Youngest 129

Episode 129

“Huh? Rubian?”

Sortier grabbed hold of me. The ferryman, who had been rowing, also looked at me in puzzlement.

“What’s wrong? Shall I turn the boat around?”

“Ah, n-no. It’s just that my stomach…”

I stammered, clutching my abdomen.

A burning pain flared along my back, then quickly subsided.

‘Damn it… Why now, of all times?’

I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes shut.

The pain vanished as quickly as it appeared, gone almost before I even registered it. Yet the sense of unease lingered, tainting everything.

The sensation of the Crest growing.

This was something I never wanted to know for the rest of my life.

“Rubian, you’re sweating…”

“I-I’m fine, Titi.”

Whew.

After taking a long, deep breath, I straightened up to see the worried face of the young girl before me.

“Guess I got a bit seasick.”

“R-really?”

“Yeah. Actually, it’s my first time on a boat like this.”

I managed a broad grin at Sortier.

“Mister Ferryman! P-please go slower. My friend is feeling seasick…”

“Ah, yes, of course.”

A short sigh escaped my lips.

‘Now it just happens whenever it wants, huh.’

After noticing the Crest growing once, I couldn’t ignore it anymore.

A surge of fear rushed in, so overwhelming that I suddenly wanted someone to simply pat my back and say it would be all right.

“Dad…”

Sniff.

Just thinking about him made me miss him.

Dad, Mom, Grandpa…

Honestly, meeting my older brothers earlier had made me a little happy. I’d almost wanted to throw it all aside, run to them, and beg for a piggyback ride.

“Missing your parents, Rubian?”

“Yeah. A little…”

“…Actually, me too.”

Sortier gently took my hand in hers.

We snuffled quietly as we gazed out at the tranquil lakeshore.

---

Meanwhile, after leaving the library, the two Zevert brothers were deep in thought, their expressions serious.

“Brother, we really can’t leave things like this, can we?”

Liam nodded coolly.

“Right. They said she arrived at the camp, but why haven’t we spotted our fairy yet? We need to start being proactive.”

Noticing the crooked ribbon tie around his younger brother’s neck, Liam carefully straightened it.

Void was a third-year in the elementary division, while Liam was a third-year in the middle division, so their ties were different colors.

“I thought it was odd we didn’t see her at the entrance ceremony, too.”

“Yeah… Hey, I have a hunch. What if Father did something fun with Ruby again and left us out on purpose?”

Void, jumping to a wild conclusion, fumed with frustration.

“Argh! I wanted to go so badly! That southern vacation!”

Because it overlapped with the Academy’s opening, the two had been unable to go together. It was something they’d long regret.

“So what should we do? Liam, you’re close with the professors. Why don’t you ask them?”

“Hm…”

“Oh, or just say you’re going to the University Division, and ask about Ruby while you’re at it!”

“Maybe I will…”

Liam considered it, a thoughtful look on his face.

He had held the top academic spot for six consecutive years, making him the prize all the professors vied for.

The University Division of the Academy you could enter after three years each of elementary, middle, and upper divisions.

Oddly, though, the University Division had no set graduation term. Some quit after a year, while others attended for a lifetime…

Liam always found that a mystery.

Just then, his gaze narrowed.

“Wait. Actually… there’s a faster way, isn’t there?”

He had spotted, at a distance, a head of golden hair darting about, scanning the area restlessly.

“Come to think of it, besides our fairy, there’s someone else who stands out here—someone just about her age.”

“Ah… You mean…”

Liam pushed up his glasses, silent.

Sensing his answer in that silence, Void grinned broadly, his eyes curving as he laughed. The brothers quickened their pace.

At that moment.

Khalid clicked his tongue with a disgruntled look.

He’d just been thrown out of the medical wing. Because of that overly dutiful librarian who had insisted on escorting him right to the clinic.

“Excuse me, Khalid? You’re so healthy and robust, it’s impressive—enough to make us hopeful for your future. Stop skipping and get back to class, now.”

‘…Ugh, what a hassle.’

The boy ran a hand through his hair with a stony face.

His steps toward the dormitory, where the class activities were held, felt heavy.

‘I wouldn’t even have come here if it weren’t for Ruby.’

He’d honestly expected to be in the same class as Rubian, so his disinterest only grew now that they weren’t.

“…Why aren’t I in your class?”

“Look at your face. You’re angry again.”

“I’m sulking. You never said anything.”

Rubian calmly explained with her usual earnest expression.

“There’s nothing we can do, Kal. We look too different in age from the outside.”

“We’re only two years apart, though.”

“In a child’s world, two years is a big difference. And right now I’m living as an eight-year-old.”

“So you’re saying… I’m just too old?”

said Khalid, aged twelve.

He added gloomily,

“I want to go home…”

“Hey! Relax, we’re both grumpy old souls at heart, remember? So it’s fine!”

“…Was that meant to make me feel better?”

Either way, for various reasons, Khalid found the Academy boring.

Of course, he had his reasons for coming.

‘I need to meet this Euliope.’

But since he still didn’t know who they were, he couldn’t act rashly.

Still, this place was infuriating.

In the dorm, his roommate and the other boys were persistently nosy, and outside, girls’ stares landed on him openly.

Khalid turned and took a deserted path. He’d already memorized the local geography, so it wasn’t a problem.

‘Might as well be up north, training in swordsmanship.’

There was hardly any tension here. It was so tranquil as to be slack.

Walking through such a place made him feel like a stranger.

Of course, it wasn’t just here—he felt that way everywhere.

He didn’t even know his own past, so sometimes he was a stranger to himself.

Could he ever put down roots anywhere?

He walked the narrow footpath, looking up at the sky. The deep blue autumn above reminded him of Rubian’s eyes.

‘But I hope… Ruby doesn’t feel the same.’

After all, she once told him her dream was to be a “normal child.”

She must have meant a life like this.

A place that was ordinary, peaceful, calm.

He just wanted this place to be somewhere she could feel comfortable and happy.

‘But in that case… am I not the one around her who stands out the most?’

Khalid quietly clenched his fist.

And then—

“Get him.”

Suddenly, darkness swept over his vision.

“What the…?!”

Before he could even speak, a hard hand clamped across his mouth. In an instant, his arms and legs were bound.

‘Wasn’t this supposed to be the most tranquil and slack place ever?!’

Out of habit, he read the assailants’ presences. Three in all.

“All right. Drag him down the back alley.”

A sinister voice gave the order. Khalid struggled as he was pulled into a shadowy back lane.

“…”

Khalid stared at the three boys before him with a look of utter irritation.

“From now on, you answer only yes or no to whatever I say. Understood?”

Assailant 1’s dark purple eyes drew close.

Khalid shook his head to loosen the handkerchief covering his nose and mouth.

It carried a pleasant scent… Clearly a carefully-chosen blindfold.

At least they knew what they were doing—his hands were tied behind the chair. Of course, with a little effort, he could probably slip free.

“Where’s my sister?”

Void Zevert glowered, trying to intimidate Khalid.

“…So that’s what you’re asking.”

“Hold on, Void.”

Then Assailant 2, the one with the sharp demeanor, interjected.

“I said yes or no answers only. What kind of question is that? Calm down.”

“Ah, right.”

“Move. I’ll handle the interrogation.”

Liam pushed up his glasses and stepped forward.

“You. Have you seen our family’s fairy? Yes or no.”

“Yes.”

Liam froze.

“You’re the only one who’s seen her, you cheeky brat.”

Liam made to put Khalid in a headlock, but Void hastily stopped him.

“Brother, brother, calm down!”

“Haha. Both of you…”

In the end, the one who burst out laughing was Assailant 3, Licht, who had been smiling quietly from the back.

“You really shouldn’t threaten people like that after a kidnapping.”

“This was a kidnapping…?”

Void’s jaw dropped.