Unchanted Water Magic

Swordsmen were ranked much like mages.

There were Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Saint, King, Emperor, and Divine ranks.

Swordsmen might not have been as rare as mages, but high-ranking swordsmen were respected wherever they went.

According to Roxy,

a swordsman who reached Saint Rank could expect a city lord to go to great lengths to recruit them.

A King Rank swordsman might even be treated as an honored guest by a regional lord.

As for Emperor Rank or Divine Rank swordsmen...

They were famous throughout the world, powerful enough to change the course of a war between nations.

But all that seemed far too distant to Hilde.

Once their bedtime lesson was over, Roxy blew out the lamp and closed the door for them.

Her footsteps faded down the corridor.

"I really do prefer swordsmanship to magic."

Hilde murmured to herself as she lay in bed.

"Come on. Isn't swordsmanship just swinging a sword? No matter how you look at it, it can't compare to magic. Didn't Roxy say so too? High-ranking swordsmen may be respected, but mages can change the course of a battlefield. At the same rank, people would definitely want a mage more."

Rudeus, lying beside her, couldn't resist adding, "Besides, magic didn't exist on Earth. Don't you think the path of a mage is more worth exploring?"

"Maybe."

Hilde didn't commit either way.

No sooner had she spoken than Rudeus sat up.

He leaned close in the dark, grinning mischievously at her.

Hilde frowned. "What?"

"Don't tell me you want to pursue swordsmanship because you can't beat me at magic."

"Idiot. As if."

"Mm-hmm, it's okay. I understand. I am your big brother, after all. It's only natural that I look after my little sister's fragile pride."

Only at times like this did Rudeus remember he was her older brother.

They had been born just minutes apart, yet he was already getting so smug about it.

Still...

Maybe Rudeus has a point.

Hilde remembered what Roxy had said: mages couldn't match swordsmen in a head-on fight. Battles between high-ranking swordsmen, in particular, were often decided in an instant.

A mage would be at a serious disadvantage against an opponent like that.

So if Rudeus became a mage, he might someday have no choice but to face an enemy head-on. When that happened, she could protect him as a swordswoman.

Perhaps it was because they were both reincarnated people seeking comfort in an unfamiliar world, or perhaps it was the natural closeness of their shared blood.

Whatever the reason, the thought took root deep in her heart.

But when she saw the smug look on Rudeus's face, Hilde couldn't hold back...

She beat him up again.

Time passed, and another year went by in the blink of an eye.

Throughout that year, Rudeus and Hilde devoted themselves to studying magic under Roxy's guidance, spending roughly half of each day on it.

Thanks to Roxy's careful teaching, Rudeus learned most Intermediate magic, began exploring Advanced magic, and even learned Healing Magic.

There was just one problem...

How to put it?

Perhaps because he didn't understand how Healing Magic worked, Rudeus couldn't cast it without an incantation the way he could with other spells.

Still, as long as he could use Healing Magic, that was enough.

Hilde's progress was a little slower than Rudeus's.

At first, she had barely managed to keep up, but once they reached combined magic, Rudeus gradually pulled ahead.

By now, Hilde had more or less mastered Beginner magic, and she could cast it without incantations.

But she was progressing slowly with Intermediate magic. Advanced magic was even further out of reach; she still hadn't fully grasped the principles and techniques behind combined magic.

There really was a gap in their talent.

Even Hilde had to admit that Rudeus had a gift for magic.

Of course, by Roxy's standards, Hilde's achievements in just one year showed considerable talent too.

Rudeus was simply far beyond the norm.

They turned four.

With their bodies a little stronger, Hilde finally received permission to leave the house and roam around nearby.

Being stuck inside every day had been torture for Hilde. Even if she couldn't go far, getting a little fresh air would be nice.

She had originally wanted Rudeus to come with her.

But no matter what she said, Rudeus refused to leave the house. Even her attempts to goad him into it failed.

It was as if he had made up his mind to stay inside forever.

On this one subject, Rudeus behaved nothing like a reincarnated person—or even a child curious about the outside world.

Maybe something in his previous life had left him with a deep fear.

Hilde didn't push him. Even if she left him alone, going outside would probably stop being a problem once he was older. If not, she could always find a few pretty girls to tempt him from outside his window every day. A young virgin like Rudeus would never be able to resist.

That night.

Soft footsteps nearby woke Hilde, and she rubbed her bleary eyes.

At some point, Rudeus had gotten out of bed. He was crouched by the bedroom door, staring intently into the corridor.

"What's he up to now?"

Hilde muttered as she climbed out of bed. She crept up behind Rudeus and followed his gaze.

As always, the sounds of one particularly unrestrained couple's passionate battle echoed down the corridor.

And outside the room where those sounds were coming from,

a blue-haired girl crouched by the door, her cheeks flushed.

She stole glances at the scene inside while... working up a sweat herself.

Hmph...

So that's what's going on.

Hilde glanced at Rudeus and whispered in his ear:

"Enjoying the view?"

"Eek!"

Rudeus jumped and hurriedly shut the bedroom door.

He turned to find Hilde right beside him, a rare hint of embarrassment on his face.

He looked like a child caught doing something naughty.

"I-I was just going to the bathroom and happened to see her. I definitely wasn't trying to peek," Rudeus insisted.

"You were watching for at least five minutes. You call that a coincidence?" Hilde asked, her face blank.

Rudeus's excuse fell flat.

He could only hang his head and admit it.

"I just never thought Roxy would do something like that, so I watched for a bit longer."

"Neither did I."

Hilde thought back to what she had seen.

It probably wasn't Roxy's first time doing that.

It wasn't hard to understand. Roxy was a woman with normal physical needs. Still, Hilde hadn't expected her to watch Paul and Zenith's bedroom activities to find relief. Maybe prim and proper Roxy had a secretly naughty side...

Hilde had wanted to say something about this for ages.

Paul and Zenith went at it almost every day, making a racket each time without even closing the door properly. Lilia, a young maid, lived here too, along with Roxy, Hilde, and Rudeus. Practically everyone in the house could hear the couple every night.

Did those two genuinely not care?

Or were they just too young to have thought about it?

"At this rate, we might become an older brother and sister before long," Hilde remarked.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Rudeus agreed.

Then again...

Roxy secretly watched the couple to ease her loneliness. What did Lilia do? Maybe she listened and took care of herself too. She was about Paul's age, and Paul had once hinted that he and Lilia had been involved when they were younger.

When Hilde thought about it, the whole house had a strangely decadent air.

"If we run our mouths, this family might fall apart. So for the sake of keeping things as they are, everything we saw tonight stays secret. Let's pretend we know nothing."

For once,

Rudeus and Hilde were in complete agreement.