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PS3: Here’s 2-hour early release than usual. I’ll be driving during the release time, so I’m releasing the chapters now.

 

 

Modest Noble Tea Party (2): Saxon, Sometimes

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Saxon sometimes held tea parties for Gellar. When things had settled down thanks to the handmade sweets from his younger sister Noris, Maria turned to Gellar and prompted him.

Looking back, since Gellar was brought here at our invitation, he hadn’t said much of anything. In fact, even the knight Ritter, who was staring at us intently when we went to 1-A, said more to us than Gellar has. This knight Ritter, who seemed to be called Mogi, had asked in a rather roundabout way why nobles from 1-C would invite someone like Gellar. But Saxon shut him up with just a single sentence, “Huh? Shut up. It’s none of your business”. At times like this, I found Saxon quite handy.

Well, leaving Mogi aside, the topic now was Gellar. Gellar, having been prompted, asked Maria with a mostly unchanged expression.

“About me… what should I talk about?” (Gellar)

“Anything’s fine. Whether it’s something you want to ask us, something you want to say, or about yourself. Anything.” (Maria)

At Sonia’s suggestion, Gellar, looking a bit troubled.

“About myself… there’s nothing really worth talking about. And nothing I want to ask either…” (Gellar)

This time, Maria frowned in confusion.

“Hmm… in that case, Roy-kun, Saxon-kun, do either of you have anything you want to ask Gellar?” (Maria)

Maria asked as he looked at those two.

Then, Roy-kun asked.

“How did you learn that fighting style of yours?” (Roy)

He referring to the way Gellar fought during the exercise, which he had said he didn’t like because it was a style that didn’t shy away from sacrifices.

“…It’s a boring, dark story, but is that okay?” (Gellar)

Gellar said to which Roy-kun replied.

“I don’t mind.” (Roy)

“…It’s because I had no other choice.” (Gellar)

The story that came out of Gellar’s mouth was one that made it hard not to sympathize with him.

 

—

 

Gellar was apparently born in a northern town, according to what she had heard from her father. I said “apparently” because, by the time Gellar could remember, her mother was no longer around, and she spent her days being left in a nearby town, waiting for his father, who was a mercenary, to return from battle.

The only thing Gellar was given while waiting for his father’s return was not a doll or a picture book, but a board used for tactical planning, with a grid and pieces representing various military units. When Gellar’s father returned from the battlefield, he would drink heavily and regularly talk to the young Gellar about war. While her father was away, Gellar would spend his time recreating the situations his father had described on the battlefield board or looking for alternative strategies.

This kind of life was normal for Gellar, so she didn’t particularly harbor any large complaints.

The situation changed a year ago. Gellar’s father was severely wounded in battle and could no longer work as a mercenary. His father fell heavily into drinking, and the little savings they had disappeared in the blink of an eye.

And then, Gellar’s father sold him to the Seg Household.

Apparently, Gellar’s father had noticed her talent for command, watching her play with the battlefield board. Moreover, on the battlefield, he had some connections with soldiers employed by the Seg Household. It was well-known on the battlefield that the Seg Household would adopt children who seemed useful, and if things went well, they would use them as pawns. If not, they’d discard them.

Gellar’s father knew this and still sold Gellar.

 

—

 

“…That’s why, to me, an actual battlefield is no different from looking down at a battlefield board. All that’s left is to move the pieces appropriately.” (Gellar)

The room was enveloped in silence. No one knew what to say to Gellar. Sensing this atmosphere, Gellar continued without changing her expression.

“Thank you for being considerate, but there’s no need to worry. I was sold, so I have no choice but to live with that in mind.” (Gellar)

As Geller said that, Roy looked troubled and chose his words carefully.

“Gellar… I’m not trying to pity you. But I want to say just one thing. Maybe things have gone well for you up until now, and I don’t claim to understand everything, but the battlefield is not the same as the one on your board. If you continue the way you’re doing things, it’s bound to fail soon.” (Roy)

I agreed with Roy-kun. People aren’t pieces. They don’t move the way you want them to. Besides, if you keep fighting that way, you can’t say for sure that someone won’t shoot you from behind one day.

Gellar’s reply to Roy-kun’s words was unexpected.

“That’s fine. If I die, that’s the end of it.” (Gellar)

“Gellar… that’s too sad.” (Lux)

I couldn’t help but speak up.

“No one would be sad for me. I don’t even know where my real father is or if he’s alive. My adoptive father isn’t interested in me beyond my use as a pawn.” (Gellar)

“That’s not true!” (Maria)

It was Maria who raised her voice.

“At the very least, I, Sonia… everyone here would be sad!” (Maria)

She told Geller, with tears in her eyes.

Gellar looked at Maria with a faint sense of wonder but soon cast a dark shadow over her gaze.

“But I don’t know how to do anything else, and I don’t know any other way to live.” (Gellar)

Just as silence was about to fall over the room again, Saxon, who had been quietly munching on Noris’s cookies until then, spoke up.

“Gellar, you’re… a real softie, aren’t you?” (Saxon)

“Hey, Saxon! You were listening to the story, right?!” (Sonia)

Sonia protested. Ignoring Sonia, Saxon stared straight at Gellar.

“You say you don’t know how to do anything else and that you’ve never learned anything new. What that really means is, you don’t intend to learn anything, and you don’t have the courage to try anything new, right? And saying if you die, it’s over? There’s no way I’d let someone like that lead me. It’s a hassle having someone like you on the battlefield.” (Saxon)

Roy-kun tried to stop Saxon’s merciless words by lifting his body from his chair, Gellar said.

“But I was sold, so I have no choice but to live that way.” (Gellar)

Saxon glared at Gellar with irritation.

“You’ve got it all wrong.” (Saxon)

“Wrong?” (Gellar)

“Your father who sold you, and the guy who bought you, their transaction has nothing to do with you. You didn’t get any money from it, did you?” (Saxon)

Everyone, including Gellar, looked puzzled by Saxon’s words.

“Don’t you get it? Even if you ran away to some unknown town today, the person they should be yelling at to return the money is your dad, not you. You don’t owe anything to your real dad or your adoptive dad. The most you need to do is thank them for feeding you. That’s the duty of a parent, whether real or adoptive.” (Saxon)

We had all shrunk back at Gellar’s talk of being sold, but now that Saxon had said it, it was true. Gellar didn’t have to feel guilty about anything.

“But…” (Gellar)

“No buts. What you should be doing now is making the most of your current situation. If you want to become a Knight (Ritter), then do it. Not for the Seg Household but do it for yourself. So, you can eat tasty sweets and live happily. You don’t need to cling to being a Knight (Ritter). If you find something else you can do during your time here, you could even run away when you graduate. If you’re up for it.” (Saxon)

With that said, Saxon looked away and sipped his tea.

Everyone looked at Saxon intently, and then Roy spoke on his behalf.

“Saxon, you actually say some good things sometimes.” (Roy)

“What do you mean, ‘sometimes’!?” (Saxon)

Saxon said, feigning anger to hide his embarrassment.

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