By Zephyria 
There were three people, but a massive round table, large enough for ten to sit around, was placed squarely in the center of the greenhouse.
The white tablecloth covering it played a large part in making the blue-painted plates stand out.
Various dishes were piled high like mountains on wide, large plates, and tongs were stuck into each dish like flags, so they could be served onto individual plates.
The most eye-catching was the roasted body of a young pig, scored and roasted to a crisp, glossy finish.
Softly boiled and thinly sliced venison was topped with a white sauce generously seasoned with spices.
A nameless bird, roasted and tied with twine, cradled small croquettes in its embrace.
There were over a dozen types of dishes.
It wasn’t entirely lacking in green, but there was an excessive amount of meat.
Michael, who loved fruits and vegetables, was still half-asleep, rubbing his eyes.
The child’s words were a gem.
“Whose birthday is it today…?”
“Isn’t it the eldest young master’s first return after the holiday break? It seems the kitchen staff missed him dearly. They said these were all the dishes they had been wanting to prepare for him whenever he returned.”
“Ah…! Right! Roast duck is something older brother likes.”
“I like it too, and our younger young master likes it as well. Shall I serve some onto your plate?”
“Yes!”
Sir Ventus, who answered promptly in my stead, took care of the child’s meal.
I, who had dismissed the servants thinking the child would be taken care of, feeling that it would be a simple meal, awkwardly scooped three glistening ribs onto my plate.
My body was accustomed to sweet and soft foods.
The food at Shierun Academy was also excellent, but it couldn’t compare to the home-cooked meals I had grown accustomed to over the past decade since my rebirth. My hands naturally sped up as I ate.
The plate beside my own was piled high with well-stripped animal bones.
The skill in cooking was astonishing: tough parts were simmered until tender, and soft parts were blanched just enough to avoid falling apart before being doused in hot sauce to cook with residual heat.
The greens were also fresh and suited my palate. A salad, made with fruits and vegetables mixed together and thoroughly drenched in a lemon-scented sauce, was refreshing.
I felt a renewed sense of gratitude, realizing how well they knew my tastes.
Back in the Central Plains, whenever I ate such precious food, a part of me felt uneasy, thinking I was the only one enjoying such luxury. But not today.
Unlike the Central Plains, Shierun had fertile land and fewer people went hungry.
I ate heartily without reservation, chattering away about all sorts of things.
Michael’s imagination of Shierun Academy had its limits, so it seemed more entertaining for the child to listen to me answer Sir Ventus’s questions.
I spoke about the friends I had made and their families.
I also talked about the games I played with my close companions, and about practicing throwing knife technique with the princes and princesses.
I mentioned that the professors I had were all unique in their speech, and that my favorite professor was Maelo Sanson.
Then, the familiar question naturally arose.
“You said you learned magic? Even though you went to learn swordsmanship?”
“I just wanted to see if I had a talent for it, as a secondary pursuit. I learned how to channel Mana, but there were too many formulas to memorize and calculations to perform, so it didn’t quite suit me.”
“Brother, I want to see you use magic!”
“Now? Hmm.”
Perhaps Professor Angela Sting had anticipated something like this?
She must have taught me a magic formula that a swordsmanship student could easily demonstrate when unexpectedly asked to use magic during a meal. I willingly drew up my Mana.
Taking a breath, I traced the formula with the glass of grape juice in front of me.
Gather, Radiate, Settle, Cool, Condense… and Alpha.
Mana drawn from afar took on a blue hue, circulated through my Middle Dantian, and seeped into the purplish liquid. An ice flower crystal bloomed in the center of the grape juice and spread to its sides.
Despite the simple appearance of the formula, the effect was distinct and easy to recognize.
I stirred the grape juice, now fine ice crystals, with a dessert spoon and placed it before Michael.
The child, who had unexpectedly received ice cream during the meal, had a bright light shining on his face.
“Wow! Wow! Are you a sword mage?”
“I only know one spell, but simply put, you could say that.”
“…Wow, the casting speed of that formula seemed incredibly fast, didn’t it?”
“It’s a simple formula to begin with. And it’s even more so because I’ve practiced this one formula relentlessly.”
“What if you become an Archmage before a Sword Master…?”
“Don’t joke.”
Michael startled and looked up, the dessert spoon in his mouth. His face was desperate, as if to say his older brother absolutely had to become the most magnificent knight in the world.
It was amusing how both this one and that one were so earnest in teasing the child.
“I’m not saying I’m not interested. I’ve made great progress in swordsmanship thanks to a good professor this time, so I’m thinking it would be nice if I could teach the Magnolia Knights various things.”
“Congratulations on your progress. It is a great honor to receive instruction from the eldest young master.”
His unusually polite demeanor clearly showed his intention to tease me.
Sighing, I carefully separated the meat from the bone and placed it on Michael’s plate. The child, looking relieved, devoured the meat and nodded.
“I’m honored too.”
“Why are you?”
“Because I get to be taught by you, brother.”
I was momentarily taken aback and speechless.
I taught people in a harsh manner, one that didn’t suit Shierun. I couldn’t make Michael, who could barely manage to run laps in the training ground, maintain a horse-riding stance for hours or learn the Three Calamities Sword Technique.
Comparing him to knights who already possessed considerable stamina and strength and could follow my strenuous training would only wound the child unnecessarily.
Furthermore, what I wanted to teach the child was not the path of a knight, but that of a businessman who managed ledgers, so I hesitated.
“They say you can only start learning swordsmanship at eight years old.”
“But you started practicing swordsmanship from the age of five, didn’t you?”
“Well, I… as you said, I was a genius. From a young age, I felt I could only wield a sword and nothing else, so I decided on my dream early. But I like it when you learn swordsmanship, I like it when you distinguish grapes, and I like it when you calculate numbers well, so I hope you don’t have to choose just one path right now…”
Michael seemed to ponder for a moment.
As I placed the deboned meat onto the child’s plate, I quickly caught Sir Ventus’s eye.
Reading my intention, he scratched his cheekbone with his index finger with a troubled look, then chuckled briefly and shrugged.
“He seems afraid that the eldest young master will be surpassed by the second young master.”
“Hmm?”
“Huh?”
I furrowed my brow, and Michael exclaimed in a surprised voice,
“What! That’s ridiculous!”
“What is ridiculous? Young Master Michael can already do five-digit addition. It’s understandable that the eldest young master would be afraid. If you learn swordsmanship now, you might even become a Sword Master before the eldest young master. It’s better to learn anything quickly, after all.”
“No! I like it when you teach me, brother.”
“Can’t the younger young master teach the elder young master?”
To me, Sir Ventus’s words sounded like mere taunting, but they were surprisingly effective. Michael immediately lost interest in swordsmanship.
However, seeing the child shaking his head in alarm, I became quite perplexed.
I couldn’t understand why Michael showed no desire to surpass me.
Brothers, from birth, were meant to see each other as both teacher and rival, constantly comparing and weighing themselves. They were meant to be regarded as the best allies and the most formidable opponents.
It was good that he followed me, but it was strange that he had no desire to surpass me at all.
I put a piece of lamb I had been preparing for Michael’s plate into my mouth, chewed, and pondered before speaking.
“Why. It’s possible for you, Michael, to become a master before me.”
“But I don’t want to take your place, brother. I want to keep getting along with you.”
My nose tingled.
I turned to the child in surprise. His deep feelings were hidden behind his cute, plump cheeks flushed with a rosy hue.
Startled by the coldness of his fingertips, which I had unconsciously grasped, I rubbed them with my hand to transfer warmth.
“No matter what you become, we will continue to get along. Who told you that?”
“No one told me. I just knew. I know you dote on me a lot, and I don’t want to take what you have. I just… I thought if I did well at the things you like… you would dote on me even more, so I wanted to try.”
These were not words a seven-year-old, who already received ample love from his parents, should be saying.
Sir Ventus seemed as taken aback as I was, hesitating without adding any further remarks.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, the child adopted a spirited attitude, grabbed a boneless piece of meat, placed it on his own plate, and cut it with clumsy knife work.
His attempt to change the subject by avoiding my gaze resembled his father.
“So, brother, you remember this too. Even when I get older, I won’t take your things.”
“What if they aren’t mine?”
Deciding I had to make myself clear this time, I retorted quickly. Michael blinked his round eyes and looked at Ikyun. I held the child’s hand and spoke gently.
“What if I only wanted to learn swordsmanship and hated doing anything else, and cried my eyes out wanting to run away from everything? Wouldn’t you then have to inherit the family and take over, Michael?”
“…Oh, no! Brother, you can’t go. Then Michael won’t see you either, is that okay?”
“It wouldn’t be okay. But it will be okay with time. That’s how it is when you live a long life.”
“…!”
The child looked bewildered and restless, and finally tears welled up. I wiped away his tears and added casually,
“If you do the things I find difficult in my stead, wouldn’t we be able to continue living together?”
“….”
I wanted to give Michael my parents’ inheritance and the Ernhardt name that he was meant to carry on.
It had been that way for a long time. I myself, unable to consider my adoptive parents as my true parents, sometimes doubted if I was the true Ernhardt.
I feared that by being born first, I would be seen as having stolen what Michael was supposed to inherit.
And I had thought that if I said this, the child would readily nod.
I had underestimated Michael’s age. However, Michael placed a piece of the meat he had cut onto my plate and continued with a firm voice.
“I won’t answer now. We’re both still young, so I don’t think I can say anything right now. I’ll listen when you don’t change your mind later.”
Sir Ventus closed his mouth, which had fallen open, and looked towards me.
When our eyes met, I saw his broad shoulders shrug up and then down.
I was silent for a long time before pulling Michael’s small body close and hugging him tightly.