Chapter 332 – Siblings
000
Cleon’s mind was sucked into the fantasy he showed, as if guided by the voice of the skeleton swordsman who had regained his self in response to the magical power of the sword.
The sight, which had been darkened in black, gradually regains its light, and the landscape that looked like sepia slowly returns to its original color.
“…S…!”
At that time, when he thought he heard a voice calling him, Cleon suddenly raised his head.
“Lease!”
“…What is it, Solina?”
At the sound of his voice coming out of his own mouth, Cleon is a little taken aback, but-
Is this the barracks of the guards?
Soon after, he remembered that he was ‘Reese’ and he couldn’t help but tilt his head as to why, a moment ago, he felt awkward calling her name her.
And, the girl he calls himself- ‘Solina’is his sister who is 6 years younger than him.
He’s the guy who cheekily calls himself by his first name his, not something like ‘Brother’.
The two, who lost their parents shortly after Solina was born, have been working hard until now, relying on each other.
Reese became a swordsman skilled enough to become the captain of the guards, and Solina was gifted in both her holy magic and swordsmanship, so she was soon going to take the test for the Knights of the Royal Capital.
“Who was thinking? … Could it be Illenu-san?”
“What are you talking about!?”
Perhaps genuinely embarrassed, Rhys shouted at Solina as she spurned her seat her.
Solina looked at Rhys with a slightly pitiful look and just shook her head.
“Calm down, Rhys. Illenu-san said that she came to this village for the purpose of healing her heart after losing her husband.”
“…I know.”
Reese turned her head away from Solina as she spoke with a little resentment.
It was a year ago that Illenu and her companions came to the village where Rhys lived.
Illenu, who seems to be an aristocratic lady somewhere, heard the story that her husband died early from an illness and was heartbroken, stopped her travels her and came to this village to recuperate while on an adventure with her husband.
Certainly, the village where Rhys lives is built on a place where spiritual veins flow, so it is a place where nature is beautiful and people’s lives are rich, so it is a perfect place for aristocrats to recuperate.
However, as her year passed, her Illenu her became more and more emaciated, and her colleagues around her could see that they were worried about her.
“…Isn’t that the face of someone you know? Well, I’m sure Illenu-san is absolutely beautiful, and there’s something sickly about it, so you know you want to protect her.”
At Solina’s words her, Rhys shut her mouth as much as she could.
“…Are you mad?”
“… Am I you?”
Reese, however, gave the answer.
Solina let out a sigh of relief as she continued her story.
“But it’s unexpected. It’s an impression that’s a bit far from the taste of the Reese I know, but after all, does a beauty transcend even her taste?”
“That’s why I don’t really like Illenu-san.”
Reese finally spoke reluctantly and looked at her own sister her.
His expression her seemed a little uneasy.
“…Then what is it?”
As Solina looked at herself with her slightly surprised expression her, Rhys covered her own mouth with one hand as if to terrify her.
Solina pushed her face in as if she was sure of something there, and Reese hesitated as if she couldn’t help it, but she opened her mouth again.
“…I didn’t want to talk about it because I was afraid you might talk about it in a strange place…”
“What do you look at me for? Tell me quickly.”
Solina pretends to zip her mouth while saying believe it
Thanks to that gesture, her credibility fell even further, but Reese confided her truth to her sister her.
“Ancient tomb ruins to the east. You know that, right?”
“Of course. Isn’t that the place where the elders of the village have warned you not to enter? In the past, a great villain performed a terrible ritual there, and was cut down by a warrior.”
This town looks peaceful.
However, in places where spirit veins flow in the ground, there are always those who seek the power of those spirit veins.
In ancient times, a powerful necromancer tried to raise an army of lions here.
It is said that he was accidentally interrupted by a hero passing by, and the person himself was sealed away.
In order to prevent the seal from being released again, the creation of a place for surveillance became the root of the current village.
The guards in this village are the descendants of the hero’s companions who remained for surveillance.
—That is a legend handed down in this town.
Something like this legend, no matter where you go, there is something similar.
This town was made by warriors.
This village was saved by a saintess.
Etc…
Is the ruins first or the village first? None of the villagers now know.
Just, as has been handed down from long ago, the ruins were monitored and people were prevented from entering them.
“…Recently, traces of people entering and exiting the ruins were discovered, and the guards are on edge.”
“What…!? Then it’s a big deal!?”
“Shhh. The voice is loud… It’s a story that only the guards know so that the villagers don’t get anxious…”
“…By the way?”
Reese sighed for a moment and then-
“Anyway, I think it’s Mr. Illenu. He’s been in and out of the ruins. As a result of the investigation by the guards, it seems like it’s been about a year since people started entering and exiting the ruins. It’s similar to the timing when Illenu-san came to the village. .”
“Ha!?”
At Rhys’ words her, Solina raised her voice once more.
“What stupid words!? Illenu-san is a person who has no stamina to the point of collapsing while playing with me during recuperation!”
“Calm down. What I’m talking about is Illenu-san and her colleagues.”
Solina shut her mouth for a moment at the words Illennu’s companions.
First of all, Illenu. As an aristocratic lady, he seems to have been an adventurer originally, but the grief of losing his husband her has now weakened him and made him sickly, unable to step out in the sun.
And- her maid. Emma. He is a cheerful and bright person. Be polite too. First of all, this person probably isn’t, and he doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would do such a thing. Weak and
As for the rest-
Lila, the sorceress, with hair in blazing red sidetails. She was told that she was an outcast wizard who was kicked out of the academy for committing sins.
She always grumbled and was cold to anyone who approached her, but I heard that her magical skills are one of the best on the continent.
And, Beatrix, who is said to be Lyla’s friend her.
To be honest, Solina felt nothing but envy.
… Except for the story of her body her, she was a bright, caring person similar to Emma.
She was said to be a magic swordsman, but she couldn’t see how she wielded a sword. Rather, it should be said that she was more like a wizard.
If so, she naturally reduces the number of candidates to one.
“Could it be Mr. Lila?”
“Do you think so too?”
At Rhys’ words, Solina couldn’t help but nod her head, although she didn’t want to believe it.
Of course, it was n’t definitive, it was just that the timing of the appearance of Illenu and his party was similar to the timing of the traces of the ruins.
“…What are you going to do?”
“I’ll have to investigate further. I’m thinking of talking to some of her men to keep an eye on Ms. Layla. Of course, Ms. Illenu and those around her.”
Solina was silent for a moment.
Reese, in the position of captain of the village guards, had no choice but to react sensitively to dangerous issues for the safety of people.
So, it was only natural that she couldn’t erase her doubts about people with her heartache alone.
However, if it was ‘not like that’, it was clear that the other guards’ trust in Reese was falling.
Besides, the opponent is that lila.
If they knew that they had started monitoring this side, there was even a possibility that they would do something against them in the event of an emergency.
“…Wait Reese. Before I spy on you, can I do some research?”
“…What? You?”
At Solina’s sudden talk, Rhys looked at her sister with her eyes wide open.
“Okay. Let me talk to Mr. Layla.”
“…What are you talking about? There’s no way I would allow that.”
Rhys shakes his head from side to side at her sister’s words to her.
It was a natural reaction.
“Think about it, the other person is said to have been banned, but he is the archmage who took the top position at the academy. If someone like my brother, who has poor magical power sensitivity, approaches, if he notices that the other person is watching him, he will be fooled by something like an illusion.”
“Ugh…”
Reese drools at the words of her sister stabbing her in the sore spot.
True to her words, Rhys doubted that she really had no magical powers, even compared to not only her younger sister her, but also her ordinary people her.
She had never been the only one who hadn’t noticed the fluctuations of magical power that occurred just before the magic happened, or she had never felt the grace of the earth that others were talking about.
However, her lack of magical power sensitivity was not necessarily a disadvantage.
First of all, first. Almost perfect resistance to magic power pressure.
In a fight between the strong, especially magic power is an important resource.
The sense of intimidation that the strong man spreads around him was not just felt in the atmosphere, but was caused by the spread of his magic power his and the suppression of the people around him.
However, this magical pressure is also felt because we can feel the magical power after all.
When the members of the guards are unable to move from the spot due to the magical pressure emitted by the leader of a group of powerful monsters that appeared earlier.
There was a time when only Rhys moved alone and drove the group away by cutting off the head of an unwary leader.
The second is that it doesn’t leave any reverberations of mana, so it won’t be affected by techniques that track them.
In important facilities, always place wizards with the skill of tracking the reverberation of magic in preparation for enemies using illusion magic.
In the pursuit of such pursuers, not being chased ‘even for magic’ was a pretty big advantage.
Of course, I can’t help but be physically exposed.
However, Reese is a human at the level of a ‘general strongman’ who has trained in sword and taijutsu to the end.
If you go up against an opponent like Lila who seems to have several walls around the gap in skill, you will be defeated for nothing.
It was the same with his subordinates his, so there was no human who could replace Reese.
Except for his sister, Solina, right in front of him.
Some of the elders in the village talked about Solina’s talent her.
If Solina receives her revelation of her, she will become a saint, and she tells Solina that if her her saintess comes to her, she will become a hero.
It was a child born to the same parents, but it seemed that all the talent for magical powers were concentrated on one side.
Clearly, it was good for her to go out and get her proper education and training rather than staying in her little town her.
Thinking that far, Rhys was about to say something, but soon shook his head.
“No. No way. Solina, this is no joke. I can’t let you, other than the guards, get involved in this.”
Solina beat her own chest as if she could n’t understand or felt frustrated at the sound of her resolute lease her.
“Don’t be stupid! What if Mr. Layla is really looking for ruins and raises a dangerous guy there?”
“It’s the guard’s job to prevent that. You’re supposed to be on your way to the royal road soon, so don’t engage in dangerous things and try to manage your condition.”
“Ha!?”
Once again, a voice rang in disbelief.
When the eyes of the siblings collide, there is silence for a moment.
Soon, it was Solina who swung her body around to break the thread of the tense fight.
“Solina!”
“Wait and see! I will definitely find out who is trespassing on the ruins!”
Solina bursts out of the guards’ barracks with a bold voice.
Reese looked at her sister from behind and let out a sigh.
001
The place where Solina left her barracks and headed was the town square.
If it was just past noon, in the current time zone, ‘she’ would definitely be there.
In front of the fountain in the square, on a bench sat a white-haired woman wearing a parasol and wearing a black dress like a mourning robe.
It is ‘Illenu’ who has been going up and down her brother and sister’s mouth her until just now.
“Mr. Illenu!”
“… Solina.”
Solina spoke energetically to Illenu, but what returned was the same slightly timid voice as usual.
She still couldn’t believe the fact that in the past she was a skilled person who wielded a silver rapier and slew countless monsters.
Dark shadows were made under her eyes, and her emaciated cheeks aroused her sympathy just by looking at her.
However, pale skin and brilliantly reflective white hair.
And most of all – the beautifully shining ‘red eyes’, when looking at the other person like a magical eye of fascination, focused the gaze into the eyes and aroused an unknown charm.
Soon after Illenu came to this village, he came and sat in front of the fountain at this time.
She always wore a large parasol because her skin was weak and she couldn’t be directly exposed to sunlight.
When a woman with such a mysterious atmosphere appeared in such an unchanging rural village, it naturally stimulated the villagers.
Every one of her passers-by talked to her and tried to comfort her in her broken heart her, from her elders to her little one her.
Of course, there were fearless men among her people who, because her side of her was vacant, would do anything to take her place of her.
She gazed politely and at the same time with eyes full of aristocratic authority, allowing them to grasp her subjects her.
Illenu, too, approached her at first, no different from the villagers.
Sharing her story her, listening to her circumstances her, and as she told her story of her own love her, she felt her heartache her disappear from her face her just a little bit.
However, after that, she saw that she felt a greater sense of loss than before talking, and her expression her darkened even more and she smiled bitterly.
Further, she chose not to ask her for her story about her past her.
Because I felt like digging into people’s wounds.
“Did you deliver a lunch to her brother today?”
“That’s right. Now there are not many days left to do that.”
“That’s right… Solina will be going to the royal road soon…”
Illenu made a slightly forlorn face and she talked.
Even though it was not her own parting her, she saw Illenu with such a face, and the first thing she thought was that Illenu was not a human enough to dig up her villain’s grave her.
“Don’t worry. Reese will feel the importance of me again… Well, the inn lady will make a lunch for me two weeks after I leave for the capital.”
“…What doesn’t happen right away?”
“As expected, it makes me think that it was good that she had a younger sister.”
Hearing Solina’s prank, Illenu burst into laughter, which was rare.
“…For people’s parting, a moment can turn into an eternity. Let there be no regrets in a single parting.”
Because of that experience, it must be her own advice from her.
In a way, she might sound like a negative person, but Solina, who knew Illenu’s story her, nodded her head as if she didn’t care.
“—Then, let’s get to the point now, shall we?”
When Ilenu said that, Solina felt the smile on her lips her harden instantly.
Illenu seemed to know that Solina, she had come looking for her on purpose.
“…Illenu, do you know about the tomb ruins near the village?”
“Of course, I heard about it when I came into this town.”
Hearing Illennu’s answer her, Solina nodded her head and continued her story her.
“…Then, have you ever been there?”
“No. Not going near it was a condition of being allowed to live in this town.”
Solina let out a sigh of relief at the fact that Ilenu understood the rules of the village.
“Actually, I heard that there are people who visit the ruins. From Reese.”
“…Could it be that I am suspected?”
As if that was unexpected, Solina hurriedly shook her head and waved her hand when Ilenu put on a surprised expression.
“Ah, no! It’s not like that… Both I and Reese know very well that Illenu-san doesn’t do such a thing.”
After hearing Solina’s words of her, Illenu seemed to be thinking about something about her a little, then asked Solina once more.
“So, it means someone else is being suspected, not me.”
“I’m sorry…”
At Illennu’s point, Solina feels a bit reluctant to say the truth she originally intended to say.
…But, if Rhys ever comes into contact with Lyla and suffers a ‘what if’, she can’t be undone.
She mustered up her courage to open her mouth.
“…That’s right, Mr. Illenu. Actually, I and Rhys are not Mrs. Illenu, but Ms. Lyla-“
“What did I say?”
The next moment, a voice came from behind.
When Illennu’s gaze turned to Solina’s back her, Solina hurriedly turned her head, feeling her goosebumps running down her spine her.
There, Lyla, dressed in her usual old academy uniform, was looking at Solina with a dissatisfied expression.
“Now talk… Try it again.”
Hearing Lyla’s overbearing voice, Solina felt her own body her tremble.
It was magic power.
‘Bird, much more than I thought… The magic pressure is strong… Is this enough…? The difference in skill…’
With that thought in mind, Solina tries to turn her body around somehow, but when she gets bogged down with a body that doesn’t move properly-
“Lyla. Stop it. Is she going to fight her?”
“…It was just a little scary. …You just seemed like ‘that guy’.”
As Layla said that, she let go of her magic pressure on Solina’s body on her and flipped her hair on her.
“…Yes, you can talk now. So, what am I doing?”
The exiled academy’s chief mage.
Like Lila’s red eyes, the ends of her crimson hair were burning brightly.
Solina opened her mouth, regretting that maybe she should have listened to her brother her.
