Chapter 8: Duet

A half-human, half-bird woman called a Siren suddenly appeared and perched on the left arm of the old, hunched-over woman.

Despite the fact that the woman had a taller stature than the old woman with the bent waist, it was the grotesque woman who had perched on the old woman’s outstretched left arm.

“Dad, what is that!?” I asked my father without understanding what i was seeing.

“That’s the Siren who presides over appraisal ceremonies,” he replied.

“‘Ceremony’? ‘Siren’?”

I couldn’t make sense of it at all.

I had thought that this world was different from my past life, but i never expected such a complete departure from reality.

As everyone watched, the half-human, half-bird Siren fluttered and flew closer to the girl known as Olivia.

Olivia, who had been lifted from her mother’s arms, had a frightened expression on her face and seemed about to burst into tears.

It was not surprising.

The grotesque creature with sharp claws that looked as big as adult fingers was approaching her.

It was impossible for a young child not to be scared.

“Dad, do we not need to help her?”

“That’s not a monster, it’s a ‘siren.’ There’s no problem.”

“I see…”

If Robel says it’s not a problem, then it should be okay.

Sirens have four long tails that droop down like the tails of a long-tailed chicken.

The long tails began to move like a snake with a will.

“Eep!”

A voice that wasn’t Olivia’s escaped her lips.

The next moment, the bending tails wrapped around Olivia’s left hand, right hand, mouth, and eyes.

Reflexively, Olivia struggled, but she couldn’t move.

The siren let out a clear voice.

-Beautiful.

It wasn’t a human voice.

A voice that didn’t even have a melody made me feel pleasant like a song.

I was enveloped in a strange sensation of wanting to sink into the warm, sea-like sound.

Robel shook Lucius’s shoulder.

“Don’t listen too much. Your heart will be captured.”

Suddenly, i woke up from my drunken state.

“That was…”

“The siren’s voice has the effect of capturing human hearts. It’s especially easy for you, who haven’t made a contract with them yet.”

Looking around, all the children were dazed.

The adults didn’t seem to care.

When the siren stopped singing and released Olivia from its four long tails, it returned to the old woman’s side.

In a hoarse voice, the old woman announced to those around her.

“You have a fourth-class Rider’s magic core.”

Voices of praise were heard from around her.

“Could it be!?.”

“At that age and already at Grade 4!”

“As expected of the daughter of Lord Strauss who oversees the northern region.”

It seems even Lord Strauss himself is beaming with pride.

– Grade 4? What’s a rider magic core? I have no idea.

Feeling left out as the only one who doesn’t understand, i ask.

“A magic core is like a source of magic power created by the Bestowal of Magic Ceremony.”

Robel explains to Lucius who is confused.

“So, what is Grade 4?”

“It’s an indicator of the amount of magic power one possesses. It ranges from Grade 6 to Grade 1, with higher grades indicating more magic power. There are exceptions such as the Special Grade, though.”

“An indicator of the amount of magic power, is it?”

“That’s right. Don’t worry, you probably have Grade 4 or 3 at the very least.”

To be honest, I have no idea how much it is because I have never felt anything other than my own magical power.            I have never felt my parents’ magic, but for some reason they seem to be able to feel my own magic.

Meanwhile, Olivia is muttering “Father, mother” as if in a daze. Lord Strauss takes her into his arms, perhaps still caught in the voice of the Siren or in a dream, and carefully hands her over to her mother who is nearby.

“Lord Strauss, you are fulfilling your duty as a noble. You are a valuable asset.”

The King praises Lord Strauss, who is seated in his chair.

“I am humbled by your kind words, Your Majesty, and it only reinforces my resolve.”

Afterwards, the sons of the aristocrats were being evaluated one after another by the sirens.

It was like a livestock exhibition.

“You have a sixth-class rider magic core.”

“You have a fifth-class rider magic core.”

“You have a sixth-class rider magic core.”

“You have a sixth-class rider magic core.”

…

I couldn’t understand the meaning of the words that came out of the old woman’s mouth very well, but I understood the intention of this meeting well enough.

-Is it for monitoring and solidarity?

All aristocrats must subject their children to the “Rite of Bestowal” which involves the risk of their lives.

Every noble should have an important heir, and there may be some who do not want to subject them to the rite.

Therefore, they are gathered in one place to confirm that they have undergone the “Rite of Bestowal” so that there is no room for excuses.

On the other hand, aristocrats who did not subject their children to the rite out of compassion for their own children will be cast out.

-Being an aristocrat is not what it’s cracked up to be.

Of course, parents are not exempt from this.

“Next, the son of the Gaeden Viscount family.”

“Yes, sir!”

Earlier, Lord Gaeden who had been bothering my father was summoned.

Under the Siren’s voice, the child of the dazed Lord Gaeden stumbled forward as prompted, moving unsteadily.

As before, the Siren’s tail wound around the left hand, right hand, eyes, and mouth.

The Siren’s voice echoed through the hall.

However, there was a difference from before.

Although the source of the voice was one Siren, it sounded like multiple voices overlapping in song.

The surroundings grew a bit noisy.

The nobles began to whisper incessantly.

Mother Emily let out a scream with a drained voice.

“A duet…,” said Robel with a tense expression, nodding.

“Oh, there’s no mistake. It’s a duet,” he said.

The whispers of the nobles gradually grew louder, and the venue became noisy.

“Father, what is this…?” Lucius tried to ask his father when a dignified voice echoed.

“Silence,” said the king’s voice, and silence visited once again.

As the Siren returned to the old lady, the old lady calmly raised her voice.

“A duet. You possess a sixth-class rider magic core and a sixth-class gunner magic core.”

The faces of the nobles throughout the venue twisted.

The distorted expressions were familiar, something often seen at the gatherings of the aristocrats.

It was jealousy.

When they saw a well-behaved child, it was the same expression that my parents showed in my past life.

However, there were also many who had completely opposite expressions.

Contempt.

The parents in this life had the latter expression.

“I am delighted by your love for your country,” said the king with an ambiguous expression as he congratulated Viscount Gaeden.

“Hah!”

“I will reward you. Please continue to support the country with me.”

“Of course, Your Majesty!”

Viscount Gaeden was enveloped in ecstasy, as if he were about to ascend to heaven.

The king’s eyes were lightly sharpened with a sharp light.

“So, how many people did you sacrifice?”

“This child is the sixth. We have been blessed by fate.”

“I see… but don’t go too far. I don’t like it when too much blue blood is shed.”

“I understand.”

Perhaps due to being enveloped in ecstasy, Viscount Gaeden seemed to be unaware of the king’s gaze.

Amidst the commotion, appraisals of the other children were carried out one after another.

And finally, it was Lucius’s turn.

“Next is the son of Baron Dragon!”

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