Vain continued,
"Madam… Shin is not a noble."
The smile disappeared from Lawine's face.
"Oh? Then who is she?"
Vain hesitated. She glanced at Shin, took a deep breath, and said,
"She… she is my younger sister."
Kondo thought,
(Great… this trouble had to come right now.)
Shin hid behind Kondo.
Kondo, in a nervous voice, said,
"Mom, I'll explain everything. Please don't say anything to Shin. I was the one who brought her here."
Lawine stared at Kondo for a moment—
then placed her hand on her forehead and suddenly laughed.
"Ahaha… so what? If my son likes her, then I like her too."
Kondo felt relieved.
But Vain was still uneasy.
"Madam… my sister staying with Sir Kondo isn't appropriate. We are from a lower class… how can we sit with you? We should stay within our limits…"
Lawine walked toward Vain.
"You know, Vain… I don't believe in such things."
"But Madam—"
"Enough. If my son is happy, then I am happy too."
"…Alright, Madam."
Vain walked to Shin.
"Shin… where did you get these clothes? And how is Mother now?"
Shin stepped out from behind Kondo and said happily,
"This dress was given by Kondo. And… Mom is completely fine now!"
Vain looked confused.
"What do you mean 'fine'? Mother had a heart disease, didn't she? Her heart was slowly failing…"
"Yes, but now she is completely healthy!"
"…How?"
After that, Shin explained everything—
how she met Kondo and how he used magic to heal their mother.
"Yes, sis! Kondo used high-level magic, and Mom became completely healthy!"
Hearing this, both Vain and Lawine were shocked.
Vain covered her mouth and began to cry.
"Shin… Sir Kondo… thank you so much. Because of you, my mother is completely healed…"
The other maids supported Vain.
Kondo scratched his head awkwardly.
"Hey, Vain… there's no need for that."
Lawine called out,
"Kondo, come here."
"Yes, Mom."
She walked up to him and hugged him tightly.
"I knew it… my son can use magic."
"M-Mom… can you let go now…?"
"Tell me, how did you use magic?"
Kondo froze for a moment.
"Uh… well… (How do I explain this…) it just… happened on its own."
"But high-level magic requires a huge amount of magic energy. I'm surprised you were able to use it."
Lawine looked at his face, then smiled warmly.
"Whatever it is, I'm very happy. And Sam will be even happier when he hears this."
She was still holding him.
"M-Mom… can I show Shin around the house?"
"Of course. But first, wash your hands and eat."
"Okay, Mom."
Soon, Lawine, Kondo, and Shin sat at the dining table while the maids served food.
Shin stared at the food in amazement. She had never seen such delicious dishes before.
Lawine and Kondo started eating.
Vain, who was standing beside Shin, whispered softly,
"Shin, close your mouth and start eating."
After finishing the meal, Kondo took Shin to his room.
"Wow, Kondo… your room is so big!"
Shin's eyes fell on the books placed near the bed.
"What are these… magic books?"
(I haven't even read most of them…)
"Your bed is so soft… By the way, Kondo, tell me something."
"Hm?"
"Why did you become friends with me?"
Kondo sat beside her.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean… I'm not from a noble family, and I'm not rich like you. I'm just… a normal girl… someone who is not useful at all…"
Kondo smiled slightly.
"Is that all? It's because… I like you."
Shin immediately turned red.
"W-WHAT?!"
"Hey, that's not what I meant! I don't care who is rich or poor. I just look at the person."
Hearing that, Shin smiled happily.
The whole day passed like this.
Kondo showed her the house, talked with her, and even read books together.
As evening approached, Lawine was sitting on the sofa reading a book.
"Mom, I'm going to drop Shin home."
"Alright. Come back soon."
Kondo, Shin, and the butler sat in the carriage as it started moving.
"Kondo…"
"Hm?"
"Our results are tomorrow."
"Really?"
"Yes… if I fail, I won't be able to meet you again."
"What are you saying? You'll definitely pass. And even if you don't… we'll still be friends."
"Really?"
"Pinky promise."
"…Okay. We'll still be friends."
Shin smiled, but Kondo felt uneasy.
(How do I tell her… I'm worried about the same thing? If I fail…)
After some time, they reached the city.
The butler followed behind them carrying bags as they walked toward Shin's house.
People around them were staring.
Shin's mother was already waiting outside.
"Mom, I'm back!"
"Shin… I couldn't even recognize you! Did Young Master Kondo do all this?"
Kondo gestured to the butler, who placed the boxes down.
"Thank you so much… but what's inside these boxes?"
"Clothes for Shin, some food, and her favorite books."
Shin looked surprised.
"Kondo, when did you do all this? And why?"
"Hey, don't worry. I can't send my friend home empty-handed."
"But still… this wasn't necessary. And these clothes are very expensive…"
Kondo held her hand.
"Shin, this is all yours. You'll need clothes and books for school too… Anyway, I should go, or Mom will get angry. Bye."
And with that, Kondo left.
Shin's mother said softly,
"Shin… Young Master Kondo is truly different."
Tears filled Shin's eyes as she smiled.
"You're right… Kondo is really different."
After some time, Kondo returned home.
He was happy because he had made a friend…
but that happiness didn't last long.
As he entered, Sam and Lawine were sitting on the sofa.
"Kondo, come here."
(Why are they being so sweet…?)
"Y-Yes, Dad… what is it?"
Sam placed his hand on Kondo's shoulder.
"From today… you are not allowed to go outside."
"W-What?! But what did I do?!"
Lawine immediately interrupted,
"Sam, who talks to their child like that?"
She turned toward Kondo.
"Kondo… the situation outside is not good. We think you should stay at home."
"Mom, I can take care of myself! The butler is always with me!"
"He will stay with your father now."
"Still, I can take care of myself!"
"It's not about that. There are many rumors spreading in the city, and I don't want anything to happen to you."
Kondo lowered his head.
"…Okay."
Seeing him like that, Lawine also felt uneasy.
"…Fine. You can go outside, but on one condition."
Kondo's face brightened.
"I accept all your conditions!"
"First listen. You must wear a locket that will protect you."
Lawine looks at Sam, and Sam takes a star-shaped locket out of his pocket and puts it on Kondo.
In locket center a red gem
Kondo looked at it and hid it under his shirt.
"Now can I go outside?"
"Yes. But come back before evening, like always."
"Okay, Mom. I'll go to my room now."
"Alright, but come down for dinner."
"Yes, Mom."
After Kondo left, Sam spoke softly,
"I thought it would be difficult to make him wear that locket."
"It was necessary."
"You know we already took a risk before. I don't want something like that to happen again."
"That's why Linda never came to meet him."
"…Even so, he is our son. I cannot hate him for our mistake."
"…But will that locket really protect his soul?"
"I can't say for sure… but we must stay alert."
Sam took a deep breath.
"For now, I've covered Kondo's soul with a protective barrier. Still… I have a bad feeling. The demon that entered this kingdom… could it be the same one?"
"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. Oh, I forgot to tell you something."
"What?"
"Kondo can use magic now."
Sam went silent for a few seconds.
"What?! But at the temple—"
"I was shocked too. But Shin explained everything to me."
"…Who is this Shin?"
"Kondo's friend. And interestingly… she is Vain's younger sister."
"Really?"
"Why are you so shocked?"
"no reason… if Kondo can use magic, then it's a good thing we made him wear that locket. By the way, Lawine, Lady Shuna came to the royal palace today."
"What? Lady Shuna—the caretaker of the Light God—came?"
"Yes, and she even brought the Heavenly Knights with her to capture that demon."
Hearing this, Lawine's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Then that means Ishita must have come too!"
"Yes, she came as well… but as always, she doesn't talk to anyone."
"She's always been like that. Whenever I tried talking to her, she would ignore me… and yet, we were still best friends."
Sam let out a small sigh.
"You girls are really hard to understand."
Lawine smiled proudly.
"That's because we're special."
"Haha, yeah, I know. Now come on, I'm really hungry."
"Alright, you go ahead. I'll call Kondo."
Lawine stood near the stairs and called out to Kondo. Hearing her voice, Kondo came downstairs.
The three of them sat at the dining table,
where the maids began serving food. Sam had just started eating when something came to his mind, and he looked at Kondo.
"Kondo, your result is tomorrow, right?"
"Yes, Dad."
"Actually, it's not tomorrow. It's been delayed by two days."
"Why?"
"Looks like they're rechecking the papers."
Lawine gently smiled at him.
"Kondo, don't worry. Mom knows you'll be the one to top."
"Haha… yeah, Mom, you're right."
After finishing his meal, Kondo returned to his room. There, he picked up a book titled History of Heroes. Shin had recommended it to him—it contained stories about battles between heroes and demons,
and how those heroes eventually became gods.
Kondo thought for a moment, but since Shin had suggested it, he began reading.
"About 1000 years ago, when the rule of demons began to spread, humans fought with all their strength just to survive. However, demons were always far more powerful than humans. Slowly, humanity began to feel weak and hopeless.
They started to believe—was this the end of mankind? Would they all end up in chains as slaves? Was there no savior who could rescue them?
And then… eight angels, sent by the gods, appeared.
They fought bravely against the demons. During the battle, one of the warriors lost his life. But the remaining seven heroes pushed beyond their limits, continued fighting, and eventually became gods themselves. In the end, they defeated the Demon King.
Seeing this, the remaining demons fled to the farthest corner of the world—a place known as Yakoza.
After that, the warriors who had become gods opened a portal and left for their own dimension.
And so, the heroes who saved humanity from demons are worshipped as gods even today."
After finishing the passage, Kondo closed the book slightly and frowned.
"…That's it? I thought I'd learn more. It feels like a lot of things are missing. Anyone reading this would just believe it blindly."
He stretched his arms and let out a yawn.
"Well… whatever. I'll ask Shin about it tomorrow. It's already late… time to sleep."
With that, Kondo lay down on his bed and slowly drifted off to sleep.