Seirei Gensou Ki Volume 1 Chapter 5

Chapter 5   Five Years Later

–

Part 1

Rio became twelve years old and advanced to the sixth year of Beltram Royal Academy's elementary school.

After becoming student of upper years, excluding some compulsory subjects, the majority of the subjects became optional. Students had to acquire the necessary credits by completing the optional subjects to graduate.

It was something that happened at the time of sword art class that Rio selected.

The upper year students were gathering in the academy's practice ground.

「Now then, there is something that I have to notify all of you before starting the practice today. About the match that would be hold against the knights of the country every year, it will also be held this year.」

The students became noisy in reaction to the instructor's speech.

The match between the students of the academy and the knights of the country was a type of festival event.

Spectators from outside the academy would also be invited. A match would be held grandly between participants that were selected from among students who were learning sword art in the academy against the elite of the elites of the military which was the knights of the kingdom.

Because the knights that would be selected to participate in the event were renowned elites, it would seem like the students had no chance of victory when fighting normally, but the knights wouldn't fight that seriously and every year moderately good fights would be displayed.

The point was to give some dignity to the students by clashing swords against the elites of the elites of the military and accumulated experience.

It was considered to be an extremely great honor to participate in the match as student representative. Sometimes students who performed in the match and displayed good prospects would also be recruited by a knight order in advance for when they graduated.

「The participants who represented the elementary school will be selected from this class. I will call their name now. Those who are called should respond and step forward. First is from the sixth year. Alphonse Rodin, Damian Basque, Jean Aaron──」

The instructor called the names indifferently. The students whose name was called would raise a cheer.

On the other hand, Rio was making a face as though it wasn't his business. But,

「And then Rio.」

When he noticed that his name was called, Rio's eyes turned round in surprise.

The surrounding students also shaken immediately.

「From fifth year, Stead Huguenot. That's all.」

Ignoring the students' agitation, the instructor tried to conclude the talk. However,

「Please wait! I cannot accept this!」

A voice interrupted. The voice's owner was Alphonse Rodin.

「Why Alphonse? Are you dissatisfied to be chosen as a representative of the class?」

The instructor looked at Alphonse and asked.

「That's not the case! What I cannot accept is that this lowborn is chosen as a class's representative. It will become an embarrassment if this guy is participating in the match against knight as a class's representative. He is a dunce who cannot even use magic you know?」

Alphonse lined up words of contempt.

「The standard of the selection doesn't include talent in magic. This is the result from a selection that took the skill in sword with serious consideration.」

「Skill in sword? Are you saying that lowborn is talented with sword?」

Alphonse asked with obvious sneer on his face.

「That's right」 The instructor nodded without hesitation.

Then, not just Alphonse, the other students also scowled in dissatisfaction.

「……That is hard to believe. That guy is a mediocre person without any point of note.」

「That's not for you to decide. This is already decided. I won't accept any objection.」

「……Understood.」

After the instructor spoke bluntly, Alphonse nodded with a sullen expression.

The instructor's order was absolute in the martial arts class including sword art. The objective was to teach the rule of military where rank meant everything.

Rio also wanted to protest against his selection to be the academy's representative in the match, but he shut his mouth because of such circumstance.

「Then, we will begin training now. First is five kilometer marching while carrying weapon. Go![

When the instructor ordered, that day's class began.

–

Part 2

「I heard. They said you will come out in the match against the kingdom's knights?」

After school of a certain day. Celia was broaching the topic happily at their tea party in her laboratory.

「Yes, somehow I was chosen.」

Rio replied without sounding really motivated.

「Show a bit of motivation now that you are chosen. If you leave behind some result in the match, you might get scouted by a knight order even before graduation.」

「Well, I don't intend to become knight after all.」

Rio responded with a wry smile.

「Is that so? It's said that being a knight is exhausting work, but you will be granted knight peerage. I think it won't be a bad choice if you are looking for position and stable income.」

「I have no interest to those kind of things. I have something I want to do when I graduated.」

Saying that, Rio put the tea into his mouth with a graceful gesture. His form looked really good that even Celia was unconsciously impressed.

「Hee, is that so……」

Celia casually replied with a deep interest. She was worried whether it was something that she should pursue deeper, but then she made her mind and tried asking Rio.

「You will graduate in less than a year. What do you want to do after graduating?」

「I'm thinking that perhaps I will go travelling in the not so far away future. There is also a place that I want to go to all this time.」

「Eh, you will leave this country?」

Celia was shocked by Rio's answer. She never imagined that he would leave this country.

「Well, it's hard for me to be in this country after all.」

「That, might be so but……」

If he became a knight, wouldn't those problems get much improved? Besides──,

「……Hey, won't you work in my lab? I'm already no good in various things if Rio isn't here though.」

Celia said while looking across inside the lab.

Five years had passed since Celia encountered Rio.

At first, the messy state of Celia's lab was intolerable for Rio. After he was visiting this lab several timer, Rio proposed that he would voluntarily tidy up the room.

As the result, Celia would realize in amazement the height of Rio's skill in everyday life.

Currently it was just the tidying up of the room, she was also receiving simple assistance with her everyday necessity and even with a part of her research. For Celia, Rio had become an existence that was like her irreplaceable partner.

「Celisensei too has reached a suitable age as a noble, so you have also received talk of marriage right? If despite that a commoner male with unknown background is in your lab, it won't be something good.」

「At present I have no interest in marrying. My home is annoying about it, but I'm rejecting all the marriage proposal by hiding behind my research.」

Hearing the word marriage, Celia spoke in dejection. Rio chuckled seeing her like that.

「Well, I think it's Celisensei's freedom to decide when to marry but……」

「Aa! You are thinking that I will become too late in marriage right!?」

「That's not true.」

The appropriate age of marriage for noble women who were living in this world was from in the middle of their teen until twenty years old.

Currently Celia was 17 years old. For Rio who still had the senses of Japanese remaining in him, it felt like that age was too early for marriage, but for Celia she had entered the appropriate age for marriage as a noble.

Although, if it was woman who possessed brilliant talent like Celia or woman with high class status, it wouldn't be that difficult for them to search for marriage partner even if their age crossed twenty.

「Hmph. Just why is this? The conception of the males of this country that if a woman cross twenty years old it's too late for them to marry……. Is young girl that much better huh?」

Cewlia muttered complainingly. It seemed that she was really bothered with the topic of marriageable age.

「Well, in my personal opinion, I think the marriageable age of noble woman is too fast though. Celisensei's appearance is youthful and cute, so it will be fine.」

「……That, are you saying that my appearance is childish?」

Celia was originally short, and her body style was childish, because of that her external appearance looked like she was still in her early teen. Her body didn't grow since she first met Rio.

It seemed she was also slightly bothered about that.

「Sense is a mature woman you know?」

Rio smiled gently while saying that. Celia's face flared up red.

「Ge, geez, idiot. Don't make fun of me……」

Rio looked smilingly at the red face Celia while noticing that the teapot had become empty. He started the preparation to brew a new pot. He had understood Celia's preference.

From his long acquaintance with Celia who was finicky about her tea, Rio had obtained self-confidence that he was able to make tea in the level of butler.

Surely his tea would be able to satisfy noble ladies anywhere.

'Now then, what kind of tea I should brew next'──when Rio was thinking that,

「By, by the way, where is the place that Rio want to try to visit?」

Celia asked such thing, perhaps in order to cover up her embarrassment.

「My parents' birthplace──the Yagumo region.」

「……Eh? Yagumo region? If I remember correctly……it's the place that seem to be beyond the undeveloped area right?」

Celia opened her eyes wide in surprise hearing the answer that Rio gave her.

「Yes, it should be there.」

「I only know a little from my light reading of some books but, it's a place where we don't even have proper diplomatic relations with, you know? It's faraway, there is no path to there, and there is also no map, there are dangerous creatures, if you are going there you will risk your life for real you know?」

Celia implicitly asked whether he was really planning to go there. That was just how remote Yagumo region was from the view point of the people in Strahl region.

There was a vast land spreading at the east of Strahl region that was called as undeveloped area. It was a blank zone where the rule of human race didn't reach, but Yagumo region existed even further beyond that place.

It was extremely rare for ambassador or exploration party to be sent toward Yagumo region that was beyond the undeveloped area, but the majority of the case was that the party gave up halfway and returned. Expedition party that could confirm the existence of Yagumo region and returned back could be counted with one hand historically. It was a place that was thought as somewhere no sane human would go to.

「Well, this is still a plan. Of course I will go there after I make enough preparation. Even my parents can arrive here, so it shouldn't be impossible.」

Rio spoke with a calm tone.

「Looks like, you aren't joking but, even so, Yagumo region……is it.」

Perhaps because it was a talk that would still be far in the future, or perhaps because it was a place that wasn't really comprehensible, Celia didn't really feel any sense of reality from it.

Besides, perhaps somewhere in her heart she was taking it lightly, thinking that even Rio would surely give up when he realized how severe such trip was, that Rio's will to go there wouldn't be that strong.

That was because Celia didn't know Rio's motive for going to Yagumo region──his past.

–

Part 3

And then, the day when the match was held arrived.

「Oi, Rio, don't you dare display a pathetic match. If you show a pathetic match, our evaluation will also get lowered. That will be a bother.」

「Exactly. Why are you picked as participant even though you're weak? Although the instructor's order is absolute, this is something that is hard to understand.」

Voices of scorn flew around inside the waiting room where the students who participated in the match gathered.

The sixth year Alphonse Rodin and the fifth year Stead Huguenot were the one taking the initiative to hurl abuse at Rio.

The two of them were children of great nobles who represented the country. Their influence inside the academy was big. It was really troublesome because the two of them were taking initiative to make trouble for Rio.

Although, Rio too had gotten used with the worldly wisdom to face this kind of trouble. He had learned more than enough skill to ward off the scorn from nobles in these several years since he enrolled into the academy.

「I greatly understand that this is an important role that is too much for this one. I will fight hard in order to not display an unsightly match that will throw mud to everyone's face, so please be merciful.」

「Hmph, we don't have any expectation to you from the start, but don't think that you will get off scot-free when you showed an unsightly match that crushed our honor. That's all.」

「Of course.」

Rio accepted Alphonse's provocative words as though it was just a passing wind.

Then, the door of the waiting room was opened at that timing.

「It's time. Come, Rio.」

Rio stood up and put his hand on his chest and replied with courteous manner.

–

The match would have a total of five matches starting from the opening match, second match, middle match, second in command match, and final match. It was decided that Rio would come out in the opening match.

The spectator seats of the arena that was used as the match venue were filled with great number of students and external audiences. They were turning their gaze to the center of the field.

There, Rio faced the knight who was his opponent and a conversation before the start of the first match was unfolding.

When the opposing knight saw Rio's face, he opened his eyes wide in shock before his expression immediately turned into annoyance.

「Hmph, I knew that you have enrolled into the academy, but to think that it will be you who become my opponent.」

「Long time no see.」

Rio too was similarly surprised seeing his opponent's face, but he greeted with a calm voice.

「Hou, so you remember me. It has been five years since our meeting like this though.」

「Yes, at that time I was greatly in your care, Charles-sama.」

The knight's name was Charles Arbeau. He was the man who forcefully carried an interrogation using torture at Rio five years ago.

「Pardon me. At that time I was just doing my duty when doing that rough interrogation.」

Charles looked down on Rio with a sadistic smile.

「No, you don't need to worry. I remember at that time Charles-sama was terribly upset about something, but it seemed I was unable to be really of use to you, so I apologize.」

After saying that, Rio made a smile that wasn't filled with emotion.

At that time, Charles was unable to recover his honor that was lost because of Flora's kidnapping incident and in the end received a harsh punishment of demotion. He had recovered his status slightly in these five years, even so it was incomparable with that time when he was considered to be the next royal guards captain.

Regarding this there was no cause that would justify him for hating Rio, but based on the situation of that time, it wouldn't be strange even if Charles was harboring an unjustified resentment for Rio.

As expected, Charles's eyes narrowed quietly and he sent a harsh gaze to Rio. It seemed he was displeased by Rio's statement that could be heard as a sharp sarcasm.

「……Let's have a nice match today. Take care of me.」

Charles said with a cold voice. He didn't do anything like asking for a handshake.

「Me too. Allow me to fight with my all today.」

「I accept the challenge. There is no need to be fearful of my title as a knight who belongs to the royal guards. After all hesitating in real battle will directly lead to death.」

Charles made a chilly smile and lectured.

「Yes, I will do just that.」

Rio replied with a voice so calm it sounded fearless. Expression disappeared from Charles's face.

「Then, the battle will start after this. Both sides, please draw out your training sword.」

When the referee standing between them said that, Rio and Charles drew out the sword on their waist. Charles was using a one-handed sword and a shield together, in contrast Rio was only using a single sword.

「A bastard sword huh. That's really fitting for you.」

Charles spoke with a provocative smile.

Bastard sword could be used with one handed grip or two handed grip, but on the other side, it was a sword that was hard to handle and often be disliked. Because Rio didn't use shield, he deliberately used this sword.

「The rule is just as explained before. The use of magic is forbidden, so please fight with only pure sword skill.」

「Understood.」「I know.」

After confirming the nod from Rio and Charles, the referee swung his left hand.

「Both sides take distance from each other and take your stance.」

After taking around ten meter distance, Rio and Charles readied their sword.

「Then……begin!」

The referee gave the starting signal and swung down his hand.

「HAAAH!」

Charles closed the distance with Rio in full speed at the same time with the start of the battle.

(He doesn't have the slightest intention of going easy on me huh. Bring it on.)

Rio sensed Charles's spirit and made a chilly smile.

Rio wasn't a saint. He was feeling anger just like everyone else toward the unreasonable violence that he received from Charles in the past. He would wipe forgive and forget if he received even a single apology but, he lost any mood for that from their conversation before this.

At the beginning this was a match that he wasn't really motivated about, but if he was going to do it anyway, he decided that he would make his opponent shamed. At that time Charles had completely closed the distance with Rio.

In contrast Rio hadn't taken even a single step since the start of the match. Seen from the side, it only looked like Rio was pressured by Charles who was a knight and he was late in reacting.

Charles seemed to also think so. He put on a triumphant smile. As expected it appeared he didn't seem to have the slightest intention to go easy. Charles unleashed a full power horizontal swing toward Rio's torso. Even if wound could be healed by magic, the power of the attack wouldn't let the target off with just pain if it hit.

Rio made a small sigh, then he saw through the attack and took half a step back to evade Charles's sword in a hair's breadth.

In an instant, Rio detected the opening at Charles's right body side. He stepped forward to his left and thrust his sword.

「Tsu!」

The color of shock surfaced on Charles's face. He corrected his sword's swing in order to intercept the attack with his returning sword.

But, the tip of the sword that was gripped by Rio's left hand caught Charles's neck first. Although it was a training sword that possessed no edge, the sword would dig into Charles's skin if it was moved just by a few millimeters more.

It was a situation where their motion was completely stopped through that counter.

The arena fell deadly silent. Everyone was dumbfounded by the unexpected match result.

「Tha, that's enough! Winner, academy representative Rio!」

The referee declared the victory with a shrill voice. But,

「Wa, wait! I was only careless just now! I'll go all out next!」

It seemed Charles was unable to accept his defeat that was settled really easily. He spoke in protest with a flustered look.

Losing against a student who wasn't of age and then demanding a rematch. It seemed Charles received a shock so great he couldn't even make proper judgment.

From the view point of the watchers, this must looked like a humiliating defeat. But if Charles took stance as though he was intentionally letting Rio win, he should be able to get off from this with little damage.

「Oi, something is wrong. This isn't possible!」

「N, no, a loss is a loss so……」

The referee made a troubled face toward the protest of Charles who lost his composure. Then,

「You idiot! A loss is a loss. If you are a royal guard with honor, accept your loss honestly.」

A person entered the field and scolded Charles.

「A, Alfred……. No, Captain Aimard.」

Seeing the owner of the voice, Charles made an expression as though he was eating a sour grape.

Alfred Aimard. The man who ascended to the seat of royal guards captain that originally should be succeeded by Charles around this time using his connection. He was Charles's superior. By the way he was also Vanessa's big brother.

「Although you were too conceited, you seriously went for the win and got the table turned on you instead, it's pathetic. If you can see the audiences' gaze, accept your loss like a gentleman and leave from here right away.」

Alfred talked with a cold voice.

Charles gasped and looked around him, then his face immediately turned red. It seemed he had cooled down slightly. Embarrassment must be flooding him all at once.

「I, it's my loss.」

Charles recognized his loss with a shrill voice and lowered his head.

「Thank you very much.」

Rio too returned a bow. After confirming that, Charles immediately turned around and left the field with hurried steps.

Even after that the match was moving forward without any accident and reached the end safely.

In the end, it was only Rio alone who obtained victory against a knight as an opponent. There wasn't even a single knight after that first match who fought to give guidance to student who hadn't been of age or purposefully losing.

If it was the other year before, the win and lose ratio between students and knights would be around half and half, perhaps the unsightliness that Charles exposed influenced this result.

And then, as the only one who had the result of a win against a knight, Rio gathered attention on him whether he liked it or not.

–

Part 4

In the Duke Arbeau mansion that was located in the royal capital Beltrand.

Charles was drinking alcohol in his room while consulting a single man.

「Shit-, those irritating underlings of Huguenot. Making fun of me!」

Charles gulped down his alcohol and cursed. His mood was bad because he was exposing humiliating attitude in the match today. His face was already red from drunkenness.

「Fufu, please don't be angry and settle down.」

The man who was around thirty years old sitting in front of Charles spoke with a composed faint smile.

「……Reis-dono. No, pardon me. I'm showing you my unsightly side.」

Saying that, Charles's face contorted in shame.

「I know how you are feeling. After all it is normal to graciously let a student have a win in that kind of match. It's offensive that the surrounding are saying whatever they please regardless of that.」

「Yes, exactly! Not being fixated to win or lose in that kind of side entertainment is also a virtue. And yet, the indecisive nobles who are sucking up to Huguenot, even though they don't even understand anything about sword art, they are impudently……」

Charles was speaking talkatively after Reis presented him with a topic to latch on.

「All of that because they are jealous of Charles-sama's talent. It's fine to let them say whatever they want. Right now is the time to be patient.」

Charles's conceit seemed to be tickled by those words. His face loosened slightly.

「However, right now Duke Huguenot is riding the waves. Even his majesty cannot ignore that guy's opinion.」

Charles turned a probing gaze at Reis.

「Yes. It's also not likeable for my country that Duke Huguenot is picking up momentum like this. His talent is splendid to be able to build his current authority in these five years. But, there should be an opening that could be taken advantage of.」

「Five years, huh……」

Charles seemed to hold unpleasant thought toward those years and months. His face scowled unpleasantly.

「Come to think of it, the incident five years ago was the impetus that enabled Duke Huguenot to wield authority. Wasn't it a case that was deeply affecting Charles-sama too?」

「Well, that's so. Actually the academy student who I faced today was also the person who was suspected to be involved with the kidnapping of her highness the princess. At that time I was the one interrogating him.」

「Hou, so that boy……」

A hint of curiosity surfaced in Reis's eyes.

「That brat was really impudent. No matter how much I beat him, he wouldn't open his mouth. There was suspicious point in his testimony and the situation at that time, so I thought he would spit out the truth if I strongly beat him but……」

「But, what happened?」

「He was living and acting together with the thugs of the slum who were participating in that kidnapping. All of those thugs were killed, and yet it was only that boy alone who survived. He described the assassin of unknown background who killed the thugs, but in the end that assassin seemed to commit suicide.」

「I see. That's certainly suspicious.」

「In the end, the investigation was stopped because he was a benefactor of her highness the princess, but at that time, if only that little brat opened his mouth and told the truth.」

It seemed his irritation from that time returned and Charles's face was distorting further. He poured alcohol into the metal glass that had become empty and gulped it down.

「Then, for you that boy is a fated opponent.」

「Haha, if the match today is a real battle, I would have cut him down.」

Charles was getting big-hearted from his drunken state and he boasted in a good mood.

Reis put a smile that was tinged with delight on his mouth and,

「How gallant. Let's make Duke Huguenot taste defeat too with that spirit.」

Saying that, he toasted with Charles.

–

Part 5

The next day after the match was over.

After school, Celia was preparing her treasured tea leaves and snacks in order to celebrate Rio's victory. In her way toward her laboratory from the middle school building where she had just given class, she found Rio and opened her mouth to call him.

「Ah, Ri……o……」

But, she noticed that Rio was walking with a female student and she reflexively shut her mouth.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Rio's evaluation inside the academy was the worst. That was why, it was something rare for Rio to do something together with other student. At that kind of time usually it was him getting dragged into quarrel. Much less when the other party was female student, then it would be all the truer.

Celia's thought was halted for a few moments after encountering this unexpected scene. Even during that time Rio was walking together with that female student to somewhere.

It seemed they were moving to a place where there weren't any other people.

(Wha, what to do……. Is he getting dragged into something strange again?)

Celia was looking around her restlessly. After confirming that there was nobody else than her, she secretly followed behind the two.

–

And then, the place changed, behind the tower that had library in it. After arriving at a place where people rarely came, Rio and the female student stopped walking and faced each other.

「Tha, that's! Ple, please read this!」

The female student suddenly took out a letter and presented it to Rio stiffly.

「……Yes. It's no problem. What could this be?」

「The, the match yesterday, it was really amazing.」

Rio asked the content of the letter. The female student spoke quickly with blushing cheeks.

「Ah, yes. Thank you very much.」

In the end, it was still unclear what kind of letter it was. Rio expressed his thanks with a slightly taken aback look.

「I, I wrote the rest in the letter so, later!」

The female student couldn't endure the atmosphere of the place and hurriedly left without waiting for Rio's reply.

「Eh? Ah, wa, wait!」

Rio hurriedly called her to stop, but the girl didn't stop leaving.

「Good grief……」

Rio muttered with a troubled look. The envelope in his hand felt abnormally heavy.

As expected from the situation the content must be a love letter.  He wondered if he really had to read it and wrote the reply. His feeling was getting slightly heavy while harboring the premonition of a troublesome matter.

「Err, that, Rio……」

Then, at that timing, Celia appeared out of nowhere and called out to Rio.

「Sensei……, could it be you saw?」

「A, ahaha. I thought it isn't good doing that but, thinking that perhaps you are getting dragged into something troublesome again……. So, sorry!」

Celia acknowledged the fact awkwardly and deeply bowed her head while apologizing.

Perhaps she wouldn't be found out if she nonchalantly left the place without showing herself, and yet she felt guilty for peeking and showed herself. Rio made a small wry smile.

「Please lift your head. Sensei was worried about me right?」

Celia timidly lifted her head hearing Rio's words.

「Ye, yes. Also……, actually I'm thinking to do celebration for Rio's victory in your match……」

「……Eh? Such thing, sensei don't need to do so much.」

Celia spoke hesitantly. Rio's eyes widened slightly and he acted reservedly.

「Tha, that's no good. After all even just participating in the match is already an honor. Normally it's a matter of celebration, Rio has to get a proper celebration too. Especially when you also won. Come on!」

After saying that, Celia got caught in the momentum and grabbed Rio's hand and began walking with a fast pace.

「Ah, sensei, wait.」

Rio too also got led away by the pull and began to walk. His hand was still grabbed.

Celia's walking pace was faster than usual. He felt like she was acting a bit strange. Somehow her hand also felt sweaty──, he wondered if she was nervous.

Silence descended for a while. Rio was staring dubiously at Celia's side face from diagonally behind her.

Then, he noticed that Celia's cheek was reddening slightly.

「Sensei, could it be you caught fever?」

Rio asked considerately.

「Eh? The, there isn't anything like that though, why?」

「No, it feels like your face is somewhat red. Your and is also a bit warm.」

Rio said that and gently tightened his grip on Celia's hand.

「Ah, err, sorry! You dislike this don't you?」

Celia let go of his hand in hurry.

「That's not true. But, I just don't want sensei to force yourself.」

Rio's eyes slightly widened. Then he smiled softly and shook his head.

「Ye, yes. Thank you. But I'm really alright.」

「If your condition is bad, it's better to take care of yourself more you know?」

「I, I'm fine! Look, let's go.」

Celia walked with a brisk pace.

Her pace was faster than even before and even her face was reddening even more.

–

After that, the two of them arrived at Celia's lab without any problem.

Rio began to prepare the tea with a practiced motion. A simple kitchen was created in Celia's lab and tea utensils set was placed there so they could drink tea anytime.

「Then I'll brew the tea sensei prepared for today.」

「Yes, it's tea leaves that is produced from Amour you know?」

「Sensei has prepared tea of a really good quality here.」

Amour was famous as a producing area of tea leaves. The tea leaves from there were ranked as top quality product.

「Obviously. After all this is to congratulate Rio's victory in the match. I also prepared cookie that suit the tea, so enjoy!」

Celia spoke with lively voice. It seemed she had recovered her usual mood.

Rio's face broke into a smile. Without pause he continued his work quietly for a while. He put the tea pot that was filled with tea and warm cups on a tray and brought it to the table. Then he sat down on the chair that was put at the center of the room. Celia opened her mouth when Rio took a breather like that.

「Good work, thank you for doing this every time.」

「No, more importantly──」

Rio stared intently at Celia's face.

「Wha, what?」

After staring at each other for a few seconds, Celia asked with slightly shrill voice.

「It looks like sensei's complexion has gotten better.」

「……Eh? A, aa, yeah. That might be so.」

Celia's face became flabbergasted for a moment, but then she began to pat her cheeks around with both hands.

「Be, before this was really nothing at all. I myself don't really get it, or like I have a bit of thing in my mind, so don't mind it.」

Celia denied with flustered gesture and hand movement.

「Haa……, then that's good.」

Rio tilted her head and stared at Celia.

「Rather than something like that, the girl before this. Could it be she was confessing to you?」

「It, seems so. More or less. She handed me a letter but……」

Rio answered looking strangely embarrassed at the topic that was suddenly brought up.

「Isn't that great? This means that no matter what the surrounding is saying, there is also a girl who is looking at Rio properly. First you should start from being friend with her I think?」

Celia glanced to observe Rio's reaction while asking. In contrast with her words, it felt like there was a dull pain stabbing her chest pricklingly. But,

「No, I think it's better to not make that kind of relationship.」

「E, eeh? Why?」

Celia was taken aback by Rio's reaction that was just too light.

「If someone like me get close with her, she might also become a target of ostracism from the other.」

Rio smiled wryly while taking the teapot into his hand and poured the content into a cup. The tea that was ordinarily poured emitted steam from the cup. Rich fragrance was filling the room and tickling the nose.

「Please.」

「……Thank you.」

Celia said her thanks and quietly put the tea into her mouth. After that, she talked further.

「But, even so that girl want to become closer with Rio isn't she? Isn't that why she wrote the letter?」

「It's impossible, the surrounding won't allow that.」

Celia asked with a serious gaze. Rio smiled with a troubled look at that.

Rio's judgment was calm and realistic till the end. Celia's face turned worried.

「I, guess……. But, still. Aren't you interested? Rio too is at that age, you must want to get closer with a girl or something. And there are a lot of cute girls inside the academy.」

「I'm not good with that kind of thing, or rather I have no interest.」

Rio smiled wryly and shook his head left and right without hesitation.

From his attitude, Celia also discerned that he really wasn't interested. Although, interest toward the opposite sex shouldn't be something that could be ignored that easily by someone at Rio's age.

Similarly even Celia had maidenly delusion toward romance as much as anyone else. And yet, it looked like the man in front of her eyes had calmly chopped off such thing.

Celia was wondering in puzzlement how could such thing happen.

Was he just a quiet unsociable person? Or perhaps he already had someone he loved, that was why he wouldn't even give notice to any other girl?

'Does Rio has a girl he liked? ──suddenly Celia was thinking such thing.

But, she didn't have any idea of anybody that could be like that.

After all Rio didn't even have friend inside the academy.

(His only talking partner is me.)

Yes, Rio had no proper talking partner other than Celia. Celia who was devoting herself to her research was also the same though, but she was blind to her own shortcomings.

Rio would be in library when he wasn't taking class, eating, or sleeping, or else he would be doing voluntary practice of sword outside. Anyway Rio was always alone when she caught sight of him.

There was no sign of woman other than herself. That was why, Celia couldn't imagine that Rio had someone that he liked. The possibility of the existence of loved one was excluded.

Rio was a type who wouldn't assert himself, so it was hard to guess what he was thinking in his heart.

Was he insensitive toward good will from other person, or had he become distrusting toward other because he was being overly hated by the surrounding?

Either way, Celia thought that it was really sad.

Perhaps there was no reason for her to meddle, but in these five years, it was only Celia who knew that Rio had continued to work hard all this time.

That was why, Celia wanted Rio to become happy.

Perhaps she was strangely conscious of Rio since some time ago was because of such parental emotion. There was no doubt that was the case. Like that, Celia was feeling the strange disturbance in her chest while convincing herself. She drank her tea in order to calm her disturbed heart and took a deep breath.

「Come to think of it, soon it will be the season for outdoor practice. What kind of subject will be practiced this year?」

Celia somehow shifted the topic.

Outdoor practice was an examination in the form of real practice to test the result of military exercise that the students had accumulated in the academy.

Every year the practice subject and examination ground were different, but several teams would be formed with the sixth year as the main core combined with the fifth year. The point where the exam was held with team competition was a constant every year.

Outside the territory that was ruled by human race, monster and fierce creatures, and even bandits and the like were running rampant, but because the participants were almost all royalty and nobility, safety management would be given the greatest consideration.

Before the exam, an investigation would be done before hand to decide which area would be chosen for the exam as well as to confirm the safety. In that investigation dangerous existence would be culled and knight order that wasn't busy would also act as security in the area while the exam was in progress.

「It looks like it will be a bit of marching in mountain forest.」

「Uhee. Mountain forest huh. It's impossible for me. Even going from here to the school building is already troublesome.」

Celia fell limply on the desk as though to say that it was tedious even just imagining it.

「I think it will be better if Celisense exercise a bit more.」

Rio said with a wry smile.

Celia almost never came out from her lab other than for class. Even if she was a noble young lady, it would be a problem as a  human to be this lacking in exercise.

「Ahaha, well, I'll do that when my research reach a good checkpoint.」

Celia smiled bitterly and gave an evasive answer.

      

Chapter end