I’m Not Even an Otome Game Mob Character - Chapter 28

“Are you having another birthday party this year?”

Ojou nodded sadly.

I tilted my head while sweeping fallen leaves with my broom.

“Aren’t you having fun?”

“No. Torde-sama, Fani-sama and Kia-sama all said they’d come if I invited them…”

She seems to have made friends who she calls by nicknames aside from the bunny girl. I’m glad for her, and she seems glad too whenever she speaks about them. But right now she didn’t look very glad.

They were gonna have another tea birthday party this year. This time it would be sponsored by the Ernst house so I wouldn’t need to participate. So far I’ve only needed to participate a few times, and when I did all I had to do was dance with Ojou and the other hostesses. Maybe that’s because Oku-sama rarely participates in dances herself.

I bet more birthday parties are gonna be held for Ojou every year from now. Oku-sama and the Duke both love her dearly. It looked like they were only inviting the as few friends and relatives as possible in consideration for her shyness, or so I heard from Katherine. I still thought it was a lot of people, but I guess it wasn’t not for a duke’s house.

Anyway, it should be normal for nobles like her. Why isn’t she happy? She looks down quietly. Something seems to be wrong.

“Hm?”

I stopped sweeping for a second and put myself in front of Ojou. I leaned down as she looked up at me. After staring at her pale blue pupils for a while, her mouth opens.

“…Because Nicolaus-sama has been coming here recently.”

She sounded sulky but I didn’t know how to reply to that.

For his stress relief Nico has no choice but to visit me through Ojou, so it feels like all three of us have been together a lot. Come to think of it, how does he always know when Ojou will come to meet me?

I thought having someone to talk to until I finished work would prevent her from getting bored, but maybe I was actually just making her wait while I helped Nico with his stress relief. It must’ve been boring for her as a girl to watch us sweaty guys punch things. I’d forgotten that that was why I’d never told her about my practice with Heins-san.

I stood up, took off my gloves, wiped my hands with a towel and placed them on top of Ojou’s head.

“Can you come see me for a little while after the party?”

“Eh… but won’t it be sunset?”

“Then the summer house in the west will be perfect. Can you meet me there?”

“Why?”

Ojou looked up at me confused, to which I smiled.

“I promised I’d show you a rainbow.”

Ojou’s eyes widened with surprise and sparkled in anticipation. I didn’t expect her to be that surprised. Did she think I’d forgotten my promise or something? I’d never.

“I will go if we finish early enough.”

Well, I guess that’s fine as long as it makes her smile. What happens to me isn’t important as long as I can see her smile.

I rubbed Ojou’s hair gently so I wouldn’t ruin her hairdo before letting it go.

“It’s nice to listen to you.”

When I’m with Nico, we talk and fight merrily and I like that, but I also like listening to Ojou as she tells me things eagerly. I can’t really say much but a few words every now and then, but I enjoy hearing her happy voice even if I’m looking at my work and not at her.

After what she said, I noticed that we haven’t been alone together in a long time. And I also noticed that I like these times quite a lot.

I was happy.

“…D-Don’t look so goofy when someone’s talking to you!”

“Sorry. I’m just happy to be alone with you.”

“A-!? Please shut your mouth!”

Ojou got red in the face and scolded me. Did I look like I was lying?

You keep saying unnecessary things, Ojou sermoned me. When I reply, I get scolded even more. I don’t get it.

For now, I continue cleaning as I listen to Ojou, pitching in here and there. Her voice sounded as nice as the leaves fluttering down.

The next holiday I got, I went to the market street. Leo had asked me to be his guide as he inspected the place, but I came earlier than him. Right now I was at the clothing, accessories and general goods area buying a present for Ojou.

I had no idea what to get.

It hasn’t been long at all but my brain is already knocked out.

With the money I have on hand, the only clothes I buy would have to be cheap so clothes are out of the question. And even if I think an accessory looks pretty, I’m not good with shiny things so I can’t know how good it actually is.

Maybe I should’ve spoken with Leo. He seems used to dealing with women. Or Nico, he talks with them a lot. Then again, it’s meaningless if I’m not the one who actually picks it. If I can, I’d like to get something Ojou likes. This is hard.

I take the pendant under my neck and open the lid. There’s a small, blooming four-leaf clover inside. The one Ojou gave to me.

I looked at it for a while, psyched myself up and put it back into my shirt.

As I contemplated going to a general goods store, the atmosphere darkened. But amidst the crowds of people, I felt like the temperature hadn’t gone any warmer or colder.

Darkness Magic?

I could vividly feel a darkness spirit sticking out like a sore thumb even in a crowd like this.

I looked around myself and everyone else seemed to be fine. It wasn’t just because regular people don’t have much magic, but more so because they’re only conscious of their own. They don’t notice the spirits.

On the other hand, I don’t use chants. I use the help of the spirits, so when their presence is strong i can feel them.

Whenever people use magic, the respective spirits of their element are sucked in by the activated magical power and gather around them. The spirits’ presence naturally becomes thicker. I think there was a time I felt a hoodlum try to use magic, so I told some soldiers nearby and they kept him from finishing it. That delinquent was also using darkness magic.

I tried searching for a darkness spirit when I noticed something strange.

Unlike all the previous instances, I felt no malice from this darkness magic.

Darkness magic interferes with the spirit. There are many things in it related to hypnosis. It’s easy to use maliciously. So it’s easy for malice to be born in it. When people use magic with bad intentions, the spirits feel muddy. It’s rare to feel darkness magic without that quality.

As I noticed how rare this was, I headed to where the darkness spirits were headed to in order to look for the source of magic. When I did, I saw something crouching along the wall of a haberdasher on the other side of the road. I approached it. The size easily told me that it was a child younger than me. They were facing the wall, grumbling under their voice. It sounded like a girl.
(TN: lol I had to google haberdashery and there are different meanings for it in north american and british english, and I think the japanese word refers to the british meaning – a seller of small sewing items like buttons, zippers or threads.)

What’s with this girl?

Because of the oversized mantle she wore, her whole body apart from her head looked like cloth. I feel like I’ve met an exotic creature.

She acts weird. Combine that with her golden hair that reflecting the sun and you’d think that more people would notice her. But no one is. Everyone else is just passing her by. And they don’t bump into her which means they must be seeing her somewhat, which makes it all the more strange.

I guess it’s because of her cloak. The darkness magic seemed to be coming from there. It’s probably a magic item that thins the presence of its user.

“…No… and then… should. But…”

“Are you okay?”

I said, unintentionally frank. It really was strange to be muttering so frantically even if nobody noticed you. Was something wrong with her?

The girl heard my voice and her shoulders jumped. Then she turned back to me while shaking.

Her nervous blue eyes reflected me and asked who I was without a word.

On the other hand, I looked at her face and was convinced. I was convinced that I’d seen such bright blonde hair before.

“Are you Leo’s little sister?”

I’ve heard from Ojou that he had a little sister. Her face was so similar to Leo’s that she seemed like what Leo would look like if he were a girl. They were definitely related.

“Leo…?”

“Ah, Roy’s little sister?”

I realized that the girl wasn’t used to that name, stooped down so our gazes met and asked again. Just to be safe, I made myself quiet enough that no one else would hear us.

“You know Roy…?”

She replies with pure astonishment. Probably because I’m a commoner who knows Leo the prince’s face. Portraits of him are too expensive to go into circulation. Commoners are too poor to buy books either. The only way for us to know how they look would usually be by word of mouth. It’d be impossible for one of us to know his face.

“Yeah. He asks me to show him around downtown. I’m Isaac. I may not look like it but I’m something like the Ernst House’s gardening apprentice.”

“Then, you’re Lydia-sama’s…”

Is that how it is, the girl said as she learned my identity. She exhaled slightly and loosened up. Her fear must’ve went away after she learned who I was.

“So. Are you lost?”

The girl kept quiet for a second before nodding begrudgingly.

“What are you doing here?”

“I accompanied Roy-sama to see outside the castle, but I lost him while I was looking around.”

Then she got swept along by the crowd until she didn’t even know the way home. Accompany, she said, but with a mantle like that on her I was doubtful if Roy even knew that she came.

“Why the cloak?”

“I found it in Roy-sama’s study, then I tried wearing it, and uh…”

“Just how much stuff does he have…”

I could only imagine as the girl hesitated to reply. I did think it was too big for her, but to think it’d be owned by Leo. I held my head. At least place it somewhere where kids like your little sister can’t get it. You can’t underestimate a brat’s energy and curiosity.

I patted the girl’s head and smiled at her. I was gonna give Leo a piece of my mind next time we met.

“It’s alright now. I’ll bring you to your brother.”

Scolding is Leo’s job, or her parents’. For now it was more important to calm her down. I didn’t know how lost she was, but it was natural for a small child to feel nervous if they’re alone at a place they don’t know.

Her wide, blue eyes moistened slowly and steadily. But they only moistened and she didn’t cry. Instead, she nodded her head.

I looked at that, removed my hand and cupped my palms together like a saucer while gathering wind magic. I molded it into a bird and approached the girl’s mantle. If it’s Leo’s then it should have traces of Leo. The wind bird read those traces and flew into the sky.

“A bird…?”

“It’s guiding us to where Le-Roy-sama is.”
(TN: Leroy…)

She asked me as I watched the direction the bird was flying towards. I gave a frank reply, lowered my eyes for no particular reason and noticed something. The tips of her hair were touching the ground underneath her cloak. I took a string from my shirt and wrapped it around her back.

“Um…?”

“Please look here and stay still for just a second. That beautiful hair of yours will get dirty.”

The little girl looked at the ground and mumbled, ah, as if she had just noticed. Then she faced forward as I told her to and stayed still. It was hard since her hair kept slipping through my fingers, but I made her hair into a ponytail and wiped the dirt from them. I kept checking if she was in pain, but she seemed to be very used to getting groomed by others. It’d probably be really tough to groom such long hair on her own, so I guess it’s natural.

I finished her hair, stood back up and spoke to her.

“Alright, let’s go. Can you walk?”

“Ah…”

The girl seemed troubled as she covered her feet.

“Does it hurt?”

“I think I’m tired of walking…”

The girl seemed guilty and dejected, but I don’t mind. The castle must be huge and its floors flat and broad with paths paved within. It must be her first time walking on uneven ground like the one on market street that’s designed for carriages. Of course she’s tired.

I turned my back to the girl and squatted.

“Get on.”

“Eh?”

“I’m a commoner. I don’t have enough money for a carriage, so please bear with me.”

The girl seemed to understand what I meant. She hesitated a bit, said excuse me then put her body on my back.

I made sure her hands were on my shoulders, stood up and started walking. At first she hesitated to put her hands on my shoulders, but that was dangerous so naturally I took her hands and pulled them to my front.

“By the way, uh…”

“It’s Erna.”

“Erna, should I be acting more respectful?”

“No, we’re not in public so I don’t mind.”

She probably means that this would be a bad place for her to get outed as a member of the royal family. But she does sound like Leo.

“You really are Leo’s sister.”

“Yes. Aside from our eyes, I’m often told that Roy-sama and I are like two peas in a pod.”

She happily missed my meaning and I tilted my head.

“No, you don’t look the same.”

“Eh?”

“Your expression changes more frequently so you look more honest. The way you speak is more alike than your faces.”

If you’re only looking at looks, then they’re identical twins. But their expressions are different. Erna looks more like her age while Leo looks… profoundly old.

Leo has trained his face to smile so that the grown-ups around him can’t read how he feels. He had fun in front of me or Ojou, but he also used that smile with the grown-ups at his birthday party. He’s a weird guy. Imagine having a perfect business smile before you’re even ten years old.

“…It’s the first time someone told me we’re alike in something aside from looks.”

“Really?”

I was surprised to hear what she’d muttered. Because even if family members don’t act alike, they tend to share small habits at least. Just this morning when I woke up early, my mother told me I’m just like my dad and laughed. I think I take more after her though.

“If you’re sleepy you can sleep until we get there.”

“…I’m not that shameless.”

“Okay.”

I smiled as she replied poutishly from my back. Erna’s childlike reactions were cute and funny, but a little more cute.

I thought she was tired so I continued walking quietly for some time. Then I heard a long sigh from my back.

“Thank goodness… I thought I was done for.”

Her voice is full of relief and she might’ve said that unconsciously.

“…You sound like Yuuka.”

I spoke my mind. It was me letting out random thoughts without really thinking, but it was also the fact that she said the line my sister would say so many times after I helped her in her games. I remembered my little sister from my previous life.

There was a time when Yuuka tagged along with me while we were kids. Then she complained at me about how her feet were tired and I carried her home. It’s like what’s happening right now, and that might be why I’m remembering her when I really don’t need to.

“…Taichi?”

Her words uttered half-asleep stopped my stride.

My previous name I’d never expected to hear again. And there’s only one person who can identify me just by hearing that.

“Haa? Is that really you, Yuuka??”

I tried turning around, but it was reckless. All I saw was her shiny, golden hair in the corner of my vision, so I turned back to my front.

“You’re Taichi?”

“So you really are her.”

Only siblings would arrive at the same conclusion. Erna stopped talking after that, probably to think about how she could deny it.

“…I shouldn’t have spoken politely to you.”

“Oi.”

Rude as ever. That’s the first thing she says after knowing it’s me?

After realizing that Erna was Yuuka, something struck on my mind. I got worried and asked.

“Yuuka, don’t tell me you’re…”

“Duuuummy. Of course not. We all died peacefully.”

“I see.”

I was visibly relieved, glad that Yuuka didn’t have to die an early death too.

“Probably, anyway.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know if it’s because this is the world of Your Star, but I can’t really remember anything that’s not related with the game. Only vaguely.”

“Isn’t that just because you have a bad memory?”

“I don’t wanna hear that from you.”

She said as she pinched both of my cheeks from my back. It didn’t really hurt.

But I got it. Yuuka wasn’t too different from the Yuuka I remembered despite having supposedly lived out her whole life because she couldn’t remember much more than I could. Well, if a little girl suddenly got all the memories of an old woman it’d probably be too much for her mind.

“…Yuuka.”

“What?”

Yuuka replied impatiently while pulling both of my cheeks. I couldn’t see her behind me so I remembered how Yuuka looked like in the previous world.

“Sorry.”

All I have are Tanaka Taichi’s memories from my last life. All she has are Yuuka’s memories from the previous world. She is Erna. I know.

But I still got to see her.

I never thought I could see her again. I never thought I’d get to apologize for throwing my life away.

I died of an accident, but that happened because I wasn’t thinking.

You could give excuses like how I was depressed from my diagnosis, but the fact is that I was only looking at myself at that time. I was careless with my own life, and other people paid the price. I’m the worst.

Even if I wasn’t the same person anymore, remembering how I died makes me feel disgusted with myself.

“…!?”

Right when I felt like sinking into my guilt, she pinched my cheeks hard.

“Duuummy.”

Yuuka insulted me and clung onto my neck.

“Dummy Taichi.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry.”

She spoke like a brat, and for som reason I thought it was a little funny. Yuuka didn’t cry or shake. She just held onto me for a while.

I continued walking as I felt warmth on my back.

After some time, Yuuka suddenly raised her head.

“Come to think of it, why are you in Your Star!? And who’s Isaac!!?”

Yuuka seemed to be feeling curious now and I let her keep talking. She’s really resilient to get back up so soon after that. I feel like she can’t think pessimistically.

“I don’t know. I think he’s a mob so I just do what I want.”

“But you’re acquainted with Roy.”

“We see each other from time to time.”

“And you work at Lydia-sama’s home do you?”

“Also from time to time.”

“Is there anything else you do from time to time…?”

For some reason, even though I can’t see her I can still feel her staring at me from behind. It’s uncomfortable, like I’m being interrogated for some crime I didn’t do.

“Anyway, you’re in, uh, Your Star?”

“I am Philine Erna Von Rozenhein, a supporting character who appears in Roy-sama’s route from Only Your Small Star – Dein Einziger Sternchen!”

I could see the face she was making from her voice. And why say both yours and the game’s full name? I don’t think anyone would be jealous or something. She’s like an actor in a play taking a ton of pride for her role which is a tree.

“Really. I don’t really get it, but I’m glad you were born like that. You’re a beautiful girl with blonde hair and blue eyes.”

“Right!? Isn’t it cool!? Like Za Royal Family!?”
(TN: She does say za in the raws)

It seems that she’s been wanting to say that but didn’t so she wouldn’t sound like a narcissist. She sounds very happy about it.

“Yes, yes, it’s cute. And are you fine with your beloved Roy-sama being your big brother?”

She seems really excited, but being Roy’s little sister meant that she’d no longer be a love candidate for Roy. She used to talk my ears off about him all the time. Maybe she’s disappointed as an otome game player.

“Well you see-”

“Hm?”

“I still love him, but now that I’m Roy-sama’s little sister I can’t see him like a capture target. Like, that’s not how he feels to me…?”

I smiled as I watched her looking for the right words to express her thoughts.

“I see.”

I’d noticed it a little bit. She’s been talking about him like his little sister from the beginning. He’s no longer just Roy like he was back then for her. Right now Leo is her big brother.

I felt relief wash through me after making sure of that. She’s taking this world as her own reality.

We arrived at a house with potted myrtle flowers in the front before I let Yuuka down. I faced the small girl with shiny, golden hair and thought, this girl is bad for my eyes.

“Whose house is this?”

“Mine. You stand out without your mantle so I called Leo here.”

“…Is he already inside?”

“Who knows. Prepare yourself.”

Yuuka grimaced, thinking she might get scolded, so I told her to prepare herself. I can’t defend her from the consequences of her own actions.

I put my hand on the doorknob and turned around before opening it.

“Please treat me well from now on, Erna.”

“Please treat me well Isaac.”

We reviewed our identities here in this world and opened the door.

“I’m home Mom. Is Leo here yet?”

“E-Excuse my intrusion.”

Erna peeked inside the house while hiding behind me.

“Welcome home. Yes, he’s here with his big brother.”

“Isaac, why are we meeting here now?”

Leo came up to me with his brown wig on and his bodyguard Matteus behind him. Please excuse my intrusion, Matteus said as he lowered his head.

“Ah… I see.”

I looked at Leo and my Mom and noticed something. Then while they were looking at me confused, I took off her mantle.

“Don’t wear this inside the house.”

“Wha…!?”

“Phil!! What are you doing here!?”

“Ara, what an adorable young lady. Welcome.”

Leo’s eyes widened. Matteus paled in worry. Is he okay? Is he gonna fall over?

Upon noticing Erna, Mom smiled and started to prepare more tea.

After losing her stealth device, Erna shook and glared at me for removing her mantle so quickly.

“Hey, I was still preparing myself emotionally!”

“You can’t get any sunlight from underneath that thing. Or did you plan to hide behind me this whole time?”

“But, I mean… Isaac you dummy!”

Back in the day, whenever she couldn’t make up her mind, she would always moan about this and that. I remembered those times and ended up acting a bit forcefully. She vented her anger out on me, again just like those times. Come to think of it, she was muttering to herself when I found her earlier.

“Phil…?”

“Ah…”

Leo was very surprised to see his little sister. Erna remembered her big brother and stiffened up.

Matteus was also surprised. I wonder if Erna usually spoke more formally, like a princess. She was polite until she knew who I was.

Thinking that it’d be best not to interfere since I was a bystander, I watched the situation unfold.

After a few seconds of silence, Leo opened his mouth first.

“You’ve gotten terribly comfortable with Isaac.”

“Eh… Uh, yes… He helped me when I was lost.”

As Leo smiled, Erna made an unpleasant face for a second before covering it up with a smile of her own. I don’t suppose she was happy to hear that. I find it a little upsetting myself. She keeps calling me a dummy even though it’s been such a short time.

“Leo, don’t just leave this lying around.”

I raised the mantle and showed it to Leo. He seemed to have guessed what happened just from that and smiled bitterly.

“Sorry. This was my fault. I didn’t consider other people using my things.”

“I… I’m sorry, big brother. I wanted to come with you…”

“No, it’s my fault for telling you about my inspection trip when you wanted to go outside yourself.”

“Never, I…”

Before they could go on forever, I stood between them and pushed the back of their heads, making both of them bow.

“Both of you are in the wrong. Let’s leave it at that.”

Both of them stopped. One of them laughed while the other was a bit miffed.

“Right. I’ll take care of my things from now on.”

“It’s annoying that you’re right, but you are. Oh well.”

“Please sit down and help yourselves to some tea.”

Mom put tea on the table and encouraged us to sit down.

This rectangular table only has four seats and four cups. Mom had to water flowers so she went away. Matteus was in front of me, Erna was beside and sitting diagonally from me was Leo. For now, I looked away to avoid hurting my eyes as much as possible.

Leo took a sip of tea, exhaled and spoke to Erna.

“Phil, why did you leave so suddenly? Therese and the others must be worried.”

“Come to think of it, we haven’t heard any complaints about how the princess has gone missing.”

“I often… no, sometimes when I wish to be alone, I play a game of hide and seek. Therese must be searching in the castle…”

“Phil… that’s what you were doing?”

“Princess…”

Leo was simply surprised at this fact while Matteus was left speechless. Erna couldn’t say anything as they stared at her. She drank more tea to avoid their attention.

I watched the exchange while sipping my own tea. I wonder who Therese-san is.

“But she’ll find out when you come home with me, right?”

“Yes… I’ll tell her in advance.”

Saying that, Erna put her cup aside and thrust both of her hands out with a nervous expression. She wrapped her hands around the air as if something was there, and magic began to gather.

When I read the attribute from the spirits, I muttered in surprise.

“Wind and… light?”

“Fufu, I have dual attributes.”

How’s that, Erna looked at me pridefully. I wonder why she’s bragging at me. I turned my face away and replied nonchalantly.

“Woooow, amazing.”

“Hey, why are you looking away?”

“You’re too bright.”

“What do you mean!?”

“Phil, don’t mind it. He treats me like that too.”

“Roy-sama too!? How rude!”

Erna threatens me like a cat with its fur bristling while Roy consoles her with a smile.

“Everyone has something they’re not good at. Phil, you’re my little sister, so surely you can tolerate things as small as this right?”

“Uuu…”

“No, you should be a bit offended too, Leo.”

Why does he think it’s funny? I think Erna’s more normal for flaring up at me.

Even if it’s something I’m not good with, I do think that not meeting peoples’ eyes is rude so I always want to say sorry to Leo. But he doesn’t get mad so I never get the opportunity. I guess the only time I did apologize was when we first met.

Leo points out how Erna’s magic concentration was interrupted and she refocuses it. Light particles gather alongside the magic, forming a silhouette of light. It gets about as big as a person, and before long a maid’s figure is seen.

“There-”

“Philine-sama! Where on earth are you hiding this time!?”

Right when Erna tries to talk, Maid-san scolds her with a really angry look on her face. Erna reflexively clutches her head and assumes a defensive stance.

“I-I’m sorry… um, I’m with Roy-sama right now…”

“With his Highness, the Prince!? His Highness is busy. No matter how much you long to see him, you mustn’t cause him any trouble!”

“Therese, it’s no trouble so please don’t blame her too much. I’m taking Phil home safely.”

“That’s not the problem! Your Highness is too sweet to Philine-sama! I understand wanting to pamper the young princess, but…”

Leo comes to Erna and puts in a good word for her, then the granny maid, Therese-san scolds the both of them. Erna grimaces and endures her anger. Even Leo can only smile wryly and listen.

I observed the sci-fiesque conversation taking place before me, deeply impressed. Wind for the sound and light for the image, probably. It surely can’t be done without a lot of magic power. What an interesting use of composite magic.

Anyway, Therese-san is really loud when she’s mad. These walls aren’t soundproof so I wonder if this is okay.

Couldn’t I make a soundproof membrane around this room with my magic, I thought. But when I looked around, a soundproof barrier had already been formed. To think she could pull off other magics in tandem with this combined magic.

Therese-san finishes her sermon. Erna ends the hoologram since they’re done talking and I clap.

“You’re amazing, Erna.”

“You just noticed?”

After I genuinely compliment her, Erna seems to cheer up after that sermon with a puffed up chest and a blush on her cheeks. She looked so lame being scolded until just now, I thought only in my heart.

“Um, Isaac-kun…”

Matteus calls to me with a worried voice.

“Yeah, I won’t tell anyone that Erna was outside or that she uses wind and light magic. Shall we seal it in blood?”

“I mean, a blood seal is a little… but I’ll prepare some documents in the future just to be safe. Would you sign them?”

“Yes. Of course.”

I asked him to exclude my Mom because she doesn’t know anything and Matteus agreed. The word of some kid from downtown isn’t assuring enough. This looks like a state secret.

“Come to think of it, Leo, what’s with this mantle?”

It seemed like the soundproof barrier was still up so I asked him about something that’s been on my mind. Leo smiled broadly.

“I made it. With your stealth membrane from before as reference. Just as you said, I was able to use other attributes.”

To be able to imitate my shadow membrane, this is a very high-spec magic tool. I can’t put magic power in objects or anything like that.

Leo told me that he’d taken this mantle and put darkness magic on it with a magic circle. Just using it means you have to save darkness magic in advance, and if you use it for a long time the magic will start seeping out.

So it needs to be charged. And it can only be charged by people with a lot of magic power.

“It was quite fun to not be noticed by people for once. So I ended up placing it somewhere I could easily get it from.”

I’m very sorry, Leo apologized albeit with a beaming smile. He seemed to be having a lot of fun, nodding his head as if to say he knew how Erna felt.

“…Well, hide it so it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.”

“Yeah, I’ll be careful.”

Leo must be aware that he’d made something really impressive. I think he’s aware, but just in case I deliberately warned him again. Seeing him smile so happily kinda makes me nervous.

“Isaac-kun…”

“Yes. I’ll also sign a document for this.”

I nodded to Matteus. He was even more worried than me. I want him to be less worried, even if it’s just a little with my signature.

“Right then, let’s go back while Therese is distracting the others.”

“Yes… I’m sorry for hindering your inspection trip.”

As Leo made to leave, Erna was dejected for interrupting her big brother’s inspection.

Leo stroked her head and smiled down at her affectionately.

“My little sister is adorable even with her hair up. After discovering another one of your charms, today is a good day.”

“Roy-sama…”

I’ve never met her but I truly, violently agree with Therese-san. I too think Leo is too sweet to his little sister. I looked at their exchange with half-lidded eyes.

“Ara, you’re going home already?”

Mom asked after coming back from watering the plants, a little surprised. Usually we’d lend Leo our clothes and he’d do an inspection before coming back, but this time he’s coming home very early.

“Yes. I’m very sorry for leaving so soon.”

“Thanks for accomodating us.”

Leo greeted her in a very un-childish way. Seeing that, Erna panicked and bowed. They really don’t resemble each other apart from their faces.

Mom must’ve thought the same thing and smiles amusedly. She goes in front of Erna and kneels so their eyes meet.

“If you’d like, you can eat this with your big brother at home.”

“…Yes, thank you very much.”

Erna smiles happily after accepting wrapped cookies baked by my Mom.

Since she’d stand out as she is, she also puts the mantle back on with the hood. Her hand is joined with Leo’s so they don’t lose her because of the stealth function.

Since the magic tool is working, Leo tells me that I only need to see them off to the front door. That’s what I do.

“Bye then.”

“See you again, Isaac.”

“…Isaac.”

Erna raises her index finger and bends it back and forth, gesturing for me to come to her. I do wonder about how a princess gets to act like a delinquent.

I tilt my head, come over and kneel. She grips my collar and pulls me closer.

“Guu, you’re… choking-”

“No matter what happens, I’ll only ever act for Roy-sama’s happiness.”

She whispered a declaration to my ear. My eyes widened. Then I smiled and whispered back.

“Yeah, I’ll only act for Ojou’s happiness too.”

After hearing that, Erna lets go of her hand on my collar, releasing me. I clashed with blue eyes that hid determination, and wished for my eyes to hide the same amount of resolve.

“Hm…?”

I thought it was awfully quiet when I looked up and saw a surprised Leo and Matteus with a stiff expression.

I tilted my head to ask them what was wrong. Erna also looked confused.

“Phil…”

Leo didn’t say anything more. But as if to continue his words, Matteus returned to himself and asked in shock.

“Have you fallen for Isaac-kun!?”

“”Ha?””

Now Erna and I had stiff expressions. How the heck did he reach that conclusion?

I thought back on what we just did. For me she seemed like a delinquent trying to threaten me, but depending on the angle, did they maybe see that as some kind of friendly, foreign greeting?

Chills ran down my spine.

“”No way!!””

Erna and I both denied it with all our power. So much that Matteus flinched.

Even if it was just in the previous life, having someone doubt my relationship with my little sister makes me feel really bad. Erna must’ve thought the same since we said the same thing.

After getting extremely tired, I greeted Leo and the others goodbye.

“I hope we meet Erna-chan again.”

“Maybe. It’s a miracle already that we met today.”

I replied to my Mom with my honest thoughts.

I don’t know if we’ll ever meet again. Because more than anything, she’s a princess now.

Just how low is the chance to meet your previous family after reincarnating? Especially with me being a commoner and her being royalty. This was a great miracle.

My little sister called me a dummy right away, but I’m glad I met her.

I smiled for the miracle today.

“Ah.”

Then I remembered something I’d been forgetting.

“Ojou’s birthday present.”

That’s what I had to do for today.

The inspection trip is cancelled, so I head back into market street.

TN:
In chapter 17 I wrote MC’s name as Taiichi but now I’m changing it to Taichi. It can be pronounced either way so I’m going with Taichi because I think it sounds better.

Sorry for being inactive for the longest time. I’ve actually been translating ahead but I’ve decided to edit more rigorously and I’ve been procrastinating the actual posting of these chapters.