The Dream Closest to Unfathomable Longing (Part 1)
Simon, is this really all of it?
Yes, this is the first time I've ever encountered a case like this. Honestly, it wounds my pride.
The capital of the kingdom. The clubhouse of Langranda.
Darek Ron Langranda, who is staying in the building given to him by the head of the Langranda family for helping Dalek.
Dalek was sitting on the sofa, lifting a few scattered documents stacked on the low table in front of him and examining them. After setting the documents down, he let out a sigh.
I understand. Sorry for suddenly asking you to investigate this. Thank you for your hard work. You can rest today.
...If I get more information, I'll report it right away. Young master.
Simon, the butler of Darek, left after closing the door.
Dalek tilted his head back and thought about her, the girl who still remained a complete mystery, and thought again.
She was obviously strange. A master of that level, yet no one in the world had ever noticed her?
Dalek's memory of the girl's movements near the exit, seen just before he left the test, still lingered vividly.
From the very first time he felt the girl, there was already a sense that she was different.
In the waiting room for the test, and on the way to the arena, all the other students were deeply tense, but that girl showed not a trace of hesitation.
And despite the dense pressure of mana crushing her body, she showed no sign of shrinking back.
And that golem... how she defeated it.
It had meaning to hold a sword instead of a staff. To follow the footprints of the person she admired, the one she wanted to surpass.
Even in the test, it was to train, to defeat the golem with nothing but her other senses, eyes closed.
The result was half success, half failure.
She had succeeded in stopping the golem with a single strike. But she hadn't properly adjusted the mana, and the sword had broken.
No, Darek himself had made a mistake in not adjusting the proper amount of mana on that sword.
Because of that mistake, the girl behind him, Lir Ostrin, had fallen into danger.
But she immediately switched weapons to a staff and countered the charging golem's timing to stop it.
Her body didn't have the same strength as his, and she hadn't poured in as much mana either.
Yet it was clean and concise. The detail in that thrust far surpassed his own.
I thought in the academy I would become someone who wouldn't be outdone by anyone.
But right next to him, that thought had been denied as arrogant.
What exactly was the girl's identity? While wondering, he still felt there was a long way to go.
Rather, it was fortunate.
Having a motivation to surpass his own skill meant he had a textbook right in front of him to study.
For a moment, he thought he had made the right choice in entering the academy. Originally he had planned to skip the academy and enter the knight order directly.
For one reason, he had hurriedly submitted an application to the academy.
Originally there had been a clearer, more concrete goal. But in one night, that concrete goal had turned into an abstract one.
Entering the academy had been the lesser choice, but in the end, in his current situation, it had become the best choice.
All of it was to catch up to the person he admired.
...Lir, the commander of the knight order.
***
Why?
Dozing off, dozing off.
I was sprawled on the sofa, lifting my head to look at Helahem who had come in through the door.
Because I thought of him as the Iron Knight, it felt a bit awkward that this enormous Helahem was wearing a neat shirt and vest, even with glasses.
Helahem came in carrying full envelopes in both hands. He set them down, and the envelopes landed on the floor with an appropriately heavy sound.
...Still, I'm not supposed to be called 'Lir,' right?
He had been shocked enough to still call me 'Lir.' I laughed in disbelief.
I sat up and looked around the area of the sofa I was sitting on. In other words, I looked around the interior of the house.
I wonder if cleaning up is something I should do...
Was it that dirty? I was a bit puzzled.
Books had piled up like mountains on the floor, but there were paths to walk and space to move, so wasn't that okay?
Curious about the weapons and various odds and ends buried among the books, but I knew exactly where everything was.
I wasn't living with anyone, and I had no intention of letting anyone into the house. Professor Helahem had come on his own whim.
Then wasn't that fine? It just hadn't reached my self-imposed cleaning standards yet, and I hadn't cleaned.
I would probably have cleaned it by tomorrow. Especially since he came right now...
As I stood up, I saw that the books in front of me were stacked taller than my knees.
The bookcase that had once been filled to the brim on the wall now had gaping holes, exposing its interior.
A bit messy, isn't it.
Standing still and watching that scene, it felt a little dirty inside.
While I was subtly peeking, Helahem rolled up his sleeves and started picking up the books one by one.
Without a word, for twenty minutes, for thirty minutes, he picked up the books and sorted them, gathering only the books from the same series or category and slotting them back onto the shelves.
Over fifty, nearing sixty, even though he hadn't been lazy with his training, Helahem felt a subtle ache in his arms and back.
He wasn't swinging weapons or lifting iron ingots, yet...
Right next to him, the girl quietly watching him was picking up and organizing the books.
The famous Lir... really.
Living a dissipated life, he replaced meals with whatever he bought and ate out.
It wasn't that he couldn't cook at all.
In front of people, he was the perfect hero, but behind the scenes, he was human scum. Still better than that.
Ah, ah! I stepped on it...
Seeing that figure with her big toe being gently rubbed while her eyes were red, it was hard to accept that she was Lir.
While thinking she was probably just a skilled nameless girl, the ability he had seen and felt in the girl made him reject that thought.
A veteran. No, the crisis response ability accumulated by crossing countless lines of death.
In battle, most who encounter sudden situations die. And those who survive by luck prepare for sudden situations.
But situations are always different. No matter how prepared you are, there are countless variables, so you face unexpected situations.
Only after repeating that many times do you naturally find a way to overcome crises when sudden situations occur.
How many people like that would survive in the world.
Moreover, how many would have experienced that much battle. Obviously, only a tiny number would remain.
Especially since the girl seemed to have just reached adulthood. How could someone who had crossed that many lines of death be a mere girl?
Because of that, Helahem inwardly acknowledged that the girl was Lir.
In addition to being the knight order's commander-in-waiting.
The knight who defies reversal.
The current and future of the knight order.
The light that cuts through the darkness.
And the hero.
Because the name Lir carried such glamorous titles that were almost on the level of a saint, it was famous everywhere in the kingdom.
As glamorous as that name was, on the front lines she had participated without rest, almost overworked.
The man who knew well how painful and bloody each day on the front lines was, Helahem wished that if Lir was really that girl and had retired for some reason, she wouldn't have to suffer anymore.
Because of that feeling, he had been taking care of Lir to some extent in the meantime.
With a clink, the sound of the last book being slotted into the shelf.
With all the books placed in the now toothless bookcase, it was like a library.
It's all done. Is it good? It's done, right?
I'll do some cleaning. Then, if someone comes to visit the house, how would I greet them.
After saying an appropriate compliment, Helahem picked up the envelopes he had set down and handed them to Lir.
Feeling the heavy weight in his arms, Lir examined the envelopes and found they were filled with food and tea.
Since he had lived in the knight order, he hadn't ever tried living alone. Because he personally invited me as his student, I had to look after him.
Uh, uh... Thank you.
Receiving such a gift from someone I hadn't expected was the first time, so Lir thanked him awkwardly.
After all, he usually bought meals casually from the market because they were bothersome.
How long had it been since he hadn't lit a fire? It seemed he hadn't cooked since staying in this house.
I see, I need to do some household chores now that I'm living alone too.
It wasn't like he hadn't thought about it once or twice. Every time he made up his mind, the hassle and unfamiliarity of living alone kept making his actions hesitate.
So now was the perfect opportunity.
Since you brought this, why don't I treat you to a meal once? My heart feels uneasy eating while in debt.
Hmmm. Since it's just dinner time, let's do that.
Looking out the window, the sun was already beginning to set, and the time for dinner was approaching.
For Lir, this was the perfect timing to start household chores and have a meal.
Lir confidently picked up the ingredients Helahem had brought and started preparing to cook in the kitchen.
And an hour later.
Lir heard the first scolding to not cook at all, ever.