Little Sister (2)
……A month ago, Elesol visited the Grand Elder with her younger sister.
A tent swept by the scorching desert winds.
The leader of Altiegue, the Grand Elder, greeted them with a face even more gaunt than the last time they'd seen him.
"Hello."
—It's been a while.
Eli spoke, and Elesol moved her hands.
The Grand Elder gave a faint smile.
"It's been a long time. Those little children have grown into adults."
—No time for old stories.
"No need to be so hasty, is there?"
—…….
Elesol narrowed her eyes.
The Grand Elder's kindly, benevolent nature no longer sat well with her these days.
—Take this.
Elesol handed over the documents. They outlined plans for assassinating key figures like Deculein and liberating the detention camps.
"……You've prepared quite a lot."
The Grand Elder read the preface with a hardened expression.
But his response was no different from before.
"Child. It's just a chain of hatred."
—Then what?
Bang! Elesol slammed the table.
—What do you think, Grand Elder? Exactly. In this pitch-black darkness. Or like a cliff's edge. Our people stand on the brink of annihilation amid this foggy haze.
"Child. What do you think?"
—Simple. Resist so fiercely that the cost outweighs any benefits from oppressing Altiegue.
If the Empire gained 100 in profits from oppressing Altiegue and seizing their assets, strike back with 200 in damages. Make suppression utterly worthless.
"What does the Empire gain from oppressing us? They do it without profit."
—No. They wanted our land before. Now they want our wealth and talents. Thus, Mutual Assured Destruction. That's our path. If there's nothing to gain. And they value their own lives. They'll tire themselves out eventually.
"To do that, we need weapons and power matching the Empire's. Mutual Assured Destruction means mutual ruin. Do we have the strength to annihilate them?"
—Yes. Altiegue has power. The talents continentals call demonic.
Elesol glanced at Eli. With clear displeasure.
—Eli alone could do it. Kill every desk-jockey in the Imperial Palace.
"Then why haven't you?"
—They don't listen to me. Only to you, Grand Elder.
Bang! Bang bang bang! Elesol pounded the table in anger. The Grand Elder silently looked at Eli.
Eli smiled faintly, and the Grand Elder chuckled softly.
"……Eli. You haven't killed Deculein."
"Yeees. Didn't think it was necessary."
Bang! As Elesol slammed the table again, the Grand Elder stopped her.
"Why did you think that?"
"Yeees. Once you kill him, there's no going back. I get how Elesol feels. But isn't killing him just playing into the Altar's hands?"
"……Yes."
The Grand Elder nodded.
"Elesol. Building such a massive underground facility, creating a city, embracing countless Altiegue—commendable. But too radical won't do."
—……Silence.
Elesol clasped her hands in a triangle. The sign for silence.
"The Zifreine imperial family has wronged Altiegue, but so have we wronged them. To resolve that ancient grudge, mutual forgiveness is needed. Now is not the time."
The discrimination, contempt, neglect, scorn, exile, and oppression Altiegue had endured. That bitterly painful history.
In response, Altiegue's crimes and terrorism. Atrocities by certain tribes. Collusion with the Altar.
Who was wrong first? Right and wrong couldn't be judged now.
"Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The answer to that foolish riddle is to stop asking it. Become people who don't need such questions, create a world without them. But this continent kills too many lives seeking an answer that doesn't exist."
Elesol bit her lip, then shook her head.
—I know. As a child, I believed your views, Grand Elder, would guide us. But now, there's no other way.
Elesol pounded the table.
—The Empire doesn't believe we're unconnected to the Altar. I've sent countless letters. Begged for diplomacy and negotiation.
"……."
—But even if we scream and plead for trust. They'll cut our throats anyway. Empress Sophien is like that. When the gas chambers activate. Our people die. And I won't stand for those demons' deeds.
Silence fell briefly.
Staring at Elesol, the Grand Elder soon smiled warmly. Her rage was painfully intense, but her care for the tribe was admirable.
"……Take it, Elesol. Now you may inherit my legacy."
The Grand Elder handed her the ledger. The 「Altiegue Registry」, made of his mana.
—What's the point now?
The Grand Elder silently opened a specific page. Both Elesol and Eli tilted their heads.
"Read it."
"……."
They looked at the indicated passage.
Seeing the name, Elesol froze.
Like a wind-up doll that had run down.
"……."
She blinked blankly for a long time.
Creeeak—she turned to look at Eli.
"……Huh."
Eli, too, gaped in stunned silence…….
……Back to the present, in the mountains around Recor Dak.
Elesol watches Yeriel.
Yeriel, out of the carriage and bound, stares somewhere.
Her gaze is on a squirrel amid the bushes. The creature, calmly climbing a tree, approaches slyly upon meeting Yeriel's eyes.
Rustle—rustle—
It gnaws at Yeriel's bindings with its teeth.
Whoosh—!
Startled by Elesol's footsteps, it whips around—not fleeing, but baring its teeth in threat.
Kyaargh—!
Acting like some knightly guard.
Elesol looked at Yeriel.
—Animals follow you.
"……Jeez. I told you I don't know sign language."
—…….
She wrote on her notepad again.
—Deculein knew.
"Different specialties. Language's essential for reading grimoires from other countries. I'm a natural at management, economics, and handling people. Call a translator if needed."
Elesol pondered Yeriel.
Should she tell her? Or keep silent?
Of course, Deculein said it didn't matter either way.
Their poor relationship might mean he just planned to discard her, or perhaps destroy his own sister with his own words…….
Either way, it'd help this girl.
"What'd you just say?"
—Asked if animals follow you well.
"Yeah. Been like that since I was little. Can even talk to them somewhat."
—Talent completely unlike magic. Never suspected?
"Suspect what? No, what's it matter? More importantly……."
Yeriel shrugged and asked.
"He ain't coming, right?"
—He is.
"What? No way!"
She yelled at the mention of negotiating with Deculein. An unexpected reaction.
Or maybe they hated each other that much.
"What're the terms?"
—Releasing the forty Altiegue Deculein captured.
"……That's it?"
—Your relationship with Deculein is bad.
There were other key agreements too. They'd gotten what they wanted, but she wouldn't reveal the details.
Yeriel nodded calmly.
"See? Told ya. I'm useless."
—…….
Elesol sat on a rock and gazed at the sky.
The pale, biting winter air stretched taut, slicing at the skin.
She lowered her head to Yeriel again. Squirrels and chipmunks had gathered, openly gnawing her bonds.
Elesol showed Yeriel her notepad.
—Even after the hostage exchange, you can escape. Not now, but someday. I'll give you the chance.
"……What bullshit? You crazy? Nuts?"
Elesol let out a small sigh.
If Yeriel's Altiegue blood was revealed, Deculein and the Yukline name would suffer grave damage. Their central authority might even waver.
For Altiegue, it weakened Yukline's position, delaying oppression or shifting its direction.
—……The negotiation term I proposed to Deculein wasn't you.
Naturally, Deculein would work to prevent that.
Elesol could easily guess his efforts.
Without evidence, there was no way to prove Yeriel was Altiegue.
"Then what was it?"
The way to eliminate evidence: death.
Yeriel might be killed by Deculein.
—…….
Elesol moved her fountain pen.
Stroke by stroke, carefully forming words.
—I won't announce that Yeriel is our bloodline.
Yeriel's face stiffened instantly. Not understanding the meaning.
"……."
Silence bloomed at their feet. Cold mountain air swirled between them.
Elesol put away her notepad and added more words.
—Yeriel. You're not Yukline. You're Altiegue, our kin.
Noon in Recor Dak.
Deep in the mountains, I dig a grave.
"Mercy, spare us! Professor! My mistake! Deathly sin…… Pro, Professor!"
A grave to bury Jaken and his lot alive.
"B-Boss. Even so……."
Ruina tried to dissuade me from the side, but I ignored her. I just glared at those to be buried and spoke.
"Did you not expect this coming to my Recor Dak?"
"N-No, Professor! My mistake! Professor……!"
As they thrashed and screamed, the pit was complete. I lifted the steel chains binding them with Telekinesis.
"Uh, ugh, uwaaaah—!"
"Krak!"
"P-Please, guk!"
I dropped all forty into the pit.
Ruina bowed her head, unable to watch. Ifrin had fled the night before.
"……Is this how you treat prisoners?"
To Ihelm's uneasy question, I replied simply.
"Not prisoners. Enemies."
"Hm……Whatever. Your ex-fiancée'll hate it. Good gossip fodder. Beyond the Grim Reaper, Apostle of Live Burial or somesuch."
I scooped earth with my cane-sword.
Thud—
Thud—
Thud—
With each covering of the grave, desperate wails and pleas echoed.
"Uh, uwa! No! Nooo—! Professor! Please!"
"My mistake! Truly! We, we're innocent. Just this Jaken bastard—"
"What're you saying! You said you'd burn my body too!"
"Fuck when did I!"
Of course, I wouldn't actually kill them this way. Doesn't suit my style.
This grave's purpose is exchange, not murder.
A hostage swap no one would suspect. Any humane executions would be Elesol's job.
"Please, plehk! Pblblp!"
Thud—thud—thud—
Dirt crammed into their mouths. I glared into their eyes and clicked my tongue.
A repulsive sight.
"Please, please…… please……."
Their pitiful begging ceased eventually, and the pit filled with earth.
I turned back.
"……Ugh."
Ruina clutching her mouth. Ihelm scratching his neck. Delik and the palace knights gaping in shock.
Unable to hide their dismay, I told them.
"Go first. I shall watch until they are sufficiently dead."
"Pardon? Ah, yes. Understood…… E-Everyone! What're you doing! Move!"
They turned and retraced their steps. I waited a moment.
……Soon enough.
A small flame rose from a distant peak.
Elesol's signal.
—Yeriel. You're not Yukline. You're Altiegue, our kin. The proof is…….
An empty mountain devoid of human presence.
A frigid zone where even fallen leaves lay dead.
"……."
Yeriel stares blankly at the ground, lost.
Her drooping head sways like reeds, unbound legs stumbling every which way.
"Ah……."
Should she run now?
Or just die?
Yeriel looks up at a tree branch. Sturdy enough for a noose…….
Then.
Rustle—
Footsteps crushing leaves.
Simultaneously, a voice surges in— one she desperately wants to deny, shaking her heart.
"Yeriel."
Yeriel looked there.
The last person she wanted to see: Deculein.
Nausea welled from deep in her throat.
"You've come far."
At his words, Yeriel trembled.
Not far from her, he took another step up the slope.
Yeriel hurriedly stopped him, arm outstretched.
"……Stop!"
He asked innocently.
"Why?"
"You…… you know."
"Know what?"
She barely held back bursting tears.
Right now, Yeriel couldn't read Deculein's heart.
He'd tolerated her not being blood-related, not a true sister. But if she was the most hated Altiegue?
How would he treat her?
Agonizing torment.
"Don't come closer!"
"Mind your tongue."
"……Don't come!"
"No."
"What the hell!"
Yeriel yelled. Seizing the gap, Deculein stepped forward boldly. Startled, Yeriel turned to flee—but crack!
Her nape was seized.
"……Ack."
She looked up at him with teary eyes. His face was the same as always, expression unchanged.
"Eugh……."
Yeriel gritted her teeth.
Then, in a tiny voice.
"……I know everything."
"Know what?"
She glared resentfully.
Pretending not to know, despite knowing.
"I'm not your sister. I'm not your sister, right? Right?"
"……."
"Even so, up to that point…… I get it. But……."
"Yeriel."
Deculein cut her off. He'd conjured a chair and forced her to sit.
"Pitiful. Such things are irrelevant."
"Wha……."
Saying so, he looked at her. Yeriel couldn't meet his eyes.
"Listen well."
"……Don't wanna hear it."
"Listen. Do not flee."
"……."
What was he thinking now?
What emotions did he hold?
Betrayal? Irritation? Disgust? Or murderous intent?
Yeriel didn't know.
Couldn't know.
She'd never entered his heart, after all.
"I have never once."
Thus, even now.
She still suspected, a little.
"Thought of you as not my sister."
"……?"
Even gazing pleadingly at Deculein.
Even hearing his steady voice.
Even knowing Deculein never lied.
"No matter the blood in your veins."
"No matter your outward form."
"You remain Yeriel…… and my sister."
"Wha—"
Her body moved on its own. Lips trembled madly, heart pounded, throat choked breathless.
Annoyingly…….
"So listen well."
Vocal cords blocked, unable to speak; tears or whatever blurred Deculein hazily.
Arms and legs shook idiotically, head spun like sudden anemia.
……Thus, her body long beyond control.
But her ears were wide open.
Taking in his voice.
His ever-cold, ice-clear timbre.
Not missing a syllable…….
"Even if, someday, Yukline discards you."
"I shall not discard you."