Master 66

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“Ugh, it’s cold….”

As the scenery outside the carriage changed quickly in the awkward atmosphere, I shivered from a sudden chill and turned my gaze to the side.

‘Is the lady glaring at me again?’

But contrary to my expectation, Lady Meredia was staring at Cecil, who sat beside me, with a sulky expression.

“Lady Meredia, is something wrong…?”

“Hey.”

Just as I was about to cautiously speak, wondering what was going on this time, Meredia opened her mouth first—not to me, but to Cecil, speaking in a cold voice.

“If you have something to say, say it quickly.”

“…Ah, well.”

“Don’t make that pitiful puppy face.”

Cecil hesitated at those words, then swallowed dryly and turned her gaze toward me.

“B-Brother.”

When those words came out of her mouth, I couldn’t help but stare at her blankly.

‘…Brother?’

When was the last time Cecil called me that since we were kids?

Aside from the times she called me that out of fear, this might be the first time she used it on her own will.

Could I be dreaming right now?

“I’m sorry for misunderstanding all this time.”

“…Huh?”

“I’ll listen to you from now on, Brother.”

Still in disbelief, I quietly pinched my thigh, only to tilt my head at Cecil’s next words.

‘Hasn’t she always listened to me?’

I don’t recall her ever disobeying or giving me a hard time.

Even if I include the recent Talent selection event, that was something Cecil wanted, and she didn’t really cause trouble over it.

“You’re such a good girl, my little sister.”

Still, since her words were touching, I smiled softly and patted her head.

“…Hehe.”

Then, Cecil started swinging her legs back and forth and let out a soft giggle, lowering her head.

No, seriously, this is weird.

Could it be that her rebellious phase ended because of what happened?

“By the way, what happened with the Talent selection?”

“…It got completely canceled in the end. They say it’ll be held again next year.”

Feeling an odd sense of discomfort, I awkwardly changed the subject while wiping a bit of sweat from my palm, and Cecil calmly replied while gazing at me.

“Aren’t you upset?”

I had already heard from the officials that the selection event had been completely canceled.

“In a way, it got messed up because of me.”

Still, I wanted to hear how Cecil felt about it, so I braced for the awkwardness and asked her.

“Well… what’s the problem?”

“Huh?”

But her response was surprisingly calm.

“Isn’t it more important that you became a Hero than the selection event?”

“…Huh?”

“Stuff like that can happen next year or the year after, but a Hero is a legendary figure that only appears once in hundreds of years.”

Cecil was always a kind child, but was she always this straightforward in boosting my ego?

Also, she definitely saw me drenched in blood back in the room where the black mages were knocked out, right?

I didn’t even give a proper explanation there, so normally, she should’ve misunderstood me completely by now…

…No, now that I’ve become a Hero, I guess none of that matters.

As I stood there dumbfounded, I suddenly realized just how incredible the position of a Hero was.

Come to think of it, Cecil liked Hero stories just as much as Runiel did.

With her own brother being a Hero, I guess nothing else matters now.

‘Well, maybe this is for the best…’

Even if all my worries up until now ended up being meaningless, at least she won’t be in danger anymore, so I can be relieved for now.

I’ll have to run around instead from now on, but at least I won’t have to watch my beloved sister risk her life to save the world.

“Brother, I’ll work even harder now and be your strength.”

“…Haha.”

Anyway, with that thought, I awkwardly accepted it as Cecil leaned against my shoulder, unusually sweet.

“I even figured out how to engrave spells into sword energy now… so I’ll only keep getting stronger from here…”

“That’s great…”

“So don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”

But still, what is this sense of discomfort that keeps lingering?

And why has the lady been staring at Cecil coldly instead of me this whole time?

*****

Screeech…

After running along the road for a while, the carriage gradually slows down.

“At the very least, our territory being in the capital region is a definite advantage.”

Still within the awkward air lingering inside the carriage, Whitney forced a smile and tried to speak to Meredia.

“So, would you like to continue the conversation a bit more? Or…”

“You get off.”

“…Pardon?”

“I have something to discuss with your sister for a moment.”

Before he could even finish speaking, Meredia’s cold voice cut in, and Whitney looked briefly flustered before glancing at Cecil.

“Will you be okay, Cecil?”

“…Yes.”

When he asked with a worried voice, Cecil quietly nodded.

“It’s just something I want to ask her personally. Please step out.”

“Then, I’ll wait outside for a bit.”

“Sure. Take the coachman with you too.”

Even while glancing nervously at Meredia, Whitney eventually stepped out with a reluctant look on his face.

“If, by any chance…”

In the carriage now left with only Meredia and Cecil, Meredia lowered her voice and asked the tense, wary Cecil a question.

“What would you do if your brother turned out to be the Demon King who will destroy the world?”

And then came a short silence.

“Can you take responsibility for those words?”

“Hah, how cute. You already know how to emit killing intent.”

As Cecil growled like a cat facing an enemy, puffing up defensively, Meredia chuckled and continued.

“From what I’ve heard, you and Whitney didn’t get along very well.”

“……”

“So why the sudden change into close friends?”

Her tone was soft, but Meredia’s presence was not something a first-year academy student like Cecil could easily handle.

“…Why do I need to tell you that?”

“Hmm.”

Still, seeing Cecil forcefully standing her ground, Meredia made a strange expression and slowly stood up.

“Have you, by any chance, been feeling ill at all since the selection event ended?”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden…”

“…Just answer the question.”

As Meredia approached and sat beside her, Cecil froze and glanced sideways with confusion at her unexpected question.

“A few days ago, I did feel a bit of a prickling in the back of my neck.”

“…Ha, I see.”

“W-Wait a minute. What are you trying to…?”

At that moment, Meredia pulled something out from her inner pocket and reached toward Cecil.

“It’s fine. I’m not going to eat you.”

“I’m just going to briefly shine a mirror that records reflections on the back of your neck.”

Though she flinched slightly, Cecil lowered her head quietly with a reluctant expression at Meredia’s words, who lifted her hair.

“Here, can you see it?”

“…This is…”

“A Mark of Subjugation. It’s not as blatant in forcing behavior like a slave’s mark, but its potential uses are limitless.”

A few seconds later, in the mirror Meredia handed over, the exact same symbol that had been carved into the imperial princess’s abdomen appeared.

“If I could’ve engraved this on that bastard Mayer, I would’ve paid any price.”

“……”

“I actually tried several times. But for some reason, every attempt ended in failure.”

Meredia, watching it with clear interest, asked in a much colder voice.

“What if your brother engraved this on you and you’re under its influence?”

“There’s no proof my brother did this.”

“For that, the mark reeks of his mana.”

Cecil shuddered for a moment at her words, then glared directly at Meredia and growled again.

“Don’t insult my brother any further.”

“Is that denial of reality? Or do you have a reason to say that?”

“…Of course I have a reason.”

Though Meredia’s relaxed demeanor made it seem like she was watching a small animal bristling its fur, Cecil grit her teeth and handed back the mirror, opening her mouth.

“You could interpret this as a Mark of Subjugation, but you could also interpret it as a blessing, couldn’t you?”

“…A blessing?”

“If a black mage carves a spell with malice, it’s a curse. But if a white mage carves a spell with good intentions, then it’s a blessing. I’m sure you know that.”

And again, another silence began—this time a bit longer.

“Brother and sister, both so daring.”

“But… it’s a reasonable theory.”

As Meredia finally broke the silence with a satisfied murmur, Cecil added with a pout.

“…It’s not a theory. My brother is a white mage.”

“Yes, a white mage is a white mage…”

Meredia muttered with a vaguely resigned tone, looking a bit sulky.

“Even if he radiates strange gray waves, controls monsters, and corrupts saints… he is still a white mage.”

“…Sorry, what?”

“Oh, just talking to myself.”

With that, she paused for a moment and then quietly stood up from her seat.

“By the way, sorry for the little test. To me, family is usually the kind of existence that can’t wait to tear each other apart.”

“…Excuse me?”

“I thought you were that type too… but it seems you’re not.”

At Meredia’s completely emotionless tone, Cecil finally relaxed her shoulders, a small look of relief on her face.

“With this, I guess I won’t need to take matters into my own hands.”

The moment when Cecil’s name was briefly erased from Meredia’s mental hit list was known only to the noble lady herself.

“So, are we done talking?”

“No, I still have one more thing.”

“What is it? I want to go home with my brother already.”

As the conversation seemed to wrap up and Cecil tried to escape from the terrifying presence that rivaled Whitney’s, her face twisted again when Meredia suddenly blocked her path.

“…What does your brother like?”

“Huh?”

But that expression soon softened as Cecil heard Meredia’s question.

“Even if it’s the first gift I’ve ever received in my life, I know full well I should reciprocate.”

“Oh.”

“So, I’d like you to help me a little.”

Cecil was, at her core, a very clever girl.

Which is why she quickly realized the power dynamic had just flipped.

“What the— You seemed like such a scary person based on the rumors, but you actually have a girlish side?”

“……”

“Well, fine. If that’s all it is, I’ll help. I’m an expert at this kind of thing.”

With the upper hand fully in her grasp, Cecil smugly took control, while Meredia, though visibly displeased, quietly listened.

“Listen carefully. My brother actually…”

“…Already know he likes origami.”

“Ah— T-Then… um… hmm…”

“…You didn’t just talk big and actually know nothing, did you?”

“N-No, wait a sec.”

As Meredia showed a hint of disappointment, Cecil started sweating nervously and frantically searched her thoughts.

“So, um… What he likes… Ah, right. Handmade cinnamon cookies!”

“Are you… sure about that?”

“Yes, I’m sure. It’s top-tier intel that only I would know.”

Cecil shrugged confidently as if she had found the ultimate answer, and Meredia murmured in surprise.

“Origami and now this… For someone who looks the way he does, my fiancé really has childish tastes.”

“Hey, don’t talk like that.”

Cecil flared up slightly at her murmur and shot back.

“Our mom used to bake those for him all the time before she passed.”

“…Ah.”

At those words, Meredia flinched slightly and fell silent.

“Hmph, maybe you’ve never cooked with those noble hands of yours, but if you want to match that taste, you’ll need years of practice…”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Ugh.”

When Meredia averted her gaze and offered a sincere apology, Cecil froze mid-sentence, shocked.

“What’s wrong?”

“…It’s just, you didn’t seem like the type who’d ever apologize. I was a bit surprised.”

With that, the atmosphere in the carriage grew awkward again.

“By the way… When exactly did you and my brother start being all lovey-dovey?”

“At first, I thought it was just a business relationship, but now it seems like it’s real… Ha, haha…”

Trying to dodge the awkwardness, Cecil quickly changed the subject, only to worry that she had just poked at a sensitive topic.

“…Is that how it seems?”

“Whoa, no way.”

Still turned to the side, Meredia quietly responded in a low voice, her face tinged with red.

Cecil, breaking out in goosebumps, muttered to herself.

“She looked like she wouldn’t bleed even if stabbed, but I get it now… there’s a reason my brother likes her…”

“Hey, Lady Meredia, just now… you really looked tsundere— Mm!?”

But as she babbled on absentmindedly, her mouth was suddenly and roughly covered, and she widened her eyes.

“Mm-mm!”

“Shh, be quiet.”

At first, she thought she’d said something wrong and nervously watched Meredia’s face.

But then Cecil realized that wasn’t the problem.

“Something’s approaching…”

Meredia’s gemstone-like eyes weren’t looking at her, but at the window.

“It’s dangerous, so stay still.”

“Mm…”

“I’ll go out for a bit. Stay here and keep quiet.”

Leaving those words behind, Meredia set Cecil down and quickly stepped out of the carriage.

“…What the heck was that about?”

Now left alone, Cecil tilted her head in confusion and muttered.

“Sister Saint said she’d warn me through the mark if my brother was in danger…”

In truth, Cecil had secretly pledged loyalty to the Saint, without even Parsha knowing.

“…If someone really is coming, I’ll just kill them.”

Her morals were starting to look as twisted as the Saint’s, but for now, it was a relief.

*****

“What the hell…?”

Following Meredia’s orders, I had stepped outside the carriage, only to spot a pigeon circling above me with an eye patch on and feel a chill run down my spine.

“Am I hallucinating?”

Because there was only one person in the entire world who owned such an absurd-looking messenger bird.

The current head of Lumen Ordo, the White Mage Alliance.

The youngest and strongest White Mage in history—someone even the Empire and the Holy Kingdom preferred not to mess with, the master of the only neutral third power.

“That lunatic with a chronic case of chuuni syndrome… what the hell does she want with me now?”

And the messenger bird of Tiffany Astelaid—whose chuunibyou was so severe she made every other title irrelevant—was now calmly circling the sky with a letter tied to its leg.

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