Alright! Everything’s finally settled – Apollo found an attendee willing to take me under his wing, I’m legally registered into their index as an assistant, and I’ll be departing in just under a month! The guy who’s supposed to be my tutor isn’t that reputable (apparently), but if he’s made it to the rank of attendee, then I have no doubts that we’ll get along in one way or another! Heck, he’s coming over right as we speak, which tells me he’s a person who takes action first and asks questions later, just the kind of person I like working with!

That being the case, there is one thing I haven’t yet done, and that’s informing Joseph of all this. Like, all of it, I haven’t told him even a single tidbit of information regarding my grand plan. Geez, this is where I really wish we talked more, but it seems every one of our conversations would end in a spout of sorts, so I would usually try and keep my distance from him and not talk that much. If only I was more talkative… But wait, logically speaking, the more I would talk, the more verbal conflicts I’d have with my caretaker, so I’d rather not talk after all.

Waking up early in the morning, I completely passed the kitchen and instead immediately walked out of the house and stepped onto the yard where Joseph was doing his usual fanatical illustrating. I didn’t tell him about the fine, since either way I’m gonna be paying for it, so it’d be better if he was none the wiser. This might also be the reason he’s still his lively, artistic self.

“Good morning, Joseph.” I took a deep breath before speaking, “I have something to tell you.”

“Hm? Oh, morning Meil! Hey, quick question, I don’t know what to draw today, so can you give me some inspiration?”

“What? No, that’s unimportant now.” I brushed the idea off, “I seriously need to tell you something. I’ve been meaning to tell you for quite some time now, and I don’t exactly know how else to put it, so could I ask you to be patient with me?”

At this, Joseph didn’t really look like he was listening, and instead just started sketching something on his canvas. You’d think he’s being rude by ignoring me like this, but I know for a fact from watching him draw for my entire life that he’s capable of listening to others whilst drawing. In fact, I’d argue he’s the best listener when he’s busy illustrating his works.

“Go on, Meil.” He spoke with a satisfied tone, “Take your time and explain things properly. I’m listening.”

“I-!” I bit my tongue, “I’m planning on studying at Simpleton!”

“…” He continued his brush strokes silently.

“But not just that! I want to get a scholarship for Dimitri University of Mathematics! It’s this really prestigious university where all the professors are top-notch and the lessons are really concise and…!”

“…” Joseph refused to say anything in response to my endless list of pros for the university.

“I-I think it’d be beneficial for me if I tested my limits and tried applying there. I think I’m more than capable of it, so I’d like your permission for it, if possible?”

“Is that so…” He continued, “And I imagine that the dorm you’ll be staying at just so happens to be within walking distance of the Library of a Thousand Passages, as well?”

What? How did he know? I don’t remember ever telling him about the reason behind my dream, so how? It’s impossible for him to know this about me, since I only ever told this to Apollo, and the last time those two talked was back when I just recruited him, there’s no way he would know!

“Y-Yes…” I replied weakly, “The reason I want to go to Dimitri Uni is because I need access to The Library. I want to find out more about The Raamans and who they were. I want to… find out more about my real parents.”

“…” Joseph’s eyes began to tear up, but he still continued putting ink on the canvas, “You do understand that getting in is a titanic task in and of itself. How exactly do you plan on getting a scholarship? I understand you’ve amassed quite the wealth from your books and company, but even I know that that much is just barely enough to get you through the first semester at most.”

“…The Mobius Awards.” I explained, “Remember Apollo? He helped me find a willing attendee to take me in as his apprentice, and if we win, we’ll both be granted fully-paid scholarships in a Simpletonian University of our choice. It’s a win-win situation.”

“I see.” He finally let go of his brush, “C’mere, I want you to see this.”

“Like I said, I don’t care about your illustration right now, Joseph! This is serious!”

“You sure? Because I’d say this is my best work yet!”

One thing you should know about Joseph is that he’s a perfectionist. In the almost two decades that I’ve been alive, he’s never once praised his own work as anything more than ‘sellable’. It’s good work, but he’s way too harsh on himself, to the point where if he doesn’t sell a piece within three days or so, he’ll just bin it without a second thought. That being the case, his words just now made me quite interested, so I walked behind him and looked at the canvas to see…

“Me?” I asked.

“You smiling, to be specific.” He said with a warm smile, “While you were talking about your dreams and future aspirations, you gave me the happiest smile I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Me, smiling? Was I really smiling? I was too focused on explaining the whole thing to him,that I might not have noticed. But wait, even I don’t remember the last time I smiled this honestly, maybe he was exaggerating the expression?

“Note the quivering of your lips.” He pointed out the details of the piece, “The slight smirk you had on your face as you uttered the word ‘Raaman’, that habit of yours where you pick your lips with your fingers when trying desperately to find the words to express yourself. These are all the best qualities of you, Meil.”

Wow, does he really know me this much? But when did he find the time to study my habits and expressions? How can he do this?

“It’s a parent’s duty to see their children smile,” He said, “But it’s an artist’s job to capture it. My only regret with you is that you never once called me ‘father’ or ‘dad’, but I guess that’s up to you, so I never bothered you about it.”

“Joseph…”

“…” He looked at the brush in his hands as he wiped away his tears, “Argh, an old man like me shouldn’t be crying! Kid, you’re almost twenty now, so I think you don’t need to ask me for permission about chasing your dreams. But if you really require it, then know that I’m fine with it.”

“Really!?” I jumped at his surprising lack of opposition to my idea, “Do you really mean it?!”

Blessing him with my trademark bear hug, I couldn’t help but notice the wave of tears that started streaming from my eyes. Looks like all the anxiety of whether he’ll let me go or not suddenly evaporated all at once, leading to the flood gates opening. Even still, what is a happy moment like this without an interruption?

“Hey,” a young man around my age gently knocked on our yard’s gate, “Sorry to interrupt you guys, but I’m a bit lost. Do any of you know of a Meil Deram living around these parts, by any chance?”

***

“Aye, that’s me.” I approached him as I wiped away my tears with my trusty handkerchief, “What do you need? You don’t look like you’re from Abyssus Solis, you a foreigner?”

“Whoa, nice to meet you too, Mister Socially Adept!” He joked sarcastically, “Indeed, I am originally from Secundis, but I currently live in… Umm…”

This guy’s really shady. To start with, Secundis? That little sub-country that’s right under The Kingdom of Carmen? What the hell is a guy from all the way there doing here of all places? Another thing, he looks to be around my age, but he’s ginormous! Half a head taller than me, to be exact! His expression is weird as well. He’s smiling, but his eyes are tired. He looks like he’s waiting for something before he can finally be happy again. Eh, I’ll pardon his pale white skin, since he did admit to not being an Abyssal, but his long hair is definitely a no-go, though!

Long hair is simply bad. I can’t explain why exactly, maybe it’s just tradition, but I’ve been taught that long hair is for women exclusively, not for men! He’s staining a woman’s most prized possession! A walking abomination is how I’d describe him, not to mention his peculiar hair color. I’m probably not one to talk, since I myself was born with pure white hair, but his is even crazier. It’s almost completely brown, but the tips at the end are as black as the night, which makes for a really strange combination!

“Never mind that,” He put his introduction aside, “I’m really digging your hair! What flowers did you use to dye it?”

“Flowers?” I stood there confused, “My natural hair color is white. Due to the lack of melatonin-”

“Wait, really?!” He rudely interrupted me, “That’s actually crazy! I’ve never met someone with naturally white hair, and to think it’d be you of all people! What luck, although I am a bit sad that I can’t copy your style…”

“…Ahem,” I redid my explanation, “Due to the lack of melatonin, my hair color is naturally white. This is a pretty rare trait, but it’s not impossible as you can see. That being the case, the way you’re talking suggests you already know me, so who are you?”

“Who am I?” He repeated my question, “I’m a lot of things. A fan of your books, a lover of crazy hairs… Heh, some would even call me a heartless piece of shit. Well, and I’m also your tutor as of today.”

“Huh?!” Both Joseph and I jumped in surprise, “You don’t mean you’re…?!”

“Surprised?” He smirked, “Nice to meet you, I’m Lune Grimheart, I’m here under the pseudonym of Sol Pandora, and I’m also an attendee of the Mobius Awards. Let’s get along, apprentice!”

“Th…”

This is the guy who is to be my tutor?! What a load of baloney! He looks like someone who’s practically walking on a tightrope above death twenty four seven!

“Right, I heard you’ve set up a company somewhere around here.” He asked, ”Sorry to ruin your happy little father-son moment, but could you escort me to there? I’d like to have a look at its business ethics.”

“…Sure.” I begrudgingly accepted.

And so, walking around the quik, it appears we’re getting quite a lot of attention. Makes sense when you take note of his long hair and pale white skin. Oh, speaking of…

“So, uhh, Sol?”

“Please, call me Lune, as that is my name.”

“R-Right, Lune,” I talked as if walking on eggshells, “Why are you wearing all black? Isn’t it hot for such clothes? Not to mention it’s not trendy at all…”

“Trendy?” He turned to face me, “Heh, I guess it isn’t… But it was never meant to be about keeping up with trends, it’s to mourn my recently deceased wife.”

…Yikes. I just said something really offensive and rude. I hope he doesn’t think too badly of me, I’d hate to have this kind of washed up guy think he’s above me in any which way… Wait, did he say his wife died?

“But from the rumors…!” I recalled, “From the rumors, everyone said you cheated on your wife with another woman!”

Lune glared at me with a strong aura around him, but he quickly mellowed out as he spoke, “Heheh, yeah, I have a wife back home who I cheated on with another woman. That woman later also became my wife, but this and that happened, and she died before I could introduce them to each other.”

It was at this moment in particular when the words Adulterous bastard came to mind. Did he just say he had two wives at the same time? And he was planning on introducing them to one another at some point!? This guy really is the lowest scum in history!

“So why do you want to attend the Mobius Awards, then?” I tried changing the topic as it was getting unbearably awkward, “I imagine a… busy man such as yourself has some explaining to do with the wife he still has left.”

“That’s…” He noted, “A rather crude way of putting it. You make it sound like my wives are something I collect rather than appreciate and love wholeheartedly.”

“Well, if you really loved either one of them, you’d stick to them and them only, no?”

“You think?” He chuckled, “I’m a big deal, and the love I have for the people around me is just as big. You could say that one wife simply wasn’t enough for me, so I wanted both!”

Yep, scum of the world. It’s like those trashy fairy tales Joseph used to read to me before bedtime. If we would put ourselves in the shoes of the characters of that story, he’d definitely be the Demon Lord with his entourage of lovers stowed away at his castle. By the way, I’d be the hero who slays him, obviously.

“And to answer your earlier question,” He explained, “I just wanna tie up loose ends so I can finally go back home to her. Heh, as you said I’ve got quite the explaining to do to my wife. Actually, since you're that interested, I should note that while I call her my wife, we haven't yet properly gotten married, so she's still technically just my girlfriend.”

“…I see.” I tried acting like I cared.

“Oh, looks like we’re here!” He noticed Apollo, “Yo, you Apollo? Nice to meetcha’! Look who I found!”

“Hm? Are you the attendee?” Apollo greeted him politely as soon as he noticed me standing right beside him, “Looks like you two are already well-acquainted!”

“Heheh, yeah! We’re the best of buds starting today!” Lune said as he gave me a surprisingly strong one-armed hug, “Nice to meet you, Apollo, I’m Lune, but you might know me by my pseudonym, Sol.”

At these words, the entire company staff unilaterally jumped from their seats to try and ask for an autograph. These guys…! Do they not know just what kind of cheating prick this guy is?! And how come he’s so famous and well-liked despite only being here for less than a day?! I had to painstakingly serve as everyone’s mule for over fifteen years only to attain even a fraction of appreciation that he’s getting right now! Ugh, these next couple of months are gonna be a living hell…