A Sincere Wish
After a storm of a day, the second day of the festival arrived. I wasn't sure if I should call it a stroke of luck, but I found myself with a bit of free time. Russell had arrived at the barony alongside Isha. He had mentioned bringing various documents from the Crescent Moon's archives, and it seemed he had arrived right on schedule.
Thanks to that, Baron Isquente was thrown into a state of high alert. Sirien had also offered to help the Baron today, so they both seemed bound to be incredibly busy. I decided to take this opportunity to sort out my cluttered thoughts. Sirien, Baron Isquente, and Russell—the three of them had retreated into the conference room immediately after finishing their meal and hadn't emerged since.
"First, here is the list of nobles friendly to our side."
"They're all mediocre names. I don't think any of them will be of help."
"This side will be different! What about these people here?"
"Get a grip. You've lived a carefree life, so you might not grasp the scale of this, but our opponent is a marquisate with over a century of history. Gathering minnows like these won't do you any good."
"Is... is it really that bad?"
At first, I had been in the conference room with them. But as expected, politics and the like had nothing to do with me. Sirien tossed documents onto the floor as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and there was absolutely nothing I could do to help. I had tried to brew them some tea, but I was only scolded and told to call a maid instead.
"First of all, don't expect imperial law to be fair to you. If there's a disparity in authority, you don't even need to open the law books. The judge will bow his head in court the moment he senses the Marquis is displeased."
"Good heavens. Then what should we do? The people Her Holiness just dismissed as minnows are the entirety of the connections I can mobilize."
"If you don't have connections, you make new ones. First, investigate those who hold a grudge against the Eloran Marquisate. If you start from the East, at least one is bound to turn up. Oh, and cross this name off, too. They're tied up in the iron ore business, so they'll never take your side."
"I will take charge of that task."
In the end, I had to make my escape. What was the point of staying when I couldn't even follow the flow of the conversation? I didn't want to expose my ignorance by trying to chime in. If it was Sirien, she would undoubtedly reach a far better conclusion than I ever could with my clumsy attempts at thinking. I had absolute trust in Sirien's judgment.
...And it was absolutely not because my face burned with embarrassment at the thought of looking at her after what happened yesterday.
Fortunately, there was someone else who couldn't understand a word of what those three were talking about.
"Haaah!"
Thwack!
I parried Isha's attack, sending her weapon flying. The wooden sword spun helplessly through the air before rolling across the sandy floor of the training ground.
"That wasn't bad just now. Though it would have been better if you'd hidden your intentions a bit more."
"Where did I give it away?"
"Your eyes. The feint was good, but you were already looking at the spot you intended to strike."
"My goodness. You can read that too? Let me try again."
When it came to clearing one's head, nothing beat swinging a sword. Right now, I was instructing Isha, who had become my fellow useless companion. Though my evaluation just now had been a bit harsh, she truly possessed the makings of a Sword Master. Her rate of growth was astonishing. It wasn't just a matter of learning ten things from being taught one; the moment a new concept was introduced, she would immediately adapt and correct her existing habits. It was as if she had complete freedom over changing her own form.
In particular, Isha's 'Silent Sword' was entirely her own unique domain. Even I wouldn't dare try to mimic it. I could probably manage something vaguely similar, but I couldn't completely erase the faint whistling of the wind. Though her current skills weren't yet grand, with just a little push, she seemed poised for an explosive burst of growth.
"Good. You've improved since earlier."
"For someone saying that, you haven't moved a single step."
"You'll have to practice more if you want to make me move. I didn't build my skills by slacking off, you know."
Clack! Clatter! Clack!
The clear sound of wood striking wood echoed through the air. It was a sound that seemed to awaken various thoughts in my mind.
"I was really looking forward to the festival, but it looks like Dad has no intention of stepping outside. I wanted to go. Have you been, Sir Rajen?"
"The festival... Yes, I went. The problem is that I had a bit too good of a time."
Tomorrow was the final day of the festival. Once the sun dipped below the horizon and night fell—the bonfire I had seen earlier would be lit. Before the roaring flames, Sirien would ask me to make a wish. As for what I should wish for... I knew all too well. No matter how dense I was, there was no way I could remain ignorant after what had transpired yesterday. The conflict within me had yet to be resolved, but with Sirien waiting so earnestly for my answer, hesitating any longer was out of the question. I had to make a decision, one way or another.
"Isha."
"Ah! Did I do something wrong again?"
"What kind of gift should a guy choose when confessing to a girl?"
"Pardon?"
It was a massive relief that Isha was here. Normally, a younger sister or a close friend would help pick out a gift in situations like this, but naturally, I had neither. The three people inside the conference room were out of the question. Most of the people I knew in this territory were gruff, rugged men, and the few women I was acquainted with were all currently deployed to the front lines. Sirien had sent a messenger this morning, but it would still take at least two days for them to reach the barony. No matter how hard I looked, Isha was the only person I could ask for this kind of favor.
"U-Um, is it really alright for someone like me to help you with this?"
"Don't worry, I won't blame you even if the results are terrible. I'm not that unreasonable."
"Ah, yes... It's for Her Holiness, right?"
"Yeah. I'm agonizing over it because I have no idea what would make a good gift."
Isha still found me intimidating, but she seemed slightly more comfortable than before. Back in Requitas, she had been so terrified of me that I'd wondered if I had somehow committed some unspeakable crime against her. I wasn't sure if time had been the cure or if my sword lessons today had done the trick, but she readily agreed to accompany me to the town to look around the festival.
"Do you have anything in mind?"
"At first, I thought about getting her some jewelry, but I already bought her some back in Requitas. I'm worried it might feel a bit too cliché."
"I know about that. She actually bragged about it to me."
"Ah, is that so?"
It seemed she had already bragged to Isha. I knew she had been pleased, but I hadn't realized it was to this extent. Was she seriously boasting about it to everyone she met? Regardless of tomorrow, I figured it would be a good idea to prepare another pretty accessory. If I had known she would go around bragging like that, I would have found her something much better. I felt a pang of regret.
"I feel like Her Holiness would love absolutely anything you give her."
"That's exactly why I don't want to just brush it off like that."
"Hmm, what about things she usually likes?"
"Things Sirien likes..."
The Sirien I knew didn't care for flashy or expensive things. She was a noble among nobles, born of the most prestigious bloodline in this vast and grand empire. Gold and gems would never move her heart. What Sirien usually enjoyed were sweet desserts. Aside from that, her pleasures were simple: taking walks with me or just chatting idly. She also seemed to like books, but I lacked the eye for that sort of thing.
"Take your time and think about it. It might not be much of an advice, but women are weak to atmosphere. Things like showing your effort, or making them feel your sincerity."
"Hmm."
We browsed the market together, but nothing caught my eye. Everything was exactly what I had seen with Sirien yesterday. Perhaps because it had been my first time seeing them then, they now felt somewhat mundane. As a token of gratitude for her help, I bought Isha some snacks and picked up a generous portion for the three hard at work in the conference room. As we walked, pretty bracelets and ornaments caught my eye. Isha picked out a few for me, but none of them felt quite right.
"I should have worn warmer clothes. The wind is already getting chilly."
"Should we head back if you're cold?"
"No, I'm fine. Maybe because of the crowd, it's still bearable."
Sincerity. Sincerity, huh? Isha's words lingered in my mind, refusing to fade. It was such a difficult concept. In all the time I had spent with Sirien, there had never been a single moment where I wasn't sincere. The hardships we had overcome were of the sort that could never have been conquered without our mutual sincerity. If I hadn't thrown myself in harm's way to protect her, Sirien would have died at the cabin. Conversely, if Sirien hadn't risked her life for me, I would have succumbed to the spider venom. Even on the battlefield, we surely would have met our end multiple times if not for each other. That was why expressing my sincerity felt like such a daunting task. I had already been doing it all along, so how could I possibly show even more?
"Ah...!"
Just then, a memory suddenly flashed through my mind.
"Did you think of something?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry, but could you hold onto this and wait for me for a bit? I'll be right back."
"I'll wait. Hurry back!"
I had been looking at it all wrong from the very beginning. I had overcomplicated things. Since when did Sirien and I ever need to actively confirm our sincerity to one another? To us, sincerity and trust were as natural as breathing. I bolted, sprinting across the market.