My first social gathering, at six years old, opened my eyes to how others perceived our family.
“Oh? Is that Suou…? I had no idea he was already back in Japan.”
“Is the child behind him his son? This is the first time I have ever seen him…”
“Yes, this is apparently his first social gathering. I believe his name was…Gensei. Still, for both of his parents to show absolutely no concern for their small child like that—well, I suppose that’s the Suou family for you. It’s impressive, in a way…”
“Even the boy doesn’t seem to care… He seems…relaxed, I guess you could say? He doesn’t really act like a child, though. That family truly is…”
An extremely capable, yet cold-blooded family—that was how the elites of high society viewed the Suou name. And my father, the head of the Suou family, was the very embodiment of that reputation.
“Our Suou family has protected and supported this nation for over eight-hundred years. Being born as my son into the main family of such a lineage means that you were a public servant from the moment you drew your first breath. Never forget that you exist for the public good, and never let yourself be led astray for personal gain.”
My father was flawless in every regard, bearing the dignity and burden of our prestigious lineage without the slightest imperfection; naturally, he expected nothing less from my brother and me.
“Gensei, you forgot Mr. Inoue’s name a moment ago, didn’t you? In social gatherings such as this, remembering the faces, names, family businesses, and recent affairs of the attendees is the bare minimum. Therefore, forgetting someone’s name is absolutely unacceptable. Make sure this never happens again.”
While my mother was equally capable in social settings, she was cold toward her own family at home. From the moment I was born, I had never once felt any parental affection from either of them. And yet, I never found myself resenting them or even questioning it. Though they weren’t kind, my parents were respectable figures, worthy of admiration, and never spoke anything but the truth. I looked up to them and took pride in living up to their expectations. But my brother, two years younger than me, didn’t seem to feel the same.
“Are you not frustrated?”
“Why would I be?”
“Because Mom and Dad always lecture us… My classmates’ parents all play and go shopping with them, but our parents always just…”
“But they’re ordinary families, right? We’re Suous, so you can’t even compare us. And while we’re at it, do something about that pathetic, timid way you speak.”
My brother was certainly capable and never brought shame to the Suou name, but he was also inexplicably spineless. Timid and overly cautious, he constantly observed our parents’ expressions to gauge their mood…and he observed mine as well. His behavior irritated me. It disgusted me, especially since I was painfully average, despite being the eldest son of the Suou family. If he hated being scolded and lectured so much, then why didn’t he try to work harder?
Unlike myself, cursed with mediocrity, he had everything he needed to meet our parents’ expectations and could have easily done so if he’d possessed even a shred of determination. So how dare he grumble about our parents while ignoring his own lack of effort? Surely, he was the one who’d inherited the brilliance of the Suou line, and I got their cold-bloodedness. Our parents were flawless examples of what it meant to be Suou, but fate had damned them with disappointing successors.
“The one who builds his network at Seirei Academy and succeeds in joining the First Light Committee shall become my successor.”
It was only natural, then, that my father imposed that condition in order to determine the next head of the Suou family. He had probably already seen the shortcomings in both my brother and me, and was likely considering a member from outside the main family as his successor if necessary.
“I wonder if Dad hates us?”
From then on, my brother began to voice his anxieties and frustrations more often. Maybe, in his own way, he was depending on me as his older brother, but even then, I couldn’t bring myself to sympathize with him. All I felt was disgust toward a brother who came to me with complaints I could only see as petty.
“It’s not about liking or disliking anyone. As the head of the Suou family, it’s only natural to choose the most suitable individual to become the successor. More importantly, how about you start working harder to meet our parents’ expectations if you’re worried about being hated so much?”
I kept pushing him away until eventually, he stopped speaking to me altogether. Day by day, his defiance toward our parents intensified, and before long, he began constantly running away from home.
I, however, dismissed it as nothing more than teenage rebellion and didn’t give it much thought—instead immersing myself entirely in my studies. Unlike my brother, I was painfully average, so simply keeping up with the classes at Seirei Academy was a challenge, never mind preparing to become a diplomat.
Though I was outmatched by my brother in nearly every way, there was one ability I possessed that stood above the rest: an uncanny instinct for recognizing talent. I could gauge a person’s intellect just by looking at their face and reading their expressions, assess their physical capabilities through the way they moved, and determine if they were trustworthy after a single conversation. When I spent enough time around someone, I could even pinpoint their specific strengths and the environment where they were most likely to thrive.
Thanks to this unique gift, winning over my peers at the academy came naturally. I created opportunities for the capable to shine, regardless of their background or gender, and dismantled the influence of the incompetent who had coasted on status alone. Perhaps because I myself had no exceptional talent despite being born into a prestigious family, I never discriminated based on status, either, which seemed to have worked in my favor.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for you!”
“You were the only one who saw value in me when no one else even spared me a glance. Wherever you go, I will be right there behind you.”
“You saved me. If you ever need anything, you let me know, and I will drop whatever I’m doing to help you.”
Before long, capable individuals who admired me began to rally around me, and with their support, I was able to secure a position in the First Light Committee immediately after graduating from high school, despite my own mediocrity.
“Well done, Gensei. You have lived up to your status as the Suou family’s firstborn son. I hereby recognize you as my official successor.”
“I am so proud of you. You have grown into a fine young man. Please continue to live up to the expectations that your father and I have placed upon you.”
That might have been the first time my parents praised me without reservation. Their recognition made me genuinely happy and proud. As groundwork for becoming the head of the Suou family, I pursued diplomatic studies after entering university, all while expanding my personal network. I built connections with promising individuals, sometimes investing in them, and steadily increased my influence within the First Light Committee. Meanwhile, I also searched for a suitable partner to become a diplomat’s wife and was formally introduced to several women by my parents.