บท 31: Subordinate or...
Allen couldn't help to look at her eyes, pale blue-gray eyes with a distinctive mole underneath her left eye that were clouded with tears, her expression being one of sadness and suffering.
Just as the little girl lifted her sword, preparing to slash again, Allen's eyes shined brightly, the girls' image forging in his eyes. Her posture, movements, breath... everything was open to Allen.
"Her sword will rebound, leaving her hands." Allen whispered.
"Clank!" Just as Allen analyzed, the girl rebounded over the objective, losing her sword and falling to the ground.
However, the girl didn't stop, with a pained face, she took again the sword and stood up, preparing again to hit the target.
"You shouldn't continue like this" Seeing that nobody was going to act, the servants around avoiding looking at it and treating the girl as if she doesn't exist, Allen couldn't keep quiet, deciding to act himself.
"What?!" The girl turned to Allen with a surprised expression.
"You had reached your limit, you should stop and rest" Allen advised.
"What can you know about me?!" The little girl said angrily "I can still continue."
"What can I know?" Allen hummed approaching. "Your posture is lacking, your breath erratic showing signs of fatigue and your hands are full of blisters that would soon open causing injuries at your hand."
"Tha-!" The girl tried to defend "That's the things that anyone can simply tell looking at you. Let me go further."
"Your style or at least what you are learning is a still type, focusing over quick and swift lightning-like movements" Allen said thoughtfully "It seems a good style with a good foundation and history behind, having been tempered. Unfortunately, you are unable to produce it that well. Your strength and flexibility are lacking, and your movements too forced."
Allen turned over the scarecrow, touching the marks over it "You lack talent in it, but nevertheless you put the effort trying to surpass it."
The girl was a little shocked, unable to answer as everything that Allen said was correct.
"Did I say something wrong?" Allen asked even surprised by himself. When he fought against that bandit leader, he was able to see his style and somehow read his movements, but it ended there. Now, he was able to tell much more.
From her movements to what she was lacking and her past and training. And the most important, he was able to analyze the style, not blindly copying and it was clear that while the girl's style could have potential, she hadn't reached the point yet, having too many flaws.
'I can easily best her in a duel'
This all thanks to his training with Tomoki who had implanted combat knowledge to him, not only practical but even teorical.
Allen was surprised how much his talent had evolved with only one month, looking forward to his future tutelage under Tomoki.
"So you are looking down at my efforts as the others?" The girl said with a sad face and tears "Yes, a lack talent! What can I do? Should a simply abandon!?" She shouted with a mix of anger and sadness.
"I think that you got it wrong, I'm putting down your efforts" Allen answered, the little girl blinking at him "I know what is not to have talent and trying to seek an impossible dream. I would never laugh at that."
Yes, Allen now had his sword talent, but it wasn't long since he struggled, lacking everything while trying to save his sister.
"Between talent and effort, it's clear that effort is more important" Allen explained "Yes, you might be unable to beat someone more talented that put the same effort, but with enough, you can become good at it even if you are unable to be the best."
"So, what are you trying to say?" The girl asked, cleaning her tears with her clothes.
"I'm saying that the important is for what reason you put that effort" Allen explained "As I see it now, you sword is full of sadness and anger, as if longing for something already lost."
The girl's eyes went wide "You shouldn't continue like that or your sword will become one as such, a sword of sadness that will slowly devour you."
"What can I do?" She asked shyly.
"Seeing how much effort your putting, I'm sure that you have something to fight in the future, something worth fighting for it." Allen said "Fight for it, become strong to protect it. Don't forget the past, be thoughtful of it and respect it, but you shouldn't let it devour you. Focus on the future, on the bright future that you seek."
The little girl made a thoughtful face, thinking about the happy faces of her parents and brother, the happy moments together.
Suddenly, she fell to her knees "WAAAAHH!" She started crying uncontrollably.
"Wha-?!" Allen really didn't know how to act in this situation. He really lacked experience with children, keeping his hands away with a confused face.
"MOOOOOMMMMM!" She continued to cry even harder.
Then, she felt something wrapping around her body in a warm embrace "Ssss. You are a strong girl. Let it all go. Your mother would be proud of you."
"Wah?!" She slowly opened her cloud eyes, seeing Allen's bright purple eyes, full of care and warmth, Allen being the one that hugged her, feeling his warmth.
"Sniff, sniff!" The girl burrowed her head over Allen's chest, gripping his clothes tightly before crying a little more "T-thanks" The girl thanked shily seeing Allen's warm smile before she closed her eyes, the fatigue kicking up after her venting and falling asleep into his arms.
...
Inside the main building, Tomoki was guided inside a room by Thoma who quickly left him alone. Over the room, only one person stood lying over the big bed.
He had indigo-colored hair that seemed to have lost its shine and a sickly and pale face and light purple cloudy eyes, with only a little shine in them that seemed to flick into oblivion. All of it make clear that he was severely sick, at the end of the rope.
"Asahi-sama" Tomoki said solemnly.
"It's you Tomoki?" "Couff!" "Couff" The man coughed.
Seeing his state, Tomoki hurriedly went next to the bed, taking the man's hand "There's no need to push yourself."
"No, I know why did you come. Please, bring it to me. It's on the desk." Asahi said weakly.
Tomoki nodded, standing up and taking from the desk a pen and a stamp. Bringing it to Asahi along with his prepared parchment. Asahi took them and with difficulty firmed it, stamping the seal, a flower inside a hexagon.
"Thanks" Tomoki thanked truthfully.
"Tomoki, can you accept the last wish of a dying man?" Asahi said weakly.
"Don't say it like if you are already dead. You are a strong man, you will recuperate from this." Tomoki tried to cheer, but in truth, he didn't have much faith in it.
"I know my body the best and my end is near" He said weakly "I would have left far earlier with my dear wife if it weren't for my children."
"It's quite the irony. I spent most of my life working for the Kamisato Clan's honor and future, to keep the traditions, but now that my life is ending, it couldn't matter to me less. The only thing that I can think about is the time with family and worry about my son and daughter, lamenting all that time spent at work and all the wasted good moments."
"Please, Tomoki. Don't try to lie to me and yourself" He said with strong eyes "Can you accept my last request?"
"Yes, anything" Tomoki answered.
"I want you to protect my children" Asahi requested "It doesn't matter the future of the clan, they can abandon it, but I want for them to be alive and happy, for them being able to search for their dreams."
"I know that it's a great weight for someone so young as you, but since you return 3 years ago, I know that you changed and that you are being crushed by some strong fate."
"Mm! You sure are a horrible man" Tomoki hummed with a sad smile "Even knowing that, you ask me to protect them."
"Sorry for making it worse, but I don't want my children to end like that. I want them to be happy." Asahi with extreme difficulty stood his upper body, lowering his face towards Tomoki "You are the only one that I can trust with it. Please, protect them."
"Don't force yourself" Tomoki approached Asahi, letting him again rest over the bed "Don't worry, I will protect them."
"Thanks" Asahi said weakly making a big smile before closing his eyes asleep.
"Goodbye, Asahi-sama" Tomoki let go of his hand and left the room leaving a single tear behind.
Reaching the garden, Tomoki hid his sadness and searched for Allen, finding him again at the training ground talking with a little girl.
Seeing the conversation between them, Tomoki opted to wait for them to finish, letting it to the children and finally stepping forward once the girl fell asleep.
"It seems that you have made the poor girl cry, heartbreaker" Tomoki said with a teasing smile.
"You could have come earlier, Tomoki!" Allen complained while carefully keeping the girl in his arms, not wanting to wake her. "A little help would have been great."
"Thoma, could you bring her to her room" Tomoki turned to his side where Thoma stood with a warm and sad smile.
Thoma took the girl from Allen's arm into a princess carry, bringing her inside the room.
"You should try to become friends with Ayaka" Tomoki said to Allen "She is passing a very hard time, and could use a friend close to her age. And it would be also good for you."
"How can it be good for me?"
"If you didn't realize it yet, you are still a child. You should socialize and spend time with other children."
"I don't think that I have any need of it" Allen answered.
"Are you sure? How many friends do you have?" Tomoki asked lifting an eyebrow.
Allen stopped still, Ellen and Alina were the ones closest to him and one was his sister and the other had been more like a caretaker, also similar to a sister so they would not enter into the friend part. Aleksei or Pantalone were out of the question and the only possible friend should be Keqing and they only meet one day.
"See. You should try to make some friend" Tomoki grinned, knowing that he had won this little fight "That Pantalone had taught you didn't mean that you need to end broken like him."
"I will try" Allen said clenching his hands, not really liking Tomoki being right.
"Great. I'm sure that little Ayaka would be delighted" Tomoki smiled "It's already becoming dark, let's rest for today and continue tomorrow."
Then after walking a little to the north, they reached a little manor. It wasn't anything so grand as the previous estate or the castle, but it was big enough and comfy, giving a calm and warm environment, in the middle of nowhere.
"Master!" A middle-aged woman wearing servant clothes, bowed towards Tomoki.
"Honoka, we will spend the night here, prepared everything" Tomoki said to the servant. "Also, I will stay here for some time with Allen, be ready."
"What great news!" Honoka cheered "You shouldn't travel so much and stay more at home."
"Yes, yes" Tomoki answered at the reprimand as if he was already too much used.
"So this might be Allen. I will serve you my best" Honoka said.
"We will leave tomorrow morning, prepare a boat to Ritou" Honoka bowed one last time before leaving.
"So, this is your house. Not bad" Allen said.
"You need to have a place to return, try to find one" Tomoki advised. Then they had a light dinner prepared by Honoka before sleeping in different rooms.
...
The next day, they woke up, had breakfast and took the already waiting boat towards Ritou.
Ritou was a peninsula from Narukami island, joined with the main land by a thin path that sometimes disappeared in stormy days.
Reaching Ritou and looking at the burstling streets, Allen found a very familiar environment.
"This should be the main trading hub" Allen deducted. "It smells merchants."
"As expected from you" Tomoki nodded "Ritou is the central trade site under the Hiragi Clan that is in charge of the commerce with the other nations, bursting in money and materials. Even if it's not to the point of Liyue or you know where, it's quite prosperous."
"Yes" Allen nodded knowing that he was talking about Vladivostok.
Finally, they reached their destination, a big manor over the east cliff of the island. As the ones before, they were guided inside, but this time Tomoki didn't ask Allen to stay away and brought him in.
They entered a big office room with a man waiting for them. He was a man in his late fifties with gray short hair and bear and wore a polite smile, giving a good first impression, but for Allen it was kind of different.
'It's a merchant' Allen couldn't really tell what he was hiding behind the smile, but he was sure that it was fake, the typical merchant's smile.
They sat over two chairs and Tomoki took out a parchment with two firms in it.
"I see that you already have the other two signs so I shouldn't make it difficult" The man said looking attentively at the parchment.
"I would be grateful, Hiiragi-sama." Tomoki answered a little forced. It seemed that he was weak against the merchant type, Allen observed.
"But before it, could you explain his story and the reasons" The man asked Tomoki.
"Of course." Tomoki nodded "As you know, I left to travel over the world to grow and learn. In one of my travels, when I was over Sumeru, I was saved from dying by a poisonous plant by man. I spent some time with him and helped, trying to pay my benefactor and we became good friends before I returned to my travels."
"Unfortunately, two months ago, my friend died, leaving young Allen alone. In his last moments, he wrote me a letter, entrusting his son to me." Tomoki explained the already prepared story without many details.
"I don't think I'm up to such responsibility, but I can't negate my savior's last wish, so I will make whatever I can for Allen." Tomoki finished.
"I understand" The man nodded and firmed the parchment, stamping a seal, two doves forming a circle. "With this it's official" He turned to Allen "Welcome to Inazuma." Allen bowed his head.
"Thanks, Hiiragi-sama" Tomoki bowed a little, quickly taking the parchment and Allen and leaving the room.
When they were finally outside of the estate, Tomoki's rigid stance relaxed "I hate that guy" He sighed "But we at last have finished."
"So that was all about this travel around?" Allen asked "To obtain the Inazuma nationality and gain permission to live here?"
"Nationality?" Tomoki said confused before opening his eyes wide, understanding the confusion "Oh, no. It's not that. Obtaining the permit to live here would have been easy, a simple letter from me will be enough, not needing the three commissioners' firms."
"So what did you do?" Allen asked confused.
"You might not know but the Niwa clan is a noble clan and as such, it has a lot of bureaucracy any important change in it." Tomoki said, giving Allen the parchment.
Allen took the parchment and read it attentively, his eyes going wide as he discovered what it was about.
"This is-?" Finally reading it all, Allen turned towards Tomoki with his mouth opened in shock.
"Yes. Welcome to the family, my successor and little brother, Niwa Allen."
They were adoption papers!
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