Chapter 86
Chapter 86
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Sisters (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
◆
A few facts about dragons.
All dragons are bound to their bloodline from the moment they are born.
Also, dragons are far more savage creatures than they appear.
The 'selection ritual' that adult dragons perform on young hatchlings is a prime example.
Every young dragon must survive for more than a few minutes against the attacks that adult dragons unleash with full intent to kill. Those that fail to survive such a ritual are deemed unworthy of being part of the 'strongest race,' or so they say.
And.
Siona Libel killed her own father—who was the examiner for her selection ritual—at an age that would barely make her ten years old in human terms.
It wasn't considered an accidental crime, so she faced no punishment in dragon society, but it was the incident that made the name Siona Libel widely known even among the dragon community.
As an unparalleled genius and an 'aberration.'
In short.
'The professor is a monster.'
I already knew that Siona was a Templar of the Round Table, the Orthodox Church's greatest force, but I hadn't realized she had such a flashy track record.
The Hero snorted in my mind at those words.
[It's just overshadowed by me, but Templars are monsters with the skill to challenge the Holy Sword one-on-one from the start. If everyone on the Round Table cooperated, they could put up a fight equal to me at that time.]
'⋯⋯Really?'
It's extremely rare for this person to put himself on the same level as others.
But hearing that, something feels off.
If they were such formidable forces, they should have served as a check on the Hero for all the idiotic things he did later on. Why didn't they ever step in?
[Because my growth outpaced the combined power of all of them.]
'⋯⋯.'
Ah, I see.
Well, if the one who rips apart the very concept of space with a single normal strike says so, it must be true.
Anyway.
"Well, that's what happened. So Leona probably⋯⋯ hates me a bit. I don't like her much either. You should keep that in mind ahead of time."
What Siona had requested stemmed from those facts.
"I'm not particularly interested in my little sister. Even as blood kin, she doesn't feel like family. She's just biologically attached to me."
'⋯⋯So, what is it you want to request?'
"Take care of her in my place."
'⋯⋯.'
"No matter what happens, I won't do anything."
Siona's tone as she said that was, in truth.
Truly cold, as if she felt absolutely no emotion toward her own little sister.
◆
And that chill was felt far better by the person involved than by Carlyle.
Not to mention, as they headed to the Black Lion Territory, all Leona did was constantly check Siona's mood.
And Carlyle was the same.
'⋯⋯.'
'⋯⋯.'
By his own assessment, Carlyle was a human perfectly optimized for smoothing over awkward atmospheres.
Mostly from experiences cleaning up the messes the Hero had shattered.
But even accounting for that.
The atmosphere in this carriage felt like walking on thin ice.
Before he could even open his mouth, the air around Siona—sitting there with arms crossed—felt a little.
Dangerous.
She always wandered around with half-lidded, smiling eyes, making it hard to read her, but right now, she looked like a bomb ready to explode if touched carelessly.
The only one ignoring the mood was Blackie, climbing onto Carlyle's lap and rubbing her fur wildly against his chest.
Without her, the journey to the margrave territory would have been pure hell⋯⋯
'⋯⋯She dislikes it.'
If Siona's feelings toward Leona were consistent disregard, then Leona's toward Siona were a mix of every emotion imaginable.
Fear, tension, longing, and.
Yearning.
⋯⋯That emotion came through desperately.
'⋯⋯.'
Hmm.
Siona said Leona hates her.
But it doesn't feel like that at all.
If anything, it feels like something much deeper.
'Hero.'
[Yeah.]
'There's something between these two, right?'
It's not just that Leona fears Siona because she 'accidentally' killed their father.
The backstory seems far more tangled.
⋯⋯Come to think of it.
Panhima, Felix, even Drexler whom I haven't met this round yet. And now these two.
No one in the Hero Party or those around them has a normal family background.
As those thoughts crossed his mind, the carriage jolted and slowed down.
Looking out the window, a vast encampment spread across the plains came into view.
"Oh."
The dean had said that major imperial facilities were mandatorily dispatching personnel in preparation for this incident.
Indeed, it matched—the numbers weren't ordinary. It felt like they were preparing for 'war.'
[⋯⋯Strange.]
And from the Holy Sword, as it watched the scene, those words came.
'Pardon?'
[Look at the sky.]
Following that, he looked up at the sky, where a pitch-black 'curtain' spread like ink spilled by someone.
'What is that?'
[You know magical beasts are far more sensitive to mana than humans. With countless beasts, the mana leaking from their bodies alone forms a curtain like that 'fog' in the sky.]
⋯⋯That's terrifying.
It forms just from their sheer numbers, without them doing anything.
[It's a phenomenon that happens every Death March. Nothing special about it itself.]
'Then what's strange?'
[⋯⋯In all records of these events, I've never heard of the sky turning that black.]
Normally, the mana from various beasts mixes into rainbow-like auroras dancing brilliantly, the Holy Sword added.
There had never been a jet-black curtain so dense even light couldn't pass through.
'Hmm.'
And considering Carlyle's experiences so far, it pointed to only one future.
'Something's gone to shit again.'
[⋯⋯Agreed.]
Whenever something deviated from known information, it usually meant things were about to explode in a far more horrific direction.
"Welcome to the joint command post. What unit are you from?"
"From Cradle. We'll use separate rooms each."
As those thoughts swirled, Siona had already briskly finished the procedures and vanished.
It was her strong declaration of wanting a solo room, naturally leaving the rest to share one.
And.
'⋯⋯.'
'⋯⋯.'
Less awkward than before, but the tent still filled with tension.
Separate from Siona leaving, Carlyle and Leona weren't close enough to ease it.
"Hey. Can I pet it once?"
Unable to endure the prolonged silence, Leona pointed at Blackie—clinging to Carlyle's arm like a sloth—and spoke.
She'd heard it was a catastrophe-level beast, but its harmless actions made her ask.
She even reached out before Carlyle could reply.
Naturally, Blackie bared her teeth like a snarl.
"Eeek—?!"
Startled, Leona teared up and recoiled.
She retreated so fast she tumbled off her chair with a clatter.
⋯⋯Scaredy-cat.
A real scaredy-cat, this one.
Isn't she one of the strongest race, a dragon?
'⋯⋯It's fine, it's fine. It doesn't bite.'
"I asked if it bit! It just tried to?!"
"It didn't bite."
'⋯⋯.'
To Leona glaring as if questioning his sanity, Carlyle just shrugged.
Our Blackie doesn't bite if you mind your manners.
⋯⋯Thinking that, he glanced at Leona's lower body.
'⋯⋯You didn't pee, right?'
'⋯⋯.'
"W-who do you take me for?!"
⋯⋯Better not point out more.
Instead of saying anything, Carlyle pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to her.
Leona blew her nose loudly into it, sniffling. Well.
She denied it herself.
'⋯⋯Feels like watching a kid?'
In some ways, more childish than Blackie, who acts like a child.
He trusted Blackie to handle danger herself, but this one seemed like he'd have to watch her from one to ten.
'⋯⋯Hmm.'
So, that raised a question instead.
Siona said Leona hates her.
But to Carlyle.
"Leona."
"Yeah?"
"Why does Siona hate you?"
At his calm question, Leona stared at him, speechless.
'⋯⋯My sister hates me?'
'⋯⋯.'
"Why⋯⋯ why do you say she hates me⋯⋯?"
'⋯⋯.'
Seeing Leona's teary eyes, Carlyle lost his words.
No, really.
There's a limit to being a crybaby.
'⋯⋯Let's calm down and talk.'
One thing was clear.
He needed to hear her side, not just Siona's.
◆
-System Message
▶ Information on target ‘Leona Libel’ is added to the ‘Family Issues’ quest.
▶ The quest reward includes adding ‘Leona Libel’ to the ‘Taming Targets’.
▶ Adding both ‘Siona Libel’ and ‘Leona Libel’ to Taming Targets will generate a special synergy!
◆