Vol 1 Chapter 13.3: Interlude – 3 – Little Sister

“Onii-san, are you stupid?”

Due to the Professor’s scheme, I ended up continuing as a tutor, and the next morning I visited my boarding house in the capital.

Since it had been unoccupied for a while, I figured the room needed cleaning.

Although the Duke and Tina told me, “You should live in the mansion,” I felt that a proper separation was necessary.

From now on, I intend to commute from my familiar boarding house.

Well… I should have realized sooner—

that my sister had already returned to the capital from our hometown.

“Are you listening?!”

“I’m listening, Karen. I must have worried you—sorry.”

“N-no, I wasn’t worried at all. I came today purely by chance—yes, purely by chance. With the exam results already out, I never thought you’d come today.”

Yeah, I did worry you.

If you had passed the royal mage exam, we were supposed to return to our hometown together this winter.

I had sent you a letter, but you must have been fidgeting with worry.

The room was clean too. It seemed someone had been cleaning it—there were signs someone had been living there, though…

“S-so, wasn’t the tutoring only supposed to last until the entrance exam? Wh-why is it continuing?!”

“There were various reasons.”

“That doesn’t explain anything. Onii-san, you have an obligation and responsibility to provide a detailed explanation.”

“—I was set up by the Professor. That’s all.”

“…Understood. Hehe… I can try out the new magic, right? I think Miss Lidia and Liene share the same opinion, so I’ll invite them next time.”

A beaming smile spread across her face. Scary.

Karen is beautiful. That only makes her even more formidable.

—Professor, do your best. Of course, I won’t help you.

“Honestly, why do you always meddle in troublesome matters? Miss Lidia alone is enough, and these kids are supposed to be top of their class and admitted with high honors too…”

“They’re very talented, you know. Tina and Ellie as well.”

“—Wait a minute.”

“?”

I tilted my head. Did I say something odd?

Karen frowned, placing one hand on her forehead. Headache?

“…What did you just say?”

“Very talented.”

“And then… after that?”

“Tina and Ellie.”

“That’s it!”

“?”

“Why… are you calling them without honorifics? For Onii-san to address them that way—it should have been just me, Miss Lidia, and Liene. Even in the letter, it was written as ‘Her Highness and the Maid’… why is that?”

—This is a bit bad.

My sister, Karen, is a good kid I’m proud of, but unlike Lidia, she has a strong dependency on me in another way.

She’s especially sensitive when it comes to girls.

Ah, her eyes are turning so red…

I patted her head gently.

“They’re my students, you know? I can at least call them by their names.”

“…Is that all?”

“Unlike you, Karen, they don’t throw tantrums so easily.”

“I-I don’t throw tantrums at all!”

“Really?”

“Y-yes!”

“I see.”

“Ah…”

When I removed my hand from her head, both her ears drooped sadly.

Even the beautifully silver tail that had been swaying from side to side drooped weakly.

—It’s as obvious as ever. And so endearing.

I hugged her tightly.

“O-Onii-san!?”

“Karen, you’re as adorable as ever.”

“A-adorable—”

I gently patted her head as if soothing a child.

At first, Karen stiffened, but she quickly went soft. Even her tail seemed pleased.

—It looks like her red eyes have returned to normal. There, there.

After a moment, she relaxed.

Karen glared at me, her face flushed.

“…Onii-san, that’s so unfair.”

“It’s only natural because you’re so cute.”

“…That’s exactly it!”

“Alright, alright. How are Father and Mother?”

“Good. They said they were lonely since they heard you couldn’t come home.”

“Is that so.”

—I, my parents, and Karen aren’t related by blood.

I was apparently found as a baby by humans.

My parents and Karen are beastmen—now a dwindling pack of wolves.

They were once renowned across the continent for their formidable combat prowess, but in the Demon King War 200 years ago, many fell in glorious battle.

As a result, even among the already few beastmen, only a small number remain.

Those who excelled in combat mostly perished, so the remaining wolves are gentle and kind.

—One of the rare exceptions is my little sister.

Though she isn’t quite on par with Lidia, she’s strong.

Her swordsmanship and magic are already first-rate.

If only she could break free from her dependence on me… but it seems that won’t happen anytime soon.

“By the way, I have one question. Tina-san? Why did you trust Onii-san from the very beginning? I understand now—the results show you were top of the class. But you trusted him from the start, didn’t you?”

“Oh, that. I was curious too, so I asked her. And then—”

Explaining the situation.

…Oh? Karen’s eyes are turning red again.

“—Onii-san, I’m going to see Lidia-san now.”

“Y-yeah. Don’t overdo it, alright?”

“—I’m just going to have a little chat.”

“R-right.”

“…No matter how much you love to brag about Onii-san, telling war stories to a girl you’re meeting for the first time is like strangling yourself! And—”

Karen shot me a withering look.

She’s caught on, huh.

“…You haven’t told Lidia-san yet, have you?”

“Um…”

“Geez! You’re still so soft-hearted!”

“I’m just as soft with you, Karen.”

“T-that’s enough… It’s a good chance. I’m going to settle this once and for all. Don’t go anywhere until I return!”

With that, Karen left the room.

—Anna-san came to call me with a wry smile about an hour later.

Good grief, it looks like there’s still a lot to handle.