“I just thought this suddenly but, don’t you think there’s a lot of mysteries about El?”

It was after school on a certain day when someone remarked that to the child in a nearby seat.

“Well, that’s right.”

The boy who was addressed stoped his hands from packing his things and after thinking for a while, he replied that.

“No one knows where he lives and what kind of person he is, too.”

Shuu, who was silent a while ago, suddenly joined in the conversation. Several others were also interested in the conversation so they gathered.

“The more I think about it, the more I feel like El is mysterious…”

When he finished saying that while standing, Shuu pulled a nearby seat and sat down.

Probably because he is an aristocrat, Shuu speaks in an adult-like manner compared to the kids around him. He is good at properly taking care of people so he also receives abundant trust from the people around him.

“I wonder if it’s a false name?”

“What do you mean?”

Rent began explaning to the child who appears to not understand what it meant.

“He doesn’t have a family name so it means he’s not an aristocrat, right? But I think El and I are similar. Having said that though, I don’t think he was lying when he said he doesn’t have a family name, too.”

“Well, now that you said that, doesn’t El have this unapproachable aura? I was confused when he first talked to me. I wonder if it’s because of his atmosphere?”

The people listening nodded their head in agreement. When Rent heard that, he realized he was not the only one who thought of that.

“His mannerisms, too. I think he received lessons like someone from the upper cla.s.ses. If he’s living ordinarily, it wouldn’t be like that. I saw the contents of El’s bag but, don’t all his belongings have excellent prices?”

What Shuu said was reasonable.

Matthias arranged all of El’s belongings, it’s impossible for the natural-born rich Matthias to possess something that’s only half-decent. After being re-trained on fas.h.i.+on by his mother, Matthias distressed for one week on what small articles he should choose for the bag.

El do not care about the what he carries, but Shuu is sensitive on perceiving that, as he is someone surrounded by excellent goods on a daily basis.

“The lunch he carries is also amazing.”

“Amazing?”

“How do I say this… it’s extravagant? He should be considerably fired up if it was made by his mother. But El doesn’t eat at all, only a small portion of it.”

Afterwards, stories on the mysterious aspects of El sprang up.

Meanwhile, the person in question who should have returned home, came back to the cla.s.sroom.

“Let’s follow El!” (Rent)

“Waa-?”

“When I asked El where he lives before, he said he doesn’t know. But is that possible? I’m sure he have some kind of secret. That’s why, let’s follow him quietly and confirm it.” (Rent)

The cla.s.s quiets down.

The seats are normally already vacated during this time after cla.s.ses, but a lot of students stayed because of the interesting talk today.

Even thought there are kids who did not actively partic.i.p.ated in the conversation, they also listened to everyone’s stories.

“Certainly, the fact that no one knows El’s house is strange.”

This time, everyone nodded at Shuu’s words.

All students in the academy live in the Imperial Capital.

Actually, the cases where they are already acquaintances before entering the academy is not unusual.

That being the case, if El moved recently, someone should surely know about it.

It’s unlikely that the intelligent and reliable El doesn’t know the address of his own house, Shuu thought. He must be concealing something.  Shuu was the most suspicious from the first time he saw El.

If he is an aristocrat’s son, it will surely become a rumor if he has such beautiful features.

Shuu never heard anything about what he is seeing right now.

If he doesn’t really have a family name, he may be an illegitimate child Shuu heard every about now and then.

His father doesn’t know, but Shuu is aware of the rumors among the servants.

That is why, he can understand it a little.

El underwent a medical treatment and was allowed into the academy, he must have a father with considerably high social position and generously used his money for him.

And then, the thing he is most anxious about. Silver hair… Only a handful of people can use magic, and as for the hair of most people, there are various colors intermingled with shades of brown or gray. However, he never saw silver hair. Hair color is a kind of measuring tool that indicates the quant.i.ty of magical power. There is a probability that El can only use a little magic, or none at all. It is fatal to be in a family with old history and not have magic power. If El is actually an aristocrat…

It was the worst pattern Shuu thought about.

This is because a rarely born child of an aristocrat with poor magical power is treated cruelly. The strength of the parent’s magical power influences it, so such thing is rare. Fortunately, there were few n.o.bles with such a prejudices in this cla.s.s, and he never heard anyone speak ill about El’s hair.

With different feelings from his cla.s.smates’ pure curiosity, Shuu decided to search for El’s secret and see for himself.

“This is the road to the town.”

Several boys and girls followed El’s back in secret.

In the Imperial Capital, high-ranking aristocrats’ neighborhood is off-limits for civilians, it is distinctly separated.

Since he walked along road that leads to the town, then El is not a high-ranking aristocrat.

“Doesn’t it smell good just now?”

A girl from the same cla.s.s tilts her head to one side.

From time to time, a fragrant smell rides on the wind lightly and brushed on everyone’s noses.

“It’s El’s.”

“This?”

“Didn’t you notice it?  El’s things and clothes have the same fragrance. ”

“I noticed it, too.”

Several of them who sits near El also agreed.

Shuu breathed the air again. His nose is filled with a sweet liquid that appeased his brain momentarily, then disappeared abruptly like a phantom. Only the refres.h.i.+ng fragrance remained.

“It’s true…”

His voice leaked out unconsciously…

“It is El-sama, after all!”

“What’s that ‘El-sama’?”

The girls made a commotion and started squealing *kyaakyaa~* so Rent mumbled a complaint as he asked that.

Though they are tailing El, it doesn’t seem like there’s any room for nervousness.

“His level is different from the boys in our cla.s.s. So I decided to place ‘-sama’!”

“Eeeh~ eeeh~”

The other girls got excited, seeming to be uninterested in answering Rent.

“Let’s leave the girls and run after El immediately. We’ll lose him if this goes on.”

Just as Shuu said, El’s figure became quite small and then turned at the corner.

Though they might know where he’s go because the entrance to the town is a straight road, it’s better not to take their eyes off of him.

Rent and Shuu quickened their steps to run after their other cla.s.smates.

Right then, some black shadow cut across their backs quickly when they turned the corner.

The people in this road should only be their companions who tailed El until a while ago.

“Stop following him. Do not concern yourself in this matter any further. This is a warning.”

“Eh…”

The instant they pa.s.sed by each other, the voice suddenly murmured that in their ears and made them hold their breath. Even if they look back, there isn’t a sign of a person anywhere. There is only the road which is surrounded by greenery on both sides. Still, the low voice that whispered towards the two of them still remained in their ears.

“Just now, what—?”

Rent tried to convince himself, but his voice trembled with fear.

“I don’t know… about investigating El…”

Rent noticed that the hand Shuu unconsciously used to grasped on him had become wet. Shuu was the type to remain composed and observe his surroundings. However, the incident a while ago made him tense and feel horror.

He began to sort out his head that had become confused, having no idea of anything.

Who was that guy and why did we not notice him at all until he pa.s.sed beside us? They both did not say anything to each other. Their cla.s.smates waves at them until they reached the both of them while running.

“Rent, Shuu! It’s bad! El disappeared!”

“What do you mean?”

The two of them thought that it’s impossible to lose sight of El if he was only walking.

“He should be at the stairs, but he disappeared when we turned at the corner. ”

“No way.”

They began running while saying that.

Even if it ran through the stone stairs to forget the fear from a while ago, and reached the town. The figure of El can’t be seen anywhere.

“That’s strange. Even if the El descended from the stairs, we should certainly find him here. ”

“Right!? He can’t just suddenly disappear!”

Since El can’t be found anywhere, they decided to give up looking for him.

They sat on the bench in the plaza and discussed with all the members who gathered.

“Either way…”

Shuu who was lost in thought while the conversations went on, started talking.

Let’s stop investigating El any further. I’m sure he has some circ.u.mstances he can’t say and that we cannot understand, he persuaded everyone.

He did not speak of the warning given to the two of them.

“Even if we do not know El’s house, he is still our friend. ”

Rent placed his arms at the back of his head and lied down the lawn on his back. His expression is hidden by the bright sunlight.

“I see. Let’s stop it before El hates us.”

The one who said that was the kid who mistakenly poured water on El.

“That’s right.”

That feeling is transmitted to the other children.

Even if they knew nothing at the moment, El already became familiar with the cla.s.s.

His sense of values is sometimes amusing and there is a problem with his scarce expression, but that El who is good in taking care of people is relied on by everyone.

The members who understood it decided to disperse.

Everyone already went home, but Rent and Shuu had not left the plaza yet.

The most important talk is not yet over.

“…I forgot. El very easily tamed that strange bird. That cannot be nothing. But I can’t understand it. That voice…”

Shuu begun to talk bit by bit. As if he’s looking for the real nature of the thing that hazily collected in his chest so far.

“I felt a chill. That was dangerous. I think it was right to not tell anyone about it.”

Rent sat down next to Shuu during that time. Though the remark before was Rent’s real feelings, it’s also true that he wanted to avert everyone’s awareness.

“That’s…right…”

There’s so much they don’t understand to confide to everybody.

They thought it was better to keep the warning from that unidentified person inside both of their minds.

They no longer thought about investigating.

“El looks fragile, he also looks weak in a fight. He’s kind, but being tricked by appearances is a painful experience. I wonder when I’ll learn about what El is hiding inside.”

He is expressionless, but he’s not particularly cold. I sometimes can’t predict his actions, but he seems happy being together with everyone, Shuu added with a voice that is somewhat refreshed.

“We’ll know because there’s still the middle school and high school, too. There maybe reasons why he needs to hide it.”

Rent knew that Shuu wishes to enter middle school and high school.

If they graduate from grade school, the dormitory life awaits for them.

Their talk moved on to El’s unusual behavior they saw just after he was admitted.

“I was worried about El at first when we did the test of courage with the cla.s.s. I think that’s dangerous.”

Shuu didn’t make cracks about it. Only a silence of affirmation. The ominous bird in the academy’s rear yard. Because it is very dangerous, brutal and agile, someone unskilled at magic wouldn’t be able to compete against it.

It is a difficult pet for the owner, but it must protected at the academy because it is said to be a First Generation animal.

He did not know who proposed it in spite of getting called to the office if they ever approached without a teacher, but it was popular in Rent’s former cla.s.s – the game of who can approach the strange bird as near as possible.

It is considered that the person who gets the closest is the most courageous.

Therefore, when a boy was admitted, it became natural for them to let him do it.

Meanwhile, the one who appeared is small and thin, they can hardly imagine El’s figure confronting that ominous bird.

Rather, it seems like he will fail to escape in time and will be eaten by the strange bird.

As a result of hesitating in letting El do the test of courage alone, they decided to let everyone do it over.

“n.o.body can possibly expect him to tame that ominous bird. Everyone ran away the moment it began to rage, I thought my heart was going to stop when he went alone.”

“Now that I think about it, he looked confident at that time.”

Rent thought that the reason why El ignored the advice to run at the edge was that he’s sure about winning over that strange bird.

” El didn’t only tame it but also commanded it, that’s too out of standard… For him to be weak in magic is ridiculous.”

That animal only obeys individuals that it instinctively recognizes to be stronger than itself.

The First Generation is a race from the ancient times and the beings and plants that belongs to it is now almost nonexistent.

It is said that they are beyond the category of the understanding of the general beings alive today, but Rent thought that the ominous bird behaved based on the strength it perceived from El.

Rent saw those eyes. El threatened to use that strange bird against Carl Vuels.h.i.+na. He did not hear the conversation, but he can imagine the contents of it. Most likely, he made rash remarks towards El. It’s difficult to think that an angry Carl will leave El just as it is.

There should have been an unusual economic problem in El’s family any time soon.

Rent became worried and pondered anxiously about it for a while.

He thought about El for a while, there was day when El  reported that the house was littered with fireworks, or there was also that time when the house was partly set on fire, and there’s also a day when El said that a kitchen had exploded when he returned home.

El had a serious look, as if it’s something natural.

Fire seems like a daily occurence in El’s house.

“I don’t know what it means…”

He cannot investigate it deeply, so he doesn’t know whether it was just El’s joke.

I’m sure I won’t understand it, he sighed, feeling something similar to resignation.

But it deepened his interest on El. It was at that moment when both Rent and Shuu thought of wanting to be together further with El.

The town leads to the Aristocrat District, commonly called as n.o.bles’ avenue. It’s wide and paved so that a carriage has a plenty of leeway, and several of them can pa.s.s by each other.

Separating from Shuu who returns to his house at that direction, Rent walked from the plaza towards his house.

“Rent! Is school over?”

While he wandered around the noisy shopping street, he heard a woman’s voice among the shops that lined along the road.

“Nee-chan! That’s right. I’m returning home now.”

The nearby older sister, whom he played together during childhood, waves a hand at him.

Rent calls her as ‘nee-chan’ affectionately. He ran and came near in order to speak to her after a long time. However, only this part of the street is strangely crowded, and Rent’s shoulder was. .h.i.t several times on the way.

“Good job for today.”

“Thank you. Why is it so crowded today?”

There’s no event in the shopping district particularly.

Rent thrust his hands on the stand, and leaned his body closer to ask.

“That’s because…”

The woman referred to as ‘nee-chan’ looked around the street as if to look for somebody then lowered her voice.

“I think he’s not here any more. What a pity. A while ago, an amazing kid came to our shop.”

Rent dropped eyes to the products on the stand where his hands are placed. Female ornaments are placed.

There are daily necessities sold inside the store but the pins and rubber bands marketed outside appears to be popular these days.

“What do you mean ‘amazing’?”

It has been emphasized by his nee-chan before that the designs differ, but everything looks same to Rent.

Still, the girls in his cla.s.s seems to have it, too, so there’s no doubt that they’re selling.

“I think it’s a child smaller than Rent… and he took out a medium-sized gold coin for payment!  My hand trembled when I received it. Dad collects all clan’s coins so when he pulled that out, I thought ‘it’s an emergency’!”

Her cheeks faintly blushed, she was also talkative more than usual, she was that much excited.

“Gold coin! I never saw someone shop with a coin like that! I want to see it, too!”

“Too bad. I already gave it to Dad for safe-keeping so it’s not here anymore.”

“Che, what!?”

Rent clicked his tongue in frustration.

“But why did a Young Master like him came to a shop like this? I didn’t see his bodyguard’s face… he may be a prince in some country.”

“No way, a prince will never come to this area.”

Rent waved his hands and said, ‘no way, no way,’ with an astonished look.

“Right.”

Among the royal family of the present King, there is the country’s First Princess Amalia-sama had already married a King from another country, then First Prince Ricardo-sama, Second Prince Sveri-sama who attends the academy, and Third Prince Tim-sama. Holding powerful abilities, they were existences above the clouds that everyone wishes to see even a glance.

Rent wants to enter the Knight Order.

His yearning towards the royal family is of course, high.

“By the way, did you pick up Torca-chan?

“Is it that time already?”

It seems like he played longer than usual.

He carried bis backpack on his back again and began to run to the destination while hearing words his nee-chan‘s reminder not to run too much.

The place Rent stopped in was the front of the church that was built properly to adapt itself to the town.

“Excuse me~”

He pa.s.sed through the familiar gate and said his greetings first at the deserted entrance.

“Rent-nii!”

“Ugh… agh…”

His groan leaked instinctively with the impact of the small ma.s.s strongly knocking against his abdomen.

“You’re late!”

“Sorry, sorry.”

Rent peels off his younger sister clinging to him, using one hand.

She clung to her older brother’s body while being peeled off, and that gave off a tearing sound. In addition, to express maximum anger, she puffed up her red cheeks until they bulged.

“Ara, Rent-kun came.”

“Sister, I’m sorry, thank you for today, too. We’re going home now.”

“Yes, yes. Bye then, Torca-chan.”

“I’ll come again~!”

The younger sister waved towards the Sister while saying ‘bye-bye’, Rent also bowed.

The Sister saw them off with a smile

“You know, today~”

Rent’s younger sister seems to intend to tell about the people she met today one by one.

Even if they go home, both their mother and father wouldn’t be there, yet.

So Rent always goes on behalf of his parents who are busy with work, and picks up his little sister. His young little sister cannot be left alone at home, so they leave her in the church near their house during the day.

“An then I saw an injured kid~!”

“Injured…? Where did you meet?”

“Uhmmm… in a slope…”

Torca, who started saying she found the child in the slope, suddenly had a panicked expression and covered her mouth with both hands.

The people who looks after Torca works at the church.

Rather, saying that Torca is allowed to play in the premises instead of looking after is more accurate. The Sister also takes care of her but she has no free time.

“Did you slipped out again?!”

Torca shook her head repeatedly to Rent’s question.

He grabbed her head and then crouched down, forcibly making eye contact with her. However, Torca still avoided eye contact. When she tells a lie, Torca always turns her eyes away. Rent was convinced that she met the child with injury by slipping out the church.

In the Imperial Capital, the vicinity of the church is relatively safe. Because they lived there for a long time, there are also a lot of residents who know Torca and him, too. Still she might meet someone dangerous if she wanders about.

Rent reminded Torca several times, doing it instead of his busy mother.

“I’m sorry! I’ll never do it again!”

Torca felt despondent when Rent just stared ahead with a grim expression.

It might be very boring. He understood Torca’s feelings, too.

The truth is, he was supposed to look after her. It is a fact that he feels responsible for leaving his young sister alone, as a result of him attending primary school.

“Can you promise not to do it ever again?”

“Yeah.”

“The I’ll forgive you today. So? Is the child with injury alright?”

“Blood flowed from his foot, he fell doooow~n”

“There’s still someone who gets injury from falling down these days?”

What a clumsy person, Rent laughed.

From what he heard the child is bigger than Torca, at an age where it’s not strange for him to be already attending the academy.

He realized that there are really various types of people in this world.

Among his cla.s.smates, there’s Shuu who’s a bit of a calculating type and there’s also Carl who can’t accept anyone that didn’t please him.

How about El?

He has a mature mind, but always goes of somewhere. He has a look of disinterest in everything, but that is not the truth. He’s often absentminded, but unexpectedly listen to Rent’s stories… it’s fun being together with him…

“Hey, Torca. Should I go to middle school? Or how about military academy?”

It’s not Torca’s concern, but Rent called out to her and asked that.

Their Mother works as a physician at the royal palace, and both the brother and sister who were brought up in a household with a military officer as a father, have no doubt about their future dreams.

For the elder brother Rent, to be a knight like his father and the younger sister Torca, to be a pharmacist like her mother.

Should he graduate from high school in the academy then become a military officer? There are two choices in entering the military academy.  His parents urged him to choose which he prefers the most. He must enter a dormitory, but the dormitory of the military academy is in the Imperial Capital so he can come back on holidays. But if he enters middle school, his little sister will become sad. He was troubled about it for a long time.

“If I’ll go away, will you dislike it?”

He’ll enter the army if Torca will ask him to stay. He wants to go to middle school. However, his grades are bad and he thinks that the military academy is more suitable for him.

“Not~at~all! If Rent-nii isn’t here I’ll have more sweets~ I~don’t~mind~at~all~!”

“How cruel…”

He let go of their clasp hands as the surroundings is previously crowded, and then pulled on Torca’s cheeks sideways. She retaliated and both of the children now had funny faces. Torca striked Rent’s arm, and struggled even when he let go.

“It hurts!!”

He released a Torca after rolling around. His little sister glared at him while rubbing her aching cheeks. It’s the usual spectacle.

Their Mother will return home during the night. Their father is on a duty away from the Imperial Capital but he had to report today, and so they at dinner together… As expected, abandoning this daily life… He, himself…

“That’s why, I’m saying, go attend middle school. Rent-nii, will you go together with your friends? You look happy these days.”

“Is… that so…”

Rent had his eyes wide opened with his little sister’s remark that hit the target. Though he spent his days at home like nothing’s different at all, his little sister seems to feel it.

“That’s right. You’re grinning when you come back. You always talk about school.”

“I see. Then I’ve decided!”

Rent’s heart had decided. In the first place, it’s not in his personality to worry about something. Didin’t the answer came out by itself?

“I’ll attend middle school.”

He’ll spend another two years carefully with his little sister and family.

If he admits it himself, the thought that he was worrying about it was a lie since the beginning.

“Hmmm. Then you better study.”

“I’ll study from tomorrow on!”

He took the hand of his younger sister, who nodded in satisfaction.

“Should we play today until mom comes back?”

He began running while inviting his little sister who gladly agreed.

Two long shadows is silhouetted on the road in the Imperial Capital.