46 - Black Warrior's Advice
It's the worst.
On my first day of school, I was caught in the middle of a storm of praise.
I was supposed to be a failure and a failure and a failure and a failure.
My plan to leave school early has taken a major turn for the worse.
I call an emergency meeting to resolve the situation. It's just me and my copy. The place is in the woods behind the dormitory. It's soundproofed with wards. Riza is waiting in her room.
I can't do it. Give up."
You're my copy, but you give up too soon!
You're a quitter by nature!
"You go to school every other day, too. How can you stand it for five years?
"No, no, no, no, it was your fault in the first place, wasn't it? I won't do it. You'll have to clean up the mess."
"If you had attended, none of this would have happened! Yeah, you're all out from now on."
You're being unreasonable!
"Stop complaining, you idiot!"
You're an idiot for calling me an idiot!
"What the hell!"
"What the f*ck!"
We're cursing at each other. If you think about it, you're a moron cursing yourself.
You can't have a constructive discussion if you keep asking yourself the same question. You should have seen it first.
Copy, you have guessed it too, and you say sincerely with a weak smile.
"So, what are you actually going to do? If I go out there now and do something like <>, they'll just think I'm kidding, won't they?"
"That's the thing about ......."
Once your ability has been recognized, even if you cut corners, it will be discovered that you did it on purpose.
"Anyway, I have to show them that this is the limit of my ability. After that, the people around me will grow up and I will fall behind relatively speaking.
"Lectures are fine, but what can I actually do if I'm the copyist in the practicals?"
"I'm sorry to inform you this, but I've heard that in the highest level classes, you can bring your own special magic tools.
"That's right!"
A copy that I am astonished that I had actually forgotten about. It's just like me to remember only what's convenient. Sad.
However, some of the detailed operations are hard to do with a photocopy, so we keep discussing and discussing with the class timetable...
"The first day of the week, like today, is for me, and tomorrow is for you."
Skipping the middle day when there is no class, the fourth day of the week was decided to be the copy day, and the fifth day of the week was decided to be mine.
In this world, too, there are seven days in a week, and Monday is called the first day of the week and Sunday the seventh. In the academy, classes are closed on the sixth and seventh weekends, but in general, the only day off is the seventh Sabbath.
"This is going to be a very long time, ......," spills Copy.
"Worst case scenario, I'll just have to push it through with <
"That's good enough for me already. ......"
Well, yeah. I wish I could. I'd get in trouble with my dad and the others.
"We'll just have to wait and see until the midterms. I know it's tough, but hang in there."
I'll do my best.
The meeting ended with the tension at rock bottom.
"I feel like I'm forgetting something..."
The copy tilted its head at my words.
"What was it?"
"Let's see, ......."
I tried to recollect the day in a ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-hum kind of way.
""Needle!""
We screamed at the same time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The needle that went after Lias. I almost forgot. He's the reason my plan was so lousy.
We'll check the stuff tomorrow.
I took off on a run to warn the people involved--
★★★★★
Lias finished his voluntary after-school workout.
He takes a shower, refreshes himself, and heads lightly for the carriage to take him home.
Today was a good day indeed.
He finally met the man he had been longing for. It was a physical fight, just like the one five years ago.
The result was just a demonstration of the difference in power, but he was still satisfied.
He was surprised at how much he had changed.
If it had been five years ago, he would have been just as frustrated and pathetic, unable to accept reality as he did then, hating his opponent and burning himself with jealousy.
But then my hatred and jealousy turned into envy, and I began to pursue strength.
--Someday, I want to catch up with him.
Nevertheless, I have some reflections.
(As a matter of fact, I didn't get to ask him today either. ......)
Strict orders from my mother.
I missed the timing to get the information from Harte about the unidentified black warriors operating in Lord Semphis' territory.
I am afraid to go during the class, and Harth will be gone as soon as the class is over.
I should get some results soon.
I feel heavy. I am sorry for getting involved in this strange mess.
My steps become heavy for a change and I finally reach the royal box carriage that is waiting for me. I entered through the door opened by the driver,
"Thank you for your hard work. You're late."
"Why is my sister here?"
My sister Marianne was sitting in her seat.
"Isn't it nice sometimes? I am not allowed to enter the palace now.
"If you want to talk, why don't we do it on campus?"
Rather, I must.
The door is closed and I sit down at a distance from Marianne. One of the officials glanced in through the small window at the front of the room.
They were the ones appointed by the Queen Mother. There was no way they could have a private conversation right next to the watchman.
The carriage rumbled on.
Lias returned the conversation curtly and dropped the subject at once.
After a while outside of the campus, the conversation stopped, and I was listening to the sound of the wheels in silence.
--The sound stopped.
Then suddenly a man in all black appeared in the seat in front of me.
"Who are you?
How did you get in here?
Spatial transfer? I can't think of anything else.
The man held up one hand to stop them as they prepared themselves.
"Sorry to startle you. I am
Raius gasped at the sound of what sounded like multiple voices.
He did not know their names, but he was sure they were the black warriors who were active in Lord Semphis' domain. He never expected to see the man himself in front of him. .......
"Well, let's make this brief."
We both cleared our throats, and the man told us plainly.
"Prince Raius, you are wanted.
"What?"
"Twice today alone, I've seen something like this flying at you."
A man lifts his hand. He seems to be pinching something with two fingers. Look closely,
"...... needle?"
It seems to be a hair-thin, metal needle-like object.
"It seems that both of them were aiming at the moment you let your guard down during the practical class. We haven't caught the culprits yet. We don't know what he wants. Do you have any idea who did this?
There are many people in the kingdom who are not happy with you as the next king. With the king and queen at odds, there are forces out there who want to further the rift.
"I don't know, there are too many."
I thought I saw a man laugh. As he lowered his hand, the needle disappeared somewhere.
"That's all I have to say. Yeah, I want you to keep your guard up on campus from now on, too. I won't always be there for you."
"So this time, you just happened to be there and saved my life?"
"Yes, but don't thank me. It's just the way things go. I have no obligation to help you, but I couldn't leave an innocent man hurt in front of me. I'm a purveyor of justice, after all."
A strange man in a wiggling pose.
"I'll thank you in advance. I'd like to ask you a few questions while I'm at it. Who are you? What brings you to King's Landing?"
"Don't pry. And don't talk about me.
"I'm not supposed to keep it to myself. ......"
I looked behind the man. Behind a small window, there are people listening to the conversation in the boxcar.
"Yes, we've made sure that no sound leaks out. You can't hear anything outside, can you?"
Indeed, not even the sound of the carriage moving forward was heard just before the man appeared.
Well, goodbye, then.
Wait! The ...... actually told me to find out about you."
Why am I being so stupidly honest with myself?
For saving my life? No, not without proof.
I just can't stop shaking.
Because my instincts tell me that I'm no match for this man. Like the queen mother or him.
Me? Who?"
It's an obvious question. I feared that if I answered honestly, I might start a fire that would burn down King's Landing.
"Mother, it's ......."
But I had to say it.
"Oh, that woman. Then I don't care."
"Heh?"
"I've had a history with him. Did you sense my movement? Then that's a natural reaction. But, well, I don't know if I'd let my son, a student, do that."
His tone is getting a little broken.
You sure you want to do this?
He can't do anything to me."
A chill ran down my spine. I was convinced that he was not lying when he spoke so confidently about the most powerful flash princess in the kingdom.
"I'm not going to give you any information about me anyway. I'm not going to give you any information about me anyway. But don't tell him you told me you were looking for me. He's kind of scary, isn't he?"
He felt that they were somehow closer mentally, and Riis's trembling stopped before he knew it.
"Then this time, I'll say goodbye!"
He struck a strange pose with his hands crossed, and then disappeared, as if dissolving into thin air.
With a click, the running door opened. Then the door closed with a click.
"Did he leave, ......?"
"Maybe, maybe not. ......"
"So, when he appeared, it was not a spatial transition, either. ......"
Perhaps the man had sneaked in while Riis was riding in the carriage, having disappeared.
"It's not even possible to disappear completely. ......"
"Yes, that's right. ......"
The sound of wheels returning.
For a while they listened silently to the sound of the carriage moving forward.