episode_0058

In the daily routine that I regained, time passed.

We train, go out, take walks, chat, and even look up at the stars together at night when the hot summer air slows down for a moment.

Those times passed, and the day finally came for us to return to the academy.

“Take care of yourself.”

“Yes! Stay healthy, mom and dad!”

The Viscount and Mary said their goodbyes.

“I am indebted to you.”

On behalf of the group, Alexis greeted the Viscount.

“No. In fact, I feel sorry for not being able to treat you properly.”

“No. I am leaving after being treated with great hospitality.”

After the formal greetings were over, the Viscount’s gaze swept over the group.

The gaze eventually reached me and stopped.

“Wade, take care.”

“Yes.”

“And, if you have time, I hope Mary will take a look sometimes.”

“Okay.”

I smiled faintly as I listened to the Viscount and his wife.

One way or another, in the end, they are a couple who loves their daughter so much that they can’t sleep at night worrying about their daughter.

And so the greetings with the Viscount and his wife ended.

My gaze went behind them.

To where my father, Lawrence Heblon, stands.

“… … .”

“… … .”

I made eye contact with my father.

However, neither my father nor I opened our mouths easily.

How long did that silence last?

“… Come back.”

“… Yes.”

With that, our father and son’s greetings ended.

“Then, let’s go.”

I bowed my head to the Viscount and his wife.

And then, our group left the Bluenoa family mansion.

***

It was a story about a time when the carriage of a group leaving Lakenwood took a break at a corner of the road.

Ethan suddenly said he had something to say and disappeared somewhere, taking Wade with him, leaving the rest of the group alone.

The group was resting in the shade of a tree to avoid the scorching summer sun.

In a time that could easily be described as an everyday scene, with hair blowing in the muggy wind created by high temperatures.

“I’m just saying this just in case.”

Estelle suddenly opened her mouth.

“Don’t tell anyone about Wade.”

The tone itself was calm.

However, the party could not calmly take those words at face value.

Her eyes, looking around the group, were more serious and sunken than usual.

“Everyone knows what will happen if Wade’s existence becomes known to the public.”

““… … .””

There was no particular answer, but everyone present nodded to themselves.

As they said, they were well aware of the repercussions that would arise if Wade’s existence and skills became known to the public.

Even if you simply become a ten-sword level warrior, all countries and groups on the continent will turn on their eyes and try to recruit you.

Because one Ten Sword-level warrior can single-handedly change the course of the war and turn the tide.

That doesn’t mean they’re invincible, but with enough support, they can literally turn the game around on their own, so to speak, and can be a trump card.

A boy who was only eighteen years old rose to such a level.

It was news and an event that could not help but attract the attention of the entire continent.

If you simply look at the current value, it is enormous, but if you think about the future, the value increases exponentially.

If you become a Ten Sword-level warrior at just eighteen, what will happen ten years from now? Twenty years from now?

And, thirty years later?

It is difficult to even imagine what level we will reach.

There was no way the powerful people of the continent would just sit by and watch such a talented person.

They will try to recruit him by any means necessary.

I don’t know if the process was gentlemanly and polite, but those here also knew very well that it couldn’t be.

There will certainly be people who resort to rough or extreme measures to get their hands on him, and in the process, he and his surroundings will be caught up in the turmoil.

I don’t know how it will end, but the best way to do it would be to fall under someone with great power.

That may certainly be what someone wants, but when you look at Wade Heblon’s personality, it’s clear he won’t be happy about it.

Estelle knew that well, which is why she opened her mouth like this.

“You don’t have to worry too much about Eldrid’s daughter, the Guardian Knight’s daughter, and Mary Bluenoa.”

Estelle’s eyes scanned the three women.

They value Wade. Therefore, I will not speak out loud unless he wants to.

“The disciple of the Sword Saint also seems to have no interest in this kind of thing.”

Cedric is also not interested in power or wealth, and his teacher, the Sword Saint, does not value such things, so he is a person who has left the world half of the time.

Rather, if a disciple commits such a thing, the upright person who is likely to severely scold him and try to resolve the matter is the Sword Saint.

Therefore, I thought the possibility of him coming forward and revealing information about Wade was not very high.

Therefore, there is inevitably only one person left.

Alexis de Wolfron.

He is the prince of the Kingdom of Wolfron, and among them, the one closest to power except Estelle.

Moreover, the next king of the Kingdom of Wolfron has not yet been decided.

Considering his position, it was not surprising that the sudden appearance of Wade drew attention to the sharp blade that would never be seen again.

“… No need to worry. I have no intention of revealing anything or recruiting him.”

Alexis said with a wry smile, as if she had already guessed that fact.

“I am not interested in the throne or anything. It seems like there are still people around me who are trying to keep me in check or who haven’t let go of their regrets… I have no intention of holding power in my hands.”

To put it bluntly, the very reason Alexis entered the academy was to distance herself from the fight for the throne.

It was actually a bit strange that he was now showing his greed for the throne.

“… Well, even if I say that, you might not completely believe me.”

Alexis looked straight into Estelle’s eyes.

Estelle was still staring at Alexis with unwavering, unrecognizable eyes.

Although Alexis is the prince of a country, Estelle is a person whose position is completely different from that of Alexis.

After all, he is the next emperor of the empire.

He did not naturally attain that position by growing up in a greenhouse, but rather jumped into the storm of power on his own feet and achieved that position with his own hands.

There’s no way he doesn’t know because he’s that kind of person.

The fear of power.

That people are beings that can change at any time.

Alexis, though not as many as she, had seen a lot of such human groups, so she was well aware that her words did not sound very convincing.

“For now, I have nothing to say except to ask you to trust me. and… Even if the day comes that I show my greed for power, I won’t use any tricks on him.”

Facing the depthless gaze, Alexis smiled calmly.

“You’re not going to let me do that just because I try to do it, right?”

Alexis is not without sense.

I had a good idea of why Estelle was saying this, and why she, who was busy with matters within the empire, had come to accompany her to a place like this.

No, you would be a fool not to know.

The person in question didn’t seem to notice, but other than him, there was no one who didn’t know how Estelle was looking at Wade.

Therefore, Alexis did not even consider the possibility that it was just one possibility.

Because he wasn’t stupid enough to show greed for the prey that the most powerful person on the continent had his eyes on.

“I hope that feeling doesn’t change.”

Estelle, who heard Alexis’ sincere answer, took her gaze away from him with a delicate expression, as if she had not been impressed by what he said.

Just like that, peace returned among the group.

The reason the peace was broken was because Estelle’s mouth opened again.

“Now that I think about it.”

“… … ?”

The eyes, whose color had changed due to the magic tool, but were still sparkling, turned towards Mary.

“The rich man of Heblon didn’t look happy at all. When you look at their faces, there is no doubt that they are family, but just looking at their actions makes them feel more awkward than others.”

It was a light tone, as if something just occurred to me, or as if I was asking while I was thinking of something.

“Perhaps we have a bad relationship?”

However, Mary noticed that there was curiosity and interest in that voice that could not be hidden.

That fact, and the fact that Rachel and Ira were also clearly pretending not to act like that, with their eyes sparkling, made Mary almost burst into laughter.

Mary barely suppressed her laughter and opened her mouth.

“That’s not true. Sure, Wade and Uncle Lawrence may seem awkward on the outside, but their relationship is not bad. No, rather, it should be seen as a good thing.”

It wasn’t a lie.

The relationship between Heblon father and son was not as bad as it seemed on the outside.

“Besides, he didn’t seem too worried about Wade. By any chance, did you not convey the news to the mansion that Wade was injured at the academy?”

“No. You know everything. Of course, Uncle Lawrence too.”

“Then it’s even more questionable. I think it’s a parent’s feeling that they can’t rest comfortably when they hear the news that their child is injured.”

Estelle’s doubts were also natural.

In just half a year at the academy, I suffered serious injuries three times, two of which were serious wounds that could have resulted in death if I was not careful.

However, even though his son returned home, Lawrence did not show much concern.

And this time, when I returned to the mansion from the lakeside.

To someone who didn’t know him well, it was no surprise that Lawrence didn’t seem worried about Wade.

However, Estelle knew the truth.

“From what I heard from my father and mother, when I told the family that Wade was injured, Uncle Lawrence didn’t sleep at all for several days.”

“… Is it true?”

“Yes. They say you pretended to be calm and okay on the outside, but it seems like everyone around you recognized you.”

People’s complexion worsens just by staying up all night.

But what if it lasts for a few days? It is difficult to hide the change in complexion.

Because of that, the people at Bluenoa Mansion had already noticed that Lawrence had been unable to sleep at all.

“And it is said that Uncle Lawrence fell asleep only after hearing that Wade had opened his eyes.”

“… Right. It doesn’t look like it, but are you truly worried about Wade?”

Estelle gently shook her head.

“Then it would be better to vote a little more.”

“That’s… Isn’t this something that can’t be helped?”

Mary smiled bitterly at Estelle’s mumbling.

Lawrence is a hard person and is far from soft.

Perhaps because of that, I had never seen Mary properly express her feelings.

Even though the Viscount and his wife kept talking about it for decades, that was not the only thing that was not corrected.

“Then Wade… How do you feel?”

Suddenly, Rachel, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, asked a question.

“Wade is no different. I cherish Uncle Lawrence. Maybe, more than anyone else.”

Wade is no different.

He may seem awkward on the outside and doesn’t express it, but he actually cares about Lawrence more than anyone else.

It’s been like that since I was young.

Wade, who had been mature since childhood, approached Lawrence in a seemingly business-like manner.

Should I say that it feels as if I am treating my parents in a formal way?

However, Mary, who had been watching Wade for a long time, knew.

How much Wade values Lawrence.

Yes, Lawrence is precious to Wade.

Probably more than anyone else in the world.

That’s why Mary sometimes thought that Lawrence’s existence was like a rope that bound Wade.

Wade basically has no idea what he’s thinking.

Like a floating cloud.

Wade has the aura that it wouldn’t be strange if he suddenly disappeared one day.

A lot of that has disappeared now, but when Wade was young, that kind of atmosphere was even stronger.

What can I say, it always felt like I was watching from a few feet away.

Around you, and yourself.

He looked like someone who thought he was standing in a place he shouldn’t be.

It seemed like he was trying to hide it, but Mary recognized him.

Mary thought, because she knew that part of Wade well.

If there wasn’t Lawrence, if the rope called Lawrence didn’t exist.

Perhaps Wade would have disappeared before his eyes a long time ago.

“So, you don’t have to worry too much.”

Mary said with a bright smile.

Indeed, after a long time, I am recalling memories from the past.

Thinking back to the eyes of his precious childhood friend who looked at him when he was still young.

As a result, I forced myself to swallow the numb pain in my chest.

I pretended to be calm and smiled like that.