Reset Life – Chapter 173

Chapter 173: I Believe I Can Explain That (2)

“If it’s Sword King Levidian, then I also agree. Her character and conduct, no matter where you look, she’s a wonderful woman. And she has no relations with those who try to get close to power through marriage, so it’s rather good. Furthermore, there’s no need to worry even if she’s left unguarded among noblewomen. Above all, isn’t it much better that the two of you have good feelings for each other?”

It was truly a story from another world. I couldn’t even grasp how to respond. Father looked at me intently and then spoke in a strict tone.

“If you’ve fought, reconcile. If there’s anything you haven’t said, confide in each other. You must go through that process first before becoming husband and wife. There should be no secrets between a married couple. I’m not qualified to tell you this, but…… if you don’t talk, you will surely regret it.”

It was valuable advice born from experience, but I wasn’t ready to accept it. So, I ended up blurting out something else.

“That is…… weren’t you against my marriage? When there was talk of a marriage with the Princess of Azot…… I remember you being quite surprised.”

“Ah. You mean back then. I was surprised, but I didn’t have any negative thoughts. If you said you liked it, I was going to proceed with it immediately. I would have done so if it meant your happiness.”

It’s a statement that can’t help but be surprising. Did he really mean that?

I cautiously recalled the memories of that time, and while there was definitely a sense of surprise, it didn’t seem like it was such a negative reaction.

Father said,

“Considering the circumstances, I’m not saying to do it right away. However, wouldn’t it be alright to have a formal engagement beforehand? Due to the war, we’ll have to wait a bit to hold the ceremony, but now that we’ve occupied Narvilt, I’d like to have at least one more joyous occasion before the full-fledged winter arrives.”

“I see.”

I nodded in agreement with the mention of engagement and lifted my teacup. Certainly, for a noble of my age, it’s normal to have an engagement. Or to have at least one broken engagement under their belt.

“In addition, you can also sleep together without worrying about other people’s eyes. It’s an important advantage.”

“Pfft!”

I sprayed my tea for the second time. No, Father, what absurd thing are you saying with such a serious expression!

However, Father’s words didn’t end there.

“At that age, a man can’t help it. You can’t forcibly suppress the laws of nature. Exercising is also a good method, but as long as you have a partner, it’s good to reduce waste.”

“That’s logical.”

Ah, I can’t think of anything else to say. Was Father always like this? Was his usual seriousness only for show to the outside world? The image of Father solidified in my memory seems to be slowly deviating.

I wiped the excessively messy table with a cloth. So, Father was quite an interesting person after all. I think I understand why Mother married him.

When I stopped wiping and roughly cleaned my hands, Father refilled his cup with tea and said,

“And there’s something I want to say about your eye.”

“My eye? Ah. Are you saying I should stop using magic to conceal it?”

“Isn’t there no need to hide it anymore?”

“That’s true, but it’s a bit uncomfortable if I release the magic.”

“Uncomfortable?”

I nodded.

My right eye has a blue pupil, but I’ve currently made it the same black color as my left eye with magic. With certain actions and a few words, the original color can be revealed, but there’s an unexpected inconvenience.

“My right eye is light-colored, so excessive light enters. Because there’s a difference in the amount of light entering both eyes, my eyes get very tired.”

“I see. Then, what about your body hair?”

“Excuse me?”

I tilted my head. Body hair…… hair? What’s wrong with that?

“You didn’t know?”

“What…… are you talking about?”

“Well, I suppose you wouldn’t have known since it was treated with permanent magic. Your body hair actually resembled your birth mother’s.”

My birth mother is a woman named Amane Mistro. She’s the daughter of Summeor, the leader of the Mopum tribe of Grenoian, and it’s said she had the blood of a pure-blooded demon that occasionally appears in the Guard lineage.

I don’t know what’s so different between the blood of a demon and a human, but anyway, I’m currently a half-demon, half-human.

Father spoke up to that point and then briefly frowned. He seems to be reminiscing for a moment.

“Hmm, this isn’t something I need to talk about. In fact, your eyes and hair can’t be dispelled even with magic cancellation magic or holy spells, and your body hair was made permanently unchangeable. The practitioner was quite skilled.”

I briefly recalled the moment right before the duel with Pilledvan. The Priest of Achuni used a holy spell to dispel magic on both me and Pilledvan, but the color of my eyes didn’t change.

He must have been quite skilled, huh? I nodded in understanding and asked,

“Can the color of my body hair not be changed?”

“It can’t be changed. In the case of your eyes, I made it possible to undo the magic in preparation for when you would have to accept the truth, but I didn’t want to do the same for your body hair.”

“That’s a shame. What color was it originally?”

“I don’t know. Babies’ body hair is light-colored, isn’t it? At that time, I was only concerned that it wasn’t the vivid black color that the men of our family have.”

“You said it resembled my birth mother?”

“That’s what I thought. I don’t actually know.”

Hey, come on. That’s anticlimactic.

I briefly thought about what it would have been like if my hair color had been different, but I stopped thinking at some point. No matter how much I thought about it, it seemed incredibly awkward if my hair or body hair wasn’t black.

I was able to laugh for a moment. Thanks to Father, I think I was able to laugh for the first time in a long while. And with a smile, I asked,

“Who requested it?”

“You can probably guess.”

“It must have been Levidian or Aila. Or perhaps both. I’m guessing. I apologize, but I find it hard to believe you came here just to have this kind of small talk, Father.”

“It was both of them. Did I seem that clumsy?”

“That’s not it. It’s just…… I thought it might be the case.”

Father smiled faintly.

Levidian and Aila wouldn’t be too happy with the current situation either. However, if I were to wait for them to initiate the conversation, I wouldn’t hesitate to cast 30,000 votes in agreement that I’d probably be waiting a lifetime.

“You’ve made good friends with a good woman. Now, if you just get a good job, you’ll be considered successful as a man.”

“I think being a Duke is a pretty good job. You can shift all the responsibility to the King. I’d like to decline a job that’s the final destination of all responsibility.”

“You rascal. You’re saying you’ll live as you please in the end. Well, it would be nice if you could live like that. Let’s change the subject. I’ve been finding it strange lately. I knew you were very considerate of those around you. Yet you haven’t been properly communicating with them for months.”

I smiled again, a little melancholic and bitter. Even when we happened to run into each other, it would just end with a few superficial words. It’s only natural since a wall suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Father continued,

“I won’t pry into what happened. However, nothing will be solved by staying like this. You know that too, don’t you? Then, I believe the thing you need to do is clear.”

“I know that too. But…… I’m afraid.”

“Are you afraid of failure?”

I nodded. If it were anything else, like facing Artshever and experiencing failure in the process, it would be alright.

Although I was stopped right before success last time, it was only for a short while that I was angry because it was Artshever’s doing.

But the problem now is, I’m afraid of failure itself.

“I’m too afraid to move. Even if I think about it, I can’t find an answer, and even though I know the best course of action, it’s hard to move.”

Aila might know everything. Whether I speak or not, my relationship with her won’t change.

But in the case of Levidian, Joey, and Lucy, they might be disappointed. They might even be angry. And I wouldn’t have any counter-arguments for that.

It’s black and white. I’m the bad guy.

Even before I died, I experienced interpersonal relationships, but what’s happening now is truly a first in my life. I can’t readily step forward.

Father said,

“I can’t say for sure, but they’ll probably be even angrier that you’re not doing anything like this.”

“That might be true.”

“These might be words that will be dismissed as an adult’s nagging, but you need to do it. If you don’t show your sincerity, the distance between people will always widen. Conversely, if you show your sincerity, even if your bodies are apart, your hearts won’t be. People learn about each other’s sincerity by clashing with each other. And doing nothing is more foolish than recklessly challenging and failing.”

I couldn’t say anything to Father’s words.

There are times in life when you know something intellectually but find it difficult to put into practice.

“It seems I’m a coward after all.”

“That might be true now. But when the time comes for you to gather your courage and speak to them, they will praise you rather than be angry with you. If that’s your conclusion and decision, they won’t ridicule you no matter how insignificant it may seem to others. That’s what friends are.”

Father spoke in a firm tone. And I emptied my teacup in one gulp, lost in thought.

December 14th, Imperial Year 377.

“Those individuals are currently in Greenhouse No. 2.”

Declining the maid’s offer to guide me, I headed to Greenhouse No. 2 alone. Come to think of it, that place is currently undergoing soil replacement, so nothing is being grown there.

Since the weather has gotten a bit chilly, outdoor training is being discouraged, so they probably headed there looking for a warmer place.

After Father left, I rested for two days and thought, and finally came to a conclusion.

No matter what happens, I decided to confront them.

Even if Levidian or Joey are disappointed or angry, it can’t be helped. However, it won’t end there. I will somehow apologize and sincerely try to change their minds.

Resolve. This small resolve was lacking.

Standing in front of the greenhouse door, I took a deep breath. This one step forward is important. Only by taking this step can I build genuine relationships with people.

Just think about it. Even Artshever and his unpleasant friends are doing it, so it’s absurd that we can’t! Our bond is much tougher and stronger than theirs!

Alright, let’s go! Let’s go out, Arisein! Take a deep breath!

Hoo— Haa—.

No, this isn’t right! Stop! This is the deep breathing you do before a battle! This guy still hasn’t come to his senses!

I opened the greenhouse door. Up ahead, Levidian and Lea were in the middle of a lively sparring session, striking and parrying each other. Lea’s skill, as it was before, seems unmanageable even now.

Joey and Aila were also right next to them, but they were all so engrossed in watching the two spar that they didn’t seem to notice me entering.

I quietly closed the greenhouse door and slowly drew my sword. Then, I cautiously approached the two who were fighting. Probably neither Levidian nor Lea would even see their surroundings as they were focused on each other.

Once again, as Levidian and Lea clashed, countless sparks erupted between them, and Levidian, with a large movement, struck Lea’s defense, forcing her to retreat.

I didn’t miss that opportunity and dashed forward, throwing a towel at Lea.

“Lea, you rest now!”

Lea, Joey, and Aila were surprised simultaneously.

“Huh? Senior?!”

“Hyung-nim!”

“Oh my……”

Probably the most surprised person was Levidian. As I suddenly charged at her, she was surprised with her eyes wide open. I grinned at her surprised face and swung my sword as it was.

Clang—!

“Kyaa! Ri, Risel?!”

Unconsciously blocking the sword, Levidian finally made a normal surprised sound. I looked at her, smiled mischievously, and struck her defense again.

Clang! Crack!

“Risel, what is the meaning of this……!?”

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Let’s have a match!”

Her face, visible beyond the sword, was gradually changing from surprise to a stance ready for sparring. She had said it before. Experienced swordsmen can converse through their swords.

Alright, Levidian, let’s have a conversation!

“It’s been quite a while since I’ve rested…… Do you think you can handle me?”

“We’ll see when we try!”

I pushed her hard, and she was pushed back. Her eyes sparkled with vitality. She slowly shook the tip of her sword and said,

“Oh, so you’re saying you’re going to be serious.”

“I told you!”

“You didn’t say you were going to be serious……!”

The shaking sword darted towards my neck. However, I knew her attack patterns. It wasn’t a real attack aimed at my neck.

My sword changed to a downward striking trajectory. And the sword that was aiming for my neck changed its trajectory towards my solar plexus and was blocked by my descending sword just in time.

Levidian then aimed for my side. She was saying this:

Your movements are as slow as your sword. Just how long have you been making me wait?

I parried the sword aiming for my side with all my might and simultaneously struck at her shoulder. She lightly jumped back and dodged it.

I had a lot on my shoulders, in my own way.

So you’re saying you just dodged it?

Levidian smiled faintly and pulled her sword back as far as it would go, then struck with all her might. I blocked it with both hands on my sword. A heavy impact covered my wrist, and she also winced. It was an attack that could have injured both of us.

Does it hurt? It hurts a lot for me too.

She pressed down on my sword as if to break it, but I didn’t let her keep pressing. I swept her legs to disrupt her balance and tried to ram her with my shoulder.

I was a fool to just wait. Now I’m going to confront you directly.

Aren’t you a fool?

She aimed for my head as if to reproach me. I swatted it away irritably. Then, I thrust straight towards her chest.

Don’t treat me like a fool! I’m being serious!

She parried my sword with a determined expression. And she swung her leg and kicked me hard in the thigh.

It was an attack that hurt enough to bring tears to my eyes.

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