With Big Sis Around, Always (3)
Hello, everyone! Nice to meet you!
I'm your knowledge repository, the Recorder!
Today, I'm going to tell you a story from a very distant past.
My calling is to record everything in the world!
Even history before writing was invented is no exception!
Today's protagonist is a shaman from one tribe.
A tale about the girl who couldn't protect her little brother!
The tribe she belonged to was a warlike people who conquered other tribes without hesitation, even resorting to cannibalism.
She was a captive from a conquered tribe.
Her original tribe was naturally tall in stature.
So they were seen as people close to the heavens, and their faith was well-developed.
Isn't it ridiculous? Attaching meaning to something so trivial.
Anyway, before her tribe went to war, she was a shaman who prayed for victory through human sacrifices.
It was a family legacy passed down through generations, but she truly hated the job.
But with her parents dead in the war and her only blood relative—her young little brother—starving, she had no choice but to do it.
Her only sanctuary amid the mental wear from watching people get eaten and committing murders with her own hands was by her little brother's side.
The innocent little brother always held her hand.
Unaware of how many lives those hands had taken.
"With big sis around, I always feel safe. Thank you."
The little brother didn't want his sister doing the shaman work.
He didn't know exactly what it was, but he could tell she suffered every day.
He told her:
One day, let's leave this place.
Just the two of us, escape and live quietly.
Free as the wind.
She knew her brother's heart but couldn't heed it.
In a tribe with strict, cruel rules, running away meant betrayal.
At that time, she wasn't honest with her brother—or herself.
Then one day, tragedy struck.
(Omitted)
A major internal conflict broke out in the tribe, and many died.
The new chieftain who rose to power was a suspicious, cunning man.
He thought the shaman might threaten his position.
So he took her little brother hostage. What a bastard.
She lost her only sanctuary.
Now she could see her brother just once a month.
It was painful, but okay.
Because she could endure the hellish month waiting for that one day.
But starting from the second month, the chieftain blocked even their meetings.
He made them speak only voices through a curtain.
It was truly agonizing, but still okay.
Because she could at least hear her beloved brother's voice.
(Omitted)
She realized the voice beyond the curtain wasn't her brother's a month later.
When suspicion that the voice was off turned into certainty it was someone else.
She immediately pulled back the curtain.
Her brother wasn't there.
Instead, there was a terrified boy about her brother's age.
She confronted the chieftain demanding her brother's whereabouts, but was seized by burly warriors and beaten on the spot.
Her vocal cords were torn so she couldn't scream, and her limbs twisted grotesquely so she couldn't flee.
Unable to perform as shaman anymore, she was discarded outside the village.
She wanted to wail in betrayal, but her broken body couldn't even plead.
As she lay dying, parched like fire in her throat, she dragged her ragdoll body through the mud to the lakeside.
And just as she reached to touch the water.
She spotted a familiar small hand emerging from the mud by the water's edge.
Whose hand could it be?
Something snapped inside her, and she began giggling eerily.
She crawled over and grasped the cold hand.
She kept calling for her brother.
But from her ruined vocal cords leaked only one endless syllable.
"Po. Po. Po. Po. Po."
But no matter how desperately she called for her brother.
There was no reply.
We arrived at the last city before the Imperial Capital.
On the way here, we'd demolished no fewer than five ManShinJeon branches.
ManShinJeon truly was a sinister bunch.
Every branch was conducting bizarre experiments on people of all ages, fusing them with strange tentacles inside massive glass tubes.
If Estelle had seen this, she would've gone ballistic.
Estelle had stayed behind in Fruitsring Territory for some business. Said she'd meet us later in the Imperial Capital.
I wasn't particularly eager to see her, but...
If we run into her there, my fake archbishop gig is busted for sure...
Anyway.
Clearing the branches in five days was something of a record, I suppose.
Though my role was strictly spectating from the back.
Good thing I didn't slack off searching.
My nose had turned into a bloodhound. Amelia's intel helped, but my heightened sense of smell did the heavy lifting.
Who knew ManShinJeon reeked of cookies?
Tracking that ghostly scent made the raids a breeze.
In the process, my sisters—stuffed with nutrients—achieved astonishing realm upgrades. Lannancy first, then Sariya.
-...Kuhk, kuahaha! Now no one can stop me...!
Lannancy sis had shed her initial frail, delicate vibe completely. She'd even grown taller, her crown now topping mine.
She exuded a youthful yet dangerously alluring aura, perfect for bewitching folks.
Her realm boost shot her confidence sky-high, so she challenged Sariya sis to establish hierarchy.
-Right now! Right now, even you could be my slave...!
She brashly unleashed her charm, but got neutralized in one second flat by Sariya's merciless knuckle rap, rolling on the floor.
Then she switched targets to me, relentlessly charming away.
-Become my possession instead of that brute eight-cheok ghost... become mineee...
She tried her tricks whenever she got a chance, and it was getting annoying. Lately, I just stuck to Sariya sis like glue.
Sariya sis upgraded once more too.
Now she looked so perfectly human—even strolling downtown in broad daylight, folks would peg her as a tall beauty.
The uncanny vibe was gone, her dark sclera turned white.
And for a split second right after her upgrade, the air around her warped like heat haze—an optical illusion.
"We'll spend one night in this city today, then reach the Imperial Capital tomorrow."
Uggghhh...
I stretched long and said.
With exteriors this human-like, maybe both sisters could sneak into the Imperial Capital's barrier undetected.
Then Sariya sis, walking beside me, suddenly asked.
"Hey."
"Yeah? What's up, sis?"
"When we first met, you said you were heading to the Imperial Capital to live among people, right?"
"Uh, yeah?"
"Still the case?"
Why ask that out of the blue?
"For now, yeah?"
Of course, things had changed since leaving home.
I still wanted to blend into human society, but living with the sisters shifted my thinking.
If they're this strong, we don't need the same house—neighbors would be ideal.
Anyway.
Sariya sis just said "Got it" curtly and turned her gaze back out the carriage window.
Hmm.
Since her realm upgrade, she'd gotten quieter, lost in thought more.
If something's bothering her, she'll open up.
Still, I couldn't pry if she didn't bring it up first.
Lately, she hasn't been holding my hand much either.
Normally, she'd offer hers first, saying "C'mon."
But post-upgrade, when I reached for it, she dodged.
-...My nails got sharp. Don't wanna hurt you before I trim 'em.
From someone who freely extended claws anytime? Please.
Got stubborn after, ambushing for hand-holds, but failed every time.
Why's she avoiding me?
I pouted in frustration.
We got off the carriage and entered a decent-looking inn.
Ding-a-ling.
I plunked down 1 gold on the counter.
"O-one gold?!"
The chubby innkeeper's eyes bulged, his back bending double in a bow.
"Aigoo, noble sir! What brings you to our humble abode?!"
"Here to stay. Uh, change for—"
"Finest wine, meals, hot baths—all on the house!"
"No, just the change..."
"And the penthouse suite—top floor for you!"
Every time I opened my mouth for change, he cut in with endless flattery.
I didn't know worldly affairs perfectly, but 1 gold was big money. Lannancy eyed jewelry at 100 gold a pop.
But exactly how much? No clue.
Change-making foiled again today.
I shrugged off the annoyance and entered the room.
As I unpacked, Lannancy sis returned from her errand, humming cheerfully. Her face beamed with a huge grin.
Wonder what good fortune hit her.
Sariya sis frowned at the sight and marched over, knuckle-rapping Lannancy's crown.
Thwack!
"Ow! Why'd you hit me?!"
Sariya ignored her, grabbed her ankle, hoisted her upside-down, and shook wildly.
"Eeeek! Aaaah! Dizzy! You crazy eight-cheok!! Put me... guh!!"
Lannancy flailed and screamed.
Clink!
Something gold tumbled from her pocket.
A whole 1 gold.
"Oh, sis made some cash?"
"Not made."
Sariya, about to slam her down, tossed her onto the bed instead and tsked.
"Lemme guess—charmed someone and stole it. Hey, keep abusing power like that, and Heart's Eye Squad or Holy Church tails us?"
"S-stealing?! I earned it fair from the innkeeper with my beauty and skills!"
Ah, the innkeeper's, huh.
...So that's my money originally?
Dang.
Living with Lannancy sis must've rubbed off—bold thoughts slipping in.
"Why do you need money anyway? Yokai."
"Limited-edition earrings! Added a constraint: flashier the adornments, stronger the charm!"
"That's your big new post-upgrade constraint?"
"Ha! What about you? Dumb brute strength boost, huh? As fellow female yokai, it's embarrass... gyaack! Don't pull my cheeks, aaa!"
Finally escaping Sariya, Lannancy rubbed her cheeks fuming.
"Our lil bro's the super archbishop anyway—what can the Holy Church do? You blockhead!"
No, I'm not the real archbishop...!
As I swallowed my grievance, eyeing a chance to explain.
Knock knock.
Someone at the door. I cautiously opened it.
There stood two rough-looking guys: a hulking musclebound brute and a axe-eyed short-cut girl with a magic staff.
Silver badges emblazoned with eye motifs gleamed on their chests.
"Who're you folks?"
Flustered, I asked—but they ignored me, exchanging secretive glances and mouthing rapidly.
No sound escaped, but their lips moved at blinding speed.
Wait, I read about this. Lip-speech, right? Bureaucrats invented it to cut chit-chat time.
I unwittingly read their lips.
What? Hostage?
The moment doubt hit, the muscle brute lunged like a beast, snatching my waist.
"Huh??"
Simultaneously, the mage hurled a small orb at the floor.
Bang!
Smoke erupted, and the brute bellowed.
"Got him! Run!"
Whoa, these guys.
Can we handle 'em...?