23 Episode 23: The Old Story of Sister and Brother (1/2)

”I wonder when you and Al were decidedly broken up. It was just before Yufi and I decided to get engaged. Or maybe you can say that my fault has led me to an engagement with Uffi”

”Huh? Really?

Yufi stared at my face with a decent face. You didn't know what was going on around there.

”As it turns out. At the time, Yuffi was chosen because she was good, but it was definitely my fault that she decided to choose her fiancée.”

”How can Princess Anisphere cause this?

”Hmm... I didn't mean to, hey”

Raini's question is natural. When people really ask me why that happened, all I can say is that it turned out.

”I thought Al was after my life.”

”... what?

”Fact is, you said you were about to kill me... you said you were about to let me die...”

”How could that happen!?”

Uffi was distracted by the facts I told him. But I'm gonna get my mind back on it right away and get the scratch on it. I think such a reaction would be the best. No, really. Even I think so.

”I didn't mean any of that. I was just an idiot back then. My sister wanted to please my brother, and I took Al out on a trip.”

”Oh, I've had a fugitive habit since then...”

”I've already been famous since then. I was too young to do my best, and I was really rushed back.”

Whether Ilia remembers what happened at the time, she groans in a bitter voice. No, I'm really sorry about that verse...

”So I took Al to the woods. I wanted to get my own Spirit Stone, and I felt light-hearted to teach Al the knowledge I'd never seen to get out of it as much as I thought it would be fun. Now that I think about it, I'm too young to laugh.”

”... have you been studying magic since then?

”Yeah, I couldn't help but do what I came up with. That's why I used to get Al involved a lot. I made him cry a lot, and we laughed a lot together. That's why I was wrong.”

”... a mistake, is it?

”Mistake...... no, you're not. I was ignorant. I didn't think properly about my responsibilities as a royalty or my surrounding eyes. That's what happened because I'm an idiot.”

If I close my eyes, I can still remember that time vividly. Because it was still the last time I was dating Al, my sister and my brother.

He was somewhere weak and hesitated to follow me if I gave him my hand, Al. Yes, that day was just as usual. Nothing was going to change, a little adventure.

”We went into the woods and tried to get the Spirit Stone, and we ran into demons.”

”... eh”

Breathtaking as Raini ceased to say to me. When you say you ran into a demon at a young age without a guard, it's natural, but breathtaking, isn't it?

”Two royal children got out and were attacked by demons. Really, you've done something stupid.”

”You were well safe...”

I shook my neck left and right to Raini, who whimpered with a cliché. It seems to deny Raini's words.

”I was safe.”

”... something happened to Master Algard?

”I've been defenseless since that time, and even Al's sister was aware of it. It's my responsibility to take you out on that. I dealt with the demon myself and told Al to run away. Al ran away without defying me.”

I've never cursed my recklessness because it's my responsibility. I regretted so much that I should have gotten out on my own even if I wanted to.

That's why I thought I had to protect Al. I didn't care that I couldn't use magic. I was also fortunate to be collecting spiritual stones. I managed to survive against demons using spiritual stones with all my hardships.

”I was immediately protected by a knight who rushed to hear the noise. But I couldn't find Al.”

”... were you attacked by another demon?

”No, that's not the point. If I simply hid to hide myself, my discovery would be delayed. I ran around the woods without asking myself to look for it. So, I'm the one who found Al.”

”Is that the cause of the misconduct......?

”That too, but I think maybe that was the problem afterwards. At that time, I was pimping with no injuries, so I was simply happy to find Al.”

”... what the hell did you do?

”I didn't do anything.”

I smile bitterly at Yuffi's questionable questions. I wonder if the suspicion that I did something is something that you would think so if you knew me. I won't deny it, though.

But I really did that day. I'm just really glad Al's okay.

”I guess it's because I was pimped. If I had been slightly injured, I might have been able to explain it. Someone told me. Anisphere tried to assassinate Algard.”

Yufi and Raini breathed in the words I told them. I keep the conversation pale without worrying about how you two are doing.

”I was pimped, and I was the first to be discovered by a knight. Someone told me that's why I set it up. I said I wasn't, but it's not easy to wipe away the perception that spread once. And I had a motive.”

”Is that a motive?

”We all knew I had been obsessed with magic since that time. That's why you tried to kill Al when you were jealous.”