After spending considerable time figuring out who he was, Luxer—now called Vonn by a concerned maid—realized he was just an extra in this novel. He couldn't recall any notable character named Vonn in The Strongest Swordsman is a Mage. Furthermore, he knew he was just an extra because of how he'd been treated so far.
Now four years old, he learned he was born into a prestigious family he recognized from the novel.
Now named Vonn Silverfein, Luxer accepted his new identity as a novel's extra. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd be in danger. A few years from now, at the start of the main arc, the world would face a great calamity. It would be overrun by monsters, killing humans indiscriminately.
With that in mind, he couldn't easily accept being powerless.
'There's nothing I can do, since I've been kept away from the rest of the family. My mother, who was also a known character, seemed to have disregarded Vonn in the novel. That's probably why I didn't recognize him.'
Vonn was born into a prestigious family—the Silverfein Family, known for their Swordsman Bloodline. They were the biggest contributors to the war during the main arc, which cemented the family's importance in the world.
But before all that happened, if Vonn wanted to survive, he knew having resources would be crucial. Over the past four years, he had come to accept his new reality and had begun adjusting to the mindset of people in this world.
'The Silverfein Family is where the protagonist was born, but he was also deemed useless. Our situations are similar, but the protagonist had luck on his side, while Vonn doesn't.'
Vonn knew the Dull Sword of Imagination was set to be discovered by the protagonist during the main arc when he would be at least sixteen years old.
If that's the case, Vonn and the protagonist must be siblings. Yet, he hadn't seen him yet, meaning he was likely either older, younger, or separated from the rest of the family.
"Diana Silverfein is the matriarch of the family. Of course, she'd do her best to maintain the prestige she's built. With her intelligence, she's probably assessing our value to the family, which is why we've been separated from them," Vonn mused, understanding the key elements he had to consider if he wanted to survive in this world.
Since he was only four years old, there wasn't much he could do. Additionally, the memories he had weren't of much use because he lacked the resources to act on them. All he had was one servant and two guards, who were likely monitoring his actions and reporting them to the matriarch.
But that didn't bother him. If he wanted to use the knowledge he had, he knew he'd need to excel.
A combination of a Mage and Exorcist memories. If he was lucky, he could learn swordsmanship in this estate too. But that was a matter for the future. For now, he needed to do his best to increase his value in Diana's eyes.
'That emotionless killing machine is one of the protagonist Linn's antagonists as well. Our mother will be his enemy in the future. Before that happens, I have to find out where my brother has been hidden.'
"Young master, the tutor has returned."
Vonn prepared himself in the room he had been given. For the past four years, this room and the small backyard had been his entire world. He spent his days contemplating what he should do in this life.
If he could express his feelings, he'd say this was an ugly life. But, at the same time, he relished the thrill this world offered. It reminded him of when he used to read the novel, thinking it would be fun to live in this world for a short time.
Curse that idea! Now he was stuck in this world as an extra!
"Come in."
An old man with a sharp, intelligent aura entered the room. He sat across the table, placing two books in front of him.
"I greet the young master," the old man bowed and began the session.
This was what Vonn looked forward to every three days—the tutoring sessions. They were his best opportunity to prove his worth.
In this family, one's mana was predetermined as the key to their swordsmanship talent. Mana allowed a person to easily perform sword techniques and forms.
However, Vonn had none. Not even the slightest trace of mana could be felt within him.
"Young master, you never cease to amaze me. You've perfected these arithmetic problems that even ten-year-olds struggle with. You must be a genius!"
Young Vonn didn't react. Despite having an almost mature mind, he made sure not to reveal any sign of his advanced thinking. He couldn't risk arousing suspicion. So far, he had only been learning the basics. If they ever started lessons on tactics, that would be the time to show a bit more of his abilities.
"Teacher... this is becoming too easy for me. Can you teach me something more important in the future?"
'What an amazing child! The young master is growing fast!' the tutor mused to himself.
"I will try, young master. I'll ask the library for advanced learning materials. If you're interested in warfare lessons, I might bring one," the tutor offered.
"And what is that?" Vonn asked in his childish voice. "W-Warfare...? That sounds interesting."
The tutor's eyes widened in surprise. 'That sounds interesting? Then I must bring those materials! The young master is a genius! He could become a strategist in the future with his sharp mind that easily grasps complex problems!'
Of course, the tutor might have been exaggerating, but in his long career, he had never met a child who could excel in arithmetic so easily. Arithmetic was considered a highly difficult subject.
Unbeknownst to him, this was simple for Vonn. In his previous world, even children younger than ten could solve these problems with ease. Multiplication? That wasn't even a real challenge.
"I'll explain it to you in the future, young master," the tutor promised.
Vonn secretly smirked. He realized that to raise his value, he should focus on the logistical side of the family. By proving his worth, he could gain access to resources for himself and eventually find the protagonist of this novel.
'Go on, teacher... Report this to my mother…'