Eldest brother Sieg, second brother Fried.
The two, whose mother is a princess of a certain kingdom, are surprisingly on good terms.
“Don’t fight.”
Perhaps it was because their father always said that.
Although their father played with them, he didn’t seem to be working, but it was still pleasant to be doted on.
And for reasons the two couldn’t understand, their father had immense influence over those around him.
His father’s words were generally heeded, and in most cases, his wishes were respected.
“Father is amazing, isn’t he?”
“Probably.”
The young brothers would say to each other.
Another reason for their good relationship was their sister.
Her name was Nergal, an anomaly born to Auraniess, the Demon Lord.
“What are you two doing?”
Nergal, spotting her two brothers, ran towards them.
Seeing her, the two brothers’ faces twitched slightly, but they managed to respond.
It was mostly a matter of brotherly pride.
“We were talking about whether Father is amazing.”
“Father is amazing, you know? Because he’s Father.”
Nergal replied as if it were obvious.
Sieg thought it wasn’t much of a reason, but he didn’t retort.
He knew that this little sister was completely inflexible when it came to their father. And that she possessed unimaginable strength for her size.
“That’s right.”
He decided to agree with her.
It was the least troublesome course of action.
“Since we’re at it, want to play too?”
“Yeah!”
Nergal replied enthusiastically to Fried’s question.
Visually, she was a young and cute sister.
However, one should never be fooled by appearances.
Everyone living in the royal castle knew this.
“What shall we play?”
“Hide-and-seek? Tag?”
Nergal asked with a “sparkling aura,” but her brothers exchanged glances.
Both knew their sister was terrifyingly strong.
They would prefer to do something else, but how could they persuade her?
“How about going on an adventure?”
Sieg asked, not expecting much.
Nergal loved adventures, second only to hide-and-seek and tag.
“An adventure? Yeah, okay!”
She replied with a beaming smile, and Sieg felt relieved.
This sister was incredibly troublesome if she got upset.
“You’re both weak, so Nergal will protect you, okay?”
There was no malice in her innocent words.
She didn’t seem to be mocking her brothers.
As brothers, they felt a pang of humiliation, but they had mostly resigned themselves to it.
“Yeah, we’re counting on you, Nergal.”
Both Sieg and Fried offered weak smiles and lifted Nergal.
“Oh, where are you going, you three?”
Auraniess appeared.
“Ah, Mother.”
Nergal called out to her.
When they argued, she treated her like an “old hag,” but normally, she called her “Mother.”
This was because Marius always told her to.
As Nergal, who loved her father more than anything, she felt she had to protect him.
“We’re going on an adventure with my brothers.”
“Just the three of you?”
Auraniess asked with concern.
With Nergal accompanying them, any ordinary criminal would be instantly dispatched.
However, whether they would be permitted to go was another matter entirely.
“Is it not allowed?”
“It’s not allowed.”
Auraniess’s immediate refusal made Nergal pout.
“Why not? It’s just a short adventure.”
“You can’t hold back, can you? If I let you loose, there might not be anything left in its original form.”
She had the same concerns.
Mainly in terms of damage to the surroundings.
“Boo, boo, boo.”
Nergal protested, but Sieg and Fried remained silent.
The concerns and reasons were exactly the same.
When going out with Nergal, one had to pray that no one would bother them.
Otherwise, there was no telling how much repair costs would be incurred.
“What’s all the commotion?”
Marius arrived.
Nergal’s face lit up.
“Father, Mother is being mean.”
She ran to him and hugged him, speaking in a sweet voice.
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
The man, known as the Emperor who could silence a crying child, asked with a relaxed expression.
“I want to go on an adventure with my brothers, but she said no.”
Gently stroking his daughter’s hair as she pleaded pathetically, Marius said,
“I see. That’s understandable then.”
“Ehhhh…”
Her beloved father also opposed her, and Nergal’s face became dejected.
“Is it really, absolutely not allowed?”
“Hmmm.”
Marius pondered, then said.
“Why don’t Auraniess accompany you?”
Everyone except him thought, “Why would it be like that?” but didn’t voice it.
“Well, fine, I guess.”
Auraniess reluctantly agreed.
The faces of the three children contorted.
However, the parents’ decision was not overturned.
“Since we’re at it, how about a game of chase? I’ll be it.”
Nergal nodded at her mother’s suggestion.
“Okay, I’m gonna beat you, Mommy!”
Her brothers started to say, “Wait,” but quickly gave up.
Their sister was unyielding once she made up her mind.
“Then run. I’ll give you a hundred count.”
“Yeah!”
Nergal grabbed her two brothers and used “Teleport.”
They found themselves in a forest somewhere in the kingdom.
“Eh? Isn’t magic cheating…?”
Sieg voiced the thought, which was quite valid, but his sister replied with a laugh.
“Cheating is when you’re chasing. Father said it’s fine to teleport when escaping.”
“Well, against Auraniess, we wouldn’t be able to escape without magic, would we?”
Fried said, and Sieg found himself agreeing.
“Then, we just need to use magic to hide our presence, and it’ll be perfect!”
Nergal cast a spell to block their presence.
By now, there should have been no way for them to be found.
“What, you were here?”
A voice suddenly startled them, and they turned to see Auraniess standing there.
“Wh-how did you know?”
“Just a hunch.”
That was the answer returned to a flustered Sieg.
Nergal used Teleport to escape again.
This time, to an even more distant location.
“Wow, that was surprising.”
Letting out a deep breath, her brothers nodded in agreement.
“You’re right.”
“Isn’t a hunch considered cheating?”
As they grumbled, there was a noise behind them.
“Trying to escape from me with just that is too naive.”
Needless to say, it was Auraniess.
Nergal used Teleport for a third time.
Then, she used “Attach” and fled to the Kingdom of Filat.
It was Lovisa’s homeland, and its royal castle was also her former home.
Naturally, the people working there knew Nergal and her brothers.
“Hide us!”
The maid, asked by Nergal, surprisingly led them to a room.
She knew that the only one this young girl would be trying to escape from was Auraniess.
The three of them burrowed into the beds in the room.
“H-here… maybe…”
The three held their breath.
However, it was broken in less than a minute.
Suddenly, the futon was lifted, revealing purple eyes.
“H-how?”
Their mother said to the startled children.
“Didn’t you know? You can’t escape from me.”
Escaping from Auraniess, Part 2.
