Returning from the Other Shore: Siblings

"... They all died for me, for my great cause, so their deaths were by no means meaningless."

The man who once unified a continent said so.

The tone of voice lacks variation.

It's as if you're saying something that's taken for granted.

"To die for you, so isn't it meaningless?"

Nid stared blankly as he pondered those words.

Then, a strange emotion welled up within me.

I became anxious.

"Are you saying that the meaning of their lives lies in sacrificing themselves for your ambition?!"

"Isn't this the greatest honor?"

The Saint Emperor kept his back to Nid, gently stroking the head in his hand.

"Just imagine, what would their lives be like without me?"

To conceal one's brilliance and content to be a farmer in the fields?

Or will you remain a commoner in the city, becoming just another ordinary, unremarkable person?

It is I who bestowed glory upon them and gave meaning to their lives.

Let them fight as warriors on the battlefield, adorn their lives with glory, and die as heroes, not mediocre people.

Isn't this the greatest honor?

"You're just... recklessly wasting soldiers' lives!"

"It's not about overuse; I also try to minimize casualties during combat, otherwise our side will be at a disadvantage."

Otherwise, we will be at a disadvantage.

In other words, reducing casualties is solely for the sake of winning, not for the sake of soldiers' lives.

"You... I still can't accept you!"

"I am the emperor, and the army is my power. What's wrong with using my own power?"

"Well..."

Nid was speechless for a moment.

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"No... that's not how it works..."

His fist clenched without him even realizing it.

"As a king, shouldn't you be a wise ruler, treating the people kindly and allowing them to live in peace and prosperity? I heard your story when I was very young... Born into the lowest rungs of society, you seized power by force, and even after becoming the ruler of a country, you were still not satisfied. You led your army and used every means to annex the land of other countries, conquering south and north, conquering again and again, winning again and again, leaving behind millions of corpses wherever you went..."

"Yes, so?"

"At the time, I was thinking, what made you become an insatiable war machine... After seizing power, why didn't you just be a good monarch of a small country, improve society, and bring happiness to the people? Why did you have to ignite wars everywhere? Was it just for your ambition!? Shouldn't a ruler pursue peace and prosperity for the country and its people more than blood, iron, and corpses!?"

"... Oh."

His response was a sneer from the Saint Emperor.

"So, child, why do you think I seized the throne through an armed coup?"

"... Huh?"

"According to you, if I just quietly live at the bottom of society and create my own value, or be a good official and serve the people, wouldn't that be enough? Then what need would I have to launch an armed coup in a country that isn't corrupt?"

"That, that is..."

Nid suddenly realized.

The man before him, from his thoughts to his motives, was from a completely different world.

"Of course it's because of my ideals! I want to stand at the top and look down on all living beings. I want to lead a vast army to reap the fruits of victory. I want to become the first person in history to unify the entire continent! But you, child, what made you become the leader of the Revolutionary Army?"

"To overthrow the Papacy and save the people of the West Saint Continent from its corrupt rule!"

Nid answered without hesitation.

Using this standard answer that has been given hundreds of times.

"..."

For the first time, the Saint Emperor fell silent.

Nid's heart pounded wildly.

Even though there was nothing to be nervous about, his palms were soaked with sweat.

"You're nervous, child, because you're lying."

"--!?"

"What I want to hear is your true feelings, but I can't sense your own will in your answer."

"No, I..."

"It's practically an empty shell."

"..."

Normally, Nid would probably argue back.

But now he was completely overwhelmed by the Saint Emperor's aura.

"Give up, child."

"..."

"You are nothing but a puppet born of the people's wishes, a puppet crowned with the title of leader. You can only respond to the expectations of others, but you are incapable of forging your own future— Nid Bradwich, you are unworthy of this sword!"

Clang! A flash of sword light.

Still with his back to the Saint Emperor, he held out his right hand, revealing an ancient longsword.

"The Emperor Slaying Sword is a sword for emperors, not a child's toy. Leave, child, you shouldn't have stepped onto the battlefield..."

The moment those words reached Nid's ears, everything shattered, as if a glass ball had been broken, scattering across the ground with a crash. The battlefield, the Saint Emperor's silhouette—everything vanished into the dark void.

"Get up, Nid, we're almost there."

"... Um?"

Nid opened his eyes in the slightly swaying carriage.

The face of her older sister Loxue, came into view.

"Eeya!?"

He let out a girlish scream, rolled over—and then tumbled to the ground with a thud.

"What's going on? What's that noise?"

The curtain separating the carriage from the driver's cab was pulled open a crack, revealing Uncle Brad's signature stern face.

"Nid seems to be having a nightmare... or maybe I scared him?"

Brad frowned, then pulled his head back and continued driving.

"Hey Nid, am I really that scary?"

"H-How could this be! Sister Xue is the most beautiful... Waaah..."

Seeing Nid scrambling to his feet and trying to explain, Loxue couldn't help but laugh.

"Haha, just kidding, don't mind it. But you, did you really have a nightmare?"

"Nightmare... well, not really."

Nid saw the Greatsword placed beside the bed.

Even when he was sleeping, he never let the Greatsword stray far from him.

The cold grip of the Greatsword and his sister's warm embrace were the only two things in the world that could bring him peace of mind.

That said, why did I suddenly have that kind of dream?

This sword...

"Give up, child."

"You are nothing but a puppet, born of the people's wishes and given the title of leader."

"The Emperor Slaying Sword is a sword for emperors, not a child's toy."

"Nid Bradwich, you are unworthy of this sword."

Tsk...

Annoying words surfaced in his mind, Nid shook his head, trying to banish them, but the more he tried to ignore them, the more grating they became.

"... Nid?"

"Uh... it's nothing..."

"You look pale. What dream did you have? Tell me about it."

"..." Nid remained silent.

It's not that I don't want to talk about it.

He longed to pour out all his resentment to his sister, to release all the sadness and anger that had accumulated in Sadington, and to tell her about the Saint Emperor's interrogation of him in his dream.

But a little voice inside him was mocking him.

They mocked the cowardly heart hidden beneath his strong mask.

My older sister is my pillar of support.

--Why should a grown man depend on a woman?

It is because of my sister's support that I have been able to get to where I am today.

--So you mean you can't do without her, right?

As long as my sister is still watching over me, I can do anything.

--Stop joking, Yu Jie, Tian Lu, who can you beat?

The people need me, the revolution needs me, I cannot hesitate.

--Who needs you? They need a great leader named Nid Bradwich, not a cowardly little boy named Nid who can't go on without his sister.

I am the revolutionary leader revered by all people.

--You're just a useless siscon.

I will fulfill my duty and lead the army in the fight against the Papacy.

--Fighting while simultaneously pitying the enemy, and keeping it all bottled up inside?

I absolutely cannot reveal any flaws.

Even if the heart, burdened by an overwhelming weight, is already nearing its limit?

I won't lose.

--You lost from the very beginning. You don't even have your own will; you move around like a walking corpse, spouting indoctrinated, hypocritical lofty goals as your ideals, even though deep down you--

"Wrong!!!!!!!"

Nid roared, realizing he was already covered in cold sweat. His wounds, which hadn't fully healed after his battle with Yu Jie Jietianlu, were torn open again, burning with pain.

"Nid? You're strange..."

"What's wrong now? Why are you yelling like that?"

Loxue was startled, and Uncle Brad frowned as he looked in.

"No... it's nothing! Brad, just focus on driving!"

"... oh."

Brad pulled his head back in and drew the curtain.

But the next second Brad's face popped out again.

"If you have something on your mind, it's better to talk to someone about it."

After saying that, it shrank back and didn't reappear this time.

"..."

"Nid ..."

Loxue's expression became somewhat complicated, and she waved to Nid.

"Sit down first, it's weird standing in the car."

"... Um."

Nid muttered something and sat down next to Loxue.

"Lie down, it's been a long time since I had a lap pillow." Loxue patted her thigh.

"Well..."

Nid hesitated for a moment, but then obediently lay down.

Right next to his cheek was Loxue's firm, supple thigh; at this distance, he could clearly smell her fragrance, making Nid a little uneasy.

"You won't be thinking things like 'My sister smells so good, hahaha' anymore, right?"

How could this be!?

"Just kidding~"

"..." "..."

The two fell silent again.

Time ticked by, second by second.

"Hey, Nid."

"... Um?"

"... sorry."

Nid was a little surprised, but a rare look of distress did appear on Loxue's face.

"What's wrong..."

"I just suddenly realized—or rather, I've actually been sensing it all along—that I might be putting too much pressure on you?"

"Huh? Of course not!"

How could it be pressure! It's precisely because of my sister's support that I've gotten to where I am today; it's clearly motivation!

As if she could read his mind, Loxue continued to apologize.

"You might not understand, but often silent expectations are a form of pressure. I've always felt guilty for placing too much hope in you, forcing you to constantly become stronger, sending your own younger brother to the battlefield time and time again... Every time I formulate a battle plan, I feel terrified, afraid that something might go wrong, that even a small mistake could cost you your life..."

"But... I'm still alive."

"Yes, you're still alive. That's the greatest fortune for me! Every time I see you come back alive, I feel incredibly happy, and my heart, which has been hanging in suspense, finally settles down. More than once, I've thought that as long as you can come back alive, it doesn't matter if everyone else dies—"

"This—how is this possible!"

It wouldn't matter if everyone else died?

Are you kidding me!

Those were comrades-in-arms who risked their lives together for a great goal and a bright future! Their lives were not insignificant!

He wanted to refute her, but the words wouldn't come out.

This was the first time Nid had seen such a delicate and fragile Loxue.

His sister had always been the perfect person in his mind. She knew how to use troops, how to make choices, and she could do everything. She was far superior to him.

But only now did he realize that although she was his sister, and the highest strategist of the Blood Blade Knights, Loxue was still just a young woman in her twenties.

Commanding the battle under immense pressure, he also had to personally send his younger brother to the front lines, listening to battle reports while praying silently, yet unable to let personal feelings interfere due to his position...

"Sister..."

Nid's anxiety suddenly subsided.

I see.

Isn't my sister the same?

While he regarded his sister as his only pillar of support, his sister also cared most about him.

That's enough.

"It's alright, Sister Xue... Didn't I say that a long time ago?"

"... Um?"

"As long as you're here, as long as you're still watching over me and supporting me, I am invincible."

"Puff--"

Loxue couldn't help but laugh through her tears.

"Yes, yes... I seem to have underestimated my dear little brother... Hey, Nid."

"Um."

"Please continue to guide me in the future~"

"Yes, of course..."

Their large, calloused hands and their soft, delicate hands clasped tightly together.

Even so, Nid felt himself filled with renewed motivation to move forward.

As for this relationship... I'll keep it to myself for now.