Seeing my little sister again after all this ti was… surprising, to say the least.
I knew I'd been gone for months—longer than I intended—but nothing could've prepared for just how much she had changed.
Reina used to be the adorable kid who clung to my sleeves, always pestering with questions, always trailing just a few steps behind .
Back then, she barely reached my chest.
She already looked different the first ti she entered the academy.
But now… she looked taller, her posture more confident.
Her eyes, once wide and full of childlike wonder, now held a sharper glint.
Maturity suited her, even if I hadn't been around to see the process unfold.
I guess teenagers really do change before you even realize it.
And not just physically.
The mana radiating from her was denser, more stable than I rembered.
Her aura had that crisp edge that only ca with actual training.
Seems like she'd been working hard while I was away.
Looking past her, I noticed the other girls behind her—Emilia, Flam, Vanessa, Uriel… most of the first-year heroines, and from the looks of it, they'd all grown stronger in their own ways too.
'Why do I feel like a proud parent right now?'
But among them, Emilia's expression stood out.
She looked at like she'd seen a ghost—eyes wide, lips slightly parted, frozen in place.
There was sothing intense in her gaze. A mix of confusion, shock, and sothing I couldn't quite place.
Maybe… awe?
Before I could even say anything—
"Y-You…" Reina breathed out.
"Hm?"
"Where the hell have you been, you stupid dumb big brother?!"
And just like that, Reina rushed at like a bullet.
I barely had ti to react before she flung her arms around my waist and pulled into a tight hug. Her voice cracked as she buried her face into my chest.
"You dumb… stupid big bro… do you have any idea how worried I was!?"
For a second, I didn't move.
My brain was still catching up.
But when I looked down and saw her face—just barely tilted up at , eyes glossy with unshed tears—I couldn't help but smile.
That was the Reina I rembered.
The crybaby little sister who would always co running to when she scraped her knees or had a nightmare.
No matter how mature she seed now… in this mont, she was still that sa girl.
"…I missed you too, Reina."
"Stop laughing, you idiot!" she sniffled, pushing weakly against my chest when she noticed the way I was chuckling. "You disappear for months, don't even send a letter, and then you co back acting all casual like nothing happened!"
"Yeah… sorry about that, It wasn't exactly planned. Certain… circumstances forced into a situation where I couldn't contact anyone. I didn't an to disappear like that."
She didn't say anything at first. Her grip tightened a little, and I could feel her trembling just a bit.
But I let her hold on.
Evelyn did say she got slightly involved with the demonic cultist arc as well...
After everything she must've gone through, the least I could do was let her know I was here now.
Looking around I could see so of the students nearby looking at us suspiciously, and I could already imagine the rumors starting again….
When she finally pulled away, wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her uniform, she gave one last glare.
"So, where the heck have you been exactly that led you to not contact anyone?" Reina asked, her tone flat—but I could hear the edge behind it. It wasn't just curiosity. There was a subtle bitterness, maybe even hurt.
I smiled softly at her. I knew this question was coming.
Honestly, I'd prepared for it. Alice and I spent a good amount of ti figuring out the most believable excuse—sothing that wouldn't raise too many eyebrows or attract too much attention.
Sothing that could explain our absence without digging into the chaos we'd actually gone through.
"Well… I got locked up in a dungeon."
She blinked.
Her face slowly twisted into sothing between disbelief and restrained annoyance, her eye twitching slightly.
Even the girls behind her who was openly listening made the sa reaction as well…
'Why are they even still here?'
"You got locked up….?"
"Yeah, Alice and I ended up trapped in a high-level dungeon. So ancient seal magic or sothing. It took months to break through the layers and clear it."
Honestly, it wasn't entirely a lie.
We did get trapped.
There were monsters.
And yeah, ti passed differently inside.
But of course, we left out a few minor details—like accidentally fighting an entity that shouldn't exist, or the whole ' and Alice almost dying multiple ti's part'.
Alice and I knew this sort of excuse maybe bullshit to so people but this was academy noble students we were talking about, they would believe any bullshit rumor or reasoning at any point, and it's much more believable than telling everyone we defeated an almost literal god…
She narrowed her eyes at , silent for a beat.
"You… You're lying, aren't you?"
"Do you think I'm lying?"
"Not exactly…" She frowned, arms crossed tightly now. "But you're definitely not telling the whole truth."
I let out a small chuckle.
Am I really that easy to read? or is it just because she's my sister?
"Why do you think that?"
"Because, you and Senior Alice are both too strong to get stuck like that. Even in a high-level dungeon. Sothing doesn't add up."
I shrugged, giving her the most casual expression I could muster.
"I don't know what to tell you. That's what happened. We got caught off guard. The place was weird—nothing we expected. Layers kept shifting, monsters respawned endlessly, and don't even get started on the final floor."
"You…" Reina's voice trailed off. It looked like she still wanted to press further, but instead, she just sighed and crossed her arms. "So now that you're back… what are you gonna do? The exams just ended, you know. Finals—both written and practical. Even the results are out."
I chuckled quietly at her concern.
She tried to sound nonchalant, but I could hear the worry threading through her words.
Honestly, this side of her—the responsible, overprotective little sister—was sothing I missed more than I realized.
As annoying and as fiery as she used to be a few years ago, there was always that part of her that cared too much for her own good.
"I'll figure it out," I said with a small grin, raising a hand to gently pat her on the head.
"Eh—!?" She flinched a little at the sudden contact but didn't move away. If anything, she just stood there awkwardly, her expression frozen between embarrassed and secretly enjoying it.
"You don't need to worry so much," I said, keeping my voice soft. "Alice and I already talked to the principal. There's going to be a special practical exam for us—so kind of re-evaluation. As for the written part…. Well, we'll probably have to ask for a special case there too."
She frowned, clearly not satisfied with that answer. "You really should treat this more seriously—"
Before she could finish scolding again—
BOOOONNNGGGG!!
The sudden deep chi of the academy bell echoed across the sky, loud and clear.
It signaled the official announcent of the start of the Sestral Winter Break—sothing every student was anticipating.
The sound ca from the gymnasium, where all the first-years were being called to gather.
Reina blinked and looked toward the source of the sound.
"That's your cue," I said, stepping back slightly. "Looks like you're about to be late."
She hesitated. "We're not done talking, okay?"
"Sure, sure." I waved her off with a teasing smile. "Let's save the next lecture for later."
She gave a lingering look, still clearly dissatisfied, but finally turned around.
"Let's go, everyone," she said to her group.
The other girls nodded, though several of them shot curious glances my way—especially the ones who had been lingering behind Reina.
They didn't say anything, but it was painfully obvious they'd been eavesdropping the whole ti.
Especially Flam.
She wasn't even trying to hide it—her spirits were inching closer and closer to , their presence subtly flaring in my senses.
Not that she knew I could sense them.
She probably still under the assumption that I still couldn't see spirits.
[Skill: True Sight]
[Activated!]
With a soft pulse of mana, the world beca clearer.
My gaze drifted over the group from a distance, and I had to admit—it made sense why these girls were considered heroines in the first place.
I didn't have a full, detailed assessnt of their strength just yet, but I could tell at a glance: they'd grown stronger.
A lot stronger.
Flam, in particular, stood out.
As if that high-ranked dragon-fish spirit of hers wasn't already excessive… when the hell did, she form a contract with another high-tier spirit?
That massive, rock-like bear spirit floating just behind her was on a whole different level.
The way its mana condensed around its form—dense, solid, like it could crush most A-rank students without much effort—it was terrifying.
If soone like her seriously tried to fight now, even seasoned upperclassn would hesitate.
Uriel as well... she seed much more refined than before, so it would be safe to assu Stacia who wasn't present right now would be at almost the sa category as her, in terms of overall strength at least...
My eyes drifted slightly toward another girl standing in the group.
Emilia.
She'd been staring at peculiarly since the mont she saw .
It wasn't the normal kind of curiosity either.
No, it was like she was trying to see through .
Like she was searching for sothing hidden beneath my skin.
I frowned slightly.
It's obviously the amount of divinity I have now…
Did it react with hers sohow?
It wouldn't be strange.
In the ga, her senses were highly attuned to divine beings, even sealed ones.
That said, this reaction wasn't quite the sa as what she had with Lucas.
There was no overwhelming surprise or adoration.
Just quiet, puzzled interest.
'I'm glad it wasn't the look of soone who fell in love at first sight at least…'
The amount I have might be high but I doubt my quality matches that of Lucas still?
I shook my head, well whatever was the case I decided to shelve the thought for now.
There'd be ti to figure out what to do about Emilia later.
Turning on my heel, I began walking toward Killian Hall.
The training grounds there had been designated as the place for our re-evaluation—a special assessnt the principal arranged just for Alice and .
No doubt because of our… extended absence.
To be honest, I had no idea what kind of practical test they were planning to throw at us. A normal spar?
A high-level simulation?
Maybe even a mock dungeon?
Whatever it was, it wasn't like we had room to complain.
User Comments
0 comments from readers