Breakthrough with the Forbidden Master [Chapter 2 – Father and Son]

Oooooooh, my Gooooood, you make me siiiiiiiiiiiiiiick!!

...... I can’t do it though! It might have made me feel a lot better to yell it out, but I can’t.

Truthfully, I want to call out the princess who is bad-mouthing me, but no matter what I say, I would only come off as vindictive, and that is worse.

So, all I could do was pretend I didn’t hear a word and walk away, showing my pride.

“It’s a shame, Earth. But don’t be discouraged, keep pushing yourself again and again and become stronger.”

As I was about to leave, Taek, the instructor who officiated the mock battle between me and the princess, placed his hand on my shoulder and gave me a passionate shout.

“You know? Your father ‘Hiro’ also suffered as many defeats as you from ‘Solja’ who was the strongest in the academy when he was the prince. But at the end of the day... he earned a spectacular victory in their [Graduation Commemorative Match]. So keep it up!” [1]

The instructor gives a thumbs up and some encouragement. Following his lead, my classmates send encouragement after encouragement one after another.

“That’s right, Earth. Let’s see you awaken your heroic genes at the end of the day!”

“Oh yes, Earth is the son of hero, ‘Hiro’!”

“Will he show the talent that could defeat even the Great Demon King?”

Every time I receive such encouragement, I’m moved by my friends’ consideration. But what about you guys? I mean, you’re worse than I am in the rankings, so first you should do ‘your’ best! And enough with the ‘Heroic genes’ already!

However, I do not say any such thing.

I just walked away from everyone and responded with only one word.

“...... W-Well...”

On the whole, the first place is occupied by a genius who is called a prodigy even though she is a nuisance. My efforts are probably pointless. I’ll admit it.

So, there’s no shame in not being able to beat her. In this country, there actually aren’t that many of a same age that can beat her.

Even these guys have lost to the princess. And yet, they don’t look frustrated at all, nor do they have any intention of winning in the first place.

So, well, it’s vexing, but I’m beginning to think that I have no choice but to accept that I can’t win.

However, enough about this, because there’s something else I can’t get my head around.

That is......

“How many consecutive wins does the princess have over Hiro’s son?”

“No matter how much of a prodigy the princess is, it’s pathetic that the son of a hero can’t win even once.”

I heard voices from the corner of the passage way of the training ground.

Grown-up voices. Perhaps the Imperial Knights are chatting.

They were talking about me without knowing I was listening.

“Well, the child of the Hero is not a hero.”

“The princess is exceptional, but... ultimately, the level of the generation below us is still lacking. Well, it’s also proof that we’re living in peaceful times.”

“This year’s Academy Graduation Match will be attended by royalty from other countries. I’m worried that they will be disappointed when they see the incompetence of Lord Hiro’s son.”

“Even though he is the son of Lord Hiro, his writing and practical skills put him in second place. It’s shameful that he can’t take first place even once.”

“That’s true. And the second place is also a problem. It’s because ‘those two’ aren’t here.”

“Oh, them. ‘Those two’, who are currently studying abroad have already fully demonstrated their talents and were awarded medals by the King of another country the other day, right?”

“Yes, it is. In other words, Lord Hiro’s son being second in the absence of ‘those two’...... actually places him in fourth, so disappointing.”

I heard this kind of talk in many places.

When I was a child, I was able to get perfect scores on tests and show better magic than others, hence they would always say “as expected of the Son of the hero, Hiro.”

Then, at 13 years old, I joined the Academy and competed with others for the ranking.

As a result, I always kept the Academy’s Top Class ranking.

But, second place was my highest and I never took first place.

However, the Academy is a warrior training institution where excellent children from all over the Empire and aristocrats would gather and enter after passing a difficult exam.

In other words, a gathering place for the Empire’s elites.

That’s why I think it’s a great achievement to be ranked second place there.

But, people around here don’t believe so it seems.

“.....I’m sorry....”

“”Huh!!??””

At my words, two men who seem to be in their thirties look back.

Adorning armor engraved with the symbol of the empire.

“I’ve showed something pitiful to the Imperial Knights...”

They appear slightly anxious with my appearance, but they laughed to cover it up and spoke to me in a friendly manner.

“No, no, no, no, No, I can’t be helped with the princess. The princess already has the power of the 【Advanced Warrior】 class at the moment.”

“But you know, you really can’t afford to slack off. Your father achieved the 【Advanced Warrior】 rank at just 16, merely a year after he completed his studies at the Academy. Then, at 18, he went on to defeat the Great Demon King.”

“After graduating from the Academy, one is naturally enlisted as an 【Imperial Knight】 upon achieving the 【Aspiring Warrior】 rank, right? The current academy standards are quite basic, meaning your training will have to start anew from the very fundamentals, Young Master.”

“That is precisely why, as the son of a hero, you must dedicate yourself to the utmost effort.”

And so on… these were the very words I often heard from those closest to me.

Even instructors, my fellow classmates, and individuals I had only just met would frequently offer such advice.

It goes without saying that even my own parents offered the same sentiments...

“Indeed! Please, by all means, do take good care of my hopelessly foolish son once he graduates!”

“””Whaaat!!??”””

Ugh… he’s here now…

“L- Lord Hiro!?”

“Ah, no need for such formality. Keep up with your training, you have an advanced promotion exam approaching, don't you? Best of luck with that.” [2]

“Oh, thank you very much!”

“You’re expecting a child, aren’t you? You’ll need to show them what a great Daddy you are!”

“How did you possibly know? I am truly honored… and humbled…”

He possessed the same fiery red hair that I did. His laughter was perpetually cheerful, and his approachable nature made him beloved by all. I had heard he even had a fan club within the Imperial City, comprised mostly of women in their early twenties.

His mastery of the sword and his magical prowess were both acknowledged as being among the world's strongest. When combined, his exceptional [Magic Sword] technique elevated him to the undisputed strongest hero on the planet.

As a child, I had looked up to and deeply respected such a father, my eyes shining with admiration… but nowadays…

“Hey there, Earth. I had some official duties that brought me to the training grounds, but… I overheard that you lost to the princess once again.”

“Guh…”

My father, who now taunted me with a wicked grin. He was so incredibly irritating.

“Solja, her father, and I were actually classmates back at the academy. I can recall only winning a single match against His Majesty, and that was during the [Graduation Commemorative Match]. But the one you faced was a mere girl, wasn’t it? Isn’t it rather pathetic to be losing to her time and time again?”

“…… Hmm…”

“Well, you might fare slightly better than I did back then. Unlike you, I was in a real bind before graduation due to my written exams. Ultimately, what truly defines a man is this.”

Speaking those words, my father casually tapped my jaw with the tip of his fist.

Was he perhaps trying to imply, “Might makes a man”?

“…… Well, if that’s the case, perhaps my father could assist me with my sword training. If you were to impart the swordsmanship that the Hero himself used to defeat the Great Demon King… do you think I could finally defeat the princess?”

With a mixture of sincerity and jest, and perhaps a touch of desperation, I posed the question, seeking my father’s assessment.

However, my father merely chuckled.

“I honestly don’t know… While I would love to guide you, my current work commitments are overwhelming. Therefore, you should diligently follow the instructions of your training instructor or Sadiz. Besides, you haven’t yet mastered [That Sword], have you? So, we shall have to wait and see.”

It was the same response as always.

“Well now, you’re the type who develops slowly. Just take your time and put in your best effort.”

I am the son of my father. Yet, he has never once personally instructed me in the arts of swordsmanship, magic, or any other skill.

I am constantly compared to him, even though he has never passed down any of his techniques or knowledge to me.

To make matters worse, when he was my age, he was actually less accomplished as a student than I am, yet it is *I* who am subjected to his condescension.

Truly…

“Tch… Me… Right now… Am I not already exerting myself to the fullest?”

“…… Earth?”

“The type that grows slowly…? Such an unreliable and vague statement.”

It was infuriating. It made me want to scream like a frustrated child.

“Why… Why am I considered a disappointment? I’m perfectly content! I’m ranked second in the Academy! Isn’t that impressive enough!? At least offer some commendation for my efforts instead of mere consolation! Were you ever ranked second? And yet, you remain disappointed? Is second place simply not good enough for you? Why must I achieve first place?”

A pathetic child. I was aware of my own outburst, yet I couldn’t control myself. I was still just a child, consumed by intense self-loathing.

“Earth…”

“…… Tsk… I’m fine…”

Before I even realized it, I had pushed past my father and fled the scene.

————————————————————————————–

Author’s Note:

Thank you all for tuning in today.

Given that I have approximately 200,000 characters worth of material prepared for Golden Week, I intend to post daily for the foreseeable future. I may even post more than once a day depending on how things proceed. Your continued support is much appreciated.

[S1] Remember those naming conventions I mentioned earlier? The Hero’s actual name is “Hiiro,” and the emperor’s name sounds like “Soldier.”

[S2] Behold, the man himself! Based on the description, I've decided to give Hiro a very casual speaking style, irrespective of whom he’s addressing, unless the situation calls for a more serious tone.