850 Side Story: John (1/2)
”Hey! Ha!”
A little boy no older than ten was holding a wooden sword high and striking it forward.
Bang!
The boy on his opposite side, who was of a similar age, waved his sword to block it. The two swords collided in a dull noise.
Under the scorching sun, the two boys were sweating hard. Their cheeks and their necks were all wet. Even so, they were still gritting their teeth and focused on the sword practice.
On the stairs nearby, a golden-haired and brown-eyed man slightly nodded, expressing his satisfaction with the boys' sword practice. He looked young and handsome, but his manners were mature and trustworthy, making it impossible to tell his accurate age.
However, he was in an obvious trance right now, as if he had seen somewhere far away through the child before him.
”John, what's on your mind?” A slim, tall, and beautiful woman walked over from his back. She felt gentle and had blond hair and blue eyes, different from the common look of Holm.
John's eyes were focused again. He turned around with a smile and said to Kalie, his wife. ”When I watched the children practicing with their swords so hard, I remembered that Lucien and I practiced in exactly the same way when we were little in the empty places in the slums of Aalto. However, he was not as strong as I was, and he was never satisfied. His sword was knocked away every time…”
Kalie held his waist from the back and smiled gently, ”Who could've thought that one of the two kids in the slums of Aalto would turn into an earl of the empire, a radiant knight, and the deputy captain of the Sword of Truth's Knights, while the other one would turn into a demigod, a grand arcanist, a prince of the empire, and a great musician?”
”Yes. Life is like a play.” John patted his wife's arms and said with mixed feelings, ”At first, I only thought to be an official knight to change my family's life, protect them, and protect the duchy. I never dreamed that I could become a radiant knight or have a wife as beautiful as you.”
Kalie was taller than John, so she was able to lean her jaw on John's shoulder. Hearing his words, she couldn't help but smile.
Looking ahead, John became tranced again. He said with a smile, ”Lucien couldn't have expected his achievements today either. At that time, his greatest wish was to become a civilian who had a regular income. Fate is truly a wonder that even the astrologists cannot predict. I remember that Lucien and I used to stand outside of the Psalm Hall fantasizing that we could listen to a concert someday. Hehe. I have almost forgotten what the Psalm Hall looked like now…”
”Do you miss Aalto?” Kalie asked keenly.
John smiled steadily. ”Yes. I do miss the Psalm Hall, my old house, the black forest where I had my knight training, and the bards and performers on the street. Hehe. Those who are old always tend to miss their hometowns and their childhoods.”
”Old? Are you suggesting that I am old too? I'm only a few years younger than you.” Kalie pretended to be angry. ”Do you regret choosing to stay in Rentato instead of a fief near Aalto?”
When he became an earl, John had a chance to choose his hereditary fief. At that time, Natasha had already become the Grand Duchess of Orvarit and could give him the land near Aalto. However, John eventually decided to stay on this side of the Storm Strait.
John did not give an answer. He patted his hands, hinting the children to stop. He then gave them a few reminders before he returned to the villa with Kalie.
”It's time for my regular patrol,” John said unhurriedly.
Kalie nodded. ”I've already prepared your knight suit and your armor.”
When he passed the hall, John stopped Kalie and pointed inside. ”Listen to the beautiful music. My mother is holding yet another salon.”
”Yes.” Kalie did not quite understand what John meant. His mother often invited the noble ladies to her salon. What was to be surprised at?
John pointed at the study upstairs. ”My father must've been to the Musicians' Association.”
”Yes.” Kalie was still confused.
John said with a smile, ”Rentato has magic gramophones, air conditioners, home TVs, refrigerators, alchemical cars, and many other items that have changed our life. It is the place with the best magic popularization. My father and my mother are used to them, and they enjoy them. Asking them to go back to Aalto would be a torture for them. Besides, with the airships available now, we can reach Aalto in a couple of days for holidays without transmission magic circles. So, I never regretted my choice.”
In the end, he added, ”For me, home is where you are. I will always choose the place that you love. What I miss is my childhood and the time passed rather than Aalto.”
Kalie blushed and did not talk. She dragged John back to the main bedroom on the second floor and helped him get changed.
Bang!
When John was cleaning his clothes before the mirror, a dull explosion echoed from the other end of the corridor.
Neither John nor Kalie showed any unusual reaction, as if it were as common as door opening and closing.
”Something went wrong in Elvin's experiment again…” John listened carefully, catching the footsteps in the laboratory and sensing that Elvin was still alive. Then, he sighed rather regretfully. ”He became a second-circle sorcerer only with the help of potions, but he is never devoted to arcana.”
Elvin was a free spirit. He disliked the boring arcana and magic studies, and he preferred the popularized alchemical items. In Lucien's words, he was more like an inventor than an arcanist.