Chapter 33

"Shouldn't I be the one to look surprised? Why are you here?"

Agenor gazed at me with the same intense, almost obsessive expression I had last seen.

"Because I saw you coming down in a palanquin."

"Palanquin?"

Agenor nodded.

"You've already made a subordinate in your class?"

The Lugrub twins aren't subordinates, but since I'm the leader of the class, it's roughly the same, so I didn't correct him.

"Why are you here?"

"I came here."

"That's not what I'm asking."

I mean, why is someone who should be at the intermediate institution here?

"Is there something you're curious about?"

"What is it?"

"Which number subordinate am I?"

"Cough, what?"

"Can't I be the first one?"

His eyes sparkled to an excessive degree.

His blue eyes made me flinch.

"Or, how can I become the first one? Oh, do I have to beat up the ones ahead of me?"

"Are you lacking a conscience?"

How old are you trying to fight with?

Recalling Lugrub's age, I was shocked.

Agenor quickly changed his expression.

"So, you mean I shouldn't bully them?"

"I'll kill you if you do."

"Ah, then I'll try to... "

"Want to be expelled?"

"No, no. I was just joking!"

I thought for a moment about whether this guy was always like this...

and concluded that he was.

I didn't expect him to reveal his true nature so quickly.

It was still absurd to think about.

I thought I would have this kind of conversation with my third brother after I had a stable position at the intermediate institution.

"So, why are you here?"

Even though the intermediate and beginner institutions are adjacent, they aren't that close.

The distance was set to prevent intermediate students from easily bullying the beginners.

"I'm going to see the master."

Agenor lowered his voice. I nodded, not sure why he did.

"Right?"

"Since we're meeting at the same time anyway."

"Then what?"

Agenor smiled beautifully and innocently.

His face looked like that of an ordinary child.

"I want to go with you."

"Really?"

But I must be dry. I couldn't understand what this guy was up to.

Why should we go together?

Anyway, since he came here, we decided to go to the carriage.

* * *

"Ah, that's probably because the successors are different."

Agenor unexpectedly dispelled one of my lighter concerns.

It wasn't a serious worry, but it was about why the orca kids in the class suddenly split into two groups.

This came up when Agenor was asking me various things.

'They looked very surprised to see the servant with you, didn't they?'

One reason I didn't drive Agenor away was because of this.

There was no reason to chase away someone who came looking for me.

'I wonder if this will reach Grandma's ears.'

It was news I wanted Grandma to hear.

Since my three brothers each fend for themselves and don't cooperate, it would probably be fresh news.

Moreover, the servant had seen Agenor struggling beside me, so that was enough.

"One side follows Bayan, right? The other must be Sorthe, right?"

"Right."

Bayan is the eldest son of my uncle. Sorthe is the eldest son of my other uncle.

They are bitter rivals.

'To me, they're both the same.'

But compared to Bayan, who is cruel and only bullies the weak, Sorthe might be a bit better, like a fish's fin.

However, Sorthe is not the kind of person who can lead the family.

"The family meeting is coming up soon."

Agenor casually mentioned that the intermediate institution has a similar atmosphere.

"What are you going to do? What time are you going?"

"What?"

"Huh? You're not going to the family meeting?"

I was a bit taken aback.

Agenor looked like he thought I would go to the family meeting, with no doubt in his eyes.

"Even if I go, it will be my first time."

"Oh, I see. You need an introduction, then?"

See? This time, he looked like the introduction would go smoothly.

...I really can't get used to this.

"By the way, I have a question. Do a lot of promising heirs disappear right before the family meeting?"

"Hmm, I don't know."

I asked about what Laila had told me.

I'm not unaware, but most of the information I know is what I learned after becoming the head of the family.

This was a new situation, so I was asking to confirm.

"Are you saying a lot of people disappeared before the family meeting?"

"But if they disappeared, they weren't really promising heirs, right?"

Agenor tilted his head.

"Even I, my eldest brother, and my second brother, we always had a lot of people trying to challenge us before the family meeting. But we participated without any problems."

I slowly nodded.

"That's true, too."

"Right?"

Agenor smiled.

"Still, it's good to talk to you. And don't worry."

Agenor's hand came to rest on my head.

I frowned at the unfamiliar feeling.

"Are you going to use me?"

"..."

"I have to use you."

His eyes sparkled with impulsiveness.

He's a beautiful young boy, but he's still an orca who enjoys fighting.

I frowned and grabbed Agenor's hand, twisting it.

"Don't crawl to me."

"Ouch, ouch, I surrender, I surrender!"

* * *

Laila gave me some advice, but talking to Agenor made me realize I didn't need to worry too much.

So, I would go to school and come back, then go to my father for training.

A few days passed peacefully.

I realized again that...

'Even if you don't need to worry, you can't completely ignore it.'

I looked at the people in front of me, thinking hard about what to do.

"Th-That's him. That's the new public nuisance!"

To explain the situation in front of me, I need to go back 10 minutes.

Today, as usual, I finished my training and was coming down the stairs with the help of the twins.

Agenor hadn't come in a few days since I told him to stop bothering me.

Just as I was exchanging goodbyes with the twins, a group of dark shadows rushed over and surrounded me and the twins.

I quickly hid the twins behind me, but they weren't the kind of people who could be hidden.

I narrowed my eyes.

And now.

Among those shadows, there was Charon, whom I hadn't seen in a while.

Moreover, it wasn't just Charon.

"Y-Yeah, that's right! That brat!"

"That's him! That's the one!"

There were two more familiar faces.

I tilted my head, not recognizing them at first, but then I remembered.

"Would the head of the family recognize someone like that? Keeping him alive would definitely hinder Master Bayan's path."