A Japanese salaryman falls asleep before waking up and finding himself as a five year old boy named Wendelin von Benno Baumeister, during the wedding of his oldest brother Kurt and his wife Amalie. Despite being nobles, Wendelin discovers the Baumeisters are poor and only owns small farmlands which most of it will be inherit by Kurt while the rest of his six older brothers have either married into another family, finding work as a government official or soldier, leaving him nothing to inherit. Wendelin later discovers he has the ability to use magic. While searching for firewood for his family, Wendelin meets Alfred Rainford, who detected the boy's magic, saving him from a wild boar and vows to teach him how to use magic.

Wendelin decides to keep his magic a secret after learning it moves him ahead of Kurt in the line of family inheritance, risking assassination attempts from Kurt. Alfred discovers Wendelin has an extraordinarily high magic capacity. Alfred displays several unusual symptoms, cold skin, no sense of taste and bouts of physical pain. Wendelin’s strange behaviour draws Kurt’s attention. Wendelin decides he wants to be an adventurer instead of a lord, making Kurt less suspicious, but Adventurers Academy is expensive, so Wendelin decides to work to pay his own tuition. To help with travelling Alfred teaches Wendelin flight magic. Wendelin’s father hears a rumour of a Whispering Dead nearby, a sentient corpse doomed to become a mindless zombie. Wendelin realises he means Alfred and confronts him. Alfred admits he is dead but came back as a Whispering Dead to pass on his knowledge to an apprentice.

At Adventurers Academy Wendelin tries to make friends but due to his lack of communications skills and high level of magic, the rest of the students are too afraid to approach him. Three students, Erwin, Louise and Iina, share a bond over being the youngest children of lower class families. Wanting to gain Wendelin's recognition, they attempt to hunt a large pack of wolves but are overwhelmed until Wendelin rescues them. Due to a misunderstanding, the three believe Wendelin sees them as a burden when in reality he wants to be friends. Their class attend a party hosted by Duke Braihiraider who takes an interest in Wendelin as Wendelin's father is a vassal of Braihiraider. Wendelin asks Erwin, Louise and Iina to join him much to their surprise. They learn Braihiraider brought them to meet his court wizard, Brantack Lyngstad, Alfred's former teacher, who confirms his suspicions that Alfred passed his knowledge to Wendelin.

Wendelin and his friends are invited to his brother Erich’s wedding. An undead dragon attacks their airship so Brantack has Wendelin purge the dragon with holy magic before collecting the valuable bones and crystal heart. In the capital city, Stuttburg, Brantack leaves them with his friend Aruterio Marchen. Soldiers take Wendelin to meet the king, who rewards him with the Twin Dragon medal and the noble rank of Baronet. Erich worries as their father is only a knight, meaning Wendelin will be removed from their family tree to become head of his own noble family. Several officials begin arguing how much to pay Wendelin for the bones and heart. Aruterio explains that Cardinal Hohenheim wants Wendelin under the churches influence, Lord Marshall Edgar wants him for the military, and Lord Commissioner Ruckner wants to save money. In the end Wendelin is paid 150,000 gold.

Hohenheim introduces Wendelin to Elize then, due to his naiveté, tricks Wendelin into forming a political marriage with Elize. Wendelin panics at the idea of marrying a woman he doesn’t love, but is later assured by Erich that nobles rarely meet their betrothed until the wedding. As he is swarmed by unemployed adventurers every time he leaves his home he hires a grateful Erwin as his retainer. Wendelin sneaks into Hohenheim’s estate to talk to Elize and is relieved that she is at least not against marrying him. When Louise and Lina find Erwin is Wendelin’s retainer they decide to outdo him by becoming Wendelin’s mistresses after he marries Elize. Wendelin is invited to dinner with Elize where the butler suggests Wendelin provide Elize an engagement ring. Wendelin takes Elize shopping, but rather than a showy ring Wendelin purchases a much plainer ring that suits Elize better, learning afterwards it is made from a magic storing crystal, making it perfect for Elize’s healing magic.