Chapter 19 : Consultation

In hindsight, it was obvious.

In the original novel, one of the main villains opposing the protagonist.
Unsurprisingly, her combat prowess was exceptional.

How exceptional?
The protagonist never won once, always toyed with.

Recalling the novel, she was likely a normal human.
Meaning—that strong without Stones or implants.

So, Ruby being a genius with extraordinary shooting talent?
Not surprising at all.

Logically, I get it.
Yet, my complex feelings won’t settle.

I don’t know why I feel this way.

Am I anxious picturing my kind sister falling into a psycho villain future?
Or am I, as her sister, jealous of her superior talent?

Maybe both are true.
The real question—which emotion weighs more?

I don’t want to be a pathetic sister resenting her sister.

But I’m supposed to protect Ruby.
If the one I’m protecting is far stronger and better than me, what’s the point of everything I’ve done?

I risked my life using a Stone.
Traded my remaining years with the Reaper.

If it was all meaningless foolishness.
If I’ve been rushing blindly down the wrong path.

“Rookie… Hey!
Snap out of it!”

A voice calling me jerked me back to reality.

“Oh… Karen.”

“Call me Master, damn it.”

She narrowed her eyes and approached.

A strong scent—cigarette smoke mixed with her musk—hit me.
Smoke and sweat should be unpleasant, but it felt alluring.
Is it because Karen’s that charismatic?

I quickly recalled we were jogging through Rat Town’s night streets.
Lost in thoughts about the shooting range hours ago.

“What’s wrong this time?
You’ve looked like you need a punch all day.”

“…Nothing.”

“Ugh.
Really wanna get hit?
Spill it while I’m being nice.”

Karen raised a clenched fist, warning me.
Rough and violent, but I sensed her kindness and spoke.

“Am I doing the right thing?”

“That again?
Don’t you ever get tired of it?
I’d just brush it off to avoid the headache.”

“I don’t know about others, but I’ve been running for my sister.”

Under the dark night sky, we paused our jog, staring at some distant scene.

“But I keep doubting if my choices were right.”

“I don’t get it.
Far as I see, you’ve done fine.
Both of you alive and well—that’s proof, no?”

“Ruby would’ve been fine without me.
You would’ve shown up at that park anyway.
Maybe it’d be better if I hadn’t gone…”

“You’re mistaken.”

Karen cut me off, cigarette in her mouth, and continued.

“I helped because it was you.
I got interested since you used my Stone without permission.
A cute kid getting messed up by a creep?
Happens daily here.
Why would I care?”

“…”

“And your sister?
She’d rather be saved by you than me.
Don’t regret your choices.
You used the Stone to protect her—that’s why you’re both alive.”

Saying that, Karen placed a hand on my head, roughly ruffling it.
Embarrassed by the childish treatment, I shook it off and grumbled.

“Ruby scored 98 points first try.”

“Huh?”

“I struggled* hours and barely hit 90.
Ruby got near 100 in one go.”

Karen let out an incredulous laugh and asked.

“Seriously?
You’re sulking over that?”

“…”

“Not even a kid.
Jealous of your way younger sister?
Real mature.”

“I’m supposed to protect her!
This makes it pointless!”

Karen poked my forehead, sighing.
After thinking deeply, she threw a sudden question.

“Hey.
If you and your sister fought all-out, who’d win?”

“…What?”

“Who’d win?”

“Why would I fight Ruby?!
We’ve never fought!”

“No, hypothetically—who’d win?”

A bizarre, incomprehensible question.

“Obviously…”

“No holding back.
Full-on fight.”

“…Then I’d win.
I’m her big sister.”

Seemingly the answer she wanted, Karen nodded satisfied.

“There you go.
You’re stronger.
Keep protecting her like now—what’s the problem?”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Nah, it’s exactly this simple.
If your sister gets stronger later?
Fine, let her protect you instead.”

I get what Karen’s trying to say.
I’m grateful for her sentiment.

But she doesn’t know.
No one but me knows Ruby becomes a psycho villain later.
Not even Ruby herself.

It’s a secret I can’t share, a burden I must carry alone.

No one can fully understand my struggle.

“And another thing.
You’re too trapped in your own world.”

I tilted my head at Karen’s words.
My own world?

“Protecting your sister—great.
But you don’t need to tie your entire existence to it.”

“But…”

“You’re you, and your sister’s her.
If she grows up and wants independence, you gonna whine like this then too?”

“…”

I had no response.
I’d never imagined that.
So consumed by my unique worries, I ignored normal concerns others might consider.

I started to grasp what being trapped in my own world meant.

“Plus, your sister’s a shooting genius, right?
By your age, she won’t need protecting—she’ll thrive fine.
You still gonna smother her then?”

Handing me her lit cigarette, she said.

“Life’s too short to know when it’ll end.
Live a bit for yourself too.”

Staring blankly at the smoking cigarette, I cautiously took it.

“Hold it in your mouth, inhale slowly.”

Clamping the filter in my lips, I inhaled deeply.
A harsh taste flooded my mouth, sinking into my lungs.

“Cough! Cough!!”

Gagging at the instant rejection, I shoved the cigarette back.
Karen chuckled, finding my reaction amusing.

“I’m never smoking again.”

“Everyone says that at first.”

Still coughing, tearing up, she smirked and offered a useless gesture.

“Tell me if you change your mind.
I’ll give you one free.”

“Real generous.
Let’s get moving.”

Gotta finish our jog, right?
But Karen didn’t budge despite my prompt.

“What’re you doing?
Let’s go!”

“After counseling you and teaching you smoking, we need some give-and-take.”

“Fine on the counseling, but smoking’s my loss, no?”

Now ignoring me flat-out, she shamelessly admired the night view.
Who’s the childish one here?
Fine, I’ll give in to avoid wasting energy.

“Okay.
What do you want?”

“Call me Master.”

“Still hung up on that?”

“Hurry.
Or I’ll sneak into your room every night and stick a cigarette in your mouth.”

What a petty, vile revenge.
Worse, I sleep with Ruby in the same bed—she’d do that?!

What’s so big about a title to make her go this far?
Unable to fathom her logic, I sighed and spoke.

“Fine, let’s go, Master.”

“Hm?
What?
Can’t hear you.”

“Calling this a master…”

“Tch!
Pathetic disciple!
Why’re you dawdling?!”

Gaping dumbfounded as she sprinted ahead, urging me, I resumed running.

Thanks to the long break, my body felt much lighter.

“Back?”

Finishing our jog, Lycan at the counter greeted us.

“Still cleaning?
Need help?”

“Nah.
Big brat, shower and sleep.”

“Stop treating me like a kid!
I’m a full-fledged Red Dog mercenary!”

“Ha, talking big for a trainee who’s never seen action.”

“Then put me in action before saying that!”

What’s he teasing me for?
I’m already exhausted from endless training days.

Grumbling, heading to my room, Lycan casually spoke, wiping a glass.

“So I’m saying it now.”

“…What?”

“A mission’s set for two days from now.
You’re in.”

Finally, my first mission since joining Red Dog.