Margaret stood in full protective gear, gripping a wooden sword-lance as she focused entirely on the man before her.
A wooden sword swayed lazily in his hand, seemingly devoid of any hostility.
Margaret knew better, however.
The slightest lapse in concentration, and that wooden sword would slip past her sword-lance and give her a light tap on the head.
Taking advantage of her weapon’s superior reach, Margaret repeatedly tested his defenses.
Just as usual, her opponent soon deliberately exposed an opening.
Margaret seized it and thrust her sword-lance forward.
“Well done, Margaret.” Schnitz Nearl pretended he couldn’t withstand the blow and toppled onto the ground, lying there with a grin as he gave his daughter a thumbs-up.
“Father…” Ever since she had begun training in martial arts, Margaret had rarely managed to land a hit on him.
Clarus fought differently because his greatest strength lay in combining martial skill with Originium Arts.
Watching him fight was genuinely like watching a work of art unfold—every move linked seamlessly into the next, danger hidden everywhere.
Margaret could only really see the full extent of his skill when he fought her father.
Whenever she sparred with Clarus herself, he never used his best technique, those shadow spikes of his.
Her fights against her father were different as well.
There was no contest of Originium Arts between them, only a pure exchange of martial skill.
But this time…
“I…
did it?” “Yes.
You did it, Margaret.” Schnitz smiled up at her.
“Now, could you help me back up?” “O-Okay!
Sorry, Father.” Margaret hurriedly put down her sword-lance, grabbed one of her father’s hands with both of hers, and pulled with all her strength to haul him off the floor.
“Well done, little foal.
Looks like even your father isn’t a match for you anymore.” Margaret’s mother, Yolanta, appeared at the entrance to the training ground with the still-infant Maria cradled in her arms.
“Hahaha!
You really should’ve seen the force behind that thrust.” Schnitz shot Clarus a rather unfriendly glance before ultimately giving a reluctant snort.
“And Clarus did very well too.” [Daily training.] [Daily life.] [Time flows onward like running water.] [Several months later, on an otherwise perfectly ordinary day…] After training ended, Schnitz leaned on his wooden sword and watched Margaret and Zofia run arm in arm toward the manor.
Clarus finished packing away his equipment, then walked over and stood beside him.
“Uncle, you asked me to stay behind.
Is something wrong?” Schnitz glanced at Clarus, leaned against his sword, and completely ignored Yolanta’s prohibition against smoking on the Nearl estate as he lit a cigarette.
He took a long drag and slowly exhaled.
“Clarus, there’s very little chance anything will ever come of the three of you.” Clarus’s eyes shifted slightly, but his expression remained calm.
“I know.” Schnitz shook his head with an amused smile.
“You know, yet you still gave Margaret and Zofia the chance to hope.” Clarus fell silent for a moment before slowly breathing out.
“Mm.
Maybe I’m just unwilling to accept it.
Other people get to enjoy happy lives, but because of a sin I was born with, my own path to happiness is supposed to be cut off just like that?” Schnitz laughed and gave Clarus a firm pat on the shoulder.
“That’s my boy!
Your uncle was quite the young heartbreaker himself back in the day.
I know exactly what’s going on here.” “But I know you too.
You won’t lay a finger on either of them, will you?” Clarus sighed.
“Yeah.
Given their circumstances, if I did, they’d probably both become Infected on the very day they came of age.” Schnitz burst out laughing.
“You little brat!
You’re trying to steal a man’s daughters right in front of their father.
You’ve got some nerve!” “You’re joking, Uncle.” Clarus laughed as well.
The two of them continued laughing for a while until eventually even they grew tired of it.
Clarus had grown up early.
He had grown up on the night his mother left him.
“What happens between you three…
we probably won’t be able to interfere much in the future.” Schnitz sighed.
“Father is probably torn about it too.
Oripathy…
damn it.” Clarus calmly watched Schnitz exhale a ring of smoke.
“You’re leaving too, aren’t you?” “Mm.
Maybe our farewell will look a lot like that night all those years ago.” Schnitz smiled.
“You were watching from the window that night.
Don’t think your uncle didn’t notice.” “I never thought I’d be able to hide from any of you.” Clarus smiled too.
“But Margaret will probably cry for a very, very long time.
I cried for a long time that night too.” Schnitz raised an eyebrow.
“Want to bet?
I believe my daughter won’t cry.” Clarus grinned.
“What’s the wager?” “If Margaret cries, give her this.” Schnitz handed Clarus an envelope.
“A letter of recommendation to the General Chamber of Commerce.
She can become a competition knight.
At the very least, if she eventually becomes the Nearl family’s Knight Primus, House Nearl will still have a future.” Clarus ran his fingers over the envelope.
“And if she doesn’t cry?” “Then find an opportunity to give her this one.” Schnitz produced a second envelope.
“Go to the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi.
Become a campaign knight.
Go to the battlefield.” His expression turned serious.
“That’s where true knights are born.” “I understand.” Clarus accepted the second envelope and tucked both of them inside his clothes.
Then, meeting Schnitz’s gaze, Clarus smiled.
“How about I add something to the wager?” Smoke puffed from Schnitz’s nostrils.
“Oh?” “No matter what happens…” Clarus snatched the half-smoked cigarette from Schnitz’s hand.
He considered putting it in his mouth, thought better of it, then tossed it onto the ground and crushed it beneath his foot.
“Before Oripathy kills me, I’ll protect her.” Schnitz broke into a grin.
“Now that’s a man’s promise.
All right!” The two looked at each other and laughed.
Then Clarus raised his hand.
“Auntie!
Uncle Schnitz is smoking again!” …
“Mother?
Why are you here too?” It was already late at night, yet Margaret found her mother fully dressed with a travel pack on her back, looking as though she were preparing for a long journey.
“It’s almost time.
Schnitz, hurry and get ready.” “All right.
Give me five minutes.” Her father removed the protective equipment he’d been wearing for training, revealing the armor beneath.
“Father, Mother…
where are you going?” “I’m sorry, sweetheart.
We can’t tell you.” “Just pretend Mom and Dad are heading north to buy you some local specialties.” “Are…
are you going to be gone for a long time?” “Yes…” Margaret’s father thought for a moment.
“It might take us a while.” “So, Margaret, could we ask you to do a few things for us?” “Tell me, Mother!
If I can do it, I promise I will!” “First…” Her mother crouched down and carefully held out the sleeping Maria with both hands.
“We’ll be counting on you to look after your little sister and Grandpa.” Maria wasn’t particularly heavy at this age, but when Margaret accepted her into her arms, she moved with extraordinary care, terrified that her little sister might somehow slip from her grasp.
“If you run into any problems with your martial arts, ask your uncle.
He’s actually much more experienced than your father.” “Yes, Father…” …
“Anything else we need to tell her?” “That should be about everything.” Knock, knock, knock— Someone knocked on the front door.
Every knock seemed to strike directly against Margaret’s heart, filling her with fear.
Her parents were leaving.
Her father hoisted his sword-lance onto his back.
Her mother readied her crossbow.
Margaret followed the two of them toward the entrance.
The door opened.
Two campaign knights clad in silver armor stood outside.
To Margaret, they looked like a pair of man-eating monsters.
“Sir Schnitz.
Lady Yolanta.
We have orders to escort you both out of the Grand Knight Territory.” Her father and mother quietly acknowledged them before turning back toward Margaret.
Schnitz pulled Margaret and Maria into a tight embrace.
Yolanta planted a firm kiss on each of their cheeks.
Then Margaret stood in the doorway and watched her parents walk farther and farther away.
She kept hoping.
Hoping they would suddenly turn around and tell her that this had all been some elaborate prank.
Hoping that her uncle, who was standing outside watching them leave, would somehow bring both of them back into their warm home.
She even hoped that Grandpa, sick upstairs, would suddenly come charging down and chase those two disobedient campaign knights away.
None of those hopes came true.
Her pride.
Her sun.
They slowly disappeared beyond the edge of the Grand Knight Territory until not even a trace of them remained.
Margaret felt hollow inside.
The only thing she could do was close the front door and tightly embrace the little sister in her arms.
That was all.
…
Was that really all?
Knock, knock, knock.
Who could be knocking at the door?
“Knock, knock, knock!
Little Pony Messenger here with a delivery!” Margaret’s arms trembled around her sister.
Her heart trembled too.
She opened the door.
The beam of a flashlight shone in from outside, and at that moment, its light felt every bit as warm as real sunlight shining directly into her heart.
Zofia stood there dressed from head to toe like a mail carrier, repeatedly shuffling through the letters in her hands with an exaggeratedly troubled expression.
“Oh dear, oh dear!
Which of these letters could possibly belong to the little Margaret who lives here?” The “mail steed” Zofia had forcibly recruited was none other than Clarus.
With Zofia riding on his back, Clarus’s face was scrunched up like a bitter melon, but he still obediently recited his line.
“Maybe we should check whether little Margaret has been crying.
Then we’ll know which letter belongs to her.” “Oh!
That’s right!” Zofia’s eyes sparkled as she aimed the flashlight directly at Margaret.
“Little Margaret!
Have you been crying?” Margaret’s previously empty heart suddenly overflowed with emotion.
Before this, there had been nothing inside it.
And when there was nothing there, naturally no tears could come out.
But now her heart was full.
So full that everything overflowing from it could only become tears.
Unfortunately, her two friends looked so ridiculous right now that Margaret’s expression became equally ridiculous.
She was crying and laughing at the same time.
“You two…
How could you do this?!” “That’s so unfair!
You’re so unfair!
You just had to come here at a time like this…” Margaret’s tears rolled down like pearls from a broken string, yet her smile shone brighter than ever.
One of those tears fell straight into little Maria’s mouth.
Maria had been sleeping peacefully, but her tiny face immediately scrunched up.
Why did this water taste so weird?
Zofia climbed down from Clarus’s back, while Clarus dusted off his clothes.
The two of them stood together in front of Margaret.
Clarus smiled as brightly as the sun.
“My mom went somewhere very far away too.” “But it’s okay.” He looked at Margaret.
“We’re here.
We’re both still here, and we’ll keep being here.” “Margaret…
how about someday, we go find our moms together?” Margaret stared at Clarus and Zofia.
Then she nodded as hard as she could.
“Mm!
We’ll find our moms together!”