By Zephyria 
On the weekend, I met Rubel at the library.
It wasn’t a pre-arranged meeting. Just like last semester, I was taking both Intermediate Swordsmanship and Advanced Swordsmanship classes with Rubel, but lately, I hadn’t been chatting with Rubel.
It was because I felt awkward getting close to the child since the day we went to the night market last semester.
Naturally, I didn’t have a chance to discuss where we should meet this time, so we couldn’t set a date. Nevertheless, when Saturday came, we ran into each other at the appointed time and place.
It wasn’t Rubel’s fault.
I only realized now that meeting this child throughout last semester had become a habit.
Hiding my awkwardness, I approached him and suggested we study together. We studied, ate, and then I sent the child home. When I asked if he would come at the same time tomorrow, he said yes, and Sunday was the same.
Sitting across from each other at a large library desk, I copied down the content of our last class into a blank notebook, occasionally glancing at Rubel. My gaze kept drifting to him.
I blamed the other students for making such a fuss about his handsome appearance, and then I blamed Rubel for his gentle smile whenever our eyes met.
Rubel’s swordsmanship is outstanding, and his disposition is diligent and upright; he would be able to reach the Peak of martial prowess next year. It felt unbelievable that this child would graduate soon and wield a pen instead of a sword.
I felt a sense of regret.
…Regret. Yes, it was regret. My heart fluttered.
As I didn’t take my eyes off Rubel’s face, he noticed me looking and looked up, smiling faintly again. Seeing the slight blush on his cheeks, I suddenly asked,
“After you graduate…”
“…Huh? Yes.”
“Do you return directly to the Imperial Palace?”
“Uh… I suppose so?”
Rubel, who had been silent for a moment, put down the pen he was holding.
“What about Young Master Ernhardt?”
“Well… I plan to head to the Yuil Mountains as soon as I graduate.”
“…Ah… When will you come back down?”
“Wouldn’t I come down only after becoming a Grand Sword Master, like Wesley?”
“……!”
Rubel’s eyes widened. His surprised expression, with his mouth and eyes open wide, was endearing. Ah. I finally understood why my heart had been so restless.
I remembered what Walter Orgen had said when he didn’t want to go to the Yuil Mountains. He said it was natural for hearts to drift apart when bodies are separated.
Just being apart for the break had made the child’s complexion much calmer. If we were separated for a long time, the faint feelings Rubel had for me would quickly fade away. I didn’t need to worry about the child’s heart right now.
This would be the last year I could see him this often and so easily.
It seemed I had subtly coveted the child who appeared to have grown fond of me, out of curiosity about love. I felt embarrassed and awkward about harboring such an absurd thought for so long and contemplating this lovely creature throughout the break.
At the same time, I felt relieved. If we were going to drift apart with time, there was no need to push him away immediately. I smiled, thinking it would be alright to treat him as before for a while.
I had often seen younger children admire and follow their uncles. I decided to view it that way.
“Still, we’ll be able to see each other during breaks until next year, so I’m not too worried.”
“…Ah, yes… Right… That’s right…”
“After the midterm exams are over, there’s a place I want to visit besides the botanical garden. Let’s go together.”
“…Yes. Let’s.”
Now that I knew the reason for my constant unease, my heart felt lighter. I picked up my pen again.
I studied well throughout the afternoon and even did quite a bit of previewing. For some reason, Rubel seemed more listless than usual, which worried me a little.
I should check if Sierren also has ginseng candy.
❖ ❖ ❖
Monday, Intermediate Swordsmanship class.
As we were refining the forms and sequences of the Imperial Swordsmanship from the beginning, Maelo Sanson decided it wouldn’t do and brought Rubel and Benjamin out from among the students.
He said it was good to engrave what we already knew into our bodies through repetition, but it would be better to learn something else, and I readily agreed.
Instead of the Imperial Swordsmanship, we learned the Siren sword technique. It was also a sword technique that Lucilla favored, and I had received a few private lessons from Sanson before, so it wasn’t entirely unfamiliar.
However, I was puzzled because I had always thought it was a sword style more suited to women than men, and I hadn’t bothered to sharpen it.
“I know that the two of you have a talent for linear sword techniques and have only practiced and researched those. Michael also uses delicate sword techniques, but he uses sharp and fast thrusts. He doesn’t know how to turn back.”
“……”
“But sword techniques are not problems with a single fixed answer. It’s good to train in sword styles you haven’t tried, discuss them, and go through the process of applying them to your sword art.”
“Yes, Professor.”
Indeed, it was right and proper. I marveled greatly and obediently followed his words.
We trained for a set amount of time and rested for a set amount of time as instructed.
If it had been just Rubel and me, I would have indulged his requests, and if it had been just Benjamin and me, we would have talked about our peers.
But sitting with the two young men, Rubel and Benjamin, on either side of me, I was at a loss for what to talk about.
The silence stretched on. After a long while, Rubel, who had been quiet, spoke first. His voice was warm and gentle.
“Young Master Claudian… will you also go to the Yuil Mountains after graduation?”
“Yes? That’s right.”
It was such an obvious question that Benjamin, who had been asked unexpectedly, replied with a hint of reluctance.
Rubel replied with a faint, “I see,” and said nothing more. Seizing the break in the silence, Benjamin asked me,
“Young Master Ernhardt will too, won’t he?”
“Yes, well. It’s an obvious question, but…”
“If possible, I hope we’ll be assigned to the same team. I heard that if close peers apply in advance, they can be placed on the same team because we have to cooperate for a long time.”
“Let’s do that. I suppose among our close peers, only the two of us will want to go to the Yuil Mountains.”
“Yes, Young Master Rose is more interested in management than swordsmanship.”
“Bill also seems very determined to go to the Yuil Mountains after graduation.”
At my words, Benjamin glanced at Bill Brown, who was diligently practicing his sword over there, and smiled happily. Since learning how to control his strength, Benjamin often wore a relaxed expression. I quite liked that look.
“That’s good. Young Master Bill Brown would be welcome.”
While we were having such a conversation, something brushed against my shoulder. Rubel, who had been quiet all along, leaned his head on my shoulder and held his breath. My neck felt ticklish for some reason.
He seemed jealous that we were talking without him. His cute behavior was even satisfying. I didn’t push him away, wanting to dote on him more before we drifted apart.
As I chatted with Benjamin about various things, the break time quickly ran out. I belatedly worried that Rubel, who had only been listening to our conversation, might have been bored. Feeling apologetic, I gently held Rubel’s hand and comforted him.
“Let’s start again.”
“…Mmm…”
Rubel remained listless until the Monster and Philosophy class ended, well into the afternoon.
I asked him the reason, but he didn’t answer. He said he had a lot to think about and study, so I made sure he ate at the dormitory cafeteria and sent him off, even though it was Monday.
Seeing him lean on me so weakly, I petted his head a few times, but he didn’t perk up, which made me very worried.
The next day, in Advanced Swordsmanship class, it was the same.
Worried that Rubel couldn’t stand up straight and was swaying, I offered him my back to lean on if he felt tired. I patted him a few times, feeling sorry for him clinging to me like a monkey.
“Are you really sure you don’t need to go to the infirmary?”
“…No, no. I’m just a bit tired…”
“It doesn’t seem like you’re just tired.”
I touched Rubel’s pale forehead. He didn’t have a fever. Still, I felt a mix of relief and loneliness, thinking that he was now okay with this much contact, whereas before he would have been flustered by just holding hands.
After sending the child off to his next class, I went to find Shayden for the Estate Management class. Since Shayden was much more astute at dealing with people than I was, I decided to ask for his advice.
“Lately, there’s a child who’s been listless.”
“Oh? Yes, there is?”
“I have no idea how to comfort him.”
Even though I hadn’t mentioned Rubel’s name, Shayden pondered seriously without asking further questions. His calm voice suggested he had a lot of experience dealing with people.
“What have you tried?”
“Tried what?”
“Think about what you’ve done to comfort that person, and see which one had the best reaction. Comforting methods differ from person to person.”
“……”
What had I done for Rubel?
I had petted his head, patted his shoulder, held him close for a moment… It felt too embarrassing and awkward to say out loud, so I stayed silent. Shayden shrugged and immediately gave me an answer.
“Try the one that was most effective three more times.”
“Try it…?”
“If that doesn’t work, do everything at once. That usually resolves it.”
“Hmm. …Alright.”
It felt too embarrassing. I thought so, but with no other options, I wiped my face with my dry hand. I thanked him and said goodbye, promising to try it once depending on his condition, even if not immediately.
In the Basic Estate Management class, we learned step-by-step, from how to process document files to how to calculate an estate’s income and expenses.
Professor John Macbeth repeatedly emphasized how crucial it was to analyze which of an estate’s businesses were most dominant and which were weakest. Professor Macbeth didn’t hesitate to use the Macbeth Estate as an example. I learned how Edwin had gotten involved in her business.
The Macbeth Estate was a barony under the Duke Family of Kiadris.
John Macbeth had been targeting and preparing for Edwin Kiadris from the day he confirmed him as the heir born with the true bloodline. She paved roads, prepared land, built structures, and obtained the consent of neighboring estates, all sufficient for trade. It was an incredibly difficult task for the Macbeth family at the time.
But thanks to that, when Edwin Kiadris stepped forward to do business under his own name, John Macbeth was able to present the most impressive business plan first.
The Macbeth Estate became wealthy, and John Macbeth made a significant mark on estate management, earning a professorship two years ago.
“As such, knowing and utilizing the human and material resources around you is extremely important. Therefore, the midterm exam will be replaced by a report submitting an investigation into what each of your estates possesses by the end of next month.”
For me, who had decided to pass down the Ernhardt Estate to Michael, there was no more bewildering task than this.
Seeing me sitting there dumbfounded, Shayden let out a laugh, and Damian whispered softly,
“Do well on the assignment, and pass it down to Michael later.”
…That was indeed the right thing to say. I tried to steady my wavering heart.