I felt like my spine was frozen - no, I felt like my nerves themselves were frozen.
I'm right in front of you.
Arrangea luminous.
My brother.
Much better brother than me.
Ten years ago, I remember Arrangea looking at me with a cold eye when she ran away from college - banished me from my house.
That's one sight I don't want to remember.
"- Ku..."
I bite my voice off with my back teeth when I'm about to spill.
It was so painful. I may not feel this much pain from being stabbed in the chest with a spear.
You must look terrible.
Imagine the look on my face and I feel dark.
On the other hand, there is no change in Arrangea's expression.
Nothing has changed since ten years ago, and I have a smile that people like to smile at the moment they meet that others accidentally forgive their attention.
You can't be unaware.
I wonder what Arrangea thinks.
Arrangea opened her mouth with a smiling face.
"Baron Strahm, you've come a long way"
"Yes!"
"Don't be. Don't hesitate to drop by. It's hard to talk while you're standing in front of the door."
I laughed and continued like this.
"Because this is the place I set up to celebrate your contribution."
"Thank you!
Richter's words were filled with gratitude.
Richter approaches Arrangea's executive desk. I distracted myself from Arrangea's face and followed her like a shadow of Richter.
Arrangea stared at Richter.
"Baron Strahm, I have heard of the activity of your squad. Due to your lion's rapid action, the enemy is in disarray - as a result, the attack of the main army crushed the enemy while maintaining maximum efficiency. Today's big victory is exactly what your dedication is all about. I get it. Well done."
"Thank you! We are proud of the Stram family!
"Words of my time are not worth anything - no, no. You must be in a position to be proud of yourself. For that, Baron, help me tomorrow."
"Yes! I will do my best as I can!
Arrangea nodded, yeah.
"I'm done talking. Baron, you can step back."
"Oh, wait, Arranger!
"... what is it?
"Well, there's someone I want to introduce you to. This one -"
That's what Lihilt said, half-hearted and turned his hand to me.
"Mr. Alberto the Sorcerer!
……
I felt my gaze.
Arranger's eyes are moving - he's looking at me now.
I want to escape.
If there is any magic of vanishing, I want to put it on myself now.
But there's no point in thinking about escaping reality like that.
I have to face my reality - or my past.
I looked up.
Arranger's eyes and mine reflected each other from the front.
I won't open my mouth.
Arranger doesn't even open his mouth.
I'm faceless, and Arrangea is staring at me with a little grin on her mouth.
Shin, and the air vibration stops.
Disliked the silence, Richter rushed to open his mouth.
"Mr. Alberto is, he's an amazing magician! If it weren't for this guy, we could have been wiped out!
"... hey, yeah"
Arrangea responds with a thin grin.
That eye says.
Are you sure this is a bad idea? Some guy escaped from college?
Can you do that to me?
I shook my hand.
Richter keeps talking.
"Mr. Alberto is also a magician sent to the army. You'll be working a lot from tomorrow, won't you, Mr. Alberto!
"... right"
I nodded.
All I could do was squeeze that voice out.
Lihilt grinned.
"Right. I hope so."
And here's how I went on.
"Nice to meet you, Alberto"
Nice to meet you, huh?
... well, that's your answer, Arrangea.
But that was - not so bad. It was a response.
Because my flourishing brother, Arrangea, was my opponent, my brother in exile, I found myself breathless in his own demeanor.
But...
If it's nobility you don't know is in front of you. I'm just a civilian magician.
Suppose it's none of your business.
I have nothing to worry about.
I bowed my head.
"I'll see you first, Mr. Arrangea. I'm going to do everything I can to help."
"I look forward to the day when your work reaches my ears."
Arrangea responded without breaking his smile.
And Arrangea raises her right hand.
Short talks are over.
Richter opened his mouth when he left the headquarters building.
"No, Arranger, I knew you had an aura! The king likes it, too, and rumors have it that if we handle this matter well, we'll be in the center of power or something! It's amazing!
"Ha... that's true"
I smiled bitterly.
I could only smile bitterly.
I walked out on my own saying goodbye to the exciting Richter. The position is overflowing with the people who floated to victory.
In the glorious air, I was walking with a cold heart.
It was then.
"Hey? You're not Alberto?
A drunken voice flew in.
When I look back in surprise...
There stood a young nobleman. As old as I was - I knew, I was a nobleman who knew me back in the day.
There are many aristocrats on this front.
It's not strange to have someone who knows me back in the day.
I felt upset in my stomach.
"Uh, I knew it, Alberto. Didn't they kick you out of the house?
A drunken aristocrat reaches out to me laughing.
I paid that hand reflexively.
"... aren't you?"
Saying so without looking at the face of the aristocrat, he left the aristocrat and ran away.
The upset stomach doesn't go away. Repentance turns his throat.
Where did you run?
Soon I came to a place without people. The sun has already fallen a long time ago, turning into a world of night and moon.
The cheerful laughter heard from afar and the lights that lit the position were like shadow paintings from different worlds.
"Ugh... guh."
Finally, I can't stand it. I break my knee and throw up gastric juice on the ground. I was fortunate that I hadn't eaten anything.
After spitting out all the stomach fluids, only nothingness was spreading in me.
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
Two days later...
Arrangea's second offensive was about to begin.
Philbs opens his mouth.
"All right, let's go. Alberto, Laura"
No matter how I feel, the world moves. Time goes on.
"Yes."
It's time for me and Laura to get started.