I used to separate them.
“We didn’t have the conversation you were thinking about, so calm down, Fjord.”
“Do you know what I was thinking?”
“I don’t know.”
Fjord’s eyebrows narrowed in response to the shrug of his shoulders.
“Lien. This is important to me. I hope you don’t mess around at this moment.”
But I really meant it when I said I didn’t know what I was thinking.
I was about to say something, but when I saw his expression hardened, I decided to reassure him first.
“Calm down. I can guarantee you that we haven’t had any conversations that would cause you concern. Right, Kaon?”
“Huh. Lee, who spoke clearly, was cool.”
“…You’re beside the point again.”
I shook my head and looked at Fjord again.
He looked surprised, as if he was struck by what Carsion had said.
“…Speak clearly? Did Lien get into an argument with his brother?”
“Huh.”
“no.”
In response to Fjord’s question, Carsion’s affirmation and my denial came out simultaneously.
I looked at Carsion with an expression asking what he was talking about.
“That’s how they fought. I said what I had to say.”
“Lien, if it were someone else instead of you, I wouldn’t have been able
to keep my mouth shut because I was being watched.”
“…There is a difference in status, but maybe I treated you too comfortably.”
I got into the habit of not thinking about my status at the academy, so I stopped.
As the topic continued to change, Fjord got impatient and narrowed his eyes.
“Don’t change your mind. So what did you talk about with your brother?
You really aren’t going to tell me, are you?”
“I’ll let you know if you answer my questions.”
“If it’s within my power….”
“Good. Then I will ask the question first.”
One of Fjord’s eyebrows rose, as if he was dissatisfied with me being told to do it first.
But since he was the one who was urgent right now, he quickly nodded.
“Sun.”
I had a relaxed expression, as if I knew that would happen. Then, without hesitation….
“Do you hate your brother?”
“You call that a question?”
Fjord’s face crumpled like a piece of paper.
“Looking at your eyes, I think I know roughly how much it is. Then next question. Do you remember how your relationship with your brother fell out?”
“My brother argued with me about everything. I never left it alone even for a moment.”
Fjord took a moment to catch his breath, perhaps trying to calm his rising anger.
“Would you believe me if I told you that it was normal to point out things like how you walk and other things like table manners, and that it was just a habit to treat you like a street thug who is so empty-headed that the only thing he can do is beat up people?”
If what Carsion testified about is true, I think he said only the most correct things…?
“He even tried to teach me about friends. I still remember him harshly warning me not to hang out with Carsion.”
Wow, isn’t that really sincere advice from your brother?
Fjord, who didn’t know what I was thinking, immediately laughed helplessly.
“My brother just found everything about me annoying.”
“Initially? Was it like that when we first met?”
Fjord’s smile deepened. It felt like I was laughing at someone.
“If I remember correctly, my brother changed when it was said that he would inherit the position of marquis.”
It was exactly what he had heard from his brother.
“As soon as I gained power, the attitude towards me started to change.
Isn’t it too obvious? At first, I was busy just looking around….”
When I only listened to Lu’s words, I wondered how Fjord had not known his feelings until now.
But after hearing this, I realized that it was inevitable that Fjord would feel that way.
“Fjord. There must have been a lot accumulated from you over the years. I know that’s why you ran so hard.”
“…What do you want to talk about?”
“I hope you don’t skip a grade.” Fjord chewed his lips.
“Lien. You know that my situation is not good.”
“You like hanging out in the club room with us. Didn’t you want to graduate together?”
“In life, you can’t just do what you like.”
“Are you going to leave swordsmanship as just a hobby? Is that what you want?”
When the story of swordsmanship came up, ripples appeared in Fjord’s eyes.
He turned his head in a different direction as if trying to control his emotions.
“Fjord. You know that if you keep up your grades, you can join the Imperial Knights when you graduate.”
Every year, the imperial family selected 20 academy graduates to become imperial knights.
He had always maintained his ranking, so if he graduated, he would be able to join the Imperial Knights without difficulty.
“Lien, I….”
Fjord was trying to say something, but couldn’t continue as if something was stuck in his throat.
He placed his hand on Fjord’s shoulder. I looked him straight in the eyes and tightened my hands.
“Are you going to risk the rest of your life on revenge? Even if you win the competition with your brother, what do you gain?”
“….”
“Okay. I guess I can keep my pride. But, Fjord, there is nothing more miserable than winning and having nothing left.”
“…Lien. Then what should I do?” Fjord’s eyes gradually blurred.
In the end, it wasn’t long before tears filled his pupils.
“It’s too much of a waste of time I worked so hard to let it go like this.
Huh? That’s right.” Tuk.
As he blinked, the welled-up tears fell helplessly.
I took a handkerchief out of my pocket and carelessly put it in his hand.
It was a handkerchief that I always carried with me in case Carsion shed tears in front of me one day.
“Of course it would be a waste. It’s been built up over several years.”
At the pure affirmation, the man who had been staring at the handkerchief raised his head and looked at me.
“But will all the things you have built up so far disappear just because you give up your title?”
Fjord had a dazed look on his face, as if he had been hit hard by something.
“Ah….”
I laughed bitterly.
I said, but even if I were in Fjord’s position, I wouldn’t have been able to let go so easily.
“Other than making peace with my brother, I don’t think it’s a matter for me to say this or that, so I’ll just give you this.”
I took out a recording pen from my pocket.
He then separated the pen and the small crystal ball containing the recording.
“You decide for yourself.”
When I handed the crystal ball to Fjord, his face became complicated.
“This….”
“For giving you this, I want you to be paid for not skipping a grade.”
“…Where is that? I was supposed to tell you if I answered your question.”
“It’s not coercion.”
I added with a grin.
“If you still insist on skipping a grade after receiving this, how can I stop you? The only thing I can do is try to sabotage you so that you fail the graduation exam because you applied to skip a grade.”
Fjord, who was standing at a distance and looking at me, spoke in a confused tone.
“…Isn’t that coercion?”
“Strictly speaking, it’s not coercion. I don’t know if it’s a threat.”
At the unreasonable answer, Fjor burst into laughter with a face that had not yet gone from crying.
“What is it.”
I grinned while looking at Fjord.
“I’m a little selfish, so I think I’ll get jealous if someone around me graduates faster than me.”
So, let’s graduate together, Fjord.
* * * Fior walked around the empty club room.
When the surroundings were noisy and complicated, I couldn’t think
about anything.
I was able to just live my life as usual, without any worries.
However, the moment I became alone, the thoughts that had been buried in a corner of my heart rose to the surface.
It’s been a week since I gave up on skipping a grade and returned to the club, pretending that I couldn’t resist Lien’s threats that weren’t threats.
Grade skipping has been settled, but the issue with my brother has not yet been resolved.
The crystal ball Lien handed me was full of content I had never imagined.
I couldn’t believe the conversation, so I watched it several times, but nothing changed.
Many emotions tangled in my mind.
I killed my personality and forced myself to hang out with people.
In order to get good grades, I cut down on my favorite swordsmanship training and stayed up all night studying.
The only thought was not to lose his title to his older brother.
“But that means it was unnecessary in the first place.”
A sense of futility came over me.
“Who have I been fighting with all this time?” I desperately needed someone to blame.
But after learning the whole story, I couldn’t bear to hate my brother. It’s not that I wasn’t angry.
No matter how much I wanted to raise myself properly, how could I have deceived myself for almost ten years? But strangely enough, I felt more fortunate than angry.
Perhaps he had been hoping that his relationship with his older brother would improve even after so many years had passed.
“If you think about it, it’s okay that you didn’t notice it until now.”
When he returned to Marquis with a good report card, the table that day was full of his favorite foods.
My parents loved me, but they weren’t people who could pay attention to such details.
Then there is only one person left.
“Reconciliation… I want to do it.” I don’t know how to solve it.
Fior’s low voice echoed hollowly in the club room.
“I don’t know.”
Fjord, who was ruffling his hair, sighed and lay down on the sofa.
I hope either Carsion or Lien come to the club room quickly. Because I just hated complicated thoughts.
What is the fastest way to finish my major classes?
“Maybe you should have hung out with the other kids and come leisurely like usual.”
But now there’s no need to force our friendship, so why bother?
I didn’t like having to maintain a pretentious attitude, but I guess I didn’t just hate hanging out.
“…For now, since we don’t know what will happen, it would be better to act as usual.”
Fjord closed his eyes because he didn’t want to think any more. How much time has passed like that?
The club room door opened and someone came in.
Looking at the cautious footsteps that seemed to be considerate of the sleeping person, it didn’t seem to be Carsion.
I thought about getting up and saying hello, but Fjor, feeling playful, decided to continue pretending to sleep.
I was planning to take advantage of the timing to jump up and surprise him.
A small rustling sound came from some distance away. It felt like I was rummaging through my bag.
After that, he felt a figure approaching around him. The footsteps were much more cautious than before.
The presence that approached right in front went into a lull for a moment. It seemed like he was staring at me blankly.
‘Why is Lien observing me sleeping…? …?’
