Chapter 9

Chapter 8

Academy Admission - 3

The reunion with my brother, who was admitted to the academy to see a wider world, was the worst. He was clearly a precious child at home, but he fell for a girl with a hellish difficulty level.

'Scary. Human capybara.'

It was even more shocking because he was usually not interested in girls. If it were someone I expected, I could have let it go, but it was a surprise to see this unexpected person suddenly appear. The reunion with my brother was truly the worst...

"It's a relief to see you in good health."

I struggled to find the right words amidst my mixed feelings and decided to let it pass. Even if my brother intruded into a race with a foreseeable future, it's quite ugly to interfere and give advice on his love life, which he hasn't even talked about.

I don't think my relationship with Erihi is bad, but we're not that close. Even if we were, if I suddenly said, "Your love life is a mess," it would probably lead to a falling out.

Erihi nodded with a bewildered look as I patted his shoulder, and Irena, who had stepped back to observe, spoke up.

"But, Karl... Why did you come to the academy?"

Her question, which seemed to drift from a formal title to "big brother" after some hesitation, made me feel a small sense of satisfaction. It felt good to hear the fresh word "big brother" after only hearing rigid terms like "section chief," "this guy," "bastard," and "madman."

"I came on business. I might be staying for quite a while, so if we run into each other, say hello."

"Business? Are you a bureaucrat?"

Irena's eyes widened in surprise. If he came to the academy for official business, he must be a mid-level bureaucrat, but Karl looked more like a new recruit just starting out.

"Yeah, a bureaucrat."

I almost added, "You shouldn't do this," but closed my mouth. If my words influenced future civil servants to not do this, it could be problematic.

The more new slaves pile up, the easier it is for me. Eventually, the gears might keep turning even without me... I hope.

"Wow! I heard it's hard to become a bureaucrat these days!"

Capybara, no, Louise's eyes sparkled at the mention of Karl being a bureaucrat. Is it really hard to become a civil servant these days? It shouldn't be. Otherwise, the rate of new slaves would decrease.

"I became a bureaucrat four years ago, so I'm not sure about the current situation."

As Louise was about to say something, I quickly cut her off. I'm already the protagonist of this world, and Erihi is someone who has been swallowed up by the protagonist. Keeping him close is terrifying. Of course, he hasn't done anything wrong... but I feel a bit wary.

Is this the poor civil servant's jealousy towards the beloved protagonist? Hmm, that sounds plausible.

"But weren't you on your way to school? You might be late if you stay any longer."

"It's still okay..."

"Ah, right. We should go now."

Irena stopped Louise, who seemed to have more to say. She must have noticed that I wanted to leave. She has good instincts. Is her attachment to the protagonist a result of her natural intuition?

"Let's meet again if we get the chance."

I gave a casual greeting, equivalent to "Let's have dinner sometime," and looked at Erihi. As a brother, I should give some encouragement.

"There are many things you can do at the academy, so work hard and make progress."

Of course, I don't know what he can do. I'd have to see the academy to know. It's a dog's life.

With that, I turned and headed towards the main building, but I quickly changed direction when I saw a blonde man walking with a distant follower. Meeting the protagonist, having the worst reunion with my brother, and then seeing this person would be too much.

Erihi sighed and wiped the sweat from his chin as he watched Karl's retreating back. He didn't expect to see his awkward older brother at the academy. Moreover, he said he might stay for a long time. It was like a bolt from the blue.

Seeing Erihi's expression, Louise asked worriedly. He was stiff, sweating, and his pupils were darting. Even a casual passerby could tell something was wrong. It would be rude not to ask.

"Erihi, are you hurt? Are you okay?"

"A, a, um. I'm fine. Don't worry."

He forced a smile, but Erihi was far from fine. From the moment Karl noticed him and approached, Erihi felt like a frog in front of a snake.

"It's been a while. How have you been?"

When the man with eyes as dark as pitch looked down at him, and a deep voice quietly enveloped him, Erihi could barely manage to answer without averting his gaze. Karl's presence was a heavy pressure that weighed down on his entire body.

'Trying to get used to it just makes it worse.'

Perhaps the more Erihi's abilities improved, the more he felt the overwhelming pressure he hadn't felt before. A person who exudes pressure while walking—could they really be brothers from the same mother?

In fact, when Erihi was young, things weren't like this. Their relationship wasn't particularly close, but they had a normal level of affection, like any other family. They played, argued, apologized, and played again. It was a typical brotherly relationship, and Karl was a quiet older brother. This was until Karl, at 16, fell off a horse and lost consciousness.

Naturally, the mansion was in chaos. With the heir of the baron's family unconscious, anyone with even a hint of responsibility was on the verge of hanging themselves. Fortunately, Karl recovered after a short time, but from then on, he was different.

Karl, who had been introverted, became more outgoing. It was a bit strange, but since he had almost died, a change in personality was understandable. However, no matter how positively one viewed it, the Karl after 17 was unrecognizable from the old one.

Karl's expression hardened as time passed, and at some point, he stopped coming home at all. It was too long to simply be busy, and the last time he was seen, he looked utterly exhausted.

Two years after Karl became a bureaucrat, when Erihi was 15, Karl finally returned to the mansion. The heir's return caused a commotion, and the scene was etched in Erihi's memory.

"Well done. You are a masterpiece of the Crassius family."

Karl and Erihi's father, the head of the Crassius family. Calling him "father" felt strange. He was an excellent vassal, a distinguished noble, and a decent lord, but not a good father.

He saw his two sons as tools to continue the Crassius name and as pawns to serve the emperor and the empire. He treated them well to make them useful but never showed affection or interest. That was the kind of person he was.

But the head of the family, who hadn't seen Karl in a long time, smiled broadly and laughed loudly enough to be heard throughout the mansion. The butler and the steward, who had served the head of the family for a long time, looked surprised at this unfamiliar sight. Only Karl bowed his head and responded to the head of the family's praise without any emotion.

"I merely did what needed to be done."

The head of the family was even more satisfied with this response.

After the head of the family left, Erihi finally approached Karl. It was natural to welcome his long-lost brother, no matter how distant they were. But when Erihi approached, the look in Karl's eyes made him shudder.

Karl's eyes looked at him as if he were the head of the family. Not as a person, but as a way to gauge how much he had grown. Karl patted Erihi's shoulder a few times and left, leaving Erihi standing there for a long time.

And two years later, today, Karl's eyes were the same as they were then.

'The kid is growing well.'

Avoiding the blonde man observed from a distance, Karl finally headed towards the main building. After some time, he managed to push aside his mixed feelings and recall Erihi's growth. Despite showing a pitiful and pathetic side to the protagonist just ten days after the opening ceremony, Erihi was growing healthily.

Erihi's situation made Karl feel guilty. A father who was not a father, a mother who either agreed with or was powerless against the head of the family's methods, and Karl, who had taken over the body instead of the original owner. In this triangular relationship, young Erihi had to grow up alone.

When Karl took over the body, Erihi was 12. From then on, Erihi had to stand on his own. For the first year, they lived in the same mansion, so Karl could at least greet him and take care of him a little. But once Karl started his civil service, even that became impossible.

When he returned to the mansion after finishing his northern duties, seeing Erihi's growth was heartwarming. He patted Erihi's shoulder a few times and left, noting that Erihi seemed a bit stiff, probably because he was awkward around his long-lost brother.

Today, seeing Erihi grow even more, he felt a deep sense of nostalgia and placed his hand on Erihi's shoulder, but Erihi stiffened again. Family members should live together and see each other often. Erihi is getting used to his brother.

'I should try to meet Erihi more often.'

If Erihi knew, he would be shocked and seriously consider quitting the academy and his school life with Louise.

Conversely, if Karl knew that Erihi saw his eyes as the head of the family's, looking at people like chess pieces, he would also be shocked.

The brothers had weapons to deal psychological blows to each other, but in different ways...

Author's Note

From a distance, he seems invincible... (omitted)

Karl's civil service life, which includes even his family from a distance. Who will truly understand his harsh reality?

Thank you for reading this chapter!

Thank you, Belog and Danjanholik, for your support!