I might be called a coward, but to put it bluntly, I just lack confidence.
'No one? You don’t have anyone you wouldn’t consider as a lover?'
'Like I said, no...'
'Good.'
Good?
She's relieved that I don't have feelings for anyone.
Could this be leading to...
'You know, Crow, I didn’t feel anything for you when we were at the military academy, but now it’s different. You found the hero, saved me when I was kidnapped, and solved the water shortage in my hometown. You even prevented Instructor Cattleya’s execution. You are an amazing man.'
'Ah, well, I guess.'
'It’s embarrassing for me to say this, but will you listen?'
Is this for real?
Even someone as dense as me can't misunderstand where this conversation is going...
'Marry Shion.'
I fell off my chair.
I had misunderstood.
Embarrassing as it is, I thought the most beautiful girl in my class was confessing to me.
Thinking, 'Oh no, what do I do!' – anyone would think the same!
Damn it. I'll never assume I'm being confessed to by a girl again.
'Huh? What are you talking about?'
I grumbled as I picked up the chair I'd fallen from and sat back down.
'Right now, Shion is in love with you. You’ve noticed, haven’t you?'
'Well, sort of.'
'It’s your chance. Marry her before she comes to her senses and starts looking at other men.'
'What!? What do you mean by that!? Are you saying her being in love with me means she’s not in her right mind!?'
'Wanting to marry you is obviously insane. It’s in terribly poor taste.'
'What the heck! That's too harsh, isn’t it?'
Sure, I don’t think highly of myself, but...
It’s infuriating to be told straight to my face that I’m not a decent man.
And Iris was dead serious.
'You were infamous among the girls at the military academy. The worst punishment imaginable was having to be your girlfriend.'
'...'
God.""Can I cry now?
'So, a girl who miraculously loves you, despite your general unpopularity with women, has appeared. You can’t miss this opportunity.'
'...'
It seems I didn't really understand Iris.
Unlike Instructor Cattleya, who's always ready to kill an enemy, or Saffron, who keeps saying she's bored to death, I thought Iris was the sensible one. But she's crazier than both of them.
'I didn’t want to get you and Shion married, actually. As a woman, I don’t want her to regret her marriage in the future.'
'What the hell…? I don’t even know where to start, but isn’t what you’re saying way too harsh?'
'That's how the world sees you. But I think you have what it takes to make Shion happy for a lifetime. You have a unique charm in your personality.'
'...'
No use.
The damage from her earlier comments is too great; nothing she says now feels good.
Even usually, I doubt I'd be happy being told I have a 'unique charm in my personality.'
'Recently, something has been bothering me.'
'What is it?'
'There’s a man who tutors Shion at home, right?'
'Platanus? Our senior who graduated as valedictorian?'
'Yes. Shion is alone with Platanus every day, studying.'
'Well, he's her tutor, so it makes sense.'
'Platanus wasn’t just a bookworm who graduated top of his class. He set records in both written and practical exams.'
'Wow. Truly a man of both letters and arms. An amazing senior.'
'Calling someone just good at studying a bookworm… You’re quite harsh too.'
'And he’s also handsome and tall and lean. You don’t have a single thing on him.'
'...'
'She starts berating me as if she just remembered.'
'I thought the days of being berated by Holly were gone.'
'You mean you want me to marry Shion before she falls for Platanus?'
'Exactly! You got it!'
'Anyone would get it!'
'Confess to her and marry her before she’s smitten with Platanus. There’s still time.'
'Do you realize how old Shion is?'
'She’s eleven, almost twelve.'
'Right. And I'm eighteen. What do you think of an eighteen-year-old guy confessing to an eleven-year-old girl?'
'It’s just on the edge of okay.'
'It’s not okay!'
'Then fire Platanus now, and make sure no other men come near Shion. Let only women take care of her. If needed, I can tutor her.'
'What kind of environment are you trying to raise Shion in! I’ll never let you be her tutor!'
'Huh? I graduated top of my class from the Royal Military Academy too. I might not be as good as Platanus, but I’m more than capable as a tutor.'
'You're not the type of person who can teach others!'
'How rude!'
'No, no, no! You’ve been far ruder! And the idea of raising Shion in an all-female environment is just scary! Totally off-putting!'
'I’m serious! You should get engaged to Shion right away!'
As Iris passhionately argued, pounding the table, I sighed.""‘...If Shion’s affections shift from me to Platanus, then so be it.’
‘Eh?’
‘Eventually, Shion will like someone other than me anyway. I already know that. No one falls for me.’
‘Who told you such a terrible thing?’
‘It was you!’
‘I didn’t say that. I just think that only a bit of a maniac would fall for you.’
‘Shut up! That’s the same thing!’
‘Have some confidence, Crow. I've been observing you closely lately. You are more charming than you think. Shion’s attraction to you isn’t misguided.’
‘I can’t be happy about such comments anymore! My heart is shredded!’
‘...Crow, this is serious now...’
‘Wasn’t it serious until now!?’
‘I’m worried about Shion.’
‘Huh?’
Iris leaned forward on the table, looking grave.
‘She's strong. Ridiculously strong. She can literally force anything with her power, right?’
‘Well, yeah, because she’s the hero.’
Compared to Shion, everyone else seems lesser, but I think all the people who hold the Holy Swords, like Iris or Instructor Cattleya, are the same.
Individuals whose power can sway the outcomes of wars and the fates of nations.
Shion is just the strongest among them.
The only ones who might be able to do something about the current Shion are maybe the Demon Lord who will resurrect in three and a half years.
‘What’s there to worry about Shion? She’s so strong.’
‘Don’t you see, being so close? Power always comes with a price.’
‘A price...? Wait, do Holy Swords have side effects when used?’
‘Not in that sense. The thing with power is, the stronger it is, the heavier the responsibility becomes. There are two types of people who suddenly gain great power.’
‘...’
‘Those who selfishly misuse their power and those who agonize over how to use it properly. I was the latter, but having people as strong as Prince Heath and Instructor Cattleya, who had been handling a saintly sword of the Holy Sword for much longer, was a huge relief.’
‘...?’
I’m sorry, but I have no idea what Iris is talking about.
The price of power?
Whether to misuse it or be troubled by how to use it?""From my perspective as someone powerless and inept, it seems like a luxurious problem to have.
I would have been happy if I were stronger.
Strong people have choices in how they live, but weak people don’t.
No matter if they are good or bad, weak people can’t defy those stronger than them.
Right or wrong doesn’t matter.
Might, intelligence, wealth, power, violence.
This world is a place where everyone strives to be above others by any means necessary.
The one certain thing in this world is that the strongest person can act more freely than anyone else.
I understand this well from being close to Shion.
The power to decide life and death over others.
Every person in the world desperately desires what Shion already possesses.
Why should anyone worry about such a being?
'...Crow, do you really not understand?'
'Understand what?'
'Shion’s situation is filled with nothing but overwhelming alienation.'
'What?'
Alienation?
Is it about feeling excluded by others?
'People who interact with her either want to use her power or are too scared and just watch from a distance. I think you're the only one who treats her as a fellow human being.'
'...Well, I'm pretty scared of her too...'
Ignoring my muttering,
'It's sad, but I can’t understand or alleviate Shion’s loneliness, not at my level. But you might be able to...'
Iris continued passhionately.