The scene was nothing short of a disaster, with blood staining every corner.
The Saintess rushed about, tending to the wounded. Most of them had lost limbs, broken bones, or were on the brink of death from excessive bleeding, yet miraculously, no one seed to have actually died— except for those whose heads had exploded in the reception room.
Their fate was sealed.
I wished I could have saved them, but the Dark Order's contract magic seed more effective than I had imagined.
The re thought of what might have unfolded had they made that pact at the Gilford Orphanage sent shivers down my spine.
Senior Elsie's face clouded with sorrow as she gently wiped away the blood from my body with a damp cloth.
I was drenched in the blood spilled by others.
"Master, there's no need for you to endure this... I-if you had called , I could have electrocuted these pieces of trash with ease!"
As she spoke, Senior Elsie clenched her teeth, her blue eyes blazing with hatred and resentnt as they scanned over the injured, sprawled in agony.
Even though I erged unscathed, the sight of my blood-soaked form seed to fuel her anger.
It was always my duty to restrain Senior Elsie, who was even now murmuring discreetly to cast a spell.
"Stop it, Senior Elsie... What's the use of electrocuting those already on the brink of death."
"B-but, still!"
Senior Elsie, once a fierce beast, now wore a dissatisfied expression. Fiery blue flas still danced in her eyes, a sign of her defiance.
There was only one way to ta this ferocious beast.
Without hesitation, I placed my hand atop Senior Elsie's head. Through her pointed hat, I could feel the softness of her hair beneath my touch.
I gently caressed her head.
"Still, thank you for worrying, Senior Elsie."
"Ehehe, hehe... M-Master..."
Senior Elsie lted at once, resting her head against my chest and nuzzling against . It was a familiar sensation, one to which I had grown accustod.
The feeling of a lovely girl burying her face in my chest was objectively not bad.
However, there was one person who found the exchange unpleasant.
The Saintess, as she surveyed the injured, furrowed her brow upon turning towards .
And with a deanor that was both polite yet brimming with annoyance, she twirled the lock of her hair around her index finger.
"Sigh, while so of us are working diligently, others seem content to play with their pets...."
Naturally, Senior Elsie wouldn't let such provocation slide without response.
She imdiately furrowed her brows and then slipped out of my embrace to glare at the Saintess.
"...What did you just say, you bitch?"
But the Saintess was quick to respond, staying one step ahead of Senior Elsie.
With a sweet and compassionate smile, she clasped her hands together and bowed her head slightly.
"I'm not sure what you an, Sister Elsie. I apologize if there's been any misunderstanding… However, if you're experiencing any hearing issues, please don't hesitate to consult with . Immanuel."
The rest of the party mbers turned their gaze towards Senior Elsie, as if accusing her for causing a scene once again.
Although the Saintess had instigated the confrontation, her subtle shift in tone went unnoticed by everyone except Senior Elsie and .
So naturally, the disapproving gazes fell on Senior Elsie, who was infamous for her volatile temper.
But Senior Elsie paid no mind to their glances.
She scoffed in apparent disbelief before showcasing her unique gift of gab.
"No, big boobs are still big boobs, and now you're adding rudeness to the mix...."
"...And I suppose Sister Elsie lacks manners herself?"
"Well, isn't it better than lacking parents?"
The Saintess replied with a compassionate smile, while Senior Elsie retorted with biting sarcasm.
Despite Senior Elsie's rough deanor, she couldn't openly swear at the Saintess in public.
Similarly, the Saintess, who had cultivated a certain social image, found it difficult to quarrel openly as well.
So instead, they engaged in a playful exchange of banter, trading whispers and jabs in a sowhat absurd manner.
I flicked Senior Elsie's forehead as she reverted to her usual brash personality after attempting to conceal it.
"Ah, ouch! M-Master!"
"No matter what, you shouldn't bring up soone else's family to insult them."
"B-but...!"
Senior Elsie appeared genuinely aggrieved, and it seed she was more sensitive about the topic of breasts than family matters.
It was a fight that I would never understand.
It was obvious that the Saintess's breasts were larger than those of most won, but there was nothing wrong with Senior Elsie's size. So, there was no reason for her to feel inferior.
However, since there was no ti to have a long talk about this, I showed a stern expression and shook my head.
It ant there was no room for further argunt.
Senior Elsie imdiately looked dejected, while the Saintess wore a smug smile.
Feeling more at ease, the Saintess took the wet towel from Senior Elsie and began to gently wipe my face.
"Thank you for your hard work, Brother Ian... Unlike so, you spared lives because you have a good heart."
"......Because there was no need to take them."
I replied with a sigh, prompting a genuine smile from the Saintess, as if to say it was useless to stop her.
Unlike before, her smile seed sincere this ti.
Observing the peculiar atmosphere, Senior Elsie once again appeared on the verge of tears.
However, there was now soone else who could rein her in.
"Elsie!"
Senior Elsie's body stiffened at that stern call.
She looked around before shifting her gaze to the back.
There stood Sir Reynold, who had just walked out of the reception room with Leto.
"Are you openly flirting around in front of others now? Also, I haven’t officially recognized Young Master Ian as your partner yet."
"U-Uncle..."
Surprisingly, Senior Elsie seed to deflate instantly, appearing timid.
It was the first ti we had seen Senior Elsie act like that. It was a rare sight that left us all staring in surprise.
Sir Reynold continued sternly, addressing Senior Elsie.
"Instead of wasting ti like this, shouldn't you be honing your skills on the field? To beco an Archmage, you must acquire knowledge from various disciplines..."
"I-I’ll handle it myself...!"
Senior Elsie's timid defiance prompted a hollow gaze from Sir Reynold, betraying no hint of his thoughts.
He sighed in resignation, shaking his head.
"...Do as you please. After all, without becoming an Archmage, you won't escape the family's restriction."
Senior Elsie visibly deflated at his words, her head drooping in defeat.
Her appearance was so pitiful that I felt compelled to console her without even realizing it.
But before I could do that, Sir Reynold approached first.
After briefly surveying the scene I had left in my wake, he reported the findings of the investigation.
“As you suspected, traces of magic not belonging to the traditional magical system have been found.”
"… Any links to the Dark Order?"
"We don't have concrete evidence yet."
I noted how Sir Reynold's address to had shifted to "Young Master," and his tone, though still informal, had beco slightly more respectful.
Despite still using informal language, it was clear that his opinion of had improved.
I sighed with relief but, at the sa ti, found myself in contemplation.
In the end, however, there wasn't any concrete evidence that could lead back to the Dark Order.
"Don't be too disappointed. With this, the scope of the investigation has narrowed down significantly… Now we just need to trace the activities of these missing individuals."
As he said this, he handed a stack of docunts containing profiles of the missing debtors, which I accepted with a wry smile.
I should be satisfied with this result, at least for the ti being.
With the Rinella family's mage corps and the Imperial Administrator involved, the investigation would progress more swiftly. And if Senior Neris were to join, it would beco even more easier.
Just when it seed like everything was winding down, my younger sister Ria threw a wet blanket on the situation.
She trembled like a newborn fawn as she looked at the disaster I had created, before suddenly raising her voice.
"H-h-have you gone crazy... Oppa?!"
The whole party turned their puzzled gazes towards Ria.
Ria seed to have a hard ti believing that everyone else, aside from her, regarded the situation as normal.
She gestured towards those whom I had personally brought down, and they were moaning in pain.
When I cocked my head in confusion, Ria’s voice rose in frustration.
"Y-You could be in danger... Don't you know how notorious they were around here?! Look! T-There are, like, dozens... dozens! And they all were ard!"
I gazed at the Saintess with a puzzled expression.
The Saintess herself appeared bewildered.
Not only the Saintess, but the entire party also wore expressions of confusion.
Ria's eyes widened in disbelief, her golden irises trembling violently.
Ria implored Sir Reynold.
Her usual dignified deanor had vanished.
That indicated the magnitude of her shock.
"S-Sir Reynold, please say sothing to my brother! If he keeps fighting against dangerous people like these alone...."
"If he wants to be a permanent part of the family, then this is what he must do."
Though his tone remained devoid of emotion, there seed to be a hint of satisfaction underlying his words.
Ria turned to the Saintess in even greater despair.
"S-Saintess... Is it alright for him to risk his life like this? It's dangerous, right? What if sothing were to happen to my brother... I-I can't live without him..."
"…Ian is not hurt, right?"
Perhaps Ria assud that the Saintess would naturally provide the answer she desired.
Upon seeing the Saintess genuinely question her back, Ria touched her forehead and staggered backward.
Ria now tearfully clung to Celine.
Despite their strained relationship since childhood, Celine was the last person Ria could rely on for support.
"Ce-Celine Eonni… Please, say sothing. These people are weird! How can he face dozens of ard forces alone and not be in danger?!"
"Ahaha…."
Celine awkwardly scratched her cheek.
Then, she exchanged glances with Leto, who stood alongside Reynold, before letting out a deep sigh.
"…Ria."
Celine placed her hand on Ria’s shoulder, who was clinging to her, and offered a tender smile.
"You worry too much... Ian Oppa wouldn’t be hurt just by sothing like this."
"…Just, you say?"
Ria retorted in disbelief, turning her gaze to Leto and Seria as if seeking their opinions.
"B-but there were dozens of them, all forr rcenaries ard to the teeth."
Yet, the response from the pair remained the sa.
Leto and Seria simply nodded in agreent without uttering a word.
Eventually, Ria slumped down where she stood with a tearful face.
The sight of a beautiful black-haired maiden amidst a pool of blood, blooming like a flower, was nothing short of breathtaking.
However, Ria, the person at the center of it all, continued to mutter gloomily.
"Th-This is strange. There's no way my brother is this strong... We promised to live a simple life, just the two of us..."
She was talking about our promise from long ago.
Several years had passed since then.
I moved closer and gently patted Ria's shoulder a few tis, trying to comfort her.
It was ti to go back now.
It was ti to actively pursue the Dark Order.
****
And then, one night.
"...Sir Ian, there is sothing I need to report."
A shadow descended, revealing dark green eyes peering out from the darkness.
It was Senior Neris's /genesisforsaken
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