A room mentally connected to me and the Jewel.
That was the dream it showed me.
The council room was the realistic dream-world.
I sat across from the First. The Third was also present today.
Present, but staying out of the conversation.
“You wanted to talk about Aria?”
“That’s it. How do you read her panic?”
I understood the panic.
She wanted to become a real adventurer fast, and was spinning her wheels. Unlike me, she clearly had drive.
I wanted to feel Growth soon too.
But as for how to live as an adventurer going forward — I was still stuck.
”…Spinning her wheels. I think she’d be better off settling down a bit.”
Frankly — I didn’t expect much of Aria as combat strength.
As a person she was capable, and her background was clear, so I could relax.
She wasn’t a danger to me or Novem.
“I want to resolve that part. Can I ask you to?”
”…Eh? Me?”
He’d asked. I crossed my arms.
She was a party member — fine in principle.
If I could resolve it neatly, I’d want to. But the Third was shaking his head at me — uh-oh.
The First, by contrast, was pleased I’d accepted.
“That’s the spirit! I can’t sit still if I don’t help Aria-chan — image of Lady Alice — through this either.”
I couldn’t quite see why Aria was so impatient.
We were in our period of accumulating ability under Zelphy. Pushing too hard and getting hurt defeated the purpose.
Our instruction period was limited.
(Should I genuinely try to extend Zelphy’s contract.)
I’d been thinking that.
“Right, then this is quick. Lyle, fight Aria. She uses her Gem, of course. You… no Skills.”
”…Eh?”
The First’s proposal. I was going to fight Aria.
◇
Inside the Jewel, after Lyle left—.
“Was that right?”
The Third, looking up at the First seated on the table.
He’d realized the First’s true intent in pitting them, but didn’t expect a clean result.
”…I’m not smart.”
The First. The Third nodded.
“Right.”
“At least disagree! You’re my GRANDSON!!”
The Third laughed at that.
The First and the Third had different temperaments, but to the First, the Third was his grandson. He softened on the Third more than the other heads.
The First, resigned, kept going.
“I’m not smart. This is the only kind of approach I think of. You lot can come up with much smarter ways.”
The Third laid out what he had in mind, flat and clean.
“For Aria-chan — gradually building her confidence. Use the Gem, contribute in combat, the rest of us praise and follow up. Of course, Lyle is so outsized he won’t notice the nuances. The fine detail I’d leave to Novem-chan.”
No one Grew instantly.
The Third’s vision was long-term — build the three’s relationship while the party took shape.
The other heads agreed.
The Second particularly disliked people unhappy with their assigned role, like Aria. He’d propose something even sterner.
“That’d be the right way. Build the relationship gradually and all three of them work out. The clever method is reliably correct.”
The First’s plan was: have Lyle and Aria fight, force them to understand what each lacked. The Third had read that.
For Aria — her actual lack of strength.
For Lyle — drive and will.
Make each understand they lacked something. Though the First and the other heads had been content to wait for Lyle’s drive to surface naturally.
But the First felt rushed; the Third had sat in to keep an eye on him.
“You don’t like the smart way?”
“I don’t. I know it’s the more successful way too. Took me a long time to figure that out.”
The First’s nature was bold and rough.
He had a surprising delicate side, but he was a man who’d led a pioneer corps to clear monster-territory forest and expand fields.
A normal person would have understood the difficulty up front and abandoned it — or prepared in proportion.
“Your way wraps cleanly. But — they end up entirely reliant on each other.”
“Relying on others for what you lack isn’t a bad thing. Granted, I’d like Lyle to show a bit more drive.”
The First gave the easygoing Third a flat look.
“Coming from you, there’s no weight.”
“Yeah~”
They laughed. The First’s face went serious.
A pure idiot would’ve gotten the pioneer corps eaten by monsters. The instinct-driven approach the First took, the Third was bad at.
But the Third also knew that approach was sometimes needed.
“Clash, and if it doesn’t work, fine. Her descendant — she won’t lose to Lyle in spirit, I think.”
”…Lyle can’t lose, you mean? Sure, he won’t lose.”
The ability gap was wide.
Aria was a noble’s daughter. She could use magic. The way she held a spear showed training as a martial-house daughter.
But against Lyle, she fell short.
She fell short even against Lyle, who hadn’t yet experienced Growth. Same as him, she lacked adventurer essentials — and worse, she didn’t understand herself.
She was thrashing without direction.
“Treatment we leave to Novem-chan. I think they need to crash into each other once. My way.”
“Punch each other and confirm friendship? Or — in this case, love? Lyle hasn’t accepted it yet.”
The Third looked amused.
Lyle, with Novem endorsing the harem, was funny to watch.
“That’s included. I want them to crash. Lyle isn’t seeing Aria. He needs to acknowledge her. He of all people, who knows what it feels like to be ignored — that bastard…”
The First sighed.
The Third had the impression the First was overlaying his own past on Lyle.
”…That’s about yourself, then?”
The First glared, but shook his head, took a breath.
“Maybe so.”
The two sat there a while, quietly thinking—.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Morning.
After breakfast, I asked Novem to fetch Zelphy.
To Aria, I said I have business with you.
(The First asked for it. May as well fight.)
I didn’t know the goal, but I could guess.
To make Aria aware of her actual ability, probably.
I went out to the yard and turned to Aria.
“You have the heirloom Gem on you, right?”
She tilted her head, then drew the red Gem on its chain from her chest.
“Of course. I keep it close so I don’t lose it. So what? Today we’re out subjugating, aren’t we? Why even call Zelphy?”
She was impatient — wanted to get ready and head out. From my angle, I wanted rest breaks and planned operations.
Forcing it and getting hurt was meaningless. Money wasn’t the problem right now.
”…When Novem and Zelphy get here, there’s an empty lot over there. Want to spar with me a bit?”
She looked confused.
“Why?! If you don’t like me, just say so!”
Apparently she thought I disliked her.
I hadn’t treated her coldly. Rough thing to assume.
“It’s not about liking. You have the Gem; you know how to activate it. So we need to test.”
When she heard Skill, her face stiffened.
The bandit boss came to mind.
Over-use had sprayed blood from his entire body. Muscle had split, blood came from eyes and mouth. Not a pleasant memory.
Potion had healed the wounds, but what about inside.
Skill misuse — the cost is heavy. Especially since you weren’t using your own manifested Skill but someone else’s — the burden was significant.
Using the ancestors’ Skills had taught me that.
Skills made by my own blood-connected ancestors were hard enough to use.
If you couldn’t moderate, you broke yourself like the boss had.
“Afraid?”
“I-I’m not afraid! If I use it I’ll definitely hurt you — that’s why I don’t want to!”
Hiding the fear. I almost said don’t worry.
I’d measured the ability gap; even with Skills, Aria was weaker than the boss.
Not because she was a woman — she just lacked experience overwhelmingly. Casual magic and spear training, against the bandit boss who’d fought monsters, were a tier behind.
“If it’s injury you’re worried about, Novem heals, and I’ll stop if it gets risky.”
Aria’s face changed. Visibly angry.
“What is that? You’re saying I’m not even a real opponent? You’re strong, fine. But you don’t know without doing it!”
She was committed now. I offered the match.
“Then when Novem and Zelphy arrive, let’s start. I can use a wooden sword.”
“Use your normal sabre! I’ve trained with the Skill too!”
Surprised me a little.
“You did.”
She didn’t like the comment and glared.
I couldn’t tell why. It had been a sincere observation.
“Mock me if you like. You’re the one who’ll get hurt!”
She turned away from me, big strides, and went off. I exhaled. I’d accepted the First’s request, but I was starting to wonder if this had been right.
As a party, I felt I was making a fatal mistake.
The Third, no one else around, spoke up.
His tone was exasperated.
“Lyle. Have you ever looked at your own face in the mirror?”
“What is that supposed to mean? I see it every morning when I wash.”
“That was sarcasm. Anyway — your attitude back there had problems.”
He said problems. I tilted my head.
The Fourth, low, irritated.
“That attitude to a girl is one thing — fighting her at all is also questionable. Plus, Lyle, you’re really dense. Or are you doing it on purpose?”
I didn’t follow.
What were the Third and Fourth getting at? I was fighting her so she’d realize her current ability, and feel what Skill use was like.
The Sixth, who rarely chimed in, wasn’t on my side this time.
“You don’t notice? Lyle, you…”
The Seventh, mildly accusing too.
“That attitude was indeed rude. But Lyle — I think you also need to examine yourself.”
Even the Sixth and the Seventh, who usually leaned my way, were saying I was wrong.
I was wondering what mistake I’d made when the Fifth weighed in.
“If you don’t notice, that’s that. You’re young; it can’t be helped. Come on, get yourself ready. And no magic. Skills off too.”
I told him that was my plan.
“I won’t. I don’t want to hurt her.”
”…Don’t want to hurt her, hm. Brave words.”
Even the Fifth sounded exasperated.
I went inside to prep. Sabre on the hip; spare on hand just in case.
Aria had already gone out. The house was empty.
In these moments, my old lonely life in the mansion came back to me.
“Quiet. Like back then.”
I looked around the room. Lately, the standard scene was Novem doing housework and Aria helping.
That had only started to feel normal recently. Before, having Aria around felt unsettled.
(A harem really isn’t for me. And this kind of thing — it’s not right.)
People’s calculations and the First’s request — that was why I’d taken Aria in.
Maybe that had been a mistake.
I had no particular feeling about Aria. I’d never actually thought about how I felt about her.
I stared blankly at the ceiling. Voices reached me.
Zelphy and Novem at the door.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
I went to the lot; Aria was already there.
Warm-up done, slightly damp with sweat. Focused. Her eyes on me had real will.
The area was being cleared for redevelopment; homes had been demolished, lots open.
In one of them, Aria with the red Gem on her neck and I faced off.
The sun wasn’t fully up.
(We’ll be done before noon.)
In my head, the match would wrap by noon. I’d planned it that way.
“Sure looking relaxed.”
She thought I was being smug. I’d lost focus; she came in on it. She was angry. No question, Aria was angry.
Watching this, Novem and Zelphy looked exasperated.
Yesterday they’d been exasperated with Aria; today, with me. Their eyes said say something.
“You should’ve told me yesterday if you were changing the schedule. I’m planning too. Mind, I follow my client. Not a complete waste either. But — Lyle, do you actually have your head in this?”
Zelphy. Beside her, Novem was the same.
“Lord Lyle, focus. It’s rude to Aria-san. You’ll injure her badly.”
Worried. I nodded and drew my sabre.
Aria readied her spear. Tension running high; her stance had wasted effort in it.
“I’m coming at you for real.”
She declared. I nodded.
“I’ll be careful not to hurt you.”
The next instant.
She stepped in long and thrust like she meant to skewer me.
The bandit boss’s Skill.
I half-stepped, knocked the spear with the pommel of the sabre. Her stance broke forward; I jumped back.
She caught herself on the ground, looked up, eyes wide. Then bit down, glared.
“Why aren’t you attacking?”
She got back up, reset her stance. I was the confused one.
“Eh? Well… it’d be over fast…”
Honest answer. Her face sharpened.
Looking at her face, my chest hurt suddenly.
(…What?)
She swung the spear, sent a slash. Less power, less edge than the boss’s; I dodged.
She pulled back from the big swing, breath ragged.
Force-using the Skill, badly burning stamina. She didn’t have the technique or strength for continuous use.
But sweating, breath ragged — she came at me anyway.
“Not yet!”
The spear glowed faintly. A simple thrust now. I parried with the sabre — different feel.
Hardening — also a Skill. She’d noticed the other two getting easily avoided and was switching.
What was left was strength augmentation. She wasn’t using it, by the feel — she hadn’t gotten used to it.
I dodged the thrust, closed the distance, grabbed the spear shaft with my left hand.
“Hngh!”
She struggled to pull away.
I was about to say match over. But the voice wouldn’t come.
(Why—)
I pushed her back and took distance. She glared at me.
“Acting so relaxed… if I’m so weak, finish it already!”
Breath ragged, frustration on her face, a tear ran down her cheek.
I understood what the ancestors had been trying to say.
(So — the way I’ve been treating Aria — has been the same way Ceres treated me.)
I’d located the source of the chest pain.
I understood what they’d been getting at.
Novem’s and Zelphy’s exasperation made sense.
Aria’s frustration made sense.
“I wasn’t looking at you.”
The image of Aria — frustrated, spear raised, crying — overlapped with my own former self.