Truth-Telling Sisters Who Misunderstand Everything

Lucian suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs.

"This is what you call path optimization, baby!!!!"

At that moment, he used his newly recovered agility to launch himself off the bed in an instant. The pitiful shota act and the uncanny shota act were both discarded. It was time to become the Speedmaster once again.

"Who are you!!"

At Rosalyn's shout, the blade of her sword flew free from its sheath. This was the real Lucian the speedrunner, yet because he had spent his entire life acting like a shota, his sisters now believed he was some kind of intruder instead of their own little brother.

Lucian smiled quietly and opened his mouth.

"Speedmaster."

He spoke while focusing on his sisters' every micro-movement. The angle of their shoulders. The subtle distribution of force in their fingers. The pivot points of their feet. Years of collected data on his sisters were instantly calculated inside his head.

'Now.'

Right before Rosalyn's sword could strike, Lucian had already twisted his body with an enigmatic smile toward the safe coordinates he had calculated in advance.

-Shiiing!

Rosalyn's fierce slash ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cut through empty air. But that wasn't the end.

"Sister!"

At Rosalyn's cry, Elysia's follow-up attack came immediately after. A storm of blades rushed in from every direction. Yet there was a single gap in this onslaught.

A perfect blind spot where no attack could reach. Lucian's evasion maneuver placed his body solely in that one precise point.

-Swish.

Having dodged Elysia's sharp strike, Lucian playfully raised his index finger toward the empty air. The bizarre performance had begun.

"Attack?"

Having said that, Lucian immediately clenched his fist and slammed it mercilessly into his own head as if striking someone else's body.

-Thud!!!

His head snapped violently to the side, his lip split, and blood trickled down. Yet Lucian simply smiled sweetly.

"Lucian has taken 10 damage."

The moment his name was mentioned, Elysia instinctively launched another attack in a fit of rage. Blue sword energy that could cleave the air itself grazed past Lucian's cheek.

"Attack?"

Lucian once again drove his fist with full power into his own chest.

"Self-Harm."

"Lucian has taken 7 damage!"

He asked, answered, and commentated all by himself. Every time he dodged an attack, the mechanical self-harm performance repeated.

"Attack? Self-harm. Attack? Self-harm. Attack? Self-harm."

Even as this grotesque act of self-mutilation unfolded before their eyes, Elysia did not stop swinging her sword. She wanted to erase this uncanny being wearing her brother's face right in front of her.

Elysia swung her blade fiercely, closing in on Lucian's vital points. The situation had suddenly become so bizarre that Edin, who had been watching from behind, cut in with a bewildered voice.

"Why on earth are you attacking your own little brother…? I have no idea what's going on right now…!"

The sisters who had been chasing an arsonist were now suddenly trying to kill the youngest sibling who had just gotten up from bed, while said youngest was dodging attacks and harming himself. It was pure madness. To the male lead's common sense, this was nothing but incomprehensible chaos.

"That isn't our brother. It's a monster wearing Lucian's skin."

When Rosalyn ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠said that, Edin looked at the bizarre Lucian and pondered deeply.

'He really does look like a monster, doesn't he?'

For the hot-blooded Edin, this was the perfect opportunity.

"Attack? Self-harm. Lucian has taken 5 dama—"

A stage had been set for him to slice this strange monster in one blow and earn points with Lady Rosalyn. Edin's eyes sharpened in an instant.

"Allow me to handle this."

It was time to show off his swordsmanship. He readjusted his grip on his greatsword and shouted in a dependable tone.

"Lady Rosalyn! Please step behind me!"

-Kwaaaaaang!

As Edin charged forward, brilliant mana erupted from his greatsword. An overwhelming strike! The oppressive force shook the entire room as it hurtled toward Lucian.

But—

-Siiik.

Lucian gritted his teeth and ignored the Demonic Sword's words, simply smiling. He didn't even look like he planned to dodge. As if he had been eagerly waiting for that powerful attack, he thrust his face directly toward the incoming blade.

The Demonic Sword inside him was panicking far more than he was. Right before Lucian's face could be sliced apart—

-Kaaaaang!!!

With an ear-splitting metallic clang, another blade perfectly blocked Edin's strike. Edin was sent flying, drawing a huge arc through the air.

"My lady…?"

The one who had perfectly deflected that ferocious attack was none other than Rosalyn.

"How can she wield such refined swordsmanship…?"

Edin's eyes widened. For someone with a much smaller and more delicate frame than his own to deflect his full-powered strike so gracefully… Even while shocked by the gap in their skill, Edin found himself falling for her charm all over again in that very moment.

But Rosalyn didn't spare Edin a single glance. She simply held her sword and continued analyzing the Speedmaster before her.

-Siiik.

'I lived, right?'

The moment Lucian flashed a triumphant grin, the Demonic Sword could no longer hold back and sent a mental message.

Lucian didn't even blink. He replied as if it were no big deal.

'Then I'd just be sad I couldn't speedrun it, duh?'

Whether the Demonic Sword was trembling in speechless rage or not, the situation continued to unfold. The siblings stared at one another. Rosalyn's eyes narrowed. In a low, sunken voice, she asked Lucian,

"You… you're connected to our Lucian, aren't you?"

At those words, the air in the room froze solid.

"Connected? What are you talking about, Rosalyn?"

The eldest sister's voice had gone rigid. Rosalyn continued with her own analysis.

"Every time that monster harms itself, Lucian might be taking the damage too."

"The moment we attack it, we could be killing Lucian with our own hands."

At Rosalyn's explanation, Elysia stopped attacking entirely. The sisters now had their little brother held hostage.

Edin adjusted his grip on his sword with a puzzled expression.

"My lady, I've never heard of such a bizarre magic…"

"It's a technique that defies common sense."

"…But even if there's only a 1% chance, we cannot attack him."

Elysia's heavy voice rang out. Rosalyn nodded in agreement.

"Sister is right."

"We can't gamble with Lucian's life."

Despite Edin's objection, the two sisters' top priority was the safety of their youngest brother. Their obsession and worry for him had completely bound their swords.

The Demonic Sword's thought was filled with disbelief.

'Well, about half? If it failed I had another plan, but looks like I won't need it.'

Lucian cackled inwardly in triumph.

'Attacks have been completely sealed.'

'Now I just need to tell the truth.'

Then his sisters would misunderstand everything on their own and head straight for the dungeon.

[32:15]

The timer still had plenty of room. -Thump thump.

Lucian began dancing in a bizarre fashion. Whether his sisters' bloodshot glares or Edin's dumbfounded stare landed on him or not, he danced excitedly, picked up the ancient relic helmet that had been rolling on the floor, and slammed it onto his head.

The moment the perfect look for 'Speedmaster'—the one he had described to Rosalyn earlier—was complete, he suddenly hurled the helmet far away.

"I'll tell you the truth."

He decided to reveal everything boldly.

"Everything up until now was an act."

"There's no such thing as the real Lucian being kidnapped. I am the real Lucian!"

However, the truth spoken in the Speedmaster's tone didn't reach anyone. Naturally, no one believed him.

"Don't waver, Sister."

To sisters who had watched their adorable youngest brother their entire lives, there was no way the dancing weirdo could be him.

"It's a trick to keep us here."

"If it's a curse that connects souls, there must be a distance limit."

"It wouldn't connect from far away."

"The real Lucian… must be nearby."

Rosalyn's finger pointed toward the floor.

"To hide someone inside our territory without being noticed by the strict guards…"

"The only place is underground."

"That makes sense, Rosalyn."

Elysia's complexion changed completely. Her intuition fully agreed with Rosalyn's reasoning.

To Lucian, who had told the truth only to not be believed, this situation was simply hilarious. He completely dropped the Speedmaster tone and shouted in the unsettling Lucian voice he usually used.

"I told you it's not! I really am Lucian! Why won't you believe me?!"

Because it felt exactly like the original Lucian, the sisters' suspicion only grew stronger. The strange sense of alienation and chills they felt from his voice and behavior were unmistakable.

"Shut up, monster!"

"Don't you dare try to deceive us with that voice!"

Elysia completely ignored the Speedmaster's words and began moving quickly toward the basement.

"Let's go. We have to save Lucian!"

Rosalyn and Edin followed right behind her, running down the corridor. The group's footsteps heading toward the underground dungeon were filled with urgency.

"No, I'm telling you it's true?"

As the Speedmaster, Lucian persistently followed them, continuously launching mental attacks in the form of truth.

"Even if I say I'm the real one, you won't believe me?"

"The real Lucian never existed in the first place, okay? I am the real one, got it?"

The moment he threw off the shota act he had maintained his whole life to fit in with his family, an ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠incredible sense of refreshment washed over him. Revealing his true speedrunner self to his family felt absolutely amazing.

"I'm telling you it's true? I'm really good at acting. Look, I'll show you."

While running after the group that was ignoring him, Lucian changed his expression and adjusted his voice. He completely removed any sense of unease and perfectly performed the adorable shota Lucian he always showed his family.

"Sisteeeeers! I'm right here~"

"I'm scared…. Don't you recognize me?"

It was the voice of a pitiful little brother who looked like he would burst into tears at any moment. It was perfect Lucian.

The momentum of Rosalyn and Elysia, who had been running, shifted in an instant. Goosebumps rose all over their bodies. Their minds were filled with terror.

'…Speedmaster.'

'To perfectly imitate our Lucian in such a short time…'

Their thoughts overlapped.

'What a terrifying being.'

They were now convinced that the entity before them was an abnormal, horrifying monster that could perfectly mimic and toy with another's very essence. Their wariness reached its peak, and their ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠steps doubled in speed as if they could no longer afford to hesitate. The sisters' backs as they sprinted madly toward the basement.

Watching their desperate dash, Lucian finally couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into laughter.

"Hahahahaha!!!!"

The build was working so perfectly that he was overjoyed. Even when he told the truth, they filtered it as fake on their own and had even created an entity called the Speedmaster in this world. The boring dungeon exploration would probably clear itself like auto-hunting.

"Thank you, sisters, for skipping everything for me!"

When Lucian shouted that, the Demonic Sword, who had been watching, let out a hollow laugh.

'Wicked? Call it a god-build, dude.'

Before he knew it, Lucian had reached the entrance to the family underground dungeon.

[37:51]

The target time was 50 minutes. He had arrived with plenty of time to spare.

'All thanks to my second sister's misunderstanding.'

The dungeon entrance before Lucian's eyes already had all its seals removed, and its massive doors were wide open.

'Whoa.'

Normally, this strictly forbidden area would require several hours of unsealing rituals to open. The magical chains had been violently shattered and were scattered across the floor.

'They just smashed everything and went in.'

It was clear that his sisters, in their frenzied state, had explosively unleashed their mana to unseal the entrance at ultra-high speed before rushing inside. The sisters' obsession with protecting their brother from the Speedmaster had created a free pass ticket.

"This is so sweet."

"Free pass, success!"

Lucian reset the timer.

[00:01]

It was the beginning of a dungeon speedrun that completely skipped over all the family's restrictions.