Father and son stood side by side near the courtyard wall.
A gust blew from afar, rustling their clothes and hair.
The overcast clouds hung heavy overhead, as though pressing the sky closer to the earth.
Philip gazed at the weather-worn wall, the smile that had lingered on his lips now long gone.
Allen, on the other hand, was looking up at the clouds, squinting happily, as though waiting for the rain to fall.
No one spoke.
Spring thunder rolled across the sky.
Plink.
A fat raindrop landed on the wall with a sharp, clear sound.
Finally, someone broke the silence.
"Allen… you're even better, even smarter, than I ever imagined. These years…"
Philip's voice, unexpectedly soft, resonated faintly amidst the gathering plap-plap-plap of raindrops.
The spring rain came swiftly, and in the span of a single sentence, a curtain of water fell around them, veiling the two in a web of rain that seemed to stitch sky and earth together.
His next words followed.
"You've suffered. I wronged you."
Allen glanced at Philip's lowered eyes, which stared at the wall as the rain draped both of them in a smoky haze.
With a faint smile, Allen raised his aura in the sui shin ryuu (Water God Style) secret technique. Douki (fighting spirit) rose around him in a thin film, and the raindrops parted and slid harmlessly down an inch away from his clothing.
The wind and rain didn't touch him.
His clothes stayed dry.
"What's there to apologize for? I know full well the rules of Boreas. As for 'suffering'? Hardly."
"The capital's fine. The Water God dojo suits me. I could stay there ten days or half a month and not bother coming home."
"I was free."
Philip stood silent in the rain for a moment longer.
Allen found it almost amusing. There was no bitterness in his words. Back before he'd truly blended into the Greyrat family, he'd always approached it with the mindset of a gamer.
James couldn't stand to see me excel? Fine, I'll just stay out of his sight.
The dojo was crowded, most people spoke nicely, and the few who didn't… well, he'd spent years patiently teaching them etiquette until even they spoke pleasantly.
There'd even been that black-haired girl who, like him, grew up parentless, cheering for him from the sidelines.
That was a good life, wasn't it?
Things were different now.
But far from worse.
Because now… he had a family.
Not the family of blood and lineage that this body was born to, but the kind of family that Allen—his soul from a past life—could truly accept as his own.
We're all family men now, aren't we?
I'm gonna be the best damn family man there is!
Allen chuckled.
"You're so serious… relax, there's no need to beat around the bush. You just want a piece of the royal capital's power. You came here to recruit me and Rudy to pave the way for you, right?"
"But tell me… are you sure Rudy and I are the kind of paving stones you're looking for? I'm just a lowly sui sei (Water Saint), and he's just a sei kyuu madoushi (Saint-tier Magician). You don't really think killing a horde of monsters makes us 'great,' do you?"
Hearing Allen go straight to the point without any pretense, Philip smirked faintly.
Philip wasn't one for sugarcoating things either.
He smiled again.
"Allen… I know how talented you are with a blade. Don't sell yourself short. Even just with your skill, you'd be a tremendous help—"
"You were thinking that… before you came here?"
Allen's tone cut through the rain and struck Philip's ears.
"…Before?"
Philip's hair was plastered to his face by the rain, but he didn't seem to care.
"Yes. Before. But now… I think your ability—your potential—is even more impressive than your swordsmanship. You're only eleven. And from what I know, you grew up mostly at the Water God dojo. You weren't especially groomed by James. You earned your reputation in the sword circles of the capital purely on your own talent."
Philip's voice trembled ever so slightly.
From the cold rain? Or the heat in his chest?
His words spilled out faster and faster.
"Even so… even so, your ability is already this mature. Your talent far exceeds what you think it is. Come back to Roa with me. I'll teach you everything I know. Given time, you and I will take back the Boreas family headship. The future is—"
"I refuse."
Allen cut him off, smirking inwardly.
My mushoku tensei tasks run on their own timeline. Your royal capital power struggle? At best it overlaps with the Asura succession arc when I'm older. Why would I waste my points and miss my chance to see Roxy? That's just dumb.
Philip only chuckled faintly at being interrupted, his eyes already having anticipated the answer. He gave Allen a look, then continued:
"Don't be so hasty. As a swordsman, I can see your thirst for strength. And your current swordsmanship shows you never stop moving forward. A sui sei, huh? That's news to me…"
Allen pursed his lips but didn't deny it.
Philip kept going.
"Come to Roa. I can give you a better teacher. Far better than Paul. A teacher who's perfect for you."
"You might have heard the name—'Kiryuu' (Ghislaine)—the only ou (King) level Sword God Style master. I imagine you've spent years in Water God Style, but what you really lack is a Sword God Style teacher, isn't it?"
He paused, his gaze locking on Allen's.
"…And as for what I said before… it was just a shame."
"Your obsession with swordsmanship as a vessel of strength… is admirable."
"But let me tell you this—compared to strength, power is far more exquisite."
He opened his palm, letting the rain run through it.
"Because…"
"…when you have power, strength follows you naturally."
"You're chasing the wrong thing. You shouldn't just be a swordsman. Your stage should be the royal capital."
Allen narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly through the rain.
Philip watched him for a moment, a fleeting hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.
"But don't rush to refuse just yet. What I mean is—whether you agree to my request or not, I still want Ghislaine to teach you. That's my sincerity. For four years. When you're fifteen…"
In Asura, birthdays were celebrated at five, ten, and fifteen—signifying adulthood at fifteen.
Philip's words blended with the falling rain.
"By then, you'll be free to go wherever you like."
Allen raised a brow, smiling more earnestly now, finally glancing at Philip with real interest.
"…'To take, one must first give'?"
The look of approval in Philip's eyes seemed almost tangible.
"So… will you take what I offer?"
Allen tilted his head at Philip, smiling again.
Then he turned and walked away.
"I'll take it."
His figure vanished into the curtain of rain.
And his voice echoed faintly through the wind and drizzle.
(End of Chapter)
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