Chapter 7

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Nicolas stood at the entrance of the manor, holding the letter his mother had given him, which contained a secret.

With the whetstone in hand, Nicolas was absorbed in thinking about how to sharpen the dagger with the gemstone. He knew that if an adult found out, they would say it was dangerous and take away both the dagger and the whetstone.

If he told Reia he was going to Tom's place, she would only check to make sure he was heading there and wouldn't follow. However, he was often told by his father that lying was wrong. So, Nicolas first told Reia he was going to Tom's place, left the manor, met Tom, and immediately said, "I'm going back now" and returned to the manor.

This way, he thought, he wasn't lying to anyone.

Next, he needed to secure a water source. Nicolas, who loved nature observation and often went out into the garden, knew of a good water source: a water lily basin in a corner of the garden.

He sharpened the dagger using the water from the water lily basin. Nicolas felt like he was growing up as he sharpened the blade, and he found it incredibly enjoyable. He sharpened the dagger with a slight smile on his face.

He was so engrossed that when someone called out "Young Master" from nearby, he jumped in surprise.

He cautiously looked up to see Tom, the gardener he had just parted ways with, peering at his hands with a smile.

"Ah, Tom, um..."

He had been caught! Nicolas panicked, but Tom continued to smile as he peered at Nicolas's hands.

"Um, this is..."

"Are you secretly sharpening it? If you do it secretly, you won't be able to show it to anyone when you're done."

"Um, yeah. That's right."

"Why are you sharpening it secretly?"

"Because if I'm found, they'll say it's dangerous and take it away."

"I see, I see."

Nicolas had expected to be scolded, but Tom kept smiling. Encouraged by this, Nicolas decided to explain what he was doing.

"Well, I want to turn this dagger into a real hero's sword."

"That's a beautiful dagger. But, Young Master, if you sharpen this dagger, you might not become a hero."

"Huh? Why?"

Tom said, "Heave-ho," and sat on the ground, aligning his face with Nicolas's before speaking.

"You knew it would be taken away if you were found, but you couldn't resist and sharpened it in secret. Would a hero do something like that in secret?"

"Ah... I see."

"I think a hero wouldn't do anything that would make them feel embarrassed if seen by others."

Nicolas couldn't argue and stared at the half-sharpened dagger and his wet hands.

"Did you tell Reia you were going to my place?"

Nicolas nodded slightly.

"But you really intended to come here from the start, didn't you? Reia would be surprised and sad if she found out."

"Sad, huh?"

"Yes. Reia believes in your words. Besides, it's her job to protect you. If you got hurt here, Reia would feel guilty for not watching over you properly."

Imagining Reia's sad face made Nicolas feel very guilty.

"I don't think making Reia suffer is something a hero would do."

"Um, yeah."

"Young Master, what will you do? Will you continue sharpening this dagger?"

Nicolas thought about it.

(Being a hero doesn't involve lying or hiding things.)

The intense desire to make a hero's sword at all costs suddenly subsided.

"No, I won't sharpen it anymore. I'll tell Reia the truth and apologize. I'll also talk to Father and Mother properly."

"Is that so? I think that's a good idea. You're truly a remarkable young master, Nicolas. You know the path to becoming a hero."

"The path to becoming a hero?"

"Yes. Even if you realize, 'Hmm, maybe I was on the wrong path,' it takes courage to turn back halfway. 'I've worked so hard,' you might think. But you, Young Master, are someone who can return to the right path of a true hero."

Nicolas stared at the half-sharpened dagger for a while, then cleaned the dagger and whetstone with the water from the water lily basin. He carefully wiped the dagger with his pants and put it back in its sheath.

Tom muttered to no one in particular, "Well, I should get back to work," and left with a smile.

(Sigh, I thought something was off. I'm glad I didn't ignore my gut feeling. No matter how smart he is, he's still just a three-year-old. Sharpening a dagger is far too dangerous.)

Still, he paused.

(Could he really sharpen it so well just from watching yesterday's work? I'm impressed.)

Tom shook his head and walked away.

(I need to be more careful in the future. Children can do unexpected things.)

He also considered whether he should rethink the arrangement of the tools in the gardener's shed.