NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 21
“And so, it’s become quite the grand affair again, hasn’t it?”
Could I have ever heard such a bristly voice from my childhood friend before?
The hour was twilight, and my companion Margit and I had ascended a small, nearby hill.
Since then, Margit had brought representatives from the estate, and there had been a commotion.
We had to report matters to the priest, argue about the master-apprentice contract, and now, they were likely busily drafting a contract in the Manor with a scribe. I had intended to join them, but children were deemed a hindrance and thus sent away.
Yes, I’m the stakeholder here, am I not? Though I debated inwardly about asserting myself, visions of only troublesome outcomes clouded my mind, so I stayed quiet and behaved obediently. Most likely, my apprenticeship contract was being formalized simultaneously. The trusted scribe Mr. Grant would draw up the official document to be filed with the deputy—a profitable venture, no doubt.
But still, how on earth did things end up this way? Even when I thought I’d had it rough due to experience points, nothing compares to this. Who could have rolled a D6 on my fate?
I suppressed this aimless anger and turned to Margit, who sat unusually expressionless beside me.
After fleeing to this hill and explaining the circumstances, her blank expression was unsettling. Her face muscles seemed to quit their job entirely, leaving a hauntingly pale gaze that radiated an alien kind of fear.
Surely, every prey she had ever targeted had experienced the same emotions that now swirled within me.
“… Well, it’s not forever, and even I don’t intend to serve as a sorcerer’s apprentice indefinitely.”
“But it’s not like you can quit after just a year or so, is it?” Margit asked.
“True…” I admitted.
It was necessary to earn fifteen draukmas — a staggering amount. Though I hadn’t been told how much I needed to make within a year, at the very least, it would have to suffice to make my tutor Eliza feel safe. Fairies, unlike humans, are magical phenomena whose aptitude surpasses humanity. It was a fact that even humans had to study a minimum of five years at the Magic Academy before they could obtain a certificate. Therefore, assuming a hypothetical sister of mine were a prodigy and without shortcuts, it would at least amount to five years of indentured servitude.
Talk about miscalculating the situation. No matter how hard I fought, it wouldn’t be enough.
Having been a university student, I understood all too well the financial demands. Uniforms might or might not be provided, but the need for magical robes tailored specifically for practitioners would exist. Textbooks would also be required, as the educational system would demand. However, in this era, books made of vellum were exorbitantly expensive—far pricier than anything I had indulged in, such as the numerous guides and supplements from my past life.
A single textbook normally cost two to three draukmas, and if adorned with metal or leather bindings, the price could soar into the dozens of draukmas. Rarer still, books encrusted with precious gems possessed a value equivalent to that of an estate.
At the mere thought of such requirements per subject, I experienced dizziness.
Additionally, everyday living costs were inevitable. Taxations aside—since my parents would likely cover them—my upkeep would certainly not come cheap. Despite the tutor’s obligation to care for the apprentice, from what little I had observed of Lady Agrippina’s casual nature, expecting much in that regard would be unwise.
She might even view it from the perspective of a long-lived species—”Wait? We eat every day?”
“How many years do you suppose it’ll take, ten? Twenty? Tell me, how many years?”
“… Hopefully, around five years.”
I would grow older by then. As such, I could legally pursue additional, legitimate work and channel that income towards shortening the payback period for tuition. Fortunately, in my previous life, I had attended a national university, but I hadn’t anticipated, at only twelve years old, being placed into a situation akin to a scholarship student attending a private school.
Still, there’s no use lamenting about it. Everything depends on how my employer assesses me. The rest is decided by my sister’s competence.
“Five years… Quite the optimistic view, don’t you think?”
“I plan to work hard enough to fulfill my obligations by then.”
“Still, after five years, I’ll be nineteen, you know?”
“You’d be labeled an old maid if you didn’t marry young,” Margit added teasingly. Indeed, the empire’s ideal marriageable age was fifteen to seventeen, and most would marry before eighteen. Missing that window often led to the stigma of being either a wallflower or a widow.
I refrained from pursuing the deeper meaning of her statement. After all, wasn’t it unnecessarily harsh?
I understood very well the implications of her words and their underlying direction — if this were Tokyo, the vector would undoubtedly lead to a heart symbol.
“… I will try.”
“Would you return with the ability to adventure?”
“I’ll do my best.”
“So…”
At that, Margit murmured and, without sound, shifted her legs in a subtle motion. Before I could react, she had gracefully mounted my knee, her hazel eyes glinting dangerously under the setting sun as they pierced into mine.
“Can you swear that, after your apprenticeship, you will become an adventurer?”
Her tone was stark and unyielding. Unlike her usual, soothing voice that brushed against my mind like a caress, this was a voice lodged as a splinter in my core — not merely a question, but a blade probing to extract my earnest intention.
“Yes… I swear. I’ve prepared for this. I will become a proper adventurer. I’ll also ensure Eliza can live independently by helping her leave the Magic Academy. I aim to do both.”
And so, I responded earnestly. No subterfuge was needed; the words came from the deep recesses of my heart.
I had already determined this: given the opportunity to become anything, I would become what I wanted.
Not through inertia or default. Because I resolved to do so and the decision was met with approval, I will become an adventurer. Moreover, I wish to be a good brother, the kind Eliza would be proud to call her own.
These words, spoken in sincerity, came from a person who had lived twelve years under the name Erich of Königsstuhl Manor. From this, my resolve and commitment emerged.
For this decision, I had to commit myself fully. To honor the twelve years of nurture and love I had received. To validate the seven years I had lived as a true individual.
If necessary, I would not hesitate to pour in all my accumulated experience points. If required, I could dedicate all of it to housework or cooking. After all, as things stand, my skills as a swordsman would suffice.
Though it might take a roundabout route, I would not lie to myself. I would become what I desired, like the heroes in the games I once adored.
Every session’s end always brought a gratifying feeling. Creating stories, resolving characters’ fates in a club room shared with friends — whether the ending was tragic or not — was always enjoyable.
Still, the absolute best feeling came when all characters achieved their goals, culminating in a grand, satisfying conclusion. For that, we invested countless hours and sacrificed precious moments of our youth in discussions.
It’s no different when it comes to life. I will fulfill my duties and pursue the vision I desire.
Even the Bodhisattva said as much:
“Do what you wish to do.”
Though familiar words from some deity of misfortune, they resonated as a blessing. To be absolved from defining our existence and follow the soul’s desire—what a liberating grace.
Yes, that’s why I shall become an adventurer. I shall become a hero for Eliza.
I stared intently into Margit’s eyes, proving my resolve.
How long did we maintain our gaze? The gentle red of the twilight dimmed into an ambiguous purple. The transitional hour, where the evening and the day intertwined, saw the stars regaining their strength while the crescent moon slowly revealed its face.
Ah, that’s the moon waiting for fullness, like the one from my former family’s crest. I wished someday to shine as fully and perfectly as it did.
“Yes… It’s so like you.”
She spoke in unaffected, natural language. Without averting her gaze, her rigid features softened into a smile.
“Then, I shall believe you. There’s no one else like you, such a kind childhood friend.”
“Yes, I know. Thank you, Margit.”
Surely, she would wait for me, as she had always done, waiting for the day I ventured out.
Because she had never lied to me—not even once, not even as a trivial joke.
Abruptly, she lifted her body into a familiar posture. Her face approached mine until our noses nearly touched.
“So, let me help you not forget the promise.”
A shiver of unease coursed through me at her alluring words. Her ever-constant voice of a child, though soothing, had the unsettling effect of tickling my brain.
“Close your eyes…”
Ah, so this is that event. It wasn’t something from my past life, this was new. Was this something to boast about? Could I proudly claim I was entering the realm of real-life fulfillment? Score!
I was lost in confusion when I realized her breath had moved to the side of my face. Next thing I knew, warmth pressed against my cheek, and her breath caressed my ear.
Wait, what’s happening? What is going on!
“EEEKYAAAAAA!”
Out of nowhere, my ear was seized with excruciating pain. No matter how I twisted and struggled, Margit clung tightly to my neck, preventing me from reaching the source of my agony.
What? What is this?! What’s happening!
Dozens of seconds passed in a haze of confusion and pain before she finally released my ear. When I touched it, I found my earlobe slick with saliva—and blood.
The tiny irregularity I felt upon touch… Was it a hole?
Yes, there was a small hole piercing through my left earlobe.
“Thank you for the treat.”
As she licked her lips, my blood adorned them, and in the fading remnants of sunlight, her elongated canines flashed prominently.
It seemed she expertly used them to pierce a hole in my earlobe.
“What…? Why… Why was I bitten!?”
“I told you, to help you remember the promise.”
Then, she forcefully pulled my hand away from my ear and inserted something into the still-painful lobe. What she held briefly in her hand was unmistakably the shell earring we had purchased that very day.
“Don’t take it off. It’s proof of our promise… Every time you see it, you’ll remember.”
How deceitful, I thought. But as I gazed into her satisfied smile, all anger dissipated instantly. Seeing her contentment made me think, “Why not? My earlobe isn’t missing.”
Unfair… how having a pretty face makes things so manipulative…
While contemplating the world’s cruelty, something else was placed into my hand.
Upon inspection, it was a long needle—used for processing leather, not cloth. It was thick and had been soaked in alcohol, emitting the scent of distilled liquor, indicating sterilization.
“So, give me my souvenir back.”
“Huh?”
She said that and extended her right ear toward me.
Wait… what? Is she asking me to punch a hole through her ear as a return favor?
No no, that’s way too extreme. What kind of play is this?
“Do it quickly. Just as you marked me so I wouldn’t forget you, I want to ensure I won’t forget you.”
Raising her hair with one hand to expose her ear, she sent an enticing glance my way, and resistance melted away. Despite the slightly mad request, the manner in which she lured me was seductive—a slyness that transcended species.
“…Bear with it. It’s going to hurt a lot. It really did hurt for me.”
“Yes, it’s fine. Teach me the pain.”
Her cryptic words strained my heart.
Damn, these heart beats felt like alarms going off!
Suppressing the erratic beats of my heart, I positioned the needle against her ear. Pushing through in one swift motion, the needle effortlessly pierced her soft lobe, and a vivid jet of crimson blood danced briefly in the air.
The sight was breathtaking, a vivid red reflection merging with the sunlight and moonlight, an indescribable beauty.
“Ugh…”
Margit emitted another enticing sound and tenderly brushed her ear after the needle was removed. Without stopping the bleeding, she handed me the paired earring.
Apparently, this too was to match.
I recalled a similar event I’d witnessed last autumn, but even so, this felt excessively deviant.
Nevertheless… if it made my childhood friend happy, who was I to argue?
I will surely never forget her smiling, blood-streaked face amidst this blurred crimson twilight.
—
【TIPS】A male wearing a piercing on his left ear signifies “courage” and “pride,” while a female with a right ear piercing represents “kindness” and “maturity.” Sharing earrings symbolizes an “unbreakable bond.”
Second Volume Insert (Other two illustrations will be available in the published version.)