A Stranger by Blood and an Older Brother
I had scrambled into the carriage like a man fleeing for his life, desperate for a moment of quiet respite after the absolute madness we had just survived. Yet before I could even draw a clean breath, I found myself completely overwhelmed by a furious, jealousy-fueled offensive from the women who had silently swarmed in after me.
"H-Hey...! Stop it! There are kids right there! And I'm an injured man! I told you I'm a patient, damn it!"
In truth, there wasn't a scratch left on my body, but I screamed desperately anyway, convinced that nothing short of a medical emergency would make them back off. Naturally, my desperate pleas fell on completely deaf ears.
"Lord Han-gil. Did that demoness's lips feel pleasant?"
I grimaced deeply at Muriel's icy, deadpan question.
"Who said anything about pleasant?! Nothing happened, so just calm down already!"
"No. I am afraid that will not do."
I snapped my head toward the voice coming from the opposite side. Rebecca, already heavily flushed and breathing hot, ragged sighs, glared at me with pupils narrowed like a predator cornering its prey.
"The foul stench and traces left by that wretched creature upon your body must be painted over with ours this very second."
"Wait, what the hell does that even—!"
I raised my hands to shove her away in utter disbelief, but my completely drained body could do nothing more than tremble uselessly, failing to summon even a fraction of proper strength.
"You are terribly exhausted. To think she took advantage of your weakened state to toy with and defile you like this... How envi—no, how entirely unforgivable."
The one who uttered those words was, shocking beyond belief, Wendy.
Her face remained as stone-faced and stoic as ever, but her grip around my leg tightened with terrifying force. Wait... did Wendy secretly harbor sadistic tendencies all along?
"I shall purify you. Immediately."
"You religious nuts really have an excuse for every—mph?!"
Before I could finish my complaint, Latipi lunged forward without warning and stole my lips.
In an instant, a fresh, refreshing scent of verdant greenery—like breathing pure phytoncides deep in an ancient forest—flooded my sinuses. My already exhausted mind melted into a pleasantly hazy daze.
"Mmph, nnh... Chuu, haah..."
"W-What..."
"Huh...?"
"What in the..."
The women, who had been converging on me like a pack of starving beasts ready to tear me apart, froze in place, their jaws dropping in collective bewilderment at her sudden ambush.
"Slurp... Puhaah!"
Beneath the stunned stares of the entire carriage, Latipi finally broke the clumsy, lingering kiss and slowly pulled back to gaze down at me. Her expression held an intricate swirl of sorrow, yearning, fierce determination, and lingering anger.
"O Incarnation..."
"...I told you not to call me Incarnation."
"I-I apologize... Lord Han-gil."
"Putting that aside, I never thought you'd pull a stunt like this... What were you thinking?"
"T-That is..."
Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson, and she dipped her head low. But after a second of hesitation, she looked right back up, her eyes burning with resolute resolve.
"I... I wish to become Lord Han-gil's lover as well."
"...Where did this come from all of a sudden?"
"W-What do you mean, where... Because, well... I love you...?"
Her awkwardly innocent and unvarnished confession instantly made the atmosphere turn subtly uncomfortable. It was especially amusing to watch Nemeth, Tsarkhella, and Cacciola blush furiously, squirming in second-hand embarrassment.
"Love, huh...? Aren't you just feeling that way because of what the World Tree planted in me?"
"...? Is there something wrong with that?"
"Well, I mean... your mind and feelings might be getting manipulated, you know? Doesn't that make you feel even a little uncomfortable?"
"Not in the slightest."
"Why?"
"Because you are the one chosen by the World Tree. If it is the World Tree's intention, I will gladly follow it even if my mind is being guided."
"...Haaah. Seriously, there are way too many fanatics in this world..."
The Church, the Elves, and come to think of it, the barbarian warriors were absolute zealots in their own right, too. Perhaps because gods genuinely existed in this realm, the mortal beings walking the earth were far too easily swept up in blind devotion.
"...Well, fine. If you're satisfied with that, I suppose."
It was a worldview I couldn't wrap my head around in the slightest, but if she was completely fine with it, I had no reason to turn her down. What kind of idiot would reject a gorgeous woman throwing herself into his arms?
"Then...!"
Watching her face light up with pure joy, I gave her head a gentle pat and let out a soft sigh.
"Just hold back for now. The setting is terrible, and there are way too many pairs of eyes watching."
"Ugh, that is..."
At a loss for words, Latipi nervously glanced around at our audience.
"......"
"......"
Meeting the murderous glares of the surrounding women, Latipi immediately shrunk back, her shoulders quivering like a frightened animal.
"That goes for the rest of you, too. Let's do this next time. Next time, okay?"
"It is certainly not okay... but haah, I suppose there is no choice."
"Tsk. The mood is completely ruined... We could have just ridden the momentum and gotten it over with."
"Hey, Master-ya. When exactly is 'next time'? Be specific."
Muriel, Rebecca, and Cacciola muttered with thoroughly dissatisfied scowls. I let out a light chuckle and picked up a bottle of liquor.
"Who knows... Maybe once we get back to the Duke's Castle? I can't give you any guarantees, though."
"...Fine. But on one condition."
"A condition?"
Before I could even process her reply, Cacciola grabbed Latipi and violently tossed her aside.
"Kyaak?!"
Latipi, who had been straddling my lap, let out a sharp squeal as she went airborne, but nobody in the carriage paid her the slightest bit of attention.
"At the very least, I want that damn Demon King wench's marks scrubbed off right now. You can handle that much, can't you?"
Cacciola's slender fingers irritably traced over the numerous red marks scattered across my neck and collarbones.
"...Well, as long as you promise not to cross the line, I suppose that much is—"
"Deal."
"Mmph, mmph...?!"
The moment the word left my mouth, Cacciola pounced on me, sealing her lips forcefully over mine.
"Chuu, mmmph...!"
As her tongue slid greedily past my lips, I tangled mine with hers and wrapped a hand gently around her slender waist. She stared straight into my eyes with those sharp green irises, working her tongue with relentless passion. Finding her earnestness quite adorable, I gave her backside a playful pat, which earned me a teasing, sultry smirk through her eyes.
"Haah... It seems my turn was stolen once again."
"Nothing can be done about it now. In that case..."
"Indeed. We shall simply overwrite the other marks."
Watching me and Cacciola locked in a deep kiss, the other women gave up on holding back. They piled on like a pride of lionesses, unleashing a merciless barrage of kisses across my neck, shoulders, and chest.
Wet, indecent sounds filled the carriage in a chaotic chorus.
Muriel pressed flush against me, hungrily sucking on my throat; Rebecca buried her face into my chest, exhaling ragged, heated gasps; Nemeth placed shy, hesitant kisses along my shoulder; Wendy gently took my cheek into her mouth, softly nibbling; Tsarkhella hovered with a bright red face, fidgeting in flustered panic; Latipi quietly wriggled her small hands under my clothes; and finally, Pashtra claimed my back, pressing her colossal, soft chest firmly against my spine.
"Mmm, chuu, slurp..."
Every inch of my upper body was smothered by smooth skin, warm lips, and an intoxicating cocktail of feminine fragrances so overwhelming that my exhausted consciousness spun in dizzy delight.
"W-Wow... Woah..."
"N-No! Kang Han-gil belongs to me...!"
"H-Hold on! Arpe, calm down!"
Rolling my eyes toward the corner, I spotted Cecilia, Arpe, and Vivian looking on, their faces flushed bright crimson. Meanwhile, Weller sat scowling with deep disgust, spitting curses under her breath.
"Tsk. Acting like a bunch of bitches in heat..."
"Mmph..."
"Step aside now. It is my turn."
"Puhak?! Hey! I'm not done—!"
Suddenly, Muriel grabbed Cacciola by the scruff of her collar, yanked her away without mercy, and firmly clamped her lips over mine. Cacciola protested vehemently, but Muriel completely tuned her out, locking both hands onto the sides of my head to keep me entirely immobile.
"Mmmph, mm..."
Realizing this wasn't going to end anytime soon, I let out a long breath through my nose and went completely limp, abandoning myself to their mercy.
Silence finally settled over the carriage once the chaotic frenzy died down.
Though none of them had openly complained, the prolonged, grueling combat had taken an immense toll on everyone. After finishing a simple meal, the exhausted women curled up in their respective corners and surrendered to sleep.
"Whew..."
Surrounded by their rhythmic breathing, I sat alone, taking slow sips of liquor straight from the bottle.
"...Hey."
Across from me, Weller was staring with an uneasy, deeply conflicted expression.
"What is it?"
"Are you really going to the Duke's Castle?"
"...Are you seriously asking that now? Didn't we already brace ourselves for this?"
"Haah, no... It's just, the more I think about it, the worse this mess looks."
She pressed a hand to her forehead, staring up at the carriage ceiling for a long moment before slowly opening her mouth again.
"Mother isn't the only problem. The servants, the knights, and on a broader scale, the entire populace of Terabaon... They will all be out for your blood the moment the truth leaks."
"...Is it really that bad?"
"Maybe I'm being overly pessimistic. If you claim that your presence in that body is part of the Goddess's grand design, their fury might subside somewhat. The Saintess and the Third Princess at your side will vouch for you, too... But still, but... Ugh, damn it..."
Unable to finish her thought, she let out a harsh curse. I watched her struggle for a moment, then gave the bottle in my hand a light swirl with a faint smirk.
"Want a drink?"
"...Why do I feel like I'm the only one taking this seriously? Aren't you worried at all?"
"Of course I'm worried. Why do you think I'm chugging booze like this?"
"You chug booze every single day regardless..."
I shrugged at her blunt retort and took another swig.
"...Hey. Pour me a glass."
"Heh. Thought so."
I filled a glass to the brim and slid it over. She downed the harsh liquor in a single, reckless gulp.
"Khaah! Agh... that's ridiculously strong."
"Not bad. Have some fruit to chase it."
She grabbed the piece of fruit I offered, shoved the entire thing into her mouth, and chewed aggressively.
"Haaah... Look, considering you saved Lira's life, and given what I promised earlier, I'm going to back you up as much as I humanly can."
"Much appreciated."
"Even so, there are limits to what I can shield you from. You understand that, right?"
"Sure... If things truly go to hell, there won't be much choice. I'm already keeping an escape route in mind just in case."
"An escape route... To where?"
"Surprisingly, I've got plenty of places to run. I could head to the Elf Village... or lay low in Shepherd Village..."
"Shepherd Village... Isn't that where that half-vampire girl is? Delarang, was it?"
"Yeah. Her."
"Hmm..."
As she fell into thought, she extended her empty glass, and I refilled it without a word.
"B-Brother... Are you leaving?"
A soft voice broke the quiet. Vivian, whom I had assumed was fast asleep, slowly pushed herself up and stared at me.
"You were awake, Vivian?"
"Yes... I heard you talking with Sister... B-But are you really going to leave the Duke's Castle?"
"If circumstances force my hand, I won't have much choice."
"No..."
Her youthful face contorted with deep, agonizing turmoil. After a brief hesitation, she shuffled over and sat down right beside Weller.
"...Brother. I really, truly gave this a lot of thought."
"...Did you?"
Sensing that she had finally reached a conclusion, I set the bottle aside and met her gaze with an earnest expression.
"At first... it was really hard for me to accept you as Han-gil... Brother."
Calling my real name in an awkward, tiny whisper, she offered a melancholic smile and shook her head.
"I was angry, and I doubted you. After all, taking over someone else's body is the kind of thing only evil demons do, right?"
"...That's fair."
"But... Cecilia told me. She swore that Brother Han-gil is definitely not a demon. She said you are a good person, chosen by the Goddess herself."
"...I'm pretty sure she's mistaken. Do I really look like a good person to you?"
"Yes. Brother Han-gil is a good person."
"......"
There was definitely something wrong with either her eyesight or her head.
"Pwahaha! Look at your face! What, are you actually embarrassed, Kang Han-gil?"
"...Shut it."
I waved a dismissive hand at Weller's mocking laughter and gestured toward Vivian with my chin.
"So? What's your conclusion?"
"Please listen a bit more. Anyway, after hearing what Cecilia had to say... I sat down and thought about it much more calmly, and much more deeply."
She lowered her head, her cheeks dusting with a shy blush.
"And I realized... it was utterly arrogant of me to talk about whether I 'accept' Brother Han-gil or not."
"What are you talking about?"
Anyone else might have had no right, but as the direct family of Stanasila Alzen, she had more than enough justification to judge me. Meeting my puzzled gaze, Vivian shook her head with a bitter smile.
"The truth is... I hardly ever met Brother 'Stanasila Alzen.' The number of times we actually spoke could be counted on one hand. To be completely honest, I didn't know a single thing about him."
"...Is that even possible?"
I had already known from sifting through Alzen's memories that he shared almost zero interaction with Vivian. That had been the entire reason I initially planned to get close to her—to secure an indirect connection to the Hero. But no matter how much of a delinquent he was, to think he barely saw his own family and spoke to his sister only a handful of times in his life... When Muriel had explained it to me back then, I thought it was simply because Alzen's memories were fragmented, but was it truly that desolate?
Stunned, I looked over at Weller. Catching my eye, she merely shrugged with absolute indifference.
"I didn't despise Alzen for no reason. He was an absolute piece of garbage, which is why everyone hated him."
"Hah..."
Watching me exhale in disbelief, Vivian continued, her face twisting as though she were on the verge of tears.
"So the only 'Brother' I have ever truly known... was you, Brother Kang Han-gil. There was never really another choice to begin with."
"......"
"Um, so... what I really want to say is..."
Fidgeting nervously with her fingers, she stole glances at my expression before finally squeezing her eyes shut, as if leaping off a cliff.
"C-Can I...! Can I keep treating you like my brother, just like before?! I... I don't want us to grow apart like this!"
"Hmm."
I quietly mulled over her desperate cry.
"...Even so, it doesn't change the fact that I'm a complete stranger who stole Stanasila Alzen's body. You're really okay with that?"
"Yes! Of course! Cecilia vouched for you... and I don't believe Brother is a bad person either. Besides, losing my 'Brother' over someone I 'know absolutely nothing about' would be completely stupid, wouldn't it? That's how I see it. Even if you share blood, someone you've barely exchanged words with is no different from a stranger."
"Well, damn..."
She was speaking far more decisively than I had ever anticipated. Even Weller was staring at Vivian with an unmistakably surprised expression.
"I-Is it not okay...? I know I've been avoiding you lately... but I really hope you can forgive me... I'm so sorry, Brother..."
Looking into her desperately pleading eyes, I couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
"Who would turn down having such an adorable little sister? Thanks for accepting me, Vivian."
"...!! Brother!"
Her face instantly blossomed into a brilliant smile. She sprang to her feet and dove straight across the carriage into my arms.
"...Whoa, watch out."
Since my body was still far from fully recovered, catching her took everything I had.
"Thank you, Brother. *Sniff*, and I'm so, so sorry...!"
With the suffocating tension finally broken, the floodgates opened, and she began to sob uncontrollably against my chest. I gently stroked her trembling back.
"...I should be the one thanking you."
"*Sob*, *hic*...!"
As her weeping filled the quiet carriage, Weller and I silently clinked our glasses, sharing another long drink in the dark.