I’m certain I’ve reached our family estate. And that was already 30 minutes ago.
But why on earth am I still in this carriage instead of inside the manor?
Father, Mother, your son has arrived. I want to see you both…
“So? What happened then?”
“Kaya. The rest we can discuss once we go inside—”
“Nope. Tell me now.”
Is this how a fifteen-year-old is supposed to act? Kaya, darling, did you regress back to age five or something?
Of course, back then you were adorably cute. But forever being stuck with a five-year-old sister? That’d be rough!
“Okay, Kaya. Anyway, once we’re inside, I’ll tell Father and Mother—”
“I need to know first. I need to know everything. So I’m going to listen here, and that’s that!”
After hearing that, I can’t help but burst out laughing for some reason.
Honestly, our Kaya. Have you really not changed a bit since you were little?
“Big Brother! So… what’s next?”
“Can’t you just wait until we tell Mother and Father?”
“Ughh! No, I have to know first! First, me, me!”
“And how long are you gonna keep this knowledge to yourself? Surely not for 30 minutes?”
“Even if it’s just for 30 seconds, I’ll still be happy!”
While Kaya was throwing a tantrum, when I think about it… wasn’t I doing the same thing sometimes?
Aside from my status as her brother, I don’t really have anything extraordinary to offer, and yet she always hyped me up as “Big Brother.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“No, it’s just… I remember how you used to be when you were little, Kaya.”
“Remembering the past? Then tell me now! What happened?”
There’s no way this is going to end properly at this rate. The winner and loser in this situation are already decided.
I know well that Kaya won’t back down no matter how much I stall, so I just give her what she wants.
“…That’s right. That’s how it was. Big Brother did such an amazing—”
“Don’t exaggerate, please. Just what I could manage within limits—hold on, Kaya? Kaya?!”
Startled, I grabbed her face with both hands.
Did I see wrong just now? No, no, I saw correctly. So why…
“What is it? Why are you like this, Kaya? Why are you crying?”
My heart skips a beat. I’ve come home, yet my little sister is already crying.
Would any big brother in the world not ask why under these circumstances?
“What’s wrong, Kaya? Is something the matter?”
“No… it’s just that…!”
“Whywhywhy? Why are you like this? Please tell me.”
Is there something I don’t know about? Did our parents hide something from me?
Or has something happened that even Kaya can’t explain to our parents?
If this has anything to do with a boy, I’ll bet my life on hunting down the guy who made our little sister cry and… killing him.
“It’s because… Big Brother… You’ve worked so hard…”
“…What?”
“I’ve had it easy, but… I’m sorry. Sorry, Brother Kael! Waaaah!”
Well, turns out the guy I should’ve killed all along was me. Gosh, this is awkward.
Swallowing my discomfort, I try to reassure Kaya by telling her it’s okay.
“You startled me! I thought something was wrong.”
“How could something be wrong with you and not with me?”
“Look, I’m not injured. In fact, I’ve boosted our family’s reputation, so you should congratulate me! I came home expecting that. Don’t cry; it’s gonna make me feel a little neglected.”
I tried to make a joke, and Kaya suddenly panicked, wiping her tears in a hurry.
Then she shouted, “I didn’t cry!” Indeed, back to her five-year-old self.
“Was everything alright here during my absence?”
“Yeah, nothing happened.”
“Hmm. After all, only six months have passed—”
“Six months is still a long time! What do you mean by ‘just’?”
“R-Right.”
Managing to calm Kaya down before she blew up again, we finally stepped out of the carriage.
There was Alexei, who’d been waiting all this time, greeting Kaya.
“Long time no see, Miss Kaya.”
“Alexei! Long time no see!”
And suddenly, Kaya walked up to Alexei and patted his shoulder.
Though there’s a height difference, she even raised her heels, making the whole scene incredibly endearing.
“Alexei!”
“Big Brother, you’ve been loyal and supportive. I really appreciate it. Please keep doing great work.”
“Would it be any other way? The safety of the young master is my safety!”
Our Alexei knows his place well. Truly, no one was meant to be a personal attendant more than him.
Once inside the manor, I finally met Father and Mother.
“Welcome back, Kael.”
This is my father, Arthur Klauwitz, Duke of the Bertier Empire. Born into military life, he can be a bit stoic, but he’s far from cold. He’s a great father, an excellent head of the household, and an unfailingly loyal subject to the Empire.
Though… it might’ve been nice if he had asked for my opinion before pushing me into the military. Ahem.
“Welcome back, my son.”
And beside him, my mother, Reena Searahad Klauwitz. The “Searahad” middle name shows she’s from the noble Searahad family, specifically the Barony of Lukken, which we still visit often.
During my travels and parties at the court, I even dropped by the maternal side for a bit.
“Nice to be back, Father, Mother.”
As the eldest son and heir to the Bertier dukedom, I gave a formal, composed bow.
Father smiled fondly, and Mother patted me on the back, saying, “You must have worked so hard.”
As always, my family feels like the best. This is my home, and I’d do anything to protect it. No matter what unexpected twists life throws me, like suddenly becoming a “celebrity strategist” or something.
—
“…So, that’s how it went.”
“Yes, Father. I did my best to avoid causing harm to the family—”
“Harm? Nonsense. Though I belong to the military faction and am classified as part of the anti-Empire party, I don’t let myself get dragged into others’ schemes.”
Tap tap.
Arthur Klauwitz, Duke of Bertier, tapped the wooden table to emphasize his words.
“The military should stand separate from politics. Not fully isolated, but it shouldn’t excessively interfere either. Some believe this kind of independence might reduce us to mere pawns on the chessboard, but ultimately, the military exists as both sword and shield to protect our homeland and its people.”
Kael remained silent, gazing down, clearly feeling uneasy. Perhaps he was reflecting on how deeply involved he’d gotten in politics.
Two factions showing interest? That suggests more than just a rise in political leverage. Could this mean trouble?
“But listen…”
The duke turned to his son, the young heir of the household, the one who would inherit the family name.
“Kael, you’re not a soldier by birth. Though you can serve in the military, unlike me, you aren’t defined as a soldier.
“I wanted you to inherit my position. To continue the legacy of the previous family heads. But if you choose a different path and still lead our family with distinction, why oppose it?”
Displeased? Not at all. On the contrary, Duke Klauwitz felt pleased. Very pleased.
Since the founding days, the first head of Clan Klauwitz served alongside the great Empress, building this great Empire together.
Every generation after him joined the military ranks. Over time, that became a defining feature of the family. Other dreams were discouraged.
So was that normality what drove him? The current Duke had assumed the military destiny for himself and his heir without question.
Until now… until his heir, Kael, threw a wrench into that equation.
“Could our family produce someone outside the military? And not just casually involved, but someone garnering attention even from the two factions and the imperial family?”
A highly positive turning point. An affirmation of new possibilities.
The Duke, more than anyone, understood the dangers of remaining trapped in one place. Progress demands flexibility. Thus, Kael’s apprehensions aside, Duke Klauwitz felt deeply satisfied.
“By the way, it’s lucky. There was something on my mind about this whole event.”
“Something on your mind? What could that be?”
“Both the anti-Empire and pro-Empire factions took notice of you. And in the end, you sided with the former, meaning the other side might now consider you, and our family, an enemy.”
Certainly, that’s a reasonable concern. Politics has no permanent friends or enemies, but any faction we undermine, even briefly, will be regarded as an adversary.
And political struggles operate differently from battlefield tactics, which naturally burdened Duke Klauwitz.
“Hmm….”
But Kael didn’t seem overly concerned.
“Kael?”
“I don’t think we should worry.”
“Really? Why’s that?”
“The Empire’s political landscape is divided between the anti-Empire faction and the pro-Empire faction, and the neutral forces mediate. But neutrality is always precarious.”
The Duke nodded in agreement.
“But despite the factional disputes, the Empire still runs smoothly. This time, I discovered why.”
Kael smiled knowingly before continuing.
“The conflicts between the anti-Empire faction and the pro-Empire faction, backed by the Crown Princess and the First Prince respectively, are all allowed to continue… by a higher authority, who manipulates everything for the Empire’s gain.”
—
Detecting the oddities helped me predict what was coming next. In my past memories, even in the quiet mornings of another country, similar patterns emerged.
The Emperor? Or the Crown Princess? One of them, I bet.
And a short while later…
“Big Brother! Someone from the imperial family came!!”
I knew it!
