Uncle Henry
Richard raised a hand with a broad smile.
"It's been a while, nephew!"
*Nephew.*
The moment Simon heard that word, his mind snapped into high gear.
His father had no legitimate business walking onto Roc Island. Whether Nephthys had arranged it or not, one thing was certain—he had to keep his identity hidden.
Which meant that playing a distant relative was far more convenient than drawing attention as the father of the top-ranked student.
So Simon beamed right back.
"Uncle!"
The two met and shared a light embrace.
Just then, Meilyn flushed and stepped forward.
"S-Simon! This is......"
"Ah, let me introduce you."
Simon spread his arm.
"This is my uncle. His name is......"
"Henry. The name's Henry."
Introducing himself with a name that looked freshly invented to anyone with eyes, Richard bowed at the waist and kissed the back of Meilyn's hand. Her cheeks turned as red as apples.
"Hm."
Then Richard noticed the handkerchief wrapped around her hand.
His fingers drifted slowly toward it.
"Now, about that wound from the roses, is it—"
*Hup!*
"Uncle!"
Simon wedged himself between the two and pushed Richard's shoulder back with a smile.
"This is Meilyn Villenne, from my group."
"Oh, is that so. What a coincidence."
Richard leaned in and murmured slyly at Simon's ear.
"Look at you, Simon. Guarding your girl already?"
"Please, Father. Meilyn doesn't belong to anyone."
Simon said it quietly, adding a subtle pressure to Richard's shoulder. But the smile never left his father's lips.
*...I can't believe Father already got to Meilyn.*
Richard was, of course, the father he respected—a fine lord and a great necromancer—but according to Pier, he was not to be trusted where the opposite sex was concerned.
*Please, just behave yourself on my campus.*
Simon shot Richard a pointed look, then turned away. Shy as ever, Camibarez was glancing bashfully back and forth between them.
"Uncle, this is another member of my group—Camibarez Ursula."
"Oh! H-hello!"
Camibarez seemed oddly nervous, bowing at a stiff ninety degrees. Behind her, her adorable little bat wings fluttered wildly.
"Nice to meet you. I imagine our nephew here has been quite a handful."
This time, as Richard reached for Camibarez's hand, Simon gently deflected it with his palm and forced his father's head to turn.
"And this is Dick Hayward, also from my group."
Dick, who had been waiting for his turn, practically glowed.
"Simon's best friend! Bestie! Soulmate! The name's Dick! Hahaha!"
"Ah, right. I've heard plenty about you."
Dick, thoroughly excited, launched into one story after another and livened up the whole atmosphere.
Richard seemed quite taken with him too, chiming in with eager agreement at every turn.
*Phew.*
Simon offered Dick a silent word of thanks and let out a breath of relief.
Meanwhile, the two girls, having retreated a step, were whispering together as they tried to calm their pounding hearts.
"He's his uncle, but he looks so much like Simon."
Camibarez said.
"Tell me about it. I honestly thought he was his dad for a second. Strong genes on the mother's side, I guess?"
Meilyn answered, then found herself looking at Simon's face.
*Would that guy really end up looking like that when he's older?* If that was what the years had in store for him, she was all for it.
Next, Simon was introducing Richard to his friends' families.
While shaking hands with Meilyn's father Daniela, Richard winked and waved at the group of girls peeking from behind—and a chorus of shrieks erupted from that direction.
Camibarez smiled crookedly.
"...Somehow he feels like a mischievous version of Simon."
"R-right? That part's a bit much."
That lightweight, rakish air was quite the contrast to Simon's earnest, steady demeanor.
In any case, last of all Richard shook hands with Camibarez's father, Dietrich.
"The honor is mine, Vampire Lord."
"You raised a fine son, human."
Dietrich said, lowering his voice. Richard tilted his head with an innocent smile, as if to ask what on earth he meant.
"You don't intend to deceive me about blood, do you? Not in front of a Vampire Lord."
"I'd be grateful if you kept it to yourself."
"Shameless fellow."
Even before Dietrich—a Vampire Lord, a full head above him in presence—Richard showed not the slightest trace of intimidation.
He stood with his back straight, his dignity intact, his smile unwavering. He shook hands firmly and exchanged courtesies as an equal, and every motion made that plain.
"Indeed. Your boy was just as brazen. I've long wanted to meet the father who raised him. As expected—"
Dietrich's eyes glittered, hungering for the strong.
"Shall we fathers have a drink when this is over, hm? What do you say, Daniela?"
"Of course."
Daniela nodded, but Richard declined with impeccable courtesy.
"I'm terribly sorry. Work keeps me buried—I must return to my territory the moment the meal ends."
"Tch. A pity."
Meanwhile, Richard's unexpected appearance had left Simon feeling as though several years of his life had been shaved off.
*Sighhh.*
He was leaning against a pillar, a little worn out, when Meilyn and Camibarez came darting over.
"Simon! Simon!"
Camibarez hopped in place, fists clenched tight.
"Your uncle seems so cool and gentlemanly!"
"Is he? Thanks."
"But he really is your uncle?"
Meilyn asked, eyes narrowing with suspicion. Dick cut in as well.
"You sure he's not your dad?"
Simon's heart lurched, but he forced himself to stay calm.
"I get that a lot, actually."
"If his uncle's that handsome... a wicked smile curled across Meilyn's lips.
"I'm all the more curious about your dad now."
"Me too!"
Camibarez nodded vigorously, and Dick shouted as if he'd been waiting for exactly this.
"Then let's visit Simon's house over break! Who's coming?!"
"Me!"
Meilyn and Camibarez shot their hands up.
Simon flailed his hands wildly, sweat streaming down his face.
"E-even if you visit, I won't be there! I have a packed schedule over break—!"
"Who cares if you're not there? We'll just pay our respects to your parents!"
"Seconded!"
Watching the three of them already planning what they'd do once they arrived, the back of Simon's neck went slick with sweat.
They were dead serious about invading his home.
"Excuse me a moment."
Richard strode over to the four of them.
"Would it be alright if I borrowed my nephew? There are things we'd like to catch up on, just the two of us."
*Whoosh!*
Meilyn and Camibarez spun around at blistering speed, folded their hands politely, and flashed their loveliest smiles.
"O-of course! Enjoy your time together!"
"Thank you, girls."
Richard crooked a finger, and Simon gave a nod and followed him out.
* * *
Father and son left the Great Auditorium and walked along the deserted rear of the building.
"You've made good friends, Simon."
"Yes. They're really wonderful people."
Simon looked up at Richard.
"But you startled me. How did you get onto Roc Island?"
"Nephthys offered."
Richard answered evenly.
"After the role you played in this Blood Sky Cult affair, she said I might come celebrate your promotion, if I wished. And that any trouble would be entirely on her."
"...Ah."
Richard ruffled Simon's hair lightly.
"Well done. Thanks to the son I raised, I'm setting foot on Roc Island—somewhere I'd never have dreamed of walking in my lifetime."
A smile touched Simon's lips.
"How does it feel, being back at your old school after all this time?"
"...I miss it."
Richard gazed around with a faraway look.
"Every tree, every blade of grass—I miss it all. The memories from those days are still vivid. Ah. Even this very spot where we're standing now—I remember it."
"Wait, here too?"
"The back of a building is quiet. Secluded. I used to bring girls here—"
"Father!!"
HAHAHAHAHA! Richard roared with laughter, while Simon glared at him with frost in his eyes.
"That stays a secret from your mother."
"...I've seen the way you act, Father. What about Mom?"
"She's at home. Anna's temporarily gone back to her girlhood, it seems."
Simon blinked.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"You'll understand when you come home in a little while."
Richard answered, then turned his gaze—toward Pier's vessel clinging to Simon's uniform.
"...I know full well I don't even have the right to speak to you."
Richard looked up at the sky, eyes steeped in regret.
"I'm sorry. And thank you for looking after my son."
[Heh heh heh!]
Pier's laughter suddenly rang in Simon's mind.
Apparently Pier had been watching all along. He spoke in a voice of will that Richard could not hear.
[You've changed a great deal, Richard.]
Simon smiled warmly.
"Pier says you've changed a lot, Father."
[BOY!!]
Pier sputtered in alarm, and Richard let slip a wry smile.
"And I'm sorry to you as well, Simon."
"...Me?"
"For making you inherit the Legion's sins. Things that happened before you were even born."
"..."
Simon leaned back against the wall and said nothing for a while.
After the silence had settled, he spoke again.
"Taking up Father's Legion was my own choice."
Richard had done nothing but send Simon to Kizen—he had never breathed a word about the Legion.
From the very beginning, Richard had never once intended to make Simon a Legion Commander.
But Simon, guided by Nephthys, had willingly inherited the position of his own will—and now he was gathering the scattered Ancient Undead.
"And, Father."
Perhaps Richard's deeds were betrayal to others, a villainy.
"...Everything you did, you did to save Mother, didn't you?"
Even if the whole world condemned Richard, Simon alone could not.
Because it was that very incident that had given birth to *him*.
There were times Richard's sins felt crushing, but Simon had resolved to accept them gladly. His father's sins and his father's power. Both of them.
"Thank you for saying that."
Richard murmured, eyes closed.
After exchanging a few more words, the two returned to the Great Auditorium.
"By the way. Which one is it?"
A playful smile spread across Richard's face.
"Which what?"
"Meilyn or Camibarez. I asked which one was your girl."
Simon's face went scarlet.
"N-no! I keep telling you, it's not like that!"
"Hahaha!"
Richard laughed heartily.
"They're both beautiful young ladies."
"...If you lay a finger on Meilyn or Camibarez, I really won't let it go."
"As if."
Richard tousled Simon's hair.
"That hopeless, henpecked temperament of yours is the spitting image of your mother as a girl. It's a genuine relief you didn't take after me in that regard."
"My mother?"
"Yes."
Richard wore a briefly sheepish expression.
"The Anna of those days was untainted, spotless purity itself."
"And now she has you wrapped around her finger."
"...Ahem."
He'd finally landed a hit on his father.
Everyone in Leshill knew that its lord lived firmly under his wife's thumb.
"Anyway—that's not why I called you out."
Richard produced something from behind his back.
"Congratulations on your promotion to second-year's top student, Simon."
It was a lavish bouquet of flowers, the last thing Simon had ever expected to receive. He took it with a face full of emotion and beamed.
"Thank you, Father!"
"And one more thing."
Richard waved as he walked ahead.
"A student's duty is study. Romance is a needless expenditure of energy. Devote yourself to keeping that top spot."
Simon smirked.
*Look who's talking.*
* * *
Simon returned to the Great Auditorium.
Reluctant to part just yet, he fell into animated chatter with his groupmates and the Hayward brothers. The seven of them had already grown quite close.
"Meilyn! I want to go to Kizen too!"
"Me too!"
Said Bill the fourth and Al the fifth.
For two men who had spent nearly their whole lives doing nothing but trade, visiting Kizen was an event earth-shaking enough to realign their entire values.
"With things like this, you're supposed to crush all hope decisively. That's the kind thing."
Meilyn swept the hair by her ear.
"You two wouldn't make the cut."
"Why not!"
"Of the three brothers, the one with the most talent—Dick—ranked 400th out of 400."
"Hrk!"
Against that unanswerable blow, Dick became a mute who'd swallowed honey, and everyone burst out laughing.
"B-but hey!"
Dick hastily changed the subject.
"Next year's freshmen—who do you think they'll be? Anyone know?"
"Sasha!"
Camibarez raised her hand.
"You remember Sasha, from the Neutral Zone, right? She's enrolling next year as a Special Admission student! I can't wait!"
She'd been exchanging letters with Sasha, who was still receiving treatment in Pentamonium.
Dick stroked his chin, puzzled.
"Really? Sasha's Special Admission material? Doesn't it normally take years after opening a core to master Shapeshifting?"
"Sasha's an incredibly special case! They say she's already created and uses her own original curse!"
"Whoa, seriously? Now I'm curious what Special Admission number she'll carry in."
This time Simon raised his hand.
"Come to think of it, Princess Molly is enrolling next year too."
Everyone's eyes went round at that.
"Princess Molly...!"
"The youngest princess of the Dresden Kingdom?"
Simon shared the contents of the letter he'd received from Molly.
Despite fierce opposition from the Queen's faction, the king had recently granted permission to open her core, and her Shapeshifting was expected to be ready by the enrollment date.
It seemed the kingdom's famous necromancers were all attached to her, giving her advanced instruction.
"And aren't you curious about this?"
Meilyn began.
"The current second-years are about to become third-years. Who will be the next Student Council President?"
"Good point."
Simon crossed his arms.
"I hope it's Benya."
"Whoever gets it, the next presidency will be rough."
Dick snickered.
"They'll be compared relentlessly to the previous president, Phantasos—one of the greatest of all time."
"Th-that's true."
Phantasos was widely rumored to be an active member of the Crow—a powerhouse beyond even that.
His somewhat lacking administrative skills were covered by the Vice President. Together, they had filled their term perfectly and moved on.
"Sorry to interrupt your chat—got a moment?"
Someone cut into the conversation.
It was familiar faces, fellow Class A students.
"Simon, they say Hector's waiting in front of the South Beach of Roc Island."
At those words, Simon rose from his seat with a smile.
"I've been waiting too."