I said that to him. But I couldn’t help myself.
Because, right now, I felt terribly uncomfortable with my father’s no-nonsense behavior as he desperately chased after me.
Besides…… I just remembered…
―― Well, you’re the type to grow slowly. Take your time and do your best.
Those are the words that he said.
To be frank, nothing irritated me more than those unreliable words.
“Earth… you…”
“Earth, you… what are you…”
My father and mother looked stunned by my question.
without looking back at those two, I continued to pester them…
“Of course, you’ve been working hard, too, haven’t you? You’ve had a hard time, haven’t you? You’ve been through a lot of pain during the war, haven’t you? There were some sad moments, but I’m sure you’ve overcome them too, haven’t you? I don’t know much about the past, but I think it must have been like that for you. I know that my father’s life wasn’t just easy victories. I also fought against the Six Supremacy, and I felt their overwhelming power, so my parents who fought against them must have been struggling… but…”
But I say.
“But, after all, my father can’t understand what I’m going through.”
“Earth!?”
“Does my father know how I feel? How for more than a decade I’ve been striving for a Magic Sword that didn’t suit me… my days of being neglected, being told that I was your son, or that I was still growing up every day… my feelings…”
“”Huh!?””
And my father and mother, who were stunned by my words, raised their voices in a panicked manner.
But……
“What?! Earth… what…… doesn’t suit you… that’s… such a thing…… uh…… Earth…… I…”
“…… Earth…”
“It didn’t! I didn’t have it! Even if I might have had qualities that were above normal… not enough for a Hero thoroughbred!”
That was also what I had blurted out when I fought Rebal in that Imperial match.
I guess they both remember that.
Choking on my words.
―― I don’t have the same talent as my father. Even if I imitate my father, I would spend my whole life and never catch up with him.
Because they had heard my words at that time, neither of them could deny it.
But that’s not the point.
“My father, who can see, feel and act on instinct and can do almost anything, doesn’t know why I can’t do that. That’s why you didn’t even understand what was happening with me.”
“Ah… Earth…”
Tre’ainar speaks of things in theory and reason.
―― For you a 【Magic Swordsman】… rather, Hiro’s fighting style is unsuitable. He is the type to focus a suicide attack on a single point without thinking ahead. He utilizes the firepower of his magic in the sword to the utmost in order to defeat his opponent. This is realized when the person possesses great muscle mass, a tremendous amount of magical power, endurance, and fortitude to resist a half-hearted counterattack. None of this applies to you.
That’s why……
―― You are Hiro’s son, but your inherent strength and magical power differ from your father’s. No matter how much you imitate Hiro, you can never surpass him.
As soon as we met, he saw that I was not suitable for the Magic Sword, and he also explained to me properly, “Why was it not suitable”.
Furthermore, in Cacretale, he explained to me the style I should aim for…
―― If a broad and shallow term like Jack of all Trades still concerns you, consider this. What you are aiming for is… to learn everything extensively and intimately…. to have Dexterous Affluence!
――…… ha… hahaha…
―― And… I … call those who show prominence in a single talent ‘specialists’, and those who excel in everything, ‘generalists’.
He explained everything step by step and convinced me.
“Father, and mother, what did see of me for over a decade? You didn’t know why I couldn’t do it, did you? No, you didn’t see that much of me in the first place, did you?”
“”Huh!?””
“Why couldn’t I beat Phianse or Rebal? Am I the type of person who grows slowly? But will I be able to do it someday? Because I’m the child of you two? Because I’m the Son of the Hero? With enough effort? Don’t make fun of people!”
At that moment, I could tell without looking back that they were both in shock.
Because they were both speechless, and my father’s magic hand of acceleration had stopped.
“But it doesn’t matter now. I don’t need to talk about it anymore. Because now… I’ve already… been rewarded…”
Yes, things had already paid off in the heavenly world.
For ten years, I’ve been working hard on something that didn’t suit me. But those days weren’t in vain.
It became the decisive factor in my victory over that Paripi.
My decade was connected to that moment.
That’s why I was rewarded.
Tre’ainar showed me that.
“And… now there’s someone by my side… looking at me… looking at Earth Lagann.”
Yes, right beside me right now was Tre’ainar, who understands me, who watches over me.
And then there’s Kron, who saw the fruits of my efforts and recognized me as me. So is Shinobu.
But I don’t want to talk about this to my father, who would never understand me.
Ah… I should have grown up a bit too… I didn’t mean to say this… but it seems like I still rebel against my father and mother like a kid.
But for now, I think it’s fine. So…..
“Prince, accelerate …… while you still can.”
“Wah, y, yes… very well…”
I patted the prince on the shoulder and told him to keep his distance from the two, who were probably in shock.
But……
“……is that…… right…… Earth. We…… we’re failures as parents… I didn’t see anything…”
“I know… we didn’t know anything… I didn’t even know what I didn’t know!”
I heard their voices again…
“”That’s why I won’t lose sight of you this time, I don’t want to make a mistake this time!!””
And then they lose sight of me while still stunned with shock… isn’t happened…
But, all the same.
I don’t feel like getting caught by the two of you right now.
No matter what you say, I can’t look back…
“Goddess! High Priestess! …… Older Brother!!”
“Huh!!??
In that, too unexpected voice… I shouldn’t have looked back at my parent’s cries… I turned around to that small, but loud cry…
“Eh? Ara? Th, that voice!?”
“Wha, what? Why is she…!”
Just as Kron, who should have been poised in this situation, was astonished, and Jamdi’el was equally surprised.
That’s right.
No way… that girl…
“Wait! Why? Where are you going? Why are you leaving!?”
That little girl… she poked her head out from between my father and mother, and her eyes were moist… ah…… shit…… darn it…… I….. why is she…!
“Oh… that shit father of mine… of all people…!”
I put my own stupidity on the shelf and unintentionally took it out on my father.
But I never thought she’d be here…
“Oh, ah… Earth! It’s Amae! Amae is…”
“Why is Amae with Hiro…?”
“Damn… the situation is just like…”
“Boy, who’s that pretty lass?”
“Hmm? It’s little Amae!”
It seems that my parents had landed in Cacretale, so they met Amae and the others there, and when they chased after me, she jumped on board like, “Amae too!”.
That stupid father must have said something like, “Right, come on!”.
But, I was going somewhere with Kron and Jamdi’el without saying anything to her…. I betrayed Amae, who was waiting for us to return… it’s my responsibility…
“Earth, what are you going to do? Amae… Amae is…”
Kron was also agape.
That’s right. Kron also fond of Amae.
Amae was also fond of Kron.
Amae like that…
“Wait~!!”
Desperately, she reached out to us… it’s natural to pull us back… I’d do the same, damnit!
But, but… now……
“Someday… definitely again… so, for now… now…… go ahead, Prince.”
Now I can’t let those tears stop me.
“Earth! But that’s… like this…”
“…… we have no choice. Lady Kron, right now we can’t afford to be caught by Hiro and his group…”
“Art thou sure? Boy?”
“Oh? Hey, are we going away?! Amae is crying! Hey!”
So… I’m sorry…… Amae…
“Uh… ah… Older… Brother…”
But…… someday surely —–
“Oh… l… ar… iar… liar!!
―――――eh!!??
“Liar, liar… liar…… you liaaaaaaaar!”
Pulled by that voice, I look back again and…
“You said you’d come back! I said we’d play a lot! You said! You said! Said! But… but… you liaaaaaaar!!”
Ah, damn it… come to think of it…… when I was younger… my father and mother were like that――――