A C-Rank Magic Student Who Deludes Himself into Thinking He Is SSS-Rank

In the center of the continent where the Gilbert Kingdom exists, to the east across the sea, there lies a country known as “Wa no Kuni.”

Wa no Kuni is a small island nation, its land area not even one hundredth of the continent. It boasts a unique culture slightly different from that of the continent.

In this nation, there once existed over twenty territories and lords, and battles for territorial disputes were ongoing, fought by warriors known as samurai.

Eventually, this period came to be known as the “Sengoku Era,” the largest scale territorial conflict in history, spanning an entire century in Wa no Kuni.

At the end of this era, a man unified all the territories for the first time in history and became the ruler known as the “Seiwei Grand General.”

This first Seiwei Grand General was originally a lord of a minor territory, with little land, few people, and hardly any military strength.

However, this man defeated many powerful warlords one after another, expanding his power until he finally unified the entire country.

In the history of Wa no Kuni, it is said that “The first Seiwei Grand General, with his exceptional intelligence and strategies, overcame overwhelming military disadvantages, boasting an undefeated record.”

…But the truth is slightly different.

In reality, the unification of the small territory was not the achievement of the general himself but of his close advisor and strategist.

This advisor was not originally a servant of the first general. He was a mere peasant from the lands ruled by the general.

This peasant had no ambitions of becoming a “supreme ruler” or elevating his status. He lived a simple life as a farmer.

However, when his village was about to be engulfed in a major battle, he decided to unify the country by his own hand, to ensure his village would never be caught in war again, bringing eternal peace to Wa no Kuni.

Despite this, the man had no talents in physical strength, swordsmanship, archery, spear skills, ninjutsu, or sorcery, which are considered necessary for combat.

But he possessed a terrifyingly keen observational skill and insight, able to fully discern the thoughts of others.

Moreover, he had the ability to produce the most fitting words for any situation, deceiving others with his speech, foreseeing the future, creating scenarios he envisioned, and above all, he had unparalleled courage.

Using these abilities, he stopped the major battle that threatened his village, and with that achievement, he quickly rose to the position of strategist under the lord who would become the first general.

As a strategist, it was a parade of lies and deceit.

At times, he tricked two rival powerful factions into destroying each other, at times he deceived transporters to supply weapons to enemy territories, stole supplies by fooling enemy foot soldiers, borrowed military strength by deceiving neighboring lords, integrated enemy soldiers into his own ranks by deception, and made enemy generals surrender by believing false information.

He waged a war that spat upon, trampled, and kicked the concept of “Bushido,” which values honor, manners, and pride in Wa no Kuni, yet his methods ended the era of war with the least bloodshed.

Originally, he should have been remembered as a rare strategist in the history of Wa no Kuni.

…However, his achievements and name never became known to the world.

During the war, his existence was necessarily kept secret due to his role.

After the war, the first general proposed to reveal his achievements to the world and offer him the position of Seiwei Grand General.

Becoming the general would secure the highest position and honor in the country, guaranteeing a luxurious life.

But he stubbornly refused, wishing to keep his existence hidden.

He claimed, “Being a shadow strategist sounds pretty cool, doesn’t it?”

The name of the man who served as the strategist to the first Seiwei Grand General was Kurosaki Ippei.

After the unification, Ippei abandoned his position as a servant of the general and embarked on a journey to see the country he had helped bring peace to.

Later, his descendants traveled to the continent and, using the exceptional insight and speech skills inherited from their ancestor, achieved success as merchants.

…Time flowed on, and today, a descendant of his lineage was confronting the world’s strongest dragon.