Chapter 8

EP.8 Reinhardt-3

Jehad, who had been slapped in the face, trembled and said,

“Wh-Why?!”

I don’t know why he’s raising his voice, given that he’s the one who made the mistake.

“You’re already unqualified just by not knowing that.”

“...What...?!”

Holding his swollen face, Jehad glared. It seems he really has no dignity left.

[Is this kid shameless? Or is his brain really not working?]

<I think it’s both.>

[Yeah. No one could be that stupid with just one flaw.]

For the first time, the Sage and I were on the same page. It’s no wonder everyone enjoys gossip.

Well, they do it in front of people too, so maybe it’s front-talk?

“You evacuated the civilians?”

“Yes!! As a knight...!!”

“Are you a village guard? Or a bodyguard for Reinhardt’s young lady?”

“That’s...”

A knight protects the weak.

That’s a given in chivalry.

But that’s only after doing their duty.

“Even if I concede a hundred times that you tried to protect the civilians, you’re still a failure as a bodyguard.”

A family’s bodyguard should prioritize the family’s members. That’s common sense.

“I saw it clearly. That boy could have defeated Balrog, yet he risked his life to protect the two of them. What were you doing all this time?”

Struck by those words, Jehad couldn’t say anything.

In fact, evacuating the civilians was just an excuse.

The moment he saw Balrog, Jehad knew he would die if he stayed.

He was afraid. That’s why he ran.

He had no idea how much of a disgrace it was for a knight, given his pride.

“Leave. Never come back. Your existence is nothing but a disgrace to Reinhardt.”

“...H-But then, who will teach the young lady?!”

Until now, Jehad had countless delusions. But that question was his biggest delusion.

“Teach? You must be delusional.”

“...What?”

“Do you think you’re better than Aria now?”

Hit where it hurt, he couldn’t say anything.

Leonardo’s sparring had already confirmed Aria’s skill.

Her growth had surpassed the concept of being fast.

“But...! It’s because I taught her...!”

At this ridiculous claim, even Leonardo, the Sage, and Aria herself were speechless.

[Still, it seems his lack of intelligence is the bigger issue.]

<Lack of intelligence can make someone shameless, can’t it?>

[Oh, that’s possible.]

We matched so well, it’s the first time I’ve ever felt this way. The bond created by gossip is truly amazing.

“...Do you really think that?”

“Yes! So...”

“If you think that, spar with Aria.”

“...What?”

Chris looked at Aria and asked,

“Is that possible?”

“Yes. Yes.”

Aria answered without hesitation.

“But...”

“Oh, so the teacher is afraid to spar with his student. If this were a joke, even the palace jesters would cry.”

Jehad glanced at Aria, who had shown incredible swordsmanship when fighting Leonardo.

Talent aside, Jehad was clearly inferior in skill.

But

‘He must be exhausted from fighting Balrog. Now...’

His injuries were healed by magic, but his mana and stamina hadn’t fully recovered. So if they fought now...

“...I’ll do it!”

“Good. Both of you, come with me.”

Following Chris, Jehad and Aria went outside.

Leonardo, sitting on the bed, waved them off and rested.

[Will he be okay?]

“What do you mean?”

[Well, Aria is strong, but she’s exhausted from fighting Balrog. Compared to that, this idiot is well-rested.]

“True.”

[Then you should stop it and...!]

BOOM!!

The sound of the air splitting cut off the Sage’s words.

It’s over. It took longer than I thought.

[...Huh?]

As the sound faded, two white-haired knights walked in.

“Did it go well?”

“Yeah.”

The boy and girl looked at each other calmly, confirming their victory.

[...Did he win?]

<Would he have lost?>

Of course, Aria was at a disadvantage in terms of experience and stamina.

But that’s what geniuses do.

“Great job. Aria. Your mana core has improved in quality, and your swordsmanship has deepened.”

“Thanks to Leonardo.”

Suddenly hearing Aria’s praise made me feel strange.

I always say I’m unlucky, but it feels like my entire life as a seed has been unlucky.

“Indeed. This is the guidance of a warrior, a matter of fate.”

“Haha...”

An awkward laugh escaped my lips. His calmness made it hard to respond.

“By the way, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

To change the subject, Leonardo asked about the battle.

“Why didn’t you help us?”

It could sound like an accusation, but it was a necessary question.

Depending on the interpretation, it could mean he ignored the potential death of 13-year-olds.

“Huh, good question.”

[I’ve lived over 300 years, and this is the first time I’ve heard someone say ‘huh’ directly. Am I weird?]

Leonardo felt the same, but it was important to understand.

<Let’s say his throat was dry, and his voice cracked. It’s good for mental health.>

That’s the kind of insight he gained from living as a seed for over five years.

“Is there a reason?”

“A lion drops its cubs off a cliff and only raises those that climb back up. I thought it was a necessary process for the growth of young warriors.”

Despite the broken ribs, he didn’t get angry.

It was important to be gentlemanly and cultured in such moments.

“I understand the meaning.”

“Thank you. I knew a warrior like you would understand.”

“However, lions don’t drop their cubs off cliffs.”

Chris’s serious expression changed.

“...What?”

“Lions, and all predators, don’t drop their cubs off cliffs. The more predatory the animal, the deeper the maternal instinct.”

When he couldn’t train in Reinhardt, he read books.

The head of the family allowed it, and as a seed of a noble family, he needed to accumulate knowledge.

‘I didn’t enjoy reading much, but I remember every detail of this content.’

He wanted to refute every ridiculous statement Chris made later.

“...That... That’s just a saying. I... I know it’s not true.”

[He sounds like a kid who just found out Santa isn’t real.]

Indeed. Kids these days don’t believe in Santa Claus.

“By the way, they do drop them sometimes.”

Chris, who was losing his innocence, relaxed at this Christmas gift-like statement.

“Really?! Of course! So noble of the lions...!”

“Male lions sometimes drop cubs off cliffs to eliminate competition. That’s how the saying came to be.”

But reality is often a cesspool.

“...Is... Is that true?”

“Yes.”

It felt like he had not only lost his innocence but had it ripped out and smashed into powder.

[Why are you destroying a pure child’s dreams?]

<You’re over 20 years older than me. What’s your point?>

[To me, even a hundred-year-old is a child.]

That’s true. It’s impressive how he’s never been in a relationship.

‘To never have dated at that age... indeed...’

[Shut up.]

<...I haven’t said anything yet.>

[You were thinking I’m a jerk. Damn you.]

I get it. Anyway, that’s not what I wanted to say.

“Chris-sama?”

“......”

The shock of what he said must have been significant. She was staring into space.

“Chris-sama?”

“...Ah, sorry. What were we talking about?”

“Male lions dropping cubs...”

[Stop. Her innocence is already in pieces.]

That’s true. She might not sleep well tonight.

“...Forget that. Can you tell me why you came to this village?”

She was mulling over her disappointment and despair but wasn’t too weak to answer.

She was just too innocent.

“...I came here to meet Aria.”

“Me?”

Aria turned to look at Chris.

“I had a mission nearby and heard that Aria was on a quest. I was curious about how much you had grown.”

Aria remembered meeting Chris in a village she passed through on her way back to the main house.

‘...So Balrog was caught by Chris-sama. Then it fits.’

The pieces of his past and present life were falling into place. As he was deducing, Chris spoke again.

“I was amazed by your growth.”

It was inevitable.

Thanks to Leonardo’s advice and training methods, she had achieved a year’s worth of growth in a shorter time.

“And when I saw the boy who helped catch Balrog, I thought he must have had a significant impact on Aria’s growth.”

Chris extended her hand to the boy.

“That’s why I have a proposal.”

For some reason, Leonardo knew what the proposal was without hearing it.

“Would you become a seed of the Reinhardt family, a family with the blood and soul of heroes?”

“Aunt!”

Aria couldn’t help but shout. Chris was taken aback, not because of the informal address.

‘Aria, shouting like that?’

She was always cold-blooded, even to her aunt. Now, she was looking at her with excited eyes.

“Why... call me?”

“Leonardo is... too valuable to be just a seed! Now... Ah, right! Since Jehad quit...!”

“I’ll do it.”

...Silence ensued.

“...What?”

“...What?”

[...What?]

The same word echoed three times. Leonardo answered calmly, as if it wasn’t that surprising.

“Being a seed is fine. I’ll do it.”

There was no hesitation.

Because

「Your eyes are full of will and passion. Even if you can’t win immediately, you’ll be a great help to Aria in the future.」

「Would you become a seed of our family?」

Even if Chris was like that, she was still a benefactor who gave him a chance in life.

If he could serve such a family and knight, being a seed was fine.

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