144 – chromel(3)

Alphonse cannot forget the first day he left the mansion.

Alphonse kept the streets where people were roaming around and the noisy sounds of life heard here and there in his mind.

Although it may not be as beautiful as the scenery of the mansion he lived in, it was the first time Alphonse saw the world, so it was beautiful enough to carry in his heart. It was more meaningful because it was not the world that I had only heard about through writing and words, but that I had seen and confirmed it myself.

You cannot learn the world through writing and word of mouth, just as you cannot claim to know swordsmanship if you only learned swordsmanship through writing.

That’s what Alphonse realized on his first outing.

After that, going out was allowed, and Alphonse went out of the mansion quite frequently for a year.

Of course, an escort followed and the range of movement was limited to the inside of the territory, but that alone was a good experience for Alphonse at the time. There is nothing better than seeing and experiencing the difference between what you knew and what you did not know.

The curiosity of a young child who had lived in the mansion all his life was toward the world. As usual, where is the curiosity of a young child normal? Alphonse was no different. Rather, it can be said that they are stronger than the children who were outside.

The more he went through something new, the more he wanted more and more diverse experiences, and Alphonse satisfied his curiosity to the extent that he could.

Of course, as much as the name of a prestigious family named Krauss, Alphonse had a lot of scope to do.

At the top of the family, I tried to roll a little money,

He also briefly worked in the workshop of the dwarves, who had a legend that smelted the remains of dragons.

And it would be shocking if Damian heard about it, but Alphonse caught a monster alone while Damian went to Luden, so even if it’s only scratching the surface, it can be said that he went through experiences that are not common in his age.

Alphonse’s field of vision, which belonged to the smart side, was broader than that of most children. That’s enough to make you proud of yourself.

But it was only today that I realized that it was in the well.

‘Ken was right.’

Alphonse looked at Reinhardt, who was chatting with his older brother.

Reinhard Kromel.

The eldest son of Kromel, a master of swordsmanship, and a member of the golden generation that shines like his older brother.

At first, I was on guard because there was a face I didn’t know next to Hailey, but as soon as he felt my momentum, he immediately spewed air waves and pressed me. No matter how I tried to respond, I couldn’t release the air waves that were pressuring me from all sides.

The only way was to face it head-on, but at first I wondered how tight it would be, but later I realized that they were looking at me like a child. In fact, I was still young, so it wasn’t a wrong impression.

Is it really unreasonable?

A child who had only learned the name of the swordsman’s successor for a few years was no match for him.

While getting into trouble with Reinhardt, Alphonse caught a glimpse of his skills.

I don’t have the ability to completely screen the opponent’s skills yet, but I have an innate ‘feel’. I wanted to know a clearer difference through this ‘feeling’, which allowed me to know the difference that would not have been known originally.

And saw.

The infinite blue sky.

An endless blue expanse stretched out before Alphonse’s eyes.

Of course, this is not a real thing, it is just an impression Alphonse felt while watching Reinhardt. However, even if it was a simple impression, there were not many people who gave such a strong feeling, so I could see how unusual he was.

Seeing this, Alphonse’s world began to expand once more and at the same time he realized what mistakes he had made.

Seeing and judging the world with eyes that are not mine, this was clearly arrogance.

He regarded his father and older brother as heaven, and in fact, they were people who could not be called heaven.

In the empire, a prince who is in the position of one person but everyone has a weaker side than his older brother, and his father is one of the strongest among humans. That’s why I’ve thought of the world I’ve seen in the shadows of the two of you as everything.

He forgot that he was in the shadows because he was not the two of them.

At the very least, if he was to make his own judgment, he should have looked at it from his father’s and older brother’s point of view, but he was arrogant.

In fact, if you really want to know the world, you should have come out of the shadows early and looked at the world with the same gaze as the two of them, but it was your own fault for not being foolish.

After a certain amount of self-reflection, what was left for Alphonse was a new curiosity.

‘Which of the two is stronger?’

Both Damian and Reinhardt are far too strong to judge.

One is the older brother he respects and the greatest martial artist in the history of Krauss, acknowledged by his father, and the other is the best swordsman of the current empire, evaluated by the world.

It is a match-up that cannot help but be magnificent.

For them, the level of transcendence, which is what all martial artists in the world want, would be within reach with just a few steps. These were not Alphonse’s subjective judgments, but the words spoken directly by his father, who had already reached the top, so it must be true.

Unfortunately, they said they didn’t know the answer to this question, but it was also an answer that made Alphonse’s heart beat in its own way.

It was because the two of them acknowledging each other looked like the heroes in the legend that Alphonse was tired of reading. The main character of a wonderful and strong story always had a suitable opponent, so Alphonse saw Reinhardt as that opponent.

‘A rival recognized by my older brother!!’

Alphonse had no doubt that the two would inevitably collide at the Holy Spirit Festival, which was not far away.

Like the characters in the story, it must be destiny.

Thinking that the two would collide with all their might, Alphonse’s heart jumped violently. After all, Alphonse was still a child, a boy. Could there be anything more expected from a boy who has learned swordsmanship and martial arts?

Regardless of the outcome, the thought of seeing the match between the two with my own eyes made my heart race.

“What do you think our young master is having fun with?”

“Uh-nya-nanaaa-heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy…”

That’s what Alphonse thought as Hayley’s hand kneaded the ball.

***

“He’s a great kid.”

Reinhardt said as he looked at Alphonse struggling in Hailey’s arms. He didn’t hesitate to praise him, as if he really liked the fact that he had been brawling with himself for the first time.

Looking at it objectively, not through his older brother’s eyes, Alphonse was a child who could be called a genius.

In the original story, who would have solidified the succession of Krause, who suddenly disappeared and became confused. Even though he was not very old at the time, seeing that he made this possible, it is clear that Alphonse is also me.

“I always said genius. You didn’t see that as mere boasting, did you?”

“…..”

is this kid?

Seeing the words disappear again, I guess that’s right.

But maybe that wasn’t the only reason, Reinhardt seemed to be thinking about something for a while and then seemed to be talking to me. However, I thought I knew what it meant, so I opened my mouth before him.

“Don’t be quick to say it. We’ve never met each other and we’re still young.”

At my words, Reinhardt looked surprised as if he was on the right track.

Looks like you really liked it. The guy is trying to say all these things.

“…I didn’t expect you to say that.”

“A guy who hasn’t done anything with you is trying to bring up the story like that. I’m saying this because I’m an experienced person. Maybe Elena was like that, but being engaged isn’t all-powerful. I’m saying it’s not magic that turns you into a romantic relationship in one moment.”

When I was young, I could lightly say that I have a fiancé, but when it comes right in front of my nose, my head gets complicated in many ways. Even more so if it was not done voluntarily, but unwillingly.

Whether it is a love marriage or an arranged marriage, which of the two will make you happier? I don’t think there is a separate class, but in the case of Alphonse, I want to have my own love story without the interference of others. In any case, it is your life after all, so it is not for others to intervene. Whatever you decide for yourself, you will have no regrets later.

“It’s their lives anyway. Neither you nor I will interfere. If you meet today and agree, that will happen later, or you can just stay friends. Anyway, you don’t know right now. Regrets are as bad as being forced by others. There is nothing left.”

“That’s right.”

“And what else will Orcus say?”

“hahahaha…”

When the conversation came to an end, the guy pondered again to see if he had anything else to say and then asked me.

“Then, how about you, Damian? Are there times when you have regrets?”

me?

At Reinhardt’s question, I looked back at Elena, who was following me, and said,

“No way.”