Chapter 286: Side Story – What Do You Want to Become? (1)
H32DTo be honest, Jager was not that angry.U78
gyl1vBecause he had always thought that something like this would end up happening sooner or later.zZiXr
UD9jY6After all, they were still children barely between thirteen and fifteen years old.xVt4
uJwAnd on top of that, this class was practically the first to recruit squires from across the entire continent.6E4N1F
2SR09PIt was inevitable that some kind of problem would arise sooner or later.fZGsC
CtOVA“Although I didn’t expect them to pull it off this quickly. It’s only been two weeks since they arrived.”6w0YNmM
h9In4PHThat was his honest opinion.XYpx
cobS1He was not surprised that it had happened.d1y
HSVwYHe was surprised by the speed.bOORN42
SSnx“Congratulations. You’ve just achieved something that even your father never managed. Reaching the crime of insulting the imperial family at the age of thirteen. It’s truly impressive.”FKne
lKnU7Though, strictly speaking, it could not even be called insulting the imperial family.e3s9I2N
BO5cRenvar Mordian only had imperial blood.s1O
Qr5YqHe did not belong directly to the imperial family.2U8JMku
X0NNRzHowever, seeing Emil sitting there with that proud expression, and the mole on top of his head wearing an even prouder expression while crossing its arms, managed to irritate him.W1f
usfiQUV“They really make a good pair. At least it’s good news in the middle of this whole mess.”kRO
4tHNq“Yes. After all, we’re comrades who fought together on the battlefield.”WkUPm
xDJ1UhBWhen Emil finished speaking, both he and the mole nodded at the same time.fDMDQ
BaGfThey looked like companions who had fought side by side for years.Pw5
O1vdABAnd that was precisely why it was so absurd.eE31
sjR7ZFz“…It’s incredible. You became friends with a spirit you can’t even talk to. So why couldn’t you do the same with the squires from the center?”uXN1j
Z3RFfRCIf the boy sitting before him had been anyone else, Jager would have already beaten him and hung him upside down.SfJ
UCgBut he did not.7DGR9
P3Im92yBecause he had already learned from experience that physical discipline did not work on someone like Emil.8kcjVP
waF5X“I wouldn’t say we failed to become friends. I’d say we were in the middle of becoming friends. At least that’s how I see it, Lord Jager.”3ni34e
rDIt“Oh, really?”YDF06wu
y4v7HDcJager shrugged after hearing that shameless answer.4OuyCo
KMZThe look he gave him clearly said.8lG
B4ZGo on with your nonsense.h5Kh0y0
oJqTgee“Yes. Because Renvar wanted this to happen.”4nQtBJ
mLq“Renvar wanted this?”MB2It
fXHvO6o“Yes. At least, I think so.”E2fvg
xyqHowever, the answer that followed was not simple nonsense.p2jw2
NQHSOn the contrary, it was a conclusion born from surprisingly deep reflection for someone his age.zKF
eEl“He was always nervous. Renvar, I mean.”Ad7oEK
WwXFrom a very young age, Emil had been caught up in all kinds of conflicts.HNJET
VjC5His origins were complicated.LDtmf
8aBAnd there were many people connected to those origins.P48cDKq
V0B“Every time he tried to provoke me, his heart would beat really fast. That means he was afraid. It also seemed like he didn’t want to do it.”h5IU1
0D6fThat was why Emil had immediately realized that Renvar was different.Bul
GyGTlLPeople who pick fights generally fall into one of two categories.2N7oW
dBZThose trying to look brave.kdnEm
ycdwmY6Or those who are simply idiots.z6I
wzCpoIBut the accelerated heartbeat that his sensitive ears picked up told him that Renvar belonged to neither category.XoIQYwZ
wMhAkb“And he also seemed to be constantly watching someone. I’m guessing the escort knight who came with him. The more I ignored him, the more nervous he got. So I decided to give him what he wanted.”qUV
74t“…..”RhOvB1
LI3“I don’t know for certain, but I’d bet that Renvar will sleep soundly tonight. After all, he completed his job.”YOlhvz
jfUHe did not understand complicated political matters.rmo
l8c4iBut he did understand instincts.7mwba93
2LAABc4And even though he was still young, he had managed to reconstruct part of Renvar’s situation using clues that could only be perceived on the ground.FghGcGY
B2CaCMany of his conclusions matched information Jager already knew.MDZGfMv
aUrn“Hmm, I see.”kFg
s92HHonestly, that’s not bad.WHEd4
FSfI thought he was a hopeless savage.zAJn3mV
Ey2okZBut in certain ways, he resembles his father a great deal.UC4M
lgDLsYQ“And that’s why you caused this entire disaster? Fine. It sounds convincing.”pGzSup
e2tAfter hearing the explanation, Jager nodded with satisfaction.yHO
CmuT85Seeing that reaction, Emil relaxed a little.LLD
y30b9YBut shortly afterward, he was handed an object that completely changed his expression.5K5Xx04
Eg0bY“…What is this?”hBm0f8
NiK8O5G“Isn’t it obvious? A doll.”SRHz7D
Cc2“Yes, but why are you giving me a doll?”hbrZ
l7zIt was a small toy elephant.Egd
fViJust an ordinary doll.izRJ
ywMEmil did not understand the intention.izAhlJ
WO74UOcAnd although he was still young, he was already too old to play with dolls.gYdGMCP
ylWz“Even if there’s an explanation for Renvar, I can’t ignore the fact that you turned it into a full-scale brawl.”OkuXOQb
H65Jager was right.mJId
mWMThe fight had been so large that the entire manor heard about it.SCf8E
bAxNearly a hundred boys had become involved.ZwOpfZG
EmgCIt was hardly a minor incident.LZt1
Ynd4JU6And on top of that, the escort knights from the various families had already filed complaints.2vk5
mZxb6Jager needed to settle the matter properly.MBo
VIh“They say it’s a disciplinary tool from Dorothea’s Lu tribe.”UffLENX
OdhbiUpon hearing the words “disciplinary tool,” Emil had a bad feeling.FKKI89p
D5CFHe carefully examined the doll.m8IHAx
VzDVOjoEspecially that pale green trunk that seemed to be begging someone to squeeze it.BidF
xq1And when he finally pressed it, the doll immediately demonstrated its purpose.mdBu
YNIXD8X“Hello, little one. Why don’t we start by introducing ourselves?”MALUiI
3VZXy“…Couldn’t we just end this with a beating?”BDWW4
ZLFSBVO“No.”bHolATe
Liw“What if you hang me upside down again? Last time was really awful.”OepQJ7O
1obvEmil continued proposing physical punishments for himself.yp6Z
OE5IKBut Jager merely stirred his tea with a teaspoon.rUt
felhE“From now on, Squire Emil will speak with this doll every night, reflect on his day, and repent for his actions. And it would be good if the accomplice mole participated as well.”hOoBz
9VCazZJager knew perfectly well that physical pain had little effect on someone with dragon blood.wu6MohL
tbkIn fact, they tended to enjoy it.CPHSh2A
UQYZjAThey viewed it as a trial to overcome.Rlwc
NPcCjyI“Dorothea will check it every day, so don’t even think about skipping it.”UiNTv
fY6That was why he had to attack him mentally.CZw3W
bPSeQIt was one of the most important lessons he had learned while teaching Vlad.ff6dfk6
XFqgl3“Uuuu…”Pra
KKI“Kyuuuu…”Yxe
vd1With dejected expressions, the boy and the yellow mole left the office.93g4JzB
FPSiYGOnce both had disappeared, Jager slowly lifted his teacup.x0Y
mUb“…Even so, the fact that even a child was able to notice means they’re putting too much pressure on him.”teT1O
9ak1kzLost in thought, he began lightly tapping the table with his fingers.1Xe
FlYneTap. Tap. Tap.ywAifF
EAMA low, repetitive sound.eu2
WNa3sXWAfter organizing his thoughts amid that calm rhythm, he opened a drawer and took out a letter.ByvDWab
8nF“It seems the current Lord Chamberlain is considerably more impatient than the previous one.”3yoDuU
c97BqwThe letter was a recommendation.P5k
1cPEZFA formal request for Renvar Mordian to be accepted into Sturma.57y
iB2PeIt came in a high-quality envelope.BIZRPL
wtlJWAnd at the bottom was a signature.5obN
51bZLord Chamberlain Razmael.DpF
BOCS4The man who had been appointed after the death of the previous Lord Chamberlain, Armand.uRI9C
LjJL2***FYG
stqi“It must have been very difficult for you. Of course you could feel that way.UsLLu
joeQBut what do you think about trying to think first about the friend who got hurt?”q4i0l15
EJHWV“This is completely insane…”wuS0AaB
cr1BHolding the talking elephant as he walked toward his room, Emil felt miserable.EvG
1l0JU‘A talking doll at my age. Damn it.’84Ila5
XKcl5Boys Emil’s age were especially sensitive about things like that.eJdxSxQ
GHS6They were no longer little children.DJ6hp
glpTfp7It was the age when they began worrying about appearing masculine.yBAPwA
fjz9iZAnd at precisely that delicate stage, he now had to walk around carrying a doll that looked like it was made for babies.DxM
nVoWAnd not only that.NtD6t
f8XFrom now on, he would have to tell that strange creature about his problems every night.9Vt
PblFJust thinking about it made him want to cry.ACFG
II1rQwr“Hampton, I’m back. Give me a sausage.”NlCD4p
TitXEven though it was someone else’s room, Emil opened the door as if it belonged to him.gVuy
njvImmediately afterward, he hurled the elephant doll against the wall with all his strength.dgQa
26e76VeThen he tried to open the sausage box as usual.ZC41
yJfPHowever, sitting on top of it was a child watching him with a surprised expression.F3dDsM
nqkLo“He’s not a girl. He says he’s a boy. His name is Tarenian.”F8X
PRalIt was a boy with light brown skin and orange eyes, features uncommon in the North.PNB
HxS3WHe had just arrived because he lived very far away.HFgvyAj
CTLAnd now he was smiling as he extended a hand toward Emil.jpqTQas
lpVi“Hello. I’m Tarenian. Tarenian Morvia. Nice to meet you.”VT9
DpjSUBTThe southern boy explained that his territory was famous for sugar.5q5vSGX
kX9“Sugar made from sugarcane. We make all kinds of products from it. In fact, we also sell molasses to the North. You know, the kind used to make rum.”2vuQmIi
XycYpHe was incredibly talkative.ym6L
zc0xaHis way of speaking sounded strangely rehearsed.JhFou
BSCbBNormally, Emil would have thought he seemed like a fun guy and would have continued the conversation.tSr
4u0But he was not in the mood for that today.Ej3V
SP8rLM“Fine, Tarenian. I understand that you’re happy to meet me.”vlw
V3nb1But I just want to rest for a bit.TyZ
3ne3pLMYou don’t know it, but today has been a really exhausting day.7TNiSC
iaebK8“It must have been very difficult for you. Why don’t you tell me about it?”W0i0U
fCi5hI“Shut up, talking elephant!”wAqXxz
KTpcVThe doll took every opportunity it could to butt in.Ika
a1egrwAnnoyed, Emil kicked it.HB4lF3
4VKHe hit it so hard that it flew up to the ceiling and bounced several times.GBE
HoslHHowever, Tarenian seemed more interested in the doll than frightened by it.beHr
B9J“So, if you would kindly move away from Hampton’s box, I’ll take a few sausages and quietly return to my room.”5EwGP96
ahIF“What box? This one?”v3MZs2O
KvlTarenian pointed dramatically at the box he was sitting on.dojy
gX20“Sorry, Emil, but this is no longer Hampton’s sausage box.”UuqC
ZVqy“…What exactly is that supposed to mean, Hampton?”TQq
uQBT“It means exactly what you heard. It belongs to Tarenian now. I sold it to him.”OMfr29
q2TvwzThe first thing Tarenian did after officially becoming a squire of Sturma was collect items related to the Swordmaster.eUT4IQj
trMBuVHe was an obsessive admirer of Vlad.xqh
1aLhl7uAnd among the things he had acquired was Hampton’s sausage box.6Yz
gKauH“It’s not just any box. It’s the box that contained the sausages Sir Vlad shared with his friend Portly Kannor when they were young. I bought it for only ten gold coins. What do you think? An excellent deal, right?”IUkCK
zwxjv2While Tarenian rambled endlessly about heritage, historical value, and antiquity, Emil looked at Hampton.qSrTvj
7LhUx‘You scammed him? You told him this box is more than twenty years old?’OlKsM
UPGkH3‘I only sold him a dream, Emil. Besides, if the buyer is satisfied, what does it matter?’R1HW8u
yOeAs Emil shot him an accusing look, Tarenian finally finished his explanation.SBK
kVi“But the box is what has value. The sausages don’t.”Gu3Mod
tv8EY5“Could you immediately take back what you just said? The sausages are the pride of the Kannor family.”tfU8u
e9a6“That’s precisely why I can give you all these useless sausages. You can take every one of them.”q0c
RR9BlnkUpon hearing that, Emil’s ears practically perked up.SQjrO
R1hHHowever, the request that followed made him frown.1UHJQ0r
r6lC“In exchange, I’ll only ask one favor. I have my favorite piece in the collection here. I just need you to get some signatures.”DrTu1
1Cf8KFrTarenian carefully opened a case that he guarded as though it were a treasure.ehU
9QyA9He handled it so delicately that he had even put on white gloves.dB3
TJ3bbbBAnd what he pulled out were two handkerchiefs.VlMjZf
YVJn“They are exact replicas of Lady Zemina’s and Lady Alicia’s handkerchiefs. Exact down to the smallest detail. Look at this one from Lady Zemina. They even copied the mistake in the original embroidery.”ZWFgA
tYYJClNAccording to Tarenian, the romantic stories connected to those two ladies were the most popular in the South.izGC
gtNIn the North, the most famous legends were usually those of the Dragonslayer or the Honorable Banner.5HZ
c39But in the South, the love stories had traveled much farther.A01SE
ViQ“If you can get signatures on these two handkerchiefs, forget the sausages. I’ll do anything that can be solved with money.”8ga7mzo
ca4He clasped his hands together pleadingly.CMDGm
ZFFcfRWHe looked exactly like a hungry brown cat.21PpNc
MAog9But even a hungry cat could not be granted everything.1qZGm9
Hy0iU5“I can help you with anything else. But not with the handkerchiefs.”bmWKg
ZlTzcb“Why? Why?!”Hnxpw
k63u8zThose words wounded Tarenian deeply.7hH
i1SeBecause the main reason he had crossed half the continent to reach the North was precisely to obtain those signatures.8aAU
ftoF“Why not? They’re my favorite pieces!”XrjHBKG
K1d931With his eyes wide open, the brown cat clung to Emil.8yGyV5
VLiVPDmEmil peeled him off and answered in a tired voice.AbwZ
VlIxQ“In my family, talking about the handkerchiefs is forbidden. Every time the subject comes up, the atmosphere becomes awful.”b46qsO7
STYLtUpon hearing that he would not get the signatures, Tarenian’s eyes began filling with tears.fGyZr
UDxgxEmil also became depressed when he realized that meant no sausages for him.zwXvI
JcjR5xAnd Hampton, wounded because someone had called his sausages useless, buried his face in a pillow.ErAiGH
e31Inside that small room, three boys were completely miserable.BL78qh
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