Why Is My Sister Here?
Everyone in this world enters into a contract with a familiar that is proportional to their own magical power.
The requirement for this is the Soul Mark.
The Soul Mark is a pattern that manifests on the back of the hand in the year one reaches adulthood.
Only with this can one summon a familiar and form a contract.
“Finally, I have a Soul Mark too…”
The first day I became an adult.
When I woke up in the morning, a red pattern had manifested on the back of my hand.
It was the Soul Mark I had been waiting for, signaling that it was time to summon a familiar and complete my contract.
“Father, Mother.”
“Runi, are you up?”
“You look like you’re in a good mood this morning.”
“Look at this. My Soul Mark has finally manifested.”
Unable to contain my joy, I ran straight outside.
Naturally, I shared this happy news with my parents.
Since I had shown a talent for magic from a young age and possessed the magical power to match, this was the moment when everyone’s expectations were finally becoming reality.
“Since Runi is an adult today, you should prepare to contract with a familiar.”
“Yes, that’s right. This day has finally come for me.”
“Our daughter will surely contract with a magnificent familiar.”
These expectations from my parents didn’t feel like a burden at all.
I was well aware that I possessed extraordinary talent compared to others, and I wanted to make the most of that gift for a long time.
The standard by which many people judge another’s ability at a glance—that is the familiar.
You don’t even need to use magic; just showing the familiar you’ve contracted with is enough to reveal your level of skill.
“It’s tonight, right?”
“Yes, you should go to the Hall of Summoning tonight.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Carias, the city where I live, possesses technology and magical talent so advanced it is called a holy land.
It even boasts a Hall of Summoning that doesn’t exist in any other city.
It is the custom of this city to perform the ritual at the Hall of Summoning on the night the Soul Mark appears.
“Phew…”
“Runi, are you nervous?”
“It would be a lie to say I’m not.”
“Don’t be too nervous. I’m sure you’ll contract with a wonderful familiar.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
“Runi, spend the day comfortably today.”
“Yes, Father.”
On the day the Soul Mark manifests, prospective contractors spend their time however they wish.
It is for the sake of mental and physical stability.
Therefore, I, too, intend to spend my time doing what I want until the sun goes down.
“Are you going to go see Belial?”
“Yes, I’m going to go see her now.”
“I see. Have a good time.”
“I’ll be back.”
Whenever I am given free time, I always spend it with one person.
Belial Astharot.
She is an older sister figure I happened to meet when I was seven years old.
Five years my senior, she is characterized by her gentle speech and mature features.
Seeing her sitting alone on the side of the road, the kindness I offered with my young heart created the bond we have now.
“Sister.”
“Runi, it’s been a while.”
“Sister, it really has been a long time. Have you been well?”
“Yes, I’ve been well.”
As the time for my Soul Mark to appear drew near, I had been focusing on preparations for a while.
Because of that, I hadn’t been able to spend as much time with Belial as I used to.
“Sister, look at this.”
Naturally, I showed her the Soul Mark that had manifested on the back of my hand.
“A Soul Mark.”
“Yes, it appeared this morning.”
“So Runi is an adult now.”
“Yes, that’s right. But Sister… is it not your time yet?”
“No, I haven’t had any news yet.”
Even though she was twenty-five, her Soul Mark still hadn’t manifested.
They say this happens to about five out of every hundred people, but I never expected someone close to me to experience it.
“Let’s wait a little longer. It’s not like it’s unheard of.”
“Yes, okay. Thank you for saying that.”
Belial currently works as a librarian.
Coinciding with my free time, she managed to get some time off so we could spend it together.
“You’re graduating soon, right?”
“That’s right. Just two more months and I’ll graduate.”
Everyone enters magic school at the age of eight.
The graduation date is determined by one’s own ability, but twenty, the age when the Soul Mark manifests, is the standard age for graduation.
If one does not have the skills required for graduation, it is not uncommon for them to be held back because they cannot skip grades.
Since I had been talented from a young age, I had already earned my graduation qualifications.
“Oh, it’s Runisia. Hi, Runisia.”
“Hi, everyone. Look at this. My Soul Mark manifested.”
“Oh, really? Are you going to the Hall of Summoning tonight?”
“That’s right.”
“I bet you’ll summon an amazing familiar.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
While walking down the street with Belial, we ran into some classmates from magic school and exchanged brief greetings.
I really like mingling with various people, so I maintain diverse relationships with many.
“Runi.”
“Yes?”
I turned my head at the sound of my sister’s voice calling me.
-Poke!
Her finger gently pressed against my cheek.
“What was that for, Sister?”
“I can’t believe that little kid is an adult already.”
“Hey, I’m not a kid anymore.”
“In my eyes, you still look like the little kid who handed me bread.”
“That was ages ago, why do you keep bringing it up?”
The sight of Belial sitting alone on a bench looking up at the sky had struck me as somewhat pitiful when I was seven.
Not knowing such feelings at the time, I just wanted to talk to her, so I bought some bread from a nearby shop and gave it to her.
She thanked me and talked with me, and I found it fun because our conversation flowed better than I had expected.
“Today, I’ll buy you something delicious.”
“Really?”
“Yes, think of it as a gift to celebrate you becoming an adult.”
“Great. I’m going to eat only the most expensive things.”
Entering the tea house, I checked the tea she ordered and ordered the same thing.
The tea she always drinks is characterized by a strong, bitter taste.
Even after all these years, I still don’t know why she drinks it, but whenever I’m with her, I always order the same thing.
It’s just a small, greedy desire to unconditionally follow what she likes and what she wants to do.
“Ugh… it’s bitter.”
“If it’s bitter, why do you order the same thing as me every time?”
“Because you drink it, Sister.”
“Runi, you really like following me around.”
“That just shows how much I like you.”
As an only child, Belial is like a real sister to me.
She is someone I can rely on whenever things get tough, and she is my life’s mentor who points me in the right direction when I’m feeling lost.
So, I confessed the worries I had been having for the past few days to her.
“Sister, what should I do after I graduate? I still don’t know.”
“Runi, you still have plenty of time. You can think about it slowly.”
“But I want to decide right away and move forward on that path. My parents are expecting so much.”
Because of my extraordinary progress since I was young, my parents had high expectations for me. And I had always met those expectations.
Living this kind of life, wasting even a little bit of time had become a luxury I couldn’t afford.
I always want to find the path I need to take quickly and satisfy my parents.
“Runi, I’ve always told you. This is your life.”
“Yes, Sister. I know that too. But… it’s not that easy.”
“Did your parents tell you to do something specific?”
“No, they haven’t done that yet.”
“I’m sure they haven’t. Your parents have never said anything like that to you, not even once.”
I had just focused on moving forward steadily because of the happy look on my parents’ faces.
I suppose you could say it’s a life I chose for myself, without any pressure from them.
“Don’t be so anxious. The more you are, the more things get pushed back.”
“At the very least, I want to do something right after graduation.”
Just as I was expressing my frustration, she grabbed both of my cheeks with her hands.
“Eek…?”
“Runi, you’re an adult now. And no one is pressuring you.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t just think about the future; focus on the present. Sometimes, the path toward the future will gradually reveal itself that way.”
Her sincere advice was, as always, a huge help.
As I nodded while taking a bite of the cookie I’d ordered with the tea, she stroked my hair with a small smile.
“Thank you, Sister.”
“Don’t thank me for something like this. It’s a sister’s job to listen to her younger sibling’s worries and help solve them.”
That one sentence made me smile.
I really do love Belial.
*
After spending the whole day with her, night fell.
I returned home right on time and finished all the preparations for going to the Hall of Summoning.
“Mother, Father. I’ll be back.”
“Yes, go safely.”
“Don’t feel too burdened, just be comfortable. Okay?”
“Yes!”
And so, I arrived at the Hall of Summoning.
I took out the tools for drawing a magic circle on the empty floor and began to draw it slowly.
Since I had been practicing it over and over for five years, I could now create the perfect form even with my eyes closed.
“Done.”
After shaking off my hands, I lightly cut my finger with a dagger.
As a few drops of blood fell onto the summoning magic circle, it became dyed in red, and a crimson light surged upward.
Now, all that was left was to imbue the magic circle with my magical power and recite the incantation.
“I swear by my fate and blood carved into the Soul Mark. You who crave my magical power, take this hand and appear.”
Immediately after, an even deeper red light surged up.
Just as I squinted at the light, which was so bright I couldn’t open my eyes properly, the entire Hall of Summoning was filled with red light.
“Ugh…”
The moment I tried to open my tightly shut eyes, a seductive voice reached my ears.
“So, you’re the one who summoned me.”
It was a woman’s voice.
Along with being seductive, it was mature, and just hearing it made my head feel dazed for a moment.
Through her ability to speak properly, I could tell she was a humanoid familiar.
“I, Runisia Tiela, take the pattern of the Soul Mark as proof and ask you. Will you share your fate with me…”
As I recited the contract text, I looked at the face of the familiar who had appeared before me.
At that moment, my mind went blank.
The contract text that had been flowing naturally from my lips cut off abruptly.
And with good reason—
“Belial… Sister…?”
The familiar that appeared before my eyes looked exactly like Belial.
“I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
Is that not it?
But it would be hard to say it isn’t, given how similar the feeling is.