After parting with Laguna, I trudged to my mother's grave in a daze.

　I didn't pick up any gold coins. Not in Laguna's words, but because of my pride.

　But even as I was walking to the grave, I found myself regretting that decision inwardly. That was terribly shameful.

　Even if I mastered the mind outfit, I wouldn't have the same golden glow as Laguna. I'm sure it would be terribly distorted and uncomfortable to look at.

　I was thinking this with a touch of self-mockery.


The sky.


　A voice, cool and refreshing as the wind rushed through the grass, shook my earbuds.

　The voice dispelled any stagnation in my mind.

　A young girl, her glossy black hair blowing in the breeze, was on her way to visit her mother's grave.

　It was Ayaka Azurite, the girl's fiancee.


Ayaka, you're here.

Yes, I had to apologize to Shizuya-sama for something I had to do.

Are you sorry to your mother?

Yes, I was asked to help the sky, but in the end I couldn't do anything about it. I was apologizing for that.


　Saying that, Ayaka looked at me with lonely eyes.

　Ayaka, who was a forgiven marriage and a student of mine in the same year, had a sword talent that rivaled Laguna's.

　However, she never made light of her talent and never underestimated those who were weaker than she was.

　He was willing to train with me during kumite practice, and even stayed up late at night to train with me.

　On his days off, he would take me out on the street when I was too busy pretending to practice, saying that it was part of the training process to change my mood.



　Seeing Ayaka grow more dignified, strong and beautiful with age, there was no one who didn't envy her fiancee. Some acted beyond envy, and Laguna, for example, had even blatantly made a pass at Ayaka.

　But Ayaka didn't take such an approach in stride, and always treated me with the same smile. More than once, I was delighted to know that I was going to marry this girl.

　One of the reasons why he strived to be strong was because he wanted to be the right man for Ayaka.

　In fact, when my father had disowned me, I had a faint hope that Ayaka would follow me.　

　But--


'Huh...'


　Seeing Ayaka sighing heavily, his expectations wavered.


''Ayaka...?''

I've tried so hard for Shizuya-sama's sake, and the result is this. Then I wouldn't have wasted so much time.

...What, what, useless?

'Hey, Sora. Did you think that maybe I would follow you or something?

'No, no, that's not...'

'From the way you reacted, you were expecting it. Huh--no way.


　Neatly. Clearly. Ayaka dismissed our expectations.


''I am a pardoned marriage of the Mitsurugi family's heir. You're no longer a legitimate married man after being disinherited. I never disliked Sora, who was trying his best to become strong, but... that doesn't mean I like him.

Wha...?

'I'm being awful, aren't I? But I don't want you to make strange assumptions, and you might misunderstand and rely on my parents' house after you leave the island. I'm going to make that clear to you right now so that that won't happen.

Wait, wait.

'The sky. The feelings I used to have for you were not affection, but pity. I wonder if disappointment will be added to it now. I cannot love anyone less than me.

"-Oh!

'I don't know how you will live your life from here on out. Since you're not a good quitter, you may be thinking of becoming an adventurer or soldier to make a name for yourself and get Mikan-sama to disown you. But I think you should give up the path of the sword now. It's unlikely that Mottan-sama would accept a person who has been disinherited once, and more importantly, someone who can't fight a two-legged battle against the Dragon Tusk Soldiers is a dream come true for someone who can't make a name for himself with a sword. It's better for you to let go of the sword and live a quiet life. I'm sure Shizuya-sama will understand.


　Then Ayaka said good-bye with a glint of pity in her eyes.

　Then she turned her back on him and left. Not once did she stop, not once did she look back. Not once did he look back.





　...It was as if I had no memory of where or how I walked afterwards.

　The next thing I knew, I found myself on the dock, blowing in the sea breeze. In my hand, I had a one-way ticket to the continent.

　And in front of me stood a pair of siblings with a somber look on their faces.

　As a guardian, Goz Sima had been taking care of me since I was a child. His huge bear-like body and honest-looking face gave him the appearance of a strong warrior.

　The other one is Goz's younger sister, Cecil Sima.

　She is the one who took care of me from my childhood as my baby brother and sister. I can remember as if it were yesterday the days when I used to walk behind her with my sister and her sister. Especially after my mother died, she was the one who took care of me sympathetically.

　With these two. Unlike Ayaka, these two would follow me.

　I looked at the two men standing on the dock as if I were clinging to them, but my hopes were dashed like a bubble.


It's a shame about the test. It's a pity that I couldn't bring out the power of my youngster," she said. I am truly sorry about that. I hope you can find a suitable teacher on the continent. Is that your future?　If I am a vassal of the swordsman, I will follow the instructions of the Oyakata-sama. I am a vassal of the Gosei family, and I will obey your instructions. May you always be in good health.


Here's your lunch. Please eat it on the boat. And I'll take care of Shizuya's grave on my own responsibility. Please don't worry about it. Yes, about the future?　Well, I didn't want to tell you this because I didn't want to get in the way of the test ritual, but I was told by Your Highness the other day that you were going to be a concubine. .........well, I guess I'll have to go up to the side of Gokan-sama.......


　A warrior who adored him as an older brother wished him well in the future.

　The woman who adored him as an older sister told him she would be his father's concubine.

　The option of following them hadn't even occurred to them.

　After seeing them off, they boarded a boat and left Onigashima.

　The siblings wave twice or thrice to the boat as it leaves the shore, and then turn their backs on it, seemingly without a care in the world.

　I stare at their backs. The clenched fist remained trembling from earlier.


　.........heartless. It would be a mistake to say something resentful like that. He should be grateful just for coming to see someone who was disowned by the head of the family and excommunicated by the school to see him off like this. In fact, no one else I knew came to see me off.

　But no matter how much I told myself, my hands never stopped shaking. The tears that fell from my eyes never stopped falling.


　--I'm sure I'll come back to you. I'll come back with the strength to fight on this island.


　I mumble those words over and over again in my heart. To the two men who were leaving. To the brother who drove them out of their home. To his ex-wife, who told him goodbye. And above all, to my father, who never showed his face.

　He said the same thing over and over again, forever and ever.