The Male Slave of House Sianella - Chapter 79

Chapter 79: The Gift

The day I heard from Ainel that we would be returning to the Sianella County in two days…

As the sun set and the full moon illuminated the world with its soft glow…

I sat in a chair in my room.

Resting my chin on my hand, I looked out the window at the round moon and murmured,

“Sion Sianella…”

Sion Sianella.

My master's younger brother.

A child of House Sianella, a family where even the men were born with a talent for swordsmanship, yet he…

Possessed an exceptional talent for holy power instead.

I thought about his relationship with my master, Sione.

“Sione and Sion…”

I searched my memories.

Sion had left for the academy shortly after my arrival at the County.

I’d never even seen his face, let alone interacted with him, so I had to delve deep into my memories of Sione’s past.

And when I finally recalled Sion…

“…Ugh…”

The memory of the obese, reclusive Sione surfaced. I remembered seeing Sion in the gardens when Sione had gone out to admire the flowers.

“It was…awful.”

Sione and Sion’s relationship had been nothing short of disastrous.

They’d acted more like enemies than siblings.

Sione had growled at her younger brother, and…

Sion, despite the fact that close sibling relationships were rare, had openly mocked Sione, praising Siabel and himself.

I still remembered the condescending smirk on his face.

That irritatingly smug expression had been hard to forget, even though I'd only seen it from a distance. And I still remembered it clearly.

“Hah…”

I sighed, thinking about their strained relationship.

“…He’s returning to the County.”

I’d heard he would be coming home from the academy for winter break.

Sione and Sion would inevitably cross paths.

Sione had changed drastically.

Her once-corpulent figure was now slender, almost delicate.

And her face, once unremarkable, now possessed a striking beauty…

But while she'd transformed her body, she hadn’t mended her relationship with her brother.

They would likely argue and bicker just like before, displaying their unique brand of sibling affection.

“This is going to be troublesome.”

Just observing their interactions from a distance in the gardens had been suffocating.

I dreaded what would happen now.

I frowned, watching the leaves sway in the gentle breeze, then…

My gaze shifted to the weapons leaning against the wall, the gifts I'd recently received.

“Let’s take a closer look.”

I'd only briefly examined them when I’d received them.

It would be better to spend my time admiring them than stressing over Sion and Sione.

–Creak.

I pushed back my chair and stood, walking towards the window.

“First…”

I reached for the sword, not the elven bow Adelheit had given me.

I always saved the best for last.

I would examine the bow later.

The sword was a gift from Eunice Callia, the woman who’d dragged me to her room and forced me to reenact the attack.

It was clearly a high-quality blade.

The intricate engravings on the hilt and crossguard were a testament to its value.

The length and weight were similar to my previous sword.

–Shing.

A single-edged blade, with a razor-sharp edge that gleamed ominously.

“I’ll put this to good use.”

I was quite pleased to have acquired such a fine secondary weapon, after having used the rather unremarkable blade from the County’s storage.

As I admired the new sword, a thought occurred to me.

‘Come to think of it…’

Lately, I'd been using my sword far more often than my bow.

I'd used my sword, not my bow, to deliver the final blow to the arachne.

And I'd used my sword to protect Sione from the cultists.

I’d used my secondary weapon far more often than I’d anticipated.

I felt a pang of guilt, as if I'd somehow failed as an archer. I sheathed the sword and placed it back against the wall, then turned my attention to the bow.

“Well…now that I have a decent bow…”

I would finally be able to act like a proper archer.

I gazed at the bow, admiring its craftsmanship.

Elven bows were crafted from the branches of the massive World Tree.

And this bow, made from a tree that drew mana from the earth, possessed an undeniable elegance, from the grain of the wood to its overall aura.

But it wasn't overly ornate. It lacked any flashy engravings or embellishments. At first glance, it looked like a slightly expensive, but otherwise ordinary bow.

Which was perfect. It wouldn't do for a mere attendant like myself to carry around an ostentatious weapon.

I examined the shape of the bow.

It was similar to my previous one.

‘A recurve bow.’

A recurve bow, with its distinctive, elegant curves.

I assumed the proper stance, ready to draw the string.

My body angled slightly, my feet positioned in a figure eight.

I assumed a square stance and tried to pull back the string, but—

“…Ugh…”

The draw weight was heavier than I’d anticipated. The string resisted my efforts.

It seemed my current body wasn't strong enough to handle such a powerful bow.

I could easily draw it using mana, but…

I wanted to try different stances.

‘Let's try a closed stance.’

I turned my left foot slightly towards the bow, taking a small step forward, bending my left knee. I leaned forward slightly, putting more force into my draw.

The stance, designed for drawing heavy war bows, allowed me to—

–Ziiiip…!

Pull back the string further.

The heavier draw weight strained my fingers, and as I released the string—

–Twang!

It snapped back into place with a powerful twang.

“…Nice.”

It had been a while since I’d handled a bow with such a heavy draw weight.

A smile spread across my face as I murmured to myself.

Elven bows truly shone when used with spirit magic.

One day, when I finally combined spirit magic with this bow,

It would become an even more formidable weapon.

***

Time flew by.

We were scheduled to depart for the County after breakfast tomorrow morning.

I spent the remaining hours packing my and Sione’s belongings, and…

Entertaining my master.

Just as the sun began to set, painting the sky with vibrant hues…

We had a visitor.

Sione, who’d been chatting with me, her face softened by a gentle smile, looked up as Ainel entered her room.

“Mother, what brings you here?”

Ainel didn’t answer, only…

Walked over to Sione, carrying a large case.

Sione stood and faced her mother. Ainel finally spoke.

“I have a gift for you.”

“A gift…?”

“Yes.”

Ainel nodded and handed the case to Sione.

Sione carefully took the case with both hands.

Her eyes, filled with curiosity and anticipation, darted between the case and Ainel.

“This case…”

“Open it.”

“…Alright.”

–Gulp.

Sione nervously swallowed, clearly anticipating the contents of the case.

Just what kind of gift could it be?

Intrigued, I watched from behind Sione as Ainel gestured for me to come closer.

I moved to stand beside Sione, slightly behind her, and watched as…

“Ah…!”

Sione opened the case and gasped softly.

Inside the case,

“Mother, this is—”

Lay a bow.

“It’s yours.”

“…”

As Sione stared at the bow, speechless, a faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Ainel’s lips.

“Sione, you have risen again, not through the sword, but through the bow.”

Sione and Ainel’s gazes met. They stood in silence for a moment.

Though words remained unspoken, the silence between them spoke volumes.

It was Sione who broke the silence.

Her blue eyes began to tremble, and Ainel, instead of her usual stern expression, smiled faintly and placed a hand on Sione’s head, stroking her hair gently.

“…I was quite impressed by your actions.”

“…”

“May you continue to strive and become a knight worthy of House Sianella, with this bow at your side.”

Sione lowered her head, her small hands clasped tightly together.

“…Thank you…”

Her voice trembled as she spoke.

Ainel continued to stroke Sione’s hair for a moment longer, then left the room.

–Sniffle…

My master, who’d become rather prone to tears lately, began to weep silently, small droplets falling to the floor.

Sione, a daughter of House Sianella, yet lacking the talent for swordsmanship that was expected of her. She’d found no aptitude for spears, magic, or even holy power.

She’d always strived to earn her family’s approval, but…

Her efforts had gone unnoticed, and…

In the end, she’d retreated to her room, exhausted from the constant comparisons and criticisms.

Now, finally receiving her mother’s approval, Sione’s face radiated a joy I’d never seen before.

She threw herself into my arms, sobbing silently. After a while, her tears subsided, and she pulled away slightly, looking up at me.

‘Ah…’

…Couldn't she have just cried normally?

She'd rubbed her face against my chest, leaving it smeared with tears and snot.

I chuckled, watching a trail of snot trickle down her nose.

“Perhaps you should wipe your nose before it drips into your mouth.”

***

“A letter has arrived.”

“A letter?”

“Yes. Here—”

A small letter lay on the desk.

The woman picked it up and slowly read the neatly written words.

With each line,

Her initially impassive face softened into a bright smile.

After finishing the letter, she whispered,

“Finally…”

She placed the letter on the desk and touched her lips, her expression pleased.

“Mother and my younger sister, Sione, are returning.”

Siabel Sianella’s blue eyes gleamed with a mixture of emotions.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Among those emotions, the most prominent were—

"I wonder if he delivered my message to Aria properly?"

—Intrigue and amusement.

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