We had arrived in Shirone, a country not very large but holding valuable information regarding Lilia and Aisha. Rudeus had mentioned a rumor that, although strange, was the only thing we had. However small, I couldn't simply rule it out.
So, to start, we needed to invent some names. We couldn't go around saying we were "Greyrat," considering they might be here.
"Alright. I shall call myself the Knight of the Black Moon," said Rudeus, puffing out his chest.
Knight of the Black Moon?
"And Eris could be the Sword of the Black Moon, and Ruijerd can be the Spear of the Black Moon," Rudeus continued, quite focused on the idea.
Eris looked at me. "And you? What name will you have?"
"The Black Knight!" Rudeus shouted, then lowered his voice. "I mean... Your cloak, the sword, your hair... you have every right to bear that name."
Then Eris jumped up excitedly. "Great, we're a team! Let's use them!"
"Fine. I'll stick with that name; I like it," I replied.
*
Rudeus decided to head off in another direction. He asked me not to accompany him, to trust him, so I had no choice but to accept.
Ruijerd, Eris, and I decided to go on our own in search of my sister. I had explained to them that she was a girl with reddish-brown hair and green eyes, identical to Rudeus's.
"Hey," said Eris. "What's wrong with you?"
"Huh?"
"I don't know what's wrong, but I feel something off about you. Is it because of your sister?"
Of course it was. I wanted to tell her, but the words wouldn't come out. I was still clinging to the idea that I had to carry the "storm" Eris had mentioned on the boat all by myself.
"Yes... I'm worried about not finding her. We've been at this for hours and haven't found a single clue. It seems no one has seen her..."
Eris stopped in front of me, arms crossed. "That only means one thing. I'm not good with words, but I can tell you that if we don't find her now, we will later. Can you stop torturing yourself over something that isn't your fault?"
"Yes. She's right. Don't think too much, act," Ruijerd finished.
That... that made sense.
"We'll head toward the suburbs. Though, that means a lot of walking." In the end, I began to lead the group.
*
After a few hours of tracking without success, we reached the suburbs. Despite so much searching, we hadn't found anything.
Eris kicked a rock while Ruijerd analyzed the situation.
"Demon brat!" someone shouted from behind us.
The one who had shouted was a bald man with a large beard. He was the tallest of the three and had a considerable scar on his arm. Apart from his height, he seemed the strongest. Therefore, by law, he had to be the most arrogant.
"Get lost, you shitty brat... That hair, you're a filthy demon."
Eris lunged toward him before I could stop her.
"Don't talk to him like that! If you dare say one more thing to him, I'll cut out that tongue myself!"
"And who are you, defender of...?!"
"Calm down, young Sword of the Black Moon, leave this to me." I placed my hand on her shoulder. I could feel how it made her shudder.
The man, surprised by my speed, took two steps back. Of course, he hadn't seen me move.
I took off my cloak. "Take care of this for me."
She took it carefully and put it on without a second thought. I placed Temphestalis on the ground and began to crack my knuckles, pop my neck with the typical clack, and stretch my muscles a bit.
"Good... I needed this. So much time in the carriage has stiffened up my body."
Finishing my stretches, I lowered my center of gravity and profiled my hands like blades. I settled into a Shuto-Uke stance. It was all I needed.
"What?" he blurted out.A kid dropping his sword and trying to use his hands as weapons must not be a very common sight; especially considering he might be around six-foot-three. In his eyes, I was just a twelve-year-old boy trying to look "cool." To me, it was just a basic exercise.
And of course, given that he didn't seem like a person who thought much, he did the most irrational thing for a man of his style. Why do I say this? Well, basically, he launched himself at me with a closed fist. He might have been an experienced swordsman, but judging by the form of his hand, he was directing his force irregularly.
I struck the side of his wrist with my left palm and then, with the same intensity, used my right hand to strike his chest. It was a sharp impact that knocked all the air out of him. Without stopping, I attacked once more, this time on his cheek. The blow was so strong that the man spun on his axis until finally collapsing unconscious.
I dusted off my hands on my clothes. The unconscious man's companions exchanged nervous glances and began to back away slowly.
"It-it was just a joke..." stammered one before running off.
Eris blinked. The fight had ended before she could even process that it had begun.
"Already?! You didn't even let me hit him! That was too fast!" said Eris as she adjusted the cloak over her shoulders.
I approached Eris expecting her to give me the cloak, but she turned around and kept walking, now heading back to the inn.
"Young Eris..."
"It's cold!" she said, walking dramatically.
I sighed, and we continued our journey back.
*
Upon returning to the inn, I noticed my brother acting somewhat strange. It wasn't exactly rare to see him like that, but I was sure this time was different.
"Rudy? Did something happen?" I sat down next to him.
"Eh? No, no. Nothing happened, it's just that I have to tell you guys something important." He settled into the chair. "Aisha is sleeping in the room..."
"What? Our sister is here? Rudy... You found her."
I closed my eyes for a moment.
"Yes, I did, but Lilia is locked up in the castle..."
I snapped them open.
"What?"
Before I could react, Eris beat me to it.
"Anyway, if that's what's happening, then let's attack the castle!" Eris exclaimed, totally ready and willing to do it.
"It has been a while since I attacked a castle." Even Ruijerd was balancing his spear, as if he wanted to go.
"No, no. For now, let's just wait for a response to my letter."
I nodded.
"Fine, but if it takes too long, I will go personally... and there will be no excuses."
Rudeus looked at me nervously.
"Brother... when you say 'there will be no excuses'..."
"Exactly what you think it means, Rudy."
"...Alright. Then let's make sure they respond quickly."
And so, we let ourselves drift off to sleep.
*
The next day, as I was about to get up, I felt a gaze fixed on me. I slowly opened my eyes, glimpsing a silhouette in a chair with both hands over her chest. As my vision cleared, I noticed it was Aisha. My younger sister was in front of me, observing me strangely.
"Red eyes! Yes, it is you!"
So she already knows who I am. We were supposed to hide our identities from Aisha, just as Rudy had mentioned. But, of course, given my features, that wasn't going to be possible.
"H-huh? You know me?" I sat up in bed.
Aisha nodded.
"My mother told me about you. She told me I would recognize you instantly by your 'unsettling' appearance." She hopped off the chair and gave a bow, far too formal for a girl her age. "You are Daiki-sama. My savior."
"Savior?" I repeated.
"She also told me that you are the reason I am alive. That you faced everyone to protect us before I was even born..." She looked up. "That you stood in front of your parents and said: 'If she goes, I go,' assuming the risk of going with someone who had just had a child; that is to say, me. That is why my life belongs to you, Daiki-sama..."
Lilia... what have you been teaching her?
"I am your big brother. Just call me Brother."
I felt a drop of sweat roll down my cheek, because it was a situation that, truthfully, I hadn't expected. Yes, I had an idea that Lilia felt some devotion toward me, but instilling that in her daughter? I didn't deserve such treatment, and furthermore, it made me feel uncomfortable.
"Yes, Daiki-nii-sama," she corrected, without removing the "sama."
At that moment, Rudeus woke up in his bed. He rubbed his eyes and, seeing Aisha awake, smiled with his usual kindness.
"Good morning. I see you're already up, little one."
It seemed my sister didn't know who Rudeus was. She thought he was some friend, and decided not to say anything yet. Why? I had no idea.
"Knight-sama! You found my big brother!" she said, letting Rudeus pat her head. "And he isn't the pervert!"
Ah... That's why he doesn't want to tell her he's her brother. Because perhaps Lilia told her about Rudeus's "actions."
"Exactly..." Rudeus looked at me while shrugging his shoulders. I just observed him, narrowing my eyes. "The important thing is that we found him, right?"
She nodded. Rudeus was letting her get to know him so she would see he is a good brother. Which he was doing quite well.
"Daiki-sama! Mother told me that you were very intelligent, to the point that sometimes you unsettled her with your mental calculations... Which means you are even cooler than I had thought!"
Perfect. Now she had more excuses to keep praising me...
"Mhmmm..." A certain redhead rose from the bed, rubbing her eyes while stretching with her other arm. "Why so much noise?"
Aisha stopped upon seeing Eris. "Who is she, Daiki-sama? Your guard?"
Eris shot up, as if she had been attacked. "Guard? I am his... partner!"
"Aisha, this is Eris. Please, get along."
However, I could see how they were both staring at each other without blinking.
-
When I tried to look for the rest of my clothes, it was Aisha who brought me everything.
"Aisha... Don't do that, I'm capable of getting my own things."
"A warrior shouldn't worry about mundane things like that! All you have to do is accept my help and concentrate on combat," she said, bringing my boot while cleaning it with a cloth. "Here, ready to use..."
"I can think about other things too, you know?" I laughed a little. "Besides, I don't like you doing those things... Someone your age is supposed to be playing or studying."
"That wouldn't make sense. You learned to use the sword from the age of five. Why is it that in your case you can, but in mine, I cannot? My wish is to serve you, Daiki-sama."
I blinked twice.
"You have a point... Well, but in my case, I don't like being served. As your big brother, I want to be the one who helps you. Will you grant me that wish?"
She seemed to consider it, because she stood thinking for a good while.
"If Daiki-sama asks..."
"Don't do it because I asked. Do it because you yourself want to. What did I just tell you?"
"But..."
"Aisha."
She lowered her gaze.
"...I want to do it..." she stopped.
"...."
"Impossible... if my mission is to serve you and you specifically ask me to do it for myself, am I doing it because I want to or because you asked me? Because if I listen to you, then I'm not doing it because I want to..."
"Aisha, breathe..." I rested my hand on her head.
She looked up.
"But, Brother, the paradox..."
"It's okay. You don't have to solve it right now."
"But how...?"
"Let me ask you something different." I crouched down. "What makes you happy, Aisha?"
"Happy?"
"Yes. What makes you smile? What do you enjoy?"
"...Serving you makes me happy."
I sighed.
"Besides that."
She furrowed her brow.
"I... I don't know."
And there was the real problem.
That Aisha didn't know who she was without that role.
"Then... There is something I can do for you. And something you can do for me. How about you train in swordplay with me? If you accept, after noon we will go buy proper clothes for training."
I looked at her maid outfit. "What do you think of my idea?"
"Train... with you?"
"Yes. Like I trained with our father. Like I trained with Ghislaine. Now... I can train with you."
"Like... training partners?"
"Exactly."
"But I am much weaker..."
"For now. We all start weak."
She looked at her small hands. "If I train with you... will I be able to protect you better?"
"You will be able to protect yourself better," I corrected. "And that would make me very happy."
"...Then I accept. Brother."
I smiled. "Then it will be after noon. Be ready."
*
A knight arrived at the inn just before noon. Rudeus and I decided to go down to handle the situation, leaving the others upstairs.
"Are you Rudeus-sama?"
"Yes."
"I am part of the Imperial Guard of the Seventh Prince. My name is Ginger York."
The knight turned out to be a woman. And she had come alone.
I wondered why a member of the imperial guard was there. Was it because of the incident with that man, or the one with Aisha that Rudeus mentioned?
"It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Rudeus Greyrat."
"My name is Daiki Greyrat." But she didn't even look at me; she just kept looking at Rudeus without any emotion.
"Roxy-sama will meet with you. Please, accompany me to the royal palace."
That was all she said. Although it seemed suspicious to me, Rudeus would be capable of handling the situation. Considering he crossed the Demon Continent, a single castle shouldn't be much of a problem. Even though I wanted to accompany him, I had promised my little sister I would take her to the market to buy training clothes. If I broke that promise, there might be no fixing it later.
So, he left just like that.
I went back up to find Aisha ready to go buy her clothes.
*
In the market, we entered a shop hoping to find something suitable for a six-year-old girl; something that wouldn't bother her and would withstand constant training, so that when we continued our journey, she could keep practicing the basics.
Besides, I wanted her to stop wearing maid clothes all the time. If she wants to clean or do something in the future, she can still do it without needing to wear that uniform.
By the time she sees the difficulty of the training, she will start thinking for herself. 'Do I like this? Can I keep up? Should I give up and do something else?'
These are many of the questions she will ask herself. And, since she is someone intelligent, she will realize she is capable of choosing her own path.
If she doesn't choose the sword, then she will be choosing. No matter how much intelligence she has, if she doesn't have the experience, she could never decide for herself.
It was the man's voice that pulled me from my thoughts with a classic cough. I explained the clothes she needed: Nothing elegant, nothing that looked "nice"; it had to be strictly for durability. It didn't matter if she didn't look like a girl in those clothes.
"Look, young man, for someone her size it's difficult to find real adventurer gear," said the seller, "but I have sturdy clothes used by farmers' children or artisan apprentices."
I nodded and started rummaging. "Try this."
It wasn't anything otherworldly, but it was perfect to start. It consisted of a cream-colored linen tunic and trousers that reached just below the knees.
"And this is important," I added, tossing her a small vest of soft leather. It wasn't armor, but it would serve to cushion the inevitable blows.
Aisha took it all with curiosity.
"Try it on," I ordered. "Ah, and don't forget these boots. They have to fit firmly... if your feet dance around, you'll fall before throwing a punch."
She nodded and ran toward the improvised fitting room.
Minutes later, the curtain opened.
There she was. She no longer looked like a little servant destined to clean hallways. She looked... well, she looked like an apprentice.
"It feels..." Aisha looked at her hands and then gave a little jump. "It feels right. Light yet strong. This combination makes the idea of training perfect."
"You look the part. Like someone who is about to become strong, and to be honest with you, that could be a possibility."
"Thank you! I will guard it with my life!"
"No, don't guard it. Dirty it, break it, wear it out... That will mean you are truly training."
*
Now we were in the training field, which was nothing more than the inn's courtyard. With Eris by my side and Aisha in front, she held the wooden sword I had also bought her. She didn't have a starting stance. She remained straight, arms down, her right hand gripping the weapon.
Basically, she was waiting for an order... something that definitely had to change.
I started walking around her.
"The first thing you must do is adopt the basic stance. You can't simply stand there. Separate your feet to the width of your shoulders. Put one foot forward and the other back for stability. Flex your knees slightly to lower your center of gravity."
I stopped in front of her and adjusted her arms.
"The foot you put forward will depend on your dominant hand to balance the weight. In my case, I am ambidextrous, which means I am capable of using both arms with the same strength... but for now, you must find your natural balance."
Aisha tried to imitate my adjustments, but her body remained somewhat rigid.
After that, which she understood well, we started with basic attacks. Nothing showy. Block, block, and attack. After that, I would start explaining sword styles to her.
"Your eyes must always be on the opponent. You simply must trust that your feet will always know where they are. Use your eyes and intelligence to read my shoulders, my hands, even my hips. Only then will you be able to read your opponent and anticipate their attack."
The good thing about Aisha is that she didn't need me to explain it twice. She was a very intelligent girl, which made the theoretical work easier for me. Although I am capable of doing it, this meant less time lost on explanations.
"I am sorry, Daiki-sama..."
"Big brother."
"What?"
"Call me 'Big brother,' not Daiki-sama. Or, in any case, just call me 'Daiki'."
She nodded. We returned to training.
"Daiki, come here a moment," Eris called me, insisting that I sit beside her.
"What is it?" I asked upon reaching her, while watching how Aisha kept practicing on her own.
"You are a good teacher... Hmm... I remember when you wanted to teach me even though Ghislaine was much better than us."
I scratched my cheek.
"You could say I liked teaching you... I enjoyed doing it."
Then, I turned my gaze back to my sister.
"And now, I am enjoying teaching again..."
She punched my shoulder.
"Look at yourself. You carry too much, but even so, you are always trying to help others, even if you do nothing for your own good."
"I suppose you're right..." I murmured, rubbing the spot she hit. Although it didn't really hurt, her words, which were generally not habitual for her, had impacted along with the blow. "But someone has to do it.... If I don't carry this, who will?"
I saw her sigh. "Daiki... You have us. Rudy, Ruijerd, and me! You are not alone! I mean... stop saying you need to be everyone's hero; you are not the solitary hero you think you are."
"Young Eris..."
"Yes?"
"How do you realize all that?"
"All what?"
"About... me. Things that not even I am capable of understanding, even though they are part of me."
"Because... I know all your facets: the serious one, the cheerful one, the excited one, the attentive one, the genius, the old man with his long words... And you only think you are the 'hero,' when in reality you are much more than that. You are not a fantasy character, you are human."
I stood looking at her for a second. She was right. Sometimes I forgot that I was no longer fighting alone.
"I will keep that in mind..."
"Brother!" Aisha's voice interrupted our chat. "I did fifty repetitions! And I didn't look at my feet even once!"
I got up and approached her, patting her hair.
"You did excellent work." I gently took the wooden sword from her hand. "Rest for five minutes. We don't want you to faint on your first day."
Thus, we spent the rest of the day.
***
POV: Rudeus Greyrat
Currently, I am evaluating some free accommodation in the Kingdom of Shirone. There is no security deposit nor rent. It is a single-room apartment, with no meals included and lacking natural light.
Furthermore, its construction is reassuringly secure. Please, admire the resistance of this barrier! As long as you are inside, magic is nullified, and you will never be able to leave. Even if an A-Rank adventurer like me were to hit it with all his might, or if Daiki tried to cut it with that absurd sword of his, the barrier wouldn't even flinch.
"Rudy?"
A voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Suddenly, I saw a silhouette in the darkness looking at me with glowing red eyes.
I jumped back instinctively. I thought they had sent an assassin, but the mention of my shortened name made me realize how wrong I was.
"What are you doing inside here?" asked the shadow. "I suspected it..."
"Daiki...! Damn it...!" I brought my hand to my chest. "Don't scare me like that! You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"You are young... You have a good internal system; giving you a heart attack is statistically impossible..."
"That doesn't matter...!" I tried to catch my breath. "Well... that comment confirms it is you. Uh... hello, I guess."
Then he looked me up and down.
"How did they manage to capture you? Why don't you have your staff? Did having it taken away to see Roxy mean nothing to you?"
"...Eh....."
"Leave your weapons at the door."
"Well... Ginger said Roxy was waiting for me. I thought it was standard security protocol to see a court mage. And... well... I wanted to see Roxy."
"Rudy, you wanted it that much, didn't you? So much so that you ignored all the red flags. You came alone, without an escort, for a strange request, and without Roxy present. You know how she is; she would have come out to find you if she had known you were here.."
"Ugh..." I covered my face. "You're right. I'm an idiot. I let myself be carried away by my base instincts and adoration for my Goddess."
I shook my head. "I could have told you too, but everything happened so fast in that moment... Besides, if I had followed you, with the signal to enter and leave weapons, I would have already said something."
"...I am an idiot."
"You aren't an idiot.... You are Rudy." I approached the wall, or rather, the magic barrier. "But now we are in a... complicated situation."
"Wait..." I lowered my hands. "How did you get in here? There are guards everywhere."
"Let's just say they are taking a nap..."
I gulped... I knew what that meant.
Nothing.
We stayed chatting for hours trying to solve this situation which, truthfully, was pitiful. My brother looked visibly affected by this, pacing in circles while holding his head.
For some reason, when he uses all his strength on this thing, the barrier rejects his sword. It's like it "repels" it, so, being a magic sword, it might be impossible to get out by those means.
My brother stayed all night with me, talking to me and maintaining his calm. I managed to convince him not to do anything that could turn us into criminals, explaining that we couldn't live peacefully with our family if we were wanted or looked down upon by the whole world.
He accepted grudgingly, but he never left. He told me what he did with the guards. Basically, he knocked them unconscious and placed them near drinks so they would think they had a bad night and wouldn't suspect an attack, which made a lot of sense.
"Sure, normal for them to hurt if you hit them in the head..." I muttered.
He even refused to eat. He said it would be wrong to fill his stomach while I couldn't do so due to the situation...
I love you, Brother.
Finally, as expected, his patience ran out.
"If I can't break the barrier, I'll have to go for the foundations..."
"W-what do you mean by that?" I asked nervously, backing away as I felt the murderous presence.
"I will destroy the entire floor, search for the mana source fueling this circle and then..." He was going to say something, but the sound of the door interrupted him.
My brother moved so fast my eyes couldn't follow him. I could swear he went up toward the ceiling, but honestly, I'm not sure. He was simply... no longer here.
The man approaching was tall, wore glasses, and had a bowl cut...
Who is this guy supposed to be?