[15] The First Step Toward a Dream (7)
Shirone and Rian chatted in Rian's room. It was already noon since Rian had been dragged out that morning and made to kneel. It felt like far too much had happened in less than half a day.
"Heh heh, did you see my family earlier? Felt like a load off my chest."
"By the way, Rian, are you really okay? About that knight's oath… I keep wondering if you did something reckless because of me."
Rian's playful expression went serious. Even a reckless kid like him understood the weight of a knight's oath.
"Shirone, I didn't swear that oath just because you're a friend. You're not like my brother. People are drawn to you. I trusted my life to someone like that."
Shirone felt Rian's sincerity. Still, it was embarrassingly awkward.
"Ha! That's heavy. But if you're going to protect me, you'll have to get a lot better than you are now."
"Ugh! Don't poke where it hurts. I know that. But your nerve surprised me. You spoke up in front of all your family and even restrained him. Weren't you scared?"
"Heh, I've got a special trick for that."
Shirone explained about jumping off the cliff. That story would probably help Rian's swordsmanship somehow.
After listening a while, Rian spoke up for the first time.
"You jumped off a cliff? Why would you do that? Are you stupid?"
"St-stupid?"
Hearing "stupid" from Rian hit harder than being called ugly by an orc.
"No, listen. I didn't mean literally jump off a cliff. I meant imagine it. You're not dead until you hit the bottom. If you stop worrying about the future and focus on the present, you'll see solutions."
"But if you jump, you die. Think about it. If you jump, you die."
"Alright, fine! I meant if you can't make that leap, you won't be able to do anything—idiot!"
"What? That's what you meant? Then I can jump anytime."
"Huh?"
"For example, if jumping off the cliff could save you, I'd jump without hesitation. That's what friends and knights do."
Shirone blinked. It wasn't what he'd meant, but Rian's logic had a point. Maybe that was exactly Rian's way of thinking.
'We really are opposites. It'll be hard to meet halfway like this.'
While he was thinking that, someone entered. Shirone's face went bright red. Reina popped her head in and waved.
"Hi. The dark-haired faction's mood got intense, so I evacuated to the friendly camp."
"Get out. We're talking man-to-man."
At Rian's shooing, Shirone hurriedly waved his own hand.
"What's wrong, Rian? I helped you a lot this time, you know."
"You don't know her. This witch is definitely—"
Rian, about to hurl his usual barbs, saw Shirone and stopped mid-insult. Shirone and Reina. Reina and Shirone—their names kept swapping in his head.
Affable Reina padded in like a cat and plopped down between the boys.
"By the way, Rian, you were awesome. A pre-battle knight's oath—really. I can't top that."
"Does that sound like teasing?"
"Hehe, busted?"
"Ugh, what's your purpose here? You came to annoy me, didn't you?"
"Oh ho! Don't be rude. I did my job as a go-between perfectly. There were serious talks over on that side."
"What else could be serious at this point?"
"Actually, Dad suggested something: when he takes Rai, he wondered if he should take you too."
Rian had never heard that. Even genius Rai might not be officially recognized—why would Rian be taken to the royal court?
"What do you mean? Like a tour?"
"No. He wants to enroll you in the Kaizen Swordsmanship School. You know it—the biggest sword school in the Kingdom of Tormia. They've supposedly produced ten certified first-class swordsmen in two hundred years."
"What? How can they decide that without consulting me? And now I finally get to hang out with Shirone—what's with school? What about Master Kite?"
"Kite's contract ended yesterday. He went back to his hometown this morning. He said his farewells—didn't you hear?"
Rian stared at the sword his master had given him. That blade had lent weight to his knight's oath.
'Master.'
Strict as he'd been, the man had cared for Rian more than anyone. Letting the contract end was probably meant to help his disciple grow.
"But that's sudden. What about Shirone?"
"That's exactly it—they're thinking of enrolling both you and Shirone in the school. You said yesterday Shirone is better with a sword than you, right?"
"Well, even so, Shirone isn't going to sword school. He wants to do something else. Hmm… I was thinking the same. Since it's come to this, ask your grandfather, sis."
"Huh? Something else he wants to do?"
Reina glanced at Shirone, but he couldn't say a word. He honestly couldn't follow the conversation. Enroll him in a sword school? A commoner like him? Whether that was even possible was one issue; why go to such lengths was another.
From a noble's perspective, though, it made sense. No one in the Ozent household would say Shirone shouldn't be trained.
Since the youngest son had decided to be Shirone's sword, the family's honor depended on Shirone's growth.
When Shirone didn't answer, Rian spoke up.
"Shirone's going to be a mage. He's not interested in swordsmanship."
Reina gasped.
"What? A mage? So you lost to a magic aspirant? How pathetic."
"Shut up! I know that! But Shirone's a genius! If he learned swordsmanship, he'd outshine Rai easily."
"Oh! That good, huh?"
"Ah, no. I mean… I don't know how to—"
Shirone bowed his head, unable to meet Reina's admiring stare.
Rian found Shirone's shyness aggravating. How could any woman not fall for a guy like that? He thought the only way forward was one more use of his panty tactic.
"Alright. I'll put in a recommendation. But it'll probably come with the condition that you enroll in the sword school, right? Dad will exploit any weakness he finds."
"Tch! Fine. I'll think about it."
Rian knew his father's nature too well. Still, for Shirone's sake, getting into the sword school was worth it.
Thinking about it, Shirone needed it too. He'd lost to a mage hopeful with a sword. If things stayed like this, he'd be nothing but dead weight to Shirone, not his blade.
A knock interrupted their talk. The head butler opened the door with a tense expression.
"Master Shirone's family has just arrived. They're to be shown to the mansion, but His Lordship ordered that if Master Shirone wishes to greet them at the gate, he should be allowed."
"Oh! Shirone's parents? What will you do, Shirone?"
No need to ask. Shirone's eyes were already fixed on the mansion's main gate, as if he could see it. He could barely contain himself.
"Heh. Go greet them, Shirone. We'll wait in the parlor. Please guide him."
"Yes, miss."
Shirone followed the butler out.
He didn't like how the butler's casual tone from yesterday had snapped into fawning. The man seemed terrified Shirone might trip on a pebble.
"You can just act normal. I'm not some noble."
"No, no! How could I be so rude before the lord who will become the young master's patron! Please, don't say that. I'd lose my head."
Shirone understood that feeling better than most—he'd once risked his life over a book. But for that reason, he didn't want such groveling.
"Even if I mess up, I promise it won't be reported. So don't worry."
The butler nodded repeatedly, moved. A commoner becoming a noble's patron—Shirone was like a hero from legend to the servants.
Shirone tried not to care. He couldn't—because a carriage had arrived at the far end of the avenue that marked the Ozent estate.
He saw two people step down. At that moment his vision went blurry.
His parents, whom he hadn't seen in a year and a half, were there. Memories of going hungry and staying up nights in the library flashed by, and tears spilled out at once.
Carried by those feelings, his legs moved. He didn't hear the butler shout as he ran to the mansion's iron gate.
"Mom! Dad!"
Alpheas School of Magic (1)
Shirone led his parents into the reception room. They'd been crying from the gate, and their eyes were swollen as they walked down the corridor.
It would take time to calm down. Whether by Clump's consideration or simply because the meeting ran long, Shirone had a long time to pour out his story in the reception room.
"Let's see—my son. You've lost weight since I last saw you. You worked hard. Really, you did well."
Tears gathered in Vincent's eyes again. Shirone looked healthier now, but to his parents he still looked like someone who hadn't eaten or slept.
"I haven't had it so bad. I read books and had a lot of fun. Father, have you been well?"
"Of course! We ate and lived fine. Look how plump your mother's gotten. She's so pretty she could've had another child, ha ha!"
"Dear, don't say such nonsense in front of our son."
Shirone forced a rueful smile. His parents looked much thinner than before after being apart for a year and a half.
No doubt they'd worried about their child every day—how could they have eaten properly? Thinking that made his chest tighten again.
Vincent grew curious. At first he'd been terrified something terrible had happened, but seeing Shirone calm, he suspected nothing bad had occurred.
"So why did you call us? If it's over, you could just come home. I hope no one stopped you from leaving."
"No, nothing like that. It's just a good opportunity."
"A good opportunity?"
Shirone told them everything. He'd already sorted it out in his head, so the words came easily. But as they listened, his parents were stupefied.
Vincent's face shifted from stunned to aghast. For a moment Shirone's voice became background noise. What on earth was his son saying?
He'd become friends with the Ozent family's youngest son? And that friend swore a knight's oath to him? Worse, the family accepted it and allowed them to remain friends?
Each time another wall of common sense shattered, Vincent felt thunder in his head. When Shirone finished, Vincent silently scratched his head.
He knew his son was clever and mature, but this was absurd. Had his mind been damaged from mistreatment here? Had he slipped into delusion?
"Shirone, be honest. This father will do anything for you. What happened? Who did this to you?"
"It's true, Father. Why would I lie about it?"
"Yes! You're no liar. So tell me—who bothered you? Who treated you badly?"
Vincent was genuinely angry. He'd seen countless commoners ruined after getting entangled with noble families.
Shirone knew how ridiculous it sounded, but he couldn't think of a better way to convince them than to tell the truth.
While they sat helplessly, the reception room door opened and the Ozent family's immediate relatives entered.