Chapter 13: First Step Toward a Dream (6)
h4ngOne does not become a great swordsman with their eyes!l4vmt0k
mqwNevertheless, Rian made him endlessly look forward to something and made him support the kid with all his heart.XFrNmU
OadAmPJHere, take this.WD5qT
NtRKite handed his sword to Rian.tE2
DBK2NzRian didnt know what his teacher wanted him to do with the sword in particular, but he understood his intentions.OR2c
KrlonyaRian would have to risk his own life if he wanted to solve this situation.9zePEi
IlFIf you decide to go to the mansion with this sword, Ill let you go. But dont make a step if youre not determined enough. It will only make things worse. This situation is already out of your control.tQg14fV
SzKMaster.9DR2tBK
hGR5dWhile looking at Kite with fierce eyes, Rian smiled.e8ut
Zk2HAs he bowed his head down politely, he held out his hands and grabbed the sword from Kite in silence.6is0s
FtLThank you. I will never forget this favor.FIBF4
JTz8Remember, abandoning a friend is equivalent to abandoning another you. Dont you dare half-ass this.Aty4Zs
T0N7Lz0Yes!gyz8
Q8ekJWith a stern nod, Rian ran to the manion with a sword strapped on his waist.0NdP
J1wqThere was nostalgia in Kites eyes.eowE
8VuMy part is over!0aD7EQ
4zeGKO3Although the time to say goodbye was short, he was happy he was able to leave his mark.86u
FZPw6mMay the future of my student be filled with good fortune.47rie
Yqk* * *cdGA0Ky
QY8MThe atmosphere inside the mansion was cold.U2d
PJX6TGPAll work stopped momentarily, and the male servants and maids kept their mouths shut.xIY
U5gSLouis, the head butler, wiped his glasses behind the sofa where the immediate family members were sitting.GeO521
UmmLNext to him, Temuran, the deputy butler, was staring at Shirone, his stress plain for all to see.ddUW
FwPbMHe was kneeling under all the gazes of hostility and contempt.cINn
7niRwRHe felt like he was standing in the middle of a Colosseum.bmi
GhQytPbReport, head butler.LDRLY
F72QaYes, my Lord. Shirone, a servant hired by Temuran, is accused of damaging the prestige of the Ogent family during his year-and-a-half-long stay here. The workers have witnessed the youngest young master and Shirone mingling, and I also heard Shirone talking to him carelessly. Attached are the testimonies of the workers in regards to the case. Temuran wrote for them.1nprO
teLPkAs Bischoff silently raised his hand back, Louis passed the document into his hand.o9S
H0MlOFlap! Flap! While the papers were turning, Reina sneakily went up to Shirone.Tuc9Vm
yHqDAShirone, dont worry too much. Ill try and convince my dad. Nothings going to happen.IDQZyVg
TjPtContrary to expectations, Shirone looked so calm that it gave Reina chills.QM2ezyw
BU0oNot a speck of anxiety was seen in his eyes.WjTMGer
mVwDHe was not pretending to be calm! He really is looking at the situation calmly!TjO
JrKABMShirone was not afraid.FzG
M6dTgOThis was because the future was just full of possible outcomes. Nothing had been decided yet.SGF
sEotAfter looking through the file, Bischoff spoke.SPOHEx
yHZZe8With a cold impression along with his pitch-black hair, he had the power to petrify with his words alone.afuyV
vqFShirone Arian, is what is written in this file true?JMsXzi7
RPJCLDad, Shirone and RianPl2
M30NLz9Reina, I did not ask you. Ill give you a chance to speak. Stay quiet for now.CZeQX
dlctEReina knew this was not gonna be easy.ouZ
DrbwVRDBischoff, a logical man who followed fundamental principles, was not a person who could be persuaded through mere emotions.BGdUVWq
H0dBLWqShirone opened his mouth.1Ad
WN7vKI would like to ask a question.1BNf6
7WPoAll the servants who were watching were surprised at how composed Shirone was. However, it did not phase Bischoff one bit.utLK8Vi
Yy4Tell me.UaSR
2wegGwMIf the youngest young master and I are actual friends, what would happen to him?rdDTO
xyIrReinas eyes turned affectionate at Shirones selflessness. He thought of his friend before himself, even in such a situation.W2wS
1dwNothing will happen. Right now, were here to question you, a commoner. Whatever misdeed Rian has commited, as long as hes part of this family, we will continue to protect and support him.F08
aiqZBischoffs words had thorns, but Shirone was satisfied.wdYTdJ
vCnShirone, who let a little loose, told the truth with a bright smile.yZc
WG4bOz6Then Im glad. Rian and I are friends. Weve been friends for a year, and well continue to be friends.QPP83
6NYPr0No one dared to speak up or express themselves, but Shirones words actually caused a great stir.Q7aO
k5kcUIn particular, the male servants who lived with him were the most shocked as his friendship with the youngest young master turned out to be true.QCaB
Xwmc0Stupid boy. He doesnt understand how scary this world is.B4bM48
yDIA son of a noble family and a son of a mountaineer have been friends for over a year.7kyN
ljVGWhat seemed like a baseless rumor that had been passed around ended up being true.er55G
r4I2WzbYou must take the name of the Ogent family quite lightly. Shirone, I will execute you as the Lord of this house. Since you came here signing such a contract from the beginning, you must have been ready for such a possibility.tHd
yA3Reina stepped up.XhRB2
n6TTEjDad! Listen to me for a second! You said youd give me a chance to talk!NZsU
9jBQ* * *dmf2
NvY* * *ArMQx9N
OIlpvrbThat was when there was room to make judgment. He has already confessed. Itd be pointless to drag this out. Head butler.8EOtvB
6dSwV4LYes, my Lord.ccC
NtUy1bContinue the matter at hand. Also, this should never leak out.pDR7MbU
5Y1VpTwOf course.em73g
6HzzkReina became nervous. Even in this situation, seeing as how Shirone continued to maintain his calm and composed exterior, Reina felt bitter.Ka6KE2
1DgC8qzBut how could they prevent this? Bischoffs decisions as Lord of the house had never once been reversed.lMtA
8T0JleNWith whose permission?!E1D
hIaWRNRian opened the door and barged in.pJXo
q2T2The temperature of the room increased with just his appearance alone.HuZ1I
LUwPM5Whos going to execute my friend without permission?hPpUk
cMU4wBischoff said flatly.Xy9E
eWDPSwfMe.jmue7v
UeM9nWhy the hell? He didnt commit a sin that deserves death, we only became friends! Just friends!CEC08
nF12One does not die just because he has committed a sin worthy of death. The intricacies of aristocracy are much more complicated than you think. And those complicated circumstances are handled and resolved by the family, hence you, as a son of a nobleman, were also raised and brought up with preferential treatment.Hemq8sH
kLmZBIf thats the case, I refuse such a privilege if it means I have to abandon my friend.Sv6NsO6
VAEvLVYou are immature, Rian. Friendships are a mutual thing. What you can share with them is fixed and certain. That is a definite relationship. Does that kid think of you as a friend? How can I believe that? Lets say he approached you for money, how could you know? How can you trust him?dNjkZ
epwEgEShirone is not like that.azFl0Z3
2dkJThats what Im saying. How do you know that? Prove it. Bring some kind of evidence that proves Shirone is not that kind of person.xPoHiG
OFjmNReina chewed on her lips.62PU
9CsO7FdHes totally caught up!nFtLXh
Z60ekBXThere was no evidence that could prove Shirone was a true friend because nobody could look into a persons heart.PelpMY3
9lkdIFeeling a chill from his fathers words, Rian slowly grabbed the handle of the sword strapped on his waist.pIIBVDm
h3jwSomething hot flooded into his heart.sVNzFt
0sA1BZI understand now, Master!2zEUD3
cu5oRian, who understood what Kite meant, burst into laughter.nVulkT
Xlt19HAHAHAHA!TePg
ARjUWThis was not a staring contest between father and son, it was a battle of wills.7t3r0
tJ2h9khAs expected, I cant beat my dad. I almost fell for it. Prove that were friends My proof is that I believe in him. Even if Shirone does not think of me as one, he is my friend as long as I believe we are. Thats the best proof you can have in this situation! Trust!fPqjVQD
0ff6UThis time, Bischoff was at the losing end.TxBvf
IErgWmAfter all, what Rian said was also true.TxfPTj
noT6xiSo you are going to disobey me, the Lord of this house? This is not a matter between just you and me. It is a matter that involves the house. Noble houses can fall and collapse, even now it still happens. I have to make sure we dont crumble and fall. I am responsible for leading this house. Dont underestimate the situation. Even a son of a noble can be ostracized.E0SI
yrmWBischoff burned his bridge.k0h4LDD
3rDTo kick out his own son.HUXGGfU
A9y8DxNot only the servants, but also the members of the Ogent family were shocked at the last remark.Tc3vYw
Mpr7But Rian didnt budge.fuB7
5SNInstead, he answered politely with unprecedented courtesy, as if building a wall between him and Bischoff.kZTy5AI
Np4fIf thats the only way to protect my friend, Ill happily leave.uPMemj
4DoY8xBANG!lybM
nHZr6Bischoff slammed his foot onto the floor.ZZZR5Q
Az4Y8dJUnacceptable. A mere 16-year-old surviving an ostracism?IXPSU6Z
5TM6btThat foolishness of his His rude, mannerless actions Hes only unreasonable due to the fact that I am his father.Hs6Tf
x7egThen draw your sword. To be ostracized means to be abandoned by your family. If your friend is really worth the fight, then you must risk your life.9Lq
H3FvpRian drew his sword without a word. The action angered Bischoff even more.StS9qIq
RzqAre you really planning on pointing your sword at me, your father?NZkK
gSUIts not pointed towards you, father. You dont believe me, so I have no choice but to do this. I draw my sword because I believe in myself and my decisions.g2Ljm
CuASince when did you cherish your friends? You never once made connections with other aristocrats your age. You said it was because they were dazzling in your eyes. Youre only friends with this commoner because he doesnt shine. Because he is lower than you.q4RT
J3VHFor the first time, you are wrong, father. Shirone is a friend who shines brighter than me. I want to help Shirone shine even brighter.6P8R
VDEnBischoff was despondent.8gdYi
LvT21tWhat did this Shirone do to dazzle his naive son to such a degree?5dN
LzuFAIs it you? Did you make Rian like that? How did you persuade him into believing that a commoner and a noble could be friends?gLJ93
0D9GnvoShirone spoke.Q87w1
drKAlthough I did not persuade him, since you think that is the case, maybe I did do something like persuasion.eVgso
PnlRian stood between the two.MWp
tduPRShirone, stay quiet. Ill take care of it. No matter what happens to youn8IGGxZ
99vRian.6gpItLv
2oL4Rian turned his head as Shirone spoke with a cold tone he had never heard him use before. Shirone was staring straight at him.cpMurZ
8wmNYou are responsible for what you are responsible for.apHBwl
i9ggNot only the family, but Rian, too, felt chills at the impassive words that were comparable to Bischoffs.rbpntdn
iNQHuh? W-Well, yes. Of course.aLkJAWx
Qg1mBut you dont have to take responsibility for things that you shouldnt be responsible for. This situation was created by the two of us. Well just have to get through it together.n4I
YVAFeuShirone looked back at Rian and smiled.yua
qLuoUqEven if I die on this spot, I dont regret being your friend.XqDAeuV
byESilence ensued.xcfKit
gfNnNot only the servants, but also the members of the Ogent family couldnt help but turn solemn in the moment.2zwb82u
Ww7ztmiAnd for Rian, it was like pouring fuel into an already burning flame.v1Wp
gVr9iVCYeah! Thats exactly what Im saying! Even if Im ostracized, well still remain friends!CKlK
XANFy1oThe servants started to murmur amongst themselves.JLBbQn
twW4KThey were cynical at first, but now they couldnt figure out who to side with.JAnA3w
KwaQ6HqReina, who was resting her chin using the back of her hand, smiled.pL1l
HJZzdBYou are really amazing, Shirone!GN2
pQwpYHe silenced the adults with indisputable logic.jaH
n4GThe reason why Shirones words could not be refuted was because they were all human beings. And all human beings had to deal with a thing called emotion.x3mqux7
3DPWoLIm sure everyone here has had a friend like Shirone. A person they wish they could be friends with forever.s7T
iX9The stone-cold logic of the Ogent family was also something that a human created. And as much as one would like to separate emotions from the equation, such a thing was simply not possible for humans.ul1CX
BHQtBHes smart. In a sense, hes similar to dad.g8lBWEa
C94F9Nevertheless, the reason why he didnt dislike Shirone was because sincerity preceded calculation.e4wQhyH
fM7UnWell, you never know. Thats the power of sincerity. It makes you want to believe. And Shirone definitely has that power.h6x
Ejh4MPerhaps that was Shirones greatest weapon, Reina thought.2g1oWr
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