Full-time squire for Vincent, a legitimate son of the Marquise de Winheir. That became my job.
No matter how much I thought about it, I could not find an answer. I had no choice but to ask the person I didn't want to ask.
You know."
"What is it? Is there something you don't understand?"
The man is in a good mood, which is a complete change from the way he was before. In other words, he must be that happy to have left Vincent's retinue.
How did this happen? Wasn't he talking about removing himself from this house?"
'That's what you're talking about? Ask me about my job. I just want to get this over with."
No, but I was curious."
I can't help it. At first it was. People in the favelas are not to be trusted. If you give them a loan, they will think of you as a money lender and follow you around.
...Well, I'm from the favelas, and I can't say I'm the only one to say that, but they're all like that."
The money such a man could ask for was negligible, but when it comes to the Marquise's family, you can't afford to show a soft spot. If he persists, he will be dealt with. If that is the case, you should have done it from the beginning. That's what I'm talking about."
This man said it plainly, but it was murder. I wondered if it would be a problem, but I stopped myself from voicing it, as it was probably not something I should ask.
How did you get from there to being a squire?"
The truth is that once Master Aeriel came into the room, there was nothing more to take care of. The Master and Mistress are even more lenient with Aeriel than Master Vincent is.
In other words, I'm a parental idiot. I am not making fun of them. I lost my parents early in life, and I envy them.
Then what was the subsequent exchange?"
I didn't like it. I didn't want to take care of the orphans in the favelas when I had to take care of Master Vincent.
How can you say that to his face? There is something wrong with this man as a human being. My impression is not wrong.
Excuse me, but does a squire have that kind of authority?"
If you become a full-time squire of a legitimate son, you will be the next in line of the family, and if not, you will be the closest confidant of the head of the family. You are allowed to have a considerable say in matters involving Lord Vincent."
What? You put yourself in that position?"
No, not you. I would never let an orphan from nowhere become a member of the Marquise's entourage.
This man is beyond insensitive. How can he serve as the squire of a legitimate son of a marquis?
But ..., speaking of which, what's your name?"
Wal. Wal Cary."
Mr. Cary...
Call me Mr. Cary. Call me Mr. Wohl."
Is it right to call them by name? I have to learn these places little by little.
'Is it good for you, Mr. Wohl? That future seat in the entourage."
"That's ... well, never mind. I'm not one for that kind of stuffy stuff."
I see."
It is obvious that they are lying. But we can't pursue that.
There is something going on. Otherwise, this man would not be in such a good mood. If I work in this house, I'll find out sooner or later.
Then I'll take over. I'll get this over with as fast as I can."
In a nutshell, a full-time valet's job is to be a scullery maid. Anyway, to give them everything they want. That's what I was told, but I doubt it.
I don't think Wal was fulfilling all the wishes of a boy who seemed to be selfish.
The actual handover was not at all what I had imagined. What I was taught was the schedule for January, which is still good.
Other than that, it was food likes and dislikes. I can still forgive that.
Likes and dislikes of study, though, I don't have any likes.
I don't even need to ask what magic I'm good at.
Likes and dislikes of people. Why isn't Wal's name in there? I'm sure he hates me.
Anyway, there is no such thing as a work in progress. I was so worried that I asked Will several times, but he insisted that there was none.
The handover was over in a flash, just as Will wanted, and I was taken to the boy's room. There, Wal's son-in-law left.
What was left of me and the boy was - I was picking out my own clothes.
Come to think of it, I had been wearing a robe-like nightgown the whole time. The boy was concerned about this and tried to get me some clothes for the squire, but there was no uniform that would fit my height.
Apparently, I am quite small. Or rather, I don't know my age. If there were no clothes that would fit him, he might not be old enough to be a squire.
Instead, he is now choosing clothes from the boy's childhood.
How about this?"
... seems a little flashy for a squire."
And this?" Well, yes. Speaking of the Squire, he's in a more subdued mood."
What I have learned is that the boy is very particular about how these things should be.
It seems that the reason he started looking for his own clothes first was because he felt that his full-time follower should not be dressed like this.
However, the boy's clothes are in poor taste anyway. They may be correct in this world, but I can't stand them. No matter how many clothes I looked at, I could not find anything that satisfied me.
I was about to give up. In the corner of the closet, which was bigger than my room, I found a piece of clothing. It was not quite a suit, but it was all black and had a calm look.
Wouldn't this be better?"
Hmm?"
The boy looks at the clothes he offers. His expression becomes clouded. Apparently, he doesn't like it.
It's a knighthood.
"Knight's uniform?"
"It's what a knight wears."
'No, I understand that, but is there a problem?'
You are a squire, not a knight."
... indeed, but..."
This kind of obsession may be more troublesome than I thought. But I can't back down on this one. I wouldn't want to wear a frilly shirt and shorts even if it kills me.
But I am a full-time squire for Master Vincent. Isn't a full-time squire sometimes a shield to protect the Lord?"
... I know."
When it comes to being a shield to protect the Lord, it is the same thing as being a knight. The role is the same as that of a knight, even if the profession is different."
"... hmm."
So, as a full-time squire, I have no problem wearing a knighthood.
"... would be good. Then I'll make this your uniform."
Yes."
Persuasion succeeded! I immediately decided to go back to the closet and change.
I was told it was a knight's uniform, but it looked like a slightly modified school run. It has a high collar, and the length of the upper garment is quite long. I thought it was all black, but it was embroidered with silver threads in some places.
After I finished dressing, I stood in front of the mirror and found that I looked much better dressed than I had expected.
Then the question arises, why only this dress? Is it just the difference between nobleman's clothes and knight's clothes?
Thinking about this, I left the closet and was greeted by a boy with a surprised look on his face.
Is there something wrong with ...?"
No, it's the other way around. It looks good on you."
'Thank you for that. It's because I look good in this knight's outfit."
"Imitating the Black Knight."
Yes?"
Don't you know? He was the main character in a book I read when I was little. He has black eyes, black hair, and black clothes. He was a hero who appeared from the other world long ago. I had him make a copy of the knight's outfit from that book."
Haa..."
Is it Japanese? If so, that means I am not the only otherworldly person who came to this world. But if the body is just as Japanese with black eyes and black hair, it's a summons, unlike myself.
Anything is possible in this world.
Can you use a sword?"
No way.
'That too, I see. Then learn with me."
What?"
Don't you know my schedule?"
No, I know. We have kenjutsu practice three times a week. Is that what you mean?"
I learned something when I was taught the boy's schedule. The week in this world was six days long. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday, with no Friday and Thursday being the wind day. The sun, the moon, and the four attributes. It is easy to understand.
You should join me in that swordsmanship practice."
Would you mind if I got out of your way?"
I am happy to be taught the sword. However, I am not sure if I am allowed to participate.
You are also a shield to protect me. It is only natural that I should hone my swordsmanship."
This is the line I just said to myself. Well, that's good.
I understand. Then I will do so."
Now I could learn swordsmanship myself. However, the matter did not stop with swordsmanship.
◇◇◇
Knowing the schedule actually changed my view of the boy a bit. It was a very busy schedule.
Every morning, he had a live-in tutor to teach him his studies, and in the afternoon, another tutor gave him private lessons in magic. In the afternoons, another half of the week was spent on swordsmanship, and the other half on manners and other liberal arts.
He is scheduled to study all day long.
When I heard the schedule, I thought that being the heir apparent of a marquis family must be quite demanding. However, when I actually witnessed the class, my sympathy faded completely.
The only reason I don't understand is because of the way you teach me."
I apologize for that, but I can't help it if the people I'm teaching aren't willing to learn."
"You're saying it's my fault?"
I say let's make a mutual effort."
The boy, who is not doing so well, puts the blame on the tutor. The tutor, on the other hand, has something to say.
The tutor, Mr. Harvey Moore, seems to be a little different from the other servants. I found out why later. He is a live-in governess, but it seems that there are plenty of other jobs available, and he is not afraid of being fired.
He is in a much more comfortable position than the servants whose families are dependent aristocratic families.
Is it rude to call them carefree? It is obvious from watching the lessons. Teaching a boy seems to be very difficult.
Apparently, the boy is an idiot.
I'm trying."
Am I right?"
What?"
If you listen seriously to what I am teaching you, you will soon understand it. If you cannot do that, it means you are not listening seriously."
"... that's not true!"
No." Yes."
How can you be so sure?"
He's listening in the back, and he already seems to know, doesn't he?"
What?
What?"
Here's an unexpected turn of events. I wish you would stop shaking the story to yourself. I certainly understand. I get it, but it's not because I was listening seriously, it's because I learned a long time ago.
Really?"
It's ...."
The answer is that he doesn't answer. He is concerned about Master Vincent."
The teacher pushes himself even harder. What is this teacher up to?
"... Lyon. Then solve this problem."
No, it's not."
If you don't solve it, you skip a meal as punishment."
The boy is completely pissed off. He has to choose between solving the problem and getting fined, or choosing to eat.
"... got it."
I couldn't resist my appetite. I took my seat and looked at the problem. The questions were about multiplying and dividing fractions. As expected, I could answer these questions.
I picked up the pen on the table. Writing with a pen is more difficult than calculating. I am not used to using a pen that has to be inked every time I write with it.
I wrote all the answers with a pen that I was not used to, and my handwriting became quite messy.
... have you ever learned arithmetic?"
A little from my parents."
I heard you're an orphan?"
That was before my parents died."
... poor neighborhood dwellers teaching their kids to study?"
I don't know about that. But I vaguely remember him telling me that I needed to learn to get out of the favelas."
'Indeed, yes, but how could you solve it by rote? But to solve it by rote?"
Apparently, I did it. It was a really simple problem in fraction multiplication and division. Still, solving it by heart seemed like overkill.
It was not something to do, not knowing the level of study in this world and at this age.
And the boy's response.
You are indeed my full-time squire," he said. Good, you will learn properly with me from now on. Is that all right with you, teacher?"
Yes, of course.
He is not jealous, he is honestly happy. The more I learn about this boy, the more I don't know him. Is he a fool or a wise man?
What I know now is that it is a little early to judge him as just an egoistic little boy.
◇◇◇
After lunch, it's time for afternoon study.
It's time to study swordsmanship. The teacher is Master Eric Marvin, the captain of the Marquis de Winheir's Royal Knight Corps. The boy was told to call him "master" instead of "captain of the knights" since he is now in a position to be taught swordsmanship as well. This is also the boy's preoccupation.
This swordsmanship, however, is indeed not like arithmetic.
I had never practiced swordsmanship, let alone kendo. As a complete amateur, I had no idea where to start.
I started with a lot of striking.
With Master Marvin and a young boy practicing swordfighting by my side, I continued to swing the sword with all my heart. It is not enough to just swing a sword.
He told me that I had to have a natural arm swing, which was not only a natural movement of my feet, ankles, knees, hip joints, and waist, but also a natural descent of my arms, and then swinging down at once without opposing the natural descent.
That's what I was told, but I don't understand it at all, and I can't do it. I guess the point is to swing with the whole body, not just the arms.
With this in mind, I did the swing while being aware of each and every movement of my body.
I just keep doing that for the entire time. After all, even that is not possible for me at the moment.
I get out of breath, and my arms stop coming up. I am acutely aware of my lack of physical strength during this time of swordsmanship. I have to build up my physical strength. The only way to make that time is to make it yourself.
Thus, little by little, my schedule is also set.
◇◇◇
When swordsmanship time is over, it is time for a nap.
Of course, that is the boy's schedule, and I am not allowed to take a nap.
But, as I had just become a squire, there was nothing for me to do even if I had some free time. As if anticipating this, it was my sister who came to me.
"Leon, you're not busy, are you?"
Yes."
Then follow me.
Where are you going?
It's time for me to learn. You will learn with me."
"... Yes."
I don't know what it is, but it's good to learn. In my old world, I wanted to learn more, but I couldn't. The other me has never studied. The other me has never studied.
Being poor is a deprivation of one's potential. I suddenly remembered those words.
Dr. Meyers. I've brought Leon."
Yes, he is."
The teacher, who was called Myers, did not seem surprised when I arrived. She seemed to have declined the invitation in advance and was not surprised when I arrived.
It is my own image of her, but she fits that image perfectly.
Well then, doctor, I'm looking forward to working with you. I look forward to working with you."
Yes, Mr. Aeriel. It is my pleasure to meet you."
"... what?"
I look at myself in frustration as I see a different and more polite young lady and I freeze lightly in surprise. This is the usual mood of the young lady.
"Dear Aeriel. How do you like that attitude?"
I'm sorry for showing you the embarrassing part of .... I will be careful from now on."
Also, they behave strangely.
Um, what class is this?"
Don't you see that? It's a lesson in manners."
Manners? Is that what you do?"
You are your brother's full-time squire and my ... my ...
He seems to have the sense not to call them pets in front of the manners teacher, as expected.
Anyway, as a member of the Marquise's family, you will learn to be polite and not be ashamed to appear in public."
... but I am a servant."
"Even as a servant. You will always be with your brother. Sometimes with me. Are you going to humiliate me or your brother then?"
No, I didn't mean it that way.
Then learn proper and proper etiquette."
Yes. ...."
Although she is supposed to be much younger than me, at least in mental age, strangely enough, I cannot resist this girl. Is it the dignity of a born aristocrat? I just don't feel it from the boy.
Well, then, today is your first dance."
Yes?"
That's why I called you here. I need a partner to practice my dance moves."
I've never danced before.
I remember doing this in elementary school, but the dance here is supposed to be different.
Don't worry. It's my first time too. Come on, teacher, let's get started."
In the end, I was forced to dance for more than an hour. Fortunately, it was my first dance class, and the steps were really simple.
I never thought I would come to use such words as "step ..." in a normal way.
And that was not the last time. Not only dance, but other manners classes were also taught with me. Well, that's fine.
But is this a job for a squire?
◇◇◇
After accompanying the girl to dance, she would return to the boy.
Next came the study of magic. I was not qualified to learn magic with him.
I just stood in the corner of the room so as not to disturb the boy, who was concentrating on his magical powers according to his teacher's teachings.
It was a study of magic, but it did not seem to involve the use of actual magic.
The teacher explains that the most important part of magic is the manipulation of magical power. The teacher explained that the most important thing in magic is the manipulation of magic power: to cause magic power in the body, to circulate it in the body, and to take out only the necessary amount.
By becoming proficient in this manipulation of magic, the effectiveness and accuracy of magic will increase.
Right now, the boy is practicing his magical manipulation.
What he is mumbling is the chanting of magic. The magic chanting is divided into three phases, and the activation phase, "manifest the power of the magic that resides in me," seems to be the one that causes the magic to occur.
This part of the chant is almost the same regardless of the attribute, but since it is the image of the individual, there are arrangements that can be made to suit the individual's needs.
In other words, the words are uttered only to make the image easier to hold. If one has special abilities, he or she will be able to do this without chanting.
The second step is the "grant me healing power," which I have heard of before. This, of course, depends on the effect of the magic. For some reason, I heard that this is the chanting used to circulate the magic in the body. I think it is a little different. In my image, it does not fit the circulation.
And finally, the attributes and effects are determined. Healing wind, healing" is a restorative magic of the wind attribute.
The teacher said that the word causes magic in the body and thereby acts on the reason of the world. Where does it act on the world?
There is no corresponding part in the explanation of chanting. Attribute magic and spirit magic are mixed up. From my knowledge of fantasy in my original world, it would seem so.
Well, poor knowledge. Maybe I should have read more novels or something.
The reason of the world, its attributes, and if they are spirits, are they visible to those who can use magic? I looked around me, but I couldn't see it myself.
It seems that magic is impossible after all.
In this case, I have no choice but to bet on the sword for my fighting ability. It's no good as it is now. With that in mind, I began to concentrate on thinking about the future.
I don't care what they say. If I am going to live in this world, I must acquire the power to live.
I promised myself that I would put as much effort into my training as the protagonist in a fantasy novel.