The country of Fuziaze is minutely divided, and the rank of its citizens is determined by the number representing their district.
Lower-ranked commoners inhabit districts with higher numbers, while higher-ranked aristocrats live in districts with lower numbers. These divisions are subdivided into nearly a hundred levels, with only the highest aristocrats permitted to reside in single-digit numbered districts.
The Helvirshine family is so highly ranked that they are known as one of the Four Great Noble Families in the Allied Nations. Therefore, even their villa is situated on a special single-digit plot of land.
Upon returning to this excessively luxurious and expansive villa, my first action is to pay my respects to the head of the household. Though I disliked it, it was both polite and obligatory. I found a maid and asked her to relay my return, then waited by the entrance, holding my breath. Ideally, I wanted to fulfill this duty without being seen by unnecessary people.
After a short wait, one of my brothers appeared. And he looked at me as if a rat had scurried in.
“…Rainer?”
He was Luca Helvir, the second son of the Helvirshine family, with the same bright golden hair as my brother Hein. He had become somewhat twisted from constantly being compared to the perfect Hein, and was currently acting as the stand-in for the villa’s master.
Brother Luca let out a small, annoyed click of his tongue before expressing his pleasure at my return in his own way.
“Were you in the Allied Nations? How did you manage to show your face here?”
“Yes. I’ve been staying in the Allied Nations for knightly duties.”
“I wasn’t informed of the details, but I assume you were doing dirty work, weren’t you? Do your best not to cause trouble for the main family.”
He meant that if I were to die, I should do so quietly without burdening the family. He was implicitly telling me not to do anything like what my brother Hein did. The second son, who dearly loved the Helvirshine family, was constantly worried that I might imitate the first son. And since that suspicion was spot on, I could only bow my head.
“Of course not. I have vowed to repay the kindness of the Helvirshine family for taking me in.”
“We’ll see about that…”
Brother Luca put on a look of exasperation at my humble and submissive demeanor. Perhaps understanding that nothing he said would make a difference, he quickly sighed and uttered a perfunctory welcome.
“…I won’t say anything more. Please, make yourself at home.”
“Thank you.”
And so, I concluded my obligatory greeting. I watched Brother Luca’s retreating back with a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that it ended without incident, and I was spared the trouble by Brother Luca, a distinguished knight, greeting me. Had it been one of my brothers from the third son onward, consumed by jealousy, it would have dragged on much longer.
— Or perhaps, like my stepfather who just passed through the corridor opposite the entrance, he would have left without a word.
I immediately bowed my head towards the corridor. My stepfather, whom I hadn’t seen in a year, merely glanced at me, the youngest son returning home. Even if I were to be harassed by my siblings and die in the end, he would likely offer only a glance. I was convinced that my adoptive parents would remain indifferent until my death.
“Haa… It really feels like coming home…”
I felt reassured by the familiar atmosphere of the Helvirshine household. Then, I spoke to the maid who was cowering in the corner by the entrance.
“Thank you. The greetings are over. I’ll be spending my time in the villa’s garden now, so you can return to your work.”
After thanking the maid for summoning my brother, I decided to spend my time outside in the garden rather than inside the villa. It was a precaution to avoid any troublesome issues.
“No, Lord Rainer. That is…”
“…Is something wrong?”
Her response was hesitant. Did something inconvenient for her happen?
Thinking back, I had felt strange gazes directed at me since earlier. I had initially thought it was the curiosity of the maids who worked at the villa, now that I, the treated-like-a-bomb Rainer, had returned… but it was slightly different. With my current senses, I could discern the gaze of a mere maid.
— Is this… the watchful gaze of someone of a much higher level?
As I was speculating based on the maid’s reaction, a voice called out from behind me.
“Rainer!!”
It was a woman’s voice, bright, energetic, and firm. Upon recognizing the source of the voice, a sound escaped my throat.
“Ge—”
Franryure Helvir, the seventh daughter of the Helvirshine family, was running towards me from the opposite direction of where Brother Luca had left. I looked at the maid, who was now looking down with an apologetic expression. It was likely because she couldn’t keep my “Please, keep it a secret from Elder Sister Fran” command. I could picture the maid being caught by my sister while running to find Brother Luca, and her purpose being forcibly extracted.
“…It’s been a while, Sister.”
I greeted her with a hint of annoyance. My sister responded with a smile.
“Yes, it truly has been a while. Have you grown taller? Your face looks a little different.”
“Not much has changed, really.”
Though it had been a year, she was as she always was. Her welcome was the complete opposite of Brother Luca’s earlier.
“You haven’t shown your face, so you seem different. Even though you’ve become a knight on the mainland, you could visit home a little more, you know? You’re still a part of the Helvirshine family…”
This person truly doesn’t understand the family’s atmosphere… No, even if she did, she wouldn’t care. The head of our family must have a headache dealing with the most competent daughter of the Helvirshine family. I gave a wry smile at her freedom and offered my thanks.
“Thank you. However, your words are enough.”
“Hmm, how cold you are.”
Perhaps sensing a slight distance, Franryure’s expression became displeased—but without being discouraged, she stepped forward and approached me.
“So, what have you been doing lately?”
And then she asked the crucial part without any pretense. It was a continuous barrage of direct questions, as always.
“…It’s a top-secret mission, so I can’t say anything. I imagine I’ll be working in a completely different place from you, Sister. I’m sorry, but I can’t be a shield to protect you forever.”
I shook my head with a flimsy excuse, conveying that I could no longer watch over her as I did when I was a student at the academy. In the past, I had wanted to die in place of Hein and Elder Sister Fran. But now, I could no longer die for someone else. It would be mere self-satisfaction. That’s how I truly felt. I must have changed over this past year. Or perhaps, my perspective on my sister changed after interacting with Titty? Regardless, the battles with the Guardians and Lord Christ have undoubtedly helped me grow.
However, my sister shook her head in response.
“No… Rainer, you have always been my shield.”
But her expression showed that she wasn’t dismissing my opinion outright.
“And I intend to be the sword that strikes down your enemies. If you ever find yourself in trouble, tell me. Even if my body breaks, I want to help you, my dear brother.”
She struck her chest, showing a smile that hadn’t been there a year ago. Elder Sister Fran, too, had changed just like me. A year in one’s teens is significant. If you turn your back for a moment, they change as if they were different people. But seeing my sister’s growth, I—
“Hey, Sister… You…”
Did you become an idiot?
I was about to say it. Honestly, she seemed more foolish than before. What kind of knight would use their own body as a shield to protect a shield?
“Did I say something strange?”
“It’s strange. ‘Even if my body breaks’… acting recklessly and dying together is the act of an idiot, you know? That’s uncool, so let’s help each other out appropriately. We’re not unrestrained children anymore…”
“Mmm. Th-that’s true… As the Commander taught us, trusting each other and lending appropriate help is best… Both swords and shields, if overused, will break unnecessarily—Speaking of which, the Commander always scolds me for not taking better care of swords and shields.”
Your Commander… is it Commander Perciona Queiger of the Seven Knights of Heaven?
Commander, I am truly grateful. Thanks to your guidance over the past year, my sister’s rough-and-tumble personality has softened, and she has become a woman capable of such delicate thoughts and expressions. In this Helvirshine family, there were only idiots who doted on Elder Sister Fran, so someone like you who chastises her is truly precious. Frankly, I had given up on curing my sister’s foolishness.
“…I feel like you’re thinking something rather impolite.”
“Impolite to you, Sister? That won’t do. I will not allow anyone who acts disrespectfully towards my respected sister.”
I lied to my sister, who had uncanny intuition. It was a moment where I felt we were at least somewhat like siblings, even without blood ties.
“Fufu. You’re starting to say things like that…”
Elder Sister Fran chuckled in amusement, shrugged her shoulders—then suddenly became serious.
“…Let’s get to the main point. Shall we practice that appropriate mutual assistance I just mentioned, Rainer?”
“Yes, well… if there’s anything I can do…”
She had an air of not tolerating jokes, which made me flinch, and I continued my sentence vaguely, waiting for her next words.
“You… you know something about Lord Kanami, don’t you?”
“…I-I don’t know.”
However, after hearing her next statement, I understood the purpose of her chasing me down even as I returned, and it was my turn to be astonished.
“That expression! You do know! I expected the Imperial Senate’s order to Rainer to be related to the great hero Lord Kanami! And the rumors that Lord Kanami appeared in the Allied Nations a few days ago—and Rainer’s return to coincide with it! If I can’t deduce this, I’d be ashamed as a daughter of the Helvirshine family! Now, tell me! Where is Lord Kanami right now!!”
My sister badgered me with conviction.
…My mistake.
I should have realized it, but I couldn’t immediately deny it. I hesitated for a moment. My basic policy was—never to let my sister meet Christ. Because if they met, my sister would become unhappy. I respected Lord Christ’s personality, but when it came to relationships with women, he was the worst. I knew he didn’t have that intention, but the party’s skewed gender ratio was abnormal. Normally, women tend to form parties among themselves to avoid trouble. Mixed parties would only occur between academy students or when couples were clearly established. A party with one man and many women simply doesn’t exist. In other words, forming a party solely of attractive girls who like him is not something a sane person would do. Anyone I asked among my acquaintances would whisper with a certain reverence, calling “Aikawa Kanami Christ Eurasia Valt Fuziaze Von Walker” a heroic hero who would even take a stab in the back. It sounds good to say he’s a hero who enjoys a woman’s company, but frankly, he’s a terrible womanizer. Therefore, I absolutely could not introduce my precious sister to such a worthless man. Furthermore, I didn’t want to see my sister assassinated by the women around him.
…Ah. Indeed, it is absolutely impossible to let them meet.
This is a true blunder. I had tried to avoid this situation, but I let my guard down because my sister was too cute…
Therefore, I had no choice but to lie, averting my eyes.
“…No, I really don’t know.”
“Liar!!”
Instead, she immediately retorted, and my sister took another step forward.
“Now, guide me. Come on, come on, come on!”
If this continued, I would be bulldozed by her privilege as my older sister, just like in the past. I layered my lies as if trying to escape.
“No, I told you, it’s related to a top-secret mission, so I can’t say… Please understand…”
“But I want to know! I want to meet him! This past year, no gentleman has surpassed Lord Kanami! It has to be Kanami for me!!”
To my surprise, it seemed my sister had not dated anyone throughout the year. She was, after all, a woman of great talent in the Helvirshine family and the object of admiration for many aristocrats. My stepfather must have tried his best to find the most suitable partner imaginable. There were likely even proposals from ducal families, who were tantamount to royalty, not just the Four Great Noble Families. By rejecting them all, my sister had remained single. This was not normal.
“Hey, Sister. Did you perhaps reject all the marriage proposals…? As a knight, or rather, as an aristocrat, how could you…?”
“Before I am an aristocrat, I am a maiden!!”
I could only smile at her ridiculously foolish response.
Damn, this is annoying… It’s a different kind of annoyance than Titty.
However, if I’m the me of today, I should be able to get through this with a smile. If I were the me who had just become an academy student, I would have surely caved and revealed the Lord’s whereabouts. But that me is gone. I have grown.
“If you desire it so much, Sister, then so be it… As you said, I did serve as a guard for ‘Aikawa Kanami Christ Eurasia Valt Fuziaze Von Walker’ for this past year. And recently, I completed a mission to safely escort him to this Allied Nation. However, my mission ends here. I do not know where he went afterward. After the guidance, I was transferred to the Cathedral Knights on the same day…”
I can really talk. Perhaps because I only associated with ill-natured people, I found myself approaching the realm of scoundrels. Simply put, I was becoming like Palinkron or Nosfy, the scammers.
“…You… you really don’t know?”
“Yes. The last time we parted was… at the port of Griad. Nothing after that…”
“Port… Hmm hmm hmm…”
Griad, the port that connects the Allied Nations to all other countries. If I say this, it will be extremely difficult to track Christ’s movements.
“Well… I’ve told you what I can. I’m relieved to see you looking so well after so long, Sister. I should be going now.”
Pretending to be busy with work, I tried to escape the Helvirshine family. Ideally, I wanted my sister to find happiness unrelated to me or my Lord.
But my sister called out to me.
“Rainer, one last thing. Do you know anything about Dia—Apostle Sis?”
“Sis…? I heard she defected to the Northern Alliance…”
Hearing an unfamiliar name, I answered honestly. She was supposed to be Christ’s companion, but did she also have dealings with my sister…?
“No… If you don’t know the details, then it’s fine. I was just a little curious.”
It didn’t seem like “just a little,” but she didn’t pry further. It was best not to interfere with my Lord’s party, and I silently watched. And so, my sister and I bid our farewells.
“Well then, Rainer. Take care until we meet again.”
“Yes, you too, Sister. Be well until we meet again.”
Without ever stepping further inside the entrance, I left the Helvirshine family. I walked away from the house at a brisk pace, blending into the crowds on the Fuziaze street, and muttered, “Finally, I escaped…”
It’s hard to stay in that house. If I indulge my sister and linger, I would cause her considerable trouble. Being with me, the pariah, would hinder her life. —That place is no longer my home. I still don’t understand the intentions of the Master who took me in, but from now on, I will stand on my own two feet. There are many ways for me, as an individual, to repay the Helvirshine family.
And so, as I walked, I re-evaluated my standing in the Helvirshine family—
“What… is this sensation…?”
Amidst the hustle and bustle of Fuziaze city, I felt a strange sensation. I weakly cast a wind magic spell, but still couldn’t be sure. No, I didn’t even know what was wrong. Puzzled by this unfamiliar sensation, I tentatively formed a prediction.
“Someone is watching me…?”
I didn’t know why I thought that, but I couldn’t think of anything else. I naturally moved towards a less populated area. Leaving the single-digit numbered districts of Fuziaze, I moved away from the lively areas, all the way to the border of the Allied Nations. The five countries of the Allied Nations have almost no outer walls, only the Magic Stone Line. There isn’t a single system to repel adventurers; it’s an open invitation to all. The surrounding monsters are repelled by the Magic Stone Line, and explorers hunt them periodically, reducing their numbers. So, by the time I reached here, there was very little cover. All that could be seen were plains, the Magic Stone Line, and a few people. I strained myself, trying to pinpoint the enemy’s location.
—At that moment.
“—Not bad. You’re sharp, as expected, Rainer-chan.”
I was spoken to. And from behind me.
“—!?”
Startled, I instinctively leaped back and turned around. And upon seeing the person there, I was even more surprised.
“Wh-why are you… moving…?”
More than why she was here, I first asked why she was moving. She was someone I had no choice but to ask. Because there stood a girl whose heart should have stopped beating. She was slightly taller than me, with pale blonde hair cut short at her chest, and her unnaturally pale skin was hidden by a single silk cloth. Her face bore a resemblance to Rustiara’s beauty, but it lacked in many aspects compared to that embodiment of beauty. She had moles around her eyes and mouth, and a scattering of faint freckles on her cheeks. She was undoubtedly the girl I had seen in the underground of the Cathedral a week ago—the girl whose lack of breathing I had confirmed myself. This girl was moving before me, shaking her head like a pendulum.
“Heh-heh. Surprised? I’m moving with sheer willpower!”
The girl answered my question. But that wasn’t enough to lower my guard. I stood in a combat stance, my hands on the sword at my waist, and asked further.
“Who are you…!?”
The question was intuitive. The being within this girl before me was not something ordinary, but a dark, swirling “something.” It was certainly not an existence that a common Magic Stone Human should possess.
“I’m Tiara. In this era, they call me Saint Tiara—Yay!”
“Saint Tiara…!”
The girl answered with her name. I believed her. This was also intuition. Even before she said it, I had a feeling it was so. The magic emanating from her body had a radiance that suggested it.
“Actually, like Sister Sis, I’ve been able to appear in public for a while now. I got a good body, so I came. Surprised? Huh? Surprised?”
And then, the heartless girl who called herself a Saint approached, giggling.
“W-wait, don’t come any closer… No, it’s not that I don’t believe you. I just need a little time to think… No, please give me some time.”
I could only be bewildered by this unexpected encounter, which felt like an advancement of the plan. If the girl’s words were true, then I was now facing the earnest wish of Fuziaze. Naturally, I had to respond with polite language—more than that. If this were true, even speaking to her would be awe-inspiring. And so, this was how my and her—”Rainer Helvirshine” and “Tiara Fuziaze”—encounter happened. Before anyone in Fuziaze who awaited “rebirth,” before even my Lord Rustiara or Christ, I was the first to meet her.
Please refer to the book’s illustrations for Fran’s appearance (promotional).
This brother and sister—for some reason, I received two beautifully drawn illustrations: one in a school uniform and another in a dress tuxedo. Furthermore, Rainer has an assassin’s outfit too. The abundance is light, surpassing even the heroines.
I plan to finish this quickly. That’s the plan.
