The Reunion with Her Was the Worst...

The reunion with her was the worst...

I'd gotten taller now.

Maybe even taller than Isabelle.

Because...

"That's enough...!!"

Thwack.

Ow.

"I told you to cut it out, it is!!"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Thwack.

Ow ow.

The Extreme King's knuckle-sandwich barrage targeted the exact same spot every time. Thanks to that, three lumps had sprouted on top of my head.

I rubbed my skull and looked up at the Extreme King.

Anyone could tell she was furious — her tiny right hand clenched into a fist, her whole face set in a scowl.

As expected of one of the Four Sovereigns.

Of course, that didn't make getting hit okay. This was blatant child abuse!

"What exactly is the problem...?"

When I asked carefully, the Extreme King planted both hands on her hips as if she'd been waiting for the question — striking the most dignified pose her small body could manage.

What is she, a red panda? That's kind of cute.

No. Cancel that thought. This was the culprit who'd just put three lumps on my head.

"I'm talking about the entrance exam, it is! What do you mean, zero-point-one seconds, it is!"

"Ahahaha..."

A laugh slipped out before I could stop it.

And I got hit again.

Thwack.

"Ow."

Ah. Should've managed the corners of my mouth better.

"Do you have any idea what happens when a commoner with no backing whatsoever sets a record like that, it is?"

The Extreme King crossed her arms and looked down at me. For the record, I was currently on my knees.

When did I kneel?

I had no idea. I opened my eyes and somehow I was already in this position. What is this, a bug?

"What happens...?"

When I asked cautiously, the Extreme King shouted as if she'd been waiting for it.

"You get suspected of being a demon worshipper, it is!!"

"...Hah."

For a moment I was speechless.

Unfair! I'd only tried hard so I wouldn't fail the written exam.

But apparently in this world, doing too well was also a problem. Ugh... ordinary people who get jealous of the gifted, the lot of them.

"But don't worry, it is! I went out of my way and fixed it for you, it is!"

The Extreme King's expression suddenly turned supremely confident. The shift was so fast it was hard to believe this was the same person who'd been yelling at me moments ago.

"Oh. How did you handle it?"

When I asked, she shrugged her shoulders as if she'd been waiting for that too.

"Hehe~ I spread the word that you're the disciple I'm raising, it is!"

"..."

"If people hear you're a disciple of one of the Four Sovereigns! No one will say a word, it is!"

The Extreme King planted both hands on her hips and declared it with absolute pride — as if she'd just accomplished the greatest feat in the world. I looked at her.

She wasn't wrong, strictly speaking. One of the Four ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Sovereigns was, after all, counted among the strongest beings in the entire setting.

If you were the disciple of someone like that, even a commoner suddenly posting an absurd record wouldn't be someone people could casually mess with. If anything, the ones who tried would look suspicious.

...The problem was that look of pure self-satisfaction on her face.

Honestly, it was a little irritating.

I vowed that someday, when I got bigger, I would absolutely land one knuckle sandwich on the Extreme King's head.

Of course, right now I absolutely couldn't.

"That would certainly... expand my range of activity."

"Even so, you still have to moderate your strength, it is!"

"Aw, of course. Extreme King. What do you take me for?"

When I said it with a smile, the Extreme King let out a long sigh.

"Aigoo, it is. Aigoo. Forget it, it is..."

She pressed a small hand to her forehead. Apparently she was thinking she'd taken on the wrong disciple. Not that I was actually her disciple.

Then the Extreme King fell quiet, as if lost in thought for a moment. When she spoke again, her tone had changed.

"...So why did you do it, it is?"

"..."

"Was it because of the demon worshippers, it is?"

The atmosphere in the room went still. I said nothing.

"...You wanted to draw every eye onto yourself to protect the others. Is that it, it is?"

More precisely, I had nothing I could answer with.

...Huh?

Hmm.

Is that it?

Honestly, I hadn't had any reason that grand. I'd just wanted to see Isabelle's reaction — but how was I supposed to say that?

'Actually, I just wanted to see the surprised face of the big sister who raised me in the village!!'

If I said that? The knuckle sandwiches would probably triple.

I kept my mouth shut.

The Extreme King seemed to take my silence as confirmation and let out a small sigh.

"You're a real fool, it is."

"Pardon?"

I lifted my head a little. She was still looking at me with her arms crossed.

It wasn't her usual playful expression, and it wasn't the face she wore when she was angry and dishing out knuckle sandwiches either.

"Rowoon."

The Extreme King spoke.

"You're still a child, it is."

"..."

"No matter that you're a regressor — no matter how long you lived before regressing — the body you have now is a child's, it is."

I looked away slightly.

My conscience twinged a little.

No — a lot.

She was worrying about me because she genuinely believed I was a regressor.

Of course, I fully intended to deal with the demon worshippers. Whenever that turned out to be.

"From now on, don't try to carry everything alone, it is."

And then the Extreme King's expression snapped back to normal. She thrust out her chest and added, as if making some tremendous declaration:

"I am here, it is!"

"..."

"I, a mature adult, am here, it is! I will help you, it is!"

Without thinking, my eyes dropped to the chest she was proudly presenting.

—Nuuuoooong.

A mature adult.

Hmm...

"Is that... about it...?"

In an instant, the Extreme King's face went scarlet.

"Wh- where do you think you're looking, it is!!!"

Ah.

You're the one who showed me!!!

The faculty office door closed behind me. I walked slowly down the corridor.

Whew. What a long day.

The entrance ceremony, then orientation, and on top of that a one-on-one sit-down with the Extreme King? I never expected my first day of enrollment to be this packed.

I turned my gaze toward the windows.

Beyond the academy corridor, the sky was painted red. The sun was already setting.

Most of the students seemed to have returned to the dorms; the hallway that had been noisy just a short while ago was now quiet.

Sunset light spilled through the windows and stretched long across the floor.

Hmm. Dinner time, more or less.

What should I eat?

I rubbed my chin and considered. The Extreme King had given me a generous amount of money. After a day this rough, eating out didn't sound half bad.

And one place came immediately to mind.

The shrimp risotto restaurant the protagonist's party visited so often in the original. Just from the novel's descriptions it had looked incredibly good! Honestly, I'd wanted to try it at least once.

I'd ended up inside the world of a novel I used to love reading. Wasn't I allowed this much of a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠romantic indulgence?

Alright. Dinner there tonight.

Decision made, I set off with a light step.

But at the end of the corridor, someone was standing there.

I stopped walking.

"..."

A beautiful girl with cherry-blossom pink hair and yellow eyes that caught the sunset and glowed softly was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, looking this way.

That hair color was definitely familiar.

"Pinkie..."

Ah.

No.

That was a slip. My big sister. Isabelle.

And.

"...?"

Beside her—

—Beaming, beaming.

Someone was looking at me with the happiest face in the world.

"...Lucia?"

What? Why were the two of them together? It felt like a setting collision — like the protagonists of a ninja manga and a pirate manga had suddenly appeared in the same frame...

Okay, the analogy was weird, but that was genuinely how it felt. Being in the same class meant it wasn't actually a problem, but still!

"Rowoon-Rowoooon!!!"

Lucia spotted me first.

And she came running like an actual puppy.

—Flap flap

...Why did I feel like I could see ears and a tail? Some kind of illusion magic?

"Lucia? What are you doing here?"

When I asked, Lucia beamed.

"Hehe. Rowoon! Have you eaten?"

"Not yet."

I remembered I'd only just left the faculty office.

"I just finished."

"Theeen."

Lucia leaned forward a little. Her eyes sparkled.

"Wanna have dinner with me?"

...

Right. Lucia. Asking if I've eaten first and inviting me to join you is really kind of you. Sincerely.

But, Lucia.

I slowly looked past her.

"..."

For a while now...

Someone had been staring at me like she wanted me dead!!!

Sorry, Lucia. I need to live.

"Sorry, Lucia."

I spoke carefully.

"I already have plans..."

"Ah..."

Lucia's expression visibly dimmed. If she'd actually had dog ears and a tail, they would have drooped right then.

...No.

I really thought I could see them?

"Instead."

I hurried on.

"Let's definitely eat together tomorrow."

"Really?"

Lucia's eyes lit up again.

"Yeah. My treat."

"It's a promise?"

"Yeah."

And just like that, the drooping atmosphere from a second ago bounced right back.

Mm. Right. Our Lucia. The type who recovers instantly the moment food is promised.

"Rowoon."

A low voice came from behind me.

I turned slowly. Isabelle had already closed the distance.

"You can spare a little time for your one and only big sister, can't you?"

"Ahaha..."

I forced a smile.

"Of course, unnie."

I nodded quickly.

"I'll explain everything."

Then Lucia brightly raised her hand.

"Hello, unnie!"

"...?"

Isabelle's gaze shifted to Lucia.

"I'm Lucia Lumenhart, Rowoon's friend!"

"Ah..."

Isabelle thought for a moment, then nodded.

"I remember. You were in the same S-class..."

Then she tilted her head slightly.

"But."

"Yes?"

"Unnie?"

Lucia smiled as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Yes!"

"If you're Rowoon's big sister, then you're my unnie too!"

And she added without a second thought:

"We're the same age, after all!"

"The same age...?"

Isabelle's eyes widened a little.

"Then like Rowoon, you're ten—"

"Ah."

Wait wait wait!

"Unnie!"

I closed the distance to Isabelle in an instant and covered her mouth.

"You're hungry, right?"

"Mmph? Mm-mmph!!"

"Let's talk over food first."

I smiled as naturally as I could manage.

"Lucia! Get home safe, see you tomorrow!"

"Huh?"

Lucia looked a little confused, but then she waved with a bright smile.

"Okay! Rowoon-Rowoon! See you tomorrow!"

I waved back at Lucia, then hauled Isabelle out of the corridor in a hurry.

Thank you.

Mister.

Your teachings. I will remember them for life.

—Nom.

—Nom nom.

—Nom nom nom.

And that great teaching turned out to be astonishingly effective.

"..."

So. The person demolishing food at an incredible speed in front of me was none other than my big sister, Isabelle.

"...Unnie."

"Mm."

"Were you that hungry?"

"...Mm."

An answer far too honest.

"If you're hungry, you should say so."

"I didn't even know I was hungry..."

Isabelle answered with a dejected look. ...So it was real.

She must have been waiting for me in that corridor for quite a while. I let out a small sigh.

As expected — even when a person is angry, you have ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to feed them. Universal truth.

—Swoosh.

Isabelle finished the last bite cleanly, then picked up a napkin. And as if she'd never been shoveling food a moment ago, she daintily wiped the corners of her mouth. She folded the napkin neatly and set it back on the table.

...As expected. Aristocratic education was terrifying.

"...So."

Isabelle looked at me.

"What is it?"

"Hm?"

"How did you end up here?"

And then.

"And who is that girl."

...

Why.

Why did it feel like there was extra force on the words that girl? Was I imagining it?

"Well, to explain..."

I opened my mouth slowly. Of course I couldn't tell the full truth. So I built a reasonably plausible story.

"I actually had an incredible talent for combat."

Isabelle's eyes widened a little.

"And?"

"After you left... someone called the Extreme King happened to stop by the village."

An enormous coincidence, of course.

"She recognized my talent."

Another coincidence.

"And took me on as her disciple."

And another coincidence.

"When she ended up taking a professorship at the academy... I came along with her."

A roughly plausible story, complete!

Of course it was quite different from the truth, but still.

Better than saying there was a chance demon worshippers might attack, right? Not that I was entirely sure about that either...

When I finished explaining, Isabelle looked at me for a moment.

And then.

"Really?"

"Hm?"

"Wow..."

Her eyes sparkled.

"Rowoon, you've really made it! A disciple of the Extreme King!"

"...Huh?"

A completely different reaction from what I'd expected.

Whatever sharp, rigid atmosphere had been there earlier was gone — she looked exactly the way she had back in the village.

A face full of genuine joy.

"By the way."

Isabelle asked suddenly.

"You told Dad before you left, right?"

"Of course, unnie."

I said it with confidence.

"Do I look that reckless to you?"

"Yes."

Instant answer.

"..."

This Pinkie.

"Anyway."

Isabelle continued as if nothing had happened.

"So."

"Hm?"

"Who is she?"

"...?"

"That girl."

A brief silence. And then.

"Your girlfriend?"

—Pffft.

I nearly sprayed the water I was drinking.

Thankfully I avoided the catastrophe of hitting Isabelle's face.

"Cough! Cough!"

"Why are you so surprised?"

"No... girlfriend? What are you talking about!"

I waved my hands frantically.

"She's a friend I met for the first time today."

The idea was absurd.

Girlfriend? She's fifteen! My mental age is twenty-three! I'd actually get arrested!

"Besides, the academy only lets you enroll from age fifteen."

I added quietly.

"Everyone else thinks I'm fifteen."

"...Ah."

Isabelle nodded slowly.

"I see."

"So."

I lowered my voice.

"Only you and the Extreme King know... so be careful what you say."

"Okay. Got it."

Isabelle nodded. Then.

"But."

"Hm?"

"Isn't it a little strange?"

"What is?"

"I'm fifteen too."

Isabelle said it seriously.

"And she fell for it that easily?"

"Yeah."

I answered without hesitation.

"Because it's Lucia."

"..."

Isabelle was briefly at a loss for words. And then.

"Is it really okay to give a noble lady that kind of evaluation, Rowoon..."

She pressed her fingers to her brow and laughed softly. Well. So what. Our Lucia is pure, so it's fine. ...Probably.

"Still."

Isabelle looked at me again.

"I'm glad we got to meet again at the academy like this."

I paused slightly.

"I never thought we'd end up living in the same place."

Isabelle smiled gently. Then she set a pale, slender hand on top of my head.

"Let's make the academy life ahead of us a good one. Together?"

With those words, she slowly stroked my hair.

It was a familiar touch. Back in the village, she'd always treated me like this.

I closed my eyes for a moment. It had been a long time.

Sitting across from my sister like this, talking without a single worry.

"Yeah."

I answered briefly.

"Looking forward to it, unnie."

And so, on the first day at the academy—

The reunion with my sister was the worst—

No, no. It was the best.