---

“It’s been a while since we last met.”

The current head of the Cromel family, Ludwig Cromel, was just as his impression suggested—a man of soft demeanor.

“I’m relieved to see that your face has flourished unlike my worries; it seems you are enjoying life at the Academy quite well. I didn’t expect you to bring a friend with you.”

His speech matched his gentle visage. A stereotypical benevolent father figure, whereas Reinhardt, who had been taken aback by the Sword Saint’s words, merely nodded quietly at Ludwig’s.

While it was obvious from his appearance that he was father and son with Reinhardt, he exuded none of the sharp atmosphere that the boy did.

Instead of feeling softened by age like the Sword Saint, he seemed to possess a naturally mild temperament, which was intriguing when considering both the Sword Saint and Reinhardt.

The energy contained within the head of the Cromel family, renowned as the best among swordsmen, was exceptionally pure. Yet paradoxically, he bore the aura of a scholar rather than a martial artist, which surprised me more than anything.

Anyone who swings a sword and masters martial arts typically has a glimmer of the sword within their heart, but Ludwig’s sword appeared quite dull, perhaps due to his intrinsic nature.

While personality may indeed be innate, it is said that the environment also plays a role, and it seemed Ludwig was completely devoid of both factors. We had a similar case in our family with Alphonse, yet he was still young, and it seemed I couldn’t comprehend that when watching the Sword Saint and Reinhardt.

While it cannot be denied that he was a great swordsman, despite not sharpening his blade due to his nature, this was why he was lauded as a Sword Master even without inheriting the title.

After finishing his conversation with Reinhardt, Ludwig glanced at us seated and then nodded thoughtfully.

“By the way, well, I had thought it might come to this, but we’re all familiar colors here. Isn’t that right, Father?”

“Isn’t that what connections are all about?”

“Certainly, we aren’t just ordinary connections.”

Speaking of colors, it seemed he had seen reflections of our fathers in Elena and me.

At that moment, Elena and I bore our fathers’ colors as Ludwig looked at us and smiled, clearly recalling good memories of his father. Fortunately, it appeared that those memories weren’t too bad.

He looked at me with a kindly face, similar to when he looked at Reinhardt, and spoke.

“If Reinhardt were to bring a friend to me, I would have expected it to be Arthur’s child. And it seems I was right.”

“Well, I may resemble my father a lot, but my personality isn’t quite the same.”

Ludwig paused to chuckle and then shook his head.

“Haha… It’s not due to personality. Arthur had a talent for gathering people. Though I wasn’t entirely certain, since it was Arthur’s child, I thought there would be a resemblance. And indeed, you bear much resemblance to Arthur.”

“Uh… thank you?”

Getting praised for resembling my father felt like a first for me…

Naturally, it wasn’t a bad feeling.

He then locked eyes with Elena and spoke to her in a similarly soft voice.

“The shy girl who was often timid has now blossomed into a full-fledged lady. I suppose that sparkle in your eyes is thanks to him, right? I sent my congratulations for your engagement through letter, but seeing you together like this feels as if it’s destined; you look splendid together.”

“Thank you for your kind words, Your Grace.”

“With you around, Joachim is bound to show up, and they say Arthur will be attending this Sacred Festival as well, so everybody will get to see each other after a long time. If everyone gathers, it wouldn’t be bad to have a meal together just like this. Damian, what do you think?”

“Well, I certainly think that’s a good idea.”

Ludwig said that as if it were obvious, but he seemed to presume that I would already have friendships with other children. At his words, Reinhardt nodded in agreement, and Elena didn’t seem to mind it either.

“I’ve heard that the people from the Magic Tower hold regular meetings, but it seems we warriors lack such gatherings. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to create one now. You’d think it would be hard to gather some friendly faces…”

As Ludwig began to drift off into memories again, the Sword Saint intervened.

“We can discuss that later. This isn’t the time for such matters. Speaking of which, I heard you had some work to attend to; was everything resolved?”

“Oh, yes. It wasn’t a big deal. I just went to talk to a friend who was about to sign a contract with a rather unsavory merchant. That was all.”

“You went to discuss that in person?”

“Haha… Well…”

Ludwig trailed off, glancing subtly at Lizorote.

Whatever it was, it seemed to be related to her. Most likely, Reinhardt was keeping quiet because he was concerned. He seemed worried that if he spoke up, it’d create a scene.

Looking over at Lizorote, she seemed quite interested in Alphonse, trying to catch his eye repeatedly. Alphonse, perhaps conscious of Hailey, seemed to be avoiding it.

It was clear that the two had met before, but since Alphonse had never been outside the south, maybe they had crossed paths today. If that were the case, Alphonse would not be completely unrelated to the matter that Ludwig and the Sword Saint mentioned.

I had many questions, but still, there was something we needed to do first.

“Well, shall we eat first? The food is getting cold.”

It was dinner time.

*

Ludwig watched from a distance as his son, wielding a sword, engaged with his friend’s child. After the meal ended, his son, eager for some post-meal exercise, dragged his friend out, just as he had done when they were at home.

If others saw their childhood selves, would they have looked like that? He smiled quietly at the familiar sensations. Of course, back in his day, he was the one being pulled along by friends, but either way, it was a sight that stirred nostalgic memories.

He didn’t have a hobby of reminiscing about the past, but it was an exception when he saw traces of friends after such a long time.

The memories of that day weren’t all joyful, but he could be sure that it was the most radiant time of his life. As he reflected, Ludwig felt he understood why people cling to the past and find it hard to let go.

The faces of the children clashing their swords mirrored his own smile on that day.

Their movements lacked any excess; they demonstrated skills far beyond his younger self. Even in their sparring, their actions transcended those typical of knights, evoking awe in the fact that these children, who had barely lived half their lives, exhibited such prowess.

Ludwig was not someone who felt envy. Just like when his friend suddenly rose beyond his reach one day, he was left with nothing but pure admiration for them.

Although he understood that such lack of desire was what prevented him from advancing, he was simply content and had no intention of changing.

As he quietly observed, the Sword Saint approached him. He examined Ludwig’s face and quietly asked.

“After seeing it with your own eyes, do you feel more at ease now?”

“Yes, Father. Was this what you felt when you sent me to the Academy?”

“Not at all. I thought you would handle things on your own. You were a better child than I was. Reinhardt is quite similar to me, so it’s natural that you worry about him.”

“Hahaha…”

As the Sword Saint said, Reinhardt resembled his curt father quite a bit, so it was true that he had many worries about him. It wasn’t wrong, but such a personality could greatly hinder making friends.

Ludwig knew well how precious and valuable time spent with friends was, and that was why he didn’t want his son to cut short those moments and end his life at the Academy.

Fortunately, contrary to his worries, his son had made friends that he was close enough to bring to their home, lightening Ludwig’s burden. The Sword Saint also appeared similarly relieved, albeit from a slightly different perspective.

“While friends are, of course, important, having rivals with similar skills is also crucial. Back in my day, it was impossible to find someone I could compare myself to. Arthur was the same way. That’s why those two will grow rapidly, unlike me. Perhaps the day will soon come when they clash swords with me.”

With eyes filled with anticipation, he watched the duel and gripped the hilt of his sword.

It signified his hope for disciples who were quickly closing in on him, and the madness possessed by a martial artist with the name of a Sword Saint. Colliding with the newly emerged child meant his growth would flourish, so his endless desire for growth kept him young.

Yet, for Ludwig, who had no such greed, it simply seemed like words breaking his emotional reverie.

“Father, can’t you think in any other way?”

“Isn’t it inevitable? It’s part of my essence. Speaking of which, since Reinhardt isn’t around, let me ask you. Is it related to the incident with Lizorote that has you concerned?”

“Well, I can say it is, but it’s a bit vague. Actually, Lizorote almost got hit by a carriage while wandering around Ruden alone today.”

“What?!”

Ludwig trembled at the low rumble of the Sword Saint’s voice. Even knowing it wasn’t directed at him, his instincts reacted otherwise. He hurriedly continued to reassure the Sword Saint.

“…First, please calm down. Lizorote was partly at fault as well. She seemed to be distracted, engrossed in looking around without noticing the carriage.”

“Where were her guards? No, that child must have slipped out on her own, dodging people with those quick feet of hers. Who did she take after…?”

‘Well, it must be you, Father.’

Ludwig barely swallowed the words rising in his throat at the Sword Saint’s grumbling.

“The carriage was speeding, so it nearly led to someone else getting hurt even if it wasn’t her. The coachman came down to apologize, but the actual owner of the carriage didn’t get off and merely lashed out at the coachman.”

“Ho… So what did you do?”

“She memorized the emblem on the carriage and managed to identify the merchant. It was the Cattleon Association, and it turns out they were supposed to meet with Baron Uver from our retinue today. So… I cut it off.”

“Hmm… It wouldn’t be ideal to pressure her too much since the child was also at fault. With the Sacred Festival so near, how dare anyone act out in Ruden, governed by His Majesty the Emperor; had it not been Lizorote, there could have been an accident.”

“Oh, it seems she didn’t escape; someone saved her.”

“Hoh… Could it be?”

At Ludwig’s words, the Sword Saint recalled how earlier in the meal, Lizorote had shown interest in Alphonse. It seemed like there was a lot of focus she was putting on that boy, and hearing Ludwig’s words led him to suspect he might know who saved Lizorote.

Ludwig nodded in agreement with the Sword Saint’s thoughts.

“I don’t know the name, but she mentioned he was around her age, and judging by her reaction earlier, it seems it might be the case.”

“…Such a dreadful connection. Why does our family always intertwine with that side?”

“Indeed.”

Ludwig chuckled, but the Sword Saint could not laugh.

He recalled the words he had spoken to Alphonse just before dinner, which made him feel uneasy. Though he wanted to brush it off as nothing, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this familiar situation was revolving around martial matters, and the thought gave him a headache.

 

---