Book 11 Chapter 14

Episode 266

#11 The Eldest Daughter's Epilogue.

Miria and Akki, having heard the council's contents from Rein, also nodded solemnly.

"Something really serious has happened."

"Akki also thinks it's a serious matter."

Setsunen was having a heated discussion with a priest in the Imperial Palace temple. It was her daily routine.

"If you only have a heart that loves justice, defeating the evil within your heart will be nothing! Falling for temptation is merely a lack of a heart that loves justice!"

Of course, not knowing theology well, her logic was nonexistent.

If the priest had not been someone she knew well, she would have been too ashamed to show her face.

"Priest Sammy, I don't know how to thank you for always taking care of me."

"It is something I enjoy doing. I cannot express how delightful it is to teach the hearts of the gods to such an enthusiastic child."

High Priest, Sammy.

Sammy Sammy, a trainee priest who had grown even plumper and looked better than when she saw him in the ant-nest, had now, 10 years later, risen to the position of High Priest of the Imperial Palace.

Now, they used honorifics, respecting each other's positions.

"I appreciate you saying that, but… please don't accept everything so readily. It'll spoil them."

Setsunen was apprehended and brought to the mansion.

Mir was engrossed in reading, with eyes sharp as blades, piles of books stacked like mountains in the Imperial Library.

Under the strict protection of Swan, the guardian knight of the Ludwig family.

"Swan, bring Mir to the mansion."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

"You know you have to bring the books too, right?"

"Of course. You two, attend to the young master."

It required two people to move Mir when he was in a state of deep concentration.

One person had to carefully hold Mir, and the other had to carry the book Mir was reading, keeping it open in front of his eyes while moving.

Otherwise, Mir's 'quiet rage' would explode.

Quiet rage!

It meant Mir would stare intently at the person he was angry with, day and night for an entire day, without saying a word.

As you'd know if you've experienced it, it was much more terrifying and agonizing than expected, leading the victim to beg him to just get angry!

"Our family is currently in a very serious crisis."

After returning to the mansion, Rein spoke after waiting for Mir to finish the book he was reading.

"Setsunen must be enrolled in school."

"?"

"And she must take a formal entrance examination."

Mir suddenly stared blankly into the air, then shook his head.

"Calculation results converge to 0% possibility. This problem is a conundrum of the century; no one can solve it. I recommend giving up."

Akki nodded.

Setsunen bristled, clenching her fist.

"Ignoring older sister is evil! Older sister can do it if she tries!"

Mir gazed at Setsunen, then shook his head with an expressionless sigh.

"Illogical statement. This is truly impossible. Impossibility exists in the world. If it didn't, the word 'impossible' would not be registered in the dictionary."

"If you only have a heart that loves justice, the impossible is nothing! Mir lacks a heart that loves justice!"

"What exactly 'a heart that loves justice' means is not defined in the dictionary. A detailed explanation is requested; this is actually the 3,982nd request, yet Setsunen has never provided a rational explanation. Therefore, it can be interpreted as sophistry."

What a piercing remark!

Setsunen could defeat most opponents with sophistry, but when that opponent was Mir, she would often be flustered like this.

Setsunen, with tears welling up in her eyes, sent a pleading look to Akki for rescue!

"Ah, Akki will give you strength with a battle cry! Ooooh, your big sister is giving you a battle cry!"

"Kuh-euh-euh, the heart that loves justice has begun to burn! Akki's battle cry is transforming into Setsunen's strength!"

"I request a productive conversation. This is an actual emergency situation."

At Mir's remark, Akki and Setsunen's expressions grew solemn.

What a cool-headed youngest sibling!

It was Miria who gathered such siblings into a tight embrace.

"Yes, keep discussing one by one like that and find a solution."

"?"

"A day will come when Rein and I can't help you like this. Someday. And then, you see? The three of you will have to help each other."

First, she looked at the most reliable Akki.

"Akki excels in martial arts."

And with a smile at Setsunen, her second daughter.

"Nen has excellent eloquence."

Finally, she patted the head of Mir, her youngest.

"Mir has incredible wisdom. Though you each have shortcomings, if you make up for those flaws with each other's strengths, you will be invincible!"

The three dragon siblings looked at each other.

Rein smiled gently and added to Miria's explanation.

"When you fill each other's deficiencies, your potential becomes infinite. So, let's practice properly this time. And will you promise me?"

Extending her pinky finger to the dragon children who would walk through eternal life together.

"That whenever something happens in the future, you will trust and help each other."

Akki was the first to hook her finger around his, Setsunen followed, and Mir, while saying "confirmation impossible," followed his sisters.

"You've made a promise with me right here. If you don't keep it, I'll come to scold you, okay?"

Thus, Setsunen's studies began.

Rein and Miria offered no help at all, but that was okay.

Because Akki and Mir helped her both physically and mentally.

Akki went all the way to the market to buy whatever Nen wanted to eat. Delivered hot by Akki herself, using footwork so it wouldn't cool down a bit!

Next to her, Mir analyzed the test questions from various schools in chronological order, then selected the types of questions that had a high probability of being asked.

"Abandon questions with high discriminatory power; there's no problem as long as you pass the threshold."

Just watching that brought a subtle, pleased smile, reaching a point where they couldn't even concentrate on work.

"How is it, Rein? Nothing to worry about too much, right?"

"Uh-huh."

Those kids will do well.

Now, and always will.

Setsunen had actually been unable to concentrate on her studies due to her ability to peer into others' hearts, but now it was different.

She couldn't read the hearts of Akki and Mir, whose souls were of a higher caliber than hers, and the same went for Rein.

But even if she couldn't read their minds, she could clearly discern their true intentions. Miria, for example, her words and heart always aligned…

"The examination will now begin. Everyone, please take your seats."

Five whole months of studying!

Complex characters snaked and crawled across the test paper, and noisy voices came from all directions, yet Setsunen concentrated.

And then…

"You passed, Nen! Oh my, you did so well!"

As Miria proudly embraced Setsunen, Setsunen chuckled happily.

"If you only have a heart that loves justice, this much is a piece of cake!"

"Do not forget that you barely passed the passing score."

"Pointing that out for no reason is evil! Mir lacks a heart that loves justice!"

Mir gave Setsunen an expressionless remark, then opened the book he was reading and headed to the library.

At that moment, the corners of Mir's lips were slightly, very slightly (only discernible by those who always observed Mir) turned up.

Meanwhile, Akki took Rein's hand as he watched Miria lift Setsunen high into the air, laughing.

"Papa, Akki is going to <Flame Myriad>."

Though not growing as explosively as during the days of continuous battles, Akki had grown steadily over these five years and was now showing signs of becoming a young woman.

"<Flame Myriad>…"

The day she would utter those words herself, Rein looked back at Akki with a mixture of bewilderment and slight sadness.

"Why all of a sudden?"

"Nen is brave, but her strength is much weaker compared to Akki and Mir, and Mir is intelligent and strong, but his body is delicate, isn't it?"

"That's right."

"I will become stronger than I am now and protect my siblings. Just as Papa always protected Akki."

The smile when she said that.

Every gesture of her fisting her hand over her heart.

It was so lovely and admirable it made his heart ache, and the story of her growth from her infancy was layered upon that smile.

"Akki, my most beloved treasure in this world."

He collapsed to his knees.

He hugged her warm body, like spring sunlight, with all his might, burying his face in the crown of her head, which smelled of firewood.

And he finally poured out the affection he had always held deep in his soul.

"Meeting you, and being able to watch you grow, has been the greatest fortune of my life."

* * *

"Nen, then older sister is going."

Setsunen seemed to have shed many tears on the day her older sister left.

After five years on the Acrad continent, her grown-up older sister was now close to becoming an adult dragon, both in mind and body, even growing horns.

That meant her older sister had to go to <Flame Myriad>, where the Red Legion was stationed.

"When are you coming back?"

"As soon as my training is over? Don't cry, it's not like we're parting forever."

"Okay."

"Now Nen has to protect Papa, so you can't keep sniffling like this. Isn't that evil, even to Nen?"

"Okay."

"Take good care of Mir as an older sister too. Mir, don't be cheeky with older sister either."

"Will attempt. Promise impossible."

Akileia gently pressed her forehead against Setsunen's and Mirngardia's foreheads in turn and smiled.

Her older sister often conveyed her feelings this way, and at these times, no words were needed. She could understand what was in her heart.

Akileia wasn't the only one leaving. Miria also said she was leaving with her.

"I'll go have some talks with Friede and Fifi. Take good care of Akki so she doesn't get lonely."

Soon, Akileia, transformed into a dragon in an explosion of flames, disappeared into the night sky, seen off by one person and two dragons.

In fact, Setsunen also felt like leaving to a place without humans.

Following her father's words, Setsunen had to attend the Imperial educational institution, where she met such a diverse range of human types.

[If I get close to this person, I can make a good impression on Yonghyun…]

[If I treat this child especially well, His Excellency the Prime Minister will personally commend me, won't he?]

[Establishing connections like this…]

Setsunen, who possessed a dragon's pearl formed by the fusion of over a dozen wyvern souls, had abilities different from other dragons.

That was telepathy.

She could peer into the minds of other living beings. Seeing their dark intentions so clearly, Setsunen couldn't bring herself to like people or the world.

There might have been ways to get along with the children of great nobles of equal status, but she also disliked the arrogance they harbored in their hearts.

"Kyaha, did you hear he beat up the brat from the Sherman family this time?"

Only a few of her father's friends, who occasionally visited the Imperial Capital for special mission reports, did not have a disconnect between their words and hearts.

"You deserve praise. With that momentum, you should beat up all the nobles in this world."

"Hoo-hoo★ Is it because he takes after the Young Master? He's already extraordinary. Did I ever tell you about the time the Young Master flattened the noses of the nobles?"

"Justice enforcement in Griffinvalor!!! I want to hear it again!"

"Hmph, did I also tell you that it was I, Hubert, who delivered the decisive blow to victory back then?"

"Didn't hear that, I didn't."

"What?! You're kidding me! Don't whistle and pretend not to listen! I remember telling you several times!"

"Hubert, Nora, you should point these things out…"

Lillian Carain sighed, calming the childish antics of the two.

"If you only make enemies with others, eventually you'll have no one on your side. Even though your true allies might be out there somewhere."

"Being partial in school is evil! Everything is evil! There's no one anywhere worthy of being on the side of justice!"

"Nen… Still, the Imperial Integrated Educational Institution was something your father pushed for despite the opposition of the nobles."

"…"

"If you do well there, your father's reputation will be upheld. Is it justice or evil to make your father lose face?"

As Setsunen lowered her eyes and couldn't answer, Nora spoke.

"Lily, let's go. The section chief is calling★. Nen, goodbye~!"

"Nen, then I'll see you next time."

When she complained about her studies to her father, who was always overworked day and night, her father, who was stamping documents in his office, chuckled.

"That's why you need to go to school, Nen."