Family
From somewhere in the distance came the sound of running footsteps.
Golden hair streamed on the wind.
She kicked Lizette clear off her feet.
CRASH!
"Have you lost your mind?"
"You want to die?"
"M… Mom?"
Three minutes earlier, in front of the guild.
BANG.
A voice rang out from the guild entrance.
"Everyone."
"Has anyone seen Fer?"
The person who had kicked the door open was Armel. The moment she stepped inside, the guild fell silent.
Someone finally answered.
"Fer? He's watching his son spar—"
Another adventurer hastily clamped a hand over the speaker's mouth. The rest of the guild said nothing, watching Armel's face for any sign of what came next.
And then…
"What?"
"Watching?"
The guild members around her began to tremble.
"So he's finally digging his own grave."
"Fer…"
The air in the training ground froze solid. A chill settled over everyone present.
In that instant, Fer's face went rigid.
"I'm finished…"
From far off, the sound of footsteps grew steadily faster.
"I didn't think Armel would actually come…"
The training ground doors burst open, and Armel strode in.
"Fer!!!"
Her voice was pure fury as she called his name.
"A… Armel."
"What brings you all the way out here…"
He set down the sword in his hand and bowed his head. Armel fixed him with a frigid stare.
"You told me you were only going to register today."
"I was wondering why you were taking so long — a test?"
"Well… Lizette."
"She said she'd oversee the examination herself."
"Lizette?"
"The Lizette I know?"
"That's right…"
Fer quietly pointed toward the training ground.
And then—
Armel's eyes found her son, collapsed and bleeding. Lizette stood over him, wooden sword in hand.
"All right, kid — this is the end!"
"She's finally lost it."
The moment Lizette raised her blade to strike—
The sound of running footsteps cut through the air from far away.
CRASH!
"Have you lost your mind?"
"You want to die?"
Right before my eyes, Lizette vanished.
"There's a limit to how far you take things."
"M… Mom?"
That familiar voice belonged to my mother.
"Son, are you all right?"
"What on earth were you doing to get hurt this badly?"
"I just… pushed a little too hard because I didn't want to lose…"
I felt like I'd worried her for nothing. I couldn't meet her eyes.
"Rest for a bit first."
"We'll talk about this later."
"But… Mom, were you always that strong?"
"Well…"
I turned my head toward where Lizette had gone flying. She was still embedded in the wall.
"I'll explain later."
"Okay…"
Once our conversation ended, Lizette pulled herself free from the wall.
"Ow…"
"Sneak attacks are against the rules, you know…"
She barely managed to get back on her feet.
"Who are you?!"
"Interrupting a trial mid-exam?!"
"You looking for a fight?!"
Mom took a single step toward her. The figure of my mother's back was nothing like the gentle woman I knew.
"It's me."
"You've grown bold since I last saw you."
I could feel the cold edge that had entered her voice.
"Huh?"
"Lady Armel…"
Lizette's eyes began to shake.
"When did you get here?"
"Not long ago."
"Lizette. Did you do that to my son?"
Lizette glanced around, her mouth opening and closing without a sound.
"Well…"
"Sir Fer said he'd been teaching him the sword."
"I just wanted to see how good he was."
She was trembling in front of my mother.
"A test, you said."
"An examination, you said."
With her back still turned to me, Armel seized a fistful of Lizette's hair.
"And in this so-called examination, you left my son in that condition?"
"Are you so desperate to die?"
At those words, the surrounding adventurers began to murmur.
"Well…"
"Lizette… this time she might actually be done for."
"No kidding…"
"Once Armel's like that, there's no talking her down."
"Lizette was in the wrong this time."
"Obviously."
"I've never seen one of our tests get that brutal."
Just then, a silver-haired girl slipped through the crowd and stepped forward.
"So that's… Armel."
"Incredible…"
Footsteps approached.
"Son."
"Are you all right?"
"I'm sorry I didn't stop it."
"I'm fine…"
"Lizette… she's really strong."
Dad came closer.
"More importantly…"
I looked around at everyone.
"Why is everyone so scared?"
"Well, you see…"
For some reason, Dad seemed reluctant to explain.
"What is it?"
"Just tell me!"
"Well, son…"
"There are three things in this world you must never disturb."
"A sleeping dragon."
"A hungry traveler."
"And—"
THUD!
In that moment, Armel turned a razor-sharp gaze on Fer.
"……"
Mom began walking slowly toward us. Dad scrambled to change course.
"It's nothing."
Mom came up to me and knelt so our eyes were level.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?"
"Think you can move?"
"Well… my ribs hurt a little…"
"But is Lizette okay?"
"She'll be fine."
Behind Mom, Lizette looked… thoroughly battered.
"Never mind that — ribs, you said? Let me take a look."
Mom pressed carefully along my body. I tried to hold it in, but the pain showed all over my face.
"Hah…"
Mom let out a long, deep sigh and slowly rose to her feet. Then she fixed Dad with a terrifying look.
"Fer…"
"……"
"We're going to have a talk when we get home."
"Understood."
After that single sentence, Mom didn't look at him again. She turned her head toward Lizette.
"Lizette — I'll be seeing you later as well."
Lizette answered through a cold sweat.
"Yes, Lady Armel."
I only learned much later that Lizette — the one who'd overseen my examination — was an A-rank adventurer, nearly on par with S-rank.
"Climb on. I'll carry you."
"Okay…"
Mom carried me home on her back. Without a word, she treated the wounds on my face and body all over again. Her hands were gentle, but her expression looked so sad.
"Thank you."
She didn't answer. Slowly, she turned her head toward Dad. Then she raised her hand and struck him across the cheek.
SLAP—
"Mom!"
I cried out in shock. But her voice was ice-cold.
"Go to your room."
"But…"
Dad just nodded, as if nothing had happened.
"Listen to your mother, son."
"Okay…"
Once I was in my room, Mom's voice grew quieter.
"Why on earth would you do that?"
Her voice was low, but it was shaking. Fer only bowed his head in silence.
"I… don't fully know myself. I thought that if it was him, he could handle it."
"I didn't expect Lizette to go that far."
"But not stopping it — that was my fault."
"He's only eleven…"
Tears began to gather in Armel's eyes.
"You could have stopped it."
"It didn't have to go that far!!!"
"Why!!!"
Her voice began to crack.
"Armel…"
"Please, just calm down a little."
"Calm down?"
"How am I supposed to calm down when my own child is hurt like that?"
"I'm sorry…"
"Aren't we supposed to protect him…"
"And you call standing there while he gets beaten 'protecting' him?"
"Fer… what were you even thinking?"
Fer felt himself crushed beneath the weight of her presence.
"……"
"I expected a little too much of him…"
"I thought — if it was this boy, maybe he could even beat Lizette."
Something in Armel's aura shifted.
"Fer…"
"If our son gets seriously hurt a few more times…"
"I don't know what I'll become."
For a single moment… something alien stirred in Armel's mana.
"I understand…"
"I'm truly sorry."
"Hold me."
After that, Fer said nothing more and simply pulled her into his arms. Thanks to that, the sound of her quiet sobbing seemed a little more hidden.
"Feeling a bit calmer?"
"Yes… but that doesn't mean I've forgiven you."
"Bones broken. Blood everywhere."
"I still don't understand how you could just stand there."
"I know…"
Armel gently touched Fer's cheek.
"Does your face hurt?"
"I'm fine."
"Stings a little, though."
"Have Serina take a look at it later."
"I will."
"Shall we eat, then?"
"Son — dinner."
The moment the door opened—
"Hic…"
I bit down hard on my lip. I'd been trying to act fine, but the tears came first.
"Mom!"
I ran to her crying and threw myself into her arms.
"Son?"
"I'm sorry I made you worry!"
"Please don't hit Dad!"
"Son!"
"Dad and Mom made up!"
"Really?"
"That's right!"
"Isn't that so, dear?"
"Y… yes."
"Don't worry, sweetheart."
"Mom was just a little sad, that's all."
The moment I lifted my head, I saw how red Dad's cheek was.
"Dad's face!!!"
"Honey, go get that treated right now!"
"R… right!"
"Son!"
"Let Mom take a proper look at you!"
"Huh?"
"Were you scared because Mom hit Dad?"
I just nodded without a word.
"I see…"
"I'm sorry."
"Because of me…"
"I wish you two wouldn't fight."
"Last time I got hurt too."
"And Dad got scolded for it."
"That's…"
"It's because you're so precious to Mom."
"I'm soooorry~~~"
Mom tickled me until I was laughing.
"That tickles!"
"Haha!"
But I carefully opened my mouth again.
"Mom."
"I'm sorry about today."
"It's all right."
"I'm sorry you had to see Mom like that, too."
BANG!
The door flew open and Dad rushed in.
"The treatment…"
"All done…"
Looking at Dad as he came up the stairs, sweating, the two of us could only laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"Welcome back!"
"That seemed… rather quick…"
"Come on, let's eat."
"You too, son — go sit down for dinner."
There had been a small uproar. But today, just like always, we sat together at the table and shared a meal.
"Snrrrk…"
Fer looked down at the boy with apologetic eyes.
"Crying and taking a test on the same day — no wonder."
"Out like a light."
"He must be exhausted."
"He really is."
"He's growing up so fast."
"It's a little frightening, honestly."
"You're telling me."
"When he came running and clung to me earlier…"
"I felt it even more."
A brief silence passed.
"Fer. Did you truly believe he could handle it — just because it was him?"
"Looking back now…"
"I knew I should have stopped it."
"But somehow, it felt like I mustn't."
"That's strange… why would you feel that way?"
Armel quietly watched the candle flame.
"It couldn't be… because of the Records, could it?"
At those words, the candle flame began to flicker violently.
"It might be…"
"Even if they've existed for a thousand years, we still know almost nothing about them."
Fer and Armel said nothing more. One of the candles went out, and after a moment Armel spoke again.
"Then why did Lizette go that far?"
"Could that also be the Records' influence?"
"Hard to say…"
"I don't know the details."
"But…"
Fer briefly replayed the day's events in his mind.
"But?"
"When I checked our son's crystal orb…"
"I felt something… faintly ominous."
"Is that so?"
"We should go see her tomorrow."
"Yes… that would be best."