Her Worry
It's hard to pinpoint the location, and I don't have the firepower to turn this place into an open field like Estelle would.
"I've narrowed down the location."
At the same time Luna spoke, a marker appeared showing the estimated position.
"It's hard to believe she'd stay in one spot after the first shot missed."
When I said that, Luna understood what I meant and marked several predicted routes. Naturally, the predicted routes weren't confined to a single path — they spread outward in every direction like branching lines.
I created a single arrow using my artifact and nocked it on the bowstring.
I can't shoot as accurately as Hellia, but I have my own method.
An arrow made from ordinary light, not one shaped from moonlight.
That's why if I use it with ricochets like Moonlight Poetry, the firepower ends up far worse than a normal arrow — barely even worth calling an attack. But I can still apply the technique.
I release the bowstring.
The arrow leaves me, flying straight until the moment just before it hits a tree.
Then it changes course.
Refraction.
When a wave crosses the boundary between mediums, its change in speed alters its direction.
Light is a particle, but it's also a wave, so it refracts.
Obviously, I didn't calculate all of that myself. Luna helped a lot.
The arrow cuts through the forest, bending at strange angles as it moves.
Bang.
Not a shot aimed at me — a round fired to protect herself.
But the sound made her position even easier to pinpoint.
Hellia's location was confirmed. Without hesitation, I broke into a sprint.
"Luna, stay focused."
We still can't see her. She can observe us through the tiniest gaps between countless branches and leaves, but we don't have that advantage.
'Left shoulder.'
I twisted my left shoulder back without a moment's hesitation. A bullet passed through the space where my shoulder had been.
"Still a bit of distance."
If she were close, there'd be no reason to use a sniper rifle.
Bang.
The next round — fired a little hastily.
Under Luna's direction, I dodged it easily.
'Got the position.'
Now, white lines appeared in my vision again.
What followed were countless white lines.
I switched weapons.
I let go of the glass bow in my hand and instead gripped a sword made of light in one hand and a sword made of glass in the other.
Dodge what I can. Block what I can't.
Thirty white lines converged on me.
I dodged fourteen. Blocked eleven. Two missed completely. Three grazed me.
The distance was closed enough. Hellia's face twisted in visible frustration.
Not enough time to reload.
She quickly discarded her gun and pulled out another.
Her judgment and action weren't slow, but compared to Estelle, she was definitely slower. That's why I could predict her move in advance.
I threw my sword at the shotgun she was drawing. It wasn't in perfect shape after blocking bullets, but it was still enough to knock the shotgun out of her one-handed grip. She was startled for a moment but immediately tried to reach for another gun with her other hand.
I knocked that one away with my remaining sword, then formed a glass bow and drew the string.
The hastily made arrow fired from the bowstring — and right before it hit her head, it scattered and disappeared.
"Alright, that's it."
I lowered the bow as I spoke. Hellia opened her tightly shut eyes.
"Good work."
I said it with a slight bow.
Her movements seemed modeled after Estelle's, but they lacked that distinctive speed. Her judgment might have been decent — though that's more a testament to how monstrous Estelle is — but her actual movements were sluggish for a Rook-level fighter.
For some reason, she wasn't wrapping her body in mana. My curiosity wanted to ask about it, but I couldn't bring the words to my lips.
What I saw in her eyes was a murky, sticky darkness — a mix of negative emotions I couldn't fully identify. Anger, sadness, resentment... too many to pick out individually. But I could instinctively tell I shouldn't speak carelessly.
The impurities in her eyes vanished in an instant, as if I'd imagined them, and her gaze returned to normal.
"I'll help you up."
I reached out my hand to her.
"I'm fine. I can get up on my own."
Hellia said that, brushing past my outstretched hand and standing up on her own.
"You've definitely got skill."
Hellia looked at me as she spoke.
"Lucky, I guess."
At this rate, maybe I'm faithfully fulfilling the isekai protagonist's duty of monopolizing all the lucky breaks? I mean, I got connected with the main character, trained with her, picked up a free artifact, and turned Lunasia — who could be considered the main boss — into my adorable daughter.
Monopolizing lucky breaks?
If she's my daughter, she's basically a cheat code.
Yeah, I'm definitely monopolizing them. And the experience I've gained from fighting for my life — isn't that a kind of lucky break too?
"Even if you call it luck, I could see the effort you put into using it well. Especially that mana manipulation technique — it's similar to my sister's."
Of course, she's Estelle's biggest fan. She saw right through it even in that short spar. My base firepower is lower than Hellia's. But I pushed it up to her level by using a massive amount of mana all at once. I burned through so much mana just to close the distance, keep up with her movements, and block her attacks that I've only got about 40% left.
Damn, I've really weakened noticeably.
Her shooting style, her timing, her efficient defense and evasion.
Then she recognized that my approach was a new path built through my own effort, and she complimented me.
She was someone I'd met for the first time today, but having my efforts acknowledged didn't feel bad.
I thought maybe I'd scored some points, but remembering those eyes earlier, I decided to just call it status quo.
Before I could say anything, she snapped her head around.
I followed her gaze — and there stood Estelle.
Talk about a detection device.
"Big siiister~ I lost~."
Hellia said that and latched onto Estelle.
"Yeah, I saw. But you've definitely improved a lot compared to before. If you keep training like this, you'll be fine."
Estelle stroked Hellia, who was clinging to her. Watching that scene made my hands feel idle, so I reached out and patted Luna, who had materialized beside me at some point.
"Let's go wash up first, you two."
Estelle led Hellia out of the training ground. I took out my phone to satisfy my curiosity.
The search was simple: Hellia Pendragon.
The information about her was surprisingly sparse. Compared to Ciel and Estelle, it felt like there was almost nothing.
I adjusted the time range on the search results.
One year. Two years. Three years.
Only when I went back about three years did I find some useful information.
A rising star of the next generation.
The Pendragon family's two jewels: Estelle Pendragon, who showed remarkable achievement in all forms of weaponry, and Hellia Pendragon, one year younger, who was proficient in magic.
Summarizing the articles from that time, on the magic side, she was considered a genius who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the prodigy of the Magic Tower and the eldest daughter of a famous magical family.
"So? What do you think?"
That was the first thing Estelle said when she returned and stood beside me at some point.
"About what?"
When I answered bluntly, she didn't hide her disappointment.
"Guess you don't know anything, Mr. Prophet."
"I only ever know a tiny fraction of things. There are always more unknowns than knowns."
"Whoa, that sounded just like an old man just now."
"So what's the point?"
"Just wanted to know how Hellia's level seemed to you."
"High for her age, but low for her family."
It was a very simple summary.
Right now, Hellia was better than most students who'd been at the Academy for a few months. But she was low for a direct descendant of the world-renowned Pendragon family.
I started combining the information I'd just gathered with what I could glean from their conversation.
A former genius mage. Now she doesn't use mana at all. Estelle's words: "If you keep training like this, you'll be fine." And those eyes.
She was originally a mage, but for some reason, she can no longer use magic. So she abandoned everything she had built up and started from scratch.
"Hellia's my younger sister by one year."
"Only a year apart, but you seem pretty close."
"We used to bicker a lot."
She laughed bitterly.
"So what are you trying to say?"
Her words had no real substance. If she wanted to know Hellia's true feelings, she'd know them better than me. And if it was about Hellia's growth, she could give better direction than me.
"Beats me. Why am I even doing this?"
She seemed like she didn't even know what she wanted herself.
"Then how about letting Hellia stay at this mansion too?"
Luna cut into our conversation.
"Would that be okay?"
I might not know much else, but I thought I understood why Estelle felt uncomfortable around Hellia. The suffocating weight of expectation, admiration, awe. It would follow Estelle every moment she spent with her sister.
"It's fine. Luna probably has something in mind too. And besides, you'll be here."
"Ugh."
"I meant the you that makes noise disappear, you bastard."
"Ah, sorry. Instinct."
Embarrassed, I turned my gaze to Luna.
"Got any ideas?"
"No, but running away won't solve anything either."
She's right. In the original story, there was never a scene where she met Hellia.
"She's got a point, you know? What do you say, Ms. Estelle the Runaway?"
"Hng."
With that rare whimper sound, our conversation had to end.
"I'm back! Sister!"
Because she was back.
"Then I'm going to learn from the head butler. Keep Luna company for me."
I've received so much help from them. Might as well try to help a little this time.
---
Actually, I didn't say anything because I wasn't sure yet, but in that moment when Father lost consciousness and collapsed.
When I saw the fragments of the shattered Star, I could feel a pull. Those fragments were drawn to me, approaching me on their own. The ones called the Star Engraving group came to steal those fragments, but the two people I had only ever found scary protected me.
I still don't know what the fragments that seeped into me are, but I could sense something.
When I met that woman Hellia. More precisely, when the spar ended and I looked into her eyes, I could detect something very familiar mixed in there.
In that moment, I could understand her. It was similar to when I use the Authority of Perception, but somehow different — something important was fundamentally different.
But I didn't tell Father about it.
I was certain this power wouldn't make us targets again, but Father already has so much to worry about. I didn't want to add to his concerns.
Anyway, back to the main point — what I felt from her was longing. A desperate longing for something. That's what I understood while spending time with her today.
I'm still not skilled or familiar enough with this ability to sense anything more detailed, but there's plenty of time.
Honestly, I don't really feel like helping that Hellia woman who glared at Father. But since Father wanted to help her...
"Luna, if you stay up late, you won't grow tall."
"Okay, Dad."
I've gotten more mature as time passes, but being able to call him Dad and act spoiled is a child's privilege. So this is another little secret of mine, I suppose.
"Do spirits not grow tall?"
If I wanted to, I could probably transform that way, but I feel like I'd regret it afterward.
"Ah, sorry. Don't look at me like that. Luna's going to grow just fine."
And from now on, rest comes first. Father doesn't take care of himself, so I need to look after him instead.
Honestly, I wanted to object to the sparring too, but I missed the timing...
Alright, I'm off! Time to fall asleep in my warm father's arms!