Chapter 43
Chapter 43
Just as I was about to head back to the dormitory after training—
“Lady Sera...!”
The youngest blocked my path, wearing an unusually serious expression.
“I have something I must tell you!”
Hmm. But I didn't really feel like I needed to hear it.
I had a bad feeling this was one of those topics that would waste a lot of time without actually meaning anything.
“I'm tired. Can't you tell me later?”
“No! If I wait any longer, something terrible might happen!”
“Terrible?”
“Yeah!”
“What kind of terrible thing?”
“Something reeeeeeally terrible!”
“......”
Whenever Ezekiel spread his arms wide like that to emphasize something, it never meant there was an actual emergency.
It usually meant he desperately wanted to talk about something and would suffer if he couldn't get it out immediately.
It seemed he'd been wanting to tell me this for a while but hadn't found the opportunity.
'I just want to rest... but if Ezekiel spends the whole day sulking, that'll bother me too.'
And compared to Bbung-Bbung and his acting-commander syndrome, Ezekiel was honestly harmless.
Listening to him wasn't particularly exhausting.
'...Fine. I'll hear him out.'
Unlike my nearly six-year-long relationship with Bbung-Bbung, which remained surprisingly stingy and awkward, Ezekiel was basically a younger brother I got along with.
Being around him was far more comfortable.
To me, he felt like a little brother tagging along.
If I weren't mentally an adult, we probably would've fought plenty of times already.
And if his story dragged on too long, I could always treat it like background noise and fall asleep halfway through.
“...Go ahead.”
“Really!?”
Really? As if I ever had a choice.
“...Yeah.”
“Waaah!”
Ugh, look at that.
How could I tell him no when a kid two or three years younger than me looked that happy?
Whether it was because of my younger body or simply who I used to be in my previous life, I found it hard to be harsh toward children.
Even Anna—
Though she was technically older than me, she was so tiny and immature that she practically felt like a younger sibling.
Anyway...
Swish! Swish!
I had no idea what earth-shattering secret required him to keep looking around so nervously.
He'd dragged me into a secluded corner while insisting on complete secrecy.
From my perspective, it looked less like protecting a secret and more like avoiding another lecture from the older kids.
“...The truth is!”
Yet Ezekiel's expression remained deadly serious.
His sparkling eyes showed not the slightest hint of doubt.
Honestly, I was starting to think he'd advanced beyond simple make-believe.
Maybe he genuinely believed everything he said.
The fact that he'd been wrapping a perfectly healthy left hand in bandages for over a month certainly supported that theory.
...This might actually be becoming a problem.
“I am Ezekiel Lucester, the hidden descendant of House Lucester!”
Oh?
Last time he was the prince of a fallen kingdom.
Now he'd suddenly become a hidden heir of the Lucester family.
Had Master secretly adopted him without me knowing?
'That's ridiculous. More importantly...'
...Even I had limits.
Imaginary characters were one thing.
But House Lucester actually existed.
Sure, I'd indulged in similar fantasies before, but only inside my head.
The problem was that Ezekiel's mental age was far too young to consider things like noble authority or the family's reputation.
And more importantly, if the adults or the other apprentices heard this, a simple scolding wouldn't be the end of it.
“Ezekiel, how about something else?”
“Something else?”
“Like being the Emperor's secret son. Or a Hero from another world. There are cooler options.”
I tried to redirect him gently.
A hidden heir of a modest quasi-baron family wasn't nearly as impressive as those alternatives.
“What are you talking about? A person's birth is fixed. You can't just change it whenever you want.”
Was the sun rising in the west?
Had lightning struck him?
Why was Ezekiel suddenly saying something sensible?
Because technically—
He wasn't wrong.
That was common sense.
'...Why are you the one saying it?'
Who was it that changed his backstory every other day like flipping a spoon over?
“...Anyway, stop talking nonsense and pick a different setting.”
“It's not nonsense! I really am a hidden descendant of the Lucesters!”
His wide eyes darted around nervously.
He started waving his arms and doing some kind of incomprehensible dance.
Was that his personal ritual for suppressing anxiety?
Still, after spending so much time around him, I could practically read his thoughts.
Wait... does Sera know I'm bluffing!?
What if she really figured it out!?
No, but it's true!
I'm definitely a descendant of the Lucesters!
Gah! Regardless, death is the only fate for a knight who loses his honor!
...Something along those lines.
Still, I understood why he was being so stubborn.
Master's recent achievements had been unbelievable.
An old knight everyone thought was long past his prime had single-handedly fought nearly a thousand elite mercenaries and a gigantic warlord.
Anyone would become starry-eyed after witnessing that.
Riding his massive warhorse and becoming Bellarc's fortress in place of their fragile wooden walls.
Every swing of his claymore cutting down enemies like falling leaves.
In a remote backwater like this, where people never witnessed such spectacles, it might as well have been the descent of a Hero.
Honestly, Master would probably be remembered in Bellarc's history books for generations.
Even I, someone who hated getting swept up in emotions, occasionally felt my chest tighten when visiting him during recovery.
Bbung-Bbung's sudden commander obsession wasn't unrelated either.
And the truly frightening part?
Master wasn't even half as strong as he had been in his prime.
Just imagining the legendary "Champion of Bellarc" at full strength was impossible.
Compared to that, the thugs from Valten—the people I sought revenge against—were nothing.
Anyway, someone as impressionable as Ezekiel had witnessed that battle.
Of course he'd develop admiration and dreams centered around Master.
“Uuuuugh...”
And when I failed to respond, tears gradually started gathering in his eyes.
I desperately wanted to ignore him.
Even if he was a child, a boy crying wasn't exactly pleasant.
“Hic... Hic...!”
For crying out loud, don't cry over something this stupid.
Why am I the one who has to comfort you?
“Waaaah!”
Fine. Fine. I get it.
“Then... how about we keep it a secret between us?”
“...Hic... Between us?”
“Yeah. The other apprentices, Lord Eden, the nanny—everyone. Nobody else can know.”
“...Why?”
Why?
Was this kid really that dense?
Because everyone would immediately realize it's a lie!
Not that anyone would believe it anyway.
You'd just end up embarrassed and covered in bumps from getting smacked.
“Because you said it was a secret. That means nobody except your one and only ally can know.”
“...One and only ally.”
“You called me that yourself. Or was I mistaken?”
“N-No! Sera is my one and only ally!”
Nodding enthusiastically, the little guy finally seemed to understand.
Everything he said was ridiculous, but when he calmed down, he could actually be cute.
“Then it's a secret from Master too!”
Right. Exactly.
Because the lie would fall apart instantly if you asked the actual person involved.
This big sister will protect your dignity.
Part of me wanted to ask why even Master wasn't allowed to know and watch him squirm.
Part of me wanted to tease him.
But...
'That would be too cruel.'
No need to dig deeper.
He'd made this nonsense up on the spot anyway.
“B-Because it's a top-secret matter of House Lucester! If he found out, he'd definitely yell at me!”
Oh?
Our little guy actually thought this through?
It was flimsy, but for an improvised setting, it wasn't bad.
Maybe Ezekiel would be better off becoming a bard or novelist someday.
“Hehehe...!”
Don't smile so brightly, kid.
You're making me get attached.
Still, I'd managed to preserve both his dignity and the peace of the territory.
Good work today, me.
Well done, Sera.
“Anyway, that's not all! Since you're my ally, and it's a secret, I'll tell you this too!”
The grin stretching across his face was radiant.
What followed was several dozen minutes of nonstop nonsense.
At some point, I simply closed my eyes and chose meditation.
Thankfully, the exhaustion from training finally caught up to him.
“I'm sleepy, Sera.”
Before long, he started nodding off.
“Then sleep.”
“...The ground is too hard.”
“Oh, for the love of—!”
This little brat really knew how to make my life difficult.
Should I just flick him in the forehead?
Still, I caught his head before it could smack into the ground.
Carrying him on my back like a baby chick, I headed toward the dormitory while questioning every life choice I'd ever made.
Maybe I should just leave him somewhere.
Nobody came around this area anyway.
Wouldn't he wake up and walk back on his own?
'...No.'
Then tomorrow morning he'd probably start babbling about mysterious attackers appearing during the night and launch into another elaborate setting.
“You better treat me well when you grow up.”
Let's just endure it until we reach the dormitory.
Just today.
No, as always, let's endure it today too.
We were almost there.
Just as I was congratulating myself on surviving another day—
“Sera!”
“Hm...?”
A familiar figure appeared in the distance.
A massive silhouette dyed crimson by the setting sun.
I narrowed my eyes.
A red-haired boy around 180 centimeters tall came into view.
Its identity was...
'...Bbung-Bbung?'
Damn.
For someone his age, he looked terrifying.
Conrad's appearance was absurdly mature for his age, but Bentley wasn't exactly childlike either.
Broad shoulders blocking out the sunset.
Blue eyes faintly glowing since learning to use aura.
Honestly, looking at him like this, I could understand why he didn't see me as a rival.
It was a little annoying.
And a little enviable.
Once he grew up, he'd probably look incredibly impressive.
Not like a noble knight.
More like a bloodthirsty berserker.
'...When did he get so big?'
I tended to underestimate him because of our history, but seeing him now reminded me that he was anything but weak.
A middle-school-aged kid with the build of an adult athlete.
Most children couldn't match him.
Most adults probably couldn't either.
And how strong would he become in the future?
Bentley was ambitious.
He wasn't the kind of model student who blindly followed Master's instructions.
If becoming stronger required effort, he'd throw himself into it relentlessly.
Just last weekend he'd apparently snuck out to hunt monsters without Master's permission.
Rumor had it he'd turned several orcs into bloody pulp.
Of course, Master had nearly yelled his ears off afterward.
Still, I doubted Bentley would stop.
I understood wanting strength.
What I didn't understand was why he wanted it so badly.
Every time I asked, he refused to answer.
...Even so, I didn't think I'd lose to him.
Though the size difference was admittedly a little intimidating.
So I stared back, unwilling to lose momentum.
Then—
“Do you prefer younger boys?”
Huh?
What?
Prefer?
What kind of question was that?
“You seem to spend more time with Ezekiel than any of the other boys.”
...Ah.
I understood what he meant.
And it immediately made my skin crawl.
I didn't want to understand the implication.
I certainly didn't want to answer it.
Did he actually think that made sense?
Seriously, what went on inside that head of his?
“For someone so young, you've already started charming boys?”
“...Watch your mouth.”
For the first time in my life, I genuinely wanted to cut down someone who wasn't even an adult.
A fellow apprentice, no less.
I'd been feeling it for a while now.
His biggest problem was his mouth.
If he never spoke, he'd probably seem normal.
I'd been making every effort to tolerate him lately.
Why was he so determined to provoke me?
“Did you eat something bad? Are you actually trying to die?”
“Hmph. You're impossible to understand. I never know what you're thinking.”
“Could say the same about you. So why are you here?”
Normally, if we crossed paths, we'd just pass by each other.
That's how awkward our relationship was.
If he'd been standing here staring for several minutes, he clearly had business with me.
“...Master sent a message.”
“A message? Then tell everyone tomorrow morning.”
“The others don't need to hear it. Only you.”
“Huh?”
If it was only for me, why hadn't Master told me himself?
I'd literally visited him this morning.
Why send Bentley as a messenger?
“If I wish to become vice-captain...”
The confusion rising inside me quickly vanished.
“You have to defeat me first.”
With those words from Bentley, everything suddenly made sense.