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Chapter 234: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (27)

The noise that erupted from my bedroom had even reached the courtyard, drawing the attention of over a dozen people gathered at the banquet. Among them were the nosy residents of the Percus territory, notorious for their curiosity. It wouldn\'t be surprising if they flocked in to satisfy their inquisitive nature.

Especially considering my family\'s prominent role in the proceedings.

Senior Elsie tried to protest at the audacity of commoners trespassing in a noble\'s residence. However, to her dismay, no one in the Percus manor seemed to take issue with it.

After all, it was inevitable that today\'s events would come to light sooner or later.

Before Senior Elsie could offer her own explanation, she found herself having to account for her brandishing of the kitchen knife. It appeared she had become agitated and headed to the kitchen, but her choice of weapon remained unclear.

Senior Elsie\'s explanation was brief and to the point.

"I-If I use magic, it might harm Master too...."

In other words, she only wanted to stab the Saintess.

The Saintess, initially at a loss for words, regained her composure quickly as the Saintess of the Church of the Heavenly God. Now, she resumed her composed facade, spinning lies without bothering to wipe the saliva from her lips.

"I was simply offering Brother Ian some advice on doctrine, but it seems Sister Elsie misunderstood. Immanuel."

With a subtle emanation of her white holy power, who could doubt the Saintess\'s words?

Only my devout mother, with her unwavering faith, made the sign of the cross and whispered a word of prayer.

"Immanuel."

Of course, not everyone was wholly convinced by this.

Seria and Celine\'s gazes were especially dangerously intense. It was almost a relief that we were caught by Senior Elsie instead of them.

If it had been Seria wielding the kitchen knife, it could have spelled disaster.

Even my younger sister appeared visibly irritated.

The disheveled bed, the charged atmosphere in the bedroom, and the two women arguing were enough to raise suspicion.

However, my sister couldn\'t inquire recklessly, considering the involvement of the Saintess and the Rinella family\'s daughter. A misstep could escalate the situation further. So, it was best to let the matter lie for now.

Despite that, my sister left me with a warning.

".....See you tomorrow, Oppa."

In other words, it was a clear message that meant: ‘Wait and see. You won\'t get away with this.’

For now, my plans to immediately head to the \'slums\' were disrupted.

It seemed I would have to endure my sister\'s scolding in the morning before I could make any further moves.

Only after the commotion had settled did I finally find myself in peaceful solitude.

I continued to tilt the glass, savoring the last remnants of the drink. As the alcohol swirled through my mind like steam, my thoughts grew increasingly complex.

What exactly was the Dark Order plotting here?

The future \'me\' had instructed Dame Irene not to let my sister out of her sight. With that in mind, I couldn\'t shake off the worry of when my sister might be in danger.

Furthermore, the forces gathered in the territory were beyond imagination.

Even for the Dark Order, conquering a countryside territory teeming with a thousand soldiers from the Yurdina family, a mage contingent from the Rinella family, and numerous experts wouldn\'t be an easy feat.

Yet, what did \'let go of what must be discarded.\' mean in this context?

As my consciousness blurred with alcohol, the dream I had seemed to draw closer.

Now, as I crossed the faint boundary, familiar sensations returned.

Once again, I found myself dreaming someone else\'s dream.

***

"If you understand the flow, you can understand everything."

That was a phrase one might expect from a flimsy con artist.

The notion that comprehending one thing could lead to understanding everything else was generally dismissed as nonsense.

However, when it came from Master, it held a different weight.

The black-haired woman, appearing no older than her mid-teens, exuded a peculiar allure. Even the pipe she puffed on seemed to complement her demeanor.

Yet, her current antics resembled those of a mischievous child.

The Great Witch playfully tapped a floating water droplet, directing it to splash onto me while I split firewood.

Annoyed, I responded,

"...What does this have to do with a water gunfight?"

"Ungrateful bastard," she retorted, "do you not grasp the profound meaning of your Master\'s words? Understanding the flow allows you to channel it into the tiniest gap, unleashing power dozens of times stronger than normal."

She demonstrated this by tapping the droplets with her finger, each time sending a stream of water drenching my clothes. Since I was already sweaty, the cold water provided a welcome relief.

Sighing, I decided to ignore her antics.

I had long known of her loneliness, having observed it for years amidst the revolving door of disciples who came and went due to the exhaustion from her relentless training regimen.

Thus, I could understand why the Great Witch would attach herself to one of the few remaining disciples. Though I sympathized with her, I still had tasks to complete.

As I thought I shouldn\'t criticize my teacher, I couldn\'t hold myself back, and criticism slipped out involuntarily.

"I’m currently chopping firewood now... Junior Sister will be here soon, and if I don\'t finish, I\'ll get another lecture, you know."

"Are you so immersed in your little romance that you prioritize your Junior Sister over your Master?"

"...We really don\'t have that kind of relationship."

"We\'ll see about that."

With a snort, Master walked away with hurried steps.

Soon after, the sound of a scream echoed. Judging by the irritated voice, it seemed that someone had finally snapped and gone to torment my Junior Sister.

Sure enough, she soon appeared, her charming appearance belying her obvious irritation. Her brown hair was soaked, and her blue eyes reflected her sour mood as she grumbled.

Once in front of me, she let out a shriek.

"Ah, really! That old hag is driving me crazy!"

As she shook off the water, I chided her for her blatant disrespect, "Junior Sister, show some respect to Master."

"She\'s acting like a child, shooting water guns at a disciple... A-also, I’m not your Junior Sister!"

With a firm sound, the hatchet descended upon the firewood once again.

Junior Sister, who had been raising her voice at me while pointing her finger, suddenly flashed a peculiar grin accompanied by a disdainful snort.

With one hand on her hip, her stance appeared somewhat confrontational at first glance. It seemed like her past habits were resurfacing.

"...And why, pray tell, can you not meet the gaze of your Senior today of all days?"

One thing was for sure: she was quite perceptive.

I cleared my throat with a discreet cough and purposefully ignored Junior Sister\'s words. However, she swiftly advanced towards me and deliberately closed the distance between us.

A soft chuckle resonated in the air.

"Why? Did you feel lust while looking at your wet senior?"

I wanted to deny it, but it was difficult to do so.

Due to the sweltering heat of the Great Forest, Junior Sister always tied her outer garment around her waist while working. One might consider removing the outerwear a more practical option, but a mage holds tightly to their dignity.

Instead, she consistently wore a white short-sleeved shirt underneath. However, given that Junior Sister\'s attire was thoroughly drenched, it was only natural for the undergarments to be visible.

Junior Sister smirked and prodded my side with her forefinger.

"You bastard, turns out you\'re a man too. Hey, even if you act like you don\'t care, it’s evident! Do you get aroused? Admit it already! Do you?"

"Ah, please stop. Seriously!"

"Kya! A horny junior is trying to overpower his senior!"

After teasing me for a while, Junior Sister giggled and leaned in close, her voice a whisper in my ear.

"...Hey, if you\'re going to feel anything, let it only be for me, alright?"

"Is that possible?"

"If you don\'t do as I say, I\'m going to report it as sexual harassment."

It was ridiculous. How could someone who wasn\'t even involved report it?

After a long conversation with Junior Sister, I could finally discuss a more serious matter.

Junior Sister conjured a breeze to ignite a flame.

It felt like just yesterday when she scorned the idea of a powerful Mage like herself being tasked with such chores, yet now she handled them adeptly.

As I prepared food beside her, I asked.

"...So, why did Master suddenly become so fascinated with a water gun?"

"How should I know? It\'s probably some sort of intuition driven by fate. There are enemies you can\'t face without grasping the currents or some such nonsense.”

Junior Sister smirked sarcastically.

"Well, although I don\'t know if there\'s anyone worthy of facing this Archmage!"

Junior Sister, who had recently achieved what she had hoped for, had been in high spirits ever since.

Naturally, if Junior Sister was happy, so was I. With a faint smile, I cautiously posed another question.

"Then why are you still here?"

"...Huh? What nonsense are you talking about?"

Junior Sister cocked her head as if she couldn\'t understand it at all.

Another wry smile played on my lips as I observed her.

"You\'ve advanced and absorbed whatever needs to be learned. Honestly, it doesn\'t matter if you quit now, right? Especially considering your daily complaints about Master."

In reality, I might have been a bit anxious.

If even Junior Sister were to leave, I would be at a loss as to how to spend the remaining time.

Whether she grasped my feelings or not, Junior Sister simply lapsed into silence while tending to the fire.

And after a pause.

"...I have someone I swore to protect, you know."

The girl, seemingly unaffected, casually brought up a story she had long buried deep within her heart.

"But I couldn\'t protect him. He was my younger brother... Do you remember the Homecoming Festival? He died back then."

Homecoming Festival.

It was the Dark Order\'s attack on the academy where the Imperial Princess\'s eyes were gouged out, and numerous students had died or were injured.

At that time, it wasn\'t just a few who had lost their lives.

The promising talents meant to shape the continent\'s future vanished, leaving behind mere droplets of blood. It seemed Junior Sister\'s younger brother was among them.

Junior Sister pretended to be strong.

"After wandering for several years, I finally made up my mind. I pray for the strength to protect my people."

"...But now, you don\'t have anyone to protect, do you?"

"No, I recently found someone. Someone dear to me."

As she spoke, Junior Sister\'s azure eyes traced an enchanting curve.

"...Can you guess?"

The sight was so captivating that I momentarily held my breath.

"Who is that person?"

"You don\'t need to know. It’s just someone, you rascal!"

I thought as I gazed at Junior Sister, who chuckled and patted my back.

I, too, wished to protect this person.

It was a time when the world still held traces of color.

***

As I suddenly opened my eyes, I found myself clutching a sword.

Unfamiliar emotions surged, causing a throbbing ache in my head. I fumbled around, finding a canteen, and hastily gulped down the water.

Even while doing so, the sword remained in my grasp.

An inexplicable sense of unease weighed heavily upon me. After several deep breaths, I managed to soothe my mind somewhat.

Suddenly, a letter caught my sight.

It was the fourth love letter from the future that I had received.

Scrawled hastily on the back was another sentence.

\'The swindler in the slums\'

It was the vital information I had been seeking.

The date remained unchanged, and a faint smile tugged at my lips as it seemed my theory had been proven true.

As I raised the sword vertically, I felt the chill of the blade against my skin.

It marked the beginning from this moment onward.

Today, it was the Young Master of the Percus family\'s turn to venture into the /genesisforsaken