Sweaty Secrets and Festival Dawn
They were both much the same.
"Ahem."
For a while, under Elania's lead, we'd wrapped up the roleplay successfully. I brushed the grass off my robe and stood up. They said this place used to be filled with lava and graves, but Father the Demon King and Mom had scattered light attribute magic here to make it a new symbol of peace. Thanks to that, sprouts had pushed through, and now it was this grassland where small animals hopped about playfully. It was incredibly soft, moist, and warm— the kind of spot that made you want to lie down all the time.
"...So, sis. How long are you gonna stay like that?"
"Hehe... uhihi... This isn't a dream, right..."
The roleplay was clearly over, but Elania sis was still sprawled out on the grass like a starfish, grinning ear to ear. Her face was flushed bright pink, and ever since I'd slipped out of her arms, she'd been clutching her cheeks with both hands. She kept mumbling to herself and wriggling around. Anyone seeing her might think she'd just gotten confessed to and was rolling around on the bed or something.
"If you don't get up, sis, I'm heading back alone, okay?"
"W-Wait! Let's go together, Kael. Um... holding hands..."
She sprang up in an instant and rushed over to offer her hand. Her face was still radiating heat, and every movement carried this oddly excited vibe. I couldn't help but smile at the sight and firmly took the hand she offered. Because of our age difference, my hand felt a bit smaller. I kinda liked it, though—the way it fit just right.
I subtly leaned into her shoulder, linking arms and interlocking our fingers.
"...!"
"Huh? What's up, sis? Don't like holding fingers? I wanna walk like this with you, though."
"N-No, it's fine... I mean, it's not that... You've gotten so bold while I wasn't around, Kael. It's throwing me off a bit..."
"Hehe, do you really need to hide your feelings from someone you like and love? Saying it straight out feels this good~"
"...You're right. Guess I'll do that from now on too."
With that, she softly curved her lips and gently stroked my head with her free hand. Her warm, fluffy touch made my mood float right up. Summer was creeping closer, and the mild, cool weather would soon turn into sweltering heat, huh? Lost in those thoughts, I stuck close to Elania sis as we headed back to the mansion.
"...Serdi sis? What're you doing over there?"
"Kael... Kael...! Ahh—hic?! Wh-Wha...?!"
A voice came from behind the giant tree all of a sudden. Serdi sis stumbled out looking flustered, but she seemed somehow different from usual. Her short white hair was matted with sweat against her cheeks, her face flushed red. Her eyes were hazy and unfocused, like she was in a daze. Her whole body glistened with sticky sweat, and the grass where she'd been sitting was soaked, as if someone had spilled water.
I tilted my head at her vacant stare into space.
"You've been back there the whole time. Were you watching for Elania sis? She's been with me this whole time."
Only then did she jolt in surprise and scramble to her feet.
"N-No, no! I mean, um... You two looked like you were fighting, so I came to mediate..."
Her tone was awkward. I narrowed my eyes for a moment. As the child of the Demon King and the Hero from the Elion family, my senses were sharp. I'd felt her heavy breathing from behind that big tree earlier. She'd been twitching and sweating buckets. The grass looked wet like spilled water. And... she'd been mumbling my name over and over.
"...Hmm."
It was weird. But... why was she yanking her pants up like that? Like she'd just hastily pulled them on.
"Hng... Hoo... Looks like you've made up, seeing you two like this! Good thing... I-I'm heading home now... I accidentally spilled water, so my clothes are all wet~"
"? But sis, where's your cup?"
"Wh-What?"
"No cup, so how'd you spill water? Huh?"
Looking closely, there wasn't a cup anywhere. No bottle either. She didn't seem like the type to carry one around. As I cocked my head in curiosity—
"...Ah! S-Sis! I told you to hold back on water attribute magic in places like this!"
"Ah, uh, yeah! S-Sorry! I tried, but suddenly I just really wanted to~! Ahaha!"
"Oh..."
Water attribute magic... An element I'd used a lot in my past life. Super versatile with massive power in the right conditions, and you could deploy it anywhere with enough mana. Since Serdi sis majored in mercenary studies, she must've learned most spells, right?
"You really used magic, sis?!"
But my body was buzzing with excitement and curiosity. I slipped my fingers free from Elania sis's hand and pattered over, looking up at Serdi.
All I knew were super basic spells like cleanliness magic, the light attribute from Riph, and the dark attribute from Skeleton. Water attribute was tricky to handle without artifacts, but sis had just done it!
"Y-Yeah... I did... Yeah. Of course. Ahem..."
"Whoa...! Show me!"
"Huh, what?"
"Your hand's still wet...? You can cast without an artifact? That's supposed to be high-level stuff!"
"Of c-course! It's a spell you can totally do without magic tools. I'm that good! Ahaha..."
I bounced in place, eyes sparkling. I wanted to see a mystical stream of water swimming through the air right now! The water on her hand looked viscous and sticky, but with enough skill, you could adjust the density just fine.
Heh.
I'm the best. All that studying magic paid off—I already knew how good sis was at it.
"Show me quick!"
"O-Okay... Calm down, I'll show you..."
And so, I got totally absorbed watching Serdi sis demonstrate water attribute magic for a good while.
"Hah... hah... haa..."
Serdi, who had practically fled to her own room in the mansion, panted raggedly. She pressed gently against her chest like she was massaging it, and only when she felt somewhat relieved did she let out a heavy sigh.
"What the heck is he so eager to see anyway...! I suck at water attribute magic..."
Her aptitude was light attribute. Water was just support at best. But with Kael latching onto her with those sparkling eyes full of interest in magic, she couldn't bring herself to disappoint him and had overdone her mana usage. And since he wanted to see more, she'd barely escaped to her room just before the mana thirst hit.
"...Haa..."
Good thing Kael was still young. If he were older, she couldn't have gotten away with excuses like that... A little bigger, and it wouldn't have flown.
Serdi pressed down on her lower body against the itchy sensation. She should've held back... she muttered inwardly over and over.
...Don't think about it.
"Were you doing it right there? You pervert."
"Eek?! S-Sis, shouldn't you knock before coming into someone's room!?"
"Pfft, I don't wanna hear that from the freak who was rubbing herself behind a tree watching me and Kael."
Elania, who had slipped in unnoticed, snorted mockingly. Arms crossed under her chest, leg crossed as she perched on the bed— the picture of a noble lady.
...She wasn't like this as a kid.
"No! And you're one to talk?!"
"About what?"
"What was that with Kael~? 'Sis, lemme suck your tits~?' You lunatic! He's your brother! Blood brother!"
"Pffft...!"
Elania, lightly sipping from her teacup, spat out the tea violently. Her fingertips trembled. Deep wrinkles creased her forehead as she slammed the cup on the table.
"Ha? Who was it that said he doesn't look like a brother to me, but like a man?"
"...Hah?!"
"Don't be so shameless. You're unbelievable!"
"That's why I told you to take good care of him! But why are you going crazy too!!"
"Good thing Kael's so innocent and pure! If he knew what you did, do you have any idea how much he'd despise you?!"
Her head went bright red. Emotions swelled like they might burst any second. Faces flushed pomegranate-red, Serdi and Elania glared at each other for a while. It had been ages since they'd bickered like sisters. They'd shared dorms at Akademian, and being only a year apart, this was familiar territory.
"...Ngh..."
"...Phew..."
Temporary truce. The two, who'd been glaring, sighed in unison and dropped their heads, strength draining out.
After cooling off a bit, Serdi quietly spoke up.
"...He's our brother, first off. Little brother. The kind who'll get married off someday. He'll even shed the Elion name—"
"I hate that."
"—so you can't spoil him too much now. I thought it was just me, but you too—"
"Letting him suck my breast once—why see him as a man? He's a cute baby, family."
"...Argh!! Just shut up!! You talk way too damn much!"
Bam!
Irritated by the constant interruptions, she slammed the table. They were having a serious talk, but she kept saying weird crap. Glancing back suspiciously, Serdi saw eyes gleaming with madness, no room for other thoughts.
...She's serious.
"Fine! Incest among nobles is okay. Common even! But you're his blood sister from the same parents!"
"Genetically, no issue, right? Kael's fully human, we're half."
"Agh... that..."
Twisting the point like that. She was combat/mercenary track, sis was command—how was her thinking so simplistic? Or maybe her conviction was so strong nothing else registered... Like she'd already decided.
"The Founding Festival's soon. Kael's going this time. We've always put it off. Frail, not time yet. But now he has to go out."
"'Cause he's the Hero's son?"
"Obviously! The Empire's flower born, and he hasn't shown his face in 8 years. Gotta meet the Imperial Princess too. Lots to do."
"...What if Kael marries into the princess's family..."
"No! Quit that nonsense and listen for once!"
"Urgh...! Paha!"
A refreshing morning. A crisp morning. A pain-free morning. I stretched luxuriously on the bed, letting out a laugh. Sunlight filtered through the window, early summer breeze blowing cool. My mood was inexplicably upbeat.
It was the first day of the Founding Festival.