“Sorry, Phi. Not only were you in danger, but we couldn’t even take it easy and eat in peace…”
“Don’t worry about it. You said it yourself, it’s their fault… Nevermind that, it’s really incredible how good you are with Blaster! Shooting a magic bullet when you haven’t even had it for a full day just shows how great you are!”
After that incident, they bought bread, and treated themselves to a late lunch away from others’ eyes in Yuugo’s current residence, a corner of the courtyard.
As the sides of cheering and being cheered flipped, Phi changed the subject by praising Yuugo about his duel earlier, with an excited tone.
Yuugo just smiled vaguely, not really understanding how great it was, but then asked something that was on his mind.
“Phi, is this armor really an old model? I get that it doesn’t offer perfect defense, but if it can beat someone using similar armor in one punch, isn’t it really good?”
“No. Armor types that cover the whole body are weak anyway, and Blaster is a mass-produced one that was developed decades ago.”
“Eh? Really? It’s so cool, and it feels like it offers so much protection. Why do people feel that way about it?”
Yuugo was surprised to hear that full armor types were weak, but got a proper answer when he asked.
“Yes, you’re right, full armor type magic items have defensive power, but… It’s by no means a drastic increase. Trained magic knight apprentices can improve their physical abilities through magic energy anyway, and can even create magic energy walls to defend themselves.
That’s not so different from wearing armor in terms of toughness, and it allows you to move more freely, so there really isn’t any need to wear heavy armor, right?”
“Yes, I guess you’re right… But development of magic items is still advancing, isn’t it? Then why not make a new armor type magic item that’s both made of tough metal and light?”
“You have to knead magic energy into metal to make it both tough and flexible, and then embed magic crystals to transmit magic energy through it… If you compare making a sword and an armor with this process, the former takes way less time and materials. It’s not suited for mass-production, and even if you were just making a one-off magic item, it would be better to make several at the same cost as that one.
And then there’s the difference in how useful they actually are. Blaster can infuse magic energy in the arms and legs, but has no features beyond that. If you have to use other magic items to attack, wearing the armor is kind of pointless, right?”
“…Thanks for the explanation, but I feel like I just got hit with a sad reality…”
“It’s not like full armor types are completely extinct. There are full armor types that have been passed down through noted families for generations.”
Henshin heroes were cool, but in a world where people could be strong without transforming, efficiency took precedence over coolness.
Yuugo’s heart was hurt by the reality that could not care less about his dreams, and threw another question at the little brother that was consoling him.
“Phi… Why are you so nice to me? I mean, I’m the most hated person in this academy, right? Why are you so good to me?”
“…Because I owe you. You might not remember because you lost your memory, but you were the first person to be nice to me in that house…”
It really hadn’t been long since Yuugo was reincarnated, but he felt all too well just how much he was hated by everyone around him.
It was like that in the dormitory, and he received a lot of verbal abuse during the duel as well. And while Marcos had his own problems, it was clear by his actions and words that he did not like him either.
Only Phi treated him dearly.
And after Yuugo directly asked the question that had been on his mind since the previous day, his little brother answered quietly.
“My body is weak, and I’m a bastard child. And since I was born without the talent to be a magic knight, I’m seen as a failure. Both mother and father treated me coldly because of it, and it made me think I was worthless too. But you changed that.”
“I did?”
“Yes. You told me that even if I don’t have the talent to be a magic knight, I do have the talent to be a researcher. You told me, the son of a concubine, that once you inherited the house, you’d make me your right-hand man. I was so happy to hear that… So happy to hear someone acknowledge me.
It’s because I have a goal, to be a proper right hand to you, that I’ve been working hard. That’s why I entered the Luminous academy. If it wasn’t for you, I would still be at home, holding my knees, without a place where I belonged. It’s because of you that I can be grateful to be alive.”
Yuugo looked directly at Phi, as he answered his question while reflecting on his circumstances and past.
What Yuugo saw in his eyes was unwavering trust and confidence, as Phi continued, with a smile on his face.
“You were cool. It was really cool how you said you absolutely wouldn’t lose, and then went out there and really won. I’ll always believe in you. That means you’ll always win, right? Even in this tough situation, even as people around you jeer you, you can’t lose, because I believe in you.”
“Phi…”
Yuugo gulped, as he was touched by his little brother saying that the gratitude from the past meant he would continue to believe in him, even as everyone around him called him the worst of scum.
He was strengthened by the eyes of his little brother, who believed he would not lose to that harsh situation and would carve out a new future for himself.
Yuugo smiled, pat his brother’s head, and spoke.
“Yes… Then I can’t be discouraged either. I’ll keep heading forward, to be a big brother you can be proud of.”
“I’m sure you’ll be. I guarantee it. You’re not the lowest of scum. You’re a hero to me…!
It had only been a day since Yuugo reincarnated in that world, and honestly, he had given no thought about what he was going to do there.
But… He wanted to match the expectations and meet the trust of little brother, who so innocently believed in him.
Even if he lost everything and had to start from zero, he believed he could get back up. Yuugo pat his brother’s head gently again, and smiled.
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