Arc 1: Kumoshima 2
1019 Words
CHAPTER 7
"You can rely on me? See you?! Hah! And now, he can't even remember me! It's just pure luck he passed by when we were being attacked!"
Nephrite munched the poor apple, bearing all his annoyance.
Master Xei will accompany him! It's like a date in different worlds! How lucky!
He smirked as he remembered those words he heard from Xei's female staff earlier.
He wondered if all the luck was spent on just that.
"Young Master, have you met the swordsman who helped us earlier during your stay at Kawahara?"
He almost dropped the apple, startled by the sudden cut of his train of thoughts.
He looked at the old man who was currently sitting on a large exposed tree root across him. It was one of their family’s attendants. He still did not know the background of all the people with him at the moment. After all the excitement, checking the plot again completely slipped out of his mind.
Cursing himself for forgetting something important, he carefully answered. "Yes, or so I thought, Uncle. Maybe he doesn't remember me or I mistook him for someone."
Recalling his current predicament, he threw a pebble lightly to ease a bit of annoyance. His eyes followed the pebble until it hit the wooden wheel of their wagon.
Two of the guards were currently repairing the wagon. He did not know if it was a part of their job, or they were a little ashamed for not being able to protect the goods, but they volunteered to do so. The third one was currently sitting beside the old man, his left arm wrapped in a bandage. He was injured from the attack, Nephrite had to give him first aid so it wouldn't get worse. The sixth person in their group was a young man, probably around eighteen, and currently sitting near the other side of Nephrite. He used the door cover like a picnic blanket to cover the ground as he sorts the fruits and vegetables from the wagon, separating the damaged ones from still profitable and putting them in different boxes. However, the number of damaged goods was already turning the young man's brows into one line.
The guards did well in protecting their group. Seven people including Yattsu attacked them, and most of them ended up injured. Even so, if Xei didn't arrive, it would be impossible to cut the battle short without everyone on their side turning to a casualty.
"Oh, is that so?" he laughed heartily. The old man's way of talking made Nephrite wonder if the other was actually close to the real owner of the vessel. He seemed quite lax despite calling him young master. "I apologize, Young Master, if I may offend you. But it seems like you were a young maiden who realized she received a broken egg."
Nephrite felt like his face flared in the heat of embarrassment.
Back in his real world, he was not good with idioms and other deep words but Nephrite understood. He laughed to masked his discomfort but he also can't retort. After all, he did act weird.
Why would he get mad if Xei had forgotten him? Shouldn't he get worried?
It then got dawned on him.
The professor warned them that they might encounter unexpected circumstances. Was this one of them? What if something wrong happened to him?
Nephrite didn't answer so the old man took it as confirmation. "Did that Young Master forget you? With that face?"
"Uncle, I think you were mistaken. He was just someone I bumped into in Kawahara and got acquainted with...I guess? I’m not sure. Plus, it is not like I could chase after him and ask some more?"
The old man slapped his hand on his own thigh, "What are you saying?! Are you thinking just because both of you are men, there would be no future between the two of you?"
Wait... What? Nephrite's face flushed red once again.
The guard beside him, who was drinking water at that moment, suddenly had a coughing fit. The old man tapped his back as he continued, "Are young people these days so easy to give up in the matters of love?"
"Uncle Shibata! What are you saying to our Young Master," it was the young man sorting veggies. "Stop putting things in his head."
"Why, Shiro? If it is the young master's preference, who are you to stop him?"
Nephrite didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He raised his hands, cutting their bickering, "Calm down, calm down. Let us rest peacefully," he said.
He must get acquainted with Kazuyuki. It was impossible he only mistook him as Xei. Yes, Nephrite had no way to confirm if the person was indeed his companion. But he can't ignore the strong feeling in his chest, silently telling him that was the right person.
With that in mind, he asked the old man, "Do you know which clan the Miyazuya family belongs to?"
The old man smirked at the teenager before turning to him, "I apologize, Young Master, but I am not quite familiar. However, I can look at it on your behalf."
"Thank you, Uncle Shibata," Nephrite can't slacked-off. He already wasted time mulling over nonsense. Thinking of this, he quickly added, "Oh, is it also possible to know where Miyazuya-sama usually frequented?"
“Young Master, why are you so interested in Young Master Kazuyuki?
It was the injured young man. Nephrite observed him. The other person did not look like a hard guard at all. Was he a relative? Nephrite wondered, But if I’m not mistaken, Keisuke only had his cousin as the next heir from their bloodline.
Either way, he gave the young man an answer, “Nothing in particular. He seemed capable, though,” he grinned.
Uncle Shibata turned towards the young man beside him, “Yes, Young Master Shier. You were also from Silver Rain.”
Shier nodded, “I know him but not to the extent of closeness. But Young Master Keisuke, I am sure you could find him in Silver Rain City.”
- Writer
