The Mob Noble Who Got Reincarnated in a World Where Men Are Naturally Protected—So I Trained Like Crazy to Protect Girls Instead, But Their Love Got Way Too Heavy - Chapter 46 & 47

Chapter 46: Reunion with Fifth Sis

During the break after finishing two morning classes, I stepped out of the classroom to grab some water.

As I walked down the hallway, my thoughts drifted to the things that had been bothering me lately.

Like what to invent next. I had a list of ideas, but I still hadn’t decided which one to start with.

Or my hopeless marriage prospects. Every girl I got along with was way too far above me in status.

I thought about all the smaller goals tied to my main one—becoming a man who could protect girls—in this reversed world.

But in the end, my thoughts always circled back to the most immediate problem.

—My sister.

More specifically, Fifth sis, who had seen that whole mess with me and the three girls.

A few days ago, the day after I worked as the attendant for that scheming baby princess—Shia—and had the curse on my arm removed… Wiz, Aegis, and Shia all lost control and caused a huge scene over me.

I managed to settle things by scolding all of them in the end, but during that chaos, I noticed Fifth sis watching from a distance, her eyes wide in shock.

Because of that, I had a feeling she was going to make some kind of move…

“I stayed on guard for a few days after that, but nothing happened. Guess I was overthinking it?”

As a basic fact, all of my sisters had some level of bro-con tendencies toward me.

For some reason.

And considering that, it was hard to believe Fifth sis—one of those bro-con sisters—would see three girls fighting over me and not go wild.

Actually, she had a track record of doing exactly that.

So I was pretty sure it would happen again this time too, but…

“Well, maybe she grew up a bit after entering the academy. …No, even then, now that she knows I’m here, not coming to see me even once is kinda creepy—”

The moment I muttered that—

“Tec~♡”

From the shadows beneath the stairs, a voice called out without any presence at all.

I instantly stopped in my tracks.

“…Pretty sure in the Garland family, it’s basic manners not to hide your presence when calling someone.”

“Ufufu, sorry, sorry. Don’t be so mad, okay?”

When I turned toward the voice, a gentle-looking girl with flaxen hair neatly tied back stepped out from the shadows.

Vee.

Vee Garland.

The fifth of the Garland Ten Sisters—also known as Fifth sis.

With a soft smile, she walked up to me and gently wrapped both my hands in hers.

“Long time no see! I really wanted to see you~! Why didn’t you come sooner? Mom said we’re not allowed to come meet you ourselves~!”

“Getting used to school came first. If I’d gone to see you guys right away, I probably wouldn’t have made any friends.”

“Ehhh!? That wouldn’t happen~!”

“But if I’d come see you on the first day, you would’ve definitely shown up at my class every break, right?”

“Well… that’s true, but~!”

Yeah, delaying it was definitely the right call.

Nice decision, me.

But then, that naturally brought up one question.

Why had there been such a delay before she came to see me?

“Hey, just to confirm something.”

“? Yeah!”

“You came to see me because we made eye contact back then, right? A few days ago—”

As I tried to ask, Fifth sis cut me off.

“By the way, Tec. Those girls—what are they?”

I froze for a second and looked at her.

She was smiling.

But her eyes weren’t.

“…They’re just friends.”

“But isn’t the gap in status way too big? I get it for Lady Aegis since Mom serves her, but… the others are royalty and a viscount, right?”

Hearing that, my expression stiffened.

“I see. So the reason it took you a few days to come see me… was because you were investigating them.”

“I was surprised~. To think there’s royalty among the girls around you, Tec! And even the lowest-ranked one is still a viscount, right? Plus, they’re all from prestigious bloodlines with titles! Right, Tec?”

At that point, Fifth sis’s expression changed.

Her eyes softened slightly, filled with concern as she stared straight at me.

“Are you sure you’re not being tricked or anything? The lady is someone we’ve known for a long time, so she’s somewhat trustworthy, but what about the other two? They’re not saying things like they’ll marry you someday and just using you, right?”

“They’re not. We’re just friends. There’s nothing like that.”

“Hey, Tec.”

Fifth sis tightened her grip on my hands and leaned closer.

A soft, pleasant scent drifted toward me…

…but the hands holding mine wouldn’t budge at all, no matter how much strength I put in.

“You can tell me the truth, you know? We’re family. No matter what happens, I’ll be on your side. Even if… your purity’s been taken.”

“Come on already—!”

I forcefully pulled my hands free and pushed her back by the shoulders.

“I told you, they’re just friends! There’s nothing like that! And what do you even mean ‘purity’s been taken’!? A guy’s virginity isn’t worth anything!”

“Tec! You’ve been talking like that forever—like you don’t value yourself at all! You should take better care of yourself!”

“I’m not being self-destructive, okay!? Everyone’s been kind to me, and for starters, I’m still a virgin!”

Why the hell did I have to declare that to my own sister…

I stared straight at Fifth sis and continued.

“Fifth sis! Actually, not just you—all of you sisters are way too overprotective! I’m doing fine on my own! I’ve got friends now, and as for marriage—okay, yeah, I haven’t found anyone suitable yet, but still!”

I pointed a finger at her.

“I’ll handle things my way, so just let me be! And seriously, being this concerned about your little brother’s virginity is kinda weird!”

“——!?”

Fifth sis froze, her mouth hanging open in shock.

I let out a breath.

“Well, I don’t mind hanging out as long as you don’t go overboard. So don’t go crazy, let’s just get along normally—”

Just as I tried to add that final bit, Fifth sis lowered her gaze and spoke.

“…I see… Tec, you’ve been led astray by those girls, haven’t you…? Which means… the lady is in on it too…?”

“…Fifth sis?”

She started saying some seriously suspicious things.

Holding her head, she began muttering to herself.

“I-I mean, otherwise… there’s no way Tec would say something that awful, right…? Calling me weird… saying that to your own big sister…”

“No, that’s because you suddenly started going on about my ‘purity’ and all that.”

Even with the reversed-chastity logic, that kind of talk was weird.

It was like a brother obsessing over his little sister’s virginity.

…Well, if a naive lower noble girl was hanging around royalty and high nobles, you might worry she was being used or treated badly… yeah, I could kind of see that logic… maybe?

While I was trying to figure out what was going on in her head, Fifth sis’s thoughts kept spiraling.

“I get it now… it’s all their fault…! They took advantage of a knight’s son—a boy in the weakest position in a noble academy—and played with him however they wanted… and in the end, Tec will—!”

“Uh, Fifth sis? Hellooo? You still with me?”

“Tec!”

“Whoa—”

She suddenly snapped her head up and looked straight at me.

“I’ll protect you, Tec! I’ll make sure you come to your senses too!”

“Your eyes are the cloudiest here—hey! Wait, where are you going, Fifth sis!?”

Declaring that, she ran off.

Watching her back disappear, I muttered with a grim expression.

“…Yeah, this is bad.”

She’s definitely coming.

To kidnap me.

At night.

Chapter 47: Countermeasures Against the Attack

That day during lunch break, I headed to the courtyard with Wiz like usual.

Waiting there were Aegis and Shia, both with their lunches.

Lately, the four of us had been eating together pretty often.

After that whole incident a while back, Shia ended up joining the group of me, Wiz, and Aegis.

Though, since she had her own group of followers too, she couldn’t make it every time.

“So, Tect, what are you drawing while eating?”

Shia asked, and with a sandwich still in my mouth, I answered while roughly sketching something on my lap.

“A rough design for night vision goggles.”

“Night vision goggles? I’ve heard you’re into inventing things, Tect, but… that sounds kind of plain.”

“Hey, what do you mean plain? With how my gear is currently focused on direct combat and mobility, this is exactly what I need. With this, I can dominate nighttime warfare.”

When I shot back, Shia looked like she didn’t quite get it.

On the other hand, Wiz backed me up.

“No, no, Your Highness, think about it! Sure, it’s plain—I won’t deny that—but with night vision goggles, you can work even in the middle of the night without lighting a single candle!”

“…Why does Wiz’s defense sound like something from an overworked employee…?”

What exactly was she planning to do that late at night?

Also, she casually agreed it was plain.

Then Aegis spoke up.

“In night military drills, this would be super useful. You can barely see enemies in the dark. And if a bunch of them suddenly attack you from behind in pitch black… it’s honestly terrifying.”

“Aegis, you’ve done stuff like that?”

“Back home. You know, my family’s all about the military.”

Seems like from her experience, she understood just how powerful it was to be able to see in the dark.

Yeah… equipment like this really depends on whether you’ve gone through that kind of situation or not.

“I see…? I understand your point, but that means night vision goggles only matter if you’re actually dealing with darkness, right? Do you have something like that in mind?”

When Shia said that, I hesitated for a moment.

“…Yeah.”

Then I told them everything.

“I might be getting attacked at night soon. Not sure how it’ll go, so I figured I’d prepare.”

“““WHAT!?”””

All three of them shouted at the same time.

Honestly, that was kind of funny.

“T-T-T-Tect!? A n-night attack!? What do you mean!?”

“Tect, who’s the enemy? If taking them out first is faster, I’m in.”

“O-Oh n-no n-n-n-night a-a-attack—!?”

“…Yeah, that’s about the reaction I expected. Alright, calm down first. I’ll explain what’s going on.”

Trying to calm them down—Wiz panicking but still trying to get answers, Aegis already suggesting preemptive strikes, and Shia too flustered to speak properly—I started explaining the situation.

“I ran into my sister earlier for the first time in a while. Apparently, she saw that whole mess between me and you guys, so she’s gotten really sensitive about it. I mean… all of you are high status, right? She thinks I’m being played.”

“““……”””

Silence.

The three of them exchanged glances, then looked back at me.

And said, all at once—

“Isn’t it the opposite…?”

“Isn’t it the complete opposite?”

“It’s definitely the opposite.”

“If you all say it that strongly, I’m gonna start doubting myself here…”

I wasn’t out here playing around with anyone, though.

Why was I being treated like some kind of playboy?

As I crossed my arms in mild frustration, Wiz narrowed her eyes with a slightly awkward expression.

“…That’s not the ‘opposite’ part I meant—but let’s leave that aside for now.”

Then she let out a thoughtful hum.

“…Still, I kind of get where she’s coming from. I have a younger half-brother too, and if I heard he was only hanging around princesses and high nobles, I’d definitely think, ‘Isn’t he being tricked?’”

Hearing that, I realized the assumption I’d come up with earlier—about a naive younger sibling getting involved with high-status people—was actually spot on.

Then Aegis nodded in agreement with Wiz.

“Yeah. And Tect, you were pretty spoiled by your family, right? If they think you’re being played, it makes sense they wouldn’t take it lightly.”

“So that means… we’re being seen as suspicious by Tect’s family? Uwah, I hate that. I-Is there some way we can explain ourselves?”

“Explain what? That we were seriously fighting over Tect and not just messing around?”

“…W-What exactly are we even supposed to explain…?”

“Don’t ask me, introvert.”

“You’re in the same situation, shorty! Why are you acting like this has nothing to do with you!?”

“Well, I’m on good terms with Tect’s family!”

While Wiz and Aegis started glaring at each other like usual, Shia turned to me.

“…I think I understand the situation now, but why does this lead to a night attack? Also, who is attacking whom? That part doesn’t connect for me.”

I answered her.

“So, uh… for some reason, a lot of my sisters are seriously bro-con.”

“For some reason…? They’re your sisters, aren’t they? Isn’t that only natural?”

Natural my ass.

“And depending on the person… they can get a bit extreme. Or, well… something like that.”

I pressed my fingers against my temple and continued.

“They’ve… kidnapped me a few times before.”

“K-Kidnapped!? Within your own family!?”

Shia’s eyes went wide.

Seeing that reaction, I quickly waved my hands.

“No, wait, just hear me out— So basically, in my family, we do all kinds of training. One of them is hostage rescue training. Inside a building, we split into two teams—one protects the hostage, the other tries to rescue them.”

I averted my eyes slightly and continued.

“And because of that training, kidnapping became kinda… casual. Like, ‘I want to talk to you alone,’ and then you wake up somewhere with a completely unfamiliar ceiling—that happens pretty often.”

On top of that, we also had things like captivity escape training.

So everyone in my family could dislocate their joints and slip out of ropes.

Basically, if you didn’t like being captured, the mindset was, “Then just escape.”

“I’ve never done the kidnapping myself, but I’ve probably been kidnapped the most out of everyone in the family. Judging from how she was acting… yeah, I’m almost definitely getting taken again…”

I explained all that, partly trying to defend my sister—like, “she’s not crazy or anything”—but…

The three of them were staring at me like they’d just seen something unbelievable.

Damn, that didn’t work!?

Come on, this kind of thing happens, right!? Kids using what they learned in training for fun! I mean, even I used booby traps to hunt animals when I got hungry!

While I was thinking that, the three girls huddled together and started whispering, leaving me out of it.

“…W-What do you think about Tect’s family…?”

“Tect’s mother is a legendary knight, so having that kind of training makes sense. But kidnapping your own sibling? That’s weird.”

“Right!? No matter how bro-con they are, kidnapping your brother isn’t normal!”

Their whispered discussion got pretty heated, with Wiz passionately arguing her point.

Then Shia quietly cut to the core of it.

“I think… Tect is probably like that with his family too.”

“Illucia, what do you mean by ‘like that’?”

“I mean the way Tect treats us.”

“““……”””

Silence.

As I watched, wondering what they were getting at, Wiz hesitantly stepped forward and said,

“Um… we talked it over, and we think… Tect might actually be the problem.”

“Why?”

That was a shocking conclusion.

At least show me the reasoning.

“Anyway, so Tect started working on night vision goggles because he’s expecting to get kidnapped, right?”

Aegis summed it up, and I nodded.

“Yeah. Though honestly, I’m not that worried about the kidnapping itself. I mean… I’ll probably get taken anyway.”

“…Excuse me?”

Shia blinked at me, so I continued.

“Well, I fall asleep easily and wake up easily too, but once I’m asleep, I just don’t wake up at all. So I’m super weak against night attacks. And since it’s probably happening tonight, there’s no way I’ll finish the goggles in time.”

“Wait… so Tect, you’re just going to get kidnapped? Without resisting?”

“Yeah. If things get messy, I might miss school for a few days. Oh, I guess I should’ve mentioned that earlier. So if I disappear for a bit, don’t worry too much.”

As I said that like it was no big deal, Aegis suddenly leaned in toward me.

“W-Wait, wait, wait. Why are you just accepting this? This is kidnapping, you know? Kidnapping and confinement.”

“Huh? But it’s family. And besides, even if a girl kidnaps me a little, it’s not something to make a big deal out of—”

“It is a big deal! A girl is kidnapping a guy, you know!?”

She said it so strongly that I just blinked in confusion.

Seeing that, all three of them went pale.

“This is bad. Tect is way too soft on girls. We’ll handle this ourselves.”

“I’ll help too. Your Highness, what will you do?”

“Eh? Ah—uh—! I’ll start the ritual to reclaim the Phantom Knights!”

“Illucia, calm down and take a deep breath. We don’t have time for that.”

I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but the three of them seemed set on opposing Fifth sis.

Watching that, I muttered quietly,

“I appreciate the help, but… it’s basically you guys versus Fifth sis, right? Without night vision goggles, you don’t really stand a chance, do you?”