A girl who killed her demonized younger brother stands once more.
Becoming a knight through unwavering hatred and cold rationality, she eventually defeats the greatest evil and claims the honor she had longed for more than anything.
And yet….after everything is over, she quietly disappears from the world.
As if she had no regrets about being forgotten.
Tormented by the guilt of her grave sin, she spent the rest of her life in pain, never returning to her family.
Silently.
Until the passing years one day erase her name like waves washing over a white sandy beach.
This was the other side of a story that once existed somewhere.
But now—
That future will never come to pass.
***
…It felt like I had a long dream.
My mind was hazy. My entire body felt heavy, like wet cotton, making it impossible to move.
I was lying down somewhere, but I didn’t know where. I kept drifting in and out of sleep.
“…For several days… from exhaustion…”
“…Mana depletion… perhaps?”
“…Most likely…”
The faint voices I heard made no sense at all. That was the price of pushing my body with every forbidden method available.
Even just enduring the side effects of all the drugs was overwhelming.
To top it off, I had been soaked by rain. I expected this would happen…
But there’s a vast difference between expecting something and actually experiencing it.
My fever spiked. I only realized someone had been wiping my forehead constantly after night and day had passed several times.
During that time, a few blurred faces came and went, worrying over me.
I think some of them said honest things to me… but unfortunately, I couldn’t understand a word.
“In the end, you did it, junior. I, Aaron, was truly moved!”
Ah. That was Aaron. I remembered his unnecessarily loud voice.
Aside from that… one color lingered in my blurred vision the entire time.
Long silver hair… But Camilla usually ties her hair, doesn’t she? Then who?
Was there anyone else with silver hair…?
…No, there wasn’t.
Suddenly, I snapped back to awareness.
“……”
Only my eyes moved as I scanned my surroundings. It wasn’t the infirmary. But it wasn’t unfamiliar either.
The Rovine dorm?
Everything looked exactly like the Knight Department’s exclusive dorms. This luxurious place, if it wasn’t a private room, could only belong to the Knight Department.
That’s when I heard a strange sound.
Beep, beep…
Someone was quietly polishing a teacup. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw it was Camilla with her hair let down.
…Camilla!
Just as I was about to call out to her, happy to see her—
…Beep beep beep beep beep beep…!
Camilla, who had been calmly wiping the teacup, suddenly began scrubbing it furiously.
“Ugh… uuuh…”
Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep!!!
“Uuuuugh!!! Why did I say all that!!!”
“……”
Wh-What’s going on? Isn’t she wiping it way too hard? At this rate, the cup’s design will be completely rubbed off.
Camilla’s ears were red as she frantically polished the cup. Then, with a loud clack, she set the teacup on the small table and started lightly banging her head against it.
Was this really the same iron-willed Camilla?
What on earth was I looking at? Was I still not fully recovered and hallucinating?
It feels a little too real for that, though.
Suddenly, I realized why Camilla’s behavior looked so familiar.
“..…!!”
That’s it… this is—!
Cringe flashback.
The universally recognized moment of horror, when you remember something so embarrassing it makes your whole body writhe!
She looked exactly like someone caught in the grips of that!
Oh no…
I’d never seen her like this before. Then again, she had cried not long ago, and everything about her lately had been… different.
But thinking about it, her reaction made perfect sense. She had thought I was unconscious and spilled her heart out…all the way down to her deepest emotions. Of course she’d be mortified.
Thunk… thunk… thud…!
What do I do?
She was starting to hit her head harder. Watching her spiral like this was entertaining, sure… but…
If I kept spying, she might realize I was awake.
“……”
I closed my eyes and pretended to still be asleep, then deliberately shifted my body with a noticeable motion.
“—!!”
Camilla flinched and immediately sat upright with a straight back. She pressed her hands to her face to wipe away her expression and returned to her usual calm, composed demeanor.
Even her graceful hands, now calmly pouring tea again.
“……”
I almost burst out laughing….but somehow held it in.
This is it.
For the sake of my sister’s pride, it was time to put on the best performance of my life.
“Huh… Where am I?”
“You’ve woken up, Adel.”
“…Big sister?”
“……!”
I slowly pushed myself up.
“This is the Rovine Dorm. Aaron said you don’t like the infirmary.”
“Ah… so this is your room… Thanks. Were you the one taking care of me?”
“I-It wasn’t anything serious. I just checked on you between classes, that’s all.”
“I see…”
Sip.
Hot!
I nearly scalded my lips on the tea, but it was fine. I managed to endure it. Quietly, I cast a cooling spell to bring the temperature down.
“…Um… Sister. Are you okay? Your body, I mean.”
“…I’m fine. What about you?”
“Me? Well… aside from feeling a bit sleepy, I think I’m okay…”
“That makes sense. You’ve been lying down for ten days straight. With barely any proper nutrition, no wonder you’re drowsy.”
“Ten days… that long, huh…”
I must’ve suffered more side effects than I thought. Silently, I looked around for a mirror.
“Are you looking for something?”
“A mirror, maybe…?”
“…No need. You’re perfectly fine now. You look exactly the same as before… just like my…my little brother.”
“Really?”
She must’ve thought I was asking to check if I still looked human. But that’s not why I wanted a mirror.
I wanted to check my status window properly.
I turned my head this way and that, hoping to spot a full-length mirror somewhere.
And then….it happened.
I locked eyes with someone.
A blonde figure was lying face down on the opposite bed, chin resting on her hands, blanket pulled over her.
“……”
“…Heh~.”
Narrow eyes and a mischievous grin. It was Awen.
“……”
I froze in place.
Did… she see?
Everything? Including me pretending to wake up?
“…What’s wrong?”
“N-Nothing. I thought I saw a ghost, that’s all…”
“A ghost?”
Camilla followed my gaze and tilted her head, puzzled.
“That’s strange. I don’t see anything. Adel, it seems you may need more rest.”
“……”
That’s because she just dove under the blanket!
“P-Probably just a hallucination. Ha ha…”
“I see. Then rest well. I’ve heard you played quite the role in resolving this incident. I’m sure the Magic Department will understand.”
Just as Camilla turned her head away, Awen peeked out from under the blanket again before mouthing words silently:
– I.
– Saw.
– Everything.
Grin.
A chill ran down my spine.
“Uuuuhhh!! B-Big sister!! Um, you see! I kinda wanna get some fresh air…want to go outside for a bit!?”
“Shouldn’t you rest a little longer…?”
“No, I’m good! R-Really! L-Let’s go grab something to eat! I’m starving!!”
“……?”
And just like that, even though she hadn’t done anything wrong….before I knew it, I had escaped the room with Camilla.
***
Rushed decisions usually come back to bite you.
And the moment I stepped into the dorm lounge with Camilla, I felt that truth in my bones.
“……!!!!”
“─!???!?”
The students who had been worn down and lifeless just moments before suddenly stiffened at our appearance.
“C-C-Camilla… brought a man into the dorm—!!!”
“Breaking news! Breaking news! Breaking news──!!! A handsome guy spotted in forbidden male-free Rovine!! Allegedly Camilla’s man—!!”
“Oh my god!! The quiet cat is… is… the one who struck first…!!!”
The students were going wild. I sighed in dismay at their reactions.
Right….Rovine was the girls’ dorm.
“He’s my younger brother. Don’t be rude.”
“……”
“…Oh. I see. I thought maybe that was the secret behind her being top of the year.”
“Same. I was thinking like, ‘Whoa, bold move—’”
“Her brother’s handsome~ Hey, do you have a girlfriend~?”
“Uh… no?”
“You don’t have to answer that.”
“More importantly, I’m sure you were surprised. Sorry about that. It’s just that everyone’s a little… wound up before exams. I’ll apologize on their behalf.”
Camilla instantly calmed the storm and took a seat. I sat beside her, newly aware of the kind of authority she carried.
And honestly, I was feeling pretty good.
Because finally, the bond between us as sister and brother felt real.
I could truly feel that I had a strong ally now.
“Adel. Didn’t you say you wanted to eat something? If you order here, they’ll bring it up for you, so no need to feel pressured.”
“What about you?”
“Let’s see. I don’t usually eat at this hour, so I’m fine.”
“Then… want to split something? I probably can’t eat much on an empty stomach either.”
“…Th-Then, let’s do that.”
For some reason, she looked a little touched. I just picked something neutral that most people would like and slumped over.
“So, what exam were they talking about? Do Knight Department students get pop quizzes too?”
“No. It’s midterms.”
“Ah, midterms.”
“Yes. No wonder everyone’s on edge…”
“Makes sense… Wait. Midterms?”
“Ah.”
I shot up without thinking.
“Big sister. Just to check… what day is it today?”
“…A-Adel, don’t stress. You’ve been given permission to stay in the dorm until today. Given the situation, the Magic Department will understand. Missing one exam isn’t the end of the world…”
Nope. She had zero intention of answering directly.
I glanced around and spotted a calendar. Bolted toward it.
One of the Knight Department girls saw me and chuckled.
“I heard the Magic Department’s exams are mostly tomorrow~?”
“…Tomorrow?”
“Yeah. Officially, reports are due by 9 a.m. Some classes are attendance-based exams.”
“……”
I checked the time.
11:00 p.m.
“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Just 10 hours left until the deadline.
There’s no way I can skip the exam.
Now that things are going well with Camilla, doing well on the test is absolutely essential.
I already missed so many classes… But if I miss this too?
No need to think hard. The result is obvious: I’ll fail.
That’s no good. On top of that, I’m an early admission student. That status is important. I still need to build many relationships using it.
“Sister!! I’m sorry! Let’s eat later! I’ve got to go!”
“W-Wait, Adel…!”
I bolted out at full speed, heading straight for the Herein Dormitory.
***
The next morning.
8:59 AM.
Professor Topyren of “Applications of Magic Fundamentals” snapped shut his pocket watch with a click.
So he couldn’t make it after all.
The person on his mind was Adel Bliss, the early-admission student in the Magic Department.
From what he’d heard, the boy was still bedridden after the recent incident.
That meant there was no way he could turn in the assignment.
Today was the final deadline for the midterm substitute report.
If not submitted, the grade would be the lowest possible score.
Considering the recent discussions about Adel Bliss possibly repeating the year, this would be a critical blow.
Just one failing grade could ruin any chance of ranking decently. As the head professor had said, achieving “meaningful results” would be out of the question.
But Professor Topyren… had also been there during the academy terror incident.
He had witnessed Adel’s mana control. How he manipulated the flow of mana with ease, bending it to his will like a conductor of an orchestra.
It was the perfect example of beauty in magic.
Having seen that display, he fully understood the extent of Adel Bliss’s brilliance.
A talent that, in time, could open up new horizons in magic. A gift worthy of the title Great Mage.
And with the recent suspicion about him being “magic-disabled” now thoroughly disproven, there was nothing left but for the boy to soar.
A student like that didn’t deserve to be held back.
Professor Topyren, in his heart, knew this.
Of course… if the prideful head professor found out, there would be hell to pay…
I’ll just secretly give him a little extension.
As someone walking the same path of magic, he couldn’t just let Adel fall behind.
Tampering with the submission timestamp would’ve been simple.
All Topyren had to do was embed a light fake-magic seal into Adel’s report to make it look like it had been submitted on time.
[9:00 A.M.]
The clock’s hour hand struck nine precisely.
And at that exact moment—
Bang—!!!
The classroom door burst open.
“Submission… submitting my midterm report…”
“……”
Professor Topyren pressed his forehead with a sigh.
“You could’ve taken your time…”
“…It is due today. I didn’t miss the deadline, did I…?”
“No, you made it just in time. Even if you’d been late…”
“?”
“No, never mind. Submission confirmed… Good work, Adel.”
He had heard just yesterday that Adel still hadn’t woken up.
Which meant… this report was written within one day….no, maybe in just a few hours.
There was no way the quality could be any good.
And the boy standing before him looked terribly worn out.
Honestly, I was planning to secretly extend the deadline if he didn’t show…
But now that the report had been submitted, his hands were tied.
He had to grade it fairly. No exceptions.
There was no way he could avoid flunking this one.
Topyren let out a heavy sigh and opened Adel’s report—
…and froze in place.
“…What is this…?”
Before he realized it, he was hunched over the desk, poring over the report as if he were about to lick the pages.
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