Amaku Yasashii Sekai de Ikiru ni wa Chapter 13

Amaku Yasas.h.i.+ Sekai de Ikiru Ni Wa – 13 POV Zeno Von Aghinis (Grandfather)

“…… I am also at fault for making that child feel pressured.”(Zeno)

“No, that is absolutely not tru-“(Jirba)

“There is no need to console me. My grandson was born 15 years ago. I have been watching him for 15 years and did not notice his pain. I have failed as a grandfather.” (Zeno)

“Supreme Commander” (Jirba)

I stopped Jirba’s words that were going to try to console me. Jirba looked at me with a very complicated expression and refrained from speaking.

Jirba is a spearmaster I have personally trained and taught. He is a man who rose to the position of the head of the spear unit in the kingdom’s army at the ripe age of 35. His full name is Jirba von Spiez. He is a person who is very much like his son in that he is a muscle brain and does not think too hard about complicated subjects, a straightforward and trustworthy man, able to pick up on the emotions of a person and quite good with a spear. 
His son, Jin, is also a child of the spear, and could use both Fire and Lighting magic at the young age of 15.

When my grandson strayed from his path, I always thought that I would have Jirba’s son, Jin, inherit the t.i.tle of [Hero of the Spear]. There was no doubt in my mind that my grandson, Doyle, was spoiled by his parents, Alan and Serena, and had started exhibiting domineering behaviours to his peers.  I thought that I could not let such a boy inherit the t.i.tle of Duke of Aghinis.

My feelings regarding this decision did not change even after I heard his oath during the entrance ceremony. Even if he had declared as such, there was a problem regarding the place of the declaration, and I could not forgive him for the five years of wasted time. I knew he had also apologized for that, but I still could not trust my own grandson at that stage. I was hoping to ask him about his determination when he came to the waiting room, but he did not come. I thought he was running away again. I had heard that Doyle would be partic.i.p.ating in the fights in academy selection, so I had planned on talking to him there.

To my incredible surprise, his highness Gray had invited me to sit next to him, and my grandson was to off with Jin in these fights. I slowly looked at his highness and saw that he had turned away from me. He seemed to have changed after his talk with Doyle following the entrance ceremony. He seemed to have returned to his former self when he was always playing with my grandson. I was pleased at this sight. I was also pleased at the match up his highness had planned; I thought that this would be a fine place to determine if he deserved the t.i.tle of [Hero of the spear].

However, this time, to my surprise, my grandson was going to fight with a sword instead of a spear. I thought he was running away again, but after hearing the conversation between the two, I felt I was looking at Alan when he was young: Doyle’s stance with a sword was giving off the same pressure his father did when he was young. Thus, I told myself I should witness this fight and see what my grandson was trying to tell everyone.

The match was over; Doyle had won against Jin without a single injury on his body.

Furthermore, the conversation between him and the healing unit was even more astonis.h.i.+ng than the match. 
Doyle was fighting Jin while holding back a lot of moves and skills. The techniques Doyle had used on Jin, the eyes of someone who was able to make such split-second decisions, and the ability to draw a person in, were not the form of the Doyle that I had seen the past five years.

While I was watching my grandson talk to the young man of the healing unit, I continued to be even more surprised.
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That young man is known as the Sage of Medicine in the academy and was even scouted by the royal palace before. I heard that he had declined their invitation in a very fierce way, and thus, many n.o.ble had started to tarnish him. But my grandson had easily gotten a position to negotiate with such a person in a short period of time.

Doyle, who was happily talking with that young man, started to look towards Jin, who had just woken up. It seemed like a pleasant conversation until the shouting.

Doyle had kicked away Jin’s invitation for a rematch, but the next words he said were the most surprising thing of all.

“I do not have any apt.i.tude! I have no apt.i.tude with the spear or stave!”(Doyle)

Fifteen years have gone by since that boy was born, but it felt like this was the first time I had ever heard him scream: that scream was like club hitting my head.

From the training we had done so far, I could say that Doyle’s skills with the spear were not bad.
This was my evaluation of Doyle’s technique and skill with the spear: not bad, but also not good.
If he fought the apprentice knights, they would instantly die.
If he fought the regular knights, those people would have significant trouble beating him.
However, being just that strong was not enough.

It was true that having that much skill with the spear would give you a promising future, but it was not enough to earn the t.i.tle of [Hero of the Spear].
When I was Doyle’s age, the kingdom was at war, and I had already earned my t.i.tles of [War G.o.d of the Spear] and [Hero of the Spear].
His father, Alan, had already been selected as a candidate for the [Hero of the Spear] at his age, and had already been given the name [Lighting Lancelot].

Doyle was excellent, but I have seen a lot of spearmen like Doyle in my lifetime. Also, when Doyle’s behavior went foul, I thought I should not allow him to inherit the t.i.tle of Duke of Aghinis.

I also thought that if he had not improved by the time of graduation, I would disown him with my own hands.

Right then, I felt like my face had been slapped several times and my heart, crushed by the confession Doyle made today. I remembered all these stupid thoughts I had forced onto him.

“Do you have any idea of how I felt when I learned that? My father and Grandfather are both [Heroes of the Spear], but my apt.i.tude for my Spear and Staff techniques are non-existent! It is not like I am not suited it for or have low skill…… I have none! Nothing at all! I have trained for ten years! Ten years! Even if I keep swinging for another ten years, I will still get nowhere. How can you, who has been given everything with the spear, ever understand my feelings or have the right to talk to me like that?!”(Doyle)

It was a club to my head with such an impact that I felt my brains were leaking out.
I could have thought about many other things, like when or where he found out about his apt.i.tude, but none of that mattered when I heard his words.

I had thought it was only natural.
Apt.i.tude is mostly genetic. For special things like healing magic, your ancestors must have it in order for you to obtain it. My son Alan obtained my apt.i.tude with the spear had inherited the t.i.tle [Hero of the Spear].

But because it was natural, I had also forgotten this important aspect: “mostly”.
Apt.i.tude does transfer parent to child, but only most of the time. Not all children obtain their parent’s skills. Sometimes they obtain their ancestors’ skills. Serena was one such case: she inherited her healing magic from a past ancestor.

In the first place, I was actually a mutant in my family.
The house I was born into was predominantly a family of water and wind magic. There were many who could handle even ice magic at a high level. But then I was born, a mutant who could use Fire magic; I was always given looks and strange glares each time in my family.

I could not take it anymore and departed from my family, which was an earl’s house.
I wandered for a long period of time, met a duke’s daughter and fell in love with her. 
I partic.i.p.ated in the war to obtain status to be eligible to marry her. 
I was given the name Duke Aghinis and married my love.

It was now that I remembered that my wife’s family was predominantly sword users. Through Doyle’s cries, I remembered that the love of my life was a swordswoman…….

I have no idea how my grandson must have felt, having to swing that spear for ten years. I….. no matter how much I apologize to him, it will not be enough.

“But now I am fully prepared to accept the name and live proudly with my head held high and my chest out front. I will make sure to not disappoint the name of the [Grandson of the Holy Lance], [Son of the Hero and Inheritor of the Holy Lance] and the [G.o.ddess Chosen Saint]; with these names on my back, I will live with pride.” (Doyle)

“Father, Mother….. No, Duke of Aghinis, d.u.c.h.ess of Aghinis, although right now I am worthless, I promise that in the near future, I will became a man who will bring glory and fame to the name of Aghinis throughout the entire world. I will catch up to the accomplishments of my grandfather and father and then surpa.s.s them. I thank you once more with all my heart. Thank you very much.” (Doyle)

Suddenly, I remembered Doyle’s oath at the ceremony.
I wonder, at that time, how much resolve did he need to say he would surpa.s.s both Alan and me?

I cannot even imagine it. Doyle may have, for the past five years, just been running away because of this face, hopelessly and aimlessly.

He must have thought that he could not tell anyone about this and kept it to himself.

And it was all my fault; I, and the surrounding people, forced him into this corner. Alan even had a hand in this because of me; we both thought it was natural for Doyle to be good with the spear.

“…….. haa….. I am gonna retire this year.”(Zeno)

“What!?”(Jirba)

“Well, we old fools can’t always look after this country. It is time for the young to stand up.”(Zeno)

“Please rethink this, Supreme commander!”(Jirba)

“Hmm, I think I am going to try and talk about this with Elva, Libro, and Celly?”(Zeno)

“Please do not do that. Are you planning on taking the Head of Medicine Development, the Pope, and the Chief of the Magician’s a.s.sociation with you in retirement?!”(Jirba)

My retirement has gotten me thinking that it was time for us to leave this stage. I stand up and think this is a brilliant idea on my part. 
My good friend Libro has also been saying lately that he can’t read the doc.u.ments as well as before. I think my other old friends will be glad and completely nod at my idea. 
I have to quickly get this business finished with and hand over the t.i.tle of Supreme Commander to someone else. I want to go look at Doyle’s swordsmans.h.i.+p closely. From just the fight, I can tell that his fighting ability is one of the highest I have ever seen. I have to quickly go and try to fight a round with my grandchild before this old body starts to rot.

Now that I have decided this, I have to hurry.
I have no idea how long my old bones will keep moving.

“Let go of me right this instant, Jirba!”(Zeno)

“No, absolutely not! Please think about what will happen to the country. It will go upside-down!”(Jirba)

“That will not happen! This is a change. This change will be welcomed by many in this country. The people must stop relying on us old fools and stand up with their own legs.”(Zeno)

“I completely understand what you are saying, and I also think this should happen, but not all at once! If the 4 heads of the country retire all at the same time, the country will fall apart! This will allow the neighboring countries to invade us!”(Jirba)

“That is also fine! By overcoming a problem, your bonds and skills as a nation will develop! There will be no problems!”(Zeno)

“No, there will be a huge problem! Please, someone help! No, please, this will the greatest incident since the establishment of the country!”(Jirba)

Jirba does not let go of my waist no matter how much I try. We are in a desperate struggle,  and while we are doing this, the other knights have started to come into the room.

Let go of me Jirba!

Slam!

“What is it?! Jirba!” (Knight)

Looking at Jirba, who had screamed and shouted for help, and then at me, who was struggling, is the deputy head of the spear unit. 
All the other heads of the other units also had arrived in the room after a short time. Jirba finally lets go of my waist and starts to talk to the other knights.

“Good thing all of you have arrived! The Supreme Commander plans to retire and wants to take the other heads with him!”(Jirba)

“What!”

“The Four G.o.ds!”

Jirba stands with the other knights, and all of them ready their weapons.

“I understand the feelings of you people very well!”(Zeno)  

I hold my flame spear and prepare to fight the knights. They do not seem afraid, but rather more serious and tense.

“Good, I have trained you guys very well. I wish I could have done the same for my grandson, but no matter. You guys are prepared, but I see some wavering; if you are going to fight me, then become resolved like my beloved grandchild has! I will win this for sure and retire. Then, I will spend time with my grandchild before these old bones stop working!”(Zeno)

As soon I finish saying my part, I beat down each one of my disciples, one by one.

Doyle, I am sorry, but it seems that it will be a while longer before I can say this line to you. However, I know I will definitely go and apologize for all the things I have done to you over the years. When that time comes, let us have a proper match with our proper weapons!

My Beloved Grandson!