Became The Greatest Genius In History

Chapter 1 – What can I help with?

As a human living in the 21st century, everyone hopes to be born with a silver spoon in their mouth.

Life is easier when your parents are wealthy.

When you walk the well-paved road laid out like train tracks without worrying about making a living, life becomes easier—truly what you’d call living on easy mode.

I once dreamed of being born with a silver spoon too.

Of course, I quickly abandoned such dreams as they were unrealistic stories that only happen in novels, but anyway.

I was an ordinary office worker.

I had saved about two thousand after working at a small company for three years, and I was a man destined to grow old and die slowly while being self-sufficient, reading web novels, or playing games.

I was satisfied with my life.

I could have said I would have no regrets if I grew old and died like this.

If a nuclear bomb hadn’t suddenly fallen from the sky, I could have said my life was happy.

‘Fuck.’

It was an enormous bomb launched by that old pig located in the north of our country.

I don’t know if he accidentally pressed it while trying to order a cola, or if he had gone senile.

The reason was unknown.

I died while watching the scene of the bomb exploding.

And I was reborn with a silver spoon.

In another world where magic and monsters exist.

***

I became aware of my past life two weeks ago.

They say it’s the turbulent period when puberty hits—I wish I had realized it a little earlier.

‘Young Master Esther. The head of the family is calling for you.’

‘Is that so?’

In this world, my name is Esther Tristida.

Although it’s very different from Korean naming conventions, having lived as Esther Tristida for 15 years already, this name feels much more comfortable than my name from before my past life.

I was the youngest son of the Tristida family.

The Tristida family is nobility in the Kingdom of Ostana.

They weren’t powerful high nobles who exerted influence over the nation, but they were a prestigious family that had continued for 500 years since the kingdom’s establishment.

They owned one direct territory and possessed considerable wealth from the abundant resources that came with it and various commercial facilities.

Though not as prestigious as the Royal Academy, I know they also established their own independent academy within their territory and retained many talented individuals.

‘Father called for me?’

‘Yes, he did.’

‘Wasn’t he uninterested in me…?’

Despite being born into a considerably wealthy family, it was ambiguous to simply call me a silver spoon.

In ordinary families, the youngest children are usually cherished, but it was different in the Tristida family.

The Tristida family was strictly meritocratic.

No matter how much money they had, they were merciless to children without talent.

It was the policy of our father and head of the family, Porto.

I was assigned the smallest room in the mansion because I was considered the least talented among my siblings.

I only had one maid standing before me, who could be considered my attendant.

It seems my other siblings have knight escorts, which is truly discriminatory treatment.

Still, it was more spacious than a 5-pyeong studio apartment.

I remember feeling a bit pitiful before regaining memories of my past life, but now I’m quite satisfied.

Three proper meals a day, lounging in a warm bed, and reading books in the study.

The etiquette and swordsmanship training sessions were boring and painful, but still bearable.

The maid blinked.

‘I thought so too.’

For reference, this impertinent maid’s name was Dalfi.

She became my personal maid about a week after I regained memories of my past life.

She’s a grateful person who willingly applied for the position of the youngest son’s servant that no one wanted after my previous maid caused trouble and quit.

‘Why?’

‘Because you’re incompetent.’

I take that back.

What a nasty person…

‘No magical knowledge, poor swordsmanship, terrible etiquette—you’re absolutely worthless.’

Stop hitting me.

I’m well aware of these facts.

‘Dalfi.’

‘Yes.’

‘Did I perhaps cause some trouble?’

She shook her head.

‘Honestly, I’m scared. I feel like running away right now.’

‘Even if you ran away from the mansion right now, an incompetent young master like you couldn’t survive alone. Please go ahead.’

‘Perhaps it’s an order to move to a smaller room… but there’s nothing smaller than this except Poppy’s doghouse, and no matter how frugal I am, I can’t sleep in a doghouse.’

Dalfi smiled gently.

Then she pushed my back.

‘Young Master Esther has a talent for earning punishment.’

‘I admit it.’

Thus pushed by Dalfi, I moved to the family head’s room.

Dalfi bowed her head and kept her position in the hallway, while I sighed and opened the door.

Please let it be nothing serious.

Please let it be nothing serious.

I prayed in my heart, but as expected, God did not answer my prayer.

‘………’

The family head was seated at the head position.

And.

All my siblings were gathered in the family head’s room.

They waited for father’s words with stiff, rigid postures.

Even the brothers and sisters who usually showed their dislike for me kept their mouths shut.

Seeing that even my sickly second sister Haniel was present, this was clearly no ordinary matter.

I also sat in the chair with a tense expression.

‘Everyone is here.’

Porto looked at us.

I had no idea what this could be about.

‘I have something urgent to discuss with Tristida’s rising stars.’

The solemn and quiet voice of the family head immediately got to the point.

‘From this moment on, I intend to select an heir to succeed Tristida.’

‘……!!!’

My siblings’ eyes widened.

Mine did too.

Suddenly talking about selecting an heir……?

This came completely out of nowhere.

Porto was 42 years old, considered young among family heads.

The reason he had many children was because he had married two wives.

It was still too early to be selecting an heir to succeed him.

‘The method for selecting an heir is simple. From now on, you will need to pass tests prepared by the family retainers. This is a process to determine who is suitable to rule Tristida, and you will be evaluated by fair and objective standards.’

Tension hung in the family head’s chamber.

My siblings’ eyes resembled those of beasts.

Among those gathered here, there probably wasn’t a single person who didn’t covet the position of Tristida’s heir.

Not only vast wealth, but also glorious honor and the power to control everything in this territory.

Of course, I was the one with the gentlest eyes among them.

I had no desire for the family head position.

My reason was thoroughly modern—I didn’t want troublesome and difficult work.

Being a wealthy person of leisure was fine, but I didn’t want to be a wealthy busy person.

I was already busy reading books in the library and scribbling notes in my room while taking walks in the garden—why would I want to become the family head and work hard to feed the territory’s people?

Porto worked hard.

He was the kind of person who shut himself in the family head’s office day and night, constantly worrying about making the territory more prosperous.

I wasn’t sure if he was a good father, but he was definitely a good family head.

I didn’t want to live like Porto.

Ugh, it’s horrifying just to imagine.

I wanted to continue living as I was.

However.

‘At the same time, I will expel unnecessary members from the family. If you fail to meet the standard in the selection test, I will send you to the Polaris waters where fierce battles are currently taking place, as soldiers.’

It was like a bolt from the blue.

He would send his children straight to the battlefield if they didn’t pass the test?

And to a battlefield where terrifying demons waited with swords and spears ready to attack humans?

‘That’s absurd!’

To me, it was the same as being told to commit suicide.

I was more inadequate than my other siblings.

My etiquette was poor, and my swordsmanship and magic skills were terrible.

Going to the battlefield meant certain death.

Limbs would be crushed, turning into human sausage that demons loved to eat.

‘Shit.’

The family hall began to stir.

All those who carried Tristida’s blood were bewildered.

No family in the kingdom would impose such a harsh measure as sending their children to the battlefield if they failed the selection test.

‘Ah, Father, even so, that’s…’

‘The battlefield is dangerous enough, but as a private soldier? That’s no different from telling us to die.’

Porto declared sharply.

‘Those without ability deserve to die! Rather, they contribute to the glory of the motherland by sacrificing their useless lives—there can be no greater honor than that!’

‘Is this guy completely insane…?’

Porto was a man who did what he said.

He never made such statements as empty threats.

If someone failed the test, he truly intended to send his children to the battlefield.

Porto’s gaze felt particularly piercing today.

Is this what they call targeting…?

‘Aria!’

Porto called for his retainer.

Aria was a professor at Tristida Academy and a renowned mage who belonged to the Flame School.

A red-haired woman wearing a black cone-shaped hat appeared.

The woman named Aria was holding papers in her hand, which she distributed to each of us.

It was an exam paper filled with complex symbols and patterns.

I blinked my eyes.

‘What’s written on this exam paper are questions specially selected for you by Tristida Academy. Magical knowledge is essential for a family head who must resolve and control various matters. The deadline is until the full moon.’

What on earth is this?

Haniel, who was covering his mouth and coughing softly, opened his mouth.

‘These are problems related to flame magic…’

When Haniel, who had the most superior magical knowledge among the siblings, said so, everyone let out sighs.

‘It was about flame magic…?’

‘This is a magic problem…?’

That’s a relief.

I wasn’t the only one who didn’t know.

‘That’s correct. These are special problems I personally selected for all of you. Even those who have spent decades in the school find these difficult to solve. I wish you all the best.’

Aria explained kindly.

‘That is all I have to tell you. Everyone, leave.’

Porto’s order to leave came down.

We moved our steps outside the family head’s room.

The expressions of my siblings looked troubled.

‘What is Father thinking? How does he expect us to solve problems like these?’

‘He must have his reasons that we don’t understand.’

‘This is a big problem. Is there anyone who can read this question?’

Even my third older brother Felix, who greatly enjoys bullying me, was busy looking at the test paper.

Since nothing good happens when I’m mixed with my siblings, I quietly moved away.

‘Esther.’

My second older sister Haniel grabbed my wrist.

She was the only one among my siblings who treated me well.

She smiled gently.

‘Have you eaten?’

I nodded.

‘If you have any difficulties, make sure to tell your sister, cough…’

Why is she worrying about others when she’s the one suffering the most?

‘Please don’t worry about me first, sister. Go inside and rest well. You look very tired.’

‘Yes. I will.’

I sent Haniel away and joined Dalfi who was waiting in the hallway.

‘What is that paper?’

‘A test related to the successor selection.’

Dalfi blinked.

‘What?’

I told Dalfi everything that had happened in the family head’s room.

‘This is serious. Should we look for ways for you to survive on the battlefield even now?’

I shook my head.

‘There’s no need for that.’

Dalfi seemed puzzled.

‘Do you have something you’re counting on?’

I didn’t answer Dalfi’s question.

I just stared at the hologram that appeared before my eyes.

『Artificial Intelligence Service. Nob AI.』

『What can I help with?』

I have one reliable friend.

It was the smartest entity in this world that only I could talk to.