Chapter 8 - The Bond of a Family

I crouch behind the corner of the house and watch Shiro, who is sitting on a rock, his shoulders trembling. My brother tries to hide his tears, but it's pointless.

It's the first time I've seen him like this. Shiro, who always wanted to appear proud, is now showing a vulnerable side. I know exactly why Shiro feels this way. It's my fault. My talent for magic.

I want to do something, but I don't know what. If I go to Shiro now, it would only make things worse. What should I do?

A realization. That's it! I'm not alone anymore. In my old life, I had no one, but now I have a family. Someone I can ask for advice.

I hesitate for a moment, then turn around and head towards my father.

He's in the living room, reading a book.

"Father."

My father looks up from the book and meets my gaze. "Yes?"

I'm not sure what to say at first, but in the end, I keep it short. "Shiro is crying."

Father looks at me with concern. "Is that so?"

I nod. "He's sitting outside. I don't know what to do."

He falls silent for a moment, then stands up wordlessly, places a hand on my head, and leaves the house. I cautiously follow him outside.

Shiro is still sitting there, his gaze lowered. When he hears footsteps, he quickly raises his head. As soon as he sees Father, he hastily wipes his eyes with his sleeve.

"I'm not crying!" he protests stubbornly.

Father stops in front of him, then slowly crouches down until he's at eye level with Shiro. "Shiro. You don't have to hide from me."

Shiro bites his lip, his whole body tense.

"You're disappointed, aren't you? Because things aren't going the way you want?"

Shiro just nods slightly, his gaze fixed on the ground.

Father sighs, then gently places a hand on Shiro's head and ruffles his hair.

"You know, being strong doesn't mean never crying. It means you keep going, even when it's hard."

Shiro blinks in surprise, slowly lifts his head, and looks his father in the eye.

"You have a strong will, Shiro. And that's more important than any talent."

Shiro's eyes become moist, and Father pulls him into a tight hug without hesitation. The hug hurts due to Shiro's injury on his arm, but he doesn't mind right now. Shiro buries his face in his father's broad chest, while Father gently strokes his back.

"You're my son, and I'm proud of you. No matter how hard it gets, I'll always be there for you. Understood?"

Shiro nods against his chest.

After a while, Father slowly pulls away from Shiro, places his hands on his shoulders, and looks at him with a warm smile.

"Listen. How about we go on a trip today? I'll take you to the village."

Shiro blinks in delight. "Really?"

Father replies, "Of course!"

Shiro sniffs and wipes his eyes. "But what about Sota?"

Father glances briefly at me as I stand quietly beside him. Then he looks back down at Shiro.

"Would you be okay if he comes along?"

Shiro thinks for a moment, then nods slowly.

"Good." Father stands up and extends his hand. "Then let's go."

Together, we leave the property and head toward the village. From afar, we can hear the bustling sounds. Merchants calling out their goods, children laughing and running through the streets, and adventurers everywhere.

Shiro walks with shining eyes beside our father, while I cautiously observe everything.

"Stay close to me." Father says gently, placing a protective hand on Shiro's and my shoulders.

After a short walk, we reach a large building with thick wooden beams. The Guild.

Father opens the door, and we enter the Guild.

At first, no one seems to notice us. The Guild is busy, adventurers sitting at tables, drinking, laughing, and chatting about their latest quests.

But then, slowly, silence falls.

A man at the bar furrows his brow, then his eyes widen.

"Wait a minute. Is that?"

Others turn around. When they see us, their faces light up with surprise.

"These are Diago's kids!"

Diago? Who is Diago? Right, I didn't even know my father's name until now.

Suddenly, the air fills with curious voices.

"Finally, we get to see them!"

"Wow, they were hidden away like treasures!"

"No wonder, with that father!"

A broad-shouldered man with a gray beard stands up and laughs heartily. "Come here, you two! You must have a lot of questions, right?"

Shiro and I look at each other uncertainly, but Father nods encouragingly.

"Go ahead." He says with a smile.

The atmosphere immediately takes on a lively, playful tone.

Two adventurers, one with a large scar on his cheek and the other with a massive two-handed sword, sit down with Shiro. They show him various weapons, explain what makes a good sword, and share stories of battles they've fought.

"This is a broadsword." The scarred man explains, letting Shiro grasp the hilt. "It's heavy, but if you're strong enough, you can take down an opponent with a single strike."

Shiro listens with great interest, asking questions and looking at the weapons with awe.

The man asks. "What's that on your arm, anyway?"

Shiro mumbles, "It's nothing important…" and avoids the man's gaze.

The adventurers notice that something is off but respect his silence.

The man with the broadsword grins and says, "Scars are memories. Some hurt, some give you pride. But all of them tell a story."

Father notices this and pats Shiro on the shoulder. "It was a tough fight, but Shiro won in the end."

He tries to convey with a look to the adventurers that they shouldn't press further.

I quietly observe the scene as life in the Guild continues around us.

Just as I wonder if I'll ever be as confident in this world as they are, I hear a friendly voice next to me. A kind-hearted magician and an older man in a proper magician's outfit address me.

"And you, Sota? Your father says you're interested in magic?"

I nod cautiously. "Yes, but I can't do anything yet."

"That's okay! Everyone starts small." The magician says, crouching down and giving me an encouraging smile. "Do you know what's special about magic?"

I shake my head.

"Magic doesn't just come from knowledge or strength. It comes from here." She gently taps my chest. "From your heart."

The older magician nods. "Some discover it early, others later. But if it's within you, it will awaken eventually."

While Shiro is fascinated by a sword and I listen intently to the words of the magicians, some adventurers begin to whisper quietly.

"The demons are getting bolder."

"Did you hear what happened up north?"

"Yeah, an entire city was…"

"Enough." Father's voice cuts sharply through the conversation. Immediately, there is silence.

"Not in front of the children."

The men who spoke nod hastily.

But I heard it.