I Was Reincarnated As The Older Brother Of A Villainess Destined to Die, So I Want To Change The Future By Raising My Younger Sister With My Own Hands. I Am The Strongest In The World, But My Little Sister Must Be The Cutest In The World - Volume 3 Chapter 6.18
This interlude takes place after “Duel (6)” in terms of the timeline.
I, Minerva, hurriedly walked through the halls of Lorambel Castle. Normally, I would acknowledge the passing servants with a polite nod, but today I had no time for such pleasantries. I had been summoned by my father. It was the first time since the day Foranada openly defied the Holy King’s family and caused a commotion at the royal palace.
When I heard the news… I could hardly believe my ears. After all, Foranada had directly challenged the members of the Holy King’s family, not holding anything back.
Certainly, Prince Gray’s actions were inexcusable, and the palace’s response that followed left a bitter taste in my mouth. They vowed to punish those who showed only half-hearted efforts. But I never expected a full-blown confrontation. It was like a lone sheep leaping into a pack of wolves. Without a doubt, everything would be taken away.
Thanks to Zex’ abilities, Foranada had flourished in recent years. With him, perhaps they could hold their own against the cunning minds in the palace.
But that was limited to matters of negotiation and politics. Zex lacked magical power. The palace’s people would undoubtedly exploit that weakness. Once that happened, he would be left defenseless. As mentioned before, he would lose everything.
Why did Foranada take such a reckless action? Did the sight of her sister in danger cloud his judgment?
There was a possibility. Even during the dispute with Prince Gray, he lost sight of everything around her.
In any case, I wanted to know the latest updates as soon as possible. The news that Zex had confronted the Holy King’s family had spread, but the details remained unclear.
My father had gone to the capital to gather information, so this summoning was undoubtedly about Foranada’s incident. Therefore, I hastened my steps more than usual.
Almost running, I arrived in front of my father’s office.
“Phew.”
I took a deep breath and composed myself before knocking on the door.
The solid sound reverberated through the quiet corridor. The pounding of my heart felt suffocating.
How much time had passed? It probably hadn’t been more than ten seconds, but it felt like an eternity.
“Come in.”
I heard my father’s voice from behind the door. As I expected when I knocked, he had already dismissed everyone. It was a sensible decision considering the nature of the conversation.
“Excuse me.”
Suppressing my restless emotions, I entered the room calmly, behaving like a proper lady.
My father was disciplined and solemn, as long as magic wasn’t involved. His office reflected his character, straightforward and robust. He sat at the desk farthest from the door.
Usually, the air would be tense, and I would have to gather myself. But this time, I felt my shoulders relax. Why? Because my father’s evident good mood gave it away. His lips were slightly curved, and just by meeting his gaze, I could tell he was delighted.
If the worst-case scenario I had anticipated had happened, there was no way his mood would be this good. Therefore, Zex must have handled himself well against the palace faction.
Feeling relieved, I approached my father, closing the distance between us across the desk.
As I neared the other side, my father began to speak.
“You probably already have an idea, but I will tell you the details of Foranada’s conflict with the palace. Some parts of the information are under strict confidentiality, so we must keep it to ourselves. Remember that.”
“I understand,” I replied, while feeling puzzled by the mention of strict confidentiality.
Then, my father began to speak, gradually increasing his fervor. No, he was speaking with increasing enthusiasm.
As rumored, Zex had confronted the Holy King’s family in an aggressive manner. I felt dizzy, but the story didn’t stop there.
According to my father, Foranada’s financial power was equivalent to half of the Holy Kingdom’s. According to him, Foranada’s agricultural and mining industries rivalled those of any other region in the country. He went on and on…
In front of the Holy King, Zex apparently revealed the true strength of Foranada. And subsequent investigations in Lorambel confirmed the facts.
I couldn’t close my gaping mouth. I knew Foranada’s economy had been improving, but I never imagined it had improved to such an extent. It was unnatural… I had never heard such things about Foranada.
As I pondered that, it struck me.
“Was it concealed?”
“That’s correct. Most likely, Foranada’s true capabilities have been hidden from the country… no, even from neighboring nations. To control the attention surrounding such remarkable achievements without completely suppressing it, one must possess extraordinary power.”
“It’s devious not to completely conceal it.”
“Yes,” my father sighed.
The achievements of Foranada were not completely unknown. It was a well-known fact that the region was prospering.
So, what made it devious was the manipulation of information to downplay those achievements. They intentionally directed investigations to yield only minimal results, deceiving others and preventing deeper involvement. It just goes to show that, as my father said, the covert operations of Foranada are far from ordinary.
“So, does that mean the palace, having learned of Foranada’s capabilities, accepted Zex’—Count of Foranada’s—demands?” I asked.
Upon hearing about these accomplishments, the palace would likely back down. The damage caused by challenging Foranada would be much greater than the loss of prestige from an apology.
I was convinced of that, but my father’s response was different.
“No, Lord Zex challenged the second prince to a duel and killed the proxy Sword Saint,” he replied.
“…What?”
Wait a moment. A duel? Proxy Sword Saint? Killed?
A flurry of incomprehensible terms flooded my mind, and I fell into extreme confusion. I didn’t want to appear foolish in front of my father, but it was impossible to maintain composure in this situation.
My father remained calm and silent, as if he had anticipated my reaction.
After a considerable amount of time, I finally managed to gather my thoughts.
First of all, I had one question.
“Did Zex defeat the Sword Saint?”
“Yes. And he won overwhelmingly.”
“…But he was colorless, wasn’t he?”
“Yes. Nevertheless, he won.”
I no longer understood anything.
The title of Sword Saint was bestowed upon the strongest warrior in the Holy Kingdom. The current Sword Saint was said to possess the greatest swordsmanship in history, and I had personally witnessed his remarkable skills. His sword was both beautiful and powerful. To imagine Zex not just defeating but overwhelmingly winning against him was beyond my comprehension. And if Zex had no affinity for magic, it made it even more unbelievable.
Feeling even more dizzy than before, I asked again, “Was Zex a skilled warrior?”
If Zex, who couldn’t use magic, won, there was no other explanation. I had never heard of him being proficient in swordsmanship.
My father nodded. “That’s one of the reasons.”
“One?” I uttered in disbelief.
Before I could even express my doubts, my father’s voice echoed loudly.
“Lord Zex used magic. Moreover, it was an unknown magic that I have never heard of! It was definitely not elemental magic; there is no doubt it was the Seventh Magic!!”
“Magic…?” I murmured, dumbfounded.
Once again, an indescribable shock overwhelmed me, as it had done several times before.
A colorless person using magic. That was information that defied common sense. Even though it came from my father’s words, it was difficult to believe it immediately.
However, my father was known as the “Magic Enthusiast.” He would not bring up the topic of unknown magic lightly, nor would he consider others’ feelings. Ignoring my bewildered expression, he released the pent-up excitement from within him.
“Yes, it was magic! Blades that shone like radiant swords and wings of angels! I could hardly believe my eyes. Someone who was deemed incapable of using magic, using an unknown magic that no one knew about!”
He continued to speak with excitement, as if his words were pouring out.
Having somewhat regained my composure amidst the excitement, I calmly organized my father’s statements.
In summary, it seemed that Zex used magic to deliver the final blow to the Sword Saint. He had somehow grasped a sensation similar to magical power, so there was no doubt about it.
It might have been the most unbelievable story of my life, if not the most unbelievable story of today. If it weren’t for my father’s words, I would have dismissed it as nonsense. The notion that a colorless person would use magic was so far from common sense.
My father continued to babble on, saying things like “I’m glad to have a connection with him” or “I should inquire about the unknown magic.” He spoke without restraint, as if he couldn’t contain himself. He probably wanted to share his thoughts but had been patient considering the circumstances.
I could empathize. Even I had a part of me that was thrilled at the mention of unknown magic.
But…
“Something doesn’t sit right with me,” I said.
Simultaneously, I realized that I couldn’t wholeheartedly rejoice. There was an unshakable unease deep within my heart, despite the fact that my fiancé’s only weakness had disappeared.
—No, I won’t deceive myself.
Perhaps, I was feeling frustrated. I had boasted that I was the only one who could protect him, but in the end, it seemed unnecessary. It seemed as though he saw no need for someone like me and that made me unbearably frustrated.
How pathetic. The once-celebrated me, who was praised so much… was now useless to my fiancé. What a shame for the genius of magic.
My heart aches. The pain is so intense that I want to scream at the top of my lungs and claw at my body.
I never imagined that being unable to be of help to the person I love would be so painful. I never dreamed that I would care for him to this extent.
I used to think that love at first sight was nothing more than a fleeting notion, but now I can’t dismiss it so easily. I’ve learned that if you find many things to love about someone, it becomes true and genuine love.
What should I do from now on? Should I continue to suffer in agony like this?
—No, absolutely not. I can’t bear to show such an ugly side of myself, even if the gods allow it, Minerva Allreini Yu Kari Lorambel cannot allow it!
Even if it seems impossible now, someday I will definitely surpass him. I will become a formidable mage, someone he will rely on.
Yes, nothing has changed. I will dedicate myself to honing my skills as a mage. That is the only path I aspire to follow.