After the storm passed, I began preparing alone in the midst of everyone’s silence.

I could feel eyes on me constantly. Damn it, it wasn’t easy to ignore, even if I tried.

Whispers echoed around me, a buzz of voices.

Curiosity, jealousy, envy—those emotions were all too familiar.

“Who is he?”
“He looks young. Which family does he come from?”
“…Maybe he’s from a family of the Seiga.”
“What is it about him that Paejon would want him as a disciple?”
“He doesn’t look like much... oh, but his face is kind of scary. Hiiik—!”

When I glared at the man who spoke disparagingly, he flinched.

This was really getting on my nerves.