The morning after the exploration tournament, Siegfried quietly made his way to the gazebo hidden in the thicket behind building B, all by himself.
This place was a secret spot for Siegfried.
Ever since his first year, he had been called out to the fountain just a little ahead multiple times, eventually stumbling upon this perfect hiding spot while being chased. Apart from Regalus, who was also chased similarly, no one else knew about this spot. Even Regalus, recognizing it as the place Siegfried would come to when he wanted to be alone, wouldn't come unless there was something urgent.
Normally, it was a place seldom visited, especially at such an early hour.
There was something bothering him since yesterday, and Siegfried, unable to sleep well because of it, wanted some quiet time alone to think, hence his unusual visit to this secret place within the school grounds early in the morning.
What bothered him... was Althea's behavior yesterday.
There wasn't anything particularly unusual right after the exploration tournament began. The discomfort started around the time of the first mission, after receiving reports from each door. Though it was labeled as discomfort, if someone said it was just his imagination, he wouldn't argue much.
He believed nothing changed before entering the doors. So, it must have been inside the doors, after all...
As he lay down alone in the gazebo lost in thought, he felt someone approaching in a hurry.
Closing his eyes and focusing, he sensed it was the person he had been concerned about since yesterday.
As she passed by, Siegfried called out, though only his voice could be heard without seeing him, surprising her. However, Althea, after glancing around, without hesitation, climbed the tallest tree nearby, then leaped down to him from the depths of the thicket, finding Siegfried and the gazebo.
"After learning there's such a place deep in this thicket, I'm surprised... But more importantly, Your Highness, why are you here?"
After scanning the surroundings, Althea spoke to Siegfried while looking up at the roof of the gazebo.
"I've got something on my mind. But what about you, Althea? What are you doing out so early in the morning?"
"Huh...? Uh, well... just jogging...?"
"Jogging... and in a questioning tone? What's that about? Or... was there something after all?"
"...Or was there...?"
"Ah... well, yesterday was a bit strange, so I thought maybe you fought with goblins..."
He thought he phrased it strangely. However, not knowing how to approach the topic, he ended up saying it like that. After a moment of silence, Althea, with a slightly troubled expression, replied, "It can't be helped if Laila finds out... but even Your Highness?"
"Laila too? Then did you tell Laila the reason yesterday?"
"Yes."
"...Then why do you still have such a troubled expression?"
At those words, Althea briefly showed a surprised expression, then hurriedly covered her cheeks with both hands and turned her face away.
"You didn't tell her everything?... Because you didn't want to worry her?"
While she turned her face away and covered it with her hands, it was hard to discern her expression, but she nodded slightly.
"...She's overly cautious, or rather overprotective, isn't she...? Althea, if you're willing, I can listen. I don't think I'm as overprotective as Laila, and I'll keep it a secret from Regalus too. Moreover, if the reason you're wearing such a troubled expression is because you fought goblins, maybe I can help. Because I, too, stayed shut in for about three days when I first hurt someone in a fight."
"Stayed shut in for about three days..."
Removing her hands covering her face, Althea looked at Siegfried with wide eyes.
"...Brother Sieg...?"
"'Brother', you say...? So, even if it was just an illusionary creature, you still killed it?"
After showing a face of "oops", she nodded as if resigned.
"I see... That was your first time, huh? Did you tell Laila about it?"
Shaking her head vigorously.
"I see... You said you couldn't tell her everything. So, you've been struggling without being able to tell anyone. It must have been tough for you alone."
Saying so, Siegfried patted Althea's head gently.
After somewhat softening her expression, Althea asked a question.
"Why did Brother Sieg stay shut in?"
"Me? Well, that's because I was eight at the time, so I only vaguely remember... The first person I ever hurt was an apprentice swordsman from a major country. We both wanted to try fighting seriously, so we fought secretly after training. But I ended up hurting him. The sight of blood from a person stuck with me, and the feeling of cutting... lingered in my hand, making it impossible for me to hold a sword."
He gazed at his dominant hand. Althea listened silently.
"People being hurt scared me, so I stayed holed up in my room for about three days. Everyone around me worried and comforted me, but only my uncle scolded me, saying, 'Don't be so weak.'"
"Uncle... you mean Lord Fulank?"
"Yeah. He's of royal blood, so he said, 'Don't hesitate forever.' He didn't say, 'Don't get hurt,' but he said, 'Just getting hurt won't protect anything. Hesitation weakens people.' He also said, 'There's no such thing as a battle without sacrifices.'"
"A battle without sacrifices..."
"If you compete, there will be winners and losers. If you lose, you'll get hurt, right? But in a world where people don't compete, there's no progress. There's no growth for development. Which is truly happiness... That's what I was made to think about at that time. This time, Althea learned the fear of hurting someone in a fight. But what if she hadn't?"
"...She probably would have thought confidently, just like before, that she was learning swordsmanship to protect important things."
"Yeah, and now?"
"...I'm still a little scared."
"Then, you'll just have to rely on others to protect you. It's okay, if it's Laila, she'll protect you with her life, even if it means getting covered in blood—"
"No!! I don't want that!"
"But Laila doesn't want you to get hurt, so she'll definitely fight for you, right?... Althea, why did you want to be able to fight?"
"...Because I didn't just want to be protected, I wanted to protect too..."
"Then, the answer is clear, isn't it? The answer is very simple. Protect what you want to protect, and as a result, you might end up killing. But if you don't want to kill, then you have no choice but to become strong enough to defeat without killing."
"To fight without killing..."
Althea murmured as if pondering the words.
In her eyes, which had been downcast in depression, there was now a sense of determination, as if she had found her purpose.
"But fighting without killing is quite difficult. Especially when your opponent intends to kill. So, if you wield a sword, you'll still need resolve. Well, Althea, you don't have to participate in fights where you might end up killing, because I, Regalus, and Laila will protect you, so rest assured."
"That's such a luxurious thing for royals to do..."
She replied with a chuckle. Yes, that was the usual Althea.
"Ah, the best kind of luxury, right?"
After teasing, Siegfried waited for a moment before Althea bowed her head.
"Thank you. Honestly, I'm still not completely free of doubt, but being depressed won't change anything. Instead of just being down, I'll try to come up with a plan and spend my time meaningfully."
"...I see. Turning futile time into meaningful time, huh... Yeah, I think I'll learn from that too."
As they smiled at each other, the bell of a pocket watch rang.
"It's already 7 o'clock..."
"Huh, already? Laila might be worried..."
"Probably. We should hurry back. It's almost time for breakfast."
"Yes, you're right. Thank you, Your Highness. I'm glad I went for a run this morning."
Feeling a little disappointed that they had returned to their usual way of speaking within the school grounds, Siegfried added a few words.
"I'm usually around here in the morning, so if anything happens, feel free to come by... Well, after breakfast but before classes start. Anyway, even if nothing's wrong, you're welcome here, Althea. And please keep this place a secret."
She nodded and said, "Understood. I'll keep it a secret," before heading back to the girls' dormitory. After watching her leave, Siegfried also returned to the boys' dormitory.
The morning after the exploration tournament, Siegfried quietly made his way to the gazebo hidden in the thicket behind building B, all by himself.
This place was a secret spot for Siegfried.
Ever since his first year, he had been called out to the fountain just a little ahead multiple times, eventually stumbling upon this perfect hiding spot while being chased. Apart from Regalus, who was also chased similarly, no one else knew about this spot. Even Regalus, recognizing it as the place Siegfried would come to when he wanted to be alone, wouldn't come unless there was something urgent.
Normally, it was a place seldom visited, especially at such an early hour.
There was something bothering him since yesterday, and Siegfried, unable to sleep well because of it, wanted some quiet time alone to think, hence his unusual visit to this secret place within the school grounds early in the morning.
What bothered him... was Althea's behavior yesterday.
There wasn't anything particularly unusual right after the exploration tournament began. The discomfort started around the time of the first mission, after receiving reports from each door. Though it was labeled as discomfort, if someone said it was just his imagination, he wouldn't argue much.
He believed nothing changed before entering the doors. So, it must have been inside the doors, after all...
As he lay down alone in the gazebo lost in thought, he felt someone approaching in a hurry.
Closing his eyes and focusing, he sensed it was the person he had been concerned about since yesterday.
As she passed by, Siegfried called out, though only his voice could be heard without seeing him, surprising her. However, Althea, after glancing around, without hesitation, climbed the tallest tree nearby, then leaped down to him from the depths of the thicket, finding Siegfried and the gazebo.
"After learning there's such a place deep in this thicket, I'm surprised... But more importantly, Your Highness, why are you here?"
After scanning the surroundings, Althea spoke to Siegfried while looking up at the roof of the gazebo.
"I've got something on my mind. But what about you, Althea? What are you doing out so early in the morning?"
"Huh...? Uh, well... just jogging...?"
"Jogging... and in a questioning tone? What's that about? Or... was there something after all?"
"...Or was there...?"
"Ah... well, yesterday was a bit strange, so I thought maybe you fought with goblins..."
He thought he phrased it strangely. However, not knowing how to approach the topic, he ended up saying it like that. After a moment of silence, Althea, with a slightly troubled expression, replied, "It can't be helped if Laila finds out... but even Your Highness?"
"Laila too? Then did you tell Laila the reason yesterday?"
"Yes."
"...Then why do you still have such a troubled expression?"
At those words, Althea briefly showed a surprised expression, then hurriedly covered her cheeks with both hands and turned her face away.
"You didn't tell her everything?... Because you didn't want to worry her?"
While she turned her face away and covered it with her hands, it was hard to discern her expression, but she nodded slightly.
"...She's overly cautious, or rather overprotective, isn't she...? Althea, if you're willing, I can listen. I don't think I'm as overprotective as Laila, and I'll keep it a secret from Regalus too. Moreover, if the reason you're wearing such a troubled expression is because you fought goblins, maybe I can help. Because I, too, stayed shut in for about three days when I first hurt someone in a fight."
"Stayed shut in for about three days..."
Removing her hands covering her face, Althea looked at Siegfried with wide eyes.
"...Brother Sieg...?"
"'Brother', you say...? So, even if it was just an illusionary creature, you still killed it?"
After showing a face of "oops", she nodded as if resigned.
"I see... That was your first time, huh? Did you tell Laila about it?"
Shaking her head vigorously.
"I see... You said you couldn't tell her everything. So, you've been struggling without being able to tell anyone. It must have been tough for you alone."
Saying so, Siegfried patted Althea's head gently.
After somewhat softening her expression, Althea asked a question.
"Why did Brother Sieg stay shut in?"
"Me? Well, that's because I was eight at the time, so I only vaguely remember... The first person I ever hurt was an apprentice swordsman from a major country. We both wanted to try fighting seriously, so we fought secretly after training. But I ended up hurting him. The sight of blood from a person stuck with me, and the feeling of cutting... lingered in my hand, making it impossible for me to hold a sword."
He gazed at his dominant hand. Althea listened silently.
"People being hurt scared me, so I stayed holed up in my room for about three days. Everyone around me worried and comforted me, but only my uncle scolded me, saying, 'Don't be so weak.'"
"Uncle... you mean Lord Fulank?"
"Yeah. He's of royal blood, so he said, 'Don't hesitate forever.' He didn't say, 'Don't get hurt,' but he said, 'Just getting hurt won't protect anything. Hesitation weakens people.' He also said, 'There's no such thing as a battle without sacrifices.'"
"A battle without sacrifices..."
"If you compete, there will be winners and losers. If you lose, you'll get hurt, right? But in a world where people don't compete, there's no progress. There's no growth for development. Which is truly happiness... That's what I was made to think about at that time. This time, Althea learned the fear of hurting someone in a fight. But what if she hadn't?"
"...She probably would have thought confidently, just like before, that she was learning swordsmanship to protect important things."
"Yeah, and now?"
"...I'm still a little scared."
"Then, you'll just have to rely on others to protect you. It's okay, if it's Laila, she'll protect you with her life, even if it means getting covered in blood—"
"No!! I don't want that!"
"But Laila doesn't want you to get hurt, so she'll definitely fight for you, right?... Althea, why did you want to be able to fight?"
"...Because I didn't just want to be protected, I wanted to protect too..."
"Then, the answer is clear, isn't it? The answer is very simple. Protect what you want to protect, and as a result, you might end up killing. But if you don't want to kill, then you have no choice but to become strong enough to defeat without killing."
"To fight without killing..."
Althea murmured as if pondering the words.
In her eyes, which had been downcast in depression, there was now a sense of determination, as if she had found her purpose.
"But fighting without killing is quite difficult. Especially when your opponent intends to kill. So, if you wield a sword, you'll still need resolve. Well, Althea, you don't have to participate in fights where you might end up killing, because I, Regalus, and Laila will protect you, so rest assured."
"That's such a luxurious thing for royals to do..."
She replied with a chuckle. Yes, that was the usual Althea.
"Ah, the best kind of luxury, right?"
After teasing, Siegfried waited for a moment before Althea bowed her head.
"Thank you. Honestly, I'm still not completely free of doubt, but being depressed won't change anything. Instead of just being down, I'll try to come up with a plan and spend my time meaningfully."
"...I see. Turning futile time into meaningful time, huh... Yeah, I think I'll learn from that too."
As they smiled at each other, the bell of a pocket watch rang.
"It's already 7 o'clock..."
"Huh, already? Laila might be worried..."
"Probably. We should hurry back. It's almost time for breakfast."
"Yes, you're right. Thank you, Your Highness. I'm glad I went for a run this morning."
Feeling a little disappointed that they had returned to their usual way of speaking within the school grounds, Siegfried added a few words.
"I'm usually around here in the morning, so if anything happens, feel free to come by... Well, after breakfast but before classes start. Anyway, even if nothing's wrong, you're welcome here, Althea. And please keep this place a secret."
She nodded and said, "Understood. I'll keep it a secret," before heading back to the girls' dormitory. After watching her leave, Siegfried also returned to the boys' dormitory.
