Chapter 6 – Seventh Birthday (2)


    But it wasn’t bad.


    Because you’re handsome.


    That’s right.


    Because even to me, I have a pretty face.


    Silver hair, big eyes, a high nose, and a beautiful jawline.


    It might be a little hard to say this, butpared to his previous life, his face is iparably beautiful.


    So, I said something Le was probably waiting for.


    “You’re pretty too.”


    Le responded with a smile.


    “Thank you. Indeed, I feel good when I see a good-looking person. Whether they’re a man or a woman. So, I felt good earlier. Honestly, I don’t really like apanying my dad toe here, but I thought it might be a good idea toe here.”


    “Then I’m d. Our territory is a quiet and pleasant ce.”


    Le continued speaking as if she was genuinely jealous.


    “It seemed like it. Our Thermion territory is always noisy. Noblese to visit me every day, bow to my father, and sometimes even the imperial familyes to visit me. Every time, I have to put on a dress and greet them. I prefer wearingfortable clothes and wielding a sword.”


    Then, Le briefly waved her sword in the air.


    The moonlight reflected along the length of the de.


    “And you?”


    “I like everything. It’s not always as noisy as the capital. But I also train with thence every day.”


    “Lance? Oh, right. The nickname of Count Sogres was ‘Blue Storm.’ I heard my father mention it several times. He’s an incredibly cool person.”


    The corners of my mouth lifted unconsciously.


    “And Duke Thermion too.”


    “That’s right. My father is amazing. So… Will I ever be as strong as my father? I think I will.”


    It wasn’t something a seven-year-old should be concerned about, but her seriousness was evident.


    “By the way, are you training with thence?”


    “For now?”


    “Then, are you also aspiring to enter the academy?”


    I shook my head.


    “No. I’m not practicing with thence to enter the academy.”


    “Then why? Of course, you’re practicing to get into the academy! How hard is it even to get in there?”


    “I don’t train with thence to enter the academy; I train to do better once I’m inside the academy.”


    “Perhaps my words were too high for a seven-year-old?”


    Le didn’t seem to understand.


    “And if you don’t get into the academy?”


    “I’ll have to try again next time. If that doesn’t work, then maybe it’s not my path.”


    “…Aren’t you afraid of disappointing your family?”


    I tilted my head.


    “Well, I’m not sure.”


    My father, my mother, my sisters, and everyone else never told me that I had to go to the academy.


    Instead of an atmosphere of knowing that I would do well on my own, there was a greater atmosphere where everyone wanted me to take charge of their field of expertise.


    However, they are not people who pressure me.


    But it doesn’t seem to be the case with Le’s family.


    “I envy you… Our family doesn’t tolerate failure… Ah. Please pretend you didn’t hear what you just heard.”


    Le lowered her head in embarrassment.


    I just shrugged and pretended not to hear.


    “Ah. It seemed like the wind was blowing strongly earlier?”


    Because I don’t think I’m so narrow-minded as to tell someone what the child identally said.


    Le looked at me, puzzled, and smiled.


    “Thank you. Would you like to see my sword skills in return? The sword skill of our Thermion family can’t be used just anywhere.”


    For some reason, I was quite surprised when I saw it earlier.


    A family secret or something like that?


    Indeed, I wasn’t particrly impressed because I had seen countless times the swordsmanship of families boasting of being famous for incessantly rolling on the battlefield.


    Of course, most warriors and knights are very reluctant to show their training. Partly because they were embarrassed, but swordsmanship was their daily bread.


    Of course, I nced at it before.


    Still, I didn’t want to shatter this little kid’s pride.


    “Okay. I’ll take a look.”


    I sat by the fountain.


    Le’s eyes sparkled, and she started practicing swordy.


    Certainly, it’s good swordsmanship.


    This is clearly the case, as the swordy performed in the hands of a seven-year-old feels impressive.


    I can see the offense changing and the defense is natural, and the timing to deepen the weaknesses is excellent.


    In a little over 10 years, she might reach the Quadruple level and is expected to reach the Hexa level, which in my opinion is excellent swordsmanship.


    Then, I suddenly realized that Le’s swordsmanship was strangely off at a certain point.


    The stable state of swordsmanship slowly distorted, and soon it didn’t differ from random swinging.


    But I waited until the swordy was over.


    “How was it?”


    “That was great.”


    “Really. Was it?”


    “It was so good. It was fun to watch.”


    “Really?”


    “Well. However… Doesn’t it seem like your feet take half a step forward starting from the third movement?”


    “Uh?”


    Le was embarrassed.


    Did she not know?


    “?”


    “It seems like thatpared to existing formats. I’m not sure if it was originally like that, but it seems like all subsequent sword forms are unsynchronized because you take half a step forward.”


    Le looked at me, not understanding.


    Did I speak too harshly?


    Oh no, I thought. I was pointing out someone else’s family swordy, not ours. If you be a daughter of an aristocrat, you’ll have a great deal of pride.


    “I’m sorry if I offended you. It’s been a while since I saw swordy.”


    “That’s it.”


    Le let out an exmation.


    “I never noticed!”


    And suddenly, she ran towards me and hugged me.


    In an instant, dry saliva ran down my face.


    It wasn’t because I felt my heart beating fast from the child’s hug.


    “Thank you so much! Dain Sogres!”


    “It’s okay but lower the sword… “


    “Oops!”


    Le quickly stepped back and promptly sheathed her sword.


    She stared at me for a while.


    If I make a mistake, someone will be caught.


    “It was for this. My swordsmanship has been off since the fourth grade. Thank you, Dain Sogres. I’ll definitely remember it.”


    It’s okay if you don’t have to remember it, so I hope that next time you keep the sword in its sheath and approach me.


    “Wow. I’ve been out for too long. Well then, see youter at the banquet hall!”


    And so Le quickly disappeared.


    I wondered if I should follow her, but I thought she might return to the banquet hall on her own.


    Hmm.


    Should I have brought ance too?


    A moment where I feel a little regret.


    “Dain, you’re here.”


    I turned my head when I heard a familiar voice.


    When I turned, my mother was standing there.


    Indeed, she was a former assassin.


    “Mother. Did you find me?”


    “It’s almost time for the gift-giving ceremony, but I can’t find my youngest son.”


    My mother seemed to be in a good mood.


    “I think I made some friends along the way, and mom is in a very good mood today.”


    “So am I.”


    It was an unexpected encounter, but that made it even more surprising.


    “You look like a member of the Thermion family. What did you talk about?”


    “About swordsmanship and the academy.”


    As I thought before, I didn’t mention the story Le identally mentioned.


    I don’t know if my mother found out, but she’s not the kind of person who tells a story without me asking.


    I suddenly asked about the academy.


    “But Mom, do I really have to go to the Academy?”


    “Well? Your mom has never been to the academy.”


    My mother smiled cheerfully.


    “Your mom received assassination lessons from your grandfather when her friends went to the academy.”


    Certainly, my mother is scarier than my father.


    “Of course, I wanted to go to the academy and be with my friends. But when I actually learned it, assassination was fun too.”


    “Ah… .”


    “Dain. Don’t worry. It’ll be muchter when you’ll learn about real assassination. If our Dain is still interested in it then. First, I n to teach my little son things that will be useful in the future, even if they are not assassinations, like stealth, infiltration, and tracking, which you are currently learning.”


    That’s right.


    On the battlefield, it’s not just about all-out war.


    You have to carry out various missions, like secretly infiltrating the enemy camp and gathering information, or if necessary, targeting key figures.


    “But first and foremost, today is the banquet day, so enjoy itfortably.”


    “Yes, Mother.”


    “By the way, aren’t you saddened that your sisters couldn’te?”


    I shook my head at those words.


    “I think I would really bother them if my sisters gave up their midterm exams because of my birthday.”


    My mother made aplicated expression at those words. She immediately bent her knees and stroked my head.


    “Dain. You don’t need to answer solely out of consideration for others. You’re still young. If you’re disappointed, you can ask for forgiveness.”


    I thought for a moment and then remembered.


    “It’s a pity.”


    “Well?”


    “Yes. I miss my sisters.”


    Honestly, it’s strange.


    Even though I still have memories of Agrik, I live as Dain Sogres, the youngest son of this family.


    Unconsciously, I tried to act like an adult.


    It’s even stranger when I miss my older sisters who loved me and talked to me when I was a newborn and couldn’t even speak properly.


    And…


    Because it was exactly the ideal family I had imagined in my past life.


    “They will definitelye when the holidays arrive. Because they are sisters who love Dain more than anyone else in the world.”


    Maybe I would be happy living as a child until I grow up.


    My mother and I returned to the banquet hall.


    “Oh, the hero of this birthday has arrived. Hahaha!”


    “Young master Dain. Try some of the stew here. The vor is very rich, isn’t it?”


    I walked around a few tables, ate some food, and came face to face with Le, who was acting like a modestdy, as if she had never done such a thing before.


    However, Le only made eye contact with her father, Duke Thermion, to see what he was talking about.


    I looked at Duke Thermion.


    Naturally, he looked very different from how he looked when he cut me.


    You could feel the majesty of nobility, but there was no smell of blood.


    I’m curious.


    Do they really remember me?


    Meanwhile, suddenly the sound of music was heard, a podium was ced at the end of the banquet hall, and the eagerly awaited gift-giving ceremony took ce.


    “Dain! Hahaha. Come over here.”


    My father seemed to be in quite a good mood.


    There’s no way you’d get drunk since you have six magic cores, but there are days when you feel good even if you’re not drunk.


    For my father, today felt like one of those days.


    “Dain, congrattions on your seventh birthday.”


    My father had already given me ance.


    That’s why my mother gave me a gift.


    It was a small, neatly packaged box.


    “Congrattions on your first magic core. And I wish you a very happy birthday, Dain.”


    I saw my mother’s fresh smile.


    “Go ahead, open it.”


    When I opened the gift, I could see a brooch made with the Sogres family crest inside.


    A golden lion wrapped around a snake.


    I already knew this brooch with a beautiful relief.


    This is because my older sister and my younger sister each received it on their seventh birthday, and it’s something they showed me.


    “Take care of it, Dain. Now, this brooch will show your status and honor.”


    I nodded.


    It was a more precious gift than anything else in the world.


    My mother whispered quietly.


    “If you do well in ss, I’ll give you a weapon like dad’s, so don’t be so sad.”


    Is there any reason to regret?


    I received such a precious gift.


    My mother took the brooch and ced it on my chest, and the audience burst into apuse.


    “Young Master Dain! Happy birthday!”


    “Congrattions, grow up well like the Count!”


    Although I had been a member of the family from the beginning, at the moment they handed me the brooch, it felt like I could really use the name Sogres.


    Of course, it didn’t seem like they were acknowledging it now.


    Rather, it was closer to meaning that now that the time hase, you should open your chest with more confidence.


    “Thank you, Father and Mother.”


    My parents smiled when they saw me like this.


    If my sisters were here, I could have seen that bright smile twice more.


    That was when I thought.


    Wow, boom!


    At that moment, the entire banquet hall shook with vibrations.


    Silence fell, and shouts erupted in all directions.


    A vibration spread from the center of the banquet hall.


    “Everyone, stay calm! Riders, take up arms!”


    The sound of a drawn sword was heard.


    Everyone was busy moving, and my father and the riders surrounded exactly the center of the banquet hall, the source  of the vibration.


    That was the moment when I also swallowed and swallowed dry saliva.


    Kugugugung…


    As the vibrations slowly diminished, suddenly a teleportation gate appeared in the air. And the person who appeared…


    “Dain! Am I notte?”


    It was my older sister.


    Arabel, who is diligently preparing for the academy’s midterm exams.


    “…”


    “…Oh, isn’t that Miss Arabel?”


    “Um… I guess so?”


    Everyone was speechless and looked at my older sister without understanding.


    Not just my father, but also the riders who drew their weapons and were very nervous.


    Only my mother covered her mouth with a low exmation of “My goodness.”


    “Huh? Did I look too shy?”


    Sure, she’s beautiful.


    Very.


    “Then, did Lady Arabel use teleportation magic a moment ago?”


    “Oh my gosh. I heard you have to be at Chain 5 just to barely open the small gate!”


    “This kind of genius is our Miss!”


    He’s right.


    However, who would have imagined that a teleportation gate would open exactly in the center of the banquet hall?


    And to celebrate her younger brother’s birthday.


    “But I can’t help it! To open a gate wherever I want within this range! I’ve been gathering my magic for a year for this day! Without anyone knowing!”


    I ended up bursting intoughter.


    A smile that will seem like the brightest smile in the world.


    But this wasn’t the end.


    “Kyaaaaaaa!”


    A scream was heard from outside the banquet hall.


    A loud roar so strong that it makes you shiver for a moment.


    Everyone could see it when they turned their heads toward the window.


    A huge wyvern…


    The appearance of the younger sister riding on that wyvern.


    *Thud!*


    A clear sound of a wyvernnding was heard, and the door to the banquet hall opened.


    “Oh my God, it’s a wyvern!”


    “Wow, it’s Miss ire!”


    A gray wyvern with outspread wings.


    There I saw my younger sisternding lightly and walking majestically.


    “Miss ire also came…”


    “They say she’s a genius summoner, indeed!”


    “Is Miss ire 16 years old?”


    My younger sister looked at me from the other end, near the podium, and finally rxed her frosty face and smiled.


    “Dain.”


    Just like that, my younger sister who was supposed to be at the academy also came here.


    “Happy birthday, my brother.”


    To say one thing.