Younger Sibling. (3)
I, too, once had a younger sibling.
A guy whose voice I can no longer remember.
Sometimes irritating, sometimes inexplicably sullen for no reason, always glaring curtly when I called his name—a detestable brat.
Of course, that wasn't Yeriel.
And Yeriel isn't him, either.
Any superficial similarities in personality, or the way she feels familiar, might just be my delusion.
Perhaps it's merely my desire to replace him with her.
Maybe from the moment I first met Yeriel, I've harbored that selfish thought without realizing it.
However, there is nothing more foolish than wandering in search of the origins of unknowable emotions.
I despise philosophies or doubts that involve self-reflection and introspection.
I do not waste time seeking the reasons behind emotions.
I am unchanging, and I take pride in this self, so I never speak falsehoods.
Therefore, I can affirm it unequivocally.
Yeriel, who first sought me out after I became Deculein von Grahan Yukline from Kim Woojin.
Whether Yeriel is Altiegue or not changes nothing. I already consider her my younger sibling.
These are the words of one who is both Kim Woojin and Deculein.
“Yeriel.”
I looked at Yeriel. She pursed her lips tightly. Her large eyes trembled like those of a cartoon character.
“Return now. Go and manage your territory. Yukline needs you.”
“……”
Yeriel swallowed hard. She wiped away her tears with her sleeve.
“……What did that Altiegue demand?”
Yeriel seemed curious, but Elesol's demands had been few.
Do not activate the gas chambers in Rohalak. Do not execute political prisoners there at random. Allow communication with the interior of Rohalak once every three months.
“There is no need for me to know.”
Yeriel glanced at me cautiously and asked again.
“Then…… what will you do with Altiegue from now on?”
“The current cannot be defied. The Empire, the continent, and the Emperor desire the suppression and extermination of Altiegue, and I, too, cannot go against that tide.”
Sophien harbors resentment toward Altiegue. The path to the Altar, and to let the Emperor “reach” the Altar, lies through them.
“Altiegue and the Empire have drifted too far apart. I will continue to suppress Altiegue, but when the time comes, I shall convey one truth to Her Majesty.”
Sacrifice Altiegue to clear the main quest.
It is surely not the only righteous path, but a villain spares no means or methods to achieve their goal.
If it is the most efficient way to destroy the Altar, I shall do it gladly. Even if I must pay the price someday, I shall be satisfied.
“……I, I. I have a question.”
Yeriel approached hesitantly and stammered.
“You used to hate me before. But……”
Her voice trailed off, growing smaller.
My answer was curt.
“Siblings always grow up fighting. Just return to your territory.”
“……Hmph.”
Back to her usual self, Yeriel's eyes were swollen like she'd been stung by a bee, but she forcibly crossed her arms.
“What are you doing.”
“……You told me to go. But I have no idea how to get back from here. I'm thinking.”
It was then. A cheerful voice rang out from the nearby mountainside.
“Ah! There you are! Professor!”
Yeriel and I turned toward the sound.
An adventurer stood there. The capable one who had delivered my petition to the Emperor, along with the Emperor's reply to me.
“……Here. This is Her Majesty's response.”
[Sealed Imperial Missive]
I received the imperial letter with proper etiquette, kneeling on one knee.
“Wow, Professor, your petition was masterfully written. I was impressed reading it.”
The adventurer rose, chuckling. I regarded him steadily.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
“……Wait.”
I stopped the man as he turned to go. He tilted his head quizzically, and I asked,
“Can you transport people as well?”
“Transport people, you say?”
I glanced at Yeriel. Realizing my intent, she furrowed her brow.
“What? You gonna hand me over to some mailman?”
“An adventurer, not an ordinary courier.”
“Still—”
“Silence.”
Ignoring Yeriel's protests, I examined the mission acceptance form the beaming adventurer proffered.
The price was quite high—but
“What?! Five hundred thousand elne?! Highway robbery! Even VIP transport isn't this much!”
Yeriel peeked at the form and glared. I covered her mouth and signed.
“Take her.”
“Yes! I'll escort her safely and comfortably, Miss Yeriel!”
“……”
Yeriel looked at me with a complex expression—part dissatisfaction, part reluctance, part guilt, part sorrow.
I said to her,
“Yeriel.”
“……What.”
“That face is repulsive. Mind your manners between siblings.”
“……What the hel—?!”
“As if nothing happened.”
I used Telekinesis to brush a snowflake from the back of her hair.
“Live like that. From now on, as before, as now.”
Yeriel looked up at me wordlessly. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.
She bowed her head to the ground, exhaled deeply, then met my eyes again.
“……Got it.”
I nodded silently. Yeriel trudged over to the adventurer, murmuring just loud enough to hear.
“Hey. Five hundred thousand is still too much. Can't you discount it?”
“Professor! Miss Yeriel is—”
“Aaah! Fine! Let's go! Hurry!”
I watched as she clamped the adventurer's mouth and headed down the mountain.
The northern night sky, dotted with stars and moon, beneath a Milky Way cascading like a waterfall.
Heading home with the adventurer, Yeriel pondered. She blankly repeated Deculein's words.
—Someday, even if Yukline abandons you. I will not abandon you.
The utterly unrealistic affection he had shown her.
She had heard it clearly with her own ears, yet his voice still felt like a dream.
Thus, Yeriel grew suspicious instead.
“……Do I deserve it?”
Did she deserve to hear such words? Was she worthy of such love?
She, who had truly hated Deculein. Hated him so much. Despised him madly, even harbored thoughts of killing him…….
Just thinking it made her heart clench with guilt. Yeriel clutched it.
“……Since when.”
Since when, for Deculein?
Perhaps he had known her bloodline from long ago, from when they were too young.
At least suspected it vaguely.
That was why he hated her, disliked her.
“Haa……”
As a child, she had craved his love.
She tried hard but gave up, thinking it impossible, protecting herself by hating him fiercely.
While she stagnated, he lost his loved one, matured and matured further, and eventually forgave her, accepting her as his sibling.
Oblivious to that, had she mocked him when his fiancée died, calling it retribution?
“……Sniff.”
Yeriel blew her nose pointlessly. The adventurer walking beside her turned and asked,
“Crying?”
“What. Why would I cry. My nose is just stuffy.”
“Hmm~”
“Anyway, let's renegotiate.”
“What negotiation?”
“Don't rip off my brother.”
“Hey. From here to Yukline is worth at least seven hundred thousand elne. Escort and guide.”
Yeriel puffed her cheeks. She narrowed her eyes and glared.
“I'll escort you as safely as possible!”
“……You know Yukline is a major patron of the adventurer guild, right?”
“Hey. Even so, the Professor trusted me and—”
“Exactly, he trusted you, so why raise the price? Loyal customers get discounts. You'd get stoned doing business like this.”
“Hey~”
“Hey what. Fine, one question. How much did the imperial family pay?”
“……Pardon?”
Yeriel tapped her palm knowingly.
“You got paid by the imperial family for delivery too, right? They set high rates, that's the market max. If a single house pays more, it raises flags.”
“Uh……”
“More importantly, does the guild know you're charging this much?”
“……”
“Not reporting it to dodge taxes, huh?”
“……Ahem.”
The adventurer cleared his throat loudly.
“Five hund……”
“What?”
“……Four hundred thousand elne it is.”
Still dissatisfied with four hundred thousand, but at least they'd travel together for the day.
“……Hmph. Fine. Rest at Yukline after the job. We'll cover all costs.”
……Deculein had buried the infiltrating Altiegue alive in Recor Dak. The shocking rumor spread across the continent in an instant.
The brutal professor who buried forty Altiegue alive.
Even amid the winter demon surge, it was headline-worthy. Debates raged in the imperial court, the Magic Tower, and various territories…….
Kwaaaaaaaa──────!
A massive meteor slammed into the ground. Immense mana rippled like a shockwave.
The spell's name: Meteor. An overwhelming bombardment only one on the continent could manifest.
“……Hoo!”
Adrienne blew the embers from her hand like dust in the wind.
“All clean now!”
Crackling—scorching winds swept through. Black flames flickered stubbornly on the earth.
Just three minutes ago, that area had teemed with howling demons. Now, nothing remained. All life eradicated, only a massive crater lingering emptily.
“Y-Yes, as expected of Adrienne, the great Archmage……!”
Adrienne had come to aid the north.
Location: northeast. Alone, without fanfare.
“Easy! Oh, more importantly!”
Adrienne quickly pulled a thick sheaf of magical paper from her bosom. It was Deculein's “Advanced Lecture” exam.
A month into this exam, it remained unsolved. Even the addicts hadn't cracked it.
“……So hard! Really brain-melting!”
Adrienne scowled after glancing at the equations.
“Hard, right? I told you.”
She whipped around toward the voice.
Roserio. She held the same paper.
“Might as well submit this to the symposium as unsolved. I tried hard the first one or two weeks, but this monkey-level difficulty—what're we supposed to do?”
“Right! It's the problem-maker's fault!”
Whoosh—! Adrienne and Roserio set down Deculein's exam paper.
Advanced Lecture Final Exam. This simply named test now drew more attention on the Floating Island than the demon descent.
Of course, since Deculein hadn't distributed it, non-attendees couldn't access it officially, but its insane difficulty forced sharing.
No one could solve it alone.
Not exaggeration—truly impossible.
Not even the easiest problem one.
“……But! Lots of talk about Professor Deculein burying people alive!”
“Fits that bastard's personality. Especially against Altiegue? Obvious. Live burial's a bit much, but they infiltrated first…… Anyway, check my solution for problem one.”
Roserio offered her solution to Adrienne. Also on magical paper, it spanned 300 pages.
“Three hundred pages! Too much! Shorten it!”
“Can't, that's why I'm showing you.”
“Ugh, whatever! Seeing others' mixes with mine! Take it back!”
“……”
Roserio pouted and pocketed her solution.
“Jeez. How'd that guy make something this hard……”
Thud—!
A massive rumble echoed. Roserio and Adrienne scowled.
“Ah…… another damn one.”
The thirtieth that day signaling demon descent.
……Mages were flocking to Recor Dak.
Piercing the treacherous path overrun by demons, even mages who dwelt only on the Floating Island were trickling toward Deculein's Recor Dak.
Julie didn't know why. At least the knights didn't.
“……Floating Island mages. Lumiere rank. Correct?”
“““Yes.”””
Today's trio of arrivals. Julie greeted them with a puzzled expression.
“……If it's not rude, may I ask why you've come?”
Julie didn't overstep as a knight. She didn't say “if it's not rude”—but
This bizarre procession had continued for three days straight, a week now. She couldn't hold back.
Beyond that barrier: hordes of monsters, roars echoing kraaaang~.
Why brave it knowingly, risking everything for Recor Dak?
Not thrill-seeking adventurers or knights, but mages hypersensitive to personal safety.
“Yes?”
“Recor Dak is extremely dangerous. You might not survive.”
“Oh~ we know. But…… we're here for knowledge.”
“……Knowledge?”
“Yes.”
The three young mages peered beyond Recor Dak.
“Books only readable here, and they say the Professor hands out exam papers if you come.”
“Professor…… you mean Professor Deculein?”
“Yes.”
The three young mages peered beyond Recor Dak.
“Books only readable here, and they say the Professor hands out exam papers if you come.”
“Professor…… you mean Professor Deculein?”
“Yes. You knights might not know? So……”
The mages explained kindly.
Why mages gathered here, and why the procession would continue.
“Professor Deculein's unpublished treatises are in the library here. First reason—we must read them. Second's similar: exam papers he's issued, all free to view……”
In short: Deculein's writings and exams, inaccessible even with money elsewhere, were in Recor Dak.
Thus, on the Floating Island and Magic Tower, Recor Dak was treated like a frozen El Dorado amid the harsh cold.
“……Yes. Understood. Here's your pass. Don't lose it.”
Julie nodded reluctantly.
“Yes! Thank you!”
The mages clenched fists in enthusiasm. Julie watched them go, still baffled.
“……Mages coming to this wasteland for learning.”
Still, romantic.
Hiring mercenaries solely for magic mathematics, studying in death-risk Recor Dak.
The path here must've been hell, even without Altiegue. How'd they navigate?
“……”
Julie glanced at Deculein's distant mansion. Strangely,
Deculein stood at the window. Their eyes met precisely.
He had been watching her.
“……!”
Julie hurriedly looked away.
Fortunately, there was work.
A guard pointed beyond the entrance to the slope.
“Knight. More mages coming. With escort knights.”
“……Yes. I see them.”
Julie straightened rigidly, replying awkwardly…….