After Retirement, Living a Stud Life in Another World - 4
Chapter 4: Men in This World
For the next few days, Sieg-san guided me tirelessly, teaching me about this world. Finally able to get out of bed, I could now stroll around the estate. Our study sessions took place in a gazebo meticulously arranged within an elaborate garden, sipping tea while discussing.
However, the more I listened to Sieg-san’s explanations, the more I realized I needed to adjust my common sense far beyond expectations.
Fundamentally, this world is structured based on a medieval culture similar to the one in my original world. The level of science here is also at a medieval stage. Yet, from what I gathered, people’s lives seem considerably better than what I knew of the medieval era. The reason for this is simply that magic exists in this world.
According to Sieg-san, various types of magic users inhabit this world. They use wind magic to clear forests, transform them into fields with earth magic, make it rain with water magic during droughts, and accelerate crop growth with plant magic. If foreign threats or monsters attack, magic users who manipulate fire magic can defend the people by incinerating the enemies. Some specialize in healing diseases and injuries, while others excel in alchemy, which is equivalent to modern chemistry. The individuals with powerful magic abilities make up the ruling class of this world—the nobility.
Certainly, if there is already such a diverse array of magic, scientific progress might be stunted. The saying “necessity is the mother of invention” loses its relevance when magic fulfills every need. It wouldn’t be surprising if research activities diminished.
As someone who dabbled in light novels even at my old age, this story was quite stimulating. The once-fictional “magic” from anime or novels now seemed within reach. For a moment, an overly fantastical scene played out in my mind—mastering supreme magic, overpowering monsters, and rescuing a delicate princess. It was a typical symptom of chuunibyou.
“So, I can use magic too, right? Sieg-san, could you teach me?”
Seeing Sieg-san’s surprised expression, I felt perplexed. It might sound presumptuous for a complete novice like me to suddenly want to use magic. However, according to his explanation, this house belongs to the Freudenstadt Count family, a lineage known for producing excellent combat-oriented magic users for generations. If that’s the case, then I, as a member of that lineage, should have some aptitude for magic.
“Oh… right, I guess it’s obvious to us, but Lutz from another world wouldn’t know. You see, only women can use magic.”
“Eeh?!”
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It’s over. It’s all over. The momentarily dreamt chuunibyou-hero vision crumbled miserably at Sieg-san’s cruel declaration.
“Only women?”
“Yeah, since magic requires considerable power, women are the only ones who can perform significant tasks. Whether it’s clearing land, building roads, or defeating enemies in battle…”
Seriously? This otherworld seems to have a rather harsh setting for men.
“Even in battle, it’s considered women’s work? Are men useless?”
“Of course, when it comes to battles, men can step up too. However, at most…”
“At most, what?”
“While female magic users are developing powerful spells, men can only serve as shields, protecting them with their bodies. At best, they’re like human walls; at worst, expendable pawns.”
Sieg-san casually stated and continued. The role of men in this world is to support women who manipulate powerful magic, silently serving and assisting them.
“That’s why, even in the kingdom, there are few men in responsible positions. The king is, of course, a queen, and among the ministers, only one is male. Even in the military, most generals are female.”
I see. In this society heavily dependent on magic, the inability to use it is a more severe handicap than I anticipated. So, what do men do? They engage in service industries, work in administrative roles at government offices or businesses, and those without advanced skills undertake manual labor. However, in this world, even a day’s worth of physical labor that a man can accomplish would be completed in thirty minutes by a skilled female magic user. The supposed advantage of men—physical strength—is rendered almost meaningless here.
Finally, I understood. The reason why the servants in this prominent Freudenstadt Count family were mostly male became clear. Apart from the maids taking care of Mom and my sister, everyone else, from cooks to janitors, gardeners to laundry workers—all were males. This was because they couldn’t use magic, and there was no work for them outside the estate.
Moreover, the man I thought was the head of the Freudenstadt Count family, named Albrecht, whom I assumed to be my father, was not the count at all. The true “Count of Freudenstadt” was the lively Mom, and my father was just a “son-in-law.” Noble titles are bestowed upon those with real power, and in this world, it had to be a woman. While the nobility in this world values above all the preservation and development of the medieval-like “house,” this “house” is fundamentally based on a female lineage. In any case, everything in this world revolves around women.
Oh boy, this is quite a predicament.