Changed Daily Life #7
“Lucian Theodore von Deodore.”
In my previous life, I had a younger brother, but here I have a sister.
The age difference is seven years, and she’s already been named as the next family head, the future Viscountess of the Deodore Viscounty.
“Huh… Sister Fleta?”
It’s one of those family ties you always see in dramas—siblings.
No matter the age gap, they either clash constantly or get along like peas in a pod.
If I had to pick one for me and Sister Fleta, it’s the second.
How should I put it? There’s a faint sense of mutual respect, maybe even respect, between us.
To be honest, I don’t consider her my equal.
Like how I recognize Rie as a genius, Sister Fleta is also an exceptional person.
She’s not someone like me who grasps strange luck and exploits it.
She’s the first High-ranking Knight to appear in the history of the Deodore family, purely through her own talent and hard work.
That’s exactly who my sister, Fleta Presto von Deodore, is.
“Long time no see.”
Sister Fleta, dressed in the academy’s uniform almost identical to what the professors wear.
She hadn’t just entered the academy a moment ago—she’d already greeted the Chancellor and received her formal appointment as assistant instructor before heading straight to me.
Seeing her like that made me realize I’d thought it would take at least two weeks for her to arrive, but she’d managed to slip through in a flash, and I was about to speak when she smiled.
“Father didn’t know. He had no idea I was coming so quickly.”
“He didn’t know?”
“Yes, I kept that fact hidden from him.”
“If you were coming early, why not head straight home first… instead of the academy?”
“I did intend to. I was about to, but… I heard something extremely interesting along the way.”
After speaking, Sister Fleta turned her gaze to Rie.
The two of them had met before—quite some time ago, actually, on a few occasions at a distance or during a brief afternoon tea break.
But either way, the memory would remain.
“It’s been a while since we last met, Lady Fleta Presto von Deodore.”
Rie had already begun standing out in the academy, drawing the label of “genius” from the very start.
It was true that she was skilled enough to be evaluated as a prospective Sword Master.
But she hadn’t yet taken the knight exam, whereas my sister had long since passed hers and was now serving diligently as a royal knight.
On top of that, as her senior in the Martial Division at the academy, the respect she showed was evident.
“It’s wonderful to meet you, Lady Rie Arche von Haniel.”
Sister Fleta greeted her with proper etiquette, treating her as a junior rather than casually.
Both of them were destined to become the lords of the viscount and marquis families in the future, which might explain the subtle air of formality.
I felt an unspoken tension, as if I couldn’t casually approach them.
After the brief greetings between Rie and Sister Fleta, my sister turned back to me and let out the “news.”
“I heard about your arrival on the way, Lucian. That you defeated a Martial Division senior?”
“…Did the news reach even your ears?”
“It’s hardly ordinary news. When I attended the academy, there were plenty of strong friends, but no Literary Division member had ever defeated a Martial Division student in swordsmanship. There were plenty of magic users, but not in swordsmanship.”
“It’s just that I was barely swinging my sword around until I accidentally landed a hit or two.”
“Considering you didn’t even know how to hold a sword properly, that alone is surprising.”
Sister Fleta walked slowly toward me.
At first glance, she looked delicate, but I knew the flames burning inside her.
I could still picture the eighteen-year-old version of her who had carved through the knights of the family house like paper.
I’d been told time and again to treat her as an enemy, not as a woman, yet here she was in this state.
As a result, half the knights that day had complained and worked through the pain.
Meanwhile, Sister Fleta stopped right in front of me and slowly raised her hand.
Just like when I was a child, she ruffled my hair a few times before smiling.
“You’ve worked hard. Your father said he wasn’t worried, and I didn’t have any concerns either, but you yourself seemed to be in quite a bit of pain. I worried the academy might make it worse, but you’ve grown beautifully. I’m really happy about that, my dear.”
“I worked hard too, but Rie did as well.”
I subtly inserted Rie into the conversation.
It was the truth, and I knew Rie had been quietly aware of her sister’s news over the past few days.
At my words, Sister Fleta nodded with an “Ah” and walked over to Rie standing nearby.
“The young lady helped my brother, I hear.”
“Yes, yes. That’s right, Lady Fleta Presto von Deodore.”
“You can call me by name, Lady Rie. We’re not total strangers—we’ve met a few times as children, haven’t we? I still remember that little girl who asked me to teach her swordsmanship. From tomorrow, I’ll be working as your assistant instructor, so you may call me Assistant Instructor.”
“Ah… I understand. Thank you, Assistant Instructor Fleta. And honestly, it wasn’t much—I simply benefited from Lucian’s relentless effort.”
“Hmm. Are you two trading compliments now?”
After saying that, Sister Fleta shifted her gaze between me and Rie with a curious expression.
Rie might not have noticed, but I caught the faint mischievous glint in her eyes—the same look my sister sometimes got when she was being playful.
“Surprising, Lucian.”
“Huh?”
“You’ve always hated standing out in front of others. Even when you had the perfect chance to show off your abilities, you kept dodging it like it was a disease. You said it was better to stay average because unnecessary actions only invite jealousy and increase enemies. And even for me, it’s never been a pleasant experience…”
“Y-yes, yes. That’s exactly what I said. Let it go already. How many times have we had this conversation?”
“Because I’m curious. Since you were a child, you’ve always said that. How on earth did you end up doing something that draws the attention of academy students and professors?”
Suddenly, Sister Fleta stopped talking and glanced sideways at Rie standing behind me.
The corner of her mouth lifted slightly, as if the playful glint I’d felt moments ago had been aimed at this part.
“…I couldn’t figure it out. But now that I’ve seen it, I understand the reason.”
“I… I can’t say for sure.”
“Is it true?”
“For now… I’ll say so.”
At my answer, Sister Fleta let out a short “Hooh.” of surprise.
Then she turned her gaze back to Rie, who was still staring at me blankly.
“Lady Rie. No, Student Rie.”
“Yes, Assistant Instructor Fleta.”
“It seems like you were about to have a sparring match with Lucian.”
“That’s correct. We’ve been helping each other identify and address weaknesses whenever possible.”
“A good attitude. That’s how it should be—same-year peers competing fairly.”
“Thank you.”
“That said, how about I borrow your sparring time for a moment?”
…What is this nonsense? Sister Fleta wants to take away my sparring time?
Does she mean sparring with me instead of with Rie?
“If that’s what Assistant Instructor requests, then I have no objection.”
No! Rie, it’s fine! My sister is a wonderful person, but the moment she grips a sword, she transforms into a completely different person!
I frantically waved my hands to stop her, but by that moment, Sister Fleta was already smiling and replying with “Thank you,” meaning it was too late.
Rie even offered her the practice sword she was holding.
She stepped back a pace, positioning herself as the future head of the Deodore family and a High-ranking Knight, while watching to learn Sister Fleta’s swordsmanship before they became family.
“No.”
But Sister Fleta raised her hand to stop Rie.
Because of that, Rie and I both wore expressions of “What is this?” and Sister Fleta loosened the white cloth she’d been carrying on her shoulder and threw something at me with a flick.
*Clang!*
“S-Sister?”
“Catch it. Student versus student sparring is forbidden, but I can show you how to handle a practice sword as your assistant instructor or professor. Of course, you’ll need the Chancellor’s permission.”
A practice sword, indeed. What Sister Fleta had handed me was unmistakably a training sword.
Unlike a wooden sword, its sharp, gleaming aura rippled from within the scabbard.
It was heavy—extremely heavy. Was this what knights called the weight of a life?
The question was whether, upon drawing it, one swing could kill someone.
For the first time holding a real sword, I could vaguely sense what that feeling was like.
“Draw it, Lucian.”
“…Sister, no matter that you defeated a Martial Division senior, this is a bit… too much.”
“I’ll say it again. Draw the sword, Lucian.”
*Shing—*
As she spoke, Sister Fleta slowly drew her sword.
A crystalline sound rang in my ears, and the sharp aura emanating from the blade pierced my eyes.
I couldn’t call it beautiful, but the elegance of the sword itself was extraordinary.
To think something like this could instantly take a life—it was hard to believe.
“How long are you going to pretend to be a wooden sword? Since you’ve drawn it, I thought you might as well feel it properly today, Lucian.”
She spoke in the tone of a professor, abandoning her usual manner.
It seemed she had resolved to treat me as her assistant instructor, not her sister.
If I resisted further, I’d only get scolded.
So I sighed and, for the very first time, gripped the practice sword and drew it.
*Shing—*
A flash of light erupted, the aura shooting straight forward.
The sheer momentum felt as if it could slice through even the sunlight, overwhelming me.
At the same time, an indescribable heaviness filled my hands.
This was the feeling of holding a true weapon, wasn’t it?
“Student Rie.”
“Yes, Assistant Instructor Fleta.”
“Don’t worry and sit down and wait. It’ll be over soon.”
“…”
At the Assistant Instructor’s words, Rie couldn’t reply immediately and looked at me.
She seemed genuinely worried—the same person who had only handled wooden swords until now.
How could she not be worried when a sword was forced on someone who still struggled with even a wooden one?
When Rie’s gaze turned to me, I slowly nodded.
At this point, saying “Sister! Stop it! This is too much of a prank!” wouldn’t make a difference.
If she was going to refuse, she should have done it earlier. Now that the sword was in her hand, no one could stop her.
Since it had come to this, I had no choice but to clash with her. She would have to learn for herself what Sister Fleta truly wanted.
In the end, Rie stepped back and sat on the bench prepared beside us.
Her eyes still carried a clear unease, but I worried that mentioning it might hurt her pride.
“I wonder what suddenly made me do this, Lucian?”
Back from being Assistant Instructor to family, Sister Fleta asked.
When I nodded, she continued as if it were only natural.
“I wanted to know if my little brother had really grown, and if so, how far he’d come.”
…Do I really have to learn that with a practice sword?!
I thought even swinging a wooden sword would be enough to tell!
That thought didn’t leave my mouth.
The next moment, Sister Fleta lightly swung her sword.
Of course, from my perspective, it was anything but light.
“If I can’t block this, I really die. No proper armor, and I’ll actually die!”
The thought made my mind race faster than usual.
At the same time, my eyes darted around, figuring out where to place my feet, how to stop, which direction to swing my arms, and at what timing to brace.
Everything flashed through my mind.
“Hup!”
I don’t know what I did.
I simply moved according to Rie’s instructions, my body’s commands, and my instincts.
Immediately after, another crisp *Clang!* rang out.
A chilling tremor began in my hands and spread through my entire body.
“…Lucian.”
“Yes, yes. Sister.”
Reflexively answering, Sister Fleta who had swung the practice sword smiled brightly and continued.
“I’m so happy. Truly, deeply happy. I never imagined my brother would grow like this.”
…And why is she returning to her attack stance, sister?!