82 - Side Story: Mirshe's Perspective - The Rich Girl 2
Once I sat down next to Tina big sister, I immediately understood that Teo couldn't get close to me. Or rather, I understood it was for Tina big sister's sake, but Teo was clearly being kept away. And the very back seats were for adults from poor families like ours, people who finally had the leeway to learn reading and writing as adults. They weren't the type to show mercy to a child who caused trouble during class like Teo. If he so much as tried to make a fuss, he'd be restrained by fists from both sides, so even my brother was quiet in that environment.
If only he'd learn his lesson and study properly...
He couldn't disrupt the class by causing a ruckus anymore, but that didn't mean Teo would actually study. When I went home and reported to Mother what I'd learned that day, Teo, who'd been going to the Menhishumi Church for over a year now, had only memorized about six basic letters and half the numbers.
I've already memorized the basic letters, and numbers too, and Tina big sister teaches me calculations... the teacher even says I'm pretty excellent.
At home, my brother got all the attention, and no matter how much I learned and brought back, I was never praised. But it was different in the classroom. At first I was looked at as the brat's sister, and the teacher told me not to sit next to Tina big sister. But Tina big sister protected me, and I took class seriously, so gradually they started to see me properly. They stopped saying I should switch seats with another kid and sit next to Teo just because I was the brat's sister.
I love Tina big sister so much!
When I couldn't figure out the numbers in calculation class, Tina big sister would lend me her fingers. For me who was counting on my fingers, when I couldn't figure out numbers over ten, she said I could use my fingers too.
When the new attendant boy assigned to Tina big sister and Nils were called by the teacher, or looked away from Tina big sister for just a moment, Teo would take that chance to come be mean. But even without her attendant, Tina big sister would firmly fight back and make Teo cry. Once she put her hands on her hips and said, "Be grateful I'm not kicking you with my toes."
...Tina big sister was so cool.
She wasn't just cute. She was strong and cool enough to fight back against Teo and make him cry. Guide Anna looked troubled and said she was too much of a tomboy, but I think she was just right against Teo.
Peaceful classes continued like that, I thought. But one day, Tina big sister stopped coming to Menhishumi Church.
Huh? Did she get sick or something?
When Tina big sister stopped coming to class, Nils and Lusio disappeared from the classroom too. Since the two of them were originally Tina big sister's attendants, there was no reason for them to come to class if she wasn't there.
In the classroom where the three of them had vanished, Teo's class disruptions began again. He'd been placed in the very back row to keep him far from Tina big sister, but since she wasn't there anymore, he moved to the front. He'd hit the kid who'd been using that seat to make him move, snatch the writing board from a child diligently taking dictation, and scribble on it with chalk. Without even the bare minimum consideration of keeping his voice down when talking, he'd loudly call out to the other kids around him, frequently interrupting the class.
The whole classroom agreed. There was no way to study properly like this.
"Lusio! Lusio!"
"Hm? Mirshe, isn't it? It's been a while."
During break, I searched all over the Menhishumi Church grounds, and when I finally found Lusio, he was speaking in a slightly more casual tone, probably because Tina big sister wasn't around. He had a few books tucked under his arm, so he might have been on an errand to some research room.
"Tina big sister, what happened to her? She hasn't come to class lately but..."
"As for the young lady, she figured that if she was there, Teo would be noisy and the other students couldn't concentrate. So since a little while ago, instead of coming to the church, she's been having the teacher come to the mansion to study."
When Lusio told me, "Well, by teacher I mean Nils who's her tutor," I felt like the world went dark before my eyes. Because of Teo, Tina big sister had stopped coming to class. What's more, far from calming down, Teo had returned the classroom to the state it was in before Tina big sister started attending. The older girls started complaining to me too, saying that since I was the brat's sister, I should stop my brother.
But Teo's reign, emboldened by Tina big sister's absence, soon came to an end.
The Menhishumi Church, which opened its doors wide, granting learning equally to all who sought knowledge, finally decided to expel Teo. He had absolutely no desire to learn and even obstructed other students, so he had no right to receive the blessing of Menhishumi, the God of Knowledge. And students who did want to learn had become unable to come to class because of Teo. Tina big sister had withdrawn, feeling responsible for the disturbances Teo caused. Since she was a young lady who could invite teachers to her home, she could still continue learning, but other children were different. As long as Teo was there, he only got in the way of other children's learning.
"If you wish to receive the blessing of Menhishumi, the God of Knowledge, then reconcile with Tina. Lower your head properly and beg for forgiveness, and invite her to receive Menhishumi's blessing together."
Saying this, Guide Anna expelled Teo. Of course Teo, dissatisfied with this, didn't follow the Guide's instructions. He'd sneak onto the Menhishumi Church grounds only to be chased out by the gatekeeper, burst into the classroom only to be chased out again. To Teo, who kept trespassing on the Menhishumi Church grounds despite having no desire to learn, Guide Anna finally handed him over to the Black Knights. He was taken straight to the fortress's punishment room, and when he came back the next morning, he was trembling and quiet. But by afternoon he was out playing energetically again, so he hadn't learned his lesson at all.
Mother was furious that Teo had stopped going to Menhishumi Church. Not because of the mischief he'd caused in class. But because the Menhishumi Church, which grants learning equally to everyone, had expelled Teo, refusing to teach him. Mother, who couldn't read or write, had some strange inferiority complex toward the Menhishumi Church's Guides and teachers. Because of that, I could tell she was itching to raise a fuss, claiming Guide Anna was acting against the doctrine.
Stop it, it's embarrassing. Everyone at the church knows Teo is the one at fault. Any kid who's been in class with him knows how awful he is.
I think the Menhishumi Church, which had been saddled with Teo for the past year, had endured quite well. Even his own parents, even a mother who doted on her son, couldn't handle him and pushed him onto the Menhishumi Church. Since he was ruining the chance to learn for so many other children, it made more sense for just Teo to be expelled.
Mother stormed into the Menhishumi Church, pulling Teo by the right hand and me by the left. Frankly, I wanted nothing to do with this. I didn't want to be thought of as being from the same family as Teo and the mother who favored only him anymore.
Guide Anna greeted Mother at the gate as she barged into Menhishumi Church. To Mother, who was shouting excitedly, Guide Anna silently listened to her complaints. But when Mother finished yelling and quieted down for a moment, Guide Anna spoke in a calm voice.
"It is our mission at Menhishumi Church to grant the blessing of Menhishumi, the God of Knowledge, equally to everyone."
"Then why did you kick my kid out?! That's not right, is it?!"
"With all due respect, Menhishumi Church does not permit children under the age of seven to attend. This is because it is the approximate age at which one can sit quietly in a chair."
Guide Anna, wearing an elegant smile, told her that her child was the same as a baby under seven who couldn't even sit still in a chair, and Mother's cheeks flushed red. She opened her mouth to retort, but the words wouldn't come. She herself had found her brother, who was as troublesome as a baby, a nuisance and had pushed him onto the Menhishumi Church. She was claiming it was against Menhishumi Church doctrine, but really she was just troubled that a convenient babysitting service was no longer available.
"Do you know what Teo did in the classroom?"
"Kids getting a little rowdy happens all the time, doesn't it? The problem is with the teacher who can't calm them down..."
"Do you know who that girl is that Teo has been pulling by the hair and hitting on the head? She's a clever young lady, so she's enduring it for now. But if she wanted to, it wouldn't be Teo expelled from the church. Your entire family would be expelled from the city."
"What's that supposed to be? A threat? You won't fool me with that..."
"Feel free to take it however you wish."
Cutting off the conversation with Mother, Guide Anna lowered her gaze to Teo.
"Teo, do you know which family Tina is from?"
"...The Black Knight's house."
With his lips pouted in displeasure, Teo answered honestly. I had thought she was a young lady, but I never considered she was from the Black Knight's house, so I was surprised. I'd assumed she was the child of some prosperous merchant family or something. I never thought the child of the Black Knight's house would attend Menhishumi Church, which was open to anyone.
The story about Tina big sister's family was shocking to me, but Mother seemed just as shocked. She probably thought that if it was just some neighborhood girl being picked on, she could send me to apologize again. But when it turned out to be the child of the Black Knight's house, that was a different story. This city was commonly called the Fortress City. The city had grown up around the fortress where the knights were stationed, so even being a knight carried considerable trust and influence in the city. And Teo had been violent toward that knight's daughter. If the Black Knights heard about it, I didn't know what treatment our family would receive.
"What have you done, you stupid son?!"
Realizing what her son had done, Mother slapped Teo's cheek with enough force to make a smacking sound. As far as I knew, it was the first time Mother had hit Teo. She would hit me just because she was in a bad mood, but she'd never hit Teo before. Teo, perhaps also being hit by Mother for the first time, looked up at her with a blank expression.
"Not just causing a ruckus in class, but raising your hand against the Black Knight's young lady?! What were you thinking?!"
"She's the one who's sneaky and bad! She didn't wait in line and got into the tournament...!"
"If she's the Black Knight's young lady, of course she can enter the tournament without waiting in line, you idiot son!"
With another loud smack, Mother slapped Teo's cheek again. This time Teo, realizing he'd been hit, scrunched up his face and started crying.
"Raising your hand against the Black Knight's young lady, can't even properly study at church... you won't be able to get a decent job!"
"I'm gonna become a Black Knight, so I don't need to study!"
"A child like you who only knows how to cause trouble could never become a knight!"
"I can!"
As Mother and son screamed at each other in excitement, Guide Anna sighed and said, loud enough for them to hear, "Black Knights are required to have academic ability beyond the basics taught at Menhishumi Church. It's not a job a child who can't even memorize basic letters can take."
Even Teo gasped at this. His tears dried up completely. Apparently he really hadn't known that academic ability was necessary to become a Black Knight.
"Mirshe, you don't need to go to church anymore. Go to work."
"Huh?"
When we got home, practically chased out by the Menhishumi Church gatekeeper, Mother said this to me. Since Teo couldn't go to Menhishumi Church anymore, there was no need to send me as a babysitter. I didn't need to learn reading and writing, she said.
"Anyway, why does Teo have to be kicked out of church? I put you there to watch him, didn't I?! Why can't you do what you're told?! It's your fault Teo got kicked out of church! Do you understand? Reflect on what you've done!"
I was blamed for reasons I couldn't accept. At the end of her words, a slap came flying.
"Apologize! Apologize to me! Apologize properly!"
With the second and third slaps that rained down, the taste of blood spread in my mouth. I was used to being hit by Mother, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.
"...Why"
Something hot rose from the pit of my stomach. I'd been holding it down and enduring it all this time, but if my brother was allowed to cause trouble, then I should be allowed to fight back too.
Tina big sister fights back against Teo too!
Suddenly I recalled the young lady's face, kicking Teo down, making him cry, and puffing out her chest triumphantly. I hadn't seen her in days, but her smile was like the sun.
"I don't want to babysit Teo anymore! He's not a big brother at all! He's just a spoiled, violent baby!"
"What are you saying to your brother?!"
I caught Mother's raised hand and bit down hard. I'd reached my limit.
My brother had been expelled from Menhishumi Church, but I hadn't. When Teo was expelled from Menhishumi Church, I asked the teacher if I was expelled too. The teacher said I wasn't expelled. That I could come again. Unlike Teo, I had the desire to learn, so I was qualified to attend Menhishumi Church.
Mother hit me until I lost consciousness, but I felt refreshed. The feelings I'd been forced to suppress all this time, I'd finally managed to voice them. At one point, the neighbors yelled at us for being too loud. Which made Mother hit me again, saying, "See, you got me yelled at!" Teo was right there, but he pretended not to see.
...He's not a big brother at all.
I recalled the black-haired big brother who sometimes came to pick up Tina big sister. Tina big sister said he was like an older brother to her. Tina big sister's big brother held her so, so carefully. He'd smile gently and ask her, "Did you have fun studying?" or "Did you make friends?" Tina big sister, who was usually so composed, would cling to him and act spoiled.
...I wish I had a big brother like that.
He doesn't have to be rich. I just want a kind big brother. A big brother who isn't violent, who doesn't cause trouble for the neighborhood kids, who doesn't get expelled from Menhishumi Church.
...I don't want to babysit Teo anymore.
I didn't care about Teo anymore, but we should get Tina big sister to come back. The atmosphere in the classroom had gotten bad because of Teo. When Tina big sister was there, everyone was quiet. So for the sake of the classroom, I wanted her to come back. I asked the kids who went to Menhishumi Church and the neighborhood kids to help search, but I couldn't find Tina big sister's house. Since she was from the Black Knight's house, there should be a house somewhere in the city, but I couldn't find it.
"I wonder where Tina-chan's house is?"
"There's only the knights' residential district left to search, isn't there?"
We'd searched the city so thoroughly that these were the kind of things being said. From the slums where Tina big sister would never be, to the hard-to-enter wealthy residential areas. The only place left was the knights' residential district, which ordinary people without business were forbidden to enter. The ones living in the knights' residential district were high-ranking knights like commanders and captains of the knight order. Security was so tight that knights stood guard on every road leading into the residential district. Regular knights apparently had knight dormitories at the fortress, and knights with families rented rooms or houses in the city. I thought there was no way she'd be in the knights' residential district, but there was nowhere else to search. As I was discussing what to do with the older girls, a familiar boy came from deep in the road leading to the knights' residential district.
"Nils! Why are you coming out of the knights' residential district?"
"People without business aren't supposed to go in there, you know?"
The girls surrounded Nils, who had come out of the residential district. Nils furrowed his brows a little, looking troubled, then told us where Tina big sister's house was.
"Tina-sama's mansion is further ahead. I've been doing lessons at the mansion."
"Tina big sister lives in the knights' residential district?!"
"If you go, you'll understand right away. It's the mansion at the very back..."
Nils continued, saying he'd been escorted to the gate so if I ran I might be able to see her. I couldn't help but dash off, but this was the heavily guarded knights' residential district. The moment I stepped into the district, I was caught by the guard knight.
"Hey now, this isn't a place for kids to play."
"Let me go! I'm going to see Tina big sister!"
"Tina big sister? Nils, do you know anything about this?"
The knight who had a firm grip on my shoulder called out, stopping Nils who had just been freed from the older girls. When Nils explained that I knew Tina big sister from Menhishumi Church and that Tina big sister had been kind to me, the knight gave me special permission to enter the knights' residential district.
...But only me and two of the older girls could go in.
He didn't let all the children who'd been helping me search for Tina big sister through. Since it was a district you weren't supposed to enter without business, that couldn't be helped.
"It's my first time entering the knights' residential district..."
One of the older girls looked around nervously. The guard knights checked everyone who came and went from this district, so security was even better here than on the main streets, let alone the slums. In fact, it was the safest place in the city. In that sense, there was nothing to be afraid of, but even though we'd gotten permission from the guard knight, there was still a chance we'd be questioned by other knights and scolded. Better not to stay too long.
We'd been told it was the house at the very end, so we hurried down the road. I wanted to look around a bit since there were so many beautiful mansions, but my fear won out over curiosity. I had to find Tina big sister quickly and get my business done.
The mansion Nils had told me about was easy to find. It was at the back of the district, and more importantly, I could see Tina big sister holding a writing board and talking with the gatekeeper knight in front of the main gate.
Tina big sister is bothering the knight-sama while he's working?!
The moment I thought that, my body moved on its own. If I'd thought about it for a moment, I might have realized it wasn't strange for Tina big sister, who was from the Black Knight's house, to be talking with a knight. But seeing Tina big sister talking with knights, who ordinary people would never approach on their own, my mind went blank.
"Hyaa wawawawawawawawawa?!"
A strange sound escaped my mouth. But the older girls seemed to feel the same way I did, that we had to pull Tina big sister away from the knights, because they let out similar battle cries and ran forward too.
"Uweh?! What? What is it deshu?"
Hearing her slightly slurred speech after so long made me relax a little. I thought I was almost close enough to reach Tina big sister, but startled by our momentum, she ran away to the other side of the gate.
Huh?! Why is she running away?!
Just as I thought that, my shoulder was pinned by the gatekeeper knight. The same happened to the older girls who had come with me. There were two gatekeeper knights, and I understood why the guard knight had limited our numbers. In case of emergency, they'd judged that with this many people, just the gatekeepers could handle us.
"Let me go! Tina big sister!"
As I flailed my arms and legs in resistance, Tina big sister finally noticed me. She timidly peered at us, then told the gatekeeper knights to let us go.
"Mirshe-chan, what's wrong?"
"I thought Tina big sister was bothering the knight-sama while he was working, so I thought we should run away together before you got scolded...?"
When I said that much, I finally remembered. Tina big sister was from the Black Knight's house, and the knights had followed her words. Maybe playing with Tina big sister was part of the gatekeeper knights' job too.
Which means... I was the one interfering with their work?!
I'd done something terrible. Interfering with a knight's work was not something a resident of this city should do. As I panicked internally, Tina big sister gave a wry smile.
"This is my homeu, sho it's okay. I was having Pearl-san teach me letters."
"See," she said, showing me the letters written on the writing board. I couldn't read it yet, but it probably said "Pearl." I understood clearly that it wasn't that Tina big sister didn't want to study that made her stop coming to Menhishumi Church.
"Tina big sister, will you come back to church? Let's study together."
When I asked her that, Tina big sister tilted her head slightly, as if unsure how to answer. Maybe she found it hard to say to me, since I was Teo's sister. So I started telling her about the current state of the classroom.
"Teo's not there anymore."
"Huh?"
"After Tina big sister left, Teo got even worse with his violence."
Then the older girls explained the rest. How Teo had gotten worse and worse, and had finally been expelled from Menhishumi Church. Tina big sister listened quietly, and at the end of the story, she finally nodded. If Teo wasn't there, maybe she could come, she said.
I'm starting to feel like if Mirshe isn't separated from Tina quickly, she might grow up to be a tomboy heroine type who subdues boys with kicks...
I think mothers are creatures who think of their daughters as nothing but slaves (prejudice)
It got long, so I'll check for typos and missing characters tomorrow (new pattern)
Fixed the typos and missing characters I found.