Leaving Home, Boarding the Train
Ode had vanished for ten months. Luke kept disappearing somewhere. Eri’s meaningful look. The sound of a baby crying from the room. I wasn’t stupid enough not to know what this meant.
“I wish you’d told me too.”
“Hehe… It’s a bit awkward for the baby to know.”
“Still…”
Ode, gaunt and worn, cradled a squirming bundle of flesh in her arms. The way she wrapped the infant in cloth, so carefully, contrasted sharply with the time she’d attacked me.
“Hey. You’re the one who tried to kill me—why are you like this? I didn’t even stab you in the thigh.”
“…”
I turned my head to survey the surroundings. An artifact was already purifying the area, its glow softening the air. Beyond that stood Ode, beaming with joy; Eri, her expression tinged with envy; and Luke—no longer the grumpy old man I knew, but a young man with flowing platinum hair, sharp blue eyes, a cocky smirk, a straight nose, and a balanced physique. He looked every bit the nobleman, if not for the ragged clothes he still wore.
“If you’ve got brains, use ’em. What’s so great about clinging to an old man when there are beautiful women like this…”
“I like it.”
“Me too.”
“Hmmph…”
…Ah.
“Damn.”
“The baby’s listening.”
I was so jealous. A harem.
A few weeks later, with Ode still absent, it was Eri who locked herself in her room.
“You really have a talent, sir.”
“Back in my day, I made a lot of women cry.”
“Not that. The second mistress locking herself in.”
“Huh, jealous?”
“…Honestly, yes.”
To be fair, any man would envy this situation.
“If you’re jealous, focus on your training.”
“If that were true, every man in the world would be a training maniac.”
With both mistresses absent, I was receiving guidance from Luke again for the first time in a while.
“You’re doing your physical conditioning every day, right?”
“Yes. Once after lunch, once after dinner.”
“Then let’s learn some techniques. I know they don’t suit you, but you’ll need them if you’re going to call yourself my disciple.”
I suspected this was the first time I’d ever seen Luke’s swordsmanship.
He drew his blade carelessly, traced a half-circle, and set it down with a soft thud before him.
“What do you think?”
“…”
That was all. Yet I couldn’t speak. His stance looked sloppy at first glance, but from it, I couldn’t find even a single thread of weakness—let alone the red threads I’d grown used to seeing.
“Your insight has grown. Mediocre opponents often mistake such stances for full of holes.”
He continued:
“Finding an enemy’s weakness is useful, but revealing your own false weaknesses to manipulate their actions is also a valid tactic. It works especially well on clever opponents—those who think they’re smart but aren’t quite there. They fall for it without realizing it’s a trap. In my hometown, we called it the peak of stupidity.”
For once, he looked almost cool.
But then—
“…Master.”
“What?”
“Does your speech change when your appearance does?”
“…”
“Ow! Foul! You should’ve said you were starting!”
Of course, Luke didn’t let me keep him long.
“Luke! Peaches!”
“What? Peaches? It’s spring?”
“Does that matter right now?”
“Ugh. I’ll go! Jeden, keep doing what I taught you.”
“Yes, sir.”
Whenever Eri spoke a word, Ode relayed it, and upon hearing it, Luke would bolt. My training sessions would suddenly be interrupted, but I didn’t mind.
“Can I come in too?”
“You washed up, right?”
“Yes.”
Only after scrubbing off the dirt and sweat could I enter the room where Eri and Ode were—the room with the baby.
“Enter~ Oppa’s here.”
“Mwah…?”
Ode’s child was a boy, named Enter. He was still plump with baby fat, soft to the touch. His eyes were half-open, half-closed, and he couldn’t hold his head up yet, so he rested in Ode’s arms. His expression was rather stern.
Like this, I’d cover his face with my hand, then—
“Rrrr, peek-a-boo!”
“Kyaa!”
I didn’t know what it was, but he loved it.
How did I know? Luke had taught me.
“Heh heh, so you really do take good care of him, huh?”
“…Yeah.”
Come to think of it, I had said that.
It just popped into my head. That kid.
I wonder if he’s doing well.
“…Jeden?”
“Ah. No, it’s not.”
Before Luke took me in, during my alley days, there was a child I couldn’t see anymore because I’d taken a knife to the face.
I don’t know if that child is living well.
“I’m going to train now.”
“Oh, go ahead. Enter, Oppa’s leaving. Say goodbye?”
“Baaah.”
Feeling a bit off, I picked up a sword at the training ground. Whatever the case, training always cleared my mind.
Quite a bit of time passed after that.
I turned seventeen this year.
My golden eyes had sharpened, my jawline had hardened, and the softness of childhood had mostly faded. My arms and legs weren’t bulky, but they were dense with muscle, solid and strong. I’d grown tall, and my voice had deepened.
I’d made considerable progress in both physical and magical abilities.
I’d nearly mastered Ode’s stealth techniques, could wield Luke’s swordsmanship to some extent, and had learned Eri’s unique skill of merging two spells.
Enter was five now.
He was the same age as me, apparently.
“Oppa!”
Enter’s daily routine began with following me around, calling me Oppa. When I held a sword, he grabbed a twig. When I opened a spellbook, he mimicked me, even if he didn’t understand what he was doing.
He dreamed of becoming a knight someday.
Given that he was Luke’s blood and would serve as a mentor, the title was practically guaranteed.
“…Oppa?”
Eri’s child was a girl.
Her name was Ipril, four years old.
She approached with a rabbit plushie in one hand, rubbing her sleepy eyes. She didn’t have a particular reason to follow us—she just came along because Enter and I were around.
Ipril was hard to read. Her expression was always blank, and she was quiet, so she rarely shared her thoughts.
“I want an apple.”
“Hold on. Let me check if there’s any left.”
She’d occasionally blurt out what she wanted to eat.
Usually, she’d follow for a bit, get bored, and return to Eri’s arms.
“How’s it taste? Salty?”
“A little bland.”
“Just eat it.”
“Why did you ask?”
Luke had completely devoted himself to household chores, abandoning training and everything else.
Since Ode and Eri handled most of the childcare, you could say it was a division of labor.
“It’s for the kids’ drink… Should I add some apple?”
“Go ahead. It tastes a bit like carrots.”
I’d naturally reduced my training time too. Playing with the kids and making their meals had slowly chipped away at it.
Unlike appearances, Ipril had preferences but would eat almost anything given to her.
Enter, on the other hand, hated vegetables—especially carrots.
Still, since his older sister ate them, he’d force himself down, but it’d be better if he enjoyed them.
I grated half an apple into the drink.
Another ordinary day.
That’s what I thought as I was about to go to sleep—
“Jeden. Come out.”
Luke called me quietly.
“What is it?”
I followed him outside. The sky was dotted with stars, the moon shining brightest among them.
“Jeden.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know why I called you?”
“…Roughly, yeah.”
In truth, I had a pretty good idea why Luke had summoned me.
Most seventeen-year-old young men didn’t just stay home training and eating. Unless they were nobles, of course.
Probably, he was going to tell me to leave home or find a job.
“No.”
Oh.
“If you want, you can stay. Ode, Eri, me, Enter, Ipril, and you—we’re a family.”
But.
“The next few years will likely be the most brilliant of your life. I want you to enjoy that time. Unlike me, you can use it purely for yourself.”
Make friends who understand you.
Get into trouble together.
Earn your own money.
Maybe even find a good girlfriend.
Experience love.
Maybe even sadness.
That’s what he meant, I suppose. To put it simply:
“Get out of my house, kid.”
Right.
Along with those words, he handed me an Academy admission application.
“You know by now, right? I’m not a 5th Realm master.”
“If I didn’t, I’d be an idiot.”
When I was young, I thought being a 5th Realm master was impressive. Now, I’m a 5th Realm master.
It is impressive, but it also meant Luke couldn’t possibly be only a 5th Realm master.
“I’ll pull some strings to get you in. Just fill out your department.”
Oh. That was kind of cool.
“Huh. Is that really okay?”
“That much is fine, kid.”
Meeting his eyes—strangely cocky yet reassuring—I filled in my name and preferred department on the application.
Jeden Se Tes. Artifice Engineering Department, Magical Engineering.
The Se Tes after my name.
Luke Se Tes’s surname.
“Artifice…? Out of nowhere?”
“…Well, nothing special.”
I’d noticed there were a lot of artifacts at home. They seemed valuable, and I was curious.
And. Above all.
A promise I’d made when I was young suddenly came to mind.
So. Just in case.
“Well, you’ve got your reasons. I understand.”
The next day, I boarded the train to the Academy.
Well, not exactly. I had to first slip my hand into Enter’s armpit and give him a piggyback ride, then hug Ipril tightly before I could leave.
And just before the train departed—
“…Jeden.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t act tough because you’re strong. Don’t bully weaker kids. Don’t feel inferior just because you’re in the Artifice Department. But don’t use your strength recklessly either. Don’t neglect your studies. Visit during breaks. And, um…”
That is to say—
“Luke? The train’s about to leave.”
“You won’t regret this later, right?”
“Haa… Fine.”
Luke wiped his face once and forced the words out.
“Take care. ……Son.”
“…”
At those words, I paused for a moment.
“Yes. Father.”
I answered.