I'll be honest about my situation at the university and about this peculiar guy, Silent Fitz. Or, to put it simply, just Fitz-senpai.
Ever since I got here, something about him and his relationship with my older brother has felt strange. Not that I'm jealous, but they act like they've known each other forever. They train together every day, constantly chatting about things I can never quite catch.
Maybe they just hit it off fast, the way friends sometimes do. I shouldn't overthink it, but my mind plays tricks on me and makes me imagine things that aren't there.
If they already knew each other, was it during the time we were separated? Maybe he's the person Eris kept bringing up on our journey, worrying that Daiki would run off with someone else and leave her behind. Not that she said it out loud, but she made it pretty obvious. Still, something felt off.
Fitz is a seriously beautiful boy. So pretty that he sometimes makes me question my own feelings.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Maybe it's from rotting my brain online back in my shut-in days, or maybe it's something else entirely. Maybe my body has been craving something it hasn't been able to get since I came to this world.
I mean, come on. My serious, studious, mature older brother has already done what I can only dream about. So yeah, I'm a little jealous.
Don't overthink it, Rudeus.
Still, there's something familiar about Fitz-senpai, like I knew him before the whole disaster happened.
He really is way too pretty for a guy, which honestly feels unfair. Pretty sure I've said that before, but I can't help it.
The exact same thing happened when I first met Sylphie. I thought she was a boy back then, too, and came to the exact same conclusion: that she was too pretty, that it made no sense and was completely unfair. Guess I'm just cursed to run into totally androgynous people.
Wait.
"Hey, Rudeus. You in there?" Fitz waved a hand in front of my face, snapping me out of my thoughts. "You froze up for a good while after opening that book. What's up?"
"Oh, sorry, Fitz-senpai. Just got lost in my own head."
"You're just like your brother. Always overthinking, zoning out into nowhere."
"Right. You know him pretty well by now, don't you?"
"W-well, yeah. I just meant that even though you two look nothing alike, you're really similar in other ways."
After that, we left the library and went outside. We took the same path as that time we went with Zanoba to get Juliette. Only this time, we weren't heading anywhere in particular, just out for a walk.
"Um... actually, there's a big favor I wanted to ask you," Fitz said suddenly.
"Really? Don't even worry about it!" I said. "I'll do whatever I can!"
Of course I'd say yes to whatever he asked.
"Wait a second. I haven't even told you what it is..."
"I'm not gonna say no to you, Fitz-senpai. Well, unless I absolutely have to."
"Right, well... remember how I told you Princess Ariel was staying a couple of days at an acquaintance's estate? Turns out they had a bodyguard there, and apparently she's really strong."
"Ah. So you want help taking her on?"
"What? No, no!"
"Oh, good. I'm not much help in a brawl anyway."
"Ah. I understand."
"Princess Ariel got sick of hearing this noble brag about his bodyguard. She kept insisting that her Fitz was way stronger."
"I see."
"Then the noble goes, 'My bodyguard braved the Hail Forest with a party of just four and brought back the flower from its deepest depths,' with this really smug tone..."
"A flower from deep in the Hail Forest... That must be the Frozen Linde, right? Its petals make a potent tonic, but it only grows there, and strictly in the winter. Sure, the Hail Forest is rough in winter, but heading in with four A-rank adventurers isn't really that crazy of an achievement. As long as the party stays sharp, you can grab the flower and get out without taking big risks."
Sometimes I surprise myself with my own memory.
"Um, yeah. Anyway... Princess Ariel couldn't just back down, so she blurted out, 'Fitz could do it with an even smaller party!' without even checking with me first."
"Got it. So that's the problem. I'll just contact an adventurer friend of mine and have him sell you the flower for cheap. That noble won't ever know you didn't pick it yourself."
"What?! That would be cheating, Rudeus! I'm supposed to do it myself!"
"Power comes in a lot of forms. Connections are one of them. I know plenty of adventurers, and I'm your friend. You're just making use of the relationships you've built. Totally valid way to get things done."
"I can't do that, Rudeus. If word gets out, I'll end up humiliating Princess Ariel."
"Mmm, fine. Then let's just go get the flower ourselves. I can bring my brother along if you'd like..."
"What? Rudeus, no! We can't bother him! He's working with Zanoba on that thing he calls a 'gun,' plus he's teaching Julie. And on top of all that, he has to deal with the cat girls..."
Weird. Why was he so against my brother coming? Well, to be fair, Daiki really was swamped... and with me and Fitz teaming up, the forest would be child's play anyway.
"...Fitz-senpai, are you asking me to be your bodyguard?"
"Y-yes, that's right! Rudeus, can you help me?"
"Alright. You've helped me out plenty, Fitz-senpai. It wouldn't sit right with me to turn you down."
"T-thank you, Rudeus! I was a little nervous about going alone."
Fitz and I headed out toward the Hail Forest, a three-day trip north of Sharia, right on the border with Basherant.
Honestly, ever since Fitz hired me, he'd been acting weird. Something about his vibe kept me guessing, even if I couldn't put my finger on it. The way he talked to me, and to the other students, often left me scratching my head.
Sometimes, when nobody was looking, he'd clasp his hands together in this oddly familiar way. Other times, he'd cross his arms just to act tough, but anyone could tell he was forcing it.
In the whole year I'd spent at the university, I hadn't turned up a single shred of new info on the mana incident or about "Darian" beyond what my brother had already dug up. I know I probably shouldn't stick my nose in, but I really want to pull my weight on that.
"Ah!" Fitz shouted.
A monster, B-rank maybe, lunged from the bushes to attack. Fitz just drew his blade and sliced it clean in two. I let out an appreciative whistle.
"Looks like the training with my brother is paying off. Impressive."
"Isn't it?"
Another monster tried to flank him from behind, but he just smirked and ran it through without even looking.
"Let's keep going, Rudeus."
Fitz flicked the blood off his blade and sheathed it in one smooth motion.
Over those three days, I kept wondering why he even needed me if he could handle himself this well. Then again, you never know what you'll run into out here. Rogue people, or maybe some bizarre monster that even Fitz couldn't handle alone.
"You know, Rudeus, this has been a great trip. Good for building up my leg strength, and it keeps my senses sharp away from all the campus noise."
"Yeah, me too... though honestly, I've walked so much in my life that my legs don't need any more work."
"Hehe, I can tell. It definitely shows. Your brother told me you work out like crazy to stay in shape, right?"
"Yep! Once I realized how useless I was with my bare hands, I made up my mind to bulk up and at least stay fit."
"That's right... You can't use what they call battle aura, can you?"
"Huh...? How'd you know that? Damn it, I thought using shockwaves would mask it better...! But of course, you're a master of wind magic..."
"Yeah... that's why."
Damn it. My brother swore to me that shockwaves would disguise it and nobody would ever tell. But displacing air leaves a trail, and there's no hiding that from a wind mage as sharp as Fitz.
"I remember your staff, Rudeus," Fitz broke the silence. "It really is incredible. I've never seen a custom staff with a colored magic stone outside the royal palace."
"Yeah. The young lady I was tutoring gave it to me for my tenth birthday."
Honestly, my brother's sword was the cooler gift. It started as junk scrap metal and ended up forged from pure obsidian, capable of regenerating itself and repelling anyone else. Impossible to break, impossible to steal, yet he still somehow managed to lose it for ages.
"Think I could hold it for a second? All I've ever had is my beginner's wand. I've always wanted to try holding a real staff like yours."
"Really? I figured the personal bodyguard to a princess would be issued a top-tier staff if he wanted one."
"They say I don't need one, since I cast silently anyway. Pretty convenient, huh?"
"Well, go ahead. Grab hold of the grip. Pretty thick, right?"
"Yes, it's very thick. Are you supposed to hold it with both hands?"
"...Maybe. I think they wanted to make sure I wouldn't outgrow it."
"Mmm..."
Meanwhile, I held out my hands and went back to clearing away the snow. Then, a few drops hit my face.
"Hm? Rain? Weird... Don't worry, Fitz-senpai, I'll clear it away in a second."
I focused my mana, but nothing happened.
"Sorry, Fitz-senpai. Looks like I'm a bit off my game today."
What was wrong with me? This was basic incantationless magic I should be able to do with my bare hands. Was I just rusty, or was I starving?
No, don't jump to conclusions. My brother always said that what the eyes see is usually the mind playing tricks. But if everything is just a trick of the mind, how am I supposed to know what's actually real?
"I-it's fine, Rudeus! It's probably just because I'm holding your staff."
"Even without it, I should be able to stop a light shower. What is wrong with me?"
Crap. Something's wrong. Are we under attack? Or could...
"Fitz! Are you the one making it rain?!"
"H-huh?"
His concentration broke, and the downpour slackened enough for me to snuff it out.
"Phew... felt like the mana in that staff was fighting me. Wait..."
Fitz had his gaze pinned to the frozen ground, shoulders trembling, knuckles white around the staff.
"Rudeus... you ruined it."
"H-huh?"
"The rain was supposed to make us run into that cave for shelter! But now...! Ugh, never mind..."
"Fitz? What's going on? What cave?"
"Just let it rain. Please."
"But Fitz-senpai..."
"Please, Rudy-san."
"...Alright."
Hearing that "Rudy-san" hit me like a physical blow. Spoken in that voice, in that soft, pleading tone, there was no mistaking who stood in front of me. It was surreal. My gut screamed the truth, yet my brain frantically tried to tell me I was insane.
There was no way it was her. Zero chance. I'd spent years imagining she had landed in some harsh, faraway corner of the world, surviving on the training we did together, eventually making her way back to me. Never in my wildest dreams did I picture white hair, a royal bodyguard uniform, or her standing right by my side for a whole damn year while I remained completely blind to it.
Daiki definitely knew. He knew the whole time and didn't utter a word. Not out of spite or to test me, but because he left the choice entirely up to Sylphie, letting her take things at her own pace.
Damn it.
Before I could say anything, the heavens opened up, drenching us to the bone. Without pressing her on who she was just yet, I followed her into the mouth of the cave, where we immediately started peeling off our soaked clothes to dry them.
"...Alright, I'm going to start a fire."
Once all the wood was in place, I lit it.
"Fitz-senpai."
"W-what?! What is it, Rudeus?!" she blurted out, her voice cracking slightly. She'd clearly realized the corner she'd backed herself into. This was bad.
That slight tilt of the head whenever she listened, even with her cheeks burning red, hadn't changed at all since we were kids. How on earth had it taken me this long to see it? Her hair? Well, yeah. It used to be emerald green, and now it was stark white. But hair color can change. Hell, people dye their hair all the time.
"By any chance... is your real name Sylphiette?"
"...Yes."
Sylphie smiled shyly and nodded.
"Yes... it is. I'm Sylphiette. Sylphiette... of Buena Village..."
After barely a few seconds, the dam broke. Her timid smile trembled, then collapsed entirely. Before she completely burst into tears, she lunged forward and threw her arms around my neck.
"I finally... said it..."
Her skin was freezing cold.
"Your brother... our brother gave me so many ideas for how to tell you, but this was the only way I could work up the nerve. I'm sorry it was so convoluted and unnecessary, but I just... I needed to..."
So Daiki really did know all along. Damn him. That's twice now he's beat me to the punch with people. Guess I would've made a pathetic detective in my old life.
Looking down at Sylphie, I felt just how violently she was shivering. Without thinking, I conjured the exact same warm draft of air I made for her the day we first met, only dialed up to envelop the both of us.
"I waited... I waited so long for you, Rudy. I stayed behind in Buena Village and trained as hard as I could... magic, swordsmanship, everything..."
I could only stare at her, my mouth hanging open in sheer disbelief.
"Maybe it was obvious, but... I love your brother."
I mean, of course she did. Daiki wasn't hard to love, even if his aloof attitude made people want to keep their distance at first. I should've known little Sylphie would fall for him. It made total sense, yet a selfish part of me had secretly hoped...
"...But I love him like a big brother. With you, it's different. I loved you back then, Rudy, but now I love you even more. Please don't leave me behind again. I want to be with you forever..."
My brain utterly stalled out. I stood there paralyzed, unable to formulate a single coherent thought, let alone move.
I never imagined Sylphie still held that kind of torch for me. Sure, I'd had my childish fantasies back in the day, but logically, both then and now, I assumed she'd end up with Daiki. Hell, when we were kids, I'd even schemed about brainwashing her, but one death glare from my brother shut that down fast. So why on earth would she still love me?
Then again, looking at everything she'd just done, it all clicked. She dragged me out to a freezing forest three days from town just to orchestrate this reveal. This wasn't some casual coincidence; this was a painfully shy girl going to absurd lengths just to confess after ten long years.
A deep, glowing warmth blossomed in my chest. My head was still spinning trying to reconcile Fitz and Sylphie into the same person, but beneath the confusion, I was so ecstatically happy I could have danced.
I gently gripped Sylphie by the shoulders and pushed her back just enough to look at her. She tried to resist, but it was useless against me.
"I love you too," I said.
Sylphie's face was an absolute mess of tears right then, but that was fine. I rested a gentle hand on her head, then leaned in close.
Sylphie didn't pull away when I made my move. She let me guide her down onto the camping blanket I'd brought, easing her gently onto her back. Honestly, from the looks of it, she'd planned for this outcome from the very beginning.
But this wasn't the time for overthinking. Right now, my only priority was not screwing this up. "...Sylphie, is this your first time?"
"Huh? Um, yes. It is. Is that a problem...?"
"Of course not... it's mine, too."