I decided to head alone to the slums.
First of all, the aftermath of last night’s banquet had taken a toll on my companions. Especially the Lady Virgin Saint quickly averted her eyes whenever they met mine.
If I were to bring up last night’s events, she would only respond with nonsensical remarks like,
“Hehe, did you perhaps have a sweet dream? They say a strong desire can sometimes influence one’s dreams. If Brother Ian had such a dream, that’s also a blessing from the Heavenly Deity. Emmanuel.”
Clearly, she was trying to suppress the memories out of sheer embarrassment.
If that was the will of the Lady Virgin Saint, then I had to respect it.
The only other notable thing was Senior Elsi.
That day, Senior Elsi followed me with a light step, occasionally peering down at her chest with a sad look in her eyes.
And she cautiously asked me,
“Master… You aren’t enchanted by that mere lump of flesh, are you?!”
“No, I am enchanted.”
Of course, as a man, it was only natural.
Senior Elsi immediately looked dejected and turned away.
It was rare lately for her not to cling to me and quietly walk away. I briefly tilted my head at her lonely-looking back but soon dismissed it.
Wasn’t my only sin merely speaking the truth?
The unexpected trouble awaited elsewhere.
My younger sister, Ria Percus.
With a cheerful smile on her face, the girl stood in my path, holding a shovel in her hand.
There was a sharp sound as the shovel blade struck the ground.
“Where are you going, brother?”
“First, let’s put the shovel down and talk, Ria….”
A sigh mixed with my words, but Ria wouldn’t take them at face value.
Instead, she drove the shovel blade into the ground once more, emitting a threatening sound.
She was upset and wanted to be let go—a somewhat endearing expression.
However, I was in a hurry and could not grant her request. To soothe Ria’s anger, I would have to spend at least a few hours with her.
As siblings, Ria possessed a remarkable ability to read my inner thoughts.
Seeing me flustered, Ria pouted her lips in dissatisfaction.
“Hmph, you were playing around with other women yesterday.”
“They were guests I brought, of course.”
“And you brought them to your bedroom?”
“Hey, that…”
I was at a loss for words against Ria’s teasing retort.
There was honestly no excuse for the uproar from last night.
Although it may have been swept under the rug, it was more about people overlooking it. There was no real resolution to the suspicions.
Jealous Ria would not simply let it pass.
Ria continued to grumble and voice her complaints.
“How nice it must be… My older brother is being adored by two women, while I am stuck waiting for him like a lonely single woman?”
“Don’t say things that might cause misunderstandings. There’s nothing going on with those two….”
“You seem to have your eyes glued to a certain area whenever you see the Lady Virgin Saint, though?”
Coughing lightly, I averted my gaze from Ria.
It was a reaction that was no different from that of a poet.
Ria’s response to my honest reaction only fueled her annoyance.
“Hmph, are you being so honest about your desires? Soon, you might even try to make a move on your younger sister!”
As she spoke, Ria was glancing at me mischievously.
It seemed she was looking for a certain kind of response.
So I conveyed my straightforward honesty.
“No, are you crazy? Why would I make a move on you?”
“…W-What did you say?!”
Unfortunately, it seemed that the choice I made was the wrong one.
Ria jumped up in place, raising her voice in disbelief.
“Why, why, why can’t I be good enough?! Do you know how many men in this world are after me?!”
“No, first of all, you’re my younger sister….”
I felt embarrassed to have to explain such an obvious fact.
My eyes subtly roamed over Ria’s body.
She had grown considerably and reached an age suitable for marriage.
There was no denying that her feminine curves were attractive. But still, no matter how much that might be true, I couldn’t be lustful toward my younger sister.
So I made a desperate effort to find an excuse.
“…Compared to the Lady Virgin Saint, you’re just not there.”
“AAAAH, for real!”
Ria expressed her frustration as if I were saying something ridiculous.
Admittedly, comparing her to the Lady Virgin Saint was extreme. Even the devout theology students had claimed that confessions had increased since the Lady Virgin Saint’s enrollment.
In the first place, being compared to others was not particularly pleasant either.
I felt a sense of guilt, but there was nothing I could do.
If I hadn’t said something like that, Ria wouldn’t have understood.
But today, Ria was more stubborn than I expected.
With a sudden swing, Ria threw the shovel down onto the ground. It was a sign of how angry she was.
As I looked at her in confusion, she turned away and slightly pushed out her behind.
She adjusted her skirt to emphasize her figure.
In that moment, the hidden curves of Ria’s body were revealed.
Her face was already blushing intensely.
She huffed and shouted,
“Look! My upper body might be a little lacking compared to the Lady Virgin Saint, but my lower body has grown up nicely!”
“No, why are you talking like a grown woman…!”
I immediately closed my eyes against the embarrassing sight.
With the curves that had been concealed beneath her ample skirt now exposed, I felt an overwhelming sense of betrayal. She had pulled her skirt so tight that even the cleft of her buttocks was faintly visible.
Even if she was my younger sister, I couldn’t help but avert my eyes when a maiden of her age struck such a pose.
However, when I turned my gaze away, Ria seemed to take pride in it instead.
“…Oh? What’s wrong? You said you wouldn’t have desires for your younger sister, right?”
I was slightly irritated by Ria’s alluring smile that she wore while covering her mouth with one hand.
Nevertheless, seeing me unable to look her in the eyes seemed to excite her further, and she burst into giggles.
To make matters worse, she started to playfully sway her hips as if teasing me.
“This is bad, this is really bad… At this rate, my perverted older brother might try to pounce on me! What if he does? Should I ask him to take responsibility for my life~?”
Eventually, I could no longer withstand Ria’s provocations.
My palm came down swiftly on Ria’s enticing rear.
The sound of the slap echoed, and Ria jumped as though she had been electrocuted.
“Kyah!”
With a short scream, Ria covered her rear with both hands and scampered away, glancing back at me with an accusatory voice.
“What the hell are you doing! Hitting the behind of your fully-grown younger sister!”
“Why do you think it would be me provoking you first?”
My voice, trained by Senior Delphine, held no trace of agitation.
It did feel nice, but it was still my younger sister’s body.
Of course, I had to forget all about it.
Thinking that way, I dusted off my palm. Ultimately, after taking a blow from me, Ria turned bright red and began to shout.
“You made me take responsibility! This is the first time someone has laid their hands on me!”
“When has it not been like this?”
My lackluster response made Ria pout as she puffed up her cheeks.
Her demeanor was so adorable that I couldn’t help but let out a faint smile, just then remembering to ask.
“By the way, Ria.”
“Hmph, what is it, perverted older brother?”
At least calling me ‘older brother’ was one tier above just ‘brother.’ Although it was mainly a title Ria used to distance herself from me when she was upset.
Of course, Ria being a good younger sister wouldn’t brush past my question without answering. No matter how angry she was.
With that trust in mind, I asked Ria again.
“Have you heard of the ‘swindlers’ in the slums?”
“…’Swindlers’?”
Pouting her lips while grumbling, Ria straightened her posture immediately upon hearing that.
She looked at me suspiciously.
“Why are those people?”
“Well, I just have a little business to attend to.”
Despite my flimsy excuse, her look of suspicion did not fade.
Ria had been staying at Percus Manor the whole time and, since she managed the company, she was quite familiar with the circumstances within the territory. Perhaps she even knew more than our father did.
So I had thrown out the question in case, but it seemed I had hit the mark based on Ria’s reaction.
Ria spoke with a reluctant voice.
“…You’re not thinking of doing something weird, are you?”
“Why would I do something like that? I’m Ian Percus, a pacifist who hates violence.”
After a long pause, Ria stared at me intensely.
But just because she gazed at me intensely didn’t mean she could know my inner thoughts.
Finally, Ria sighed heavily and provided me with the information.
“Is it real? Do you really believe… Brother? Don’t pick a fight with them. They are more dangerous than you might think.”
I nodded confidently, wearing a reassuring smile as if to say not to worry.
“Don’t worry… You know, I’m a gentle lamb from the Percus Family.”
And a few hours later.
A sharp beam of light pierced the void. Blood splattered, and fingers flew towards the sky.
A scruffy man with a bushy beard stared at me blankly.
Seeing that, I wore a sly smile.
“…Who do you think you’re trying to swindle?”
It was shortly after that the man crumpled to the ground with a scream.
Overwhelmed by the sudden pain, the man rolled on the ground, his face contorted in rage.
“This son of a bitch! Just because he’s a noble, don’t go too hard on him!”
“Why are you telling that to those guys….”
A swift kick splintered the wooden table into pieces and sent shards flying.
Several muscular men who had tried to rush at me instinctively froze.
That was a mistake.
With a sharp crack, an axe shattered one man’s shoulder. He looked at his dismembered arm with disbelief.
I met his gaze, letting out a chuckle that barely formed.
“…You should be asking me for help.”
It was the moment a pacifist appeared in the back alley of the Percus Territory.
