The Hollow of Desire

The academy training session ended abruptly due to an unfortunate incident.

Despite their bodies battered and smeared with blood, the students who had protected the imperial bloodline—Philia—were greeted with cheers as they returned to the gathered academy students. Given the empire’s emphasis on honor, they sincerely praised those who had safeguarded the imperial princess.

Although they had protected Emilia, Abigail—who had been acting alongside the assassins—had been handed over to the stationed soldiers for interrogation and was absent ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from the scene. Philia clung to the whining Cesset and soothed her.

With training concluded earlier than scheduled, the nobles’ servants rushed over to check on the students’ safety.

The once-chaotic academy gradually emptied as time passed, with most students and staff leaving. Only Philia remained for the debriefing, and everyone else departed the academy.

“Well, then, I’m leaving. Have a good day~”

Rai, who had arrived late and taken out the assassins with a single slash, had little to say, so he left the interrogation room early.

The usual interrogation was solemn and strict, making one cautious even if innocent, but when Rai exited the room with a bright smile, Leila looked at him with disbelief.

As Rai headed home, Leila, accompanying him, cast soundproofing magic around them and asked.

“Is what’s written in the report true?”

“I don’t know what’s in the report.”

“That you swung your sword once and sliced twenty or so assassins to pieces.”

Rai was a military-affiliated instructor at the academy, so he had read every report detailing Leila’s interrogation. The soldiers had no reason to believe Rai’s straightforward account and had warned him not to boast, but the other students’ testimonies also claimed that when he swung his sword once, all the assassins died.

Though it was hard to believe, with the princess’s own testimony, the interrogators had no choice but to be troubled. Whether true or not, reporting it would be awkward.

The upper echelon, absent from the scene, would certainly summon them for writing such a report and would not believe explanations, only berating them for properly handling the matter.

“Yeah, it’s true.”

Leila stared at Rai’s nonchalant face and let out a small sigh.

“…Do not casually flaunt your strength. If the academy’s instructors have similar power to the empire’s top warriors, people’s attention will inevitably focus on you.”

“Everyone here is an elite, right? If you’re an elite, shouldn’t you do something like this? I heard they catch dragons, apparently.”

Rai sarcastically mentioned the instructors gossiping behind his back and chuckled.

Even as elites, most were either researchers or those who had retired for some reason from the field. Moreover, when compared to the Devil of All Nations who had received hatred from all nations, even the elites would lose meaning.

Irritated by Rai’s teasing remarks, Leila turned her body and spoke.

“I’ll handle the report. Be more ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠careful from now on.”

“Yup—”

Rai answered with a long laugh while heading to the interrogation room. He stopped and looked back at Rai’s face still staring intently.

“Why?”

“Thank you.”

“… …”

Rai had never expected to hear “thank you” from her lips. Leila turned her body again, stood straight, and saluted him.

“Due to circumstances, an official announcement cannot be made, but in place of the imperial army, we express our respect and gratitude for your honorable action of rescuing the Sixth Princess of the Empire, Emilia Shane Bernies.”

“… …”

Rai stared at Leila’s disciplined salute and smiled.

“If you’re thanking me…”

“Shut up.”

“… … I haven’t finished yet.”

“You’re saying strange things. Shut your mouth and go home.”

Returning to his usual self, Rai was abruptly interrupted and left. Watching his back with a dumbfounded expression, Rai shrugged his shoulders and headed home.

* * *

“Mom, the Darren family shop got new products. They say they’re fruits from Sachsen…”

While enjoying family dinner and chatting about daily life, Kara suddenly jumped as the door opened slowly without anyone entering.

“… … Oppa?”

Zeroa entered the house.

The news of the princess’s attack had not yet spread to the streets, so Zeroa’s working-class family did not know the training had ended.

The family asked what happened when they saw Zeroa arriving a day earlier than expected, but because he had been asked by the academy students to keep the secret, he could not properly explain.

Arriving home late from the interrogation due to circumstances, Zeroa entered his room tired after mentioning that the training had ended early.

Similar-minded parents casually said the academy training must be tough, but Kanah—knowing her brother well—kept staring at his room.

Although he had nothing particularly outstanding, thanks to his inherent looseness he always maintained a normal demeanor. But now Kanah saw a face she had never seen before, deeply shadowed.

‘Who did he get beaten up by? Or was it not that the schedule ended but he was expelled?’

Even pondering alone yielded no answer. Kanah put down her bread and entered her brother’s room. With no tension, the parents continued eating and offered careless words like, “You like your brother too much, that’s why you’re in trouble,” or similar.

When she entered, Zeroa sat on the old, worn-out bed, staring blankly at the door.

“Eh? Kanah, I’m a bit tired…”

Kanah silently closed the door, her face twisted as she looked at Zeroa. Even if she hurled words at him, he turned his head and stared at the floor with powerless eyes.

After staring silently for a long time, Kanah spoke first.

“What happened?”

“… … No, nothing happened.”

With nothing happening, his voice lacked strength. A brother without backbone, yet this was rare. Especially since entering the academy, he used to enter with a bright smile, but now he was completely defeated, unable to meet anyone’s eyes properly.

“Which bastard? Who beat you up?”

“… … Me.”

“Huh?”

Kanah did not understand her brother’s answer and asked again, but he did not reply. With his brother staring at the floor like frozen, Kanah found it frustrating. She bit her lip, sat beside him, and spoke.

Perhaps the feared incident had occurred. With the empire’s ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠geniuses gathered at the academy, a normal brother like him would naturally be viewed as an idiot by comparison.

Whether his pride remained or not, he had clearly been wounded.

“Bro.”

“… …”

“Bro. Look at me.”

Kanah grabbed his shoulders and turned him toward herself, staring at him with serious eyes. His face looked haggard, as if he had done something awful.

Staring straight into his rotten eyes, Kanah spoke strongly.

“You’re really nothing.”

“… …”

“You’re truly nothing.”

As if about to offer comfort, the words of her accusing sister made Zeroa’s blank gaze sharpen. It was not like he had returned to normal, and his eyes held bewilderment.

“Until now, while looking at Oppa, I’ve wondered why that guy lives like that.”

“… …”

Hearing his kind sister’s inner thoughts, Zeroa’s mouth fell open in shock. She emphasized once more, as if stating a fact.

“Why does he live like that? Why not pursue desires? He has many things he can do, yet why doesn’t he aim a little higher? He looked incredibly pathetic.”

“Ah… Pathetic?”

“Yeah, really, really, really pathetic.”

As Kanah’s answer made Zeroa lower his head again, her two hands on his shoulders grabbed his cheeks.

*Slap*

Trying to grab his head, Kanah moved too quickly and slapped him. Surprised, she stopped. Zeroa, receiving his first slap from his sister, shook his eyes while staring at her, and they silently locked gazes for a moment.

“Hoo, hah. Good, listen up, pathetic brother.”

Dismissed as nonexistent, Kanah cleared her voice and spoke again.

“You have talent.”

“No… I don’t…”

“Yes!!”

As Kanah’s loud voice made Zeroa look down, he jumped back in surprise.

“You do! How did you get into the academy?! Is the academy’s eye broken? If you have no talent, why pick you?! Say it, the academy is broken?!”

“Ah, no…”

Surprised by Kanah’s powerful tone, Zeroa stuttered in reply.

Angry, Kanah slammed her fist on the bed and continued loudly.

“Stop being scared of me! If you went to the academy, you should have become strong to protect your cute little sister, not be scared!”

“S-Sorry.”

“Stand up straight! Chest out!”

Following Kanah’s words, Zeroa staggered and straightened his back, adopting a confident posture. Originally strong from the many difficult tasks he had done, the sight of his brother who had grown bigger after entering the academy satisfied Kanah, and she nodded approvingly.

“See? You’re strong, bro.”

“… …”

Zeroa recalled how he had done nothing but cause harm when told he was strong.

He did not remember how he had survived properly, but a few scenes were strongly imprinted in his memory.

Abigail’s eyes of contempt, Diana hiding wounds on her back without showing it, Philia not holding back her body to patch the hole he had made.

And Aria, who had thrown her body to save his life.

The sight of Aria stumbling into the mud while throwing her body to save him still vividly remained in front of his eyes.

Strong people did not suit him.

As the spark returned to Zeroa’s eyes after Kanah’s words, she punched his chest with a furious face.

“Ouch—!”

Even if he was weak, having entered the academy, he was far sturdier than others. He had not even removed the armor given during training. Furious, Kanah grabbed his fist and wrestled on the bed.

Watching her sister thrash about on the bed with both legs in the air, Zeroa asked if she was okay, but she sprang up and kicked his leg while he was sitting.

“… …!!”

Of course, his shins were protected by armor. Silent in expressing her pain, Kanah glared at Zeroa with teary eyes.

“You’re strong! If you’re not strong, become strong! Become strong so you can protect me! Protect Dad and Mom too! It hurts!! It hurts, I say! Because it hurts, buy strawberry bread!!”

Whether it was comfort or coercion, Kanah shouted and stepped out, waddling. Hearing Kanah’s screams, the parents appeared at the door briefly with dazed eyes at the table before the door closed.

Completely confused about what she was doing, Zeroa stared blankly at the closed door for a moment, then lowered his head.

*Bang*

“Buy it right now and give it to me! If not, I won’t speak to Oppa for the rest of my life!”

Kanah re-entered shouting to buy it and left again. Staring blankly, Zeroa let out a hollow laugh, finding it absurd.

Without time to be frustrated by his sister’s demands, he hoped the Darren family shop was still open and slowly stood up.

* * *

Rai was grilling lizard again. Even though the house had a kitchen, he had lit a bonfire in front of it and sat nearby staring blankly.

With the temperature rising, sitting in front of a bonfire during the day would normally be hot, yet he hummed casually while watching the lizard roasting nicely.

With a somewhat unpleasant expression, Rai turned his head and saw Zeroa entering the garden.

“Hey— late. No, actually faster than expected.”

Rai’s words received no reply from Zeroa.

After the attack, Zeroa had not come for training. He had rested for three days without notice, yet Rai did not seem concerned.

“You’ve got a better face. Was protecting you fun?”

“… … Instructor Rai.”

Approaching the teasing Rai with a stern expression, Zeroa looked down at him.

“How can I become strong?”

“How would I know?”

Rai shrugged at Zeroa’s question and handed him a well-roasted lizard skewer. Staring at the skewer blankly, Zeroa received it with both hands politely and sat beside Rai.

Rai, who had caught another lizard and taken a bite, chewed with his mouth full and spat out the bones into the bonfire.

“Do you want to become strong?”

“Yes. I want to become strong.”

“Why? You’ve lived well so far. Protected by a weakling. It’s enviable—where else can a weakling protect you?”

Rai sarcastically mentioned the incident where Aria saved his life, but Zeroa showed no reaction. Normally he would have been lost for words and blurted something out, but instead he stared at the lizard in his hands as if pondering Rai’s words.

As Rai left the lizard and focused on eating, Zeroa spoke after a while of silence.

“I want to protect them.”

“That kind of talk, weaklings will punch first. Weaklings ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠didn’t come to the academy to be protected.”

“I know that. But I still want to protect them.”

After a short pause, Zeroa looked up at Rai. His eyes held an even stronger will than before.

“I didn’t come to the academy to be protected either.”

“You’ve realized that now.”

“Yes. The academy is a place to protect and defend others.”

“W-Not everyone thinks that way, though.”

Rai teased lightly, but Zeroa continued with a strong gaze.

“I want to protect the people I respect, the ones I like, the ones I love, and the people around me. Even if they say they don’t want to be treated that way, I still want to protect them. I want the strength to block the swords aimed at them and defeat the enemies.”

Rai nodded at his words and asked.

“So, drop the useless flattery. The desire to protect others—that’s for you? Or for others?”

“It’s for me. I want to stand beside them.”

Rai’s mouth curved long at Zeroa’s honest reply, always considerate and kind.

One needs desire to become strong.

The void of Zeroa, who had set limits by viewing himself as ordinary, had been filled with desire.

“For now, eat. From now on, you must eat insanely. Otherwise, you won’t have the stamina to endure.”

“Yes!”

As soon as he heard it, Zeroa gobbled down the lizard greedily. Watching him eat quickly without tasting, Rai thought.

‘I’m honestly not confident, though.’

Staring at the least talented Zeroa among all the humans—including himself, his aides, and soldiers—Rai pondered how to torment him to make him grow.

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