Chapter 10

After leaving the consecration room, I informed Elise and Zeb that everyone had the aptitude.

Elise was surprised, but Zeb was completely flustered.

Given his usual behavior, I was also surprised.

Still, when I saw Louise with red eyes, she managed to show some composure.

Zeb placed his hand on Louise's hair, which was the same color as his, and said, "That's good," offering a word of blessing.

Cruise's work is expected to take a while longer.

We decided to stroll around the town and have an early lunch together.

We chose a mysterious shop that we had never seen before in Romus.

It wasn't exactly in the style of Eto, but it had a foreign atmosphere.

Upon asking, we learned that it served dishes from the country of Zeb's mother.

It might be interesting to visit the place someday and compare the food.

We took off our shoes and entered a room that resembled a traditional Japanese tatami room.

The floor was covered with a carpet with intricate patterns, giving it an ethnic feel.

There were no tables, and the dishes were served on large platters.

We were supposed to take food onto smaller plates from there.

This style was convenient for us, as we had many children.

"You've been surprising us from the moment you were born."

I was speechless...

Even with the knowledge from my previous life, I've been a constant worry to my parents.

In Elise's case, her husband was on a long business trip at first.

Giving birth and raising children in an unsanitary environment was beyond my imagination.

I couldn't easily empathize with her.

The same went for Irma.

She helped Elise with childbirth and took care of us while carrying an infant.

I would repay this favor, no matter how long it took.

Let's start with the things in front of us and tackle them one by one.

"Mom, now that our aptitudes are clear, I want to study magic with everyone. Louise, too."

Louise looked startled at my words.

This was something I had already agreed on with Kyle.

Regarding Louise, it might seem like I made the decision on my own, but I thought it was important to say it here.

I didn't want her to look so anxious anymore.

"Yes, we should talk to that person first. Zeb, we also need to have a proper family discussion when we get back."

She spoke with a mischievous look, but Zeb answered seriously as usual, "Of course."

He seemed to be deep in thought.

We also needed a family meeting.

What would Chloe say?

On the other hand, Fluer's expression turned dark.

The flushed face she had when she received the long-awaited result had now turned to a disappointed one.

She must have realized that she couldn't go with us.

Our parting with her was drawing near.

Still, it was good that we could come to Temres together one last time.

To send her off with a smile, let's make the coming days enjoyable.

I'll also write letters to her.

Elise, noticing Fluer's change, hugged her and stroked her head.

Fluer was Elise's favorite.

During the journey, Elise often hugged her like this.

She might want a daughter.

Or maybe she was taking care of Fluer for both herself and Louise, who was embarrassed by Elise's affection.

Louise, who was now being taken care of by Zeb, was eating something like herb-flavored stir-fried vegetables.

It was rare to see Zeb taking care of children.

On this trip, I saw many sides of Zeb that I had never seen before.

If we were to go to school, this family gathering would be on hold for a while.

I already felt homesick, even though the separation was premature.

I wondered if Kyle and Louise could endure it, even with the memories of my previous life.

As an older brother, I might have more responsibilities.

Cruise returned with his subordinates in the evening.

From his expression, it seemed that the purpose of the trip had been achieved.

We, on the other hand, had bought a large amount of souvenirs for everyone in Romus and were sorting and packing them.

There was a commotion with spices, tea, and other food items, as well as books and fragile items like ceramics.

We welcomed Cruise with smiles and reported the day's results over dinner in the inn's dining room. Meetings in this house always took place over dinner.

As expected, the work had gone well.

Scott and Mart, the two subordinates, seemed less tense compared to before.

Cruise offered them wine—diluted with water—and raised his glass.

"Everyone did a great job. Thank you, Elise and Zeb, for taking care of the children. We'll set out for Romus again the day after tomorrow. Take it easy today and tomorrow to rest and regain your energy. Cheers to the future of Romus and the children!"

The adults, except Zeb, raised their glasses of wine, while Zeb raised a glass of water.

We imitated them with fruit water.

Zeb didn't abstain from alcohol, but he was working now.

We had already informed him about the aptitude results, so he only needed to hear the key points.

"Father, I want to talk about the future when we get back. I'm thinking of studying at the magic academy."

"Of course, I'll go too."

Kyle followed.

"…I see. It's time to seriously consider things… We'll discuss the specifics as soon as we return to Romus. I'll gather information.

Still, I think you're rushing things. You've already finished the school you created… Children should take more time to grow up, don't you think?"

"That's true… I think leaving Romus is too soon…"

"I'll try my best to come back during the holidays."

The magic academy has long vacations.

I imagine that noble or wealthy merchant children return home during these times, but I'm not sure if we can do the same.

The governor of Romus is not in a low position, but the distance is too far to travel casually.

Travel is an expensive endeavor.

Still, it's not too early to give up.

If we don't have the means, we can earn them.

I had a few ideas in mind.

"We'll try our best too. Zeb, Louise seems interested. What do you think?"

"We'll discuss it with Irma and Chloe in Romus. However, given that Louise has the aptitude, I think she will go with us. Even if we try to stop her, she might follow us anyway. I want to prepare her as much as possible.

However, I have one concern. Louise has just started sword training. Stopping now would not be good for her. I'll try to find a trustworthy teacher."

"…I see. Then we need to decide where we're going first. Once that's decided, I'll look for someone who can teach swordsmanship."

"Governor, that's…"

"Louise will be Aine and Kyle's bodyguard. I need to take responsibility for that. It's for my sons."

"…Thank you."

Cruise turned to Fluer and spoke.

"Fluer, congratulations again. With your magical talent confirmed, I have a few things to discuss with your parents. For now, can you keep your talent a secret from everyone except the family?"

"I understand. I will. Thank you, Governor. I will repay your kindness someday."

Cruise replied, "There's no need to worry about it."

The things he wanted to discuss with Fluer's parents were probably about keeping her magical talent a secret.

Mages are rare.

In a small town, if several talented individuals of the same generation appeared at once, it could lead to suspicion.

Since Fluer would leave Romus in the summer, keeping it a secret for a while would prevent unnecessary trouble.

Louise's talent would likely be kept secret as well.

As long as we brothers didn't draw too much attention, we would be safe.

I was the most precarious, especially with the incident with Reda and being seen through by the young Fluer.

I needed to be more careful.

It might already be too late...

Incidentally, what happened in the consecration room will not be disclosed by anyone except the individuals involved.

Mages are so rare that revealing their talent can lead to trouble.

In our case, we could have been tested separately if we had wished.

Cruise's judgment was not out of the ordinary.

Today was a turning point for all of us.

The vague outlines of our uncertain futures were starting to become clearer.

I hoped it would be good for everyone.

That night, I had a dream.

A dark space, the size of which I couldn't determine.

I could see pillars descending from a high ceiling, but they seemed to dissipate halfway and didn't reach the ground.

Despite being a dream, I didn't feel anxious.

As I was wondering what to do, I suddenly realized Kyle was standing in front of me.

He looked at me with a puzzled expression.

"Brother, where are we?"

"I don't know. Since I'm sleeping, this must be a dream world, right?"

"Right, I think I'm dreaming too. I walked a long, long road to get here. I saw the sea and climbed mountains. I walked under the stars and even in the sky. The road ended here. Is this the end?"

Unlike me, he seemed to have been on a long journey.

Would I also be going somewhere from here...?

"I just arrived. You must have had a tough time. Why don't you rest a bit?"

"Sure, it was tough, but there were good and fun things too. Would you like to hear about it?"

I was about to say "Sure," when the heaviness in my body disappeared.

Looking around, I was being pulled up toward the pillars that had seemed far away.

Then I woke up.

What a strange dream.

I don't think I've ever had a dream this vivid in this life.

Looking outside, the sky was dark blue, the color of the pre-dawn.

Since I was up early, I decided to watch the sunrise and quietly opened the window.

Kyle, who had been stirring, also woke up.

Thinking it had been a while since I saw him, I beckoned him over.

He seemed to understand what I wanted and quietly got out of bed and came to me.

Using circulation, we climbed out of the high window and onto the roof.

The building was sturdy, so it should be safe for two children.

As we gazed at the sky, Kyle spoke.

"I had a dream about you. I can't remember the details, but I reached you at the very end."

"! ...I also had a dream about you. I was in a dark place with strange pillars, and you suddenly appeared."

"Maybe it's because we're twins. Or maybe it's magic?"

"Who knows? Maybe it's the guidance of the goddess."

"If so, what does the goddess want us to do? We're always together, even without meeting in dreams..."

Perhaps a separation awaits us in the future.

As we grow up, we will each take our own paths.

That's not unusual.

However, this is just a hypothesis.

It might not mean anything.

As I was thinking about this, Louise, who had been resting in another room, came out into the backyard.

She was carrying a wooden sword, so it must have been her morning practice.

Noticing our presence on the roof, she looked at us with wide eyes.

I pointed to the sky.

The sky, which was changing from indigo to blue, was being illuminated by the sun's light at the horizon, turning golden.

For a moment, it bathed the town in a single color, then the early morning town returned to normal.

It felt like a story from a dream.

We waved to Louise and quietly returned to the room to avoid waking Cruise.

That's how the day began.