Butler’s Training Camp and Summer Festival - Flowers That Brighten Summer Nights
Voice: “Illuminated by the night lights, my master looks just like a sparkling gem. I was instantly captivated by your charm.”
※ A notice before reading the Butler Story
This story contains spoilers for the “Butler’s Training Camp and Summer Festival” event story. It is recommended to read up to Chapter 12 of the event story before proceeding.
Chapter 1 - A Place to Live / 生きる場所
[Training Camp Lodge]
Several nights have passed since the intensive training began… Feeling thirsty, I left the bedroom to get some water.
Clack… clack… clack…
Lamli: “Ugh, honestly…! Is doing this really gonna make me stronger?”
Nac: “Stop complaining and get on with your meditation.”
Lamli: “You’re always just clamping down on me like that. I wish you’d give me some more flexible instruction⁓.”
(Nac And Lamli’s voices…?) (Those voices… they’re coming from Lamli’s bedroom.)
During the intensive training, Nac was supposed to be Lamli’s instructor. I know it’s not a fight, but hearing their voices leak out, I can’t help but be concerned about how they’re doing.
(I’ll just take a little peek.)
As I approached the room to knock… the door opens just at the right moment.
Click…
Nac: “Master, good evening.”
“Wah… Good evening, Nac.”
Nac: “I startled you; my apologies. I sensed your presence outside the door, Master, and thought I would come to greet you.”
Nac: “Ah, Master! Good evening.”
“Good evening, Lamli.”
Lamli: “What brings you here at this hour? Can’t sleep, or something?”
“I was just on my way to get some water…”
Lamli: “I see! In that case, I’ll come with you…”
Nac: “Now, now, Lamli. I told you, you are supposed to be meditating.”
Lamli: “What? Even though we finally got to see Master?”
Nac: “Yes. Because you have other things you ought to be doing. Leave assisting Master to me, and you attend to what you should be doing.”
Lamli: “Ugh… but I also…”
“Sorry, did I interrupt?”
Nac: “No, not at all; the thought of it being an interruption is quite absurd.”
Lamli: “It’s not an interruption at all, Master!! Thanks to you coming by, Master… I’m feeling tons of motivation welling up. …Nac, I’ll do my meditation here. So in the meantime, you go and properly assist Master, okay?”
Nac: “Fufu, a fine attitude. Understood. Well then, Master… I shall escort you to the kitchen.”
“But aren’t you in the middle of training…?”
Lamli: “I can handle meditation perfectly well on my own. Please, don’t worry.”
Nat: “It is as he says. May I accompany you?”
“In that case… please, Nac.”
Unable to refuse the consideration of the two of them, I leave the room together with Nac. And then, I safely receive some cold water in the kitchen.
[Outside the Training Camp Lodge]
⁓ A little while later ⁓
After quenching my thirst with water, invited by Nac, I step outside the lodge for a walk.
Crunch… crunch… crunch…
Nac: “I apologize for causing a disturbance late at night.”
“The training seems tough.”
Nac: “No… for me, it’s not so much. The one it is truly tough on is Lamli. The training imposed on him, places a great burden on him, both physically and mentally.
Since I underwent the same training in my childhood, I understand the pain Lamli is feeling.
Never relaxing one’s guard against the surroundings at any moment, and reacting to surprise attacks from the enemy… If such days continue, the mind finds no rest and becomes unstable.”
“Just now, did you also launch a surprise attack on Lamli?”
Nac: “Yes. However, Lamli just now succumbed to drowsiness, and was unable to react to my attack. Therefore, as a penalty, I had him meditate. No matter what kind of situation an attack comes in, dealing with it calmly, without letting one’s mind be disturbed… That kind of composure and concentration is what he needs right now.”
“I see…”
Nac: “This training, which constantly drives the opponent into a corner, may seem like harassment. But, all of it is for the sake of improving Lamli’s abilities… I would be grateful for your understanding on that.”
“I don’t think it’s harassment at all.”
Harsh training that pushes both mind and body… Nac once received it too, in the past. Surely, the Nac of before would never have revealed that on his own.
So as not to worry me, he would have kept his past locked away inside himself. Thinking that… I feel as though the distance between us has closed just a little compared to before.
“You went through a lot too, didn’t you, Nac?”
Nac: “Master…”
“If you don’t mind, please tell me about the past.”
Nac: “About the past, you say. However… that is… by no means a cheerful story, but…”
“If you don’t dislike it, Nac, I’d like to hear it.”
Nac: “I see… …It is the wish of my Master. There is no way I could dislike fulfilling that. Well then, please allow me to talk, just a little.”
“Thank you, Nac.”
When I offer my thanks, Nac gives me a gentle smile. And then, he slowly began to speak.
Nac: “...As I said earlier, the training being imposed on Lamli is something I received in the past. When I was twelve years old, my formal training as an assassin began, a time when my fundamentals were still shaky.
By constantly being exposed to the bloodlust of a professional assassin… one can hope for faster growth… Under that kind of thinking, I ended up receiving this training facing my father. My father’s attacks were merciless, and I was quickly reduced to a wreck.”
“That’s…”
Nac: “...My father, too, must have been desperate to raise me into a full-fledged operative as quickly as possible. ‘If you don’t want to taste pain, become stronger,’ he would drill into me. Ah, but of course… in the case of Lamli this time, I am properly holding back. So please rest assured on that point.”
“...Okay…”
Nac: “...Due to such circumstances, my body was left with many scars. Of course, since we needed to conceal that I was an assassin, most of those scars were placed in areas that could be hidden by clothing.
Beneath my clothes, the scars left on unseen parts, I was terrified of them back then. I thought, if my father felt like it, I would have been killed as many times as the number of these scars. And seeing the scars carved into my body… back then, I often wept.”
“...That must have been painful, Nac.”
Nac: “...Yes. Because back then, I still hadn’t found the resolve to become an assassin. I was crushed by the blood-stained future those countless scars represented… and the fact that I couldn’t escape it. …I vividly remember feeling loneliness, along with envy when I saw children in the town happily spending time with their parents.”
“Loneliness, huh…”
Nac: “Yes, my home was far removed from any warmth of family. It would be a lie to say… that I never resented the situation I was placed in. However, I couldn’t throw it all away. Everything was the fate of being born into the Stein family.”
The past Nac speaks of makes my heart ache. Constantly drilled harshly by his own father, he desperately lived through days that could break one’s spirit. When I imagine the past Nac who ‘often wept’... I can’t find the words to say.
“.........”
Nac: “,,,Master. Thank you for listening to my story. And… I am sorry for darkening your mood.”
“No. don’t apologize.”
“Thank you for telling me, Nac.”
Nac: “Master… Fufu… Thanks to you, Master, I feel a little bit lighter. Until now, I had kept my past a secret all this time.”
“You don’t need to hide it anymore, okay?”
“I’ll listen to whatever you have to say.”
Nac: “Thank you, Master… To have someone who will listen to my story like this… That alone, somehow makes me feel as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.”
Saying that, Nac… gives a soft, somehow happy smile. If I could heal Nac’s wounded heart, even just a little, if I could fill the loneliness he’s felt, even just a little… Thinking that… I gently nestle close to Nac’s side.
Chapter 2 - A Place to Live / 生きる場所
After the intensive training ended, we visited a town called Fugetsu in the Eastern Land. Before returning to the mansion, we are to enjoy a few days of short trip here.
[Eastern Land, Fugetsu]
I came to the festival grounds in Fugetsu with Nac.
Nac: “Fufu… With that, we have made a full round of the grounds. How did you find the festival?”
“It was really fun.”
Nac: “Is that so? I’m glad to hear it. However, aren’t you tired from walking and feeling hungry?”
“Yeah, I’m hungry.”
Nac: “Understood. It’s a good time for it, shall we have dinner soon?”
“Shall we buy something from the stalls and eat?”
Nac: “Hmm… That is also nice, but… Since we have the rare opportunity to spend time together in a town we’ve never visited… How about spending this evening in a slightly quieter manner?”
“Quietter…?”
Nac: “Yes, to tell you the truth… I have reserved a private room at a small restaurant nearby. If it pleases you, Master, would you like to go there?”
“Yes, I’d love to go.”
Nac: “Fufu… I am fortunate you said that. Then, allow me to guide you. Please, this way.”
[Fugetsu, Small Restaurant]
The small restaurant Nac reserved, was a charming place with a refined atmosphere. In the outdoor tatami room we were guided to, the sound of wind chimes resounds coolly.
Chime… chime….
“This place has a really calming feel to it.”
Nac: “Fufu… I’m pleased beyond words that it is to your liking. Now then, shall we begin our meal straight away? This evening’s menu consists of dishes tailored to your preferences, Master. They make abundant use of seasonal ingredients… so please, do enjoy them. This sashimi platter here, is a dish of summer-speciality striped jack mackerel, accompanied by richly sweet scallops. Please enjoy it with the condiments as you prefer.”
“Thank you, Nac.”
Nac carefully explains the luxurious dishes lined up on the table. Just as Nac said earlier, every single one tastes exactly to my liking.
Nac: “Fufu… Was the flavor to your taste?”
“Yes, it’s incredibly delicious.”
Nac: “I am relieved to hear that. There are still many more dishes to come, please, take your time and enjoy them.”
Facing Nac, I eat the delicious food. While listening to the occasional sound of wind chimes, we spend a gentle time.
⁓ A little while later ⁓
As dinner is drawing to a close, dessert is finally brought out.
Nac: “Hmm… This warabimochi has a wonderful taste. The cool sensation on the palate is also perfectly suited to this season.”
“Fufu, it really is delicious.”
Nac: “Oh my… Fufu, it seems it has pleased you too, Master. Sweet things do nourish the heart, but… your smile, Master, no sweet can compare to it. I am grateful that you have shown me such a lovely smile. ……And that smile… illuminated by a beautiful light, will become even more splendid.”
“...A beautiful light?”
“What do you mean by that…”
Just as I fail to grasp the meaning of Nac’s words and ask him back… with a powerful sound, a large fireworks illuminate the night sky.
Fwoosh…… BOOM!
“Amazing… beautiful…”
Nac: “Fufu… Yes, truly beautiful. Those flowers that colour the summer night, will surely linger in the hearts of many. However, to me… your profile, Master, lit by the glow of those flowers, is far more beautiful, and will linger in my heart forever. For all eternity, as long as this life continues… I shall not forget this moment… and I will treasure it, holding it in my heart.”
“I’m happy, but it makes me blush…”
The fireworks scatter once more in the night sky… But in our eyes, only each other’s figures are reflected.
Nac: “...Did you enjoy yourself today?”
“Yes, of course…… And you, Nac?”
Nac: “I too… was able to spend a time like a dream. Being able to share today with you, Master. I am happy beyond what words can express.
……Before, when I wrote that letter trying to leave your side, Master… I had indeed resolved that I would never return to your side again. However… it is at your side, Master, that my happiness lies, and it is precisely at your side, Master, that I find my reason for living… Spending this time together… has made me keenly aware of that anew.”
“Nac…”
Nac: “...I shall hold the image of you this evening, Master… in my heart for all eternity. And… your image tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, so that I never forget every single moment we spend together… I shall engrave them into my soul. Therefore, I pray… if you would allow me to remain at your side, for one more day, one more second even… I would be happy.”
At Nac’s words, my heart swells and the feelings I wish to convey overflow. “Don’t ever say you’ll leave again.” When I say that, half in jest… Nac smiles gently.
Nac: “Yes, of course. I shall never again… say that I will leave. Next summer, and for all the summers to come, please let me continue to spend them together with you like this.”
“Yes… I look forward to it.”
Neither the sound of the fireworks nor the wind chimes can be heard. Only Nac’s words vibrate my eardrums and reach my heart. Next year too, and beyond that, together… …As out eyes meet, I too hold the very same wish.
END
