying such a thing.

We dumped our garbage in the plot of land next to the Great Market of the Royal Capital.

Because of this, some merchants occasionally ran through our trash in search of something worth selling.

After all, one man's trash is another man's treasure.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Upon returning to my room, located on the third floor at the end of the hall in our ten-story family mansion, I was struck by the opulence of the interior.

The well-furnished furniture and voluminous curtains, crafted from only the finest materials in the kingdom, were a testament to our family's wealth and taste.

As I gazed out the window, I was surprised to see Jericho (22, third child and second son) practicing his swordsmanship in the expansive courtyard below. This was a daily routine for him, and his dedication to his craft was admirable.

I waved at Jericho from where I stood.

"Brother Jericho!"

After three more shouts of his name, he realized I was waving at him.

"Oh? Lumi.." (Jericho)

That was his nickname for me.

Of all the fourteen siblings there were only five who cared about my existence. In other words, they treated me like any normal sibling despite the fact that I was born from my father's intense sexual arousal.

These five were:

The second child and first son, "Arthur",

The third child and second son, "Jericho",

The seventh child and third daughter, "Lana",

The thirteenth child and tenth son, "Micah",

The fourteenth child and fourth daughter, "Geneveive",

Well, this was how they were lined up, in order of seniority at least.

Being the first son, Arthur was to be the next in line to succeed our father as the King.

"Morning!" (Lumiere)

"Likewise, now I must resume my training!" (Jericho)

He continued waving his sword. He handled it deftly.

As I reclined on my bed, I noticed that it had been some time since I last checked my status.

For those unfamiliar with the term, allow me to demonstrate.

With a firm clap of my hands, a translucent blue board materialized before me.

"(This board serves as a visual representation of my current status, providing me with valuable information regarding my progress and achievements.)"

[Name] Lumiere Venrite Alufilia Banst Cross.

[Race] Human, [Sex] Male, [Age] Eight years old.

[Title] Bastard child, Naturally dead.

[Class] N/A

[Strength] 5/5

[Mana Points] 300/300

『Magic Arts』

Water Magic (Rank E), Plant Magic (Rank E)

『Skills』

Integral Skill: [Appraisal] (Rank F), Additional Skill: [Lung Master] (Rank E)

As a child, I possessed 300 MP, which was a promising amount for practicing magic. However, this was only due to my royal bloodline.

A Court Mage typically had at least 10,000 MP. Royals have 300 to 700 MP at age five, nobles have 200 to 650 MP, and commoners have 100 to 450 MP at the same age. Therefore, I wasn't particularly special.

Still this made me come to the conclusion that my mother was either a commoner or the offspring of a noble and a commoner.

If only I knew who she was, then I'd be able to confirm for myself whether or not my conclusion was right. But, anytime I brought it up while discussing with my father, he'd shut it down almost instantly.

Hence, I'd never met my mother.

...

At the age of five, children not only celebrated their first birthday but also unlocked their status and could see the quantification of their magical aptitude.

My sister, Genevieve, had already celebrated her status unlock five years ago. As a bastard child, I was naturally ignored in social gatherings and didn't celebrate my birthday or status unlock.

However, my father kindly hosted a small party for me.

Either way, bastard child or not, I didn't care.

It was all going to change today. Why? I planned to educate myself on magic the best I could.

Sure, I wouldn't have any titles, not even the lowest one. Still, it didn't stop me from being the best me I could.

"(Alright! I'll do it! I'll live this life without regrets, without a doubt!)"

I had until I was twenty to make the most of my life.

At the age of twenty, you're considered an adult, and naturally one could still live as an unemployed royal bum under the royal family's mansion.

But my case was different.

In order to avoid anymore controversies, an agreement was made beforehand that I would be ejected from the royal premises when I was of age.

I had to make sure I didn't fail myself. There wasn't ample time.