บท 42: Fleeting Glory

"..."

Sebastian slowly opened his eyes. He could only wryly smile at feeling his body's pain.

'How many times has this happened?'

To pass out and always be carried into a bed.

The ceiling was one he saw before but wasn't familiar with.

'I'm in the main estate...'

—Well done following my instructions.

"It could've gone better though."

—It was your fault for letting down your guard. A true Apprentice and an Apprentice beast don't have the same danger.

The potion that Balanos had given him was liquid that turned into gas that rapidly cooled anything it touched. After heating up Gilbert's armor to a certain degree with the fireball, the gas cooled it down rapidly. The material became brittle and Sebastian's black arrow pierced through both the armor and Gilbert's abdomen without any resistance.

If Gilbert hadn't worn armor, then Sebastian would've won near the start. The plan was to use the potion at the very start and then end it immediately. It was risky because there was a huge chance that Gilbert would dodge attacks instead of taking them on.

The only reason Sebastian won the duel was luck. They knew Gilbert's personality and predicted his plan of attack with that.

Sebastian tried to raise his body but found that it still hurt quite a bit and stopped. He raised his arms and saw bandages wrapped around them.

"..."

—I used my power to hide the stigma. I waited to inform you that I need to separate from you for a bit of time to regain my energy. No, it would be best if I separated from you completely for now. It'll only hinder your growth.

Sebastian didn't answer immediately and Balanos patiently waited.

"Thank you. I really mean it."

—It is my duty. You've seen the path to get stronger, just walk forward. If you ever need any help, head to my main body. I will always be there.

Balanos' voice slowly faded.

"Balanos?"

Sebastian called out but didn't receive an answer. It looked like she really had returned to her real body without so much as a warning.

How could he describe this feeling? It wasn't loneliness, but it was extremely similar. He felt like a part of him just disappeared. He could meet her whenever he wanted so he didn't have any reason to be sad. Melancholy?

"No, it's only natural. I've been with her for quite a while after all."

Sebastian muttered and used the stigma to suppress his wounds and sit up. He looked down on his covered hand and furrowed his brows.

"...Why isn't it filled up?"

Sebastian was able to tell how much energy was in the stigma with his continuous use. Normally, it would take half a day to get filled up or at least close to it but now, it didn't even have a fourth of what it should have.

He looked outside and saw that it was near noon. The duel was held at night. This meant that over half a day had passed.

There was no use thinking about something he couldn't solve. Sebastian stood up all the while numbing his body from the pain and walked to the door. Just as his hand was about to reach for the doorknob, the door opened.

"Y-young master?! You're awake!" A man who looked like one of the butlers exclaimed in surprise.

Sebastian didn't recognize him but he was familiar with the building, it was obvious that he worked for the House of Sol.

"Take me to father," Sebastian ordered.

The butler had a troubled expression on his face, "master is out at the moment. He told me to show you to the House of Luna's young miss if you woke up."

They didn't have to walk very far. Amy was eating in the dining room with Clarice. Although normally, a meal wouldn't be interrupted unless it was urgent, the butler had been specifically instructed that no matter what, they inform Amy and Clarice about Sebastian's awakening immediately.

"Mistress, Miss Amira."

The butler opened the door to the dining room and bowed his head.

Amy and Clarice turned their heads and stood up at almost the same time. The former even knocked her chair back and startled the servants standing around the room.

""Sebastian!""

The two of them called out and rushed towards him. Amy quickly wrapped her arms around him while Clarice hit him on the back of the head.

"Agh..."

When Amy, who was holding onto him tightly, and Clarice who had just hit him on the back of the head heard his pained groan, they moved back in a panic.

"Honey, where does it hurt?!"

'You shouldn't ask me where it hurts when you just hit my head...'

Sebastian inwardly retorted at his mother but pointed at his body.

Amy quickly raised his shirt and saw that although his wounds seemed fine on the outside, there was still some swelling.

"Miss... Didn't the doctor say his ribs were broken?"

"Ah..."

With a sudden realization, Amy had a blank expression and blinked twice. The pressure she put on him while hugging wasn't light.

As Sebastian expected, teardrops began forming at the corners of Amy's eyes as she asked, "a-are you okay...?"

Preparing to tease her, Sebastian was about to exaggerate and coax her into doing something but all of a sudden, a searing pain could be felt on his left hand. His expression changed multiple times in an instant and he quickly understood.

Sebastian put his hand over his chest and clenched it tightly.

"AGHHH...!"

He acted like the pain was coming from his chest, not his hand.

"Sebastian!"

"Honey!"

Clarice tried to lift him up in a panic while Amy stood by the side to watch. It wasn't wise to move him so quickly.

Fortunately, it didn't last very long and Sebastian got off with just sweating.

When it finished, he could feel the stigma begin to regain energy much faster than when he woke up. If Balanos were here, he could've just asked.

'No, she just left and I'm already relying on her again, this is no good.'

Sebastian shook his head and stood up under his mother and Amy's worried gazes.

"Was it because of me...?"

He quickly denied her worries and sat down at the table. The three of them conversed like usual. Until Sebastian asked a question he should've asked first, that is.

"By the way, what are you doing here? Even if you're worried about me, you should keep it in moderation."

Amy awkwardly scratched her cheek and turned her head away. She avoided any inquiries and looks from him with a red face.

Without having nobody else to turn to, Sebastian looked at Clarice who finished chewing the food in her mouth, "she's here to finalize your engagement."

"...the what?"

...

Sebastian walked through the halls of the school in a daze.

'It's not like I've skipped school recently but... how many times have I skipped school this year compared to my previous years?'

Only now did he realize that he didn't even try to study at all. Were his grades still alright? Tests were coming soon and he hadn't reviewed a single lesson he attended because he was busy training.

He passed through many students on the way to the library. And, unbeknownst to him, he became the talk of those he passed.

"He still has some bandages here and there, he really did fight with Gilbert..."

"That's all you know? He won! He revealed the power of the House of Sol in the last few minutes of the fight and broke through the Walt House's Fortress Armor!"

"Seriously?!"

It's not like they had to keep it a secret. If Sebastian weren't so deep in his thoughts, then he would've been able to hear them but at the moment, he didn't even notice that there were other people in the hallways.

'It still feels like a dream.'

He defeated Gilbert.

He reversed the public's view of him.

And, he had confirmed his relationship with Amy.

'You've seen the path to get stronger, just walk forward.'

At that moment, Sebastian thought of Balanos' words. It was true, he did know how to get stronger than he already was, but what was the point?

But then, he was reminded.

If he could reverse his situation in one night, then wouldn't the opposite be the same?

What if he lost all of what he gained today, tomorrow?

"I'd probably become a demon..."

Sebastian half-jokingly muttered.

Today was just another day. But, who's to say that he wouldn't lose everything today? Who's to say that he would be safe just because he defeated Gilbert once?

Sebastian was about to turn around to go back to training but stopped himself. He still had a duty to finish school, his parents were the ones who paid for it after all.

As Sebastian walked into the library, a male student, only a little bit taller than him, bumped into him and dropped his book.

"Ah, I'm sorry."

Sebastian apologized and picked up the book and the glasses the student wore.

"It's alright, I'm at fault as well."

The student bowed and walked out. Sebastian approached the shelves and began picking books to read.

"...Contact with target established."

The student who bumped into Sebastian muttered while adjusting his glasses.