Chapter 3

The orphanage where we live is nestled within a small forest on the academy grounds.

It feels like it’s been tucked away in a remote place, almost as if to cover up something unpleasant—but maybe I’m overthinking it.

Still, I like our quiet, secluded orphanage.

“Big brother! Welcome back!”

“Hey, hey! How was your skill? What kind of skill did you get?”

The kids who had been playing adventurers outside noticed us and came running over.

They know what day it is. Their eyes, sparkling with hope and certainty about their futures, are almost painful to look at.

“I got [Bubble].”

“Bubble? Like the foam that comes up when washing dishes?”

“Show us, show us!”

“…”

I wasn’t really feeling up to it, but it would be worse if they got their hopes up while I held back. I decided to release my magic honestly.

As bubbles fell from my hand, the lively children around me suddenly fell silent.

“Ehh? That’s kinda… underwhelming…”

“Shh! Saying the truth like that might make big brother Ausel feel bad.”

That wasn’t much of a reassurance.

Well, of course… I expected that reaction.

The innocent words of children are pure, but also brutal.

Sharper than any blade.

Nearby, my seniors were watching too.

Loic, one year older and also an orphan, and Rita, two years older.

Anxious, I decided to confide in them.

“The recommendation exam… will I be okay?”

“Don’t worry! With your grades, you’ll pass for sure! They don’t judge just by skills, after all.”

“Ausel’s hard work is obvious to anyone who sees it, so I think you’ll be fine.”

Just as the kids call me “big brother,” I see Loic and Rita as my older brother and sister.

To receive a recommendation, I need to pass the exam.

My seniors, who have progressed to middle school and still live at the orphanage, passed the recommendation exams and maintained their support.

Hearing them say, “You’ll be fine,” is a big comfort.

“Well, last year, two out of the three kids disappeared from the orphanage after failing.”

“…”

“Hey! Don’t say things like that! Those kids failed because they barely studied or trained. Ausel isn’t like that. Stop making him worry!”

“Ouch! You didn’t have to hit me!”

Somehow, I’m even more anxious now…

“What about you, big brother Luke? What kind of skill did you get?”

“I got [Sword].”

“Sword?! Show us, show us!”

“Alright, watch this!”

Luke extended his arm and released his magic.

He must have intended to create a sword in his hand like before, but this time, it didn’t go as planned.

Three swords appeared out of nowhere, spinning in the direction he extended his arm, and flew off.

They sliced through the ground and felled a nearby tree.

If they hit a person, they’d cut right through, bones and all.

The kids and I, even Luke himself, went silent for a while.

“What on earth are you doing?!”

“…”

Hearing the commotion, Minel came outside.

Minel, in her sixties, is the head of the orphanage.

For those of us who’ve been here since we were too young to remember, she’s like a mother. Seeing the fallen tree, her gentle expression turned stern.

“Listen carefully: with power comes responsibility. Now that you’ve gained this power, you’re halfway to adulthood. The things that were forgiven because you were children may no longer be excused. You must think carefully about whether something should be done, and act with discernment.”

“Yes, ma’am…”

(Why am I getting scolded too…?)

(…Sorry.)

(If anything, we’re the ones who should…)

Called to the director’s office, Loic, Rita, and I sat through Minel’s lecture, taking responsibility for failing to prevent the younger ones’ skills from acting out.

Meanwhile, through the window, we could hear the excited voices of the children admiring the felled tree.

Luke had only done it because they asked to see his skill, yet we were the ones getting scolded.

The window seemed like a line dividing childhood from adulthood, leaving me with a bit of loneliness.

“…Anyway. Congratulations on your skill awakenings. Tell me, what skills did you gain?”

“I got [Bubble].”

“I got [Sword].”

“Sword… the same skill as Lord Ruben, the S-Rank adventurer? It seems you’ve gained a prestigious skill, Luke.”

“Hehe… hehe…”

“Being a strong skill, you must handle it with extra care, understood?”

“Yes, ma’am…”

Luke, a bit bashful, quickly shrank under Minel’s sharp gaze.

“I am a little concerned about Ausel’s skill. I’ve never heard of [Bubble] before. Whether it will help you pass the recommendation exam…”

“Don’t worry, Minel. Ausel has been working hard all along. He’s definitely going to earn a recommendation and advance.”

“…Yes, you’re right. I acknowledge Ausel’s talent for perseverance. The academy teachers will surely evaluate him fairly.”

“Starting tomorrow, we plan to train together! We might get back a little late, but is that okay?”

“Make sure you return before nightfall, alright?”

Luke and I nodded at each other.

◇

August.

In the peak of the sweltering summer heat, only two people were crazy enough to be drenched in sweat, training in the practice field.

It’s been three months since we gained our skills.

Ever since that day, Luke and I have come here every day to train.

Luke seems to have gotten a pretty good grasp of his skill, and he’s now mainly focusing on improving the accuracy of his sword projectiles. It’s proving quite challenging, though, as the spinning swords are affected by air resistance, causing them to shift along various trajectories. He’s also been thinking about whether he could launch the swords without them spinning, but he hasn’t succeeded even once.

He can produce up to three swords at once.

That’s not necessarily his limit, as he’s managed to create a fourth sword, albeit faintly and unsteadily.

The skill called “Sword” has been observed before, with examples like the S-rank adventurer Ruben Hawks, who reportedly could control ten, even twenty swords simultaneously. If Luke hones his skill enough, he’ll likely reach that level one day.

He’s brave, hardworking, talented, and even lucky.

Luke will probably become someone far beyond my reach someday. Maybe I should ask for his autograph while I still can.

—Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop…

And compared to him…

“…Looks like you can make a few more bubbles now.”

Even Luke, the endlessly positive spirit, struggled to find words of encouragement at my progress.

No matter how much I train, bubbles are still just bubbles.

More bubbles are still just bubbles.

If you touch them, they all burst and disappear as if they were never there—nothing but weak little things.

The only change is that now I can produce bubbles within a five-meter radius, not just from my palms. Other than that, I can make them a bit faster and in slightly larger quantities.

There’s hardly any time left before the exams, and I still can’t see any potential in “Bubble.”

What possible use could bubbles even have…?

“It’s over… I’m totally done for…”

“Ausel…?”

“It’s all over! I’m out of time! This is hopeless! I won’t get in! I’ll have to go find a job instead!”

“As long as you keep putting in the effort, there’s still a chance, right? Let’s just keep pushing until the end.”

“But… but, but! How could anyone recognize me when even I’m disappointed in myself? I mean, come on!”

“I don’t know anyone who works harder than you do. At least as far as I’m concerned, you’ve got my respect.”

“…You’ve got it easy, Luke. You’ve got a great skill; it’s practically a guaranteed pass for you. That’s why you’re so calm about all this.”

“…Alright, then. If you don’t pass, I’ll drop out of the academy too.”

“?!”

Ignoring my desperate thrashing, Luke replied as if it was nothing.

“I wouldn’t have worked this hard if it weren’t for you. I had fun because you were with me. We don’t need the academy to be together and do whatever we want, right?”

Luke held out his hand, and I swear it was glowing.

“…Are you secretly a god or something?”

“Pretty sure I’m human.”

Taking Luke’s hand, I got back up.

For a moment, it made the exams and even school seem like smaller issues.

“Let’s do it, Ausel. We’ll give it all we’ve got, and whatever happens, we can just shrug it off.”

I have someone I can call a best friend.

No matter what paths we end up taking, that fact will never change.