Chapter 78

Jin looked confused, unsure whether to believe my words.

After all, without Ryou, there was no way to prove it. I would have to face him with a sword later.

I picked up a suitable fountain pen from Ryou's desk to prepare my reply. Then, I suddenly remembered a presence I had forgotten and looked up.

"By the way, why did you come here?"

Andert, with a face full of dissatisfaction, was lying on the sofa, glaring at me.

"You only realize this now…"

He pressed his forehead once and, with a short sigh and a wary tone, asked,

"You. Do you know me?"

Are you crazy?

"You? Are you my friend? Call me 'sister.'"

"Are you crazy?"

"You're the one who's crazy, you ungrateful brat. When you regain your memory, you'll be so embarrassed by what happened in the willow forest that you'll want to crawl into the ground. You seem to have come here to ask for advice about your memory, but forget it. I have nothing to tell someone who doesn't know their place and tries to eat their friend."

Wow, Jin exclaimed in admiration.

"I've never seen you speak so much, senior."

Andert's confusion deepened. He seemed startled by my strong approach.

He glanced at my sturdy and clean shoulders and then opened his mouth with a look of utter incomprehension.

"Who are you, really?"

"Sister."

"Who?"

"Sister."

"Damn. Did we have some grudge in a past life? To be caught by such a weirdo…"

Andert, throwing his cap nervously, scolded me.

"Explain why I should call you 'sister'!"

"Why should I be your sister? First, I know you very well. Better than your mother, better than your father, better than your friends. No one knows you better than I do."

I started filling out the letter paper I found in the drawer with a slightly altered male handwriting and continued,

"How well do I know you? I even know the secrets of your body that you don't know. Curious?"

Andert, whose frustration had reached its peak, responded without hesitation.

"What is it?"

"Can I say it here?"

"Say it."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Really going to say it."

"Yeah."

"Really?"

Andert, slightly anxious, shouted,

"Stop messing around and just say it!"

"You are."

"..."

"A hermaphrodite."

"..."

A heavy silence fell.

Andert stood frozen, unable to speak. Of course, he was taken aback!

"Now, do you believe me? I'm older than you, and I'm the person you once served as a master. If you don't like 'sister,' call me 'master.' Otherwise, I won't give you any hints about the past."

Andert's expression turned fierce. Whether it was because of the hermaphrodite comment or because I was threatening him, I couldn't tell.

What was certain was that I didn't want to reveal myself as his real sister.

Why?

Because it's unfair.

'I suffered for 14 years and died on the battlefield, while the culprit lived a good life.'

Of course, I admit that I dug my own grave to some extent.

But if it's unfair, it's unfair, right?

I had no intention of easily telling Andert about the past he had forgotten.

You need to suffer a bit... Keep chasing me like a fish following a trail of breadcrumbs. If you behave, I'll drop hints one by one.

After a long time, Andert, whose eyebrows were twitching, left the room.

Bang!

Jin, looking at the closed door with a slightly uncomfortable expression, whispered,

"It seems to be true. Thank you for the information, though it's not at all interesting."

Sorry.

I neatly placed the completed letter in an envelope and asked a guild member to send it to Yeger immediately.

I hoped for a positive response.

* * *

The next night.

The guild member sent to Yeger returned.

His answer was 'definitely yes.'

Fortunately, the airship to the Kingdom of Astroza would pass through Midwinter High-speed Airship Station the day after tomorrow, so we decided to meet at the station.

However, Yeger mentioned that an unexpected companion would join from his side and recommended that we increase our companions from two to three.

To help with my psychological stability and identity protection.

'Psychological stability and identity protection, huh.'

Is it because of the border?

Just today, the afternoon mayor used the power of the noble Weatherwood to obtain a 'Daisy Packer's' identity card.

Yeger's consideration is appreciated, but it's now useless.

'At least it's good that there's an extra seat. I can bring Jin without any trouble.'

The key point is that up to three seats are possible.

"Andert. You should come to Logue with us."

He glared at the chessboard and coldly replied,

"Why should I?"

This leech's day is very routine.

After finishing his work and returning to Ryou's mansion (lately, I spend the night at Ryou's mansion instead of my room), he bombards me with questions from "Hey, do I like seafood or not?" to "Sword demon. Do I have insomnia or not?" before leaving to do his job.

From the way he roams around Midwinter, it seems he's gathering information about me.

Sorry, but this neighborhood is already in my hands.

I've already warned the merchants through the guild members, so my story won't leak out unnecessarily.

"You haven't been to Logue, have you?"

"How do you know if I've been there or not?"

One characteristic of Andert: He gets defensive when hit where it hurts.

Another characteristic of Andert: He goes ballistic when this fact is pointed out.

Since I didn't want to stop his tantrum, I offered a story that might interest him.

"You might learn more about the one who killed you."

The expression of the boy, who was rolling the chess piece in his hand, turned cold.

"…I died?"

"Yeah. I was surprised you were alive and well. You probably lost your memory due to the aftermath. I'm sure of it."

"Who killed me?"

"The Great Mage Mephisto."

His mouth formed a straight line. He was surprised by the unexpected name.

"Take a break and come with me. Even if you're a successor, you can take a break, right?"

"…"

I turned away from Andert, who was lost in thought without a word.

I started adjusting the maid's uniform again and recalled the question I had asked Malicops before returning to Weatherwood.

"Grandpa, do they call something precious 'heart' in Logue?"

"Heart?"

"Yeah."

"In Logue, there is something called a 'heart.' It is indeed a precious item. It's this."

"Right, pearls! That's exactly what I was asking about."

"…It seems you have a misunderstanding. This is not a pearl but a Heart Crystal. To be precise, it's a heart that has been crystallized using a traditional method passed down in Logue."

"Crystallized?"

"In Logue, when a family member, teacher, or close friend dies, we crystallize their heart and keep it. We believe that this allows their soul to ascend perfectly."

Hearing this, I suddenly realized.

The heart Ryou was looking for on Queen Island.

Could this heart be the reason Mephisto burned Queen Island?

'Mephisto's army is said to be composed of defectors from Logue. So, there's a high probability that Mephisto himself is from Logue.'

Mephisto, who specifically attacked Queen Island out of the vast land.

Not long after, Ryou visited the charred Queen Island to find the heart.

I didn't think this was all a coincidence. There must be some connection I don't know about.

Jin, who was leisurely writing in his diary, asked me,

"Do you really have to bring that guy, senior?"

"Yeah."

"If so, there's no need to request a separate break. The fact that he's already staying here for two days is proof that he's already requested a long break."

Really? He's already taken a break to meet me?

'That must mean he's desperate.'

Desperate Andert.

He would be perfect as a second porter.

"…Andert. Were you embarrassed when Ryou took your diary?"

Andert's green eyes flashed.

"Who did what?"

Glare.

"You don't need to feel ashamed. Meeting someone as great as Ryou is not easy in life."

Andert didn't argue with this part.

"Ryou is a mage from Logue. You might not know, but Logue is a group of people who have crossed the wall. Isn't it a swordsman's duty to seize any opportunity to face a strong opponent? It will definitely help you. Jin will benefit too."

"…"

"So, why don't you come with me? I'll make sure you get the most out of your break."

Andert didn't answer and turned his head back to the chessboard, but he didn't refuse either.

Time passed quickly, and the day of our departure for the Kingdom of Astroza arrived.