Ayaka had only grown stronger, more mature, and more beautiful as the years had gone on. There wasn’t a soul out there who wasn’t jealous of our betrothal. In fact, some, like Ragna, had acted on that jealousy over the years and blatantly hit on her anyway.
But Ayaka had never entertained any of their approaches and continued to stay by my side with the same smile as always. More than a few times, I’d had to hold myself back from shouting with joy that I was so lucky to have such a woman in my life. In fact, one of the main reasons I’d wanted to get stronger was to become a man worthy of her. Truthfully, when my father had first announced my disownment, I’d held a faint hope that she might come with me.
But then Ayaka let out a long, tired sigh, and that hope of mine wavered.
“Ayaka?”
“I’ve been trying so hard all this time for Lady Shizuya’s sake, but I guess it was all for nothing, huh? If Lord Mitsurugi was going to disown you in the end, I wish he’d done it sooner so I wouldn’t have had to waste my time.”
“You think being with me was...a waste?”
“Tell me something, Sora. Were you by any chance thinking I might go with you?”
“Huh? N-No, well, I mean—”
“Based on that reaction, it looks like you were. Hee hee, I’d never do that.” Leaving absolutely no room for doubt or misunderstanding, Ayaka mercilessly sliced my hopes to pieces. “I’m destined to wed the heir of the Mitsurugi family. Now that you’ve been disowned, you’re no longer the heir. It’s true you’ve put in a great amount of effort over the years, and I don’t dislike that...but it doesn’t mean I’m interested in you.”
“What?!”
“I’m aware that what I’m saying is cruel, but it’s better for you to know the truth than to harbor any strange illusions about me holding a torch for you. Besides, you might misunderstand and think you can rely on my family once you leave here. But you can’t, and I want to make that clear.”
“W-Wait, Ayaka—”
“Sora, what I’ve been feeling for you all this time isn’t love. It’s sympathy...and now that you’ve been expelled from the family, probably disappointment as well. Sorry, but I could never love a man who can’t even beat me in a fight.”
I stared at her, stunned.
“I don’t know what your life will be like from now on. You’re a sore loser, so maybe you’re thinking you can join the ranks of the adventurers or perhaps become a soldier to prove yourself to the family and get your disownment reversed. But if I were you, I’d give up on pursuing the path of the sword entirely. Lord Mitsurugi isn’t the type of man to go back on a decision he’s already made, and above all, it’s a pipe dream to think you can make a living as a swordsman when you can’t even land a hit on a Dragon Fang Soldier. I suggest you forgo the sword and live a peaceful life somewhere else. I’m sure Lady Shizuya will understand.”
With pity in her eyes, Ayaka gave me one last farewell before turning and walking away. She didn’t hesitate once, nor did she even look back.
Some time afterward, I found myself standing on the island’s wharf, assaulted by the sea breeze and clutching a one-way ticket for a ferry to the main continent. Everything in between was such a haze that I couldn’t recall ever buying the ticket or making my way to the wharf.
A pair of siblings—a brother and a sister—were in front of me, looking mournful. The brother’s name was Gozu Shiima, and he had been my tutor since childhood. His huge, bearlike body and boorish face reflected his nature as a steadfast warrior. The sister’s name was Cecil Shiima, and she, too, had doted on me since he was little. Even now, I could recall trailing along behind her, crying out, “Big sis, big sis!” as vividly as if it were yesterday. She’d been something of a mother figure to me, especially after my real mother had passed away.
My heart swelled with hope. Even if Ayaka hadn’t been willing, the siblings would surely accompany me. I directed a pleading look to the two standing on the wharf. But that bubble once again burst when I heard their responses.
“Your performance at the trial was disappointing, to put it mildly. It appears I failed to draw the necessary power out of you, young master— No, Sora. It is truly regrettable. I do hope that you come across a mentor on the continent who is more suited to your skill level. Hm? What do I plan to do now, you ask? I serve Lord Mitsurugi, so naturally, I will defer to his orders. Do not worry about me, Sora; take care of yourself first and foremost. May you have a long and healthy life.”
“Here, I packed you a lunch so that you’ll have something to eat on the ferry to the continent. And please don’t worry; I’ll watch over Lady Shizuya’s grave for you. Oh, my plans from now on? W-Well...I didn’t tell you this because I didn’t want it to affect your results at the trial, but the other day, Lord Mitsurugi asked me to become his concubine, and, well, I plan to accept his offer...”
The warrior who’d been like a brother to me had earnestly wished for my success in the hereafter, and the woman who’d been like an older sister to me had blushed, announcing her intent to become my father’s mistress. Neither of them had even considered going with me to the continent.
As the siblings saw me off, I boarded the ferry and left Onigashima behind. Then, after waving at the ferry only two, maybe three times as it departed the wharf, the brother and sister turned away as though they had no real lingering attachment.
I stared at their backs for a long time, gripping one of my fists with my other hand. For some time now, my fist had been trembling. Perhaps I was mistaken for thinking their behavior had been cruel. Considering I’d been stripped of my position as heir, perhaps I should’ve been grateful they’d even bothered to come see me off. After all, no one else had. But even as I tried to rationalize it in my mind, I couldn’t keep my fist steady, nor could I stop the tears from streaming down my face.
One day, I’ll come back here, I thought. Once I was strong enough to hold my own, I’d be back. I’d return. Over and over again, I swore it in my heart. To the two siblings who’d walked away. To my younger brother, who’d driven me out of my home. To my fiancée, who’d announced our separation. And most of all, to my father, who hadn’t even said goodbye to his own son.
I never stopped repeating those words to myself.