I Can Do It All Day Long
She nodded coolly.
“Good.”
“Hah, confident, are you? You’ve been showing off lately—loosened up a bit?”
“No. It’s you who’s challenging me. No matter what we compete in, I can do it all day long.”
I deliberately provoked him. Scratched, and scratched again.
Just like with Jerome, those who’d been recognized and lived well since childhood mostly had pride as pure gold.
What do I mean?
That guys like me can easily get under their skin with a few jabs.
On the contrary, people who’ve been through hell at the bottom are the real deal.
“Sis, you might really die at this rate.”
“Thinking about properly educating my clueless little brother makes my crotch twist already? What’s the big deal about dying?”
I laughed on purpose. Brightly. Exaggeratedly.
Holan started staring at me silently.
Around us, family members clicked their tongues at me.
“Honestly, Jerome won with tricks, and now she dares face Holan?”
“I heard she called a mage as a proxy too. Must be true.”
“You don’t fit in our family!”
“You’ll bring ruin to our family. Or get your guts ripped out, you bitch.”
All sorts of bullshit flew out. The same stuff I’d seen before.
Cognitive dissonance.
The name was rare, but the situation itself was a common phenomenon.
“I used tricks? Want your upper and lower lips torn apart?”
Snap!
Holan did a finger snap. It perfectly drew my attention.
After mentally regrouping, Holan stood up and faced me.
“This is a good chance to show you properly. Against me.”
“What are you suggesting? Want a duel? Don’t run away scared.”
“Ehh, deciding the family head with brute force is barbaric? No, no. Doesn’t feel like you, sis.”
A guy who looked like a barbarian chieftain.
Plotting like a fox?
Holan smirked. I could guess what he was thinking.
‘Yeah, that’s just like you. A guy with decent specs who only picks fights he can win thoroughly. The kind who rigs the board so he wins even fights he’d lose.’
Cunning, but an excellent trait for survival.
Then I’ll make the first move as family head.
“Fine, just grant me one request.”
“What?”
“Let’s do the Wednesday Test together. We’ll decide with that.”
“I was wondering what it was. Anytime!”
Unfortunately, I could see right through that guy’s head.
The Wednesday Test.
Go to the canyon owned by the Wednesday family, navigate through monsters and traps, reach the target location, and wave the family flag.
As family head, one needed not only strength but also wisdom, survival knowledge, and knowledge of monsters, traps, and terrain.
It was the Wednesday family’s unique test and rite of passage.
Usually a test to become family head, and Holan was aiming for it.
“By the way, that was a joke, right? Someone like you, sis?”
“Why? Scared you’ll end up like Jerome? I’m confident though.”
I shrugged lightly, as if it was no big deal.
Then Holan whistled.
“Fine. What’s there to be scared of? If you want to die, I’ll grant your wish.”
“Time to use some strength after a while.”
But Holan wasn’t the type to let it pass like that. He smiled cunningly and raised his index finger slightly.
“Ah, instead. Let’s do this Wednesday Test in different places. No zones where we might encounter each other.”
‘As expected of Holan. Even blocking the variable of running into me and losing or being defeated.’
It was a level that would make one tongue-tied from the enemy’s perspective.
He wouldn’t leave even the slightest chance of losing himself.
A guy with good specs too.
But I smiled.
Sorry, but my plan to mess with the Wednesday Test was beyond imagination.
“Good! But… is there such a place in our territory?”
“Ehh, the Ludain Gorge. It’s right here.”
“It’s a dangerous area that takes three or four days to pass through. Doing it separately… will that be okay?”
“Of course. Suddenly getting scared?”
I said that to push the atmosphere.
To act like I had a bit of fear and hesitation.
In the Wednesday Test, the winner could do whatever they wanted with the loser.
In other words, exceptionally legal murder was possible.
I tried to put on a tense expression while laughing inside.
‘This is good for me. In such a dangerous area… there’s a way.’
I put my hands behind my back. Rubbed my palms and nodded.
“Not bad. How about passing in about ten minutes?”
“Pfft… You mean passing by dying in ten minutes? Go ahead and try. I’ll even lick your feet, sis.”
“You promised, right? If I pass in ten minutes, lick my feet or die by my sword according to tradition.”
This time I came out serious. It was Holan who brought it up first.
So I had to make sure he couldn’t say otherwise later. I wanted to sort out the hierarchy clearly here.
‘Sorting out the hierarchy before leaving is basic.’
Holan met my eyes and leisurely sat down.
Instead, I saw Winz approaching me as she passed by.
“Young lady…!”
Winz looked at me anxiously. I should have told her in advance.
Not something else, but saying we’d do a direct confrontation with the Wednesday Test.
Holan lifted his teacup and smiled arrogantly. A smile fitting for him.
“Ehh, why blabber about impossible things. Sis, having delusions is a disease too.”
“Scared?”
“Hah, fine. Let’s do that. You sure have a lot of conditions.”
“Either you or I might be seeing the end of our lives. We have to bet everything. To become family head, you need that level of ambition, right?”
“Rest assured, it’s a position sis can never reach. Yeah, let’s bet everything.”
All-in versus all-in.
I liked situations like this the most.
A situation where neither could back down.
A deathmatch where one of us had to die in a dead end.
This feeling where only the tension of death flowed rather than hope for life was so good.
Of course, I didn’t know why.
Am I a pervert?
Anyway, afterwards.
I went to Blaken with Holan and said we’d do the Wednesday Test.
Permission came sooner than expected.
The family head had a worried face but only said he hoped we’d both approach it with the family in mind.
After returning to the room, Winz followed right after.
She had a face with a lot to say.
I didn’t think I’d seen such a complicated person’s expression before.
“Winz, why?”
“…Idiot.”
She left after saying just that one word, “idiot.”
I thought I saw something transparent welling up in her eyes as she turned.
Was it my imagination?
But don’t worry. I was saying this because I was confident I’d win.
“I only pick fights I can win too.”
The Wednesday Test would be held tomorrow morning.
Come quickly, tomorrow.
＊＊＊
The next day, morning.
My room was a bit busy today. Servants were hurriedly moving food and drinks.
I gave instructions as needed. Of course, with my toes.
“Oh, over there. Hey! That’s a barrel of alcohol. Why are you putting it on the table? Wait, put the steak on the table! Geez.”
Someone approached through the crowd of servants.
It was Winz, staring at me piercingly as if she’d made up her mind.
“Winz, hello.”
“Young lady….”
“Hah, Winz. Look at these guys. They usually ignore me completely, but today they’re letting me eat and drink to my heart’s content?”
“It might be… the last time. You know that.”
“Well, it could be.”
“…Lady Queen!”
As if it absolutely shouldn’t be crossed, Winz looked at me desperately.
Shouting at a noble might be a breach of etiquette, but there wasn’t a single person here who would point that out.
I pretended to clean my ear.
“Ah, why? Don’t you trust me now? What else?”
“Holan Wednesday Young Master is someone already called the next family head. Of course I trust you, young lady, more than anyone! To the point my chest hurts…!”
“But why then…”
“The Wednesday Test.”
Winz said it as if throwing it out. Grabbing her skirt hem, Winz opened her mouth with heightened emotions.
“If by any chance Young Master Holan wins, you might really die, young lady. You know that, right?”
Her expression was as if reproaching me, asking why I did that, why it had to be that way.
I leisurely sliced the steak, drank alcohol, then stopped.
Sighing, I faced Winz. She couldn’t take her eyes off me, like a seeker waiting for an answer.
“I know. The situation is serious right now.”
“Why on earth did you do that? If only you’d built up a bit more strength at least…”
“I couldn’t wait for that. I wanted to get out of here quickly.”
“Was there a need to rush?”
“Winz, what happiness can I find here?”
A fundamental question.
Living in this noble family like this.
What, how could I be happy.
Become the new family head and live in luxury?
If bored, educate the family members who caused cognitive dissonance?
It was all meaningless.
Winz wouldn’t not know that.
At my serious question, Winz’s pupils shook.
Without even thinking, she lowered her head.
No need to think.
How I was treated as less than human here.
She must have seen it well, closer than anyone.
“No matter how much I struggle, those who hate me will keep hating me. I don’t want to live with such things. It’s a waste of time and emotions.”
“I believe you, I really do. Because I like you, young lady, so I have no choice but to believe! Just, well, I’ll only say that I believe.”
I just smiled and nodded.
Yeah, that was fine. At least no one knew the original work better than me.
“That’s what you want, right, young lady?”
“Yeah! As expected of Winz! You know my heart so well. That’s why I like you even more!”
“…Instead, leave the spot next to you empty tonight. Definitely.”
“Why?”
“So I can take it.”
She left the room like that.
I was slightly dazed, then tilted my head.
Hah, was that really it? That… yuri?
I chuckled. The meal ended with this.
Now, shall I go? To the place of the decisive battle.