Chapter 88
"Eh, me? I'm the eldest son, though."
During a break in field training, while munching on fruit brought from the kitchen for hydration, Dan said this, and everyone in the same circle fell silent at once.
Speaking of Dan, at best, he's innocent and pure, but in reality, he's just a complete mess of a person. What's more terrifying is that it's impossible to read what he's thinking.
So, it's no surprise that everyone was shocked when such a guy declared himself the eldest son.
"Dan as an older brother? I feel so sorry for his younger siblings..."
"I totally thought Dan was the youngest child."
As Tom and Sasha muttered with pained expressions, everyone nodded in agreement, and seeing this, Dan tilted his head.
"Is it really that surprising?"
If it weren't Dan, it probably wouldn't be particularly surprising.
"But, like, the eldest son? Eldest sons are usually, you know, more responsible, aren't they?"
"I think I'm responsible enough. I became a soldier to help support my family, after all."
"Eh, really!?"
"...No way, that's a lie, right?"
Dan pointed at the astonished Sasha and the speechless Tom, laughing heartily.
Seeing his usual childlike behavior and actions, no one could have imagined that he joined the military for such a serious reason.
"Even though it's Dan, I feel like I've completely lost to him..."
"Seriously... even though it's Dan."
"You guys, just wait till later, okay?"
Swinging a dummy weapon around wildly, Dan doesn't just seem like a child—he is a child.
"Sasha, you're the second daughter, right? I'm an only child, and, oh, Celes is too!"
Reaching for the pile of fruit, I wiped a bright red apple with my shirt and bit into it without peeling it. Suddenly, everyone's eyes turned to me, and I tilted my head while chewing.
"In that case, maybe only children are more mature than eldest sons."
"Huh? I'm a proper adult too, you know."
"Dan's just a kid who happens to be older."
"Celes and Tom are both calm and serious, right? They pay attention to their surroundings and are considerate too. But Dan... well, you know?"
"The Marshal is also an eldest son, isn't he?"
"Ah, see, eldest sons are just a bit... you know, like that."
There's someone who reacted by trembling at Sasha's words, but she hasn't noticed.
"Speaking of eldest sons, there's me, the Marshal, and... also the twins under Colonel Ruget, right?"
"Wait, when you line them up, aren't they all people with difficult personalities?"
"Their personalities are too strong, or rather... they've got quirks?"
"In short, it means they're all excellent!"
"Yes, excellent... except for their personalities."
"Their personalities, huh."
"...Hey!"
When will the three of them, so excited about the topic of eldest sons, realize that there's another eldest son right here among us?
"So, what about second sons?"
"Second sons... you mean Colonel Ruget, right? Isn't he a man of character?"
"No, when he holds a sword, he completely changes. Maybe he's got a split personality? Or a hidden side?"
"Wait, doesn't that mean I'm like that too!?"
"Haha, so Sasha's a bad guy, huh."
"W-Wait, I didn't say bad! Ouch, hey, Sasha!"
"Who are you calling a split personality! Take this!"
Amid the angry shouts and laughter from the three of them, there's someone trembling again. Their quivering figure looks like a small animal, so cute, but I'll keep that to myself.
"Altried, you're a second son too, right?"
"That's right."
When I turned and asked, he replied with a bright smile.
"More than eldest or second sons, isn't there someone even worse?"
"Worse?"
"Yeah, yeah, the third son."
"Third son... I only know one person like that."
"I only know that one person too."
"...Ah, Colonel Nick?"
"I'm definitely not going to make a third son angry."
"Yeah, agreed..."
"...I'll be careful too."
Watching the three of them nod to each other, I also nod deeply.
From now on, I might need to ask about family composition as part of greetings when meeting someone for the first time.
"So, to conclude, eldest sons have strong quirks, are hard to deal with, and are personality disasters."
I gently pat Rudo's shoulder to encourage him as he looks stunned by Sasha's words.
"Second sons have split personalities and hidden sides... so, in short, does that mean they're bad-natured?"
At Tom's words, I gently stroke Renato's head as he opens his mouth in shock with teary eyes. I want to believe the faint chill I feel from behind is just my imagination. I resolve not to turn around and bite into the fruit.
"Then, only children are serious and hardworking, huh."
"Seriously. I'm always the one cleaning up after Dan and Sasha. Right, Celes... Hey, you two, look at that."
"Ah, I completely forgot."
"You're such a hardworking person, Celes."
I nod as the three of them turn to me with indescribable looks.
With my right hand on Rudo's shoulder and my left on Renato's head, I nod my head to show agreement.
"So, I'm hard to deal with because of my strong quirks, huh..."
"A hidden side..."
"P-Personality... disaster... ugh, no way."
"They say I'm bad-natured... ugh."
While comforting the brothers who cover their faces with their hands and hang their heads, I mutter, "Apparently, I'm the hardworking one."