Chapter 3: younger sister.

I was surrounded by thugs with dark complexions.

To get straight to the point, leaving the mansion was a huge mistake.

As soon as I strayed a little from the road, the dense undergrowth mercilessly stabbed at me,

and the grass, which would have only come up to my waist in my previous life, reached almost up to my chest.

My legs ached from the bumpy road, I was out of breath…

My skin was sensitive, but my senses were extremely dull.

I realized that my new body was much weaker than I had thought.

Just as I decided to turn back in the middle of the road,

I felt something hit the back of my head, and I fainted.

“Hello, little guy.”

“Hello, Mister.”

So this was the situation I faced after waking up.

I must have been hit by a blunt projectile or something. The back of my head was still throbbing. The sun seemed to be rising, and I could gradually see the dawn breaking through the trees.

“Look at this little guy. He’s not wetting himself or crying?”

The thug who spoke to me first seemed surprised by my calm greeting.

“Would you like me to do that now?”

The person speaking to me was a giant who looked to be at least 2 meters tall.

A muscular man with a dark face that seemed to have seen a lot of sunlight, and broad shoulders.

At a glance, I could feel an atmosphere that seemed to lead the group.

The kind of person who would make ordinary people feel intimidated right away.

“Hoo. This kid has guts.”

Whistle. A whistling sound was heard from the side.

“This kid doesn’t seem to know what kind of situation he’s in?”

Hearing the thug’s words, I moved my hands and feet. My hands were tied behind my back, and so were my legs.

They were tied quite tightly. Looking around, I saw a group of children with crude gags made of thick rope in their mouths.

‘Three boys and two girls, I guess they kidnapped them from nearby villages.’

They all seemed to be around fifteen years old. At first glance, I was the youngest of the kidnapping targets.

The children were all staring at the giant and me with terrified eyes.

“Hey, kid? Are you deaf?”

“You look like human traffickers?”

“Human traffickers. Such a terrible word. You have to speak nicely.”

The other party feigned ignorance.

“Let’s just say that we are people engaged in the ‘human brokerage business’.”

“It would be better to call you ‘child lovers’.”

As soon as I sneered, a fist flew at my solar plexus.

It was the work of a small fry standing next to the biggest thug.

“Cough! Cough! Cough!”

“You little sh*t, do you think this is a joke?”

“Hey! Hey! Don’t touch the merchandise!”

The leader of the group quickly stopped the small fry, but a terrified groan flowed out from among the children.

It was a blow to a fragile body, but this level of pain was nothing to me.

Compared to the pain of a real sword tearing through flesh, or my limbs burning. It was really nothing.

“But it’s amazing, he’s got some guts for a kid from a noble family.”

“Cough, cough… I’m the one who’s surprised. Do you know me?”

“Of course. You were the merchandise that our employer wanted the most. Originally, since he’s a Baron, kidnapping his younger brother is not something to do recklessly, but… look!”

The giant spread his arms wide.

“Such a big fish jumped in himself! How can I resist this?”

“You have an employer? Whoever they are, they have good taste.”

“Hahaha! Listen to this kid talk. Have you been kidnapped before?”

“Why do you think so?”

“You look like it’s not your first time.”

“Well. I’m a veteran, sort of.”

It was the story of my previous life. It was true that it wasn’t my first time being kidnapped.

There were about eight human traffickers disguised as charcoal burners.

“Hmm… As expected, he has a pretty face as I’ve heard. No wonder the customer marked you.”

The leader admired me, staring at me, who had become silent as I was thinking.

“When did this customer see me?”

“Ah. When the late Baron entrusted you and your sister to a neighboring territory, there was someone who took notice of you.”

That was before I was reincarnated into this boy’s body. Unfortunately, I don’t have that memory.

But if it was a few years ago, this body would have been much younger than it is now.

That he took notice of that meant…

‘He’s definitely not an ordinary madman. A true, true p*edophile.’

“Rest assured, little guy. You already have a destined owner. If you just stay still, you won’t get hurt.”

“I will if you promise not to hit my solar plexus anymore.”

The leader laughed at those words.

“Of course. Did you hear that, you bastards? Treat this young master with the utmost care.”

“Ah, of course, Captain!”

The small fry who said that made a very polite greeting to me.

“I will serve you to make your journey comfortable. Young Master.”

Laughter broke out from the audience.

But I, who had no feelings for this level of insult, just shrugged my shoulders.

‘…Because I’m a kid, the security isn’t strict. If I look for an opening, I can definitely escape from these small fries.’

Yukomis Franon Solenas was surprised to see the completely ruined barony.

“It wasn’t this bad.”

She recalled the memory of when she belonged to the knight order commanded by her sister.

Irendel was a territory famous for producing high-quality timber in a large and beautiful forest.

There were not one or two territories with beautiful forests in the Empire, but there was a reason why Irendel was special.

Forests of a certain size were sure to be inhabited by elves and monsters,

and it goes without saying that both were hostile to humans if possible.

However, the forest of Irendel’s barony had been very well managed since the generation before the previous one.

No elves could set foot there, and monsters were thoroughly exterminated by organizing professional hunters.

‘How did such a territory become like this…’

The problem was not only that it was in a terrible state, but the size of the territory itself had also become much smaller.

Originally, the forest, as well as the wide pastures on the border between the forest and its neighbors, belonged to Irendel Barons,

but most of that land was now owned by livestock farming businesses in the free city.

Even though the late Baron and his wife gave everything to contribute to the war,

the situation at the beginning of the war was so hopeless that both died without making great achievements.

Because of this, there was nothing to gain in the postwar distribution of rewards,

and she heard that Baron Minon Irendel, who inherited the title at a young age, was living a difficult life while enduring even financial difficulties.

It was she, Yukomis, who was dispatched to fix that.

The imperial family still had a million things to do to clean up after the war,

and Yukomis, the second daughter of the ducal family, was a trustworthy person who could be dispatched to discuss measures for the alienated remote territories.

Originally, it was unusual for someone as high as her to travel to such a remote area,

but the situation was such that it couldn’t be helped.

“When I first came with my sister, the scenery was so beautiful…”

One of the knights standing next to her agreed.

“Thermis-nim also liked the scenery here.”

“…If she saw this, she would be heartbroken. Definitely.”

But her sister was no longer able to see or feel anything.

‘Should I call this fortunate…’

Yukomis smiled bitterly.

“Moreover, the security doesn’t seem to be good either.”

She shouted, holding up a torch, and grabbed a group of people moving busily and asked.

“Excuse me. What’s going on at this late hour?”

“What? You travelers don’t have any business to…”

The militiaman, who was about to say that, turned his gaze to Yukomis.

Because he realized that she was unfamiliar.

She was wearing a robe that was obviously expensive, and a delicate gold morning star badge was attached where a hairpin should have been.

“Insolent! Can’t you choose your words!”

The knight next to Yukomis immediately shouted.

Even the militiaman knew the meaning of that badge.

It was something that proved that she was the imperial family’s best magician.

“U, uah!”

The man hurriedly knelt on the spot.

It was a dirty floor full of mud and filth, but it wasn’t the time to care about that.

“There’s no need to be so nervous. I just wanted to ask what’s going on.”

“Wh, what brings such a noble person to this place!”

“I came here because I had something to do with your lord.”

“M, Minon-nim is coming this way!”

“Is that so?”

Yukomis said, trying to maintain a blank expression.

It was to not intimidate the man, but it didn’t seem to have any effect as she saw the trembling man.

‘I can’t be like my sister after all.’

Her sister could make a bright and soft smile like a flower blooming when necessary.

There was a burn mark left on one side of her face, but no one who saw that smile thought she was scary.

But unlike her sister, Yukomis could only give a cold and cold-blooded impression to those around her because of her sharp eyes and pale skin.

‘That idiot next to me is also good at yelling…’

It wasn’t that Yukomis wasn’t a beauty.

Her glossy black hair, perfectly positioned features that resembled her parents, clean skin and eyes, etc. were great beauties that were more than just ordinary.

However, the result of the complex combination of her high status, impression, stiff expression, and businesslike tone…

She was a beauty, but the kind of impression that gave a breathtaking sense of oppression first.

She sighed lightly and continued the question.

“I’ll ask again. There must be a reason why you’re making this commotion late at night.”

“Th, th, that is, it’s an embarrassing thing to say…”

“You bastard! Can’t you tell Yukomis Franon Solenas-nim the truth!”

“Haa… Karat, please be quiet.”

As they were putting on a farce that wasn’t making any progress, two women ran busily to the vicinity from outside the village.

And they started arguing with another group of people standing at the entrance of the village.

“Signo! Signo! What happened to my Signo?”

“Baroness! Please calm down!”

“Tell me. Where is my brother right now?”

“Yes? Yes?… Has the young master disappeared?”

“Signo also disappeared! He disappeared, and a kidnapper came to the village. What does this mean?”

The woman next to her, who seemed to be the Baron’s employee, chimed in.

“I heard that they only kidnapped handsome boys and beautiful girls. Then… perhaps the young master too…!”

Everyone in that place seemed to share an ominous premonition.

Minon shouted.

“You idiots! What are you doing without chasing after them right now! Signo might have been kidnapped!”

“Y, yes!”

“If you can’t find him, I’ll hang you all on the rack! Go and find him quickly! No matter what!”

As the men around her scattered in a panic, the woman called Minon collapsed on the spot.

“Oh, what should I do… Signo… our Signo…”

“Mistress, please calm down. You will definitely be able to find him.”

The maid hurriedly supported her master, but

it didn’t seem to be of any comfort to Minon, who was listlessly hitting the floor with her fist.

“If those guys do anything to my brother……I…”

“Are you Minon Irendel, the lord of this place?”

Yukomis slowly approached her and asked.

Minon and the maid next to her, who had been staring blankly at her as if they had seen a ghost for a while, turned their gaze to the morning star insignia on her cloak.

“…That crest!”

Minon’s pupils dilated, and the maid next to her asked a question.

“H, perhaps, the Solenas family…”

“You know well. That’s right. I’m Yukomis Franon Solenas.”

“…That Yukomis-nim?”

“That’s right.”

“Are you really that Yukomis-nim, the best genius in the Empire, the chief magician of the imperial palace, and the owner of the magic university?”

Those somewhat excessive modifiers were all familiar titles to her.

“You know a lot for a maid.”

“D, do you have the same name?”

This time Minon asked.

It was a question that wasn’t worth answering.

The only people who could impersonate her, other than her, were people who weren’t afraid of death.

Minon, who had hurriedly crawled on her knees towards Yukomis, grabbed her around the waist tightly.

“P, please, Yukomis Solenas-nim! Please save my brother!”

The attending knight was disgusted when mud and dirt splattered on her master’s expensive robe.

“You’re being rude! Baroness Minon! Please step back…”

Yukomis stopped her attending knight, who was about to shout again.

“Okay.”

And she answered succinctly.

“Instead, my hiring fee is a bit expensive.”

And she smiled at the two people who were staring at her with anxious expressions.

“Karat, can you track them?”

“Of course, Mistress.”

Karat paid attention to the shape of the footprints, the sunken undergrowth, and the soot-stained leaves.

He found the exact same clues that Signo had passed by this place a little while ago.

That was because it was Thermis who taught him.

“…Okay. Let’s chase after them.”

The knight advanced ahead, cutting down twigs and bushes with a well-honed longsword.

Finding traces and chasing them again was repeated for several hours.

During that time, Yukomis patiently followed behind the knight.

Unlike ordinary arrogant magicians, she never asked unnecessary questions such as how long do we have to walk, my legs hurt, are we going the right way.

She knew that the knight in front of her was a trained expert and was doing his best right now.

And it was the job of a superior to trust the expert’s opinion and duties.

‘Because that’s what my sister did.’

That sister never said anything vulgar or that someone was slow to learn to anyone.

She fully guaranteed the other person’s autonomy as long as she entrusted them with a job.

Her generosity was the same for men as well as women.

Thermis never referred to men as the ‘vulgar gender’.

‘The vulgar gender…’

A world where only women were blessed with magic.

In this world, men were such beings.

Women, and only noble women among them, were born with the privilege of using magic,

and men who couldn’t use magic were just there to support women and leave descendants.

Of course, that was only the story in noble society, where magicians could be produced.

Commoners were already a class that had no connection with magic unless there were special exceptions.

The heads of high-ranking families were naturally women,

and they didn’t think that the opinions of men were worth seriously considering unless it was a rare occasion.

But her sister?

That was the strange part.

She was clearly not someone who had much contact with men, but she seemed to be strangely familiar with the psychology of men,

and she showed great enthusiasm for trivial things like swords and machines that ‘men would like’.

‘Is it because my sister herself could hardly use magic…? Shared pain…? No. That wasn’t it.’

Her interest and consideration did not come from that.

Her personality seemed so natural, like her nature, that it couldn’t be.

Yukomis, who had become accustomed to pretense and annoyance, could see through that better than anyone else.

Silently following the back of the attending knight, she kept thinking of her sister.

‘Sister…

A person who was kind to everyone regardless of gender.

A person who acted confidently as if she knew everything.

But at the same time, a person whose tastes and actions were strangely simple.

At first, she was a bit scary.

The sister she remembered as a child hated her more than anyone else.

‘…It was my fault.’

…The words she had said to her still seemed to be heard vividly.

Herself, who was a genius, and her sister, who was a dropout.

Whatever her sister did, she did everything faster and better.

There was no malice.

She was so proud at the time that she, who was eight years younger, had surpassed all the studies that her sister was learning.

‘Sister can’t understand this?’

‘I did better, so only I should be praised.’

‘It’s amazing. Why can’t you use magic, Sister? Isn’t it very simple?’

‘Sister, please praise me too.’

‘You’re not better than me at anything, so why should I use honorifics to you?’

These were the words that she poured out on her sister as naturally as breathing.

‘Please shut that kid up!’

She didn’t understand at the time how much her talent stimulated the inferiority of those around her,

or how painful those words sounded from the perspective of those who were left behind.

‘I was a smart and bad child.’

She smiled bitterly, making a self-deprecating assessment.

Yes. She was young at that time. But she couldn’t say that it was an excuse.

‘I was a genius.’

It wasn’t arrogance, but that was an objective fact.

Then she should have been able to understand the feelings of others.

‘You should have used that great intelligence for that too, right?’

She never thought that the words she said back then, more than ten years ago, would remain as regrets and stab her painfully like this today.

Soon, her sister was completely twisted because of her existence.

She didn’t come out of the library and refused to see her face.

‘There’s no need to deal with such a dull sister.’

Her parents said that.

‘You were destined to do important things, unlike your sister.’

After her sister had become almost a ruined person, she once barely survived a fever one day.

She even had memory impairment as a sequela. It was a serious condition where she couldn’t even remember her family.

Needless to say, she needed attention and care.

She needed the affection of her family.

Even if it was just me, who made her like that, I should have apologized.

…However, her parents left her to be ‘managed’ by the employees, and took her to the capital for a planned long-term business trip.

For the sake of making connections for me, for my education, for preparing my debut in society…

‘Mother. Even so. It hasn’t even been a week since my sister barely survived…’

‘Stop. Yukomis, think of yourself now rather than your sister. You’re a much more important child than your sister.’

For me. For me, for me. It was only for myself.

While treating her sister, who had been completely ruined because of herself, as a discard.

She did such a terrible thing.

She should be someone that her sister can never forgive, but

the her, who I met after returning to the main house after a long time, to such me…

“Yukomis-nim?”

Karat’s voice calling her made her snap out of her thoughts.