POV: Rudeus Greyrat
Our birthday finally arrived.
We pretended not to notice how anxious everyone in the mansion was. Once the afternoon lessons were over, Ghislaine came to our room. She was unusually nervous, her tail standing stiffly upright.
Daiki was sitting on his bed, meticulously cleaning his sword with a special cloth. He didn't even look up when she entered.
"T-there is a magic I want you to teach me, Rudeus," she said. Her gaze was evasive. Apparently, her mission was to keep us in this room.
"Oh? Which one?" I asked, playing along.
"Could you show me what Saint-level magic looks like?"
"Sure, but it'll damage the city. We'd flood everything."
"T-then let's go to the outskirts! Right now!"
Ghislaine was desperate. Daiki let out an audible sigh and sheathed his sword with a soft click.
Right, she wanted to stall us. Time to have a little fun.
"By the way, Ghislaine, this is one of the figurines I made recently."
I showed her the 1/10 scale figure of herself. Daiki looked at me out of the corner of his eye, one eyebrow raised, as if saying: "Seriously? Now?"
"Is this... me?" Ghislaine was surprised. "But... it doesn't have a tail."
"Yes, it's difficult to sculpt without a reference..." I put on my best innocent face. "Would you let me see the base of yours?"
"No problem."
She pulled down her pants without hesitation.
"Rudeus!" Daiki's voice rang through the room. "Have some decency."
"It's for art, brother! Art!" I defended myself, while admiring those perfect gluteal muscles. Thank you, God of Muscles!
Daiki stood up, turned his back to us, and crossed his arms.
"Finish quickly. This is pathetic," Daiki muttered.
"You just don't understand muscular beauty..." I whispered, touching Ghislaine's tail.
Ghislaine pulled up her pants, oblivious to the moral tension in the room.
"Alright. It's time for dinner. Let's go," she said quickly, ushering us out.
The party was in full swing. Eris was running from one side to the other ensuring everything was perfect, Sauros was drinking as if there were no tomorrow, and Hilda... well, Hilda was hugging us and crying, calling us "her sons," which was uncomfortable but tender in its own way.
Then, Sauros slammed the table, calling for silence.
"Attention everyone!" he bellowed, cheeks flushed with wine. "It is time for the gifts! The Boreas House honors its warriors!"
Eris crossed her arms, puffed out her chest, and lifted her chin. It had been a while since I'd seen that pose.
"Hmph! Alphonse! Bring it here!"
She snapped her fingers, intending to create a sharp, assertive sound, but it came out dull and flat.
Her cheeks blushed, but Alphonse looked perturbed as he pulled a staff from the shadows of a sculpture.
A staff, the same kind used by Roxy. A magician's staff. It was made of firm, gnarled wood. At its tip was a large magic crystal that looked incredibly expensive. I knew it the moment I saw it. That staff was pricey. I knew because I had made two staves myself.
How much did she spend on that thing? I wondered.
By the way, crystals imbued with magical power found in labyrinths didn't have an amplifying effect. Instead, they had their own magical power, so they were used either in magic items or to supplement a person's mana when using a powerful spell.
"Alphonse, explain it!" Eris said.
"Yes, my Lady. This staff is made from the branch of a living Elder Treant from the Great Forest; an A-Class magical creature that controls water magic. The crystal, also Class-A, comes from an uncontrollable Water Dragon from the Begaritt Continent. It was crafted by Chein Procyon, the Great Wand Director of the Asura Magician's Guild."
"Please, accept this staff from the Young Mistress." The staff was handed to Eris, who immediately offered it to me.
I decided not to think about its value for the moment. Although I had told Eris not to spend money on nonsense, for a day like this, it was fine. It seemed she had commissioned it especially for me, so I couldn't refuse. That's what money is for, after all.
"Its name is Aqua Heartia—the Arrogant Water Dragon King."
I paused; it sounded like something straight out of an otaku series.
"Take it! It's a gift from the Greyrat family! My father and grandfather commissioned it! Rudeus, you are a great mage; it's rare that you don't have your own staff."
Eris's voice snapped me back to reality, and I accepted Aqua Heartia.
Despite its appearance, it was surprisingly light. I took it with both hands and tested it. It was very maneuverable. Even with the large crystal at the tip, the balance was perfect. No wonder, considering how expensive it was. The name, however, was... a bit peculiar.
"That is definitely something otaku..." Daiki murmured, low enough that only Eris and I heard. I almost laughed. So my brother knew that term?
"Otaku...?" Eris repeated, testing the word as if it felt strange in her mouth. She tilted her head, thoughtful. "Bah, it must be from another language." She frowned slightly.
The serious way she tried to analyze it was unexpectedly adorable.
"Thank you. For the party, and for giving me such an expensive gift."
Daiki patted me on the back, smiling. He knew how much this meant to me.
But then, the atmosphere changed.
"And now!" Sauros stood up, swaying slightly from the wine but with a smile that split his face. "For Daiki!"
The Lord of the house himself crouched down and pulled a box from under the main table... or what was left of one. It was black wood, rotted at the corners and covered in a layer of dust so thick it looked gray.
When he placed it on the table, the wood creaked under an unnatural weight.
Thud.
Daiki, beside me, frowned slightly. His red eyes narrowed, and I could see that subtle glint indicating he was using his analysis ability.
"Grandfather," Eris said, scrunching her nose. "What is that? It looks like trash."
"Silence!" Sauros bellowed. "Observe!"
He opened the box, and...
Inside was... well, Eris was right. It was scrap.
It was a sword, yes, but it was in a pitiful state. The blade was covered in crusty red rust. The tip was broken. The hilt was wrapped in dried-out leather that looked like it would crumble if you so much as looked at it.
Philip sighed loudly, bringing a hand to his forehead.
"Father, please. Don't give the boy junk on his tenth birthday. This is embarrassing."
"Don't look at me like that!" Sauros shouted, slamming the table. "I bought it from a merchant for three copper coins!"
"Three... copper coins?" I repeated, incredulous. That was less than a cheap meal at an inn.
"Exactly! No one wanted it!" Sauros laughed. "They said it was cursed! That it weighed like a demon and couldn't even cut butter! The seller was desperate to get rid of it!"
"Then you were scammed, Father," Philip said.
"No!" Sauros pointed a trembling finger at Daiki. "I have a feeling! Try it, boy!"
I looked at my brother.
Anyone else would have been insulted.
But not Daiki. Of course not.
My brother had patience worthy of a saint... or stubbornness bordering on mental illness. Sometimes I don't know which one it is.
He stared at that piece of scrap with absurd seriousness, as if he were facing a lost masterpiece of some ancient civilization. I could barely understand what on earth he saw in something that looked more suitable for tetanus than combat.
And yet, he approached it.
"Daiki, you don't have to..." I started to say, half worried, half resigned.
He raised a hand without even looking at me. That gesture of his—the "be quiet, I've already decided"—I knew it all too well.
With his other hand extended, he reached toward the corroded hilt.
The instant his fingers grazed the rust... it happened.
Thum-thum.
A low sound...
Daiki closed his hand over the hilt.
"Eh...?" my brother let out, and seeing him lose his usual composure for the first time was... well, honestly, a tiny bit satisfying.
And also terrifying.
What happened next was impossible.
The red rust didn't fall off. It evaporated. It turned into dense black smoke that swirled around the blade like a living snake, being absorbed into the metal.
Crack... Shhhhing...
The metal creaked and sang. Before everyone's stunned eyes, the broken tip began to grow. The black steel stretched, regenerating as if it were flesh healing at an accelerated speed, until it formed a perfect, sharp point.
The rotted leather of the hilt turned black and glossy, adjusting to Daiki's hand like a custom-made glove.
In three seconds, the "junk" vanished.
In his hand, Daiki held a sword of pure, flawless obsidian that seemed to absorb the light from the lamps, creating a visual void in the air. It was terrifying. And beautiful.
"It... it fixed itself..." Eris whispered, eyes wide as saucers.
Sauros stood with his mouth open for a second, then let out a triumphant laugh that shook the ceiling.
"HAHAHA! I KNEW IT! THREE COPPER COINS! I AM A BUSINESS GENIUS! TAKE THAT, STUPID MERCHANT!"
Daiki lifted the sword. It didn't seem to weigh anything to him, even though the table had groaned under its weight before. He moved it with liquid fluidity, and the air whistled with a high, dangerous pitch.
"Temphestalis..." Daiki murmured, as if the name had surfaced from the sword itself.
"Do you like it?" Sauros asked, puffed up with pride.
Daiki sheathed the sword in a newly regenerated black leather scabbard. The final click was dry, elegant, and strangely satisfying.
"It is perfect. Thank you very much," Daiki said, bowing with respect. "I will guard it with my life."
Eris didn't wait a second. She ignored all protocol and grabbed Daiki by the arm.
"It's incredible! Daiki, you look so cool! You look like a hero from the legends!" She was practically jumping with excitement, cheeks flushed. "Tomorrow you have to fight me using it! I want to see it in action!"
Daiki smiled at her with that soft expression he only dedicates to her.
"Be careful, Young Eris. This sword bites."
"I don't care!" Eris clung tighter to his arm. "If it's you, nothing will happen to me!"
I watched the scene with a tired smile.
Top-tier magic staves, legendary swords acquired for three copper coins...
Definitely... this is too otaku, I thought.
(Later that night - Dining Room)
The party ended. Sauros was carried off to sleep singing war songs, Hilda retired, and the maids cleaned up.
We were left alone with Philip. Daiki and I sat across from him.
Philip took a sip of wine and looked at us.
He told us the history of the Boreas family, the power struggle with his brother James, and why Hilda was so broken.
"I thought Eris was hopeless," Philip said. "But lately, she has changed. She has grown. And it's not just because of the lessons."
Philip looked at Daiki.
"She has a motivation. You."
Daiki held his gaze.
"Daiki," Philip leaned forward. "I just saw that sword. I just saw how it repaired itself in your hand... And I have seen how my daughter looks at you."
Philip went straight to the point.
"Would you marry Eris?"
I almost choked on my water.
"Excuse me?" Daiki asked.
"If you marry her, you could help me take control of the Boreas family. You have the character that Sauros loves. You have a legendary sword. And most importantly... Eris would listen to you. If it were you, she would accept. You would be the next Lord Boreas. Furthermore, you are intelligent."
I looked at my brother.
Daiki closed his eyes for a moment.
"No."
Philip blinked.
"No? Why?"
"I care for her." Daiki chose his words carefully. "But I am ten years old, Philip-sama. And Eris is twelve. Talking about political marriage now is premature."
"It is the perfect time."
"I am not going to use Eris as a tool for a coup. If one day I am with her, it will be because we both chose it freely, not to secure a position in the family. She deserves more than to be a chess piece."
Philip looked at both of us. Then he let out a dry laugh.
"You have principles. I hate that in politics, but I respect it in men."
He leaned back.
"Alright. Forget the political proposal. But the personal offer still stands, Daiki. You are free to pursue that relationship. I have no control over Eris, and honestly... I prefer it to be you. At least you can survive her punches and protect her with that sword of yours."
"I will keep that in mind."
"And you, Rudeus. If you want women, I will provide them. But do not touch Eris. She has already chosen."
"Understood!" I raised my hands. "I have no intention of getting in their way!"
Philip laughed and sent us to bed.
*
*
POV: Eris Boreas Greyrat
I couldn't sleep.
I had already tossed and turned in bed about ten times, and yet my heart was still pounding.
I stood up and looked at myself in the mirror. I was wearing my nightgown, the one Hilda insists is "elegant," but I only saw an uncomfortable piece of cloth. I touched my hair and unraveled a curl, trying to stop my hands from trembling.
Daiki...
Just thinking about him made my cheeks burn.
Today was... incredible. There is no other word. When he took that rusty sword and it suddenly transformed into that black, beautiful, terrifying thing... it was like watching a legend come true. As if a hero had decided to appear right in front of me.
And when he smiled at me...
I threw myself back onto the bed, covered my face with the pillow, and let out a horrible noise I will never admit to out loud.
"Idiot! Idiot Daiki!" I kicked a little, hitting the mattress. "Why do you do those things? Why do you have to look like that?!"
I hugged the pillow tighter. Just like when I was a little girl and afraid of thunder. Only now, I wasn't scared.
Well... a little bit, yes.
But of myself.
I remembered how he protected me from the bandits when we arrived at the mansion. How he taught me to dance when I didn't even know how to move my feet. How he heals me every time I make a mess training. Even when I yell at him. Even when I get angry for no reason.
He is simply... there.
Today he turned ten.
Ten.
Since when does that feel like... so much?
I approached the door, biting my lip.
What if I went to see him? Just to say goodnight. Or congratulate him again. Or... or maybe... see his new sword.
Yes.
That.
The sword.
I opened the door a crack. The hallway was dark, silent, as if all the problems in the world didn't exist.
I could walk to his room. Knock on the door. He is always awake. I imagined his surprised face, his eyes looking at me, and then that soft smile that melts me inside.
"Come in, Young Eris."
I felt heat in my stomach, as if I had swallowed fire.
I took a step.
And I stopped.
No.
Not yet.
I can't go if I'm not capable of beating him.
I can't go if I'm still a whimsical child.
I don't want him to see me like this.
I want him to see me strong.
I want... I want to win against him.
I want to win and leave him speechless!
"I'm going to beat you, Daiki," I whispered to the dark hallway, feeling my cheeks burn. "And when I win... I'll tell you everything. I'll tell you that... that I like you."
I closed the door gently.
I went back to bed.
I hugged the pillow tightly, as if I could transform it into him just by wishing hard enough.
Tomorrow I will train double.
No.
Triple!
I will be faster, stronger.
And tomorrow... I will see him again.
I closed my eyes, smiling like a lovestruck fool.