Tbate-The Reincarnates

The Duties of the Strong

Author's Note: This chapter has referenced Rengoku's scene with his mother.

From the point of view of Lancelot Winey (Ayanokoji)

Taking a deep breath, forming a cloud of mist in front of me, I wrapped my body in a shroud of heat, which I created using my fire mana to ward off the chill of the cold winds.

I could hear the insects in the trees nearby. Is it the Kubikirigisu making this noise? The night breeze shook the leaves back and forth.

I injected mana and took out the can of passion fruit juice I had bought at the canteen and opened it.

I spotted Iris sitting on a bench, she took a quick look over her shoulder before turning her head to the moonlit gray sea.

"Drinking alone? That's kind of sad." I teased her by sitting next to her.

"Look who's talking," she scoffed lazily, "you shouldn't be with your colleagues, where are they?"

"The girls are strategizing for tomorrow's final, that's how Arthur will also participate, he's with them, Kize...I have no idea where that idiot could be, probably wandering around."

Leaning back against her hands, my teacher looked up at the crescent moon. "Hey, you look very relaxed, having no worries is actually a good thing."

"What are you saying all of a sudden?" I asked.

"Nothing. I just can't help but think about my high school days when I watch you."

"I follow my standards to take my studies seriously, you know?" I said pretending to be offended, I even put my hand over my heart to improve my acting even more.

"I've never seen you studying hard even once, you always have that stoic look on your face."

"Some things that don't need to be trained are instinctive, like the air that comes in and leaves your lungs involuntarily."

"Mana doesn't work like that." Iris pointed.

"Mana doesn't bless everyone either," I reminded, "that's the sad reality of life."

"Hey, sometimes I feel like you're so indifferent that you don't care what the world turns out to be."

"Too bad for you, I was never pessimistic about my life."

"So what are you trying to say?"

"I was wondering, what is the meaning of people trying so hard in a world as unequal as this one."

"Of course this is for yourself, are you an idiot by any chance? Not everyone was born in a golden cradle as you know."

"Going so far as to call me an idiot... so specifically what is this 'to himself' referring to?"

"Isn't that precisely promoting your own qualities and going after jobs that have a high status in society?" Iris answered that as if it were natural.

"So you think 'effort' is able to make people climb the social hierarchy?"

"Yes I think."

"For both of us to say this is easy, for us manipulating mana is as easy as breathing, so as I said before this seems to be instinctive, now let's assume you lived on this continent with a mediocre ability to manipulate mana, How different would everyone you know treat you today? They wouldn't look your way. Probably just make friends with bandits and farmers of your own social class. Your family? Well, they might be the only ones who would love you, but that doesn't mean that they would not be disappointed in their hearts by their lack of talent. This is very beautiful but also very cruel."

Iris was silent, she was just studying me as if she didn't believe I was a simple 12 year old boy.

"I remember one day my mother took me for a walk in the countryside, not long ago I had awakened my powers, and she asked me: "Lancelot do you know why you were born so blessed by mana?" "

At that time, even knowing how to answer this question, I decided to pretend ignorance and act like a simple child.

"After I answered her question with a simple, "I don't know." She gently began to stroke my hair and said, "To help everyone, never use your power to do harm to humanity or to satisfy your own pleasures, it is the duty of those born stronger and you must carry this responsibility with you." you, is to take it seriously, please never forget that my son." "

It is perhaps because of these words that I will not accept Agrona's proposal, even though I know that this is the most sensible thing to do, so that I would go to war, Dicathen was not the place of origin, that is, it would not be out of patriotism, it would be much less for caring about the citizens of the three races, I would go to this war to fulfill my role as a soldier and then live a comfortable life with the people I learned to care about.

"That's right for Isabelle."

"This unequal world is cruel so I think it's our duty to make it easier for people no matter who they are."

"I agree." Iris said lifting her beer bottle.

"Well my mom told me you studied together, what was Xyrus academy like when you were students?"

"Where do I start to tell this story..."