Chapter 46
In this country and others, silver hair is said to be rare and a very precious color.
Though the Rotish family possesses such a rare color, I was taught that only Grandfather and I have silver hair, while my father and Uncle Ruget have grayish blonde hair.
In comparison, red eyes are not particularly rare, but the deep red that Grandfather and I possess is often likened to gemstones.
Those who speak of Fildé Rotish's appearance, whose name resounds across nations, always mention his silver hair and gem-like red eyes first.
Adults who know who possesses this combination of traits look at me with gentle eyes, as if gazing at their own children or grandchildren, while the children beside them cast suspicious glances my way.
Since it's already such a striking color...... I left the fortress early in the morning, yet I never imagined there would be so many people here already.
While receiving various stares, I line up at the back of the queue, and as I lightly bow to the burly man in front of me, a faint groan, barely audible, reaches my ears.
"......Ralph?"
The source of the groan is a boy standing next to the burly man.
It was Ralph, who had been with Ellie at the clothing store......
"Um, Ralph?"
"......Huh!? Cough, cough!"
It seems I wasn't the only one surprised by this sudden reunion; Ralph, who had been staring intently at my face, is now choking after being vigorously slapped on the back by a man who appears to be his father standing beside him.
"......Good morning. You remembered my name?"
Is he just unfriendly, or does he dislike me......?
Hoping it's not the latter, I nod and smile at Ralph, who furrows his brow.
"Since we'll be schoolmates, isn't that only natural?"
"......Schoolmates."
As I'm puzzled by Ralph, whose brow furrows even more, his body momentarily lifts off the ground when he's slapped on the back again......
"Sorry about that, he takes after me and comes off as unfriendly."
"......Ouch! Stop hitting me, Dad!"
"It's because you're staying silent, isn't it?"
"Hey, come on......!?"
The man next to him was indeed Ralph's father, it seems.
Ignoring Ralph, who protests while rubbing his aching back, his father looks at me, nods as if convinced of something, and flashes a wide grin.
"With that appearance, you must be related to Marshal Fildé, right?"
"Yes. I'm Celestia Rotisch, granddaughter of Fildé Rotish."
"I knew it! You look just like him in his younger days! Though, I must say, his granddaughter seems more refined."
While recalling Dan saying that Grandfather and I are wild beasts in noble skin, I put on a smile. It's fine. With first impressions, I can fool anyone with this.
"I'm Ron, Ralph's father. I run the biggest blacksmith shop in town, so come by and take a look sometime."
"Yes, I will."
"With this many people lined up before the scheduled time, they'll probably open the gate soon. You've got your papers...... right? If there's anything you don't understand, don't hesitate to rely on Ralph. He may look frail, but he's been training, and once he takes off his shirt, his muscles can rival any young man around here."
"Dad......!"
"What?"
"W-What do you mean, what? I mean, this person......"
Even if he glares at me with a bright red face while clutching the front of his shirt with both hands, I'm at a loss. I'm not going to make him strip here, so I wish he'd calm down.
"I understand that Ralph is dependable. I'll rely on him if I need to."
"Yeah, do that."
I'm startled and widen my eyes as Ron places his hand on my head with a soft pat and gently ruffles my hair.
"If you're that man's grandchild, then you're like a grandchild or child to everyone living in this town—a part of the family. By the way, have you decided on a support family yet?"
"No......"
While feeling proud that Grandfather is so loved by the people of this town, I shake my head and say, "Not yet."
The military school has a system called a support family, which, as the name suggests, refers to families who support students attending the military school.
Children who leave their hometowns where they lived with their parents and start dormitory life can only meet their families a few times before graduation.
There are long vacations, and there's no rule against meeting family. It's simply due to the limited means of traveling back and forth between other towns and Taurus.
Since they're still children not yet of age, there are times when they miss their families and want to go home. In such cases, they often shut themselves in their rooms and, in the end, drop out of the military school.
The support family system was created to prevent such situations, where people living in Taurus act as surrogate families, staying by the students' side so they don't feel lonely.
Moreover, I've heard that many of these families are often those of retired soldiers, and since they provide not only emotional support but also accurate personal advice and guidance, many students make use of this system.
"Since first-year students are busy and their range of movement is restricted to within the town, I don't think I need one just yet. Besides, if I push a little, I can still meet my relatives at the fortress."
"No matter how you look at it, you're not the kind of kid who'd make selfish demands, are you?"
......Hm, huh?
"Just remember that you're always welcome. ......Ralph, I'm going to head up front for a bit, so stay in line and wait!"
A man two spots ahead taps Ron's shoulder and jerks his thumb backward with a stern face. Seeing this, Ron hurriedly runs toward the front of the line.
I stretch up on my toes to peer ahead, wondering what kind of signal that was, but I can't make sense of it at all.
"They're probably going to talk about you. Everyone's been looking at you with envious eyes since earlier."
"Ah, because I resemble Grandfather......"
"Also, since there seems to be a misunderstanding, I'll explain it to Dad later. That you're not a young master, but a young lady......"
"......Please do."
I end up relying on Ralph right away and slump my shoulders in disappointment.