Trash
Trash
Breakfast in the luxurious mansion was quite satisfying.
The aroma that whetted the appetite, the tender texture, the perfect balance, the weighty cutlery that felt right in the hand.
Enjoying delicious food in this world became one of Kaplan's small pleasures.
Though, it would have been a slightly more satisfying meal if the boy's older sister hadn't spent the whole time boring holes into him with her stare.
'The very model of a knight.'
Scarlett Yudit. That was Plan's brief assessment upon facing her.
The black hair, as dark as pitch, caught his eye first.
Even tied up like a horse's tail, it was considerably long. It would be quite a nuisance for a swordswoman.
But on a woman, it was excellent. It obviously doubled her physical allure.
She also possessed the crimson eyes that could be called the very symbol of this family.
However, there was a slight difference.
The boy's eyes he had seen in the mirror were like transparent jewels, but this female knight's eyes were closer to a blazing flame.
"You've become quite adept at handling cutlery."
Her sharp gaze and tone of voice were themselves a blade.
Judging by the lack of any openings, she must be a knight of considerable renown.
The boy nodded vaguely at her words.
Although he had been born of humble origins, he had lived like nobility after proving many things.
Thus, such minor formalities were ingrained in him like a habit.
Moreover, having read books about this world all night, he had already confirmed that the etiquette for tableware was identical to that of his previous world.
"From extra practice?"
"Not really."
Scarlett then scrutinized the boy with an unreadable expression.
It made sense; normally, whenever Plan sat across from Scarlett, his hands would tremble constantly.
Yet today, his use of cutlery was remarkably proficient, and he was perfectly composed.
"Trash."
Trash. In the middle of a meal, Scarlett murmured that out of nowhere.
Did she need a maid to take out the trash? Plan paid it no mind and continued eating.
"Hey, Trash."
She murmured again, and their gazes met. She was staring straight at Plan.
"Trash... Did you just call me 'Trash'?"
"Who else would it be? In a flame knight family, those who can't even become kindling are called Trash by tradition."
Even so, calling her brother 'Trash.'
This household is a piece of work. Plan ignored her and quietly moved his utensils.
He had no reason to take umbrage at Scarlett's remarks and engage with her. She was a stranger.
"I heard you applied to the Magic Department at the academy and passed."
Plan nodded lightly. It seemed that was the case.
"Do you intend to keep attending?"
Her sharp gaze and interrogation were endless.
He simply wanted to enjoy his meal in peace, but the noise constantly interrupting him was becoming bothersome.
If a disciple had done this during a meal, he would have yanked their ear with telekinesis.
But this was the boy's mansion, and the one sitting before him was the boy's sister.
That fact slightly strained Kaplan's patience.
Meanwhile, Scarlett pressed on.
"Trash. I asked if you intend to keep attending."
"I must."
His interest in an academy that pursued truth and wisdom would naturally grow a little more.
He moved his fork and knife smoothly.
He speared a piece of properly cooked steak with his fork, sliced it small enough that no sauce would touch his lips, and placed it in his mouth.
He was just thinking the aroma was a little disappointing when he sensed Scarlett's peculiar gaze upon him.
"Why do you keep staring at me?"
"......"
Scarlett quietly licked her lower lip and observed her younger brother's appearance.
He had changed a bit.
No. Not just a bit.
A demeanor brimming with dignity and refinement. A confidence bordering on arrogance, far beyond mere self-assurance.
What on earth was this? Even his tone of voice had completely changed.
She propped her chin on her hand and pondered. What could have motivated such a change? What could have happened?
As she stared intently.
"How unsightly."
From an unexpected place, Plan's voice struck her ears. Their eyes met.
"Is resting your chin on your hand during a meal the etiquette of this household? I suspect not."
"......Ha."
Scarlett let out a hollow laugh at the sheer absurdity.
Did he just dare to reproach Scarlett? It wasn't an incorrect rebuke, but the boy was utterly oblivious to his own place right now.
"Trash. You shouldn't be so brazen."
Irritably, Scarlett set a single sheet of paper down on the table with a soft thud.
"The North was terribly cold."
She continued, adding a layer of gravity to her expression.
"I endured it, cutting down enemies, cutting down sleep, cutting down the cold, cutting down everything. Why was that?"
Frankly, Plan had no interest in the reason.
However, he was not so ill-mannered as to eat in the face of a serious story, so he quietly halted his fork and knife.
"Yudit."
Scarlett pointed to the crest on the chest of her uniform. A single sword blazing fiercely.
"It was for the Yudit name. The prestige our family has built must never be tarnished. And yet."
Scarlett slid the paper forward with the tip of her finger. Plan quietly received it and examined it.
[ F ]
The seal of Märchen Academy, a list of various subjects, the fact that he had been accepted.
Many things were written, but in the end, what mattered was the Grade.
"This is the document I received the moment I returned home. Are you telling me I returned to receive this sort of rubbish?"
Plan felt nothing in particular.
Whatever treatment he received at the academy, and whatever level of skill he had shown, none of that mattered.
What mattered was the single fact that the soul now residing in this boy's body was that of a Great Mage.
That nonchalant expression and his silence further enraged Scarlett.
"Stop."
Setting down her knife and fork with an audible clatter, Scarlett spoke.
"Stop what."
"The academy, of course. Quit the Magic Department and reapply to the Swordsmanship Department."
"And if I don't?"
"Then you will no longer be a Yudit."
Scarlett's voice continued, burning like dying embers.
"You are a disgrace to the Yudit name. Do not think I will be as lenient as the Head of the Family. I have absolutely no intention of standing idly by while you tarnish the family's prestige."
"Tarnish?"
"Yes. Tarnish. The very fact that you bear the name of a knightly house and applied to the Magic Department is shame enough to become a laughingstock."
"Hm."
"On top of that, your Grade is rock bottom. Are you not ashamed of yourself, burdening the family like this?"
The atmosphere was like walking on a knife's edge.
The maids standing at regular intervals nearby were on the verge of tears, as if a mere touch would set them off.
Many clutched the hems of their aprons in tight fists, gripped by fear.
However, Kaplan subtly raised the corner of his lips.
"And if I don't tarnish it?"
"What are you talking about?"
Scarlett's expression hardened. Her crimson eyes quietly flared up.
"If I do not tarnish this family's prestige, but rather, bring it even greater glory?"
"The lowest Grade... Are you mocking me?"
Scarlett's expression was the exact same as someone from long ago who had dismissed the powerless Kaplan.
So, it was familiar.
A moment later, Scarlett called out to Plan again.
"Hey, Trash."
"What."
"Do you know what word knights love most?"
Duel? Who knew? Having walked the path of a mage all his life, there was no way he would know.
"Proof."
"Proof?"
"Yes. Proof. You, who have proven nothing to this day, just what can you possibly prove to speak of bringing glory?"
Proof.
Proof, she said.
He found himself repeating the word, twice, three times, and laughed before he knew it.
Astoundingly, wasn't it the exact same word he loved most?
"I can prove anything."
"Prove anything?"
"Yes. I merely wish to do magic."
After wiping her hands with a napkin, Scarlett rubbed her chin.
"Anything, huh..."
It was the first time she had ever seen her younger brother adopt this kind of attitude. She became a little curious about the source of this confidence.
So, she asked with an ambiguous expression.
"And if I give you time, and you fail to prove it?"
"Then I shall comply with your conditions. Whether I am cast out from the family or forced to take up the sword."
Scarlett's deliberation grew longer.
"Then let's do this."
And finally, she came to a decision.
"The deadline is until the midterm evaluation. You will raise your Grade to the highest possible. Also, while you are enrolled in the Magic Department, you must never mention that you are from the Yudit family."
Scarlett placed her clasped hands on the table and rested her chin on them.
"This is my final mercy. What do you say?"
"I accept."
Plan nodded without hesitation.
"In exchange, if I succeed in proving it, you will never interfere in my affairs again."
"If you succeed, then so be it. If you fail, however, a Yudit could never accept trash like you..."
"I should get going."
Kaplan rose quietly from his seat.
There was no need to listen to the rest of Scarlett's words. Because he did not consider an outcome where he failed.
A few memories from the past surfaced and scattered.
There were always those who demanded proof from him.
He had proven countless things, and what he always demanded as a reward for that proof was always the same.
To never interfere with him again.
That alone was enough. As long as they didn't interfere, he didn't care whether they resented him or praised him.
"...The meal isn't even over yet! Where do you think you're going!"
An enraged voice came from behind, but he did not stop his feet.
"Let's go."
It was time to go to the academy.
Once again, he would simply prove it.
◈
The academy uniform felt incredibly awkward.
At any rate, I stepped out of the mansion. My plan was to simply walk.
My mind remembered the route I had walked with Becky. I intended to walk that same Van path to the academy, but.
"Young Master, I shall escort you."
An unfamiliar vehicle and a servant were waiting for me.
The exterior, with its four wheels, was hardly any different from a Van carriage.
The only difference, perhaps, was that there was no horse pulling it from the front.
'I've seen this before.'
On my first night at the mansion, the study I had burned through the night reading had held an overview describing this vehicle.
It was called an automobile.
"Miss Scarlett commanded me to assist with the Young Master's commute until the midterm evaluation."
Be that as it may, my gaze and attention were fixed entirely on the automobile.
The prime mover that propelled the vehicle without the pull of a horse. I was simply curious about it.
"Show me how this moves."
"Pardon? Young Master, first you should board..."
"Quickly. Just a little bit will do."
After some hesitation, the servant climbed into the front seat of the automobile. Moments later, a low rumble, a deep VROOM sounded, and the vehicle began to vibrate.
I moved around to examine it from various angles.
I observed not just its outer appearance, but also pressed my hand against the trembling body to examine the internal flow of mana.
'Four.'
In its core, there were four canisters filled with mana.
They tirelessly perform their roles. Intake, compression, explosion, and exhaust, repeating the cycle over and over.
So this is how this world advanced.
It filled me with a pointless sense of satisfaction. Perhaps it even sparked a sense of rivalry.
"Uh... Young Master! We really must depart soon...!"
"I'll get in now."
"Yes!"
I took in the scenery visible outside the car window.
I couldn't see it when I walked with Becky because it was night, but bathed in the brilliant sunlight, the outside was quite a sight.
A main gate so immense one might mistake it for a passage to another world, paths lush with vivid flowers and trees.
A multitude of buildings so numerous one couldn't possibly count them.
And enclosing it all, Märchen Academy.
...It was the place I would prove myself henceforth.
"Good work."
"Yes, Young Master!"
When I got out, there was much to adapt to. First and foremost, the sheer number of people.
Students, faculty, and people who appeared to be from other affiliations... I knew in my head, but seeing the crowd in person was like a sea of clouds.
As I stood there quietly, wondering what to do first, someone shouted.
"Hey!"
A ringing voice reached my ears at the same time. My expression naturally crumpled.
I turned around to identify the culprit.
"......You."
A girl with a cascade of red hair trailing down to her waist was looking at me.
"Plan!"
Right. It was Becky.