Chapter 62

Ash stood by the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

---

Aisha said she wanted to go on an adventure with me, so why did she return to the kingdom?

No... I feel like I had anticipated this deep down.

She is a high elf princess, a royal highness, and our worlds are clearly different.

What she wanted was just a temporary adventure, something like being captivated by the events in a story world, wasn't it?

"Ahh..."

I finally realized I had come to the port when I felt the sound of the waves hitting my ears.

As expected, there were few people here, and the wind carried the scent of the sea.

The magic flying ship Aisha boarded was far away, its light gradually shrinking and almost disappearing.

"Ahh..."

A small sigh escaped my lips, filled with a sense of powerlessness and disappointment in my own naivety.

I thought about sitting down right there.

"Heyyyyy, kid!"

"Whoa!?"

Suddenly, an arm was draped over my shoulder, and there was Zelly.

Zelly, who is still much taller than me, had a high body temperature and a breath that smelled of alcohol.

"Hey, usually you'd notice Aisha approaching as soon as she gets close, but today you seem completely unguarded, don't you?"

"...Do you have something to say?"

"Do I have to have a reason to come?"

"I'm not in the mood for this today."

I pushed the drunk away with both hands.

"Hmm. Did the kid get rejected?"

"...Huh?"

"Well, high elves are not just high on a pedestal; they're like stars in the sky. It's better to forget about them."

"That's not true... Aisha isn't like that. Besides, I can't forget about Aisha."

"Oh? Is that so? Then is it a forbidden love for an older sister?"

"Huh? Lark? No, what are you talking about?!"

"Ho, your cheeks are red. So, this is the real deal..."

"Wait, no. I'm just surprised, that's all."

"But you're not related, right? So it's okay! Hahaha"

"That's not okay at all... Besides, Lark just told me not to come anymore."

"What happened?"

"That's... I took away Lark's innate ability. Because of that, Lark is overexerting herself. But she didn't understand that."

I hesitated for a moment but told Zelly about it. About taking away Lark's innate ability, and how that made Lark overexert herself, but she didn't understand.

"Ah, that's your fault, kid."

"...Yeah, I guess I shouldn't have done that without consulting her first..."

Zelly, who is the epitome of carelessness, can still make you feel down when she points it out...

"No, it's not that. A woman who aims to be 'strong' would be devastated if her weak spot was pointed out by the man she loves."

"...Huh?"

"Lark is strong, but she's pushing herself to the limit. I can tell."

"No, that's not it... What do you mean by 'the man she loves'? Who are you talking about?"

"Haaaaa"

Zelly let out a dramatic sigh.

"Kid... I thought you were emotionally immature, but I didn't expect this much. It's you, you."

"Huh?"

Wait, what does that mean?

"Lark is your sister?"

"Of course, that's the cover story so she can be close to you. Lark is quite emotionally immature. I wonder where she grew up?"

In a mine where slaves are gathered.

"Kid, Lark did something bad in the past and ran away, so she can't tell you her feelings. She doesn't want to involve you."

"That's... true."

"That's why she keeps saying she's your sister to maintain distance. She doesn't want you to worry or to consult with you. She left the Lef Magic Empire in a hurry for the same reason. Everything she did was for the man she loves."

That... can't be.

I knew Lark cared about me, but...

Indeed, just now, Lark only called me 'little brother' and not 'Rage.'

"Haaaaa"

Zelly let out another dramatic sigh.

"Given that, the fact that you took away the only thing Lark relied on, her innate ability, leaves her with no standing. If I were Lark, I'd be angry and embarrassed, and I'd snap."

"...She snapped."

Zelly's "I told you so" face is really annoying.

It's annoying, but... right now, Zelly seems to be right.

"I'll return the innate ability gem to Lark."

"You shouldn't do that."

"...Why not? If I was wrong, I should apologize."

"Really, you don't get it, kid. Women's hearts."

"I don't want to hear about women's hearts from someone who drinks during the day..."

"Drinking is a woman's hobby."

Don't be so smug.

"Listen, kid. Think about Lark right now. She's probably remembering how you acted for her benefit and feeling ashamed for being so harsh to you. She must feel like she wants to disappear."

"...It's like you saw it happen."

"That's your fault for not understanding this."

"Ugh..."

"What if you go to her and say, 'I'm sorry, it was my fault'? What do you think will happen?"

"...It will make things worse..."

"That's right."

Zelly crossed her arms and puffed out her chest with a "heh."

This time, Zelly seems to be right.

"So, what should I do...?"

"Give it some time. This is a chance for Lark to be honest with you. She needs time. To become a 'strong woman,' she needs to know her 'weaknesses.'"

"...I understand."

I felt a bit uneasy about not seeing Lark, but indeed, we might need some time to cool down.

"So, kid, go to the 'Three Days Forest.'"

"Understood... Wait, what?"

"You need to talk to the high elf lady, right? Only you can do that."

"But... Lark...?"

"Can you leave it to us?"

A voice called out.

I turned around to see Non.

Behind her were Dante and Mimon.

"Meeting the 'Sage of Pharmacology' can be done by my father, Mimon, and Zelly. It's fine."

"But this is about my sister—"

"Rage-kun."

Non approached me.

Although the height difference between us has narrowed, Non is still a bit taller.

"Actually... I received a message that my magic teacher is coming to Zackerhaven. My teacher is a genius in [Recovery Magic] and can help with Lark's recovery."

"Is that... okay?"

"It's fine."

Non placed her hands on my shoulders.

"Don't carry everything on your own. Don't think you have to do everything alone. Rely on us. We are the same 'Silver Scales' party members and like a family. If Lark is part of your family, then I am part of Lark's family too."

"Non... thank you..."

Non's smile melted my stiff heart.

I think I was pushing myself quite hard.

I had to save lives and put in my best effort.

But the person I really wanted to help didn't get the help they deserved.

So the sense of powerlessness was... intense.

"I'll go too!"

"I'm here too."

Mimon and Dante approached,

"Of course, this reliable me is here too. I'm looking forward to the debt reduction."

Zelly winked.

"Okay...!"

I wiped the corners of my eyes, which had become warm.

"Thank you all...!"

At that moment, I felt my body—and my heart—become lighter.

The novel version is now available!

The thoroughly revised novel version is designed to make the story even more enjoyable. Since the first week is crucial in the light novel industry, please consider purchasing it...!