My Second Brother
So this was what a meticulously raised warhorse was like.
The horse ran exceptionally well.
From now on, you're Alexander the Seventeenth.
Alex 17 for short.
It wasn't long before I heard Ahentar's voice.
"Hey there, little brother-in-law! Why on earth are you running away!"
Yeah, why are you running?
Excuse me? I'm running away?
"It's a stroll!"
"Then let's go together—why are you off alone like that! Is it because of the swearing? I understand completely. When a man gets startled, a few curses can slip out!"
"……."
This time I didn't answer.
Because, contrary to his words, the look in his eyes as he chased me was downright murderous.
And more than anything…
Is that even human?
How could a person run as fast as a horse?
That was right.
Ahentar was purely chasing me on his own two feet.
How long did we keep that up?
No matter how hard I rode, the distance never opened. I had no choice but to slow down.
"Hoo, is the stroll over?"
"Mm, yes. Refreshing."
"Is that so? I feel refreshed too. Can't remember the last time I ran like this."
Border collie bastard.
A video from my previous life floated up—some owner walking a border collie by riding a motorcycle.
"We should do this now and then. If big brother-in-law is willing, of course."
"Haha, I'll pass."
"Shame."
I had thought he could make an excellent border collie.
He laughed cheerfully like a pleasant fellow and swept his hair back.
Then he looked at me with eyes that were somehow chilly.
"So."
"Yes."
"What's the reason."
"Reason?"
"Honestly, I can't understand it. I heard that even at the Blood Awakening Ceremony your light was brighter. Someone said it was the kind of light you only see in the great houses. In terms of talent, you overwhelm Bilheim."
Hmm, so he knew that far.
But what of it?
"Doesn't it feel unfair? Having to hand over the seat of power just because he was born first."
He looked at me as if he genuinely could not comprehend it.
But I was just as unable to comprehend him.
"If I take it?"
"If you take it?"
"Yes. If I take the seat of power, what's good about it?"
"……?"
He seemed not to understand the question itself.
"What do you mean, what's good…"
"Sitting on the throne might feel good for a moment, sure. But after that? The avalanche of paperwork, friction with neighboring territories… you'd have to manage the vassals too."
In the end, it came down to this.
"Isn't it a hassle?"
"A hassle? That?"
"Yes."
Is it not a hassle?
As I had always said, what I wanted was a glass of beer under a red sunset.
That hadn't been much different in the modern world either.
Work as hard as possible, secure financial breathing room, and enjoy the modest happiness of everyday life.
Marriage?
Well…
I had dreamed of that sort of thing for a while, but the moment the category called "marriage" got added, the difficulty spiked so hard I boldly abandoned it.
Looking at the friends around me, it hadn't even been that bold a choice.
Everyone was more or less the same.
And then that version of me suddenly acquired the status of "noble."
A bastard, no less.
Compared to the legitimate eldest son I enjoyed less, but I still held wealth that most commoners would spend a lifetime striving for and might never obtain.
In other words, rights without responsibility.
Well, these days it's not exactly free of responsibility either.
Still, it was a level I could endure just fine.
And in that situation he wanted me to seize the throne?
For what reason?
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, completely serious."
"Huh."
Ahentar let out a sigh as if somehow deflated.
Only for a moment.
"Interesting. I can't understand it at all… but it's a very interesting way of thinking. Interesting enough that I'd almost like to learn a little of it."
Ahentar made an expression as if he had somehow accepted it.
Then he looked at me and grinned.
"May I call you little brother-in-law?"
"Yes, go ahead."
"Good, thank you. I'll speak casually from now on."
As if he had ever been formal with me.
But I didn't show it and simply smiled back.
"Of course, big brother-in-law."
By the time the conversation ended, Ahentar's face looked somehow lighter.
Like a man who had resolved some long-standing worry.
That man said to me,
"Since we've become family, I'll give you a gift."
"A gift?"
"Yes."
He mounted the horse the knights who had finally caught up were leading and took the lead.
"You lot stay here. I have something important to discuss with my little brother-in-law."
Perhaps… I had a premonition.
Depending on the kind of gift Ahentar gave me, I might gain one more older brother today.
How long did I walk following Ahentar?
The place he led me to was a lonely path far from the lord's castle, where people rarely came.
"I think it was around here… ah, here it is. Leave the horses."
He checked the direction with a compass and walked on.
I tied Alex 17 as well and followed behind him.
"Are you close with big brother?"
"You mean Brother Bilheim?"
"Yes."
"Mm… well."
I wasn't sure.
To be honest, our brotherly relationship had an ambiguous quality that made it hard to measure by "closeness."
"He seems to care for you a great deal."
"Does he."
"From where I stand, it's a good brotherly relationship. Baron Palaon must be pleased as well."
"Mm."
Why all this preamble?
It looked like he had something else he wanted to say, and sure enough, before long his mouth opened again.
"In that regard, we… went quite far off track."
"We meaning…"
"Me and my younger siblings. Kasha and Ellie. Second sister Kasha hates me enough to want me dead, and third sister Ellie is afraid of us. Choosing a political marriage was probably her way of escaping us."
"Mm, that's unfortunate."
"It is."
Glancing over, Ahentar was smiling bitterly.
Soon an emotion like longing spread across his face.
"When we were little we were fairly close. On the days I trained with the sword, Kasha always sat in the shade waiting for me. When training ended we would go out to the fields and make flower crowns. Kasha especially loved daisies. We would put the crowns we made on each other's heads."
"I see."
"But that child now hates me."
"Why is that?"
"Well…"
Ahentar, who had been spilling his insides like a drunk on a convenience-store chair, grew tight-lipped on this particular point.
Whether he truly didn't know or was hiding something.
To me it wasn't a particularly important question.
How long did we walk after that?
"We're here."
Ahentar stopped.
I slowed as well and drew up beside him.
Honestly, I was curious.
Just what kind of gift is this…
What, had they discovered a gold mine on our territory or something?
But that would already be ours, wouldn't it?
Standing beside him in puzzlement and taking in the scenery he was looking at—
I, of course, and the quietly watching Ancestor both let out a soft "huh" of astonishment.
"That is…"
"Do you know what it is?"
How could I not?
The moment I saw it, I knew.
A demon.
Yes, that was a demon.
In the middle of a deserted forest, sitting alone among the undergrowth, the oval grayish-white object was, no matter who said what, a demon.
No—correction.
Rather than a demon itself…
An egg.
Yes, that's how it looks.
But he had called it a gift?
I looked at Ahentar in bewilderment, and he spoke.
"It's called a 'Pixer's Egg.' The family mages say it's the fluid form of some high-ranking demon. When it hatches it won't be on the level of the Mouth of Targis, but it'll still be considerably dangerous."
And the reason he was showing me this?
Simple.
"There are at least eight of these things in the south right now."
"……."
The coming catastrophe.
Big brother-in-law was informing me of it.
Well, from this moment on let's drop the "in-law."
From this moment Ahentar was no different from my own older brother.
While I stared blankly, Ahentar casually loosened up and began chatting about this and that.
"Truth is, the family planned to use the removal of the Pixer's Eggs as a pretext to strengthen control over the south."
"Mm."
So that was the scheme.
He called it a gift…
No wonder they went easy even after we refused the hostage proposal—they had this leverage ready.
Even without a hostage, they had an excuse to extract something, so they had held back.
In that case, this truly was a "gift."
But.
"Have you lost your mind?"
"Hm? Why?"
"No, why are you suddenly taking off your clothes?"
"Ah, this? It's my most comfortable outfit. If it gets torn or dirty, that's a problem. My skin's a bit sensitive, so I don't have many comfortable clothes."
Fortunately he didn't strip completely.
Just the top.
And the reason he was undressing was clear.
Looks like he intends to take care of the demon.
Seems so.
Would it be all right?
I didn't know what kind of demon this "Pixer's Egg" was, but Merlin intended to use information on the egg and its removal as a means to strengthen control over the south.
In other words, most territories would struggle to handle one of these eggs.
And he was going to deal with it alone?
"Little brother, mind stepping back a bit?"
"Ah, yes."
For now I quietly withdrew and opened some distance.
Will he be okay?
Just watch. It's about time you broadened your horizons.
Apparently the Ancestor believed Ahentar could remove the egg without much difficulty.
So what should I do?
Just stay still.
Still, just in case, I made my own preparations.
Ready to run at any moment.
And so.
"Sss, hoo…"
Ahentar stood before the Pixer's Egg and regulated his breathing.
And right after that—
Thwaaam—!
A sudden sonic boom that tore through the space!
What I saw was Ahentar's fist buried in the Pixer's Egg.
As if someone had simply cut out the middle of the process—an instantaneous strike with no intermediate steps.
Hmm, the Blessing of Swiftness.
Swiftness?
Yes. The blessing the Merlin bloodline mainly awakens.
So that was it.
The way he had chased me earlier while I was on horseback—he had been holding back.
A fresh chill ran down my spine.
That was when it happened.
Ah, looks like it's starting now.
At the Ancestor's words I came to my senses, and sure enough, it was exactly as he said.
Crack, craaack—!
Cracks began spreading across the egg's surface, and then—
Krrack!
A demon burst out from within.
Bipedal, deep gray body… should I call it humanoid?
Kreeek, kiiik.
The demon tilted its head, looking around, then spotted Ahentar standing in front of it and narrowed its eyes.
And immediately after—
Bang!
A fist slamming into Ahentar's face.
Unfortunately for it, what it struck was only Ahentar's afterimage.
The real one was already right behind it.
"Watch carefully. The closer a Pixer's Egg gets to hatching, the blacker it turns and the stronger it becomes. What you're seeing now is roughly stage two out of five."
Ahentar grinned as if showing off his knowledge, as though a demon wasn't even worth his attention.
Perhaps it understood that attitude.
The demon flew into a rage and charged at Ahentar, but—
Click.
All that reached my ears was the sound of a sword sliding home into its scabbard.
Ahentar, who had already passed the demon, didn't even look back.
As if there was no need to check the result.
And in fact there wasn't.
Ssshk, ssshhk.
Deep blue aura rippled over the demon's body, and then the body split and fell apart along that aura.
"……."
Looking at the demon that had been sliced to pieces and died, I thought,
Absolutely.
No matter what happened, I would never mess with Ahentar.
And so that day, I gained a second older brother.
I informed Father about the Pixer's Eggs the next morning.