Chapter 1

**Being the Older Brother of a Hero, Chapter 1**

**Chapter 1: Light**

Shane.

The moment the sword imbued with holy energy pierced his heart, he felt an indescribable sense of liberation.

“Aah. Finally...”

The power of envy, one of the Seven Sins.

The force that had bound him for so long was finally fading away.

It was due to the holy sword embedded in his heart.

Soon, the light that had never come to him, no matter how many lives he had taken, was etched in his eyes.

“Brother... sir?”

Through the half-broken mask, he could see the face of his younger brother, Klein, the hope of humanity and the hero.

Even though the hero had just defeated the villain.

Why was his expression so filled with confusion?

Shane soon realized the reason.

“Klein... you are still shining.”

“Brother...? Why...”

Swish—

Shane’s trembling hand brushed against Klein’s cheek.

But it soon fell, as if exhausted.

As the power of corruption left his body, so did his life force.

‘Ten years... it’s been ten years.’

The disaster brought about by his once insatiable greed.

Since then, Shane had never known a moment of peace.

Falling into the corruption of envy, he had destroyed everything but himself.

Together with the ‘Organization,’ he had plunged countless kingdoms into ruin.

Now, the few remaining humans had gathered around one person to form a resistance.

That person was Klein, the one Shane had envied and hated the most.

But Shane, seeing his brother after ten years with a clear mind, felt no hatred.

Perhaps it was because he had lived in corruption for the past ten years, where even a moment of freedom was denied.

Or perhaps it was due to the holy power contained in his brother’s sword.

Instead of hatred, only guilt remained.

Shane didn’t know what to say.

There were many things he wanted to say.

But he was a sinner.

A sinner who could never be cleansed, never forgiven.

How many kingdoms had fallen by his command, and how many people had died within them?

Not only their homes but also their families, friends, and lovers had been taken away by the worst of villains.

That was Shane, Clayton R. Shane.

In the end.

Shane looked up at his brother, Klein, who was overwhelmed with uncontrollable sorrow.

“How... How can this be... How!”

His brother, who had just realized his true identity.

If he had known Klein would be this sad, he would have made the mask more sturdy.

No, even if he had, it wouldn’t have mattered, as he couldn’t control his own body at the time.

Shane wanted to comfort his brother one last time as an older brother.

Even though he was a villain who deserved the anger and curses of the entire world.

Still.

“Don’t feel sorry. The sinner was me, not you.”

As the hope of humanity and his brother, perhaps he could lighten the burden on his shoulders.

Thus, Shane closed his eyes.

As if to tell his brother not to feel any guilt.

With a peaceful face.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, he saw the warm sunlight streaming in through the curtains.

The blanket, filled with the warmth of the sunlight, provided a mix of coolness and comfort, and the pillow that cradled his head was the perfect softness for a warm morning.

“Another dream.”

Shane quietly got up from his sleep.

His body resisted, wanting to stay in the warmth, but Shane got up and opened the window.

The backyard of the mansion, filled with lush trees, came into view.

The chirping of birds signaled the start of the morning.

Everything was completely different from the scenes he was used to.

The days spent at the top of a castle filled with death.

A land of death where nothing could be seen no matter where he looked.

But now, wherever he looked, the world was brimming with the energy of life.

Shane turned his gaze to the mirror in the corner of the room.

Black hair and rose-colored eyes.

Up to this point, there was no difference from before.

But the rough skin and gaunt face were gone, replaced by clean, youthful skin and a handsome face.

“I have to accept it now.”

Clayton R. Shane.

One of the officers of the ‘Organization’ who represented one of the Seven Sins, ‘Envy,’ had regressed to 15 years in the past.

* * *

Maria was brewing tea with a worried expression.

Her worry was due to the young master she served, Shane, the eldest son of the Clayton family.

“Sigh...”

Every morning, she brought tea to the young master she served.

It was a routine task for the servants of all noble families, but for Maria, it was the most difficult part of her day.

Seeing her, a fellow maid asked with a puzzled look.

“Maria, why do you look so down lately?”

“Huh? Ah... It’s nothing.”

“Ah, because of Young Master Shane?”

As the fellow maid raised an eyebrow, Maria felt her already bad mood worsen.

Why ask if you already know?

Clayton R. Shane.

The eldest son of the famous merchant family and the baron’s family in the alliance.

From the perspective of a mere maid, the young master seemed like a person without a care in the world, but his personality was well-known within the mansion.

Maria, a maid for five years, found it painful to face Shane, who was always in a bad mood.

‘If he just scolded or hit me, I could run away.’

His face seemed to curse the world, and his indifferent eyes looked at her as if she were a mere insect.

If she made a mistake, the indifference in his eyes would mix with a thick sense of disgust, making her shudder.

For Maria, meeting those eyes was the hardest thing in the world.

Especially the past two days.

Feeling a killing aura from Shane, Maria felt like crying.

Her fellow maid was well aware of Maria’s situation.

But there was no trace of sympathy on her face.

Because of her hard work, Maria had earned the infinite trust of the butler.

Her jealousy led her to speak in such a mocking tone.

Not only that.

Her fellow maid served the second son of the family, Klein.

A genius among geniuses, known as the most outstanding talent of his generation.

Now, even the knights of the family, who had been wielding swords for over ten years, could hardly match Klein’s exceptional abilities.

In the hierarchy of servants, one’s position depended on the status of the person they served.

So, her fellow maid found it annoying that Maria, serving a less prestigious master, had earned the butler’s trust.

As always, Maria, suppressing her anger, ignored the maid’s mockery and headed to the room of the young master she served, Shane.

* * *

Knock—

Hearing the knock, Shane said lightly.

“Come in.”

“Yes, Young Master. I’ve brought your tea.”

The person who entered was the maid, Maria, whom he had seen yesterday.

The girl’s face was always tense when she came in.

Shane felt a strange mix of familiarity and unfamiliarity with her.

After all, it had been three days since Shane had regressed.

For the first two days, he couldn’t believe he had regressed and constantly suspected his surroundings.

He was suspicious that the organization might have done something to him.

Because of this, he had treated the maid very coldly the day before yesterday and yesterday, telling her to leave with a cold expression.

But now that he had accepted the reality of his regression, he needed to change his behavior.

“The tea smells good.”

“Pardon?”

“I said the tea smells good.”

“...?”

Of course, Maria couldn’t know what Shane was thinking, and she was suspicious of why he was suddenly giving compliments.

“I’m sorry for the past two days.”

“...!”

“I had a bad dream.”

“No, Young Master.”

Her voice didn’t sound particularly sincere.

It felt like an obligatory apology.

But just as a person who usually does bad things stands out when they do something good once,

Maria felt as if the world had changed.

“I’ll come back for the teacup in an hour.”

“Yes, I understand.”

As Maria left the room, she recalled the eyes of Shane, who had been looking at her.

“What’s going on...”

His eyes still felt inorganic.

But for some reason, they felt a bit more emotional.

* * *

Shane was lost in thought for a long time.

Corruption never comes without a reason.

Of course, the power of corruption planted in him by the organization was indeed strong.

But just as magic requires a medium, the human magic organ, corruption also needs a medium to grow.

And before his regression, Shane had the perfect conditions for corruption.

Envy.

It was the envy he felt towards his younger brother, Klein.

The reality that he was not as talented as his younger brother, who had outstanding abilities.

And the comparative gazes of the people around him.

Of course, Shane didn’t envy his brother from the beginning.

Even as a child, Shane had been praised as a genius for his sharp mind.

But his younger brother, Klein, was also a wise person, though not as much as Shane.

Moreover, Klein had an unparalleled talent for swordsmanship.

Not only that.

Klein was blessed with a natural talent for magic, making him a genius that might never be seen again after the founding of the world.

That’s why, when the organization began to reveal itself to the world, Klein could become the hero, the hope of humanity.

Because of his brother’s talents.

Shane had once been consumed by envy.

And the corruption had grown, feeding on Shane’s envy like a sweet nutrient.

But perhaps it was the passage of time.

Or perhaps it was the holy energy of the sword his brother had plunged into his heart before his death in his previous life.

Now, Shane felt almost no envy.

And he wanted to erase the last bit of envy that lingered in his heart.

He had already experienced enough envy.

To the point of becoming the embodiment of envy.

By massacring countless humans.

That’s why Shane carefully examined his emotions.

And he thought about his brother, who had freed him from the power of corruption in his last moments before regression.

His face was filled with deep sorrow.

Uncontrollable sorrow.

The guilt of stabbing his last remaining blood relative with his own sword.

And the heavy sense of duty on his shoulders.

‘Do I envy my brother?’

The answer was no.

Then, the last bit of envy that lingered in his heart, like grains of sand, faded away.

For the first time in his life, Shane’s mind became incredibly clear, as if he were welcoming the light.

Just then, another knock was heard.

“Brother, it’s Klein. May I come in?”

They say if you speak of the devil, he will appear.

Shane, with a smile that he hadn’t worn in a long time, got up from his seat.