Chapter 46

“Why could it be?”

Even after thinking it over thoroughly, she couldn’t come up with a single plausible reason.

In fact, before her stepmother’s request, there hadn’t been many occasions for the two of them to cross paths like this in the first place. Even at family dinners or when they happened to pass each other in the hallway, everything had been perfectly fine.

Even now, Arthur was indifferent to the creature. The dislike was entirely one-sided. Completely on the dog’s part.

Aethlyn fell into a brief bout of worry.

“It would be great if the two of them could get along before I leave for the academy.”

The place Aethlyn arrived at, bringing along a boy full of complaints and a dog, was none other than the lakeside. As always, the lake was dazzlingly beautiful. Birds chirped, and a gentle breeze caressed her cheeks softly.

“How is it? Isn’t it wonderful?”

“I know.”

Arthur replied dismissively.

“What do you know?”

“I know all about this lake. It’s an artificial lake created by the fifth Duke Wintercrown using elemental magic.”

“…So, I’m asking if it isn’t wonderful.”

“It’s wonderful.”

Arthur muttered, crossing his thin arms.

“Of course it’s wonderful. It’s magic from the old golden age. Back then, they used magic to create mountains and lakes like this. These days, all we get is a passing drizzle. It’s a pathetic state of affairs.”

‘…No, I meant isn’t the scenery wonderful…’

She decided it was best to simply drop the subject. Come to think of it, she had heard there were kids obsessed with magic beasts who constantly begged for magic beast plushies. It seemed Arthur’s sole obsession was magic. And to Janet, her son’s obsession was likely a source of endless delight.

‘Honestly, what a pitch-perfect matching pair of mother and son.’

For Aethlyn, it was nothing short of bitter.

Before long, the dog approached the spot where Aethlyn and Arthur were standing.

‘Heh.’

Seeing that scene, Aethlyn couldn’t help but burst into laughter. She already knew that dogs possessed various expressions even if they weren’t quite human, but to see a face where ‘dislike’ was so blatantly obvious? From its ears down to the tip of its tail, its deep reluctance was vividly apparent.

Completely refusing to even glance toward Arthur’s side, the dog purposefully went out of its way to loop around him and come straight to where Aethlyn was standing.

“…What’s wrong with you?”

When she said something, it gave its head a sharp snap, as if knowing it was being nagged. It looked as though it despised Aethlyn as well.

‘What on earth is this?’

Should she laugh at this, or should she genuinely worry…? Aethlyn simply found herself dumbfounded by her own predicament, caught awkwardly in the middle of a six-year-old kid and a massive dog.

“Oh well, whatever.”

Aethlyn thrust her left hand forward powerfully over the water’s surface and unleashed her magic.

[Boreas!]

With those words, a gust of wind blew, making the reeds on the lake bend away from Aethlyn. At the same time, gentle ripples stirred across the water’s surface.

The mischief Aethlyn had begun so impulsively soon began to escalate into a breathless showdown between her and Arthur.

[Boreas!]

When Arthur chanted his magic spell, triple-ringed ripples spread out across the lake.

Once the ripples reached roughly the middle of the lake, Arthur shouted triumphantly to Aethlyn.

“Mine went way farther!”

“No, Arthur. You’re short so you probably can’t see properly, but mine went way past that rock over there. Your ripples didn’t even make it that far.”

“…Lying.”

“I’m not lying. Want to try again?”

“Yeah.”

A match of utter and complete childishness commenced. A head-on battle over who could send the wave farther. However, a decisive victor was hard to come by. It was impossible to gauge with exact precision just how far the ripples had traveled.

“It really is confusing.”

Aethlyn said to Arthur with the utmost seriousness.

“In that case, how about a more definitive contest?”

Arthur nodded silently in response. Their resolute gazes met in midair, and just like that, the event of the competition changed to ‘popping fruit.’

Since it was late summer, it happened to be the season when ebelon fruit bore on the trees. This time, Aethlyn went first.

[Atatria!]

With that, a pop! sound echoed from a tree in the distance, and half a dozen bright red fruits burst simultaneously. It was a crush magic so intricate that even mages who had graduated from the academy would have been startled. Confirming its success with her own eyes, she bared her teeth in a wide grin.

“Now are you satisfied? Stop rebelling against your big sister already.”

Thirty minutes later.

[Atatria!]

[Atatria!!!]

[Ata… Atatria.]

After casting it repeatedly, Aethlyn forced herself to hide the dull, aching sensation in her left hand and spoke with casual poise.

“Arthur, stop being so stubborn and just surrender.”

“Never.”

‘This little brat…’

The corners of Aethlyn’s forcibly elevated lips twitched violently. The two of them had long since blown past their scheduled time, completely absorbed in their duel. The prank she had started merely to fill an awkward silence had long since transformed into a serious sibling rivalry.

No, serious? It was not serious in the least. Nor was it a real duel. This was nothing more than Aethlyn ‘playing along’ with her immature younger brother.

In truth, she wasn’t even using 100% of her power. 80… well, she might have been using up to about 90%.

Aethlyn unconsciously clenched her molars. Just using her full power against a child vastly younger than her was a blow to her pride in itself. Doing so was practically the equivalent of losing.

Fortunately, however, the end of the match seemed finally near. Arthur looked thoroughly exhausted. The boy cried out in a high-pitched voice.

[Ata, tria!]

Right after, a small explosive sound echoed from a distant spot she could barely even see.

‘Good grief, what a tenacious little monster. He succeeded again?’

“…….”

Arthur no longer seemed capable of speaking properly. The boy slumped down onto the grass and said:

“Give up already, big sister. I won.”

When Aethlyn glared at him with narrowed eyes, Arthur looked up at her from where he was sitting and let out a dry, smug chuckle.

‘Did he just laugh?’

He spoke coldly to Aethlyn, who stood frozen in shock.

“You know I won, too. Stop being so stubborn.”

“What do I know!”

The thought that she shouldn’t seriously compete with a six-year-old child flew far away into the distant horizon. Aethlyn turned her back for a moment to calm her racing mind. Nearby, she saw the dog lying down without budging an inch.

‘I’m going to have a hard time smoothing things over and cheering him up later.’

So she had no choice. She had no option left but to end this match quickly.

She focused all her strength into her left hand. 100% of her power. Without consciously suppressing the overheating of her magic circuit like before, the moment she unlocked the gates of the circuit, blue patterns of a different density rose to the surface.

Aethlyn was certain. This next strike would be different. No matter how talented and genius Arthur might be, the wall created by age and experience was distinct. Targeting a point so far away she could barely even see it from where she stood, Aethlyn chanted the spell.

[Ata…]

Just as she was about to finish her chant, Arthur suddenly shouted toward her from behind.

[Stasio!]

At the same time, Aethlyn’s arms were bound tight in midair. Flustered by the unexpected binding magic, Aethlyn turned her head toward Arthur.

“What do you think you’re doing!”

“I-I just!”

Stammering out of panic, Arthur did not release the binding magic. And right at that moment, accompanied by a low growl from behind, a black shape leaped forward.

Everything happened in a single instant. The dog lunged at Arthur, and the binding magic snapped. Aethlyn screamed.

“Arthur!!!”

“Waaaaaaaaah!”

The sound of Arthur crying at the top of his lungs, the flapping sound of birds taking flight, and Aethlyn’s own scream. It was a chaotic situation. Confronted with the sight of her own gentle dog attacking Arthur, Aethlyn was utterly incapable of making any rational judgment. All the skeptical words she had heard until now swept over her like a tempest.

“Instead, I’ll have the servants keep a close watch nearby. You never know, after all. Who knows what that ‘black-furred friend’ of yours might do while your back is turned.”

“Actually, I worry about you too, Aethlyn. Sure, right now that beast, no, that dog follows you obediently, but if things ever go sour, it could turn violent…”

“Young Lady. There’s no telling what kind of vicious germs that beast might carry. It’s dangerous, so please step aside.”

The terrifying thought that they might have been right and she might have been wrong choked the breath out of Aethlyn. Amidst that suffocating situation, Aethlyn shrieked at the black dog:

“Move away!!! Get away from Arthur!”

The thought that the dog might harm her as well had vanished long ago. Saving Arthur took priority above all else. When Aethlyn shoved the dog away with her entire body, the creature offered no resistance whatsoever and readily stepped aside.

Aethlyn first checked on Arthur’s condition.