Chapter 49.5: The Siblings (Eystil POV)

“Are you finished eating? It’s almost time, get your sleep soon.” I said as I looked over to my dear sister eating across from me. Today she returned much more energetic than usual. Like some stress was lifted off her shoulders.

She looked so adorable in deep in thought.

“Hey,” she paused to finish chewing.

Yes, my beautiful angel?

“Doesn’t this remind you of the first months after Sioh took us in?” She said with little effort to cover her food-filled mouth.

I made a confused expression, out early days in the Azer estate were nothing like this. It’s peaceful here.

“This is nowhere near as bad. No beatings, no groveling, no begging for scraps to eat. Did you block that out? Or forget? It’s been half a century but that was over a decade of our early lives.”

I suffered a lot for us and if she can’t remember a single time of abuse then I’m happy but also mad my sacrifice was unnoticed. My sweet princess should know how much her big brother did for her! I grumbled.

“Not in that sense.” My face relaxed as she seemed to understand my expression.

“Remember how much we practiced from morning to midnight back then so we could grow stronger as fast as we could to become advanced disciples.”

So she was referring to that aspect. I ended up taking the brunt of the abuse maybe I’m the one blocking memories out…

My sister continued to speak but painting a deep pink onto her words.

“The estate treasure, the training, the packed schedule I’ve been wondering why I was feeling nostalgia looking around.”

“I can agree I can feel some nostalgia but isn’t it more like our last few years before we left the circle?” I didn’t feel like ruining the mood by disagreeing.

“Actually I noticed the practice sessions have become extremely long, want me to take some of the lessons on? I have time now. I might not be as good as you but I did pick up enough to teach him at this level up to the middle of intermediately skilled.”

My sister shook her head. I wanted to pat it.

I expected this much my cute younger sister she always so hardworking and hated sharing responsibilities with others. It is also why I’ve never told her about the full truth about the treatment of new Azer circle recruits.

“He’s a good pupil, and it is a bit surprising to see how hard he is pushing himself. He has a bit of the do or die energy we, and the newcomers like us had back then. I can see his desperation to improve in each trade.”

Of course, he is desperate! He wants to find his friends. But it was my fault she didn’t understand. Out of fear of her being used and fear of the bad apples in the circle, I sheltered her too much. By the time I realized she was already strong enough to help herself… never making any bonds through experiences like suffering together with others.

“He wants to rescue his world’s people that the empire summoned including his friends, of course, he’s putting his all.”

“At least he was understanding enough that we didn’t know his kin where suffering. I thought they were all basically brain dead. It’s what my scans said too. Yet they can all talk, think, and walk around now. I would have never imagined.”

But I can only blame myself. It was my own incompetence that brought this injustice and the situation after upon us.

If I had known I would have chosen a different method…

But that’s hindsight, maybe at the time I didn’t want to change my methods so I never pushed for further tests as to not fall behind in progress.

“Well, we’re paying for my actions now so there is no point in feeling any more guilty than we do. He made an oath to free us once he completes, or fails, his goals it’s not so bad compared to the oath with Sioh that forced us to master our respective techniques if we wanted to leave and the see the outside world again. We also get to keep most of our privacy and freedom which was the most surprising.”

Frium said nothing as she played with the few vegetables stood up and threw another lamb rack on her plate.

Did I dampen the mood with talk about our hand in the automated genocide?

I could read her easily because I felt the same. We felt a mix of feelings towards Lucid hopping from guilt to pity.

We expected him to hold a grudge but so far his treatment has been more than fair enough for our position which made us feel more guilty for what we did.

The pity was because of the extreme schedule he placed on himself, sleep replacement pills hadn’t been developed yet when we trained. However, most of the pity came from the obvious fact that he is doing what he’s doing completely alone and from the small scraps of data of Earth’s culture we have he should be quite young…

I wonder what made him so extremely paranoid too even when we’ve tried to genuinely connect to this kid he shuts it down. There is only so much we can do and I’m not going to make it my life’s goal to become his friend either.

The conversation hit a lull as we both sunk into thoughts about the future once Lucid fails or succeeds.

“Sometimes I wonder how it’ll be if we go back?”

Frium broke the silence.

“Do you think we’ll be hunted and exiled. Maybe we have to become speculants again.”

If that was the case then she was saddened about how much she would miss our home kingdom and the home we built within the empire. Our friends and family won’t have any idea what happened to us… They didn’t even know how high within the ranks of the empire we were due to confidentiality agreements.

Both of our lives became twisted in a single moment, this was a major source of frustration and anger. We felt when everything about our future was unknown luckily Lucid wasn’t some sadistic psycho. We’ve accepted it and realized helping Lucid here is our just desserts and form of atonement.

“We can’t tell anyone what really happened either once we’re free because of the oath. I had a dream where we go back elated to return only to see all our friends and family waiting for us out with eyes full of hatred chasing us out just like how the main family did when mother died...”

“Was it the nightmares caused during the leadwood fog leakage?”

Frium shut her eyes after I reminded her of the small hiccup in the construction.

“A dream that’s more than just a dream more akin to a curse.”

I could only agree I experienced a nightmare on a similar level witnessing Lucid and his kin viciously attack my sister while I stood watching unable to do anything. The screams…

“Those were just dreams that used your innermost worries to try and fragment your soul. It’s hard to not take them seriously but you have to remember that they were not real.”

If it wasn’t for Lucid snapping us out of the dreams we would have truly died. I wonder what dream he broke out of…

Watching the mood dampen some more I decided to lift the subject with some interesting news.

“Remember when you said you wanted to see the Black Continent once I finished with my work with the empire? We could go there...”

In actuality, I had already prepared various plans in secret for our return one of them, in fact, was leaving for the Black Continent if the inevitable investigation when we return looks like it’s going badly for us.

The Black Continent is a place known for its abundance of rare materials and massive dungeons. A chance to easily recollect our wealth and this time with no luck. There we would be free from the jurisdiction of the Niefule Empire.

I’ve had many friends go there after having run-ins with the law and decide to stay there.

The Black Continent is lawlessness place. A byproduct of greed. That isn’t to say it’s a dark and seedy place. Its atmosphere is civilized and light, on the surface at least. While no cities are controlled by a single person there are thriving mega-cities with no real ruler or government.

“The journey there could be fun too…” Frium said finally sounding a bit happy while, cutely, scratching her fork on the bits of food left on her plate.

“You still sound sad? What are you angry that your one pupil is going to be him? Lately, I’ve noticed you’ve been more and more enthusiastic to go teach him.”

“No, it’s not that. I mean at first I was a bit bitter but after seeing him put in the work and watching him slowly grow I guess it is not bad that my one will be him.”

I’m surprised she isn’t mad. The Azer Dragoon technique is one of a kind even I wasn’t allowed to learn it because I didn’t show enough talent. Each practitioner can only teach one person, the exception is Azer of course.

In actuality, the only reason I was able to learn anything from the circle was that it was Frium’s condition. It was both of us be accepted into Azer’s circle or she wouldn’t go. I didn’t show talent like my cute little sister for any essence art but was allowed to be taught one of the few magic styles Azer created.

“Then what?”

Frium drew in a breath and sat up straight and stared directly at me. Seeing her change her seating position I grew a little worried.

“If we do go to the Black Continent it’ll be extremely dangerous just the two of us. Even once we go there we don’t have a clear picture of what to expect or how to rebuild.”

I gave a half-smile slightly understanding what she meant. I felt a similar trepidation about leaving for such a dangerous trip. But I’m not her big brother for nothing I, Eystil, have already covered those areas.

“You’re thinking too much, besides I’m already making preparations for our life once we’re freed.”

Her eyes bulged wide.

“You're what!? Eystil that’s dangerous!”

It is dangerous if one doesn’t know what they are doing, but she wasn’t one to understand the deeper intricacies of magic. My dear sister isn’t much of a schemer nor has ever been very good at socializing.

Feeling the need to lift her spirits as her older brother I decided to spill one of my plans.

“I’ve secured two spots with an old colleague traveling to the Black Continent. Do you remember Yuthela?”

My sister’s eyes narrowed she didn’t have a good impression of her. Yuthela was an old friend of mine who had a very aloof personality. More importantly, Yuthela’s power was directly against Niefule’s way of life, a necromancer a defier of fate. Their personalities didn’t mesh in the least.

“That tiny girl with the black hair and pink skull mask grimoire?” She spoke with a cute snarky tone.

“That’s her, I found her renting a space at Dreamers. The group she’s with are leaving for the Black Continent in ten years but said that for me they would be flexible and wait another quick one or two more.”

“Oh? She’s taking refugee at Dreamers?” She said with a slight smile.

“Who is she running from?”

It seemed this news gave her back her energy as she got up and began washing her own dishes.

“The Empire, she got mixed up in some illegal necromancy research. She says it’s a rival circle using it as a guise to steal her work, but you know she's always been a bit ditz when it comes to checking legal things. So she wants to leave until the time limitations to try case are up and come back.”

Plus maybe she can become friends with her or the other travelers with us bonding through the dangers of getting there.

“An entire generation, a hundred years… well for us it’s probably the same if we get exiled so it isn’t bad at all. Lucid should have failed or succeeded by then? You’ve said he has three. We might even have time to make a little money before we go if we do.”

I thought back to the truthful but choice words I said to Lucid earlier in the year. I expected to have figured out a better timeline for me and my sister’s future plans from that conversation but I was left with nothing new. I wanted to confirm that we would be free from Lucid by then.

Maybe he might even decide to finally open up to us and see us off with a smile, and maybe a gift of a vial of his essence, but I won’t try to manipulate or force him.

We, us two and the empire, have done enough to him already.

“I’m going to bed.” I watched my sister shake a pill into her hand and walk towards her room.

Success!

If I can’t raise her spirits as an older brother I don’t deserve the title of an older brother!

—Ding Dong

Both of us froze in place.

“Is that our door?” Frium looked at me.

“I think so…” I got up and switched to the camera feed in my MAGI.

“I-it’s Lucid…” A wave of confusion showed on our faces.

He’s never visited us before. What the hell is this curveball has he had enough of being alone?

I slowly opened the door sending a pleasant smile to the youngster.

“Lucid? Is something the matter?”

“May I come in?” He said so nonchalantly.

“Sure.” Frium and I looked at each other again.

I led him to the living room feeling unease at how bizarre it felt to have him inside our apartment.

“Would you like something to drink? Tea? Water?”

“No, it’ll be quick. I have a simple request.”

A request? Why come all the way here aren’t you younger than us just send a text or call.

Frium and I sat together slightly to the side of him.

“I need you to transport me to Obsense City.”