Longing for the Stars - Chapter 1

Is the man standing before me really the same person I’ve spent the last eight years with?

His kind eyes are wavering, filled with a painful light. And yet, his expression is so sweet it almost gives me heartburn just looking at it.

I’m not good at dealing with that face, or the way he looks at me. It makes me lose my sense of what to do.

“…Wh-When did you…?”

I forced my lips open—lips that felt as if they were sewn shut—and let out a voice that was embarrassingly thin and raspy. At the sound, the corners of the man’s mouth curled up.

“From the very beginning. I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you.”

I believe it’s only natural for hard work to go unrewarded; in fact, I think that’s the norm. Even something as vague as “effort” probably has a set of tracks it’s supposed to follow. Only the people who can stay on those tracks correctly until the very end get to laugh in the true spotlight.

By “correctly,” I mean being born with everything: the right family name and natural talent.

Only people provided with the perfect environment can reach that stage. I’ve seen countless people try their hardest to prove that isn’t true, but one by one, they are burned by the brilliance of the “real thing” and fall off the tracks.

But those tracks aren’t the only way to live.

There are people who run one level below, or on a slightly different path—not directly in front of the sun, but still on a road that is bright enough.

Supporting someone with overwhelming talent and a perfect environment… I don’t like using the word “support,” but it’s probably the most fitting description.

Just as a stronger light creates a darker shadow, light stands out even more when the darkness is deep.

That is my position.

“Stop!!”

A low, sharp voice sliced through the air at the exact moment my back slammed into the ground.

The oxygen in my lungs felt compressed, leaving me no time to groan in pain before a practice sword was thrust into the dirt right next to my face. The blade was blunt, but it was sturdy enough to break a bone if someone swung it with serious intent.

“You okay? Can you stand?”

In my field of vision, I saw the sun shining from directly above, a frustratingly blue sky, short black hair that looked as stiff as his willpower, and a man blinking his large golden eyes at me. Unlike me, broken and covered in dirt—he wasn’t even out of breath.

“…I can stand. So, hurry up and move.”

“Oh, really? I went pretty hard, so I thought I might have hurt you, but you’re as tough as I thought.”

“……Are you mocking me?”

“Hmm? Did you say something?”

“Nothing. You’re too close. I told you to move.”

I had challenged him with everything I had, but this man had not.

I wanted to defeat him. From the moment I knew we had practical training today, I had come up with several plans specifically to counter him. If it became a contest of raw power; if he fell for even one of my traps; if he wasn’t going all out from the start. I had simulated every possible pattern and prepared perfectly, yet the result was a total defeat.

I had used every ounce of strength just to avoid direct hits from his attacks, while he handled my counterattacks without even changing his expression. No, that’s not right—his expression did change quite a bit. The feeling of “fun” was written all over his face.

That, too, made me angry.

“Stark, well done. Louvre, your performance goes without saying. The rest of you, follow their example and keep practicing.”

The man, Sirius Louvre, moved away with light steps. In contrast, I had to force my heavy, magic-depleted body to stand up, using my practice sword as a crutch. The moment both my feet touched the ground, I felt the weight of gravity. I seriously wondered if I was made of lead; right now, even my own body weight was painful.

I exhaled a thin breath and sheathed my sword. When I looked up at the sky, I felt a little dizzy.

“You’re looking pretty wobbly. Want me to carry you?”

“I’ll kill you.”

I was pressing my fingers against the inner corners of my eyes when I heard that carefree voice. I replied with the lowest, coldest tone I could muster, but the man next to me just brushed it off with a face and voice so bright it hurt to look at.

“It’s okay, I won’t lose!”

“……”

A vein popped in my temple.

It wasn’t just that he was confident in his victory; it was the look on his face that suggested losing wasn’t even an option to begin with. Combined with the frustration of my defeat, I felt a surge of murderous intent. I’m sure I wasn’t in the wrong for instinctively reaching for the wand at my waist.

“That’s enough. If you use even one spell, I’ll personally carry you to the infirmary.”

“I decline with all my heart.”

I had already shown enough of my pathetic side by losing. I couldn’t afford to make an even bigger fool of myself. I let go of my wand and quietly left the center of the training grounds.

We are in the Nebula territory, located along the border of the Purple Kingdom, at the soldier training grounds.

Even though it’s called a “soldier training ground,” everyone here is a graduate of the Royal Academy. Since we’ve spent years eating and sleeping under the same roof, my only real impression is that “the location has changed, but nothing else has.”

At age ten, a country-wide magic measurement is held. Any child found to have even a millimeter of magic is forced to enter the Royal Academy. There, they study magic suited to their specific abilities until they graduate at eighteen. Upon graduation, their jobs are already decided.

The people here now are all “specialists in attacking.” To be honest, only people with high combat ability are assigned to this place. This is the border—the front line if we are ever invaded from the outside.

I felt a little intimidated by the heavy responsibility of national defense, but the people assigned here seem to have muscles for brains. They were as happy as dogs meeting their masters to be on the front lines of battle.

Seeing that, my delicate heart was quite repulsed. But at the same time, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders, realizing I didn’t need to carry the burden so seriously.

Most people here, including the seniors, are hot-headed. That’s why a type like me is considered rare.

I’ll say it again: this place is full of muscle-brains. They are the type who believe “the best defense is a good offense.” But I am different.

I focus on gathering as much information as possible about the enemy and the terrain to end the fight with the least amount of effort. No matter how long the battle takes, I will spare no effort or action to secure a certain victory. I’ll do whatever is necessary.

This personality type barely exists in these remote lands.

“Wooooooooh! You gotta eat more meat if you wanna get big!”

“Eat your vegetables too, you idiots!”

“After lunch, it’s back to training, you bastards! We can’t lose to Sirius and Aldebaran!”

“After lunch, we’re doing a hundred laps! Move it!!”

“OHHHHHHHH!”

Eating is supposed to be a quiet activity.

That kind of etiquette was thrown into the trash a long time ago.

This place is a zoo. No, I once hoped and even prayed that it might be a bit quieter since we eat with our seniors. However, reality is cruel.

“The King Boar stir-fry is ready, boys!”

“WOOOOOOOO!”

It was practically a war cry.

At the sound of the chef’s thick voice from the kitchen, the muscle-brains reacted to the arrival of new meat with the cheers of excited monkeys. This included people other than my classmates. In other words, the seniors.

“Al! It’s King Boar! You want some? I’ll go get it!”

The man sitting next to me is, without exception, a muscle-brain. And I am already full.

Considering the afternoon training, I didn’t plan on eating any more, but I knew it was useless to say anything. The idiot who spoke to me was already heading for the kitchen. Knowing he would return in a few minutes with a plate piled high with stir-fry, I cleared my dishes before I could be forced to eat.

I tried to leave the cafeteria just like that, but—

“Al—?! Hey, has anyone seen Al? He was just here.”

“He’s calling for you, Stark.”

“Tch.”

Even among a crowd of muscle-brains, there are a few quiet people.

I was caught at the door by a senior who belonged to that rare species, and I let out an honest clicking sound with my tongue. After giving a cold look to the senior who was shaking with laughter, I reluctantly turned my attention toward the voice and was caught by those burning eyes.

“Found you! Al, come here.”

The sunlight-like strength of his gaze made me dizzy.

It was so bright I couldn’t help but frown as I took a step back into the noisy crowd.

“Don’t call me like I’m a cat or a dog.”

“Wahaha! Sorry!”

Despite saying that, Sirius kept beckoning me over. When I got to his side, he reached out to pat my head. I swiped his hand away and sat down in my old seat; Sirius sat down immediately after.

“……Are you really going to eat all of that now?”

On the table was a plate of stir-fry filled to the absolute limit. It was called “vegetable stir-fry,” but it was almost entirely meat. “Grilled meat with a side of greens” would have been a more accurate name.

“Eh, yeah. Wait, Al, are you not eating anymore?”

“I’ve had enough.”

“That’s why you always lose to me in power battles, you know?”

“Fine, I’m going back first.”

“Sorry, sorry, sorry! Don’t go!”

He apologized while stuffing his face with meat. I thought about how skillful he was to apologize while eating as I leaned my elbow on the table and rested my chin on the back of my hand.

“Don’t talk while you’re eating, moron.”

Once Sirius realized I wasn’t going to move, he narrowed his eyes happily and continued eating in silence, though at an incredible speed. The cafeteria was as noisy as ever, but it felt a little quieter because this man, who usually chirps like a bird, was finally silent.

I exhaled a short breath and looked away.

As I thought, I really hate this man, Sirius Louvre.