Chapter 152
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: A Time Full of Worries -2-
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Even if someone could say without hesitation that every day was happy and devote themselves fully to the time at hand, could there really be a person without a single worry?
Humans are creatures for whom even pondering what to eat tomorrow counts as a worry.
It's just that the weight and depth of each person's concerns differ.
Humans can never truly be free from contemplation. The moment they become free of it, they cease to be human.
"Actually..."
"..."
There was no point in rushing Chloe as she carefully chose her words.
I leisurely took a sip to wet my throat and waited. She picked up the flower arrangement neatly placed on the table and fiddled with it.
"It's such a trivial worry that I hesitate to even tell you about it, Brother."
I'd half-expected something like that, so I immediately corrected her thinking.
"The pressure and pain from worries harbored inside are known only to the one bearing them. If you call it a worry, I won't dismiss it as trivial or anything like that."
"..."
"No matter the weight of each one, having lots of worries and anxieties isn't particularly strange. Smart, clever people tend to consider more possibilities, so they have more to fret over."
Chloe started to reflexively deny the latter part of my sentence but remembered her recent mistake and instead voiced the feeling that came to mind first.
"You're so kind, Brother..."
"Haha! Me? Not at all."
I couldn't listen to everyone's worries with this much care and gentleness.
This was a personal sentiment I reserved only for a select few, even by my own philosophy on life.
Chloe was Eclair's cherished little sister, more precious to her than anyone.
And to me, she was family-to-be, an adorable little sister who called me Brother and followed me devotedly. She more than fit within that circle.
Chloe moistened her lips with water and spoke in a small voice that might get lost in the surrounding noise.
"I'm trying to resolve the worries that come to mind... but I feel like I can't find my footing for the path ahead right now..."
Catching her vague words precisely with my sharp hearing, I picked out a few possibilities and asked.
"Are you worried about your future after graduating from the Academy? Or is it about your current training methods?"
"I'm a member of the Dreitna family and a Knight Department student, so I'll become a knight... but I have absolutely no confidence that I can do it well..."
Setting aside her timid nature, anyone in her situation could understand that.
There was a subject of comparison at the peak of perfection.
And before even reaching the starting line, hundreds or thousands of eyes were already watching. Even I would feel suffocated.
'Eclair definitely said she told Chloe she didn't have to force herself to become a knight...'
Even accounting for all that pressure, did Chloe still want to be a knight?
Eclair had shared all this with me directly, and we'd worried about Chloe together.
Eclair had wondered if Chloe truly wanted to be a knight in the future.
But she thought asking that herself, as a knight, would feel coercive, so she'd always swallowed the question rising to the tip of her tongue.
Maybe I was the one who could ask freely.
"What do you think of the knight profession, Chloe?"
"I ad-admire it... and think it's cool...!"
A rare immediate answer, no need for thought.
Smiling at her predictable subconscious, I tossed out the key question.
"Is that admiration because of Eclair? Or from the profession of 'knight' itself?"
"...Huh?"
It wasn't just that I'd hit the mark—she seemed unaware herself which one it was.
"If the goal you've been watching suddenly vanished, it might be scary. But your field of view would open up just as much. Few people can ignore what others say or how they look at you. Most are bound by others' gazes."
"..."
"But in the end, what remains to protect you is what you like, want, and love yourself."
I could wait an hour, two, or even longer, so I gave Chloe, who seemed sunk in a quagmire of reflection, time to reach an answer.
If she truly peered into her heart in this moment, it could become a turning point in her life.
How much time passed?
The voices around us changed owners once, and then Chloe reacted.
Drip... drip...
Tears streamed down the cheeks of Chloe, who had been staring blankly for a while.
"Sorry...! Lately... my emotions have been a bit off...!"
As she tried to wipe her face with her sleeve, I pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her.
She hesitated but took it, pressing it firmly to her eyes to dab away the tears.
"I don't know what decision or realization you've come to, but Eclair won't get mad or dislike it. Right? That's the kind of big sister she is."
With the handkerchief covering her face, Chloe nodded slowly amid sniffles of agreement.
...
...
"Thanks to Chloe, I ate well."
"I'm glad you're satisfied, Brother. Hehe."
Chloe's smile, her eyes still slightly puffy, carried a sense of relief.
The streets were still lively, and though the moon was up, it wasn't fully night yet.
"Shall we get something sweet for the rest? Like cake."
"B-But...! Today is the day I treat you, Brother, so you don't need to hold back for me...!"
Her face lit up at "cake" before she shook her head and refused. Chloe was so easy to read, it was cute.
"I want some. It's hard for a guy to enter a dessert shop alone. So, will you keep me company, Chloe?"
"..."
Leaving Chloe hesitating on what to do, I took a few steps ahead. She startled and scurried after me.
"Is the shop from last time okay?"
"O-Of course! Whatever's convenient for you, Brother..."
"Hmm~ Should we take the shortcut?"
Even as an adult, Chloe couldn't hide her excitement at the word "cake," which embarrassed her.
Not just that—during dinner, after a few exchanges, she'd burst into tears.
Showing her uncontrollable emotions and tearfulness was equally mortifying.
For a member of a knightly family aspiring to be a famed sword for the Empire's ruler or her lord, unyielding strength and self-restraint were especially vital.
If her father learned she'd shown such inner conflict about her future to an outsider, he'd give her an earful.
Yet Chloe was certain she had no regrets, even if today's conversation leaked through others.
The kindness in Brother's actions and words was inevitable.
Walking a step ahead with an attitude clearly considerate of her evoked thoughts of her sister.
'What kind of life has he lived...?'
She wanted to ask out of curiosity but hesitated, worried it might dredge up bad memories.
He wasn't nobility; he'd truly started from the bottom.
Yet his surprising gentleness paradoxically made her think: the Harun Empire was, after all, a thorough meritocracy.
In this cold, lonely Empire, someone with such leisure and warmth shone greatest in Chloe's blue eyes.
"Don't take alleys like this even if you're in a hurry alone, okay? It might not be dangerous for someone at your level, but there are so many nasty, filthy types around."
"Y-Yes...! I'll stick to the main streets!"
If these subtle acts stemmed from an irreplaceable ability born of emotion,
She knew he wouldn't have gained it by lying idle.
Even her sister, praised endlessly for innate talent and sword genius, never grew arrogant.
As far as Chloe knew, Eclair had never slacked on effort, always maintaining silence amid the acclaim.
Just watching from the side convinced anyone that her position came from pure effort, not talent.
Brother must have walked a comparable path.
'I meant to repay him, but I just received more...'
Truly great people excelled in more than one field.
The term "accomplished in both letters and arms" resonated deeply.
"Turn... right here."
As Brother led the way through the maze-like dark alleys,
She sensed shadowy figures lurking in the darkness scatter like rats encountering people.
The air around Brother warped with surging mana, frightening them off.
'The security really is poor...'
This was Chloe's first time through the Empire's back alleys at evening.
Even if rushed, she thought one shouldn't go alone. Was that why he'd shown her?
'I need to tell Seria and Rike too...!'
People understand through feeling, not words. The capital's dark corners seemed far more dangerous than she'd imagined.
"Hm? This smell..."
Brother suddenly stopped mid-alley, pinching his nose and mentioning a scent.
His expression serious, she halted and focused, but
"...What's wrong?"
Her nose caught only the alley's damp mustiness, nothing special.
Brother thrust her thank-you gift from his pocket into thin air.
'Wh-What was that just now?!'
Magic? Or a skill?
Thud...
Unable to grasp the situation, Brother blocked her path with his large frame. A gleaming warhammer was now in his hand.
"Hmmm... I hope it's just my imagination."