Manly Man Trait) Always Repaying Favors

Day two at the Academy.

Maybe it was because I'd been so full of excitement last night that sleep had eluded me. I ended up dozing until pretty late.

"Yune? Let's have breakf—"

"Mmm... Kir? I'm gonna sleep more... Have a good day..."

—snatch.

"...!!? I-I don't know anything! I'm leaving!!"

Basically, I'd pulled Kir, who'd come to wake me for breakfast, into a tight hug while half-asleep.

"Young master? Even if you don't have morning lectures today, you really do need to get up now..."

"Chloe...? Hehe. Let's sleep together. Come here~."

"...!!? I-I shall return once you've finished coughing!"

And then I'd tried to coax Chloe, who'd come to rouse me, by lifting the covers and inviting her in—and failed.

Anyway, from my bed I was thoroughly enjoying the freedom of Academy life that I'd always dreamed about.

'This is what the Academy's all about... I'm a free manly man. I can even sleep in as much as I want... Mmnya.'

* * * * * *

"Little brother... Huh. Still asleep?"

'Ugh... Who's here now....'

A voice filtered through my drowsiness.

Having already been woken up twice, I burrowed deeper under the covers, not wanting to be disturbed again.

The blankets, warmed nicely by my own body heat, wrapped me in a coziness that felt almost like being held in Flare's arms.

I was just about to pick up that dream of adventuring with Flare where I'd left off...

—whish!

"Goodness. Here I was, running around first thing in the morning for my little brother's sake, and he's having a lazy lie-in. Haven't you heard that 'the morning hour has gold in its mouth'?"

...I'd have happily drifted back off, but whoever was outside the covers kept fussing about so busily that it was rather difficult.

Hoping for a little less noise, I flipped all the way over and buried my face in the pillow.

—poke.

"Really now. Little brother~, get up~ I have something to tell you that you'll absolutely love... Oh my. You look like a fox buried in snow. Look at you, just your feet sticking out of the covers."

I was trying to blissfully escape back into dreamland, but...

—grab.

"If you don't get up right now, I'll tickle you?"

I felt someone seize my ankle.

"Ngghh... Don't... Lemme sleep more...."

"Oh-ho? I did warn you."

And then that someone placed a hand on the sole of my foot and...

"Hup."

—tickle tickle.

...started tickling me mercilessly.

"...!!? Hyeeek!?"

The unbearable ticklishness jerked me awake in an instant.

I squirmed with my whole body, struggling desperately to escape the torture.

"D-Don't... Pffhht!"

"It's your own fault for not getting up~. Tickle tickle~."

But no matter how much I thrashed, the grip on my ankle didn't budge.

The signature "little brother" and that teasing voice made it easy to guess it was Mar.

And despite my resistance, she kept right on tickling me.

After what felt like an eternity.

"S-Stop, pffht, my ribs hurt! Pffhht!"

"So, will you sleep in again, or not?"

"I won't! I swear I won't!"

Only when I was snapping like a shrimp and flailing around helplessly did my sister finally relent.

I'd finally escaped tickle hell—

—swish.

"Hah, hah... Mar?"

—tickletickletickle.

"Pffhahahah!!?"

"You know, on second thought, I had to go through a whole lot of trouble this morning because of you. Endure it for just a little longer."

"I GIVEHEEHEEP!!"

...Or not. I got pinned down and subjected to maybe another whole minute of her tickling.

* * * * * *

"No, I don't want to, stop it! My body is mine!"

"Wha—what on earth are you saying, little brother!!"

Only after I'd been tickled silly and then chanted those magic words did she flinch and let me go.

Panting heavily, I sat on the edge of the bed by the headboard, still wrapped in the covers.

"Little brother, when you say that kind of thing, you make me look like a weirdo. What if the other servants heard you?"

"Haaah... But I really hated it. Ah. My ribs ache from laughing so much. Couldn't you have just shaken me awake nicely? Why'd you use that method?"

"Shaking didn't budge you at all, you know."

"...It didn't?"

"Nope. Anyway, if you sleep in again, your big sister's going to make you regret it."

Mar was threatening me with a playful grin.

She was poised like a predator eyeing its prey, as if she'd pounce and resume the tickling if I didn't promise ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠right then and there. Thoroughly intimidated, I nodded hastily.

"Okay, okay. I get it, so no more tickling! I honestly thought I was going to die."

"Such a drama queen. It was just a little tickling. Anyway, are you awake now?"

"Yeah. I'm completely awake...."

"Then get up. You haven't had breakfast yet, right? Let's eat together."

—flap.

She yanked the covers off me and tossed them aside, telling me to get up quickly.

But then, oddly, the moment she saw me she whipped her head away faster than lightning.

—swish.

"L-L-Little brother!? Your underwear is showing!!"

"...?"

Wondering what the fuss was about, I looked down and saw that the button on my trousers had come undone, letting them slip a little. Naturally, the underwear inside was fully visible.

"Ah. Lately that button keeps popping open while I sleep. I always button it properly before bed, though. Wonder why."

"Why are you acting so casual about it! Button it up! And put on proper clothes!!"

"Alright, alright."

'Making such a fuss over a bit of underwear between family. Your underwear's completely visible right now too, sis.'

* * * * * *

A little while later. After I'd changed into my Academy uniform and finished eating, I brought my sister back to my room.

"So, Mar, what's all this about? You said you were busy since morning."

"You told Mother yesterday, didn't you? That you want to become an undergraduate researcher."

"Yeah. What about it?"

"You have no idea how much I've been running around because of that, from last night ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠onward."

Mar proceeded to recount her hardships on my behalf.

Last night, she'd heard about my undergraduate researcher ambitions from Mom.

After that, following Mom's orders, she'd gone all over the Academy.

She'd gathered information on whether Flare was a suitable supervising professor for me, and she'd also combed through the thick Academy regulations one by one, checking if there was anything she could do from the manor to help me.

Thanks to the stack of bargaining chips she'd assembled from all that, she'd been able to have a positive conversation with Flare. That was her explanation.

"S-So, I'm really an undergraduate researcher in Flare's lab now?"

"Ah, yeah. Starting tomorrow, you can pop by the research lab whenever you're free. Today she'll be busy with all sorts of things, so don't go bothering the professor for no reason."

"Wah!! Waaah!!"

'Incredible. I thought Mom would oppose it. And it really happened just like that?'

Overjoyed that I'd be an undergraduate researcher in Flare's lab from tomorrow, I bounced on the bed.

I'd even prepared my trump card—the one I hadn't pulled out until now—in case Mom tried to block it: refusing to eat. And yet that worrywart of a mother had come through. What a surprise.

Seeing me bob up and down on the bed, Mar let out a soft laugh.

"Mother pulled all kinds of strings this time to grant your wish, so be sure to thank her properly later."

"Got it! A mark of a manly man! Always repaying a favor!!"

"...For the record, I'm the one who did the most work."

"Ah, yeah! I know! Thank you so much too, Mar!!"

—glomp.

I threw myself into a hug with my sister, who'd obliquely let me know she'd worked the hardest.

Honestly, considering she'd even taken on a graduate-student role because of me, I couldn't thank her enough.

"Pfft. This kid, really."

"You know I'm always grateful, right? I've really got no one but you!"

"Yeah, yeah."

She smiled fondly and stroked my hair, as if to say that getting this much affection was only her due.

When I eventually pulled away, she had an extremely satisfied look on her face.

"Keuh-huh-huh. Coming back to the Academy was really worth it, I swear."

"Mar, if you just put it like that, I'll feel bad. I'll give you an ama~zing present later...."

"Don't bother. I'm happier than anyone right now."

* * * * * *

"Alright, I'm off. Since I granted your wish, study hard and graduate early like your big sister. Got it? If you don't, you'll answer to me."

"Yeah, got it!"

"And call Albert and Charl sometime too. Charl was apparently really lonely these last two days, not hearing from you."

"Ah. I completely forgot. Okay."

"Good. I'll see you the day after tomorrow in Practical Lecture, little brother."

Mar left, saying she had to get back to work.

After seeing her off, I checked the magic-clock artifact on the wall. Only thirty minutes remained until my first lecture.

"Already 10:30... Chloe! Let's get going~!"

"C-Cough. Yes, young master."

"...? Anyway, if you're ready, let's go."

I set off with Chloe for the liberal arts course reserved for nobles.

Since just walking was boring, I struck up some small talk.

"Chloe, starting tomorrow I'm an undergraduate researcher! Working with Flare and... oh, and our family mages are coming too!"

"I-Is that so."

"Huh. I've been wondering since earlier, why's your face so red today? Is it hot?"

"...Young master, you truly don't remember what happened this morning?"

"What? What about this morning?"

"......It's nothing."

But for some reason Chloe kept averting her eyes, as if looking at my face made her uncomfortable.

I tilted my head, puzzled by her behavior, and we continued on toward the lecture venue.

* * * * * *

Our destination was the open ground behind Noble Hall, a spacious ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clearing surrounded by white fences. The riding grounds.

As we drew closer, the characteristic smell of animals made my expression stiffen a little.

But I hadn't frowned out of disgust at the odor.

The real reason my face had hardened was...

"Now that I think about it, Chloe, do you know how to ride a horse?"

"Well, as your escort knight, I do know how to ride. I learned from Lady Mar."

"Huh. Really? I can't. I can't be the only one who can't, right...?"

It was because I hadn't ridden a horse even once since that dungeon exploration outing.

Even back then, my sisters had steered while I'd just clung to them. So my actual hands-on experience riding a horse was exactly zero.

If I turned out to be the only one among my peers who couldn't ride, the manly-man image I'd worked so hard to imprint yesterday would come crashing down spectacularly.

Seeing my growing unease, Chloe let out a little laugh.

"Why so afraid? Nobody is perfect from the start. And besides, the sight of you not riding well is rather endear—"

"Hm? What was that?"

"...Is not the sight of you giving it your all even when you're not skilled exactly the 'manly man' attitude you always champion?"

"Ah, good point!"

Thanks to Chloe, I adjusted my thinking and changed my expression. To that of a confident smile.

'Yeah. Putting in effort is what being a manly man is all about, right? I'll show my peers just how manly I can be!'

...But about thirty minutes later. I ended up proving my manliness in a way that was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rather different from what I'd imagined.