The Hero’s Brother Is Bound To Be Depressed

88 – Expectations

I sighed as I exited the bathroom after the sudden secret meeting with Estelle.

The sudden appearance of a cult leader was highly likely to become an obstacle to my plan.

For that reason, cooperation with Estelle was also an issue that we had to think deeply about. Estelle would not be lying when she said that there would be no harm in rejecting the offer.

For now, I pushed my worries out of my head with the thought of focusing on the duel.

Even if I thought about it now, it wasn’t something that could be solved right away.

Looking at the time, it’s time for the first grade game in the morning. Then there was no need to go back to the field.

Outside the window was full of people enjoying the festival. For today, most of the stores in the capital are closed and the academy is doing business, so there are probably a lot of people who enter the academy just for a meal.

I yawned slightly.

Perhaps it was because of the relaxation, the nape of my neck was sore from fatigue coming all at once.

Lunch time was approaching, so I packed a good meal and headed to the club room as promised with the members in advance.

As if the game ended earlier than I expected, everyone was waiting for me with food on the table.

Today, Lacard’s fiancé also joined the meal. She heard that Elena also did well in the exam, and she participated in the duel.

Judging from the bright expression on his face, at least it didn’t seem like he was eliminated in the round of 16.

“Ross! Why are you so late! Where the hell have you been? I went around looking for you and couldn’t even eat!!!”

Are you angry that your time to play is reduced because of me? Arya, who rarely showed her anger, narrowed her eyebrows and became angry, so she immediately bowed her head and apologized.

“Sorry, my stomach suddenly hurts. I’ve been in the bathroom for a long time.”

As she sat down next to Luna, who was empty, Luna looked at me and gave me a pretty smile.

“Ross, I enjoyed the game. Congratulations on advancing to the quarterfinals.”

At Luna’s praise, a feeling of satisfaction raised its head from a corner of my heart.

It’s to the point where I wonder if he’s asking me to pet his head like a puppy later.

I really liked the compliments Luna gave her often.

If you dig deep into the reason, you’ll know the answer, but I didn’t bother.

Sometimes it is better to remain as vague emotions rather than letters. This feeling was one of a kind.

“Now, let’s share what we bought!”

Like Aria who is interested in food, she was happy to be able to taste the various things each of them bought, so her mouth caught her ears.

She ate a variety of meals using the small plates in the club room to eat each person’s food. It was a food that I couldn’t eat normally, so everyone was able to enjoy the meal.

For the students who did not participate in the duel, this weekend was no different from a fun event, so there were endless laughter throughout the academy.

When you are drinking a cool drink with ice after a meal. Aria, who had been stroking her chubby belly proudly, opened her mouth with a worried voice.

“hahahaha, what about the afternoon game?”

She was puzzled by Arya’s lack of confidence, unlike usual. If we had to pick the most positive and brightest among us, everyone would pick her aria without hesitation.

That Arya looks worried before she even starts playing. It was a reaction that was difficult to understand unless the other person was Roel or Principal Nelson.

“Why? Who is your opponent?”

“Ellie. This is the head of the Ministry of Magic.”

Aria’s answer immediately cleared up my doubts. If it was Ellie, that reaction would be understandable.

As expected, did Ellie become the head of the Ministry of Magic?

It seems that the talent of the future archmage is not going anywhere. Well, even before entering the academy, he was called a ‘genius wizard’, so it’s only natural that he would be the head of the Ministry of Magic.

“If it’s Ellie…. Aren’t you Ross’ prom partner?”

It was Kane who uselessly exercised his memory in a place like this. A faint sigh leaked out as she looked at me with her eyes full of interest, wondering where her usual troublesome appearance had gone.

She glanced sideways at Luna, who was sitting next to her, and her heart was heavy for no reason at the sight of her touching her glass with her head down.

She spent the prom with Luna, but that doesn’t change the fact that her partner was Ellie.

“Just a neighborhood childhood friend.”

Let’s draw a line before she says anything useless, Aria asked me.

“But Ellie was really great. Can’t believe she’s in the same first grader? She didn’t know about it because her class was different, but she never expected her skills to be that great.”

Whenever I was worried, I laughed at Aria’s praise for Ellie with her eyes shining.

“How much does she compliment her opponent like that?”

She asked with a smile if she was curious about La Carre.

As if recalling her memory, Arya closed her eyes and began to brag as if it were her job.

“I saw it in the Ministry of Magic survival test. It’s because the kids start the test as if they had made it in advance. She attacked Ellie right away? She, however, eliminated all of them in reverse with magic alone! I saw her from a distance and she was in a big fuss running away from a huge pillar of fire.”

Raising both of her hands, kuwa and ang-! Listening to the explanation of the aria that even makes sound effects. Just when she thought it was Ellie, Luna accidentally overturned her glass.

Seeing Luna’s very flustered expression, I immediately took out her towel from the storage room and handed it to Luna.

“Are you okay?”

“Ugh, yes…. Sorry, I made a mistake.”

Fortunately, the drinks in the glasses were small, so my clothes didn’t get wet too much. While Luna wiped herself off, I wiped up the spilled drink on her table and sat back down.

“Ross seems very friendly.”

Observing my actions, Elena smiled and said.

“Yes, Ross is very sweet. Thanks Ross.”

Seeing Luna saying that with a pretty smile, I unknowingly raised the corner of her mouth and met Elena’s gaze.

As if I knew everything, I averted my gaze in embarrassment at Elena’s look on her face that said she looked interesting.

Kane, who was drinking, asked Aria, who was eating strawberry cake for dessert.

“Aria. Is this your first game in the afternoon?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Okay, don’t miss Aria’s match.”

Arya grinned at Kane’s words and shrugged her shoulders as if she was showing her charms.

“Why? Do you really want to cheer me on?”

“No, I can’t miss seeing you being robbed in front of a lot of people-“

Aria threw herself onto the table at Kane, caught her hair, and looked at Kane, who was screaming at her.

Whether there are guests or not, it’s really the same.

“If we win the afternoon game, you know we will meet tomorrow in the semifinals, right?”

At Elena’s words, I nodded and joked.

“I don’t intend to treat you as your friend’s fiancée.”

“I don’t want to be treated as a friend of my fiancée either.”

After smiling at Elena, who was looking at me with playful eyes. When she moved her gaze to Luna, her expression was serious, as if she was worried.

Reaching her hand under her table and taking Luna’s hand, Luna flinched in surprise at her sudden touch, then turned her head with her bewildered face and grabbed her hand. When I saw it, he laughed at me.

It’s so strange. Can you feel at ease just by being together?

I don’t know if it’s really magic to warm a corner of my heart just by smiling silently. That’s the kind of magic that only Luna can cast on me.

It was an addictive magic that made a face suddenly come to mind while walking on the street or while eating. The funny thing is that I don’t hate those feelings.

I suddenly became curious. Are these feelings that I feel are my own? Does anyone else feel the same way?

Even if it was the same as others, it was not inferior in value. I was just curious.

“Will you cheer for the afternoon game?”

“Yes! Of course. I made money by betting all my pocket money on Ross from earlier. I’ll buy you something delicious for dinner later!”

She almost kissed her on the cheek, inadvertently forgetting that Luna’s team members were there, seeing Luna’s cuteness in answering my question right away.

Her gaze turned to Luna’s lips, feeling sorry for her. Shall we have dinner together tomorrow?

“Then what are my odds?”

Kane suddenly interrupted the question I asked to come to my senses.

“Ross, your odds are subtly low?”

“Yes… ? I?”

Let’s think about why the dividend rate will be lower. Kane answered the question instead.

“The combatants bet a lot of money on you?”

“… ?”

It was a completely unexpected reason. Looking at Kane with her dumbfounded face, Lacar, who had been listening to her conversation, laughed.

“Ross, everyone has high expectations of you because of your skills in the survival test. Because he is the representative of the combat department.”

“Is that so?”

Obviously, the combat unit, which had a strong image of fighting back to back, was famous for its strong sense of belonging.

That’s why Roel was worried about the sneaky way of targeting the back with space magic.

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Now that I’ve become the head of the Combat Division, I don’t know if he’s trying to give me faith. Whatever it is, I am grateful for believing in me.

“Great, Ross.”

Looking at her with a proud gaze, she might be thinking of giving her a massage. Luna moved her small hand vigorously and pressed her palm gently, bringing her face closer and whispering softly so that no one else could hear.

“If I do well in today’s game, will there be a separate award for my kind-hearted and pretty girlfriend?”

Whispering in her playful smirk, Luna’s face turned red and she suddenly let go of her hand and turned her body away from me.

“Lo, Ross. Transformation….”

“… ?”

I was embarrassed because Luna’s reaction was unpredictable.

That’s why the conversation was more enjoyable.

This is one of Luna’s many charms.

I wonder what Luna will think of me. I was suddenly curious. She must have been joking when she said pervert… ?

As our eyes met, I felt a little uneasy as I turned my head away as if I was ashamed and pursed my lips.

I don’t think you really think it’s a pervert…. Oddly enough, I wasn’t sure about that idea.

“Oh, but your brother is amazing.”

Kane said in admiration.

“I guess so. I’m the top of my grade.”

Even without watching Roel’s match, she pictured in her head how she would have won. It must have been surrendered with overwhelming force.

Because that’s the main character of the warrior’s party.

“Right. Even with a lightly swung attack, the opponent just couldn’t balance and stumbled!”

La Carr nodded her head in agreement with Aria’s words.

“It was definitely a dominant game. It took less than a minute to get us to surrender.”

“The dividend rate was only 1.3. I thought the top of the grade was confirmed again? If you do well, you might be able to see the seniors of your older brother and younger brother’s grade.”

I shook my head and denied Kane’s fuss.

That’s tough. Because there is Ellie in the first year.

In the novel, Eli, who won the duel and became the first year senior, becomes Nelson’s official disciple using the wishing ticket.

Of course, he became a disciple because of his excellent talent, but it was not a wish that was compulsory enough for anyone to become a disciple of the Archmage.

The right to wish is to make a request to the academy in the sense of common sense. Not all requests were granted, and the decision was made at the principal’s discretion.

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Not the top of the grade, but the second place.

That was my goal from the beginning.

As in the original story, Ellie becomes the top of her grade, and she walks the path of a great wizard. I become the second seat I was aiming for.

That was the best flow in my opinion.

Of course, I have no intention of losing to Ellie. She had a strange anxiety in her heart that even if she didn’t tell anyone, Luna would notice.

If she finds out that Luna lost on purpose, she will be disappointed in me. I don’t want to disappoint Luna’s expectations of her.

“I will do my best.”

At my promise, Luna turned her head.

“Yes, I always believe in you.”

Luna added her words in a playful whisper with her lovely smile.

“Because I love you.”

Really.

I don’t want to let go of her expectations.