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 4 Chapter 12.2

Nobleman Zex and I had a discussion to try and retrieve Marina, but it ended in a terrible defeat. I was completely outsmarted and couldn’t change the situation. It was my fault that Marina had ended up in this situation, and Zex was just cleaning up my mess. I couldn’t argue against Zex’s points. While I could have denied that his claims were lies, considering the potential threat to Marina’s safety, I couldn’t afford to take any reckless actions. Moreover, the fact that I had to apologize to the noble, Viscount Triton’s son, supported the claim that they had tried to assassinate her. To protect her, I needed power. This issue was beyond my current capabilities.

“If you want to change the situation, become more powerful,” were Zex’s final words to me.

As frustrating as it was, there was no room for counterarguments. Right now, I was just a child with some skill in magic. I believed that I could stand up to some enemies as a chosen hero, but I lacked many things to face a large organization.

I couldn’t help but worry about when Marina might be persecuted again, but for now, she was smiling. So, I decided to focus on honing my skills. I would definitely rescue her from the nobles’ schemes soon!

To do that, I needed to start training immediately. I picked up my favorite one-handed sword and headed to the grasslands outside the capital. There, I noticed a familiar face along the way.

Not someone I knew well, but someone I recognized from the incident in our classroom. I think her name was Lina.

She had a very distressed expression on her face and was emanating a dark aura. Passersby seemed to avoid her, clearly sensing something was amiss.

A sense of foreboding washed over me, and I decided to approach her.

“Excuse me,” I said.

She didn’t respond, so I approached her more directly. Her intense gaze, radiating hostility, unnerved me a little.

Despite the intimidating atmosphere, I continued, “Can I talk to you?”

“What is it?” she replied, finally acknowledging me.

I introduced myself, “My name is Youdai. I’m a student at the academy, and I’ve been tasked with being a hero.”

She responded with disinterest, “I don’t care. If you don’t have any business, leave.”

“W-Wait a moment! Calm down, okay?”

I had to leap out of her way as she unsheathed her sword. She looked like she could kill someone with just her stare. It sent a chill down my spine.

However, I was glad that my previous recklessness had paid off, and she recognized me.

“My name is Youdai, a student from the academy, and I’ve been appointed as a hero.”

“I’m not interested. If you don’t have any business, then disappear.”

“W-Wait a minute! Please calm down!”

I had only introduced myself, but she had already drawn her sword. The situation was escalating quickly, and people around us were screaming and fleeing in fear.

“Hey, if you have something to discuss, could you please put away your sword? It’s hard to have a calm conversation when you’re pointing that thing at me,” I pleaded.

Silence hung in the air, but I hurried to continue, desperately trying to defuse the situation.

“Just calm down a bit, alright?”

Thanks to my frantic persuasion, she hesitated for a moment and finally sheathed her sword.

Whew, that was nerve-wracking.

However, there was no time to relax. She still eyed me with hostility, and her hand remained close to her sword. It seemed like she could draw it again at any moment, signaling her intent to cut me down.

I couldn’t afford to dawdle; if I did, the commotion might attract the attention of knights, and we could both end up in trouble. I needed to move the conversation along.

“You seemed really distressed earlier, and I got worried. If you’re okay with it, would you like to talk about it?” I offered.

“I don’t need it,” she responded curtly.

“Just talking about it might make you feel better,” I suggested.

“You’re persistent,” she muttered.

“I just can’t leave you like this,” I explained.

Her gaze grew sharper and more piercing by the moment. She scrutinized me as if trying to read my intentions.

Well, I could understand her suspicion. Why was I going to such lengths? Maybe it was because I was struggling with my own issues and wanted to empathize with someone else’s problems. It was like the blind leading the blind.

However, it wasn’t that I didn’t want to help her solve her problems. If there was anything I could do to assist her, I intended to do it wholeheartedly. I believed that being a “hero” meant helping those in need.

We locked eyes, time passing in tense silence.

“…Alright, fine, let’s talk. But we’ll change locations. Follow me,” she finally said.

In the end, Lina relented first.

Without waiting for my confirmation, she started walking briskly ahead. I hurriedly followed her.

We managed to defuse the situation for now, but the real conversation would come later. Perhaps she would reveal why she had been so distressed.

Feeling a mixture of anxiety and anticipation, I mentally prepared myself for what was to come.

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To cut to the chase, Lina and I found common ground. We both had grudges against Zex. I wanted to rescue Marina, and Lina was determined to become stronger to reclaim her sister. From that day forward, we decided to train together every day.