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“Living in an 18th-century building without electricity for those preparing for the coming new millennium was no different from living disconnected from civilization.”

Thus, despite the exterior of the mansion retaining a charming antiquity, the interior had undergone modern renovations.

As I pulled ice cream out of the refrigerator, I muttered, “It’s Lappin.”

My older brother Jerry, who was making a sandwich, asked, “Ice cream? Or a magazine?”

“Of course it’s ice cream. Do you expect me to pull a magazine out of the refrigerator?”

Lappin is a company specializing in ice cream from Franzia, which borders Patalia.

Jerry’s mention of a magazine was because Lappin produced a men’s magazine alongside their ice cream. By the way, Jerry once got caught by the dorm supervisor while flipping through a Lappin magazine back at the academy.

I tossed aside my search for a spoon and said, “Bro, be honest. Do you still look at that stuff?”

“Do you think I would?”

I answered without much thought, “Yeah.”

“You little…”

Just then, holding a spoon in one hand and an ice cream tub in the other, I was heading toward the dining room.

“…Huh?”

There was someone on the living room sofa I hadn’t seen before. With long hair, she looked like a woman, but it wasn’t mother or older sister Adela.

Thinking perhaps a relative had come over, I cautiously approached the sofa.

But the more I looked, the more familiar that back of the head seemed—

“Uh?”

Someone was lying on the sofa, propped up by cushions, apparently quite tired, given the dark circles under her eyes.

I carefully set down the spoon and ice cream tub on the table.

And then—

“Hey, you—”

“……”

“Damn you!”

“Ahh…!”

I flipped the sofa over.

—

Episode 10 – Change Course Northwest

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An elegant mansion in the tranquil western region. Ruthless violence had overshadowed the estate.

The sofa, suitable for four or so people to lie on, had been flipped, and the person who had been dreaming unguarded was sprawled on the floor.

With hair like ebony, though not quite like Saint Veronica, she had an exceptional physique and radiant appearance reminiscent of her uncle’s side.

Ayla.

I rushed to my sister, who was pushing herself up from the sofa.

“Jett kick!”

“Ugh…!”

Dragged out of her warm dreams and thrown into the cold reality, Ayla tried to stand on her trembling limbs but ended up face-planting again.

A quick tap made her yelp in surprise.

Seeing someone barely in their mid-twenties rolling on the floor made my chest ache, but unfortunately, I was a feminist.

That’s how I could say this with confidence, “Stand up straight, Ayla.”

“A, uh, uh…,” she stammered.

“Ayla, get up. You’re my sister.”

*Smack!*

With a swift slap on the back of her head, Ayla seemed to snap awake.

She ruffled her tiny head with both hands, tousling her hair, then jerked her head up and glared at me.

“Ow…!”

I smacked her again.

—

“So, you went abroad and cleaned out my bank account without saying a word. Are you even human?”

“Ugh…”

Ayla, finally getting up using the sofa for support, dusted herself off like an old man. Her face was filled with humiliation and shame as she lowered her gaze, starting to fix her messy hair.

Just months ago, she had been a swan.

Having graduated from university but unable to find a job, she had been eating and lounging around home for years. Unlike her looks.

Thinking about how she might still be lost at thirty, the Nostrim matriarch had kicked Ayla out, and she had relied on the three siblings for meals and shelter, alternating between the townhouse in the capital and my official residence for a while.

By the way, the money she frivolously spent had come from me. To be precise, it was a card I gave her to buy food. Nothing was as disheartening as going hungry.

But this girl went and tailored a suit while I was away, with the money I gave her for meals!

In a situation where having a conscience would be normal, she was just uselessly mumbling.

“It just happened…”

“Oh! Look at my sister getting all suited up!”

“……”

Ayla was about to say something but paused for a moment. After a long hesitation, I waited expectantly.

About a minute later, her expression complicated, Ayla timidly opened her mouth.

“…The office has a casual dress code, and I didn’t have anything appropriate to wear.”

“So you tailored a suit with my money?”

“Yeah.”

“Where did all the pocket money I’ve been giving you go? I thought you were saving.”

“…Lost it.”

“What on?”

“…Horse racing.”

“That’s a brag, you idiot.”

I gently patted my dear sister’s head. Hearing that she spent all her allowance on gambling made me want to throw her to the ground, but since it wasn’t my money, I held back.

Still, we were family, so I couldn’t just kill her; what was I supposed to do?

As I rhythmically patted her head with the spoon, I pondered.

Just how much could I squeeze out of her?

To date, Ayla had probably swindled me out of about ten million won.

She’d taken a chunk when I started saving up the little I could for a used car, then again recently for that suit.

Ayla was a magician.

Although her history was short, magicians generally earn a lot of money traditionally, like Jews. They somehow prove that even in a job market where you can dig to the bottom and find another bottom, they remain preferred high-quality workforce.

In other words, Ayla would quickly earn way more than me if she just piled on a few years of experience.

With a business sense that could rival the best broker, my mind raced, and I looked at my sister, smiling brightly.

“Ayla, our sister.”

“Uh, uh, why, oppa….”

“You’ve had a hard time finding a job, huh?”

“Uhh, yeah.”

“Good talk. Pay back the money you borrowed. For our built-up bond, I’ll exclude meal money and give you a lower interest rate than commercial banks.”

“……”

“Answer me.”

“Okay….”

I smiled as I made a promise with Ayla. It felt like I had just acquired a goose that lays golden eggs.

My older brother, who worked in the Ministry of Finance, looked at us and asked, “Are you human or a dark elf?” but added that if a promissory note wasn’t written, the tax office could consider it a gift, so he’d better notarize it with a lawyer before he left for the dining room.

—

After successfully sealing a satisfying deal with my sister, I arrived at the dining room. I had drafted the promissory note to take to the lawyer later.

Normally, to establish a contract with a magician, an oath would be the quickest and most effective method, but that’s usually what enemies do or those who aim for life-and-death situations, so we weren’t going there.

Anyway.

Today, I secured a lamp that summons a fairy that grants wishes when rubbed.

Actually, it was a lamp that spits out cash instead of a green fairy, but in a capitalist society, if you have money, you can do anything, so it was pretty much the same.

If there’s something money can’t buy, it’s worth questioning whether it’s truly not possible because of a lack of funds.

When I shared this thought, older sister Adela remarked, “That’s trash.”

I raised my finger while devouring ice cream.

“This jerk is talking to you like that.”

“A sister who calls her brother trash? Is that normal?”

“Don’t hit me with facts.”

Adela made the same gesture and picked up a cookie. It was a crisp, oven-baked cookie the size of a palm, full of nuts and incredibly delicious.

“Ayla. Have some of this. The chef made it especially for you since he heard you were coming.”

As Ayla ate the treat handed to her by Adela, Jerry tilted his head.

“But isn’t that a bit trashy?”

“What do you mean?”

“The idea that you can do anything just with money… is kind of…”

“Materialistic?”

“Exactly.”

That didn’t sound like someone dealing with money.

Not everyone working in the Ministry of Finance handles cash directly, but that attitude didn’t match someone who had been top of their economics class at a prestigious university for four years.

I clucked my tongue at seeing my brother indirectly insult my sister for being so materialistic.

“How did my sister turn into such a snob? Where on earth did she learn that?”

“The company.”

“……”

When I mentioned it was a habit learned at the information agency, Jerry clammed up. Adela hesitated as well. It seemed everyone felt a little pricked.

Mmm. The ice cream was delicious. I looked at the label and saw it read “Siren’s Milk Flavor” in Franjian.

What on earth did that even taste like? While I frowned, Jerry, having finished his sandwich, awkwardly changed the topic.

“Yeah. It’s nice to all get together again. Fred and Ayla, have you both been well?”

As Ayla, who was munching on a walnut pie, nodded…

I nodded.

“Ayla said she works at a trading company. Was it Pax?”

“…Yeah, it was Pax.”

Was it surprising that the youngest sibling who used to be a pain in the neck finally found her footing? Jerry and Older Sister Adela marveled at her as if they were too old for such amazement.

The two of them started asking Ayla a flurry of questions, positioning her between them.

“What type of work do you do there?”

“Is it tough?”

“Are you living alone? Have you found a place to stay?”

“What area do you work in?”

“How much do you make?”

The last question was mine.

I planned to listen and then think about how much I could pull from her in a month, but it seemed like Jerry and Adela were irked by that.

“Ouch.”

I pretended to be in pain as I rubbed my knee, which had been kicked by Older Sister across from me.

While I was busy touching my knee and spooning my ice cream, Ayla began to ramble.

“…I’m in charge of overseas sales. Since it’s my first job, it’s not particularly tough, and for now, I think I’ll be staying in a townhouse in the capital.”

Ayla was indeed an overseas sales representative for a trading company. She mentioned she was still in her probation period and was learning the ropes.

Hearing that she was in overseas sales brought back memories. That was the title I had when I was dispatched to Japan. I probably used it due to matters concerning the Chōsen Soren.

Jerry smiled proudly and praised Ayla lightly.

“Yeah, it’s tough at first, and adjusting can be hard, but you’ll be fine once you get the hang of it.”

Adela, who had been resting her chin in her hand, tilted her head.

“But Ayla, didn’t you major in magic? I’ve never seen you take any courses in economics, management, or trade.”

“I was picked because I’m good at foreign languages.”

“You? Oh right, you’ve always been good at languages since you were little.”

Adela seemed convinced and exclaimed in realization.

Just like how even a grub has its talents, Ayla, who used to be idle, had her skills too. She excelled at magic and studying.

Ayla’s grades had always been in the top ranks at the Academy, and surprisingly, her foreign language skills were exceptional. By the way, that was thanks to our mother. A distant relative on her side was a noble from the Kien Empire.

Of course, given how distant that connection was, their family and ours were practically strangers.

If our family had maintained a close relationship with that clan, I would’ve been disqualified in the background check before even entering the Military Intelligence Agency.

“You’ve always been really good at Kien. The Academy teachers told you to major in foreign studies or at least take it as a liberal art if you weren’t interested in magic.”

“Yep.”

“Does the head office have a location in the capital? Then you’ve been living outside until now?”

“That’s right.”

“Where have you been?”

“My friend lives in the capital… I was with her.”

Ayla trailed off, her answer lacking substance. Adela narrowed her eyes at her.

“Hey, Ayla.”

“What is it, sis?”

“Be honest. Is that friend someone you met during a protest?”

Protest.

The atmosphere in the dining room suddenly turned heavy. Jerry, who had been spreading jam on his crispy toast, stopped chopping and glanced at me.

After making eye contact with him, I subtly nodded instead of saying it was fine.

“Sis, please don’t bring that up.”

“Why?”

Adela shot me a look as if to ask what was wrong. It was a strangely sharp reaction.

Ayla had participated in student movements during her university days.

No, it wasn’t like she suddenly went off the deep end reading Marx’s Capital and the Communist Manifesto, claiming to overthrow capitalism and class society. She simply took part in leftist movements related to abolishing the class system and enhancing human rights.

The reason it was labeled ‘leftist’ with such a glaring title was purely because Abas legally recognized the class system in its constitutional monarchy.

As a result, any non-monarchist group in Abas, regardless of whether they were democrats, republicans, socialists, social democrats, or communists, would all be categorized as progressive. By the way, the currently ruling party is conservative.

Fortunately, the Abas government officially does not discriminate regardless of the factions’ leanings.

The problem is that Ayla comes from a noble family.

“That was all in the past; why do you keep bringing it up?”

“I’m worried she might do something strange. What if she gets caught by the police again like last time? Are you going to call and bail her out again?”

“……”

It happened just once. Ayla got arrested during a protest while I was just starting at the Military Intelligence Agency, newly assigned to fieldwork overseas.

One day, I received an urgent call to come to the embassy. I was told by Leoni, the head at that time, that my younger sister had been taken in during a protest.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a big deal.

I called Clevenz, who was working in the Counterintelligence Department with an old business card I had kept, and thanks to his help, Ayla was released after half a day without a proper investigation.

Of course, the atmosphere at home became tense for a while afterward, but since it was a fairly common occurrence for university students to get caught during protests at that time, we seemed to have brushed it off.

It’s a good thing Abas is a constitutional monarchy. If it were a totalitarian regime like Saudi Arabia, Jordan, or Thailand, I could’ve been dragged off to prison without a whisper.

I averted my gaze and licked my lips—smoking would be nice.

“Come on, it was just a small mistake, sis… But seriously, where has Mother gone?”

“She went to check the mansion. She’s taking a stroll with the steward and the head maid.”

By the way, Father is leaving tomorrow morning, Jerry added.

To break the frozen atmosphere, Jerry quickly changed the subject as he picked at his toast.

“Oh, right. Tell us about yourself.”

“Myself?”

“Yeah.”

I lightly nodded.

Working at the Military Intelligence Agency is not a comfortable or cozy job, but it’s decent enough.

While it was tough during my officer days, it isn’t like that anymore. Those who have risen to the ranks of officer in the agency receive team leader or middle management treatment.

Moreover, I was a recognized member of the cult.

With Camila, Lucia, and Francesca as my colleagues, who would dare to rifle through my files?

So, work life has been pretty good lately.

My salary increased, the work at the embassy seems to fit me well, and the overseas dispatch I hadn’t experienced in a while turned out to be quite bearable.

I gradually unraveled a filtered tale.

“Though I’ve been busy with embassy work, after a while, I got used to it.”

“Really?”

Jerry, who had been quietly listening, asked me. Of course, he knew I was an information officer, so he didn’t ask what kind of work I had.

“Is there anything tough? It must be rough working abroad, and how’s the food?”

“No problem. The only downside is being so busy that I hardly get enough sleep.”

“So, do you have any close colleagues you get along with?”

That meant, “Is there a girl you’re seeing?”

Since the beginning, Jerry had this habit of vaguely phrasing questions about relationship matters.

I shook my head firmly and answered clearly.

“Nope.”

“Really?”

Adela grinned slyly.

“Well, if that’s what you say, it’s not a problem… but…”

“What strange thing are you trying to say now?”

“They’ve been talking about you among the diplomats at the embassy. It’s quite the spectacle.”

Rumors?

I tilted my head, wondering what that could mean. Did I do something to spread rumors?

But Adela started to spin a story that was entirely different from what I expected.

“Word has it you’re seen with a girl.”

“What? Who am I supposedly seen with? I’m not that kind of person. If I got involved with a staff member and it leaked, it would turn the consulate upside down. That would be a disaster.”

“No, that’s not it.”

Adela exchanged glances with Jerry and Ayla before whispering something in my ear.

“I heard you’re in a relationship with the Hero. You go into the guest room you’re staying in at sundown and come out in the middle of the night.”

Um.

“And they say you’re quite cozy with the Saint and the Administrator of the Secretariat among the international journalists. Especially the Saint. Even if you’re colleagues, it’s still too much. What kind of diplomat skips events to volunteer every day, huh?”

Damn.

“……”

“What on earth are you doing out there?”

 

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