Chapter 491: The Older Sister Loves the Younger Sister
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 491: The Older Sister Loves the Younger Sister
“You fought well.”
“..................”
He was strong.
He was definitely strong. And it wasn’t just about martial prowess.
His forces moved as if they were a single entity. Although he relied on various items, my older brother, Ratga, was still incredibly threatening. If the fight had dragged on just a little longer, I might have been the one on my knees. His forces, having pushed back my own, could have overwhelmed me.
As an individual, I might have been stronger, but as a group, my brother was stronger. They truly believed in and followed my brother, and he did his best to live up to their expectations. They trusted each other.
My brother was probably the one who showed the most unity with the tribe.
Perhaps he’ll be the one to win the vote. I should have made a stronger… a more impressive showing.
Uncle Hark.
Mirror Blade couldn't handle Half Blade and was eliminated. If I had taken him down faster, I might have been able to preserve more of my forces. It was a huge miscalculation not to have properly understood Uncle Hark's pride. Pitting Uncle Hark against Uncle Gark might have been a mistake.
And my sister?
The Goblin Aunts are still standing. The same goes for the wolf riders, including Kim Yoora. My Eldest Mother, who is penalized for using highly lethal magic, will probably have a hard time dealing with the Goblin Aunts.
The fact that my sister's camp has lost many of its elite Orc swordsmen is a small relief, but my advantage in troop quality is now all but gone. After pouring so much firepower into checking the Minotaurs and Mother Baek Ahyeon, many of my shamans and mages are running out of mana and retiring from the field.
If I use Eldest Mother…
I can escape this place. It wouldn't be a bad choice to recharge and clash again, but the variable of Lee Wanyong is too much of a burden to drag the test into another war of attrition and strategy.
But of course, this isn't a disadvantageous situation.
In fact, this is exactly the kind of situation I’ve been hoping for.
Sister.
The decisive battle is right before me.
Lapura nodded.
This isn't a disadvantage. I can win.
In the distance, I can see my sister and Kim Yoora charging toward me after spotting me. I already know it's disadvantageous to face them alone. My sister's unique ability is very similar to Father's, but it has the weakness of being resistible.
With the amount of mana I have, I can more than resist it. Even without my uncle, the state of the battlefield without Kim Yoora in it favors my side. If I can take down my sister, the game is over. If I can take down Kim Yoora, I can steer the battle into an even more favorable position.
“Yoora!”
“Yes, Lady Laveua.”
The eyes of the human riding the wolf, charging like an arrow, and the fairy with her never change. Those eyes, always looking forward as they run…
They remind me of…
They remind me of Father.
“They’re so alike.”
Lapura muttered to herself. She bit her lip. She didn't want to admit it.
The other riders and elite Orc swordsmen clearing a path for them, my sister's eyes as she held onto Kim Yoora's back—they were undeniably like Father's.
“So you've come.”
“Of course. This is the first time we've fought like this. Hehe.”
“It may be a mock battle, but the exam is no joke. Please take this seriously.”
“I'm always serious.”
“Yes, I'm sure. You've always been…”
I remember her always being like that.
I've heard stories about the time before I was born. Naturally, they were stories about my sister.
‘The tribe's troublemaker.’
I heard she carried that title. I heard she even ran away from home once and had disrespected the flag and honor of the Blood Dagger Clan.
I remember my first impression of her was also one of utter bewilderment.
My sister?
Her presence was faint, her ordinariness so profound it was hard to believe she was Father's daughter.
I remember thinking she had even less potential for growth than my newborn brother.
It's also true that I looked down on her. She seemed that out of place. It was hard to believe we were family. She was no different from any other child in the tribe—a completely ordinary Green Skin.
‘Sister is weak. Father, my sister is weak.’
I once said it to Father, pretending not to know, but making sure she could hear.
‘Sister is ordinary. I'm stronger. I'm more like Father. Sister is weak. Look at me, Father. I'm the one who's more like you. I'm the more perfect daughter.’
These were the thoughts I secretly held. No, perhaps I still hold them now.
I didn't want to share the affection Father showered on my seemingly inadequate sister. Of course, Father loved my sister. I was young, but I could tell just by looking at his eyes. He cherished her and seemed to pay more attention to her. I thought it might be because she required more care.
But…
But when the story Father once told me wouldn't leave my mind, I slowly, slowly began to resent my sister.
‘Sister is weak.’
‘You shouldn't say such things so carelessly, Lapura. Laveua is weak, but she will grow immensely one day. In fact, she reminds me a lot of my former self.’
‘What? But Father, you're so strong now. I don't think Sister is like you at all.’
‘I received a lot of help to get here. You'll understand one day.’
‘No one is strong from the beginning. I hope you'll watch over your sister a little longer.’
I realized that the feelings Father had for my sister weren't just affection, but a sense of kinship. At the time, it came as a huge shock to me, as I was the one who felt a kinship with Father and Mother.
Now… now… I'm the one who's more like Father… I can become even stronger and grow more than I am now. I'm the one who's more like him.
Of the two women who led the tribe together, Mother Mev became the matron of the Green Skins and is closest to Father. I remember my own mother spent more time alone. Although she was in charge of the tribe's diplomacy, she was definitely away more often.
I thought that perhaps the reason Mother Mev became the tribe's mother was because Father cherished Laveua more than me. I still remember the time I went to see my mother, and she said she missed Father.
I thought that maybe the reason my mother was away for so long was because of me.
Of course, I know that's not true. Father loved all the mothers. But once the thought entered my head, it strangely refused to leave, lingering in a corner of my heart.
Maybe… it's my fault.
You are a special child. You are a special child.
Yes, Mother, I am special. I even have horns, which my sister doesn't.
You are a special child. You are a special child.
Yes, Mother, I am special. I'm already this strong. I was strong from the moment I was born. Others said I inherited the purest of Father's blood.
You are a special child. You are a special child.
Yes, Mother, I am special. But Father loves my sister more. Maybe that's why my mother isn't loved as much. Maybe it's all my fault that Mother Mev became the tribe's mother.
You are a special child. You are a special child.
Yes, Mother, I am special. But…
You are a special child. You are a special child.
“I am special.”
“Hm?”
“You're unfair, sister.”
“..........”
“You act like you know nothing, whining and clinging to Father. You receive the most love, yet you don't even realize it. You act innocent just to be loved.”
“..........”
“I am the one who will be Father's successor.”
As she quickly stretched out her hand, enormous vines instantly covered the sky. The shadows instantly darkened the view. But I could see what was happening. I could feel the Giant Wolf and my sister using the plant stems as footholds.
“Lady Laveua.”
“Help me out a little, Yoora.”
“Yes, of course.”
Despite the massive plant stems restricting their movement, my sister and Yoora were approaching with incredible speed. My sister, originally trained as a mage, steadily kept the vines in check with magic, while Kim Yoora dodged the massive stems, constantly harassing me.
Before, my sister wouldn't have been able to dodge this.
I could understand why… why Father said my sister was like him.
When I climb one step, my sister climbs three.
When I am walking, my sister comes running from behind at an incredible speed.
Incredibly fast, in an instant, she follows right on my heels, frighteningly close.
Father must have been like that in the past. Growing at a frightening rate, never looking back, never thinking he would lose, only that he would win—he must have grown just like that.
There is no doubt in my sister's eyes that she might lose. The same goes for Kim Yoora, whom Father once considered his successor. They believe they can win, that they can tenaciously claw their way to victory no matter what.
Why…
Why do I see Father's image in them?
I'm the one most like Father.
CRUUUUNCH!
The Giant Wolf is fast. But not so fast that I can't catch it. If I keep eating away at the space and applying pressure, it will eventually run out of room to run. However, the sight of the wolf running along the walls makes me think I've allowed it too much distance.
The same goes for my sister, drawing her bow from another direction.
Catch them.
I know, of course, that my sister, a mage, also devotes time to archery and swordsmanship. She flies through the air, dodging the vines and firing arrows. Of course, those arrows are blocked futilely by the vines. She has no other option but simple harassment.
What I should be wary of is Kim Yoora of the Warcry, riding the wolf. The red weapons sprouting from the vines become footholds for my sister. She's creating situations to get my sister close to me, no matter what.
They were using their unique abilities to switch places, covering for each other against attacks one could handle and the other couldn't. Attacks with a range the wolf can't evade, my sister blocks with magic. Attacks concentrated with enough density to break through magic, she dodges along with the wolf.
Annoying.
I can wipe them all out at once. There's a risk of it going berserk, but if I summon the Demon Tree, I should be able to skip this unnecessary process.
More importantly, at this rate, I'll be caught. The two of them, constantly closing the distance, are a definite threat.
Even in this situation, my sister is growing.
Without even blinking, she continues to grow.
Attacks she once had to rely on Kim Yoora to evade, she is now dodging on her own. She isn't just getting used to it. She is clearly going through trial and error in this battle, once again climbing the stairs by leaps and bounds.
Watching that, what must Father be thinking? Watching her continue to grow, what must the other tribe members be thinking?
“Lapura!”
“.......”
“I will win.”
Slowly, slowly, the ground begins to tremble.
CRUUUUNCH!
The great earth splits apart, and a grotesque plant, like one I've seen before, soars into the sky.
The other tribe members begin to stare at the grotesque monster I have summoned.
“.............”
“The Demon Tree?”
“KIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!”