Chapter 152 – Troublesome Times -2-

Even if you say that you are happy every day and are faithful to the given time, is there anyone who has no worries?

Thinking about what to eat tomorrow is also a concern, and it is a creature called a human being.

It’s just that the weight and depth of each individual’s concerns are different.

Humans are not creatures that can be free from thoughts in the first place. The moment it becomes free, it will cease to be human.

“Actually···.”

“…”

There’s nothing good about rushing Chloe, who is choosing a horse.

Chloe picked up the artificial flower that was neatly placed on the seat and fiddled with it.

“It’s too insignificant a concern to even talk to my brother…”

It was the kind of horse that was expected to come out somehow, so I immediately corrected Chloe’s thoughts.

“Only the person concerned knows the pressure and pain of the worries he has inside. He says he’s worried, but he doesn’t think it’s insignificant or anything like that.”

“…”

“No matter what the weight of each one is, it’s not particularly strange to have a lot of worries and troubles. People who are smart and smart have a lot of worries because they think about many cases.”

Chloe, who was about to do her habitual denial at the end of the sentence, recalled the mistake she had just made and decided to bring up the first impression that came to her head.

“You’re kind. My older brother…”

“Haha! Me? Not at all.”

I can’t listen carefully and kindly to everyone’s troubles as I do now.

This is a personal feeling that can only be given to a limited number of people even in my outlook on life.

Chloe is the younger sister whom Eclair values ​​more than herself.

He is my future family, and he is also a cute younger brother who calls me older brother and follows me.

Moistening her lips with water, Chloe let out a small voice that might have been drowned out by the noise around him.

“I’m trying to solve my thoughts and worries… But right now I feel like I’m lost on the road ahead…”

Having accurately caught the sentence with my keen hearing, I asked a few questions that came to mind in Chloe’s blunt words.

“Are you worried about the future after graduating from the academy or about the current training method?”

“I’m a member of the Dritna family and a knight undergraduate, so I’ll become a knight… But I’m really not sure if I’ll be able to do well as a knight…”

Apart from her timidity, this was not something that could not be understood given the situation.

There is a target for comparison that has reached its peak.

If there are hundreds or thousands of eyes watching before even standing at the starting point, even I would be suffocated.

‘I’m sure Eclair told Chloe that she didn’t have to insist on being a knight…?’

Does Chloe want to become a knight even after considering all the burdens?

The two of them shared their concerns about Chloe with the stories Eclair told me directly.

In the first place, Eclair wondered if Chloe really wanted to become a knight in the future.

Even so, as a knight, she said that she had always swallowed the questions that came up to her throat, thinking that it would be a coercive question for herself to ask.

Maybe I’m the only one free from that question.

“What does Chloe think of a job as a knight?”

“Even, I long for it… I think it’s cool…!”

Words that rarely come out immediately without thinking.

Laughing at Chloe’s unconsciousness, which was a little predictable, she raised the topic.

“Is that the impression you get from watching eclairs? Or the impression you get from the job of ‘knight’?”

“···Yes?”

She wasn’t hit on the head, but she didn’t seem to be able to properly recognize which side she was on.

“It might be scary if the target you’re looking at disappears in an instant, but that much freedom can open your eyes. It’s rare to find someone who doesn’t care what other people say or see. It’s normal to be courted by other people’s gazes.”

“…”

“But what protects you until the end is what you like, want, and love.”

I can wait for an hour, two hours, or more, so I wait for Chloe, who seems to have fallen into a quagmire of contemplation, to give an answer.

If you properly look into her heart at this moment, it could be a turning point that changes her life.

How long has it been

The owners of the voices heard around them changed once, and Chloe’s reaction came.

Tuk-tuk-

Tears streamed down Chloe’s cheeks, which had been blank for a while.

“I’m sorry…! Yo, these days… My emotions are a bit weird…!”

Take out a handkerchief and hand it to Chloe who is about to wipe her face with her sleeve.

She took it in her hesitant hand and pressed it hard to the corner of her eye, wiping away her tears.

“I don’t know what decision or idea came up, but Eclair won’t be angry or hateful about that decision, right? Eclair is that kind of sister.”

Chloe, who was covering her face with her handkerchief, nodded her head slowly with a chuckle, as if agreeing with my words.

…
…

“Thanks to Chloe, I ate well.”

“I’m glad you were satisfied. Hehe-“

Chloe’s smile, her eyes still slightly swollen, was refreshing.

There, the streets were still lively and the moon was up, but it wasn’t dark enough to be called night.

“Shall we talk about the rest while eating something sweet? Cake or something.”

“Ha, but…! Today is the day I treat my older brother, so you don’t have to cater to me…!”

Chloe’s face turned to be puzzled by the word cake, but she shook her head and said no, it was so easy to understand and cute.

“It’s because I want to eat it. It’s hard for a man to go into a dessert shop alone. So will Chloe hang out with me?”

“…”

I left Chloe, who was hesitant about what to do, and took a few steps forward. She was startled and chased after me.

*****

“Is it okay if I go to the store the other day?”

“Mu, of course! As my older brother likes…”

“Umm~ Shall we go a shortcut?”

Chloe felt ashamed that even though she was an adult, she showed a hint of cake in one word.

No, the fact that we exchanged a few words during the meal and shed tears.

It’s embarrassing that he showed a side with uncontrollable emotions and a lot of tears.

Unshakable strength and restraint are especially important for members of a knight family whose goal is to become the ruler of an empire or a master sword for their master.

When her father finds out that she has shown others that she is conflicted about the future, she will be able to hear a lot of screaming.

However, I could guarantee that even if today’s conversation were leaked by others, Chloe would have no regrets.

That’s why the kindness felt in his brother’s actions and words was inevitable.

The way she walks in front of her and gives for herself no matter who sees it reminds her of her older sister and makes me think of many things.

‘What kind of life have you lived…’

I want to bring it up because I’m curious, but I’m hesitant to bring up bad memories.

Not a noble, but an older brother who really started from the bottom.

Even so, it makes me think paradoxically because it is surprisingly kind. The Harun Empire is a thorough meritocracy no matter what anyone says.

A person with composure and kindness in the cold and lonely empire was reflected in Chloe’s blue eyes more than anyone else.

“When you’re alone, you shouldn’t go down these alleys even if you’re in a hurry? There won’t be anything dangerous at Chloe’s level, but there are a lot of nasty and dirty people.”

“Yeah…! I’ll take the main road!”

If what you feel from such a trivial action is an emotion that has an irreplaceable ability as its origin.

I know I wouldn’t have been lying down to get it.

Even though her own sister had been hearing about her innate talent and that she was a swordsman genius, to the point that her ears would bleed.

As far as Chloe knows, Éclair has never been conceited and has never neglected her efforts by remaining silent.

Even if you just watch from the sidelines, you can believe that you have achieved your current position through pure effort, not talent.

My older brother must have also walked a path comparable to that.

‘I was going to return it, but I only received it again…’

A truly great person is not only excellent in one area of ​​expertise.

The word “Community and martial arts” Resonated desperately.

“Here… Right.”

Let my older brother take the lead in moving through the maze-like dark alleys.

I felt the figures hiding in the darkness scatter like a swarm of rats facing people.

Mana was fluctuating so much that the air around him was distorted, and he seemed frightened by it.

‘The security is definitely not good…’

Passing through the back alleys of the empire in the evening was a first experience for Chloe.

I definitely feel that no matter how urgent it is, I can’t go alone. Did you mean to show this for yourself?

‘I have to tell Seria and Rike too…!’

He said that people need to feel, not words, to understand. The corner of the capital looked much more dangerous than he had imagined.

“Hmm? This smell…”

My brother, who was walking down an alley, suddenly stopped and touched his nose, mentioning the smell.

His expression looked serious, so he stopped and concentrated.

“Why are you like that?”

His own sense of smell caught nothing special except for the characteristic damp smell of the alleyway.

My brother threw his return gift from his bosom into the air.

‘Bar, what was that?!’

Do you even know how to use magic? Or skill?

Jerebuck-

A flashing warhammer was in the hand of his older brother, who blocked his body with a large body in front of him, who could not grasp the situation.

“Hmm- I hope it’s an illusion.”