The Second Strongest Has Returned

Chapter13

Friend

A word that commonly means someone who has been close for a long time, and can be referred to as ‘companion’, ‘comrade’, ‘buddy’, etc.

But what is certain.

Ariasphil rarely used the word “friend”. Not even with her former self, who had spent years with her.

[……]

Silence, a moment of 1-second silence followed. The Sage didn’t say a word, just continued staring.

[………]

Something beyond human disgust, a look of contempt and rejection was embedded in the Sage’s eyes.

[Do as you please.]

A firm tone.

She was momentarily taken aback by his tone.

[Do as you please. If you don’t want to die.]

A command used for an animal-like creature, Leo naturally turned his eyes forward due to such a tone.

“Why are you using formal language… why…?”

The girl in front of him didn’t seem like the cold, doll-like knight she usually was.

There was a dissonance in recognizing Ariasphil, whom Leo knew, to the extent that it was almost inharmonious.

“As I thought… am I not a friend…?”

“No! No! Wait a minute!”

“Again with the formal speech! As expected, you don’t like me…!”

She took a deep breath. She had to speak more slowly than a machine gun but faster than the wind.

“I don’t like…!”

“Wait, calm down! Ariasphil!”

The most urgent issue was the formal language. He didn’t know what the problem with formal language was, but it needed to be dealt with first.

“…Okay.”

As soon as she stopped using formal language, she calmed down. What? Had the hierarchy of respect in Reinhardt changed so drastically while she was in the interrogation room?

“…First, calm down and let’s talk slowly. Okay?”

“…Okay.”

Now that she seemed to understand, all he had to do was explain step by step.

“First, the reason I use formal language with you is because my rank is a squire.”

“…Can’t you use informal speech because you’re a squire?”

“Of course not! Look at the other squires you’ve met. Has anyone behaved casually or without respect?”

The answer was obvious. If such a crazy squire existed, they would immediately be expelled from their rank or even from life. This much explanation should make sense to Ariasphil…

“So?”

“…What?”

“So, what’s the connection?”

“What’s the connection? Of course, because I’m a squire, I have to use…”

She shook her head firmly and declared.

“You’re different.”

“…What? I mean, what?”

The sudden declaration made him slip back into formal speech. Fortunately, he quickly corrected himself, or she would have gotten angry again.

“You’re different.”

“No, what’s so different…”

“You’re different from those guys. You’re stronger. Cooler. More special.”

There was blind conviction in her eyes. If he had heard this in his past life, he might have been touched, but hearing it from a young girl… it was hard to describe.

“So you can use informal speech. At least to me, don’t use formal language.”

In the end, the conversation returned to square one. He really couldn’t understand why she was doing this. Shouldn’t she prefer formal language?

The Sage seemed to sigh and began rummaging through his pockets. Even though it was annoying to say such things, he still helped…

ㅗ

What came out of his pocket was a gesture that represented a mountain. Why hadn’t such a person fallen into hell?

If he were a demon, he would risk his life to prevent such an old man from entering hell. What crime did the people of the moderately bad purgatory commit?

‘I guess I have no choice but to handle this myself.’

Leo collected his thoughts. He clearly distinguished between what he shouldn’t do and what Ariasphil wanted. Once his thoughts were organized, Leo opened his mouth again.

“…Alright. I respect your opinion.”

First, he took a step back,

“Then…!”

“But I want my position to be respected too.”

He stated his position.

“…Your position…?”

“I’m also comfortable with informal speech. It’s familiar when talking to someone my age. But if I do that, I can’t remain a squire.”

“That’s fine. I’ll somehow…”

“I don’t want that.”

This wasn’t a prepared speech, but his true feelings.

“If you say a word… sure, I might get a rank better than a squire. But what’s the point? Who would recognize me staying by your side that way?”

There was no meaning in that. It was in the same context as when he gained the upper hand in the duel with Ariasphil after the regression.

“…That… that’s…”

“So, please wait a bit. Until I reach a position where it’s okay to use informal speech with you.”

“…Huh?”

But it should be okay to leave some room.

“I’m still a squire. But I don’t intend to settle for that.”

Because that had been his lifelong goal so far,

“I will keep rising. Until I can face you equally.”

Because it was an undeniable truth,

“So, please. Wait for me.”

He could say it without hesitation.

“…I… I see…!”

Whether his sincerity got through, Ariasphil seemed to understand.

“…But…! So…! So, Leona…!”

…Did she really understand? Why was she so tongue-tied? Why was her face so red?

“Uh…! S…! Sorry!! I have something to do, so I’ll be going!”

“Ah… take care. Miss Ariasphil.”

Anyway, the negotiation was successful, so it didn’t matter. Leo bowed respectfully to Ariasphil, who ran off in a hurry.

“Phew… at least it ended well.”

[…Leonardo.]

The old man, who had been passively observing without helping, seemed to have a headache and was pressing his temples with his fingers.

[…What the hell is wrong with you? Is your head the problem? Or is it your lower body? Huh?! Which one is it?!]

It should be in his pocket, but he had put it too deep… Ah, there it is.

ㅗ

Returning what was given was a matter of courtesy between a master and a disciple.

***

Her body felt hot. She had never felt this way before.

【So, please wait a bit. Until I reach a position where it’s okay to use informal speech with you.】

Her heart wasn’t just pounding. It was as if her heart was beating forcefully, like a pump forcibly injecting blood.

【I’m still a squire. But I don’t intend to settle for that.】

Each hot and passionate word resonated in her ears, her expression,

【So, please.】

And her heart.

【Wait for me.】

What would her face look like now?

There was no mirror, but what was certain.

‘…This expression, this expression…! I can’t let anyone…!’

She didn’t want to show this expression to anyone, especially not to Leonardo.

Her face, burning as if it had been set on fire, and trembling as if struck by lightning,

If she showed this flushed face, her heart would beat faster and her chest would burst.

Holding her chest, she began running through the mansion’s corridor.

Pak

“Ouch?!”

“Oh…?!”

At that moment, she collided with a man at the corner of the hallway.

“Is this…!”

The man looked at the girl he had collided with, intrigued. If he was lucky, this could lead to a fateful encounter.

A very rare and unlikely chance, perhaps.

“…Ah… Ah…”

Ariasphil, who had collided, lowered her head as much as possible to avoid showing her face. If she accidentally showed her face, it would be a lifelong joke.

“Ari? Why are you hiding your face~? Are you hurt so much that you don’t even want to show your face to your big brother~?”

That creepy tone, and the insane idea of referring to himself in the third person as “oppa,” there was only one person in the world who could express such madness.

That person was…

“…Oppa.”

Her brother, Rios Reinhardt.

“Oh~ That face, like a girl in love…”

The excitement in her heart cooled down. The fluttering feeling in her chest turned into deep annoyance.

That sly, narrow-eyed smile, the sneaky upturned corners of his mouth, and that petty tone, her face hardened with disdain.

“…Why does your face change so drastically in an instant?”

“…Who do you think is to blame.”

“Well, it must be because you’re too young to experience pure love. Your kind brother understands.”

She wanted to tell him to shut up, but she kept her mouth shut to maintain minimal decorum.

“…Why are you here?”

“Do I need a reason to come to my own house~?”

Shut up… no, she had to endure it.

“You’re supposed to come at least the week after next. Why are you here early?”

Perhaps because of her blunt question, Rios’s face darkened. Shadows formed on his face, and dark circles appeared under his eyes.

“The truth is… I heard Alfred collapsed, so I was worried… If Alfred dies… I…”

“Don’t lie. You already sent a telegram saying he was healthy. And you replied to it too.”

The acting didn’t work at all.

Giving up on acting, Rios smiled again.

“Caught me~”

At that moment, Ariasphil felt a deep-seated murderous intent rising within her.

“What I’m really curious about…”

Rios pulled out a newspaper he had prepared from his pocket.

“A 13-year-old boy becomes the joke killer.”

The newspaper, with pictures, printed an eternal humiliation in Leo’s history.

“It’s this joke killer that I’m curious about~! I ran here because I wanted to see him quickly.”

“…Leonardo?!”

Her cold face flushed again.

“…Huh?”

There was no way the eldest son of Reinhardt wouldn’t notice that reaction.

“…Hmm…”

Rios held up the newspaper.

“Oh?! Oh?!”

Then Ariasphil tilted her head to look at the newspaper.

He slowly turned his arm holding the newspaper.

“Oh…?! Ah…!”

Her gaze followed the newspaper.

And then he put it down again.

Along with the newspaper, her heart was put down as well.

“I understand.”

“…Suddenly, what?”

“This kind of… pure love, it’s not bad. It might even be good…”

Ariasphil’s expression soured again.

“Shut up.”

“…Reacting like that to pure love makes your brother sad.”

“If you’re going to talk nonsense…”

“Oh, look, there’s Leonardo!”

“Where!?”

She turned her head. But it was strange. Leonardo should be training in the training ground, which was in the complete opposite direction.

“Brother, where is Leonardo…”

When she turned back, her brother was already gone.

No, “he had already left” would be the correct expression.

At that moment, she chewed on the thought again.

Her brother was a bastard who deserved to be killed.

***

[Joke killer, since I’m pissed off, why don’t you tell a joke?]

‘…’

Ignore it. If I don’t think about it, nothing will happen.

[Show me the only killing technique permitted by the nation. Huh?]

“…”

Endure it. If I endure it, that old man will get tired someday.

[Heh… My name is Jok…]

I’m going to kill him. Somehow.

“Joke killer! You are the joke kill…!”

“Do you have a death wish?!”

Leo swung his sword at the Sage. But being a ghost, the sword missed and cut through the air.

“Whoa!!”

“…Huh?!”

There was a man beyond the ghost. With white hair and blue eyes, it was clear he carried the blood of this family.

“…That’s too much. If you’re going to kill someone, at least stick to the joke theme.”

That irritating content and the voice that felt like it was prodding with tweezers, there was only one person Leo knew who was like that.

“…Rios Reinhardt?”

“That’s right. The fact that the joke killer knows me means I haven’t lived my life in vain.”

Being called the joke killer made him suddenly feel like killing him to make him realize his life had been in vain. But he decided to hold back for now.

“…I apologize. I was very rude to you, Rios.”

“It’s okay~ I almost died, but it wasn’t a mortal sin.”

…Sigh…

A small sigh escaped inwardly.

[Are all the people of this era crazy? Or am I too outdated?]

Two faces passed by in his memory. The unique thing was that both carried the blood of the Reinhardt family.

[Yeah. Being crazy is better than being outdated.]

Leo sheathed his sword and looked at Rios.

“I’m really sorry, Rios.”

“…Hmm, you say you’re sorry.”

Ah, that smile like he had drunk some kind of garbage.

Rios always had that expression when he had a nasty thought.

“…Then tell me the joke you used when Alfred fainted~”

“Yes, I’ll tell you.”

“Really?!”

Fortunately, it wasn’t a difficult request.

[Hey, is this okay? Do you really intend to kill that old man?]

Without hesitation, Leo whispered the secret of the joke technique into Rios’s ear.

“Really…? That kind of talk really makes people faint?”

Rios looked at Leo skeptically through his squinting eyes.

“…I didn’t believe it either, but it happened.”

There was not a hint of falsehood in Leo’s eyes. Rios was convinced by his clear eyes.

“…I see.”

“Master Rios.”

Like a line from a proverb, Alfred, the subject of the story, walked over.

“Oh, perfect timing!! Alfred!!”

“I’m glad I came at a good time. Master.”

Rios cleared his throat and then opened his mouth.

“There are mosquitoes here and there~?”

“…”

Serious face.

“…Huh? Alfred?”

He had a serious face.

“…Why? Why that expression…”

The old butler had an unprecedented serious expression.

“…I apologize. I was wrong.”

“It’s good to hear that you’ve reflected, Master.”

“…Why is that…”

“Silence is the best way to make someone realize their shame, Master.”

The joke killer and the Sage, watching this situation, exchanged a conversation.

[…Why isn’t he laughing? That old man?]

[I know. But he laughed to death last time. It sounds the same to anyone.]

When the joke first succeeded, the people of the household tried their own jokes, each in their own way.

[But there’s no need to be so serious, right? He didn’t seem like such a cold old man.]

Rios Reinhardt.

He was…

[Judging by his looks, is he a scoundrel?]

Just an idiot.

The eldest son and an idiot.

He had a promising future as an idiot and would remain an idiot.

“Wait…”

But the fact that the eldest son, Rios, had come meant…

“The head of the family… is here.”

It meant that her father, Gladio Reinhardt, had also returned.