Talent Cannot Be Hidden. (1)
Talent Cannot Be Hidden. (1)
It was the moment the news that they were abandoning Rone reached them.
Siphon, the eldest son of the Hasla Family, called out to Ruben as if he had misheard.
"F-Father, w-what, what are you saying?"
It was the same for Isier, the mistress of the Hasla Family and the one who gave birth to Rone.
Even if the family suffered damage, how could he abandon their only daughter, who was also exceptionally talented?
"Honey, what on earth is this...!"
It would have been better if they had settled this kind of dispute in the Hasla Family's territory before coming here.
Regretting it now changed nothing, so Ruben's complexion gradually turned deathly pale.
Tearing at his hair as if screaming, he yelled at the two people behind him.
"For God's sake, shut up!"
Ruben had met Isier through an arranged marriage, but they were different from the ordinary members of the Hasla Family.
He was extremely authoritarian, but that didn't mean he didn't love his family.
Isier knew this, and so did Rone and Siphon, the eldest son of the family.
That was why they couldn't understand it even more.
The talk of abandoning a child he had doted on until yesterday.
It started when he said he would visit Kael to apologize, and the strange behavior he showed in his office last night.
Siphon watched his father and soon confirmed that most of his gaze was lingering on Laika's feet.
And he was immediately convinced.
That last night, his father must have had some kind of meeting with the heroes in his office.
"... Did you visit the Hasla Family yesterday?"
The polite language disappeared, and suddenly, a threatening heaviness accompanied his voice.
It was laughable, but like Ruben, he thought they wouldn't be able to kill them.
Once the "martial power" that the heroes boasted of was stripped away, all that remained was the influence and status the family possessed.
"... Laika, hold it."
Alicia reached out to Laika, who was about to move immediately, and closed her eyes.
A red magic circle was drawn as if by magic, surrounding the mansion, and it shone brightly.
A massive gust of wind sent Ruben, who was trying to prostrate himself at Laika's feet, flying into the sky.
It pushed the nobles of the Hasla Family far away, as if telling them all to get lost.
"Th-this, d-damn it...."
Fear surged in Ruben's eyes, but anger rippled in the eyes of the Hasla Family's nobles.
Although they had received titles, Aria and Alicia were of commoner origin.
According to Imperial law, they were merely bottom-tier nobles, equivalent to a Baron.
How could such people treat a Count's family with such contempt?
It was the moment the eldest son was about to shout back in righteous indignation, his anger boiling over.
"... You said you came to apologize?"
Alicia's cold voice descended.
As if expressing anger through color, the garden and fields were filled with red.
The mana, writhing as if it would burst out at any moment, seemed to be saying that it would kill everyone right now.
It seemed to be saying that they would not tolerate it if they crossed the line.
They were members of the Hasla family, a prestigious magic family.
They were not stupid enough to fail to notice this.
Siphon shut his mouth tightly, intending to shout, and changed the direction of what he was about to say.
"... Is it okay for a hero to be that angry at the likes of us?"
Ruben was rolling on the ground, so he couldn't even stop his son.
"Last night, one of you three must have visited. And you must have threatened my father...! You didn't leave anything to the child you called a son, and now that we, who 'misunderstood' and made a 'mistake', have come to apologize, how can you treat us like this!"
He called the incident of calling Kael an 'orphan' a mistake caused by a misunderstanding.
Even though they came to apologize, they had shouted about 'orphans' and whatnot loud enough for Kael to hear.
Siphon brazenly asked Alicia and Aria if they weren't the ones in the wrong.
"You people, you're not human. Really."
Hwareuk-!
Flames billowed and rose around the magic circle.
As if responding to the anger, the surrounding air heated up, making it difficult to even breathe.
In the midst of an absolute pressure that no one, not even the knights, could move a single step in.
"... N-no-!"
A small boy ran out from the mansion's entrance and hugged Alicia from behind.
He was panting heavily, having run out so desperately.
And then, looking at Ruben, Rone, Siphon, and Isier behind him, he shouted urgently.
"Th-there's n-no need to apologize. I-it's okay. P-please go back quickly."
His voice trembled, and he seemed to be on the verge of tears as if remembering the incident at the banquet hall, but....
Even though he hadn't actually received an apology from those who came to apologize, he shouted that it was okay and for them to leave.
"... M-mom. I d-don't want anyone to get hurt because of me."
In Kael's mind, the image of his mothers from 3 years ago.
The night when they were so distressed because they had killed someone was present.
"... Mom, you don't need to get hurt again because of people like this...."
In the end, Alicia withdrew the red mana.
She only spat out words telling them never to come back and to keep the promise with Laika, then returned with Kael.
In front of the mansion, Ruben yelled at Siphon and Isier, asking if they knew what they had tried to do.
Questioning them for disobeying the family head's order, to show at least that they were reflecting....
"... Don't even think about breathing fresh air until I die."
He shouted loudly for all to see.
And then, he put Rone in a carriage and abandoned her at a church in a secluded slum.
"... You won't die, so consider yourself lucky. I will send someone to help you occasionally."
"I don't want to, the church isn't my home!"
Pushing away his resisting daughter as if casting her aside.
"Forgive me. You will realize that being alive is better than dying."
"... D-dad?"
"Depart."
"D-dad!"
He kept his promise to Laika.
Rone became an orphan, and the eldest son and mistress of the Hasla Family would not be able to see the sunlight for several years.
...
'It's because of me.'
Kael thought.
No, he believed this.
The reason his mothers postponed teaching him and smiled sadly.
The reason Laika secretly wiped away tears and wandered the night streets.
It was all because of 'me', who wasn't born with talent.
Kael firmly believed.
'... I must work hard. Because a hero's son must not be shameful.'
He had heroes as mothers.
Even though not a single drop of blood was shared, he received overflowing love.
Even if he couldn't resemble the heroic appearance the mothers showed, or their physical looks....
He couldn't remain an incompetent orphan without doing anything, making his mothers troubled and hurt again.
I hate growing up doing nothing and only receiving love.
I don't want to see Mom Laika cry again, or Mom Alicia or Mom Aria be sad.
Kael clenched his small fists tightly, and rather than collapsing and sobbing....
He wanted to study so that even if he couldn't meet his parents' expectations, he wouldn't be shameful.
One day after the Hasla Family visited.
And two days.
It was when three days had passed.
"... I, from now on, I want to sleep alone."
Since opening his eyes in this world, Kael pushed his mothers away for the first time.
The time spent sleeping while sharing body heat was always happy and warm, but it shouldn't be that way.
The time spent with his mothers was always happy and joyful, but....
Because Kael knew that someday he would have to leave his mothers and live as the son of a 'hero'.
"Why, why...?"
"... I want to practice being alone too."
Kael made an excuse to reassure his mothers.
The honesty of needing time to study without anyone knowing was neatly folded and hidden in his heart.
"W-we promised to sleep together forever, Kael...."
Naturally, the three mothers were greatly shocked.
They spoke as if on the verge of tears, hoping their son would change his mind, but Kael only shook his head.
"... I'm going to cry."
At the words Laika spat out while drooping the corners of her mouth, his heart ached.
The way Aria looked disappointed as if she didn't understand was the same.
"... A few days ago, because Mom got angry.... Is that why you're doing this, Kael...?"
His heart pounded at the voice of Alicia blaming themselves and asking back, but.
Kael squeezed his eyes shut and just shook his head vigorously.
"N-no, it's not."
"Did Mom do something to upset you...?"
He knew the fact that if his heart weakened now, everything would return to how it was.
Then, the things that happened a few days ago would repeat continuously, and his mothers would be sad again.
Because of me.
Because I'm lacking.
So, for my mothers' sake and for my own happiness, I have to push them away.
He thought he should reduce the time spent with his mothers, even if it was just at night, and have time to himself.
Kael slowly examined the three mothers and spoke briefly, smiling bashfully as if it were a whim that a 'child' might show.
"... I want to practice sleeping alone, Mom."
At the bashful smile, the seriousness on the mothers' faces gradually disappeared.
"You're really not doing this because something happened, right?"
"Yes. There's really nothing wrong. If I get scared, I'll run to Mom's bed."
"... You must do that. Kael. No. I'll bring you a bell with magic on it, so if you have a nightmare, press it and ring it. Mom will come running right away."
"Okay."
"I don't know, I don't know. I'm going to cry if we don't sleep together. I said I'm going to cry!"
Laika, as always, was still being stubborn and trying to stay by Kael's side, but.
Alicia and Aria looked at each other, then just dragged the elf out of the bedroom.
"Kael must be troubled too. It won't last long. You know he loves us more than anyone, so why don't we give him a few days to think...?"
Aria, with a serious expression, stroked Laika and Alicia's hands.
The seriousness had faded due to Kael's smile, but that didn't mean the feelings about the past events had subsided.
"... He might have heard it in the bedroom. The disgusting words the young lady of the Hasla Family spat out."
It was a short sentence, but the silence was long.
Laika nodded with a sullen expression, feeling like everything started from her own fault.
Alicia was no different.
Soon, Kael will sleep with us again.
At least until he becomes an adult, we'll be able to spend time like this for a few years.
Thinking this, the three mothers headed to their respective bedrooms, which had been covered in dust for 3 years, and tried to sleep.
However....
"I want to sleep alone again today."
Kael never asked to sleep with his mothers ever again.
Except for the days when his mothers were having a hard time, he continued to do so.
The time he stayed alone in the bedroom at night when his mothers were asleep.
Sagak-, sagak-.
In a small notebook, writing down trial and error with his small hands.
Because he hadn't learned properly, Kael started studying slowly from the first step.
No, he started self-studying.
There was no one to teach him, and he didn't even know properly what 'mana' was.
There wasn't a single magic book to teach him the basics of magic, or any documents to refer to.
Self-study was nothing more than walking up a distant mountain one step at a time, but....
Kael didn't care and started taking steps slowly, very slowly.
In case he got caught, with the blanket pulled over his head.
With the bedroom door locked.