I had a dream about the past.
Was it because Annette talked about her family?
Eight years ago, when I was still a child, two guests visited the house of Baron Luvell.
A man and a woman.
Even as a child, I could tell they were not ordinary people.
But I couldn’t understand the difficult conversation.
Father told me to stay in the room with Rena, while he talked with the guests.
Curious, I quietly left the room to eavesdrop.
Then I heard Father speak in a voice filled with anger like never before.
“…You want to raise my son and daughter as the next Sword Saint and the next Great Sage…? Even if they wished it themselves, it’s not something adults can decide for them!!”
At that time, I only had a vague notion that the Sword Saint and the Great Sage were powerful people from foreign lands.
So, I didn’t understand the significance of becoming one.
However.
“I understand your feelings, but we cannot remain uninvolved forever. If either the kingdom or the empire falls, the next target will be the Grand Duchy. You know this, which is why you eliminated the extremists and pushed for the alliance of the three nations, right?”
“I’m well aware of the threat posed by the empire! That’s why I staked everything on establishing this alliance! I lost my own credibility and Sidney… my wife’s life for this alliance! And now you want to take my children from me too!? I’ve done what I must! I no longer care about the crisis of the three nations! What matters now is the future of my children! If things go wrong, they will be slaves to the kingdom and the empire for life! To hell with the crisis! The future of my children is their own to decide! Leave now!”
“We understand, but this concerns the future of the three nations. Please, let us take your son and daughter as our disciples! They have talent!”
“I refuse! Leave!”
“…We cannot leave. If necessary, we will use force.”
It was only the woman speaking.
The man remained silent.
The woman’s words angered Father even more.
Then.
“Eavesdropping is not commendable. Come out.”
The man looked in my direction as he said this.
Startled that I was discovered, I revealed myself.
Father’s eyes widened, and he quickly came towards me.
“Roy, go back to your room.”
“Father…”
“It’s alright, leave this to me.”
“Baron Luvell… I must tell you that you alone cannot protect the two. They are too exceptional. Sooner or later, the empire’s dark forces will target them. You must understand that it will be too late by then.”
“I despise your arrogance! My son and daughter are not tools! Do you think that by speaking logically, I would hand them over!? It is an adult’s duty to protect children so they can remain children! I will never hand them over!!”
This was the first time I saw Father so emotional.
So, I gently held his hand.
I didn’t understand the gravity of the situation.
What I did understand was that there were people who wanted to train Rena and me, and Father didn’t want that.
And that Rena and I would be in danger in the future.
I decided to be brave.
If I didn’t muster the courage now, I would regret it later.
If I feel I might regret it, then it’s something I should do. To avoid that regret.
“Roy…?”
“Father… is Rena in danger?”
“No, she’s not. Go back to your room.”
“If she is in danger, I want to protect her. So, if someone must be trained, let it be me. I can take the training for Rena’s sake.”
“Roy! You don’t understand what you’re saying!”
“It’s fine! I will become strong for Rena! So please, give me the training!”
My words left the three adults bewildered.
The two guests were the former Sword Saint and the former Great Sage.
Requesting training from them meant mastering both swordsmanship and magic.
Even though it seemed impossible, the training began.
Father reluctantly allowed my training because I insisted.
But the three adults underestimated me.
Or rather, they couldn’t comprehend the unique existence of the “Apostle of the Star Spirits.”
The trial training soon became serious.
The predecessors deemed it possible for me to master both swordsmanship and magic.
And thus, the existence of a Sword Saint and Great Sage was born.
“Brother, brother! Wake up!”
“Mmm… morning already?”
“It’s afternoon! What will you do today?”
“Still sleepy…”
“Really… Brother…”
Grumbling, Rena adjusts the bedding to make sure I can sleep comfortably.
She’s quite the doting sister.
“Would you like something to drink?”
“Just leave some water…”
“It’s already prepared. Here it is. Now, excuse me.”
Such attentive care.
There aren’t many sisters who take care of their brothers like this.
As I sense Rena leaving the room, I sigh.
I had a nostalgic dream.
The dream of the day when everything began.
As a result of my training, driven by the desire to protect my sickly sister, I became a Sword Saint and a Great Sage.
Rena knows nothing about this.
She doesn’t need to know. It would only burden her.
Even if the time comes to tell her, it should be when she’s ready to handle it.
I did what I wanted to do. I have no regrets.
The more knowledge I gained, the more I realized that Rena and I needed means of self-defense.
We are that unique.
If one of us had to become strong, it should be me. Because I am the elder brother.
And because of this resolution, Annette’s situation concerns me a bit.
Our reasons are fundamentally the same.
“Sigh…”
This is an overwhelmingly emotional matter.
You can’t help but want to support someone who is striving for the same reasons.
Moreover.
Through my research, I discovered that twelve years ago, Annette’s grandfather died in a battle caused by my father’s scheming.
The downfall of her family is partly our responsibility.
Twelve years ago, the three nations sought to counter the approaching empire through an alliance. However, the kingdom and the empire were historically adversaries. Dissatisfied elements became extremists, insisting that they must be superior to the other party to form an alliance.
But there was no time for internal strife when facing the empire.
Seeing the situation, Father allied with the moderates of both nations and moved to eliminate the extremists.
Using his own territory as bait, he lured out the key figures of the extremists and had them assassinated amidst the battlefield chaos.
The leader of this assassination squad was my mother, Sidney Luvell, renowned as the greatest swordsman in the Grand Duchy at the time.
Mother died from the injuries she sustained during this mission.
This incident empowered the moderates in both nations, and the whole affair was blamed on the extremists’ rampage. The extremists, having lost their key figures, lacked the power to overturn this narrative.
Annette’s grandfather lost his life in this turmoil. His reasons for joining the battle are unknown.
However, her current hardships are partly due to our family.
After some contemplation, I got out of bed.
This hasn’t changed since the past.
If I feel I might regret it, then it’s something I should do. To avoid that regret.
