Chapter 84 : Family comes first

The family comes first. The honor of the family comes first. Nothing is greater than the honor of the family. What matters is winning for the Sunahara family, this is what Hisae had learned from her father and for this she devoted herself day and night to the practice of Magecraft to be able to prove herself worthy of the respect and love of her family. Not being loved by the head of the family, Kazuo Sunahara, meant being seen as foot weights, like pieces of garbage that had to be tolerated despite their uselessness. Hisae didn't want to be treated as a nullity but at the same time didn't want to put in a bad light her younger brother, Hiro, who since he was a child it was obvious that he was incapable of knowing how to channel his own mana, he would never have been a strong magus.
Hisae begged her father to give her the opportunity to train her little brother and make him worthy of family love but her father told her these exact words:
« A fast runner can't stop to help the slower one. You run and you prove yourself worthy of this family, forget your brother, I'll take care of him. »
Hisae was forced to accept her father's orders with submission.

January 23, 2021

On the news, they talked about a girl who had committed suicide by throwing herself out of the school window. Hisae was watching television with her little brother when her mother came, Chieko:
« Your father wants to see you, Hisae. »
« All right. »
Hisae got up and left her brother alone to watch television. She went to his father who was in a room lit only by four lighted candles, Kazuo was meditating and when he heard his daughter arrive he grumbled:
« Don't make too much noise. »
« Sorry, Father. »
« Sit down, I have to talk to you. »

Hisae sat down in front of her father who handed her a piece of an old red cloak where the coat of arms of the first Baron of Camoys was drawn on. The girl asked:
« What is this? »
« Your chance to make the Sunahara house famous throughout the world. That is a relic with which you will evoke a Servant. »
« A Servant? Why are you giving me this thing? »
« You will participate in the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil, Hisae. You will do it and you will win for the sake of your family. »
Hisae didn't want to participate in the war, she didn't want to abandon her little brother and then she said to her father, in an attempt to make him change his mind:
« I'm still young, I don't know if I'll be strong enough to fight. »
« You've just turned eighteen, when you had Hiro's age you were stronger than your uncle Kunisada, in two years you will surely become even stronger. I trust your skills. »
« I'm honored, father, but ... »
« You're not allowed to oppose my choice. »
« I don't want to oppose it, it's just that ... I'm not sure. »
Kazuo cast a cold glance at his daughter, like that of a man who was about to use his hands. The girl became intimidated and, bowing her head, accepted the responsibility of fighting the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil in the name of the Sunahara family.
 
That night, after taking a shower, she closed herself in her room and lay on the bed looking at that piece of cloak that was on her chair. She didn't want to fight the war but was forced to follow her father's order. Hiro knocked on the door.
« You can enter. » She said.
« Sister, why were you so silent at dinner? Something wrong? »

She got out of bed and answered immediately, feigning a smile:
« No, no, you don't have to worry, I'm fine." »
« Ok, sorry. »
Hiro was about to leave.
« Wait. »
« What's up? »
« I'll leave for a while, Hiro. I don't know how long I'll be away but I just wish you knew one thing: you're not weak. You are a formidable boy and one day you will be a great magus, you just have to believe in yourself and in your abilities. All right? » She burst into tears.
« Are you okay, sister? » Hiro was worrying about her and she hugged him.
« Hiro, promise me you won't stop believing in yourself. Promise. »
« Yes. I promise, Hisae. »
« I love you. »
« I love you too. »

Hisae Sunahara by Bikowolf