Chapter 147
“When I go home… it just feels strange.”
Rache said as he rubbed the back of his neck.
“Every time I see Daphne, she gets stronger. She’s not called a Magic Swordsman for nothing. Both her magic and swordsmanship are astonishing.”
In fact, Daphne had now become strong enough to hold her own even against a fully qualified adult knight.
Watching Daphne wield a sword made one think, So this is what a genius looks like, and seeing Daphne use magic made him feel that it was a realm he could never hope to reach.
“And Arius? Arius is just as talented with the sword as Daphne. Even the Knight Commander wants him.”
Arius was so outstanding that gossipers even spread malicious rumors toward Heros, claiming that he had only adopted Arius because he had recognized that extraordinary talent.
“Vifera received a recommendation for admission to the Academy too. They said she ranked first.”
Having overcome her social anxiety to some extent, Vifera had achieved remarkable accomplishments in alchemy.
When next spring came, she would be entering the Academy.
“But what about me?”
Kenrick could already guess what Rache was going to say next.
“The truth is, isn’t it obvious? I’m the oldest, and I’m the least qualified. On top of that, I’m the weakest. There’s nothing I’m particularly good at, and nothing I can really do well.”
Just as he had expected, Rache’s words made Kenrick let out a sigh.
But as though a dam had burst, Rache began pouring out everything he had been bottling up.
After listening to all those frustrating words, Kenrick finally couldn’t hold back anymore and asked,
“So what?”
“…Well.”
“What, are you afraid they’ll kick you out?”
“…”
“Do you really think His Grace the Grand Duke is suddenly going to say, ‘Rache, you turned out too weak to be of any use. Get out’?”
“That could happen.”
“Wow. What am I supposed to do with you?”
Pressing a hand against his forehead as if he had a headache, Kenrick leaned his head back.
Putting aside how angry those ridiculous words made him, what he felt first was unease.
Kenrick stared intently at Rache.
“You. What you just told me. You came up with that on your own, right?”
Rache avoided his gaze, and Kenrick frowned deeply, having expected as much.
“Answer me properly. Don’t lie.”
“…”
After hesitating for a moment, Rache finally lowered his head as though he had no choice.
“My mother… came to see me.”
“This is driving me insane.”
Kenrick plopped down into a squat and roughly ran his fingers through his hair.
Rache’s mother.
After Rache’s father passed away and she sent Rache to be adopted by the Grand Duke of Akion’s family…
She had treated Rache like an object.
Kenrick still remembered her angrily demanding that she should be paid an appropriate amount of money in exchange for giving away her son.
Just thinking about her irritated him.
If even he felt that way, how much worse must it be for Rache?
Sigh.
Letting out another deep sigh, Kenrick looked up at Rache.
“Why? What did she say? Asking for money again?”
“Money too… and she told me to come back home now.”
“What is she even talking about? She abandoned you, and now she’s saying this?”
Ha!
Snorting, Kenrick sprang to his feet.
“Now that you’ve officially become a Guardian, keeping you around means you’ve become a source of money, and someone she can proudly show off. That’s why she’s saying all that nonsense and trying to pull you out of the Grand Duke’s family. Seriously… she hasn’t changed at all. In every possible way.”
Watching Rache’s face gradually darken, Kenrick frowned.
“What? Was I too harsh?”
“No. You’re right.”
“Then why are you making that face?”
“You’re right, and I know all of that too. But I still can’t refuse her. That’s what’s so frustrating.”
“Why the hell can’t you refuse her?!”
Kenrick truly felt like he was about to lose his mind.
Weren’t the people who cherished and loved him, despite him being adopted, his real family rather than the biological mother who kept tormenting her only son with outrageous demands?
Shouldn’t he stay with the family that truly cared for him?
Kenrick felt both frustrated and furious.
“Enough already. Being dragged around by your mother is one thing for a day or two, but look at yourself now. What about His Grace the Grand Duke, who’s fed you and taken care of you all this time?”
“What do you know to say something like that so easily…?!”
“I know everything, that’s why I’m saying it!”
As Rache’s emotions surged, Kenrick shouted even louder.
“What? You think you’re going to be abandoned because you’re weak? How do you think His Grace the Grand Duke would feel if he heard you say that? What do you think your younger siblings would say? Have you even thought about how much your stupid way of thinking would hurt everyone else?”
It was true.
If the Grand Duke heard something like that, even if he didn’t show it outwardly, it would eat away at him inside.
His younger siblings would either feel hurt or become angry.
Rache knew that.
He knew it perfectly well even without Kenrick pointing it out.
And yet…
He still couldn’t refuse.
After all, she was the mother who had given birth to him.
The pressure imposed by the very existence of the word *mother* was too overwhelming for him to bear.
So overwhelming that he couldn’t find the strength to stand again by holding on to the love of the people around him.
“I don’t know what I should do.”
Rache said with a gloomy expression.
“What am I supposed to do? Should I abandon my mother? She says she doesn’t even have enough money to live without what I give her. She says she’ll die if I’m not there.”
“…Rache.”
“I don’t want to leave either. But what can I do? She just keeps tormenting me.”
“…”
Kenrick opened his mouth, then quietly closed it again.
No matter what he said here, it wouldn’t reach Rache.
And no matter what he said, it wasn’t something that would decide Rache’s choice.
“I don’t know anymore. I just want all of this to end.”
“You…”
Just as Kenrick finally realized the despair on Rache’s face and reached out his hand—
Beeeeep!
The signal announcing assembly echoed throughout the training grounds.
Turning their heads, they saw that Chief Guardian Blyde had returned and was gathering all the Guardians.
“All Guardians, assemble!”
His face was flushed, yet judging from his tightly clenched jaw, it was clear that something serious had happened.
The Guardians quickly lined up, their faces tense, and Blyde shouted to them,
“We’ve received information from Lady Daphne regarding the Wraiths’ stronghold. We are mobilizing immediately and departing at once, so everyone stand by!”
“…!”
—
Whoooosh!
The wind blew.
Whoooooosh!
A wind carrying snow.
“…Wow.”
Staring blankly at the blizzard that completely obscured her vision, Daphne spoke.
“Can… anything even live in a place like this?”
The scenery was so barren that such a question came naturally.
Snow that swallowed your legs up to the knees with every step, a blizzard that made it impossible to see even a few feet ahead, and cold so biting it felt like it could cut through flesh.
It seemed like not even a single blade of grass, let alone a person, could survive here.
“Shio. Are you certain the Wraiths are here?”
“Yes. I’m certain.”
“They didn’t all freeze to death, did they?”
Shio was momentarily speechless.
*Uh… could that actually be the case…?* crossed his mind.
“No. This is the place.”
Just then, Artson sniffed the air and spoke.
“It smells the same as the place I came to before.”
“Oh… so reptiles really do all have incredible noses.”
“Who are you calling a reptile? Do you have a death wish?”
Artson ground his teeth at elf Teiti, but upon seeing the infuriating sight of Teiti immediately hiding behind Daphne, he let out a deep sigh.
Then he pointed toward the cliff below.
“If you go down beneath that cliff, there should be an entrance.”
“Oh?”
Daphne’s eyes widened.
“Blue-head. So there are times when you’re actually useful.”
“Hmph.”
Artson snorted and turned his head away, though he couldn’t quite hide the faint smile creeping across his face.
Daphne chuckled softly.
“Well then, let us be on our way.”
Crack.
Rolling her neck, Daphne’s eyes gleamed.
“To capture my lunchbox… no, the evil Wraiths!”
Please stop blurting out your true intentions.
Shio shook his head helplessly.
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