Under the streetlight that illuminated the cold darkness.
Michail was speaking to .
“Why are you appearing before …?”
He didn’t say anything else.
Seeing , who hadn’t spoken or caused any harm, Michail’s hand was resting on the handle of his sword as he glared at .
“What are you scheming this ti…?”
I had sothing I wanted to tell Michail.
It wasn’t anything significant, but I had a simple curiosity I wanted to satiate.
However, Michail’s cold deanor annoyed , causing to respond with a bitter smile.
“You didn’t even greet … Isn’t this too cold of a reception?”
Saying it like this, I, too, was bound to speak harshly. In a world I knew, there was a saying: ‘What goes around cos around.’
Generally, I try to avoid saying things that hurt people. You never know who you might et again while passing by, and my actions directly reflected on the lady.
But if soone misunderstood in this way, I had no choice but to break my principles.
The resolve I had painstakingly built might waver.
No matter how close of a friend from the Academy they were.
Even if they were a friend in unfortunate mories, speaking to soone in this manner was indeed troubleso.
I had saved his life multiple tis, after all.
I didn’t want to be treated as a hero. It wasn’t sothing I sought after, and being idolized felt awkward.
Still, I didn’t expect to be treated like this. Seeing Michail’s hand on the sword handle, I let out a sigh.
With a heavy heart, I spoke to Michail.
“Mister Michail.”
“…What.”
“No mareeting.”
“Shut up.”
“And what did I do that was so wrong? Though I did make mistakes, if you’re an adult, shouldn’t you…”
“An adult, you say?”
Stopping mid-sentence, Michail removed his hand from the sword handle and glared at . As his eyes, filled with anger, t mine, I realized my mistake.
This ti, I was the one who had erred.
I indeed had fault in forcing unwanted affections onto him. This ti, my mistake was undeniable.
Though I stopped the lady, I hadn’t given Michail a proper answer. I had rely said, ‘Please speak kindly,’ and ‘Don’t act too coldly.’ It would be shaless to say I had no fault.
Only after uttering those words did I realize that saying ‘Isn’t it ti to forget?’ was nothing but a guilt-free complaint.
Michail took long strides towards .
Seeing the strength in his steps, a bitter smile spread across my face. I knew what was angering him.
Michail looked up at and said,
“Do you think you have the right to say that?”
“…”
“When I told you to stop, you ignored . Now you think it’s fair to tell to forget?”
“…”
Michail didn’t know my circumstances.
He didn’t try to understand.
He had no intention of listening.
The reason why it had to be this way.
The reason it had to be like this, which Michail didn’t try to understand, made a bit angry.
I didn’t want to tornt him either.
I didn’t want to tornt Yuria.
I didn’t want to be hated by the students.
I had no hobby of being despised.
Still, the reason I had no choice but to do this was a foolish one. A foolish excuse for a better future and to protect everyone.
Ultimately, it was to protect the lady.
I lacked the power to stop soone from sothing they liked. I dreaded the backlash from stopping sothing they enjoyed.
I wanted to say it too.
Do you understand my feelings?
Being wrongfully involved.
Being cursed for sothing done for others.
Do you understand how I feel, being criticized for saving a life?
Even so, my fault wouldn’t disappear.
So I smiled.
Not because this was sothing I intended to happen.
It was rely a whim, sothing I did wanting to forget like a passing wind, so I smiled as I looked at Michail.
Of course, it felt unfair, and there were lots of things I wanted to say, but I liked the lady and held responsibility for being a sort of reincarnated individual.
I had no hobby of becoming a hero. Unfortunately.
It’s more fun to be a villain who can laugh and joke rather than a hero with a tragic backstory. Smiling, I watched Michail approach.
“I don’t know.”
“What?”
“Why do I need to earn the right to say sothing? If I want to say it, I can.”
“Sigh…”
Michail let out a hollow laugh.
Seeing Michail’s angry and annoyed reaction to my honest and non-pretentious words, I asked, puzzled.
“You were the one who first picked a fight, Michail. From our first eting until now.”
“When have I ever…”
“Don’t you rember? To …”
“I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to rember anything related to you. Shut up.”
“…I see.”
Nodding under the streetlight, I tried to erase my gloomy feelings. No matter what I said, my words wouldn’t reach Michail.
Well, what can I do.
I disliked him just as much.
Nodding, I began to voice the question I had in mind towards Michail.
“Hey Michail.”
“I said I don’t want to hear it.”
Ignoring his refusal, I said kindly, “Why do you wield your sword, Michail?”
“…What?”
“I was suddenly curious. I wondered why a righht?”
“That’s because… to protect the weak from villains like you.”
Michail’s rigid, parroted answer made chuckle as I sensed a fragnt.
“Then why am I a villain?”
“…”
“Of course, I’m a criminal worthy of being called a villain by you, but when you think about it, I’m also your benefactor, right?”
“That’s not true. I could have defeated them on my own.”
“Then should we delve deeper? Into what you don’t rember…”
[There are constraints in place.]
“Darn…”
[Further statents may negatively impact the subject ‘Michail’.]
[Will you proceed regardless?]
With a bitter smile, I shook my head.
‘I almost made a mistake.’
Michail, who couldn’t hear the whole story, glared at , hesitating with a sharp expression, but I shook my head with a wry smile.
“It’s nothing. Really.”
“Why? Don’t tell . Once you start, it seems like you have nothing to say?”
“Hmm… Well, you’ll find out soday.”
I nodded at Michail.
“Anyway, when you think about it, I am ultimately a good person. I share bread with orphans and show rcy to begging boys and girls. I have a warm heart.”
“Evil people do that too, hiding their dark intentions.”
I smiled.
This ti, Michail had bitten the bait I had thrown, so I thought I had him by the neck.
‘Gotcha.’
“Then, Michail, why did you accept the duel?”
“Because my master asked to…”
“Does Michail do everything your master asks of you? How indecisive.”
“Don’t mock . One day I’ll…”
“Yes, Michail can solve those issues later. Right now, I’m asking sothing else. Why did you participate in the duel?”
“I told you. Because my master asked.”
I smiled.
“You said you wield your sword for justice.”
“…”
“Then who is the justice in this duel?”
I took a step closer to Michail.
“Hanna? Or your master, known as the Sword of the Empire?”
“Is Hanna an evildoer in your eyes?”
Trying not to give Michail a chance to back down, I pressed.
“Is Hanna an evildoer jus ties?”
“Didn’t you listen to Hanna’s story? You wouldn’t have entered the duel without hearing it, would you?”
I aid to give Michail a fragnt.
Although breaking the opponent’s morale in battle is a strategy, I spoke to Michail for the sake of his future.
It was a lesson I wanted to tell Michail, who would now have to get accustod to killing, and it was a belief he needed to have.
I felt today might be the last chance I’d have to tell Michail this, so despite knowing it would be tough, I hoped Michail would accept it.
“Why are you so biased?”
“I’m biased?”
“Yes.”
“In what way am I biased?”
“In every way. Entering the duel without knowing what’s at stake and without understanding the circumstances is biased, don’t you think?”
Michail explained to .
Trying to justify himself.
“My master is Hanna’s father, so to lead her onto a better path…”
“I see.”
“So, if I could be the key in that…”
“Hmm…”
“That would an it’s for Hanna’s sake…”
“I understand.”
I nodded, noticing the confusion in Michail’s expression.
He was flustered.
Perhaps realizing his mistake subconsciously, Michail’s expression seed to justify himself to , which led to think that was enough.
And then, I spoke, encouraging him to persist with his fragnt.
“That’s right.”
“What?”
“I’m the sa. I acted and made decisions for the best of the person I value.”
Michail glared at .
“I am not like you.”
I smiled and nodded at Michail’s words.
“That’s right. Michail is not like . So wield your sword with a light heart going forward.”
“…”
“It’s advice from an old friend.”
Michail couldn’t reply this ti either.
And I left Michail.
Michail clenched his fist and gazed at .
“I will win.”
Whom he intended to win against.
I didn’t bother thinking about it.
*
Hanna swung her sword alone.
To make Ricardo’s displayed technique her own.
Just like small ripples forming in a calm puddle, slowly and with concentration, she swung her sword.
On the tenth day,
-Scrape.
Hanna found the reason for her sword.
End of Chapter
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