Prologue 1: Thinking Back on a Distant PastIn an empty cla.s.sroom.
“…I love Ryner.”
Kiefer Knolles muttered softly, gently touching his head.
Such a small movement made her heart constrict, there was a faint sense of satisfaction.
But, he couldn’t hear that.
They were in the cla.s.sroom of the Roland Empire Royal Military Academy.
The morning lessons had ended, the afternoon lessons had ended too, the evening mock battle training was about to start, but…
After the morning lessons, he had slumped on the table and slept…
Kiefer sat by him.
“Really, Ryner you’re too cunning. Seeing you sleep so peacefully… How can I bear to wake you up? We should be hurrying for the exercise now… If this continues, I’ll be marked down as playing truant, and my marks will drop…”
Although she said that, she still looked at his adorable face with gentle eyes.
The rays pa.s.sing through the window were starting to slant.
The red light rays shone on Ryner’s black hair, making it tinged slightly red…
Kiefer thought, Ryner’s hair colour was the same as her short red hair, she couldn’t help but secretly feel pleased.
In the empty, quiet cla.s.sroom.
There were only two of them in the cla.s.sroom.
She muttered again:
“…To Ryner, I…”
Kiefer softly started to utter…
But, she stopped.
Because she knew, she was unable to let him know of her feelings.
Because she knew, she did not have that right.
She closed her eyes.
Thinking back…
One day, two years ago.
On that day, she smiled.
Perhaps this was the first time she laughed so happily since she left her birth country Estabul and entered the enemy country Roland as a spy.
Ever since she came to Roland, she had pa.s.sed days with death near to her.
She sought information on the movements of Roland’s army, then pa.s.sed it on to Estabul.
Getting information on Roland and pa.s.sing it on to Estabul.
It was revenge on Roland that had killed her parents.
It was to protect Estabul from being abused by Roland’s magic hands.
In the beginning, twenty spies were sent here.
But, in that period of time, the only ones who survived without being exposed were her… and her sisters.
Her elder sister Lyra and her younger sister Lymir.
Her sister Lyra wasn’t even twelve years old when their parents had been murdered…
Ever since, the three sisters had survived together.
Comforting and supporting each other.
After that it was the same when the Estabul army took them away to be educated.
Even when they were sent to Roland to be spies…
They never left each other, living together.
The elder sister for the sake of protecting her younger sisters, and the younger sisters for the sake of supporting the elder sister worked hard desperately, they worked very, very hard…
It had been two years since they were sent to the enemy country Roland as sisters who had lost their parents.
They had fought madly to live.
They covered their real ident.i.ties, gathered information about the Roland army, finding work so that they could survive…
So, only they had survived.
The Roland army seemed as if they had not locked down on them as of so far.
It seemed, they could still pretend that nothing was wrong.
They had thought.
So, that day, she smiled.
She was with her sisters Lyra and Lymir had partic.i.p.ated in a festival in the capital of Roland, Reylude…
They were looking at the stalls set by the side of the rows of streets as they walked.
The three sisters looked alike, their heights were different, but they had the same red hair and energetic red eyes, beautiful features, and they had the same tastes in clothes.
Kiefer liked her own appearance, but her sister Lyra who was older than her by three years was much more womanly and gentle.
Every time her sister walked on the streets, the men would watch her pa.s.s by, this made Kiefer feel proud.
Then Kiefer would look at her twelve-year old younger sister Lymir who was… two years younger than her and looked like her…
Lymir saw a stall owner selling sweets.
“Ne, Lyra Onee-san, I want to eat that!”
Lymir said and ran off, Kiefer seeing that—
“Ah, wait, Lymir! You can’t do that! Didn’t you just eat sweets just now!”
“That wasn’t enough!”
“Saying that, you always eat sweets, you wouldn’t be able to eat dinner later.”
Lymir slowly looked at Lyra when she heard that.
“Urgh—Lyra Onee-chan, can I?”
Kiefer looked at Lyra and said:
“Lyra Onee-san, really, you can’t spoil Lymir! This brat has been eating sweets lately, she hasn’t been eating properly.”
“That’s, that’s not true! It’s only for today!”
“She always says it’s only for today. Lyra Onee-san, say something!”
Lyra had a slightly troubled expression when she saw that, then said:
“Eh~ But, it’s rare that there’s a festival, I feel that it’s alright if we’re not so strict today…”
“Ah, you’re saying we should be more lenient?!”
But Lymir said:
“Great! I love Lyra Onee-san the best!! I hate Kiefer Onee-san!”
She made a face at Kiefer.
Kiefer returned the favour.
“I also hate my younger sister who wouldn’t listen to me.”
Kiefer made a face as she said that.
Lymir pouted unhappily when she saw that, turning away with an angry face, walking into the market.
Kiefer looked at her younger sister, then told her older sister:
“Lyra Onee-san, do you know? That kid bought a lot of sweets today!”
Lyra smiled wryly:
“Yes. But, today’s the festival… let her go. Anyway, doesn’t Kiefer have something she wants? It’s rare that there is a festival, if you want something, then buy a little. Of course it can’t be something too expensive.”
“Yes. I am quite particular about that. Like I said, Lymir bought many sweets today, I’m thinking, her money has probably been spent on buying sweets. She’ll probably want to buy clothes or toys later, at that time she will regret spending her money on tidbits. Ah, really, I can imagine that scene occurring soon.”
The image of her depressed sister appeared in her mind, Kiefer couldn’t help but laugh, then she couldn’t help but laugh, then said:
“So, I’ll split my money with Lymir. It’s rare that we have a break, that we can partic.i.p.ate in this event together… I feel that this memory is very precious. Anyway, she is only twelve years old, but, she can’t play around like other children, she always has to go through many bad things… situated in the enemy country… she has always withstood it… so…”
At this moment, Lyra suddenly caressed Kiefer’s head gently.
“Ah, Kiefer is the same, a good child. But, you don’t have to worry so much. Because you are fourteen years old too. It is rare that there is an event like this today, if you want anything, then tell me…”
She suddenly stopped here…
Her eyes darkened.
“…The two of you are too good.”
She said as if sighing. Then she waved behind Kiefer.
Kiefer turned back too, seeing Lymir holding three sticks of candy, running towards them…
“I bought candies, Lyra Onee-san! Urgh, that… and Kiefer Onee-san!”
She handed the candy to Kiefer a little clumsily…
Kiefer looked stunned when she saw that.
“…Ah, really, you’re stupid. Buying three sticks of candy, your allowance is gone now?”
Lymir frowned when she heard that:
“Ah… But, but, it looked delicious, so I thought Onee-san would like it…”
Kiefer patted her little sister’s head like what her elder sister had done earlier to her when she heard that.
Then Lymir placed her head against Kiefer’s chest, hugging her tightly.
Kiefer laughed when she saw that. Then said:
“I say, Lyra Onee-san. Just now didn’t Onee-san ask me what I would like?”
Lyra nodded.
“Eh? You’ve thought of something?”
But, Kiefer shook her head, then imitated her sister’s actions, leaning her head on her sister’s chest.
Followed by her hugging her sister’s head tightly.
“I already have something I want. As long as the three of us are able to live together like this, I am already satisfied.”
Really, this was enough. She already had the most important things.
Lyra smiled, then hugged Kiefer’s head tightly.
That felt good…
As long as they were like that, she wouldn’t need anything else. She really thought so.
As long as the three of them were together…
At this moment, Lymir suddenly said with a panicked voice:
“Ah?! S, sorry, Kiefer Onee-san! The syrup has spilled on Onee-san’s clothes?!”
She exclaimed.
“Eh? Ah?! That can’t be?! Ahh?! I say, Lymir…”
Before she finished, Lyra spoke from behind her.
“Ah, the candy sauce from mine has dripped onto Kiefer’s head…”
“Ah?! Why is it only me?!”
Lymir suddenly had a cheeky expression.
“I think, that’s because Kiefer Onee-san is a scatter-brain.”
Lyra nodded forcefully.
“That’s right. Kiefer is rash when she does things…”
Kiefer hearing that.
“What is that! Really, it was the two of you who made me dirty, isn’t that a bit unfair?!”
She protested loudly. But, Lyra and Lymir exchanged glances and stuck their tongues out at her.
Kiefer seemed to frown angrily.
“What, what are you up to! Don’t make fun of others~”
She said, but laughed.
They stood in the middle of the busy festival streets, looking at each other and laughing.
That day, she had laughed from the bottom of her heart…
At this moment.
Someone suddenly spoke from behind them:
“…Hey, are you sisters? How cute! What a beautiful sister.”
But Kiefer and Lymir were already accustomed to this. Men would always target Lyra Onee-san, and try to flirt with her… But, every time they backed down after being glared at by Kiefer and Lymir, that was the usual pattern. It was the same for today’s festival, until then, there had been two cases, this was the third time.
So this time too… Kiefer and Lymir looked at each other, then nodding, they turned to glare at the man.
The man had a troubled expression…
“Ah? You’re shrugging me off?”
The man smiled innocently.
Then…
Kiefer’s expression changed.
No, even Lymir and Lyra’s expressions changed.
Seeing that man…
No, seeing the armour on that man… Kiefer couldn’t help but shiver.
“W…Why…”
Then she was unable to speak.
The man wore strange armour of white armour and dark blue cloak.
And, Kiefer recognised this armour. No, it should be said that it was impossible for her to forget it.
That armour, was only given to the best battalion in Roland—the special uniform of the Mage Knight Battalion.
And… ten years ago, their parents had been killed in a moment by monsters wearing this special armour…
At that moment, the man stared at the three sisters sharply, smiling.
“Hey, why are the Estabul dogs laughing here? Do you feel smug tricking us?”
The man said, and killing intent swelled immediately in the area.
“Ah…”
That was a pressurising feeling.
The demon of the battle field.
The strongest battalion in this country.
It couldn’t be mistaken.
“Urgh…”
This man was definitely a Mage Knight of Roland…
Kiefer was swallowed up by this killing intent.
It kept her from escaping.
She was forced to acknowledge this point.
The difference in their strengths were too great.
They would be killed…
But, Kiefer’s vision was suddenly blocked, because Lyra had jumped in front of her.
“Kiefer! Take Lymir and run!”
She shouted.
But, Kiefer was unable to move. She couldn’t escape. Faced with such a powerful monster, they couldn’t escape…
But at this moment—
“Quick!”
Kiefer had not heard Lyra roar so loudly before. She heard—
“Ah… Yes!”
The fear of the other party released her for a moment, Kiefer forced her petrified body to move, grabbing Lymir’s arm she ran.
The streets were packed with people because of the festival, they squeezed through the crowd as looked back.
They saw Lyra grabbing the clothes of the other people around her and shove them towards the Mage Knight. After she blocked his vision, she started to run towards them…
Good! Kiefer thought.
This way, they probably could escape this. If it was going to be so crowded, they probably could escape successfully. She thought.
But, the man had an annoying smile, his hands were moving in the air at the same time, drawing a magic formation.
That was Roland’s magic. It was completely different from Estabul’s magic, Roland’s magic needed a magic formation to be activated.
From the magic formation, if Kiefer didn’t remember wrongly, that should be an offense magic called IZUCHI…
Kiefer seeing that.
“Ah… aren’t you joking? If you use that… there, there are many other Roland citizens here?!”
But the man smirked evilly.
“So what?”
Then he chanted.
“WHAT I SEEK IS THUNDER>>> IZUCHI”
In a moment, a lightning ball appeared in the middle of the magic formation, lightning and thunder sounded, released from the magic formation in front of the man.
It was an unbelievable sight. In a moment, people weren’t even able to scream before they collapsed to the ground.
The man nodded when he saw this.
“Ne, now the road is open. I’m coming, you b.i.t.c.hes, run! I’ll come and kill you immediately!”
Saying that, he stepped on the bodies of the Roland citizens without changing expression…
That was his own people… his people, and he didn’t even care that he was stepping on them.
Screams sounded.
That would be obvious? Because people had seen people surrounding them die.
But the man shouted.
“Don’t move! I’m from the army. If you dare to move, I’ll kill everyone!!”
In a moment, the streets went silent.
With such a shout, the people shut up.
Everyone stopped moving.
Kiefer frowned when she saw this.
The people were already used to this. They were used to being abused by their country and army.
This was Roland.
A country that had already gone mad.
The man approached them at an unbelievable speed. He had a mild expression—he pushed over the people in his path, chasing after them.
At this moment Lyra said:
“Don’t stop, Kiefer! I’ll block him for a while…”
“But?!”
“Don’t say anymore, go! It’ll be fine, I will catch up with you! Take Lymir, run to the Estabul boundary!!”
Lyra said as she turned back, moving her hands, inscribing glowing words in the air.
This was Estabul’s magic.
And it was very difficult, it was a kind of magic that was high-cla.s.sed. Even in Estabul, only a small percentage of the elite could learn this magic.
And her sister Lyra had learnt this magic. That was expected, because in the training facility of Estabul, she had easily gained the nickname of a prodigy, and that was why she was chosen to lead the spy mission in Roland.
Lyra who had that ability…
Beautiful, womanly, determined and strong, her sister was someone Kiefer was proud of…
“…”
She stared at Lyra. She only saw her sister finish smoothly writing the glowing words.
“I OFFERED THE CONTRACTED WORDS, LETTING THE SLUMBERING MALICIOUS SPIRIT DWELL WITHIN”
In the moment she finished chanting, her body started to glow. That high-skilled magic was to forcefully expand the limits of her mind, pushing her body limits to the maximum.
Lyra’s body movements increased because of this magic. She aggressively charged towards the approaching Mage Knight and jumped…
At this moment, Kiefer turned away.
Then shouted—
“Let’s go, Lymir!”
She gripped her sister’s arm again, running forward.
Lymir seeing that—
“No?! I don’t want to go! Onee-san, onee-san she…”
But Kiefer told her:
“She’ll be fine! Onee-san will definitely be alright! Lymir should know too, Onee-san, one-san is powerful! She will definitely defeat that person!! But, if we’re there, she’ll feel obstructed…”
“B,but…”
“Listen to me! If I say it’ll be fine, then it’ll be fine! We sisters can continue to live!”
Yes, she told herself that.
It would be fine.
Everything would be fine.
Until today, there were a few times when they had felt that they were near death, but every time the three of them supported each other, they had successfully pa.s.sed through obstacles… they had worked hard to where they were now…
This time they could definitely overcome it.
As long as they did not give up, they definitely could overcome it…
The three sisters could enjoy happy days together again.
So, now they had to move.
“Let’s go!”
Kiefer shouted, pulling at Lymir who was reluctant to move, wanting to charge forward…
At this moment—
“Noooooo~”
The scream started.
The scream came from her side.
Hearing this, Kiefer’s body trembled.
She turned, only seeing her sister crying, screaming ceaselessly.
Seeing that, Kiefer’s body trembled even harder.
Her sister’s face had twisted in despair…
She was scared.
Why did her sister have that expression…
She was scared to know the reason.
It can’t be.
It was impossible…
Because, they had always worked hard. Earlier, the three of them had been joking around because of the clothes and candy.
So, it couldn’t be…
But, her sister’s screams continued to pierce Kiefer’s ears…
Her little sister’s screams…
It made Kiefer tremble as she turned back.
The scene reflected in her eyes was—
The image of her sister falling to the ground and…
The figure of the Mage Knight who was raising up the left arm that he had ripped off her sister’s body with a hateful smile for Kiefer to see.
Blood splattered out.
Blood spurted out from her sister’s slim and lovely arm.
The man smirked as he looked at Kiefer and Lymir.
“Ne, what do you think, b.i.t.c.hes from Estabul? Will you abandon your sister and escape? Or help her?”
Lymir seeing the situation.
“Ly-Lyra Onee-san?!”
She shouted, wanting to run up to her, but—
“Don’t come over!”
Lyra roared. She pressed on her bleeding shoulder as she stood up, blocking the Mage Knight. Then she turned back to look at her little sisters, her face contorted with pain, but still smiling gently.
“……I…will be fine…Escape quickly, you two. I will definitely catch up with you.”
“No!!”
Lymir screamed.
But, Lyra continued smiling gently…
“Kiefer… I’ll leave Lymir to you.”
Kiefer wanted to scream too.
But she couldn’t do that.
Lymir was crying uncontrollably.
Kiefer was jealous of that.
I want to cry too…
But, Lyra seemed to understand what Kiefer was thinking and shook her head.
“Aren’t you an older sister? You have to gather your wits together.”
Kiefer was unable to say anything when she heard this.
She could only scrunch up her face, tears filling her eyes…
But Lyra said:
“I beg you, Kiefer.”
She didn’t want to hear that.
She didn’t want to hear this…
Tears flowed out.
But Kiefer didn’t wipe her tears away, she made a move.
She grabbed Lymir’s arm again.
“Let’s go!”
Lymir shouted.
“No! No!! I don’t want to be separate from Onee-san?! I’m not leaving!!”
She shouted and cried, attempting to twist free from Kiefer’s grasp, but, Kiefer slapped her sister’s face.
“Didn’t I just say, I hate little sisters who don’t listen to me!!”
She shouted angrily at her sister. Lymir’s face twisted when she heard this, her tears continuing to flow…
But, she didn’t cry anymore.
Seeing this…
Lyra smiled happily. She seemed to say joyfully:
“…That’s good, remarkable child. Haha, I really like the both of you. You really are good children. You are the little sisters who I am proud of, and you make me feel ashamed of myself.”
She said.
But, it was the reverse. Kiefer and Lymir had always looked up to their sister, they had been proud of their sister.
Their beautiful, talented and gentle sister was their pride.
One day, they wished to become like their sister. They had aimed for that ever since they were young.
They had always idolised her.
And, with the progress of time, even though she had surpa.s.sed the age of their sister at that time…but she was still so clumsy…
And in an urgent situation, she was still so useless…
At this moment the man said with a happy expression:
“The sisters that you are proud of will die quickly.”
But, Lyra did not react. She only said with a gentle voice:
“You don’t have to be scared, it’ll be fine. I wouldn’t let him get nearer. You can definitely escape—go quickly.”
Saying that, she faced off against the man again.
Kiefer looked at this…
“………I also like…”
She said softly.
Lyra couldn’t hear her soft voice, but…
Lyra replied:
“You don’t have to say it, I know!”
Everything was unspoken.
That was obvious. They had always lived together. Ever since they were born till now, they had always been together.
Even if they didn’t say anything, they could communicate mentally.
So—
“Lymir, let’s go!”
Kiefer grabbed Lymir’s arm, running forward.
As she ran, she shouted in her heart—I love Onee-san!
She shouted that out loud in her heart repeatedly: don’t die! If you can’t be by our sides anymore, then I wouldn’t love you!
Lyra said from behind their backs, as if replying her silent shouts:
“I too… love you. So, I definitely wouldn’t let you be harmed. Even if I have to sacrifice myself…”
Her voice faded away into the distance, until it was gone.
They weaved through the human throng, turning into the alleys…
She kept hearing sobs behind her. Lymir was crying as she ran. But, she couldn’t cry now, she couldn’t stop.
Because I am her sister.
Because I am like Lyra who I idolised, I am a sister.
I have to protect my younger sister Lymir.
She ran desperately.
The map of this street rose in her mind, she chose the paths that would confuse the pursuing soldiers. When she turned back, that man had not caught up.
Lyra had succeeded in blocking them.
It was possible.
She thought.
It seemed that she could escape.
After they left the centre of the market place, the pa.s.sers-by became lesser; they should have put a considerable distance between them. Lymir’s sobs had turned to pants at some point in time…
Kiefer saw this.
“Lymir, are you alright?”
“Y-Yes, I’m f-fi...”
She seemed as if she were unable to take it. She was already panting, if they didn’t stop to rest, she probably would be unable to move?
At this moment Kiefer entered another alley, hiding in the darkness of the shadowed alley where there was no one…
“Huff huff… We should be fine here…”
But, a familiar voice that made them unhappy spoke from the shadows of the alley…
“Dogs of Estabul, you’re clearly dogs, but you run so slowly…”
The man appeared.
Kiefer nearly screamed when she saw him.
Then, she resisted the urge. She immediately pushed Lymir behind her.
“Lymir, run…”
But, she stopped here.
The man threw the thing he had in his hands towards them… the thing rolled in front of them.
In front of them…
That thing… made Kiefer momentarily paralysed.
It was Lyra’s… it was her sister’s head…
“She said, even if it took her life she would protect you. Haha. How can such a cheap being protect others?”
He man said.
Cheap being. That man described her sister who had sacrificed herself to protect them.
When Kiefer heard that…
“I, I’ll kill you?! I will definitely kill…”
But, she didn’t finish her sentence. Lymir’s cry sounded from behind her.
“No! Stop, let me go!”
Kiefer looked back, three men who wore the same odd battle uniform as the man had appeared.
Lymir was captured by them…
“You, you…”
Kiefer moaned.
So the man said:
“Hey, what did you want to do to me? Kill me? Fine. Try that. But, when you make your move, I’ll kill your sister immediately… What do you think?”
The man laughed happily. His tone was mocking.
“…”
Kiefer despaired. She couldn’t think of anything to escape from this situation.
But, she had to protect her sister.
Lyra had handed her sister to her.
Even if she had to sacrifice her life…
Kiefer turned back quickly, swinging a fist at the Mage Knight who held Lymir…
But.
“Urgh?!”
A strong kick was aimed at Kiefer’s head. In a moment, the world in front of her went white, her whole body flew back. She crashed into the wall, and dropped to the ground.
With just a kick, Kiefer’s leg had lost its ability to move. Her body wouldn’t stop trembling…
“Ah… urgh… ah…”
The buzzing in her ears was so loud… Then slowly—
“……Onee-san?! Kiefer Onee-san!!”
She heard Lymir’s shouts.
At that moment, she was already surrounded by the four Mage Knights… then she was kicked.
“Urgh…”
Kiefer’s head fell back, perhaps her mouth was bleeding? Blood gushed out. Her head collided with the wall again, and she slumped on the ground. But, the strikes didn’t stop. The enemy kicked from all directions again and again, hitting her…
She was completely unable to defend herself.
She was unable to fight off the enemy.
Don’t even mention about saving Lymir, she couldn’t even move.
Only her sister’s screams…
“No! I beg you, don’t hit her anymore! Onee-san will die! She will die!”
At this point, the attacks suddenly stopped.
Kiefer lay on the ground. Unmoving. She couldn’t even tell where she was hurting.
There were a few bone fractures. She observed that her right arm and right leg were twisted in odd directions…
But Kiefer didn’t keep these injuries in mind. These injuries were unimportant.
What was more important was…
She tried to raise her head… Looking at the men who were smiling as they looked down at her.
“…Urgh… Pl-please. I wouldn’t resist anymore… My sister…she’s still a child. So…”
“Hm, no. I have to kill you like how I killed your sister. That’s the higher-up’s orders. Our superior ordered us to kill all the dogs from Estabul…”
But, Kiefer interrupted the man.
“Pl-please…I beg you. I’ll do anything… I’ll go through anything. I’ll do whatever you want me to do, so…my sister…”
“Enough! I don’t matter! We, we have to go find Lyra Onee-san together?! So…”
But, Kiefer didn’t answer her sister.
She only looked at the men…
So, the man smiled happily. No, the other Mage Knights laughed too. Then—
“You really want to save your sister?”
The man asked, Kiefer nodded her head frantically.
It didn’t matter what happened to her.
But, at least Lymir…
The man said:
“Even if it is to betray your country? To save your sister, you can even betray the country?”
Kiefer didn’t need to hesitate.
“I will listen to your orders.”
The man laughed when he heard that.
“Haha! This person really betrayed her country without any hesitation. Is this Estabul’s spy? Ha, they really are a bunch of useless dogs.”
The man beside him nodded:
“Yeah. I actually thought that you had some relatives in Estabul who were taken as hostages, to prevent you from betraying your country, I didn’t think that… It seems like we have been thinking too much about it. If they can betray their country so easily, then why not we take the child, and make use of her sister…”
The man seemed happier when he heard this.
“Ah, that seems to be more interesting… this brat is useless. But, never mind. Our mission has ended successfully.”
Saying that the man grabbed a handful of Kiefer’s hair.
“Then, welcome to Roland. From today onwards, you will pa.s.s false information back to Estabul. If you can succeed in this mission, we will release your sister. But, before that, your sister will be taken care of by us, so you can work hard. You…’
At this moment, the man looked at Kiefer derisively.
“You traitor.”
Then he spat at her.
But, Kiefer didn’t care.
Kiefer looked at her sister… smiling. Then said:
“Don’t be scared. I will do it properly. Wait for me, I will definitely save you…”
Her sister only cried uncontrollably.
Kiefer wanted to stroke her head. Tell her, you’ve done well. You’re only twelve years old… but you have done very well. She wanted to pat her sister’s head, and tell her, I’m sorry, that things would turn out this way.
But, she was unable to move. Because of her bone fractures, she was unable to move.
Lymir needed her help, but…
But…
One day, I will definitely save her.
Because I am her sister.
Because Lyra told me to take care of Lymir.
Even if I am mocked as a traitor, even if my hands are dirtied…
I definitely have to save this child.
Kiefer swore in her heart.
Definitely.
This way, she…
Became a traitor.
The wind blowing in from the window was cold.
How long had she stayed in this position?
She had stroked Ryner’s hair as she remembered the past, when she came to, much to her surprise she found that the sky had darkened.
“…Ah, we have to go back… hey, Ryner. It’s already dark. Let’s go back.”
Then—
“Eh~ Ah, it seems like today… Uh…Ah…huh…”
Ryner said some unintelligible thing, then he started to snore again, Kiefer couldn’t help but laugh.
“What a lazy person…”
His every action was so cute…
How had things progressed to this stage?
She tried to ask herself that.
Ever since that day…
In the two years that she had been separated from her sister…
Her feelings had been in a tense state ever since then.
It was so tense that no matter how compa.s.sionate others were to her, even if everyone was nice, she wouldn’t confide in them…
But, why did she like Ryner so much?
She reached out to touch his hair again.
Then, she tried to say the things that she was unable to say earlier…
“…Towards Ryner, I…”
But, she swallowed her words again.
Because she didn’t have the right to say that.
Betraying her country…
Betraying her friends… Betraying Sion and Tyle, Toni, Fahl…
And she would betray Ryner today.
Not long after this, war would start.
Everyone would be killed.
…And I will be the one to pull the trigger.
Everyone…
I will kill everyone.
I will kill the people I like.
“……Urgh.”
She nearly sobbed out loud.
She grabbed Ryner’s clothes, resisting that notion.
Save me.
She swallowed that phrase.
Save me, Ryner.
She swallowed that phrase.
She wanted to die.
Actually I don’t want to kill anyone…
Actually I don’t want to kill everyone…
Save me, Ryner. Ryner, Ryner, Ryner.
Save me…
I’m begging you, save me…
Tears almost rolled out from her eyes…
At this moment—
“Ah… Wow, why is it so dark? It can’t be? It’s already night time?! I slept for a long time~”
Saying that, Ryner sat up.
In the darkness of the cla.s.sroom, he looked around…
Kiefer told him:
“Really! Ryner sleeps too much! You slept from morning till now!”
She said a little angrily, then smiled.
It was a perfect smile.
No matter what the occasion was, she always smiled like that.
There was no trace of tears.
She always smiled like that.
Because she was a traitor.
She continued to tell lies in this way.
Because she was a traitor.