Chapter 95 – Tea Time

Third person POV

Inside, Tanaka turned on the lights at the living room, revealing a traditional Japanese-style interior. The first floor was divided by sliding doors and thin walls, and the floor was covered with tatami mats. In addition to that, there are barely any furniture, except for tables and small bookshelves that are scattered across the two floors. There is a flight of stairs that is made of hardwood and had a lot of storage under it.

Robert and the others are very amazed by the house's unique interior.

"Wow, this house is so unique."

"The interior is so beautiful."

"I wished my house is like this."

Then, someone came from downstairs and greeted, "Welcome back home, Tanaka-kun." And that someone was Tanaka's uncle Tadashi Fukui Saberheart, who owned a business in Peacewood and the owner of the house.

Upon hearing that, Robert, Tanaka, and the others looked at him, and Tanaka greeted back, "I'm home."

"Woah, is that your friends over there?" Tadashi asked upon noticing Robert and the others.

Tanaka then glanced at them, before glancing back to his uncle. "Yes."

"You must be the owner of this house, right?" William asked in response.

"Yes, and I am Tadashi Fukui Saberheart," Tadashi replied with an introduction. "I am Tanaka's uncle."

While Robert couldn't respond because of being shocked by the Saberheart name, Harold responded, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Saberheart, I'm Harold Earthheart Jaune. I am a prince of Vanworth."

This really caused Tadashi to tremble a lot.

"I'm William Verde Demonheart," William added with an introduction. "I am the crowned prince of this kingdom."

And then, Tadashi, now knowing that William and Harold are from royal families, fell on his knees. "I'm sorry for not welcoming you two in our home! Welcome to my home!"

"Please, calm down, uncle!" Tanaka responded to this frantically.

"Please stand up, Tadashi-san," William said to Tadashi. "We're not expecting any formal welcoming in anyone's home."

"Yeah, we're good," Harold added.

Eventually, Tadashi looked at them. "Are you sure?"

William then smiled. "Yes, we're nice."

And so, Tadashi stand up and apologized for his profuse greeting.

Robert and the girls are puzzled with confusion, thinking simultaneously, "What is he?"

Not long after, at the living room, Tadashi and Tanaka are serving hot tea to Robert and the others as part of their home country's hospitality.

As Robert and the others sipped on their drink, Tadashi and Tanaka sat down, and Tadashi looked at Robert and asked, "So, you're a first-year, right?"

"Yes, and my name is Robert Lightningheart," Robert responded positively with an introduction, "of the Lightningheart and Windheart clans."

"And I'm Zarah Windheart," Zarah added. "and I am a princess of Saheda."

"I'm Peter Demonheart," Peter responded. "I am the student coordinator of Peacewood Magic Academy and librarian."

"I'm Emma Demonheart," Emma positively added. "I am Peter's younger sister."

"Nice to meet you all," Tanaka replied back.

After that, Robert bring the topic about the house, asking, "So, did you build this house? Because it's so rare to see buildings in different architectural styles in a town like this."

"Oh, yes, I'm the one who commissioned it," answered Tadashi back, "and Tanaka is living with me until he graduates from the academy."

"Yeah, and I'll go back to Kita to continue my duties as crowned prince," Tanaka added.

"What? Crowned prince?" Robert asked back in shock. "As in, the son of the shogun?"

Tanaka then nodded. "Yes, but my father wasn't sure who's going to be his successor in the future. It's either gonna be me or my younger sister Mirai."

Upon hearing the name, Robert remembered the time Peter said to him that Masanori is currently in Kita doing his tutoring job to Mirai.

"Wait, I remembered that name," Robert responded back. "Mirai, the princess of Kita, right?"

"Yes, she's my niece," Tadashi replied back while putting his cup of tea on the table.

"And she's pretty wild though," Tanaka added.

"What do you mean by that?" Zarah asked back.

"Well, she loves to do ambushes on someone, even to me," Tanaka explained back, "and she wants to outsmart someone."

"Who's that going to be?" William asked.

"That would be the headmaster Sol," Tanaka answered back.

This really shocks Robert and the others a lot.

"Y-You mean that strong headmaster Sol?" Harold stammered.

"Yeah, she was annoyed by his strength and speed," Tanaka replied back while crossing his arms, "so she wants to beat him, training day and night just for that."

"Wow, she's that determined," Robert commented.

"Yeah, she is."

After that, Robert raised a question, "So, about the royal house of Kita, was the name of it is Fukui or Saberheart?"

"Well, our clan name is Saberheart," answered Tadashi back, "and we are experts on the craftsmanship and art of making melee weapons like swords and katanas. Fukui, on the other hand, is the name of the royal house that rules Kita for generations."

"Oh, I get it now," Robert gets it now in figuring things out. "Just like the royal house of Verde, the middle name is the royal house name."

"That's right," Tanaka responded happily while lifting his finger for a few seconds. "Most of the royal families had royal house names as their middle names. As for those of mixed races, their middle names were simply added after the royal house names."

"Wow, that would be a long name to say," Robert commented.

"Yes, it is," Tadashi responded. "I'm full Saberheart member, so I don't have any names from other elemental clans.'

"I see."