While the fifteen-year-old group, including Nagi, was lively and socializing in the indoor training hall.

In Isaac’s office, a serious discussion was taking place about how to raise the saint born in this country.

"I’ve frozen all movements on the royal palace’s side for now.
Fortunately, we hadn’t contacted the temple yet, so there won’t be any interference from them for a while."

Oswald spoke in a relaxed tone as he crossed his legs on the sofa.

"Still, I never imagined that the current saint of our country would also possess an aptitude for healing magic.
It’s commonly believed that those born as saints can use general magic when young, but gradually lose that ability, and by the time they turn fifteen, they can barely use it at all."

Cases where high magical aptitude in childhood declines with growth were not particularly rare.
This tendency was especially common among those born in generations where a saint appeared.
Yuliane Flockhart was one such example.

On the other hand, someone like Nagi, who possessed the power of a saint while also maintaining aptitude for the specialized healing magic among general magic, had never appeared in recorded history.

Isaac glanced at Oswald.

"Do you still doubt that Lady Nagi is a saint?"

"No.
If I were to doubt you all, I might as well relinquish my position as crown prince."

Oswald said it lightly and smiled faintly.

"Rather, I’m truly grateful.
If she can use healing magic, it becomes much easier to conceal the fact that she’s a saint."

Normally, a saint can only use magic unique to saints.

Since that understanding was widespread, no one would suspect someone with high healing magic aptitude of being a saint.

"Until we can prepare an environment where Lady Nagi can be safely protected, we’ll have her stay at the safest place in the country, the magic academy.
That said, Brother, I’ll ask just to be sure.
You don’t intend to inherit the MacFarlane Ducal House, do you?"

"Your Highness.
Apparently, my graduating top of my class from the knight academy and devoting myself to improving the territory’s infrastructure to raise the standard of living were all part of a grand conspiracy to force the current duke into early retirement so I could take his seat.
It seems that what that house desires is a puppet-like successor who never defies their parents.
Therefore, I must respectfully decline."

Lainil replied casually and smiled faintly with only his lips.

"My only family is my precious little sister, Nagi."

"Yeah.
I knew.
I knew, but I thought I’d check anyway.
You know, confirming things is important."

Oswald let out a long sigh and turned his gaze toward Siegwald, who wasn’t even bothering to hide his irritated expression.

"Siegwald.
Don’t you think it’s a bit much to lose all motivation just because Lady Nagi isn’t here?"

"Hah…
Is there really any need for me to be here right now?"

Among the magic knight order, which handled many harsh missions, Siegwald had accumulated an exceptional amount of real combat experience.
However, he had rarely been involved in the political struggles of the noble society of the Kingdom of Rugenda.

"I’m neither a noble of this country nor someone with any backing.
I will protect Nagi no matter what happens, but arranging everything is the responsibility of those who have the authority to do so."

"You know, no matter how much you renounced your claim to the throne and defected to us, the fact that you’re the younger brother of the Emperor of the Rengler Empire doesn’t disappear."

At Oswald’s exasperated tone, Siegwald made a genuinely displeased face.

"I’m already done with that country—"

"The current Emperor of Rengler is an extremely arrogant and cowardly man.
As long as you live, he’ll never truly feel at ease."

The words were delivered so matter-of-factly that Siegwald furrowed his brow.

There was no need to tell him that.
He knew it better than anyone in this world.
He had watched his only full-blooded older brother and his actions from close by since childhood.

And that was precisely why Siegwald abandoned his homeland.

A brother who regarded his nation’s glory and himself as its ruler as the only supreme values.

That brother had decided to eliminate his younger sibling, who was born with abnormally high magical aptitude even among royalty, seeing him as a dangerous factor.

That was eight years ago.
Siegwald had been only twelve at the time.

What he felt toward his brother, who excessively feared a child with no ambition, was it disappointment, or exasperation?
At the very least, it was certainly not sorrow or grief at being rejected by family.
Siegwald had never been close enough to his brother to feel such emotions.

"…Oswald.
I’m grateful to you for taking me in when I was near death after being attacked by assassins sent by my brother, just because we played together as kids.
But there’s nothing I can do regarding that country.
If you want my life, you can take it anytime, but don’t ask for anything more."

"Huh?
I don’t want your life.
Friends aren’t fun if they’re dead."

Without reprimanding the casual tone, Oswald spoke seriously.

"And besides, if you die, Lady Nagi would cry.
A grown man shouldn’t make a younger girl cry."

"Cry…?"

Nagi.

The current saint born in this country.

Unconsciously, Siegwald lifted his right arm.
The contamination mark that had wrapped around it just moments ago was gone without a trace, leaving only a dull weariness like a lingering fever.

Why was that?

Just imagining her crying made his chest ache.

"That would be troublesome."

"Right?
So for the sake of protecting yourself properly in this country, you should hurry up and at least register as a noble, even if it’s just in name."

Siegwald glared at Oswald, who said this with a cheerful smile.

"I have no intention of causing any more trouble for this country."

"That’s where you’re wrong, Siegwald.
If anything, it would be more troublesome to leave someone like you, who has achieved so many accomplishments in subjugating magical beasts and more, without any title.
It would mean we could no longer properly reward those who have rendered service worthy of a title, even if not to your extent."

Saying something that sounded entirely reasonable, Oswald let out an exaggerated sigh and then flashed a mischievous grin.

"To be honest, your way of living, always seeming in a rush to die ever since you came to this country, really irritated me.
But you now aren’t bad.
Do struggle pathetically and live on."

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

As Siegwald frowned, Oswald lightly pressed a finger against his chest.

"You look like someone who’s found a reason to live after spending all your time searching for reasons to die.
It’s a bit disappointing that it’s not our friendship, though.
I never expected you’d be willing to leave this country so easily just to protect Lady Nagi, whom you’ve only just met."

Teased like that, Siegwald’s eyes widened.

"What, you weren’t aware of it yourself?
It’s the first time I’ve ever seen you make such a soft expression toward a girl.
It scared me a little, thinking it might be a sign of an impending catastrophe."

"I just—"

To protect that girl.

Whether she was a saint or not didn’t matter.

"When she was staring at the food our people made, I just decided that from now on, I’d protect her."

Not just because Isaac ordered him to.

He decided it himself.

Hearing that, Oswald’s expression grew extremely complicated.

"Eh?
Um… does that mean Lady Nagi unconsciously used magic to charm you?"

Among mental-type magic, there was one called ‘Charm’ that amplified the target’s affection toward the caster.
If that girl could use magic beyond saint-exclusive spells, the possibility wasn’t zero.

However, the one who answered Oswald’s question was not Siegwald.

"That is impossible, Your Highness.
Within my residence, all mental-type magic is completely nullified."

At Isaac’s firm declaration, Lainil continued in an icy voice.

"Your Highness.
What strange suspicions are you casting on my precious little sister?
In the first place, there’s no way Siegwald would be affected by something as trivial as ‘Charm.’
This monster crossed the border alone at the age of twelve while fending off every assassin the Rengler Emperor sent after him.
If he had any such endearing weaknesses, he would’ve been killed long ago."

The border between the Rengler Empire and the Kingdom of Rugenda consisted of a mountain range of steep peaks and a great river so wide the opposite shore couldn’t be seen.
Either way, crossing it required significant equipment and preparation.

At the time, Siegwald had crossed the winter mountains in a frenzy, driven solely by the desire not to die.
If he were told to do the same again now, he would silently activate teleportation magic on the person who suggested it.
The middle of a mountain range teeming with dangerous wild beasts would surely be thrilling and enjoyable.
A spell that allowed him to teleport a target anywhere he had been before was incredibly convenient.

Still, being called a monster did sting a little.

As he thought that, Oswald’s eyebrows drooped pitifully.

"Eh?
So it really was just because Lady Nagi was staring at the food?
And that made you want to protect her?"

"When she was at the Nordahl orphanage, she said they were only given battlefield rations or similar food."

The three hearing this for the first time froze simultaneously.

"The meal our people made back then was carefully prepared with her condition in mind, but it wasn’t anything particularly luxurious.
Yet she just stared at it with the face of a child seeing a rainbow for the first time, without even eating."

Siegwald let out a sigh.

"She said it was because she’d never seen such beautiful food before.
I didn’t know she was Lainil’s sister at the time, and I just felt sorry for her.
I thought that at least I could protect her unconditionally."

"I… see…
Lady Nagi really’s been through a lot…"

Oswald’s eyes grew teary, and Lainil, seemingly recalling that moment, completely lost his expression.
Back then, he hadn’t known Nagi was his sister, so he may have dismissed it as the words of an unrelated orphan.
The furrow in his brow was severe.

"…Siegwald."

"What?"

In a low, restrained voice, Lainil asked,

"Can you continue to protect Nagi by your own will from now on?"

"Yeah."

No matter how circumstances changed, he had no intention of breaking a vow he had made to himself.

"Since Oswald doesn’t want it, I’ll give my life to Nagi.
If she’s a saint, then staking my life and future to protect her seems only fitting."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I don’t want your life.
His Highness said it earlier.
If you die, Nagi will cry.
If you intend to protect my sister, then absolutely do not make her cry."

So that’s how it was.

"I understand," Siegwald nodded.

At that, Oswald and Isaac both sighed.

"Siegwald acts like a normal person in front of others, and he even looks like one, so it’s hard to notice.
But honestly, he’s pretty badly broken, isn’t he?"

"Yes…
Truly troublesome."

That was rather rude.
Siegwald wasn’t broken.

It was just strange to him that someone like himself, who had never been needed by any family and should have had no value in living, was still breathing like this.

Comments (0)

Trending Novels

I Became the strongest hero of the previous generation

Archmage on the bed

I was mistaken for an undefeated general

Healers in the martial arts world are obsessed

Became a genius Muggle in the Archmage Gallery

I Wove Earth’s History Into A Fantasy