Chapter 15

Chapter 15

***

Sirone and Lian made their way back to Lian’s room. The morning summons and subsequent kneeling had stretched well into the afternoon.

“Did you see the expressions on my family’s faces?” Lian laughed. “It was quite satisfying.”

“But... are you truly okay with this? Taking the Knight’s Oath is no small matter. It feels like I might have pushed you into something too burdensome,” Sirone worried.

Lian’s demeanor shifted, becoming more earnest. Beneath his carefree exterior, he understood the weight of the Knight’s Oath. “Sirone, I didn’t take the oath simply because we’re friends. You’re different from Lye. You have a way of drawing people in. I’ve staked my life because of that trait.”

It was a sincere sentiment, which made Sirone slightly embarrassed by it. He decided to lighten the mood with a joke. “Ha! That’s a bit overwhelming. But if you’re going to protect me, you’ll need to improve a lot.”

Lian flinched as if he’d been struck on a sensitive spot. “Don’t poke where it hurts. I know that too. By the way, I was impressed by your courage. Saying everything you wanted in front of all my family without hesitation... Weren’t you scared?”

“There’s a special trick to it.”

With a light chuckle, Sirone proceeded to explain what he had realized just before the showdown with Lian, comparing it to the act of leaping off a cliff. He thought it might be helpful in swordsmanship, but Lian, upon hearing the story, was bewildered.

“Leaping off a cliff? Why would you do something like that? Are you... stupid?” Lian asked.

“Stupid?” Sirone was taken aback by being called stupid by him. “No, listen closely. I’m not suggesting you actually leap off a cliff. I’m asking you to imagine it. Until you actually hit the ground, death isn’t imminent, right? Don’t needlessly fret about the future. Focus on the present. That’s how you find a solution.”

“But if you leap, you’ll die. Think it through again. Jumping means death.”

“You’re completely missing the point! Even if you don’t actually take that leap, you’ll never accomplish anything without the determination to make the jump!”

“Ah... In that case, I could do it. For instance, if it’s to save you, I’d jump without hesitation. That’s what a knight does.”

Sirone blinked. Though his words held a completely different meaning, they still resonated as true to who Lian was. We’re truly polar opposites.

Just as he was thinking how rare it was to encounter someone like Lian, a new presence entered the room. Leina poked her head in and waved, and Sirone blushed.

“Hello. The atmosphere downstairs was too intense, so I came to the allied base for refuge,” she beamed.

“Get out. We’re having a conversation.”

In response to Lian’s stern command, Sirone quickly reacted. “Why are you talking to her like that? Your sister has been a tremendous help today. Come on in, please.”

“You have no idea what kind of person she is. This crone is definitely...” Lian, who was about to instinctively utter a sarcastic remark, paused for a moment, then sealed his lips. Sirone and Leina... Leina and Sirone... Their names echoed in tandem.

The affable Leina moved with a feline grace and settled herself between the two. “By the way, Lian, you were really impressive. I can’t believe you pulled out the Knight’s Oath card. I really can’t match you.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“Hehe, you caught me.”

“You witch! What are you even doing here? You’re just here to poke fun at me, aren’t you?”

“Hey! What do you take me for? Believe it or not, I’ve just returned from fully immersing myself in my role as a spy. There’s quite a serious discussion going on downstairs.”

“What could be more serious than what just happened?”

“Actually, when Father went to pick up Lye, he mentioned sending you for training too.”

This was the first time Lian had heard of it. Moreover, not even Lye, the prodigy, was sure of success, so why was he being sent? “What are you talking about? Like sending me on some kind of field trip?”

“No, you will officially be enrolled at the Kaizen School of Swordsmanship. You know about it, right? It’s the biggest swordsmanship school in the Kingdom of Tormia. They say they’ve produced no less than ten certified level-one swordsmen in two hundred years.”

Lian was dumbfounded. “What? Why are they making decisions like this without discussing it with me? Besides, why would I go to school when I can finally have as much fun with Sirone now? And what about Master Kait?”

“Master Kait is already aware as well. That’s why he terminated his contract yesterday and returned to his hometown this morning. He has already bid his farewells. You didn’t know?”

Lian stared at Kait’s sword. It was because of this sword that he could carry out his will. Kait was his master and someone who took care of Lian more than anyone else. The reason he willingly ended the contract was likely because he hoped his disciple could progress a little further.

“But it’s all too sudden, isn’t it? What about Sirone?”

“That’s precisely why I’m suggesting this. Wouldn’t it be beneficial to enroll both you and Sirone in the swordsmanship school? You admitted yesterday that Sirone wields a sword better than you.”

Sirone was taken aback. Knowing that Lian wouldn’t have brought up the subject himself, it seemed that Leina had inquired about him. Why would she ask about me...?

While unfounded speculations raced through his mind, Lian was contemplating the idea with a practical outlook. “Well, that’s true. But Sirone isn’t planning to attend the swordsmanship school. He has something else he wishes to pursue. I’ve actually been thinking about it too. Given how things have unfolded, why don’t you ask if Grandpa could help?”

“Huh? Sirone wants to pursue something else?”

Leina turned her head, but Sirone didn’t have a readied response. A commoner enrolling in a swordsmanship school was an unrealistic scenario from the start. However, right now, no one in House Ojent opposed supporting Sirone. Since Lian had made the Knight’s Oath, the common boy had to succeed no matter what for the honor of the family.

As Sirone hesitated, his friend spoke up on his behalf. “Sirone is going to become a mage. He has no interest in swordsmanship.”

Leina’s eyes widened. “What? A mage? So, you fought a mage aspirant and lost? That’s truly pathetic.”

“Shut up! I know, but he is a genius! Even if he pursued swordsmanship, he would excel far beyond Lye.”

“Oh, really? That talented, huh?” Leina recognized her brother’s honesty and his tendency not to speak ill, even of adversaries, so she started to view Sirone in a new light.

“Oh, of course! He’s exaggerating...”

Under her scrutinizing gaze, Sirone couldn’t find a place to look and lowered his head.

Lian felt sympathy for his friend’s lack of assertiveness. How would any woman approach him if he’s that shy?

Leina nodded. “I understand. Anyway, I’ll propose it to Grandpa. But there will likely be a condition that you have to enter the swordsmanship school first, Lian. You know Father is an expert at exploiting weaknesses.”

“Tsk! Whatever. I’ll think about it.”

Ultimately, whether it was the swordsmanship school or the army, it didn’t matter as long as it was for his master, Sirone.

In truth, Lian knew it was important to him as well. His current sword skills were not sufficient to protect Sirone, who aspired to be a mage.

Following a sudden knock, a butler entered. “Master Sirone, your family has just arrived. They are to be received in the mansion, but if you wish to greet them, Master Ojent has given the order to escort you.”

Lian struck his knee. “Oh! Your parents are here? What will you do?”

There was no need to ask. His eyes were already fixed on the unseen front gate of the mansion, and he fidgeted in his seat with excitement.

Leina interjected, “Go and welcome them, Sirone. Our family will be waiting in the living room. Please show him the way.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Sirone followed the butler out of the mansion.

“This way. Please be careful. The stairs are steep.”

The abrupt change in the butler’s demeanor, from condescending as of just yesterday, was unsettling.

“Um, you can just treat me like usual. I’m not some noble.”

“No! Please don’t say such things. I could lose my head.”

As someone who had risked their life over a single book, Sirone understood that feeling better than anyone.

“Even if you make a mistake, I promise I won’t tell anyone, so please don’t worry about that.”

The butler’s eyes showed a mixture of relief and lingering tension. Regardless, Sirone no longer cared. He couldn’t afford to.

At the end of the Ojent Path, a cherished symbol of the noble house, a carriage had arrived. When he saw his parents’ faces, his vision became blurry. As the memories of staying up all night reading books and eating cold leftovers rushed through his mind, tears eventually streamed down his face. He didn’t even hear the butler shouting as he sprinted toward the front gate.

“Mom! Dad!”

Alpheas School of Magic

Sirone led his parents to the meeting room. Due to the torrent of tears they had shed at the main entrance, the Arian family’s eyes were swollen as they walked down the hallway. It would take some time for them to suppress their emotions. Whether it was due to Klump’s consideration or the Ojent family’s meeting taking longer than expected, Sirone was able to catch up with his family in the meeting room.

“Let me have a look at my dear son. Your face has been quite bruised since I last saw you. You must have had a hard time. I’m proud of you for pulling through.” Vincent’s eyes welled up with tears again.

Sirone, who had regained some color in his face compared to before, still appeared to his parents as if he hadn’t been eating or sleeping properly.

“I have actually been doing fine. I’ve been reading books and having fun here. Have you been doing well, Father?”

“Of course! We’ve been eating well and living well. Your mother has gained some weight. She’s become so beautiful that I thought you were about to be blessed with a sibling,” his father chuckled.

“Dear, don’t say such nonsense to our son!”

Sirone’s smile was bittersweet. Meeting his parents after a year and six months, they seemed thinner than before. Thinking about how they must have worried about him every night made his heart swell with emotion once again.

Vincent suddenly became curious. At first, he was anxious to the point of feeling like his heart would burst, thinking that something had happened to his child. However, seeing Sirone so relaxed, those worries settled down.

“So, why did you call us here? You should come back home immediately if your job here is done. Did those people try to detain you?”

“No, it’s not like that. It’s just that a good opportunity has been given to me.”

“Huh? A good opportunity?”

Sirone brought up the events that had unfolded during his time at the mansion. The story flowed smoothly, as he had already organized it in his mind. However, from his parent’s perspective, it was an incredibly unbelievable tale.

Vincent’s expression gradually shifted from surprise to disbelief. And at some point, he couldn’t hear Sirone’s voice anymore. He couldn’t fathom what his son was saying. He became close friends with the youngest son of House Ojent. But then this friend went on to pledge a Knight’s Oath to him? Moreover, the family accepted this fact and allowed them to remain friends. With each revelation, it felt like the walls of common sense were being shattered, causing thunder to roar in his head.

Finally, when the story came to an end, Vincent simply scratched his head in silence. He knew his son was intelligent and had a depth to him. But even so, his story made zero sense. Could there be something mentally wrong with him? Could it be that the hardships he endured here led him to some kind of delusion?

“Sirone, tell me the truth. I can do anything for you if you need help. What on earth happened to you? Who on earth made you like this?”

“I’m speaking the truth, Father. Why would I lie about something like this?”

“Yeah! You’re not a child who would lie. So tell me, who tormented you? Who treated you so poorly?”

Vincent was genuinely furious. He had witnessed cases of commoners getting entangled with noble families and coming out of it half-crippled.

Even Sirone knew that it was indeed an absurd story from his father’s perspective. But he couldn’t think of a better way to convince his father of the truth.

As he grappled with his thoughts, the Ojents entered the visitation room.