Vol 1 Chapter 11 – Still, a Story of Peaceful Days【Vol 1 — A Happy Childhood】

Sophia managed to rescue Aria and me, safe and sound.
I had no choice but to come clean about every last thing that led to us getting lost, and Sophia-onee-chan chewed both Aria and me out. She really let us have it.

Then, after we got out of the forest and made it back to the village, by the time the sun went down, for some reason we were surrounded by both our sets of parents. Also angry. Very angry.

Apparently, our footprints leading all the way into the forest had already given us away.
That was the first time I ever felt so pathetically aware of just how dumb I was.

Why hadn’t I noticed the fresh snow piling up like that? Well, it’s thanks to that same snow we were saved this time, so I guess I can’t complain.
Apparently, the entire village was mobilized to search for us.
Seriously, I’m sorry. We caused everyone so much trouble.

And right in the middle of Aria and me getting the highest-grade scolding of our lives from our parents, it also came out that Sophia had been teaching me magic in secret.
Sophia got yelled at too. She really got yelled at.
It was the kind of story that should have been funny, but somehow wasn’t.

In the middle of that, I tried to cleverly play up how crazy Aria’s magic talent was, hoping to divert everyone’s anger.
All it did was earn me an extra lecture.

Aria would later end up being showered with praise as a genius. A prodigy on par with Sophia.

But in the end, Aria and I were both banned from using magic. On top of that, we were also forbidden from playing together alone for a while.
Aria was absolutely furious about those measures, but of course she couldn’t win against her parents.

As for what else changed, it was pretty much just that my secret magic training sessions with Sophia stopped, and that Aria’s casual touching of me got a lot more frequent.

Other than that, almost nothing was different. Our peaceful days went on, and one way or another, I was thoroughly enjoying my second life.

About three and a half years passed, and I turned seven.

Sophia turned thirteen, and lately her growth had been nothing short of dramatic. This year she also started attending an academy in the royal capital, so we didn’t get to spend as much time together.
Being a noble young lady sounds rough. By the way, she commutes back and forth using my dad Lucas’s teleportation magic.

Aria turned eight and was starting to look more like a proper girl.
Which meant that whenever she touched me these days, my heart suffered frequent, serious damage. My virgin-level experience just cannot keep up.

And more than anything, I had a new family member—a little sister.
Her name was Elena, and she had just turned two the other day.

Her favorite hairstyle was wearing her slightly long, light-brown hair in two side-up tails, and her eyes were, unbelievably, odd-colored.
Her right eye was brown, and her left eye was orange.
It wasn’t some sign of hidden, overwhelming mana or anything—it was just a simple case of heterochromia.
I can’t deny I was a little jealous of it. Total chuuni thing to say.

Maybe it was because I’d been doting on her from birth with the kind of enthusiasm that could turn anyone into a brocon, but by now she’d become a complete big-brother’s girl.
Couldn’t be happier about it.
She’s so cute I’m on the verge of becoming a full-on siscon myself.

She takes after our mom, Alicia; her well-defined features make it obvious she’s going to grow up beautiful.
She’s going to be so popular someday.

When I finished the shopping I’d been asked to do and came home, I saw Alicia and Elena playing together under the eaves of our house.

“Ah! Big broooother!”

The moment Elena spotted me, she flung her arms wide and toddled toward me as fast as her little legs would go.
I caught her as she barreled straight into me and scooped her up into my arms.

“Hey there, Elena. Having fun playing with Mom?”
“Uh-huh!”

Like the sun. That smile is so bright it hurts. She’s too cute.

Unable to resist, I hugged her tight and rubbed my cheek against hers, and Elena squealed and laughed, kicking her feet in delight.

“I’ve reached a conclusion. I could probably just eat Elena up.”
“Looks like we’ve ended up with a fully developed brocon and siscon on our hands…”

The exasperated sigh from beside me came from Aria, who had run into me at the store and then just stuck to me all the way home.

“In other words, we’re talking mutual love here.”

When I turned around with my best smug face, Aria was pouting.

“…Mmm. Will, you like me too, right?”
“Eh? Ah, well, yeah.”

When she came out and said it that clearly, it was hard to answer…

I tried to hide my tiny bit of fluster as I nodded, and Aria promptly latched onto my right arm.

“Then that means it’s mutual love for us too.”
“Mutual wuv!”

Aria pressed her whole body against my arm, and Elena hugged me even tighter than before.

So this is what they mean by “a flower in each hand,” huh… Is this a harem?
Wait, does this mean I’ve finally achieved my lifelong dream…?
I’m moved.

While I was basking in the moment like some sentimental fool, Alicia walked over to us.

“My my, you two really do love Will, don’t you?”

She raised a hand to her lips, smiling warmly.
With how youthful and radiant that smile was, it was hard to believe she was a mother of two.
Honestly, people might mistake her for my older sister.

When Alicia stroked Elena, who was squealing and wriggling happily in my arms, Elena giggled, shouted, “Yeah! I love Onii-san!” and planted a quick kiss on my cheek.
Which was great and absolutely the pinnacle of big-brother bliss, but in all that excitement, her swinging little foot landed a critical hit right between my legs…

While I was groaning in agony from the sharp pain, Aria said something like, “Hey, that’s not fair, Elena-chan!” and leaned in to kiss my cheek in the exact same spot.
I have no idea why she chose the exact same place as Elena, but more than anything, I would really prefer some actual nursing care right now.

This pain is not normal.

“What’s wrong, Will…? Is your stomach hurting?”

As I was making a pained face, Alicia peered at me in concern.
As expected of Mom—she’s instantly sensitive to any change in her son.

Elena and Aria also seemed to notice something was off with me.

“Onii-san… does it hurt?”
“No, your Onii-san’s not hurt, okay?”
“Will, are you okay!? Where does it hurt!?”
“…Even if I told you where, it’s not like there’s anything you could do.”

It’s not like anything would improve if I told them the truth…
Actually, if it’s Aria, she might try something. Every now and then, she does things that are completely beyond my comprehension.

Maybe because of that worry, I forced myself to endure the pain and pretend to be fine.

“Nah, it’s nothing… I’m okay.”

I gently pushed Aria’s hands away as she patted around checking my body, then set Elena down on the ground.

“Will… are you really okay?”

Mom was still worried, but when she caught Elena letting out a huge yawn at my feet, her attention shifted in that direction instead.

“Oh my, did you get sleepy?”

…Well, I am already seven years old, after all.

“Come here, Elena.”
“…Mm. Mama.”

Rubbing at her eyes with both hands, Elena slumped into Alicia’s chest and was lifted up in one smooth motion.

“Looks like it’s naptime for Elena-chan. In that case, hey, Will…”
“Yeah? What is it, Aria?”

Aria looked a little shy as she glanced up at me.

“If you want… do you wanna come over to my place now? It’s perfect timing—Mama and Papa aren’t home, so—”

“—…What about Onii-san?”

Aria’s words were cut off by Elena’s sleepy murmur.
I looked over to see Elena staring at me over Alicia’s shoulder as they were about to head back home.

“I wanna sleep with Onii-san…”

She said it around another yawn, stretching her little arms out toward me.

No way I could resist when my adorable little sister did something like that.

“Sorry, Aria. As much as it pains me, today I’ve got to choose Elena…”

Is she going to get mad?
I wondered as I turned to look at Aria, but instead of anger, her expression looked more hurt than anything else.
When she made a face like that, it actually made things harder for me.

While I was feeling all kinds of conflicted, a lifeline came from my dear mother.

“Then why don’t you come over to our place too, Aria-chan?”
“…Ah. Okay!”

Aria hesitated for a moment, then broke into a bright smile and nodded.
Thanks, Mom.