Chapter 13: An Uncanny Resemblance

“Hehe~ Leaf Su’s peeled apples are truly delicious~ I want another one!”

‘She was twenty years old, yet she insisted on acting cutesy in front of him?’

Leaf Su looked utterly speechless.

‘Well, I’ve certainly played the cute card in front of her more than a few times myself.

We’re even now, aren’t we?

This means my own acts of cuteness are officially sanctioned from here on out.’

“Next time danger strikes, please inform me as well.

Don’t simply lock me away in the room.”

Leaf Su retrieved another apple from the fruit basket, beginning to peel it as he voiced his complaint to Fiona.

His remonstrance was met, however, with Fiona playfully sticking out her tongue.

“No way! If there’s a next time, I’ll just throw little Leaf Su even further away!”

Fiona glared at Leaf Su, her expression making it abundantly clear that this matter was absolutely non-negotiable.

‘How utterly ruthless! Couldn’t she at least use the verb “send” instead of “throw”?’

“Still… why are you so incredibly kind to me, big sister?

We’ve only known each other for a single day, haven’t we?”

Leaf Su continued to peel the apple in silence, this question gnawing at his mind.

By any rational measure, what had he done to deserve such treatment from Fiona?

Upon hearing Leaf Su’s query, a shadow seemed to fall over Fiona’s eyes, as though he had inadvertently touched upon a deeply hidden sorrow.

“What’s the matter?

Did I ask something I shouldn’t have?”

Leaf Su murmured, observing Fiona, who remained in a state of quiet melancholy, with a puzzled gaze.

“N-nothing at all, really… As for why I’m so good to little Leaf Su~ it’s simply because you’re so adorable~”

A charming smile graced Fiona’s features as she spoke, and then, with a surprising burst of energy from her weakened state, she reached out to gently pinch Leaf Su’s cheek.

“What kind of… answer is that?”

Leaf Su muttered, continuing to feed the apple slices to Fiona, opting not to press the issue any further.

It was abundantly clear that his questions had stirred some unwelcome memories within Fiona.

“Mmm! Delicious!”

Fiona exclaimed, taking another generous bite, her eyes sparkling with an unspoken encouragement for him to quickly slice off another piece.

Fiona watched Leaf Su, who was diligently peeling apples for her, with a gentle smile, her heart a tangled knot of complex emotions.

Why could two individuals bear such an uncanny resemblance?

Her younger brother, tragically slain by a monster five years prior, had looked precisely like little Leaf Su at that tender age…

Yet, their auras were entirely distinct.

As an A-rank adventurer, Fiona possessed the acute ability to discern nuances in everyone’s magical essence; the unique energy signature of each individual varied.

Leaf Su’s aura was profoundly different from her brother’s—or, perhaps more accurately, it was simply too weak.

Even five years earlier, her brother had already achieved the formidable strength of a B-rank adventurer, possessing a natural talent that far eclipsed even her own.

Nevertheless, the first time she encountered Leaf Su, just outside that ominous cave, she had instinctively perceived him as her own brother.

Though her rational mind recognized they were not the same person, an inexplicable tremor had stirred within her heart.

This profound connection was precisely why she had kindly brought Leaf Su to the guild to search for his parents, and subsequently, why she harbored the desire to keep him close.

Despite his distinct identity, Fiona felt an extraordinary sense of kinship with Leaf Su.

In fact, due to an unconscious feeling of profound loss, she had inadvertently begun to project some of her affection for her brother onto Leaf Su—a realization she knew, deep down, was fundamentally wrong.

“Alright, this is the last one,” Leaf Su announced, offering the final apple slice to Fiona.

“Save some room for lunch.

You just concentrate on your recovery; I’m heading out to grab a few things and will be right back.”

With that, he exited the medical room.

As she watched Leaf Su’s retreating figure, Fiona found herself seeing the indelible shadow of her brother in him with increasing clarity.

****

Ever since the monster’s defeat two days prior, Leaf Su had come to a stark realization: this world was irrevocably steeped in peril.

If his suspicions proved correct—that the unresolved bugs from his previous work still plagued this world—then an endless succession of anomalous, bug-ridden monsters would continue to manifest.

These creatures, he knew, were beyond the capabilities of even this world’s most valiant heroes to defeat, much like the 100% damage immunity he had just witnessed; there were likely countless other such devastating abilities.

Leaf Su increasingly sensed the true reason behind his transmigration: it was, in all likelihood, to rectify these very bugs that threatened to unravel the world’s fabric.

After all, weren’t GMs (TL Note: “GM” stands for Game Master, an administrator in online games, often associated with powerful abilities or even ‘cheats’ in a playful sense here) the sworn enemies of bugs?

****