Reign of the Seven Spellblades, Vol. 10 by Bokuto Uno and Ruria Miyuki

Author:Bokuto Uno and Ruria Miyuki [Uno, Bokuto and Miyuki, Ruria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Yen On
Published: 2024-01-23T00:00:00+00:00

Everything that needed to be said had been, and their comrades left the workshop. Only then did he let the mask fall away, turning immediately to the man beside him.

“Brother!”

Gwyn looked up from the documents he was collecting. A gruff sort of smile, but one filled with love.

“What’s wrong, Noll?”

“I—I hated doing that. Sorry.”

He finally let out the apology. His voice sounding far younger, putting the lie to his performance as their lord. The trembling lips spoke volumes to his inner strife.

“Using you as an excuse to change the subject…”

His voice rasped. He’d been cornered and made that choice consciously, his decision trampling on his cousin’s good will.

“I know why you suggested it—a lot of our members will graduate next year, and you don’t want me feeling left behind. That was your thinking? If Miligan becomes one of us, that’ll be someone else I can rely on. You put more stock in that than her contributions.”

Remorse was making him positively dizzy. How often had his cousin’s kindness saved him? It was saving him even now. He couldn’t put that into words—but neither could he bring himself to accept that proposal.

“I’m grateful for that, but…also scared. Maintaining clear divisions between my outer and inner circles has allowed me to get through this. Miligan and Katie are both on that side. If I pull them over to this one…”

Just the thought sent a shiver down his spine. The nature of that fear went beyond the impulse to keep his friends out of this. The Sword Roses and his other public friends were what kept him going. With their help, Oliver could stand up to the burdens weighing on him. He was terrified to even consider the consequences of losing any part of that.

“And adding Katie Aalto’s name only fanned that fear. Am I right?” Gwyn said, striking at the heart of the matter.

Oliver nodded listlessly. Gwyn put his hands on the boy’s shoulders.

“Keep your head up, Noll.”

That got Oliver’s eyes up, but gingerly. Anxiety and self-reproach glistened therein, plain for Gwyn to see. Oliver momentarily looked every bit as young as he had been when they first met—and so Gwyn gave the boy a hug. Cursing his inability to do anything to ease the turmoil within, any more than he had back then.

“If I’ll serve as an excuse, use me as one. Force anything on me you need to. There’s absolutely no need to fret about it or even think twice. The opportunity to ease your burden helps me. The burden is one I forced on you in the first place.”

“No, Brother, you never—”

He cut off Oliver’s protestations by burying the boy’s head in his chest. Convinced he could not bear to hear any words that followed. Instead, he spoke himself, trying to cover up his younger brother’s thoughts.

“Shannon and I are staying at Kimberly, studying souls and working as curse cleanup and consolation consultants. We won’t leave you on your own in this hellscape. But we won’t be students—and that adds distance.

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