* * *
26th of October.
Today's the day I'm supposed to decide. We're all sat at the table; me, Mom, Dad... and Clara at the far end of the table.
Its the second time I'm seeing her, but this time she's doing her best to appear professional. The first time I met her, she didn't even introduce her name and just... left.
"Now that we're all here, I think I should officially go over the terms, face to face," She says, looking at me rather than my parents.
"I will transport you to the capital of Cleras, after which I will house you in either a dorm or my own residence. From then on, I will register you at Lumin Academy without you needing to take the entrance exam. You will be given an allowance of 14 gold a month, which should easily pay for any food or extra expenses. The only thing I require from you, Arthur, is your consent."
She looks at me from across the table like I'm some sort of prize waiting to be claimed. My parents both look at me solemnly, internally hoping I choose family. This could be the most impactful decision of my life here.
* * *
Clara Holliday POV, 4 hours earlier...
Man, it's way too early in the morning to be doing this. Such a hassle to go all the way out here... dang it, why did Tom-Tom have to live so far away?!? I swear, the man is out to shatter my heart.
It doesn't help that there's not anywhere nice enough around here for me to stay, everything's so dingy and yucky! So I went through the hassle of going home, but then I have to go all the way back once the time's over! This sucks... it's not even physically exhausting, just tedious and inconvenient!
Ignoring my internal thoughts, I stay crouched in the tree and continue staring at the house.
What?
Can't a girl do a little bit of stalking? It's not like it's malicious or anything!
"Hoo, hoo..." An owl makes a noise next to me in the tree, making me flinch slightly.
My nice hair is all messy from the tree, but I've got a great view through Tom-Tom's window... as always. I watch him stand up from the bed naked, putting on pants. He puts his shirt on and walks out the door to start his mourning routine. I see Sandra stand up shortly after he leaves, ill-clothed as well... that wench. It should've been me! Not her!
I grumble slightly, blowing out a breath to move my hair out of my face. Any second now, Tom-Tom will walk out of that door and see me. Any second now...
I wait an awful-long time, but he doesn't exit the house. There's smoke coming out of the chimney, but no man coming out of the doorway. He must be staying home an making breakfast since it's such an important day... damn him for being perfect husband material!
The front door swings open. Finally, my savior has arrived-
Wait, no. That's just Arthur... wait, what is Arthur doing up this early? I've never seen him go out at 6 AM before and I've been watching this house for... a perfectly healthy amount of time.
Maybe if I go talk with him, I can plant some bias into his head... yeah, I'm so smart. I go to clamber off the tree, but find a latch on my shoes stuck to the branch, which causes me to fall straight down to the ground.
"Oh, wait, fu-" I impact the ground in very short time, although it's not painful. I'm S rank, I would be more concerned if this did hurt.
Arthur, the kind (and easily manipulated) soul he is, runs over to me and crouches down.
"Are you hurt?" He asks, taking my hand and beginning to inspect for injuries or scratches.
My, the charm must run in the family. Wait, what am I thinking? He's 15 for gods sake!
"Yes, of course. A fall from such a minimal height can't do any harm to me," I say, clearing my throat and standing in an attempt to appear composed. I take my hand away from his, trying to appear not at all flustered. This can't be my first impression on the boy... he'll never think I'm cool! "I was just testing to see if goodness was in your nature, obviously!"
I'm attempting (and failing) to play it off as a purposeful action. He's just a naive kid, he'll probably believe it. I cross my arms and close my eyes, looking upwards in order to seem dignified and regal.
"You passed, by the way," I add on, sticking with the narrative of a test. Maybe if I tell him he passed, it will give him enough pride to ignore the fact that I very clearly did not intend to fall.
"Oh, uhmm... thanks, I guess," Arthur responds, taking a precautionary step back as if I'm a hazard to all those around me.
'Thanks, I guess'?!? Oh gods, don't tell me I came off as a wierdo! Dear god, anything but that!
"You're welcome," I say, making the situation even worse for myself. I have to leave before I say anything else stupid. "Now, I'll be back in 2 hours. Make sure you, your mother and your father are all there."
"But... who even are you?"
I start walking away before he can question any further. I'm going to go cry about this in the woods for 2 hours.
* * *
Arthur Ishviel POV, current time...
I'm being stared down by Mom, Dad and Clara. It's intimidating, honestly. I look into Mom's eyes, then Dad's, and finally into Clara's.
"So... I would be able to come back and visit, right?" I ask, wanting a way to make both sides happy.
At this, my father and Clara look surprised. I don't think either of them thought of that solution, Dad being too wrapped up in himself and Clara just... not being built for critical thinking.
"Oh, uhh... yeah!" Clara says, giving a thumbs up. From the hesitation, it's very obvious that she hadn't thought of it until I brought it up. "Spring break, Summer break, Winter Break, all of it."
This detail alone instantly makes the deal a lot more attractive to me. I'm not forever bound to her side, so that is very clearly a good thing. My father looks at me with his face stern as ever, as if he already knows what I've chosen.
"Then I've come to my decision," I say, attempting not to look at the crestfallen expression of my mother nor the disappointed look of my father. I know that I'm not doing what they want, but I'm doing what I consider best for me. "I'll go with Ms. Holliday and be her student. I can still send letters home and visit, so it's not like I'm gone forever."
Clara nods as if she only half expected this, while my father just sighs. My mother takes a sip from her cup which contains... water, for once. I guess she wanted to be sober for this.
"I'll give you a day to pack your bags and say goodbye then," Clara says, flashing a smug smile towards my father as if she won.
She's probably hoping to use me as leverage, because I can't see any reason why I would be a better student than anyone else. I can't use a sword and I haven't even tried to use my mana for magic yet.
* * *
Today's the day I leave the nest. It hasn't been all that long since I met my parents, but I still feel guilty for leaving them like this. I have a bag on my back with some clothes in it, my sword at my waist like it usually is.
I look in the mirror one last time for good luck. I look far better now than my first day as Arthur. My face isn't sunken in or dull grey, my body isn't skinny to the point of malnutrition and I just overall look better. Something catches my eye for a moment, but I dismiss it a few seconds later. I probably just have naturally pointy ears.
I look around the room and at the desk. The journal in the second drawer is in my bag now, likely not coming back for a long time. I've almost inherited who Arthur was naturally, but I'm nowhere near the boys pacifism.
Exiting the room, I take the time to look through the house and memorize as much as I can before I leave. This place is all the original Arthur ever really got to see, so I'll make sure to see as much of the world as I can.
Descending down the stairs, Mom and Dad are already waiting to send me off. I can see Clara waiting outside the window, peering in at my father. She's an oddball, that's for sure.
My mother wipes her eyes and walks over to me, giving me a hug. She's doing her best to appear strong, but she's not ready for me to leave after all this time I've spent here.
"Just know that we love you, and that you will always have a place in this home, Arthur," She says, patting my back and wiping her tears again. My father hugs her to calm her before extending his hand to mine for a handshake. I accept and shake his hand.
"You are my son, just like I am my father's son. Many years ago, I had the same choice to make as you. I'm happy that you chose for yourself, Arthur, even if it means we don't get to see you," He says, seeming to understand me better than I thought. He's not happy that I'm leaving, but happy that it was my choice. "Be careful around Holliday, okay? She can be reckless sometimes, and... scary."
Scary? That's... weird to only mention at the last second. Whatever, I already made my choice.
"Of course, Dad," I say, letting go of his hand. I finally find the courage to say the words I've been lacking ever since I came here. "Mom, Dad... I love you guys."