Chapter 321: Bread and Dagger (19)
Chapter 321: Bread and Dagger (19)
Victory was sweet, and growth was rewarding.
However, I wasn't so pathetic as to boast about it in front of a junior I cared for. I cleared my throat, trying to compose my voice.
Now was the time to show a mature, senior-like attitude.
A candid confession, free of bravado, escaped my lips.
"Well, I just got lucky, I guess...?"
Truly, luck was the only way to describe it.
I was someone who had grown in a short period by receiving letters from the future and peeking into the memories of my future self. It would be shameless to claim all the credit as my own.
However, Seria seemed to take it as another display of humility, letting out a soft, light laugh.
A lonely shadow flickered across the face of the girl as she lowered her head.
"...I suppose I can't argue with that. It only proves how much I still lack."
It was exactly the reaction I had expected.
Consecutive defeats can extinguish even the fiercest fighting spirit. Having once been nothing more than a mediocre talent myself, I knew that feeling all too well.
Letting go of expectations and living a life suited to one's station.
That wouldn't be a bad life, but I still needed Seria.
That was why I spoke up without thinking.
"Hurry up and come."
"...?"
Seria stared at me blankly. I let out a small laugh at the dazed look in my junior's eyes, a look I hadn't seen in a while.
"I'll be waiting for you ahead, so hurry up. You said you could come once you mastered that technique."
"Ah..."
Only then did Seria let out a soft gasp, as if realizing something.
I had mentioned it before.
That my future self had suppressed her using only a specific technique, and that she could only be of help once she grasped at least the essence of that subtlety.
Conversely, this meant she was welcome to follow me as long as she mastered that technique.
It might have been nothing more than my own arbitrary interpretation, but what of it?
If he was upset about it, he shouldn't have been so vague in the first place.
The man had brought this on himself.
Seria's complexion began to brighten, like clouds clearing from a sunny sky.
"Is... is that really okay? What if I become a hindrance to you, Senior...?"
"You've never been a hindrance to me. Not once."
Taking a couple of steps, I stood before Seria. It was then that I placed my hand on her shoulder.
"So come as quickly as you can. Senior Delphine will be waiting for you too."
I pulled out the note I had received from Senior Delphine.
Seria stared at the short message written there for a long time. After a moment, she nodded with eyes full of resolve.
"Yes, Senior... I will definitely follow you. For you, and for my sister."
She was speaking of the two people she respected most.
Considering her overflowing talent, I felt the day she caught up to me wouldn't be far off. She would probably catch up within two weeks.
It was a terrifying level of talent.
She was essentially saying she would steal a technique she hadn't even been taught. Compared to being properly tutored, the difficulty was bound to be astronomically high.
Even so, Seria didn't show a hint of anxiety.
In fact, even I found it hard to imagine her failing.
Seria would do it.
Just as she always had.
Feeling proud, I reached out and gave her hair a good ruffle.
It was a habit I had with Celine and Lia.
In my heart, Seria occupied the same position as those two—that of a younger sister.
Of course, it was a level of physical contact that was somewhat inappropriate for a young woman of her age. My hand flinched as I realized this belatedly.
I wondered if I had offended her.
No matter how close they were, few women allowed their heads to be touched so freely. Not only did it mess up their hair, but between a man and a woman, it was often seen as an act with deeper meaning.
Fortunately, however, Seria didn't seem to mind.
If anything, she closed her eyes and wore a blissful expression. I didn't know why, but if Seria was happy, I was happy.
I continued stroking her hair for a while.
However, it seemed Seria still had something to say to me.
Her blue eyes flickered toward me, gauging my reaction. It was then that a cautious question flowed from the girl's lips.
"By the way, Senior..."
"Yeah?"
I looked at Seria with a face that said she could ask me anything.
Seria hesitated for a moment, then, as if making up her mind, she squeezed her eyes shut and asked.
"Where did you learn the Golden Silk Sword?"
Where did I learn the Golden Silk Sword, huh?
Well, I didn't know either. It was just a technique I happened to pick up while peeking through the memories of my future self.
Come to think of it, it was a mystery.
How had my future self managed to master so many secret arts?
I didn't have a proper answer to the question that suddenly popped into my head. So, after pondering for a while, I decided to subtly probe Seria instead.
"...Why?"
It was pure curiosity.
A natural counter-question, asking why she would even bring that up.
At that one word, Seria began to hesitate again.
After a long silence, the girl opened her mouth, stammering.
"W-Well... the Golden Silk Sword is a secret art of the Yurdina family, isn't it?"
"That's true."
It was a well-known fact.
So, it was only natural for Seria to be curious about its source. As a member of the Yurdina family, it was her right.
The part I found questionable, however, was why the question needed to be so cautious.
Seria was hesitating as if she were prying into a secret she wasn't supposed to know.
I felt there must be a reason for it.
It didn't take long for that 'reason' to be revealed.
"But my sister hasn't said anything about it, which means she's recognized you as a successor of the Golden Silk Sword..."
In truth, there was a hidden story behind that.
To begin with, my relationship with Senior Delphine didn't start on the best terms.
My future self had literally turned Senior Delphine into mincemeat.
Terrified by that experience, Senior Delphine hadn't dared to ask about the Golden Silk Sword. Of course, the same held true afterward.
Through numerous incidents, Senior Delphine had come to accept the existence of my Golden Silk Sword as a matter of course. There was no need for her to pry into its origin at this point.
After all, Senior Delphine was currently positioning herself as my 'slave.'
And so, the secret surrounding my Golden Silk Sword had been left unresolved.
At least, until Seria brought it up again today.
She was continuing her own deduction with an anxious look.
"T-Then, does that mean she intends to accept you as a blood relative of the Yurdina family? I was wondering if maybe you and my sister were engaged... I-If that's the case, then, then...!"
It was then that I felt an inexplicable chill.
Every time Seria muttered to herself, her eyes sank into a dull, dark light. Before I knew it, shadows had cast over her aquamarine pupils.
It was a heavy color, like looking into the deep sea.
The moment I met that chilling gaze, I had to clamp my mouth shut.
"...Then, I'll have no choice but to get rid of them."
The question of who rose to my throat, but I barely managed to swallow it down.
I didn't have the confidence to handle the answer Seria might give.
I simply made a firm vow to myself.
I must never let Seria find out about my relationship with Senior Delphine.
Never.
Regardless of my thoughts, Seria merely stared blankly down at the sword at her waist, whispering in a gloomy tone.
The members who would head North were decided quickly.
First, the process of convincing the Saintess was simple. The moment she heard the words 'Evil Cult,' she declared her participation as if she had been waiting for it.
She made the sign of the cross over her luscious breasts and spoke.
"I cannot stand by if a priest of the Heavenly God is leading a cult. Especially if the Dark Cult is involved."
Senior Elsie's accompaniment was also settled in short order.
Before I could even bring it up, Senior Elsie had already packed her bags and come to find me.
As I looked at her with questioning eyes, Senior Elsie gave a sly grin.
"Where would I go without my master?"
In other words, she was asking where I thought I was going without her.
Since her confession a while back, Senior Elsie had started strangely mixing informal and formal speech. Accordingly, there had been a slight change in her attitude toward me.
The way she was subtly pressuring me right now was proof of that.
Not that it mattered; she would back down quickly enough if I got serious, but I didn't feel the need to do so.
After all, I was the one who needed her help.
Finally, including the Princess and Emma, with whom I had already spoken, the party to leave for the North was fully assembled.
Celine, unfortunately, said she would stay at the Academy to train with Seria.
When I went to say goodbye, Celine was grunting as she swung a battle axe as large as her own body.
The sheer force of it was terrifying.
I even wondered if I could block a full-power strike from her.
With a loud thud, fragments of the shattered ground flew in all directions.
As I stood there with my jaw dropped, Celine scratched her cheek sheepishly.
"I-I think I'm getting a little used to it? Ahaha..."
By any measure, it was more than just 'a little' used to it.
Celine herself was likely the one who felt it most. She didn't seem to want any distractions from this long-awaited opportunity for growth.
I decided to respect her wishes.
I didn't know where Seria had holed herself up to train. Since she said she would follow soon anyway, she would find us once we were waiting in the North.
And so, just a few weeks after arriving at the Academy, I had to pack my bags once again.
The journey to the North was short.
Unlike small, rural estates like the Percus territory, the Yurdina territory was a major northern city.
A Warp Gate was directly connected, so there was no need to take a carriage.
However, there was a bit of friction even on that short path.
Emma, who was traveling with me for the first time, was naturally the center of the group's attention.
The blatant wariness was enough to make a dejected Emma hide behind my back. I told the others to stop, but they weren't the type to listen obediently.
Senior Elsie was the main problem.
Taking advantage of a gap in my supervision, she would pick fights with Emma.
"Hey, commoner. What are you exactly?"
"Ah, Lady Lainella..."
It was the first trial to face Emma.
My eyes flickered toward the two of them.
Silently, without anyone noticing.