章 175: The Sisters’ Thoughts
A boutique clothing store in Sharia's commercial district.
Standing in front of a mirror, Stella suddenly paused and then turned around, looking into the distance.
Zenith noticed and frowned. "Is something wrong, Stella?"
Stella puffed her cheeks and said, "Onii-chan is causing trouble again."
Lilia frowned and said, "Women trouble, or regular trouble?"
Stella paused. "...Regular trouble. I think."
She couldn't exactly see, hear, or sense what Onii-chan was doing.
But Stella had been around him enough that she kind of had a sixth sense for when he was doing ridiculous stuff in the background again.
"Ah." Lilia nodded and then said, "Then it's fine."
Stella sighed. "I just wish Onii-chan could be normal."
Zenith tidied up Stella's hair with a ribbon and then said, "Don't we all... But anyway, what do you think, Stella?"
Stella stared at her reflection.
The latest dress her mother had stuffed her into was a fluffy white dress with red frills.
Stella had to admit that it looked cute and pretty. But it was also really flamboyant. "Why can't I just wear a normal white dress for Eri nee-chan's wedding?"
Zenith stepped back and gave Stella a once over before letting out a satisfied smile. After that, she said, "That's because each dress has to be special for each of your big sisters... and also because your big brother gave us an unlimited budget." She placed her hand on her cheek and said, "Hah... it's nice to be able to spend money like this again..."
"Right..." Stella glanced in the corner where Eos and Ena were twisting and turning, looking at their dresses. Then she looked at poor Roland standing by the entrance and already lugging four bags of clothes...
Eos eventually looked up and said, "G-Grandmother, is this fine...?" She lightly tugged on her form-fitting white dress and then fiddled with the red roses embroidered on her sleeves. "I-I think this is a bit too much..."
Zenith walked over and said, "Be more confident, Eos!" She puffed out her chest and said, "You've inherited the best parts from me, so you've got to strut it! Just like your older sister there."
Ena flinched and then crossed her arms over her chest. "I-I agree with Eos! T-This... People will stare..."
Zenith pouted. "But you're so cute!"
Stella stepped away from the mirror and then said, "You shouldn't force them, Mom. You don't want them to hate you like Dad, right?"
Zenith paused and then let out a long sigh. "But they're so pretty..." She frowned and said, "I should give Rudy a piece of my mind. Having two beautiful daughters who don't know how to dress up at all..."
Lilia walked over to Eos to help her change out of the dress and said, "Well, neither of us truly dressed up in the past as well."
"That's because our dear husband didn't know how to manage or make money very well." Zenith crossed her arms and said, "Rudy could drown the Asura Kingdom in riches, so his daughters should look the part."
Stella muttered, "Onii-chan could definitely drown the Asura Kingdom in more ways than one..."
If he was feeling biblical, a giant flood. If a bit pragmatic, crashing the economy by literally printing gold. Or if he was just a 'bit' more of a proper harem cheat isekai protagonist...
Yeah. Good thing Onii-chan had standards, morals, and values.
Lilia helped Eos slip back into the Survey Corps uniform that Eos liked wearing. After that, Lilia looked over at Zenith and said, "Isn't it better to raise children to appreciate what they have instead? Rudy seems to have done a wonderful job of that."
Stella paused to think about it.
...Mama Lily made a good point. While Eos definitely trolled her subordinates a bit and Ena was a bit air-headed, they were far from being spoiled brats.
And just thinking about herself, Stella remembered that Rudy made sure she never wanted for anything. Not only that, but he talked with her, kept her happy, sang lullabies to keep her mood up...
Huh. Onii-chan would make a great father, actually. No, he already was a great father. And a great father figure too.
Better than Paul at least.
...Paul.
Come to think of it, wasn't there another guy named 'Paul' that people hated in the American comics or something too?
Wait.
Oh no. She was starting to do tangents like Onii-chan now.
Focus, Stella!
Ena smiled and said, "Daddy did a great job at that! And he also always gave us gifts when we wanted them and worked to get them! Like this!" She reached into thin air and then pulled out an ominous dark orb emitting black light.
Wait, 'black light'?
Stella blinked and then stared at the almost reality bending object Ena was holding.
"Sis!" Eos snapped at Ena and said, "Put that away!"
Ena frowned and said, "But I want to show it to Grandma..."
Zenith stared at the orb, her eyes struggling to focus. "What... is that?"
Ena let out a bright smile and said, "It's the soul stone from a Greater Lich Daddy found in a distortion dungeon! I've always wanted to try and learn dark magic, so Daddy got it for me after I helped him save a lot of people!"
Eos walked over and then grabbed the orb from Ena before shoving it into thin air.
The space rippled for a bit, and then the orb vanished.
Ena pouted. "What was that for?"
Eos sighed and said, "Did you forget that Dad said it was dangerous to pull out around other people?"
Ena blinked and then blushed. "Oops... Right. He did say that... teehee..."
Stella bit her tongue.
Must... not say joke...
Zenith shook her head. "Rudy still gives out ridiculous gifts, I see..."
Lilia paused and placed a hand on her chin. "That's true. But... does this not mean that the weddings will be completely and utterly outlandish in scale?"
Stella froze.
That... was a good point.
Stella could already imagine it.
An altar floating in the infinite expanse of space. Phoenixes flying in the background to celebrate the marriage. And then stars exploding in supernovas for fireworks...
Stella started to sweat and then said, "I-It won't be that bad though, right? The bride plans the wedding ceremony. ...Right?"
"Oh!" Zenith nodded and said, "That's true!" She laughed and patted Stella's head. "My cute baby girl is smart too, isn't she?"
Stella puffed her cheeks and said, "I don't like headpats!"
"Huh?" Zenith tilted her head. "But I see Rudy give you headpats all the time."
"Onii-chan is different!"
Lilia smiled at the interaction. But then she tilted her head, as if suddenly remembering something. "...Eri's wedding should be fairly standard. Perhaps a bit opulent due to Philip and Hilda being nobles. But Sylphy... Considering her ability with magic..."
Stella could already see it.
A castle made of ice. Sylphy, walking down with a dress woven from unmelting snow. Maybe even an artificially created biome...
...Stella was never going to have a normal life after this, was she?
Zenith hummed and said, "It should be fine. Laws and Rose are more reasonable, so they should stop her. But..." She let out a sigh and said, "I'm worried about us later down the line. Stella here is still a baby-"
"Am not!"
"...But there's only a few more years for Norn and Aisha. When that happens, Hubby and Rudy are going to go off the walls preparing for it..."
Lilia nodded and then said, "It's fortunate then that there's still some time for us to convince Rudy. It will be a few years yet before any wedding proposals happen for any of the girls so-"
"Um." Ena raised her hand. "...I've already been proposed too though?"
Silence.
Zenith slowly turned to look at her.
Stella blinked and then remembered. "Oh yeah. Mister Cliff did do that..."
And Onii-chan seemed to approve of the guy. But since the guy was practically the pope now too...
...
The silence grew tense.
But then an explosion erupted in the distance. Immediately after, Aisha's voice cut through the air.
"DID YOU HAVE TO BLOW IT UP!?"
Rudy's voice echoed after that and he said, "In the name of Saint Milis, we will punish you! Prepare yourselves, evildoers!"
"RUDEUS NOTUS GREYRAT!"
"That's my name, Ai-chan! Don't wear it out!"
"YOU'RE MAKING ME INSANE!"
"At least I'm not making you 'A' saiyan!"
"WHAT NONSENSE ARE YOU SPEWING NOW?!"
Stella facepalmed. "It's always something. ALWAYS something..."
-RNG-
"It was fun at least, right?" I sipped on a fruit smoothie and smiled. "Nothing you'll be forgetting any time soon."
Aisha pouted and munched on her sandwich. "I hate you. And when were you going to say that you're a bigshot in the Milis religion?" She set her sandwich down and wiped her mouth with a napkin. After that, she frowned and said, "Summoning the Order of the Temple like that... You've to be the cardinal or something equivalent, don't you?"
"Something like that, yeah."
I had a feeling that she'd faint if I said people thought I was Milis reincarnated, so I kept it vague for now.
We were in that cafe Aisha wanted to visit.
It was a pretty neat place. The building itself was pretty big, but there were lots of bookshelves, so the dining area paired with the place you ordered food was pretty small and cozy.
There also weren't many people around... though that was probably because the main customers here were teenagers who ran off at the first exciting thing they saw.
It seemed like Aisha was enjoying the peace and silence though after all that mayhem.
It was a bit unfortunate, but I couldn't just leave those slave markets around.
Knowing Stella, my cute imouto would get herself into a boatload of trouble AGAIN after trying to play a hero.
As the responsible older brother, I had to clear out the more dangerous side quests ahead of time for her.
Plus, I had to emphasize to Aisha that certain things shouldn't exist.
Slavery was one of those things.
Interns were okay, but slavery and human(?) trafficking were no good. The commoditization of lives always ended up leading to the most corrupt of individuals hiding in the shadows and innocent people vanishing from the face of the world.
Which reminded me that I needed to double check with Orsted about how exactly he cleaned up the Asura Kingdom.
He was a guy who protected children and valued them, so he probably dealt with most of the scum there, but it was good to double check.
Since I was practically head of a zealous religious organization, I might as well start resolving various humanitarian crises while I was at it. Double-down or go home were the only real options here, and I hadn't lost yet when doubling down.
...Well, other than all the weddings and wives I'd be dealing with in the near future, but whether that was a complete loss or an absolute victory was still in the air.
Aisha sighed and then stuck a straw into a milkshake she ordered, slowly stirring it.
It was surprisingly modern. The cup was even made of a weird plasticy material.
Sufficiently advanced technology really was indistinguishable from magic... and vice-versa.
Aisha took a sip from her milkshake and said, "Whatever. I suppose I'll simply accept that my older brother is an over-the-top and flashy force of nature." She sighed and said, "It will make it easier for me to fend off pushy suitors anyway."
I narrowed my eyes. "...Pushy suitors?"
Aisha nodded. "Yes. There are some annoying guys who-" She paused and then stared at me. "Rui. No."
"What?" I grabbed my fruit smoothie and took a sip. "I'm not going to do anything to them. Just... asking some questions."
Aisha pursed her lips and then said, "I'll hate you forever."
"Tch." I looked away and said, "You're lucky I'm weak to guilt trips."
Aisha rolled her eyes and said, "That's about the only thing you're weak to. But speaking of guilt trips..." She let out a sly smile and said, "When are we celebrating my birthday? Norn keeps gushing about how fun her party in Arcadia was."
I started to sweat. "R-Right. Your birthday party..."
I knew this would come back to bite me.
"Um... Can we wait until after I get married?"
It would be GREAT to not have to think about planning a birthday party for my sister and all the weddings. Not to mention family planning, sorting out end-game plans against Being W... yeah.
I would REALLY appreciate that.
Aisha rolled her eyes and took another bite from her sandwich. After swallowing, she said, "That's obvious. But don't wait too long. It's a bit sad, you know?" She lowered her gaze and said, "Out of all your sisters, I'm the only one who was left out. ...Is it because I'm just your half-sister?"
I immediately get up to hug her and said, "That's not true. No matter what anyone says, you're still my precious baby sister, just like Norn and Stella."
Aisha hugged me back and said, "Thanks, Rui. Then... can you make me a new wand with expensive and high-carat gemstones for me to use?"
I stepped back in shock. And then I flicked Aisha's head and said, "You sly young woman."
"Ow!" Aisha rubbed her forehead and said, "I need a new wand! My old one is breaking anyway!" She reached into her uniform and pulled out a wand.
...I tried not to think about where she was keeping it and instead focused on the wand itself.
It was familiar. A metal container at one end, holding six polished gems that looked like spiraling comets in a cage. Originally, a beautiful soft blue mana was woven into it, carefully circulating around tightly knit magic circles. But now, elegant violet mana had replaced it, and the magic circles had been repatterned as well.
That was the wand that Roxy made me for my fifth birthday. I forgot that Aisha had it.
Aisha noticed my reaction and said, "You recognize it?"
"Yeah." I nodded and said, "It's the one Roxy made me for my fifth birthday..." I paused and said, "Did she or Sylphy never tell you about it?"
Aisha paused to think and then said, "I think they might have at some point? But it's been a while, so I forgot about it."
...How do you forget about something that belonged to your older brother?
Was this karma?
Was this because I didn't pay as much attention to her when I was younger, despite being close to Mama Lily?
From what the biography said, as well as the memories I had of Rudeus, Aisha practically worshipped him in an almost unhealthy way. Meanwhile, Norn wasn't as close.
Here, it was the opposite for me. Norn liked me a lot, but Aisha was a bit aloof and cold...
"Rui?" Aisha tilted her head.
I sighed and then put on a serious expression. "Don't worry Aisha. I'll make the best wand you could ever hope for. And I promise that I'll be a better big brother from now on."
Aisha's ears turned red and she averted her gaze. "You don't need to do that. It just makes it seem like I'm using you to get me things..."
I pat her head and said, "That's what big brothers are for. If there's anything my cute baby sister needs, I'll get it for you."
Aisha huffed and said, "I'm not helpless, Rui. There's no need for that."
I laughed and said, "Of course. Ai-chan's growing up to be a strong and independent young woman."
Aisha rolled her eyes and said, "Sit back down and finish your smoothie already."
I chuckled and did as she said.
There's a comfortable silence between us. But eventually, Aisha frowned and said, "Hey, Rui."
I sensed the strange mood and said, "Yes, Aisha?"
She looked up at me and frowned. Biting her lips, she hesitated for a moment. But then she said, "On that day. If you had to choose to save one of us. Me, Stella, or Norn... who would you choose?"
"All of you."
Aisha glared at me and said, "Take it seriously!"
"I am taking it seriously." I stared at her and said, "I wouldn't choose. I'd save all of you."
"But what if you couldn't?" Aisha looked at me, her eyes filled with an unreadable emotion and said, "What if it HAD to be one of us? I know you had to save Stella, but if there hadn't been anyone around and you were forced to choose..."
...Ah.
I see where this is going.
Aisha was a rational person, so she must have been thinking about it nonstop.
According to Sylphy and Roxy, her older brother was a genius and a miracle worker. But if so, how come he never showed up?
And if he was so great, why did Sylphy and Roxy go through so much trouble?
And then, when he finally did show up, how come Aisha was the last person? If he managed to connect with everyone else so easily, why did it take all this time until her older brother finally met her?
I could see it. Although Aisha acted tough and was doing a good job rationalizing it, *because* she was rationalizing it, those facts were eating at her.
Aisha looked away and then muttered, "Never mind. It was a dumb question."
I nodded. "That really was a dumb question."
Aisha looked back to glare at me, her violet eyes starting to glimmer with unshed tears.
Before she could say anything though, I said, "If I had to choose between saving just one of my baby sisters, I would have killed Death itself to drag you all back."
Aisha froze, stunned at the sudden response. But then she laughed and wiped away her tears. "Idiot. You can't kill Death."
"Of course I can." I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms, smirking. "I'm Rudeus Notus Greyrat, the man who tied with Dragon God Orsted, almost murdered a god with a cheap shot, created a spell to turn back biological clocks, jumped through time, and transformed a barren wasteland with toxic mana to a paradise. There's nothing I can't do."
Aisha snorted. Her eyes were still a bit red, but she had calmed down a bit. Looking at me, she said, "Alright then, Mister Miracle Worker. Then..." She hesitated and said, "Why didn't you come visit? Or send any messages? Even Dad managed to send something. But you were fine and raising Stella… so why?"
I sighed. "That's on me." I let out a bitter smile and said, "I took for granted how bright my baby sisters were... Especially you." I reached out with a conjured napkin to clean her tears away and said, "You were always a clever little girl, so I had faith that you would be fine with Roxy and Sylphy. Norn was a crybaby, and Stella was an actual baby, so I ended up focusing on them more." Pulling the napkin away, I reached out to pat Aisha's head and said, "Sorry for not realizing that you needed your big brother too."
Aisha was right.
I had settled things in Arcadia pretty quickly. And I had the resources to scout out and send messages. After all, I found them the first time with the summoning magic acting like a scrying spell. A little bit more effort, and I could have reassured them.
But I didn't.
I counted on the fact that Roxy and Sylphy were there for Aisha, and that Dad and Eri were there for Norn.
Like a hypocrite, I expected Aisha to be fine because she was a genius and placed her at the back of my mind.
It was unforgiveable, but it was something that I just had to accept, for better or worse.
Aisha stared at me, her face blank.
Seeing that, I was reminded of how Mama Lily looked when I first met her. Right when she just started working with us after leaving her terrible job in the Asura Kingdom.
A knife of guilt, tearing at my heart.
...I couldn't say anything.
Eventually, Aisha looked away and muttered, "You're not lying, right? It's not because I'm your half-sister?"
I dragged my chair around to her side of the table and then pulled her into a one-armed hug. "Of course not. You're my sister, period. Even if the entire world turned against you, I'd be by your side- Wait." I narrowed my eyes and said, "Have there been people saying that to you? That you're 'only a half-sister' and that's why your family isn't there?"
Aisha flinched.
I narrowed my eyes. "...Don't tell me there were people who said that you didn't matter because you were the daughter of 'just a maid' and not a real wife? Or that you were a bastard child?"
Aisha quickly shook her head. "O-Of course not! A-And..." She looked away. "Even if there were, Big Sis Roxy handled it."
I frowned, but then slowly nodded. "True. Master- I mean, Roxy has a worse temper than mine. She would have definitely taken care of those idiots. But..." I looked at Aisha and said, "Don't listen to what anyone else says, Aisha. People will misunderstand, but you come from a loving family. Mama Lily and Mom are both my moms, and all my sisters are the same. You aren't some bastard daughter or a homewrecker. In fact..."
I held out my hand and conjured a crystal.
Aisha blinked and said, "What's that for?"
"I'm making a call. One second." The crystal vibrated for a bit, and then an image of Mom and Mama Lily appeared.
"Oh my!" Mom gasped and said, "Since when can my bracelet do this, Rudy?"
Mama Lily looked down at her wrist and said, "If these were always possible to be used as communication devices, why did you not do so earlier?"
I coughed and said, "It's a recent development, alright? But anyway..." I glanced at Aisha and said, "I'm here with Aisha and it seems like she's got some misunderstandings about our family."
Mama Lily frowned and then turned to look at Aisha. "What kind of misunderstandings?"
Aisha paled and then looked at me. "It's not really a big deal, Rui-"
I interrupted her and said, "For some reason, Aisha thinks she was an accident, or born from a loveless marriage. And that Mama Lily was just a maid and not part of the family."
Aisha pursed her lips.
Mom's eyes widened and she said, "That's not true at all! Who said that?"
Mama Lily frowned and said, "Yes." She looked at Aisha and put on a gentle expression. "Aisha. Who told you that?"
Aisha averted her gaze and muttered, "It was an old family friend who said it though..."
A family friend?
I narrowed my eyes. "Who?"
"Yeah!" Mom shouted and said, "Which fu-"
"Not in public, Zenny."
"Which ass- asinine idiot lied about that? All of our friends know that Lily's part of the family!"
Aisha hesitated and then said, "...But it's a jinx if I say who it is. And I don't want our family to break apart again..."
"Jinx?" I scanned through my memories and then said, "...I see. It's Gisu."
Aisha looked at me and slowly nodded. "...Yeah."
A crash echoed from Mom's side, and then she started yelling. "That fucking monkey! I knew it! He was always a shady bastard!"
"Zenny, calm-"
"I AM CALM!"
Stella's voice suddenly chimed in from the background. "Hey! How come I get yelled at if I curse, but when Mom does it-"
"Quiet, Sweetie. Mommy's NOT in a good mood."
"Grk..."
At that time, Ena's voice echoed. "I hear Daddy. Is he there? Hi Daddy!"
Eos sighed in the background and then said, "Sister, please read the room."
Roland's voice echoed next and he said, "Wait. Did someone mention Gisu? That traitor?"
Aisha froze, stunned by the sudden chaos on the other side of the line. Then she turned to look at me.
I sighed.
...Fucking going to tear Being W a new one, I swear...
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