223  Meeting 2

I had been planning to meet up with Reina.

Alone, of course.

That was the original plan—simple, straightforward. Nothing too complicated.

“Riley?”

“Riley…”

But who could have predicted I’d run into these two out here?

Considering the grand opening ceremony had nothing to do with them, I assumed they’d be busy doing whatever they did in their free time—most likely something indoors.

Going outside wasn’t really their thing.

Neither of them struck me as the type to explore during rowdy and noisy times like this, and it wasn’t ever mentioned in the game either.

During the opening ceremony, there was never a hint that these two would be out and about together, or even separately, for that matter.

“Rose, Seo… you two were outside? I never thought I’d see the day you two would go out together.”

Seo, immediately shook her head, her expression blank as always.

“I just met her randomly… she’s been bothering me,”

“Excuse me?” Rose’s brow arched, eyes narrowing. “I believe I was helping you out.”

“You were not….”

It was clear they hadn’t exactly bumped into each other on good terms. Did they just cross paths by accident?

That seemed more likely.

These two never got along in the first place.

I glanced down at Seo’s hand, noticing the half-eaten crepe. So, she was exploring the food stalls.

That was surprising—she didn’t seem like the type to indulge in festival treats.

As for Rose, knowing her, she was probably just wandering around on a whim, maybe curious about something.

“What about you? What are you doing out here, Riley?” Rose asked as she suddenly stepped closer, her head tilted slightly as she looked up at me with that warm smile of hers.

It felt almost too natural, the way she closed the distance between us—something I hadn’t really noticed before.

Now that I think about it, this was the first time we’d seen each other since the winter vacation.

Two months.

Not exactly a long time, but not short either.

Yet, looking at her now, there was something different about Rose.

It wasn’t anything drastic, but… what was it? Her new hairstyle, perhaps?

She had tied her hair up in a ponytail—a change from her usual loose waves.

It made her seem more mature somehow.

More refined.

There was an elegance to her that wasn’t so obvious before, as if she had grown in ways that I hadn’t expected.

“I’m just here to meet up with my little sister,” I replied casually.

“Little… sister?”

Both Rose and Seo said the words in unison, their eyes widening ever so slightly, clearly caught off guard.

Wait. Now that I think about it… Had I never mentioned Reina to these two before?

‘I’m pretty sure I mentioned to Rose once that I had a younger sibling….’

“Yeah,” I confirmed with a nod. “My little sister. Since the grand opening ceremony at the gymnasium should be over by now, she’s probably waiting for me there.”

The two of them stood there, absorbing the information.

Their expressions shifted, as if they were processing the idea of me having a sister they didn’t know about. It was strange—seeing them both so surprised.

But then again, I had never really gone into much detail about my personal life with them.

After a moment of silence, both girls spoke up at the exact same time.

“Can I come along?”

“Can I go with you?”

The simultaneous request hung in the air, and for a brief moment, the two of them exchanged glances.

A spark of tension flared between them, an almost electric animosity in their eyes.

“Why don’t you go along and continue getting scammed in these crowded streets, Miss Seo?” Rose’s voice dripped with sarcasm, her lips curling into a smirk as she looked over at Seo.

The tension between them was thick, like a storm ready to break at any moment.

“I wasn’t getting scammed…” Seo muttered, her expression as blank as ever, but the slight edge in her voice showed she wasn’t taking Rose’s jab lightly.

It didn’t take much for the atmosphere to shift. In an instant, the rising tension between the two became almost palpable.

The air felt heavy, as if a single wrong word could set off an explosion.

It was clear—both of them wanted to come along with me, but neither could stand the idea of tolerating the other’s presence.

Their mutual disdain was written all over their faces.

Then, without any warning, something happened.

An unstoppable force yanked me forward, and I suddenly found myself being dragged through the crowded street.

It was Seo.

Her hand had shot out like lightning, grabbing hold of mine and pulling me along before I even had time to react.

“Let’s go, Riley. We can’t keep your sister waiting,” she said, her voice calm but insistent, as if this was the most natural course of action.

“Wait—Seo!” I barely managed to get the words out.

My body was being pulled forward with such intensity that it felt like my arm might break under the pressure.

‘Fuck! she’s going to snap my hand clean off!’

She didn’t mean any harm, I could tell that much. In fact, if anything, Seo seemed more excited than usual.

There was an unusual glimmer in her eyes as she marched ahead with me in tow.

But that didn’t change the fact that her grip was crushing. I could practically feel my bones on the verge of shattering.

I thought I had gotten stronger these past few months, but this… this was another level entirely.

This monstrous strength…

Did she get stronger again? did something happen to her back at her clan during the break?

Rose, seeing me being practically hauled away like a ragdoll, wasn’t about to let Seo have her way.

A flash of gold suddenly sparked in the air, and in an instant, Rose was at my other side, grabbing my arm and pulling me in the opposite direction with her telekinetic mana.

“Let him go, Black Rat,” Rose sneered, her eyes glowing with determination. “It’s obvious he doesn’t want you tagging along.”

“You two, calm down and let go of me,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady, though I could already tell it was falling on deaf ears.

Neither Seo nor Rose seemed to register my words as they kept pulling at me, locked in their ridiculous tug-of-war.

With a frustrated sigh, I braced myself, realizing it was going to take far more effort than I had initially thought to break them apart.

It felt like hours passed—though it was probably only a minute or two—as I tried to get them to stop.

But nothing worked.

Their stubbornness was unparalleled, and the longer this went on, the more absurd it became.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

“I said Let go….”

Activating [Monarch’s Will], the shift in my presence was instant.

My mana flared, a commanding force radiating out from me like a wave, enveloping the space around us.

It wasn’t just raw power—it was the authority in my voice, the way the world seemed to respond to me.

Immediately, both Seo and Rose froze, their hands loosening their grips on me as they instinctively backed off.

Their eyes widened as they stared at me, a flicker of uncertainty crossing their faces.

I wasn’t angry—just serious, and that alone seemed enough to shake them.

“I’m sorry, Riley…” Seo mumbled, her voice unusually quiet as she looked away, the usual blankness in her expression faltering for just a moment.

“Sorry,” Rose echoed, her tone similarly subdued. It was rare to see her so uncharacteristically unsure of herself, but the effect of my presence clearly had them both rattled.

I sighed, feeling a mix of exhaustion and relief.

I know they didn’t mean any harm—that much was clear.

They were just caught up in their emotions, letting their rivalry cloud their judgment.

But if this kept up, they’d be dragging me around whenever they felt like it.

Some boundaries needed to be set—boundaries I couldn’t afford to ignore anymore.

“Look,” I said, my voice softening but still firm, “why don’t all three of us just go together?”

There was a brief pause as the two girls exchanged a glance, their internal feud still simmering beneath the surface.

But after a few seconds, they both gave a small nod, albeit reluctantly.

It seemed my suggestion, for now, was enough to keep the peace.

As we started walking together, side by side, I could still feel the tension between them.

Seo and Rose had never gotten along, and I couldn’t exactly picture them becoming friends anytime soon.

But at the very least, I hoped they could set aside whatever petty differences they had—at least for today.

…

It didn’t take us long to get to the gymnasium, as it was fairly close to the academy square.

The large building loomed ahead, a sea of students already spilling out of its doors, signaling the end of the opening ceremony.

Among the bustling crowd, finding Reina wasn’t exactly difficult.

After all, despite being clearly a year younger than me, she looked almost identical to me if I were a girl.

Same sharp features, same blonde hair, same piercing blue eyes it was as if someone had taken my face and softened it just enough to make it feminine, though her presence carried a charm of its own that made her stand out in a crowd.

As I approached, it became clear that she wasn’t alone.

Reina had somehow already managed to get close to almost all the new main heroines joining this year.

A small group had formed around her, their laughter and light conversation standing in stark contrast to the chaotic energy of the gymnasium.

I sighed internally.

If only Uriel were there, this cute little sister of mine could probably take Lucas’s title as the main harem protagonist of this world.

The way the girls seemed drawn to her was almost unnerving.

Granted, Lucas wasn’t exactly doing anything that could attract their attention at the moment.

He was flying under the radar for now, seemingly uninterested in anything beyond his own goals. But that wouldn’t last.

Once the main scenarios for [Act 3: Chapter 2 – Demon Flare] and [Act 3: Chapter 3 – The Cult’s Revival] started, things would change.

By then, all of the heroines would be enticed by him—at least, that’s how the story was supposed to go.

But seeing Reina now, surrounded by the very same girls destined to be Lucas’s companions, made me wonder if things weren’t already shifting….

Now that I think about it, I’d heard rumors about a certain incident involving Lucas and Reina during the practical evaluation exam last time…

I narrowed my eyes slightly. Did that guy accidentally “rizz” my sister or something?

The thought was both amusing and mildly concerning. Lucas was oblivious to that sort of thing, but Reina wasn’t.

She had a way of navigating social situations with a subtlety that often went unnoticed.

It wouldn’t be out of the question for her to handle herself well around him, but still…

As I observed the girls gathered around Reina, one stood out in particular: the Saintess Emilia—or rather, Enna, as she was currently known.

Disguised as an ordinary student, her radiant title as the Saintess of the Holy Church of Light was carefully hidden beneath a modest exterior.

The Holy Church of Light, the most powerful and well-known religion in the world, hailed her as their beacon, their living symbol of purity and divine will.

Yet here she was, mingling among the crowd like any other girl, her saintly aura replaced by the simple charm of a seemingly clumsy, innocent student.

But I knew better.

Enna’s innocence although isn’t exactly a facade, is quite the contradiction to the ruthless actions she always took against those aligned with darkness and evil.

Beneath that innocent smile and wide-eyed expression was a force that had eradicated entire organizations rooted in corruption and sin.

It was almost surreal to see her now, laughing casually with Reina, as if she hadn’t faced down horrors that would drive most people mad.

Hugging Enna like a mother with her child was Vanessa, an elven princess with her own role to play in the later arcs.

Her arms were wrapped around the saintess in a way that spoke of familiarity and comfort, as if she found safety in Enna’s presence.

No… Maybe it was Enna who found her comforting?

As I got closer, I couldn’t help but feel a slight unease.

I was relieved that, for the moment, no unwanted memories resurfaced as I neared.

The large hood she wore, obscuring half of her face, probably helped.

I didn’t want to risk acting strange in front of her, or anyone here.

Then there was Stacia and Flamme, two more unexpected presences in Reina’s little group. Their inclusion baffled me at first.

They were the last people I would have ever expected to associate with my sister, let alone each other.

They couldn’t have been more different, and yet, here they were, mingling with the others as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

I shook my head slightly.

I guess considering their whimsical nature, the chances of them crossing paths with Reina weren’t exactly zero.

As we drew closer, Reina didn’t seem to notice us at first, her attention absorbed by the lively conversation she was having with her newfound friends.

I cleared my throat and called out to her.

“Reina.”

She froze at the sound of my voice, her head snapping around in surprise.

“Big bro.” she said, though her voice was quieter than usual, carrying a mix of surprise and relief.

She hurriedly turned to face me, but her expression shifted quickly, her brows furrowing with frustration as she began to speak, her tone quickly sharpening.

“You finally show yourself. Where exactly have you—” her voice rose, her anger bubbling up, but it was short-lived.

As she prepared to fully scold me, her gaze fell upon the two girls flanking me, and she immediately fell silent, her eyes widening in shock.

Her gaze darted between them, confusion written all over her face.

It was as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

Rose, standing gracefully to my right, and Seo, stoic as ever on my left, made quite the intimidating pair. Reina’s eyes locked onto mine, silently screaming, Who are these people, brother?

Before I could even attempt to explain, Rose stepped forward with her characteristic charm, a mischievous smile dancing on her lips.

“You must be Reina~”

Rose moved closer, circling around Reina like a curious cat inspecting a new plaything, her hand resting thoughtfully on her chin.

“You’re so beautiful~” she added, her eyes gleaming with genuine admiration.

The compliment caught Reina off guard, and I could see a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. Meanwhile, Seo, as unreadable as always, quietly observed the exchange.

Then, in a gesture that seemed completely out of character for her usual reserved nature, Seo stepped forward, her expression as blank as ever.

Without saying much, she gently placed her hand on Reina’s head and patted it—almost robotically, but with a sincerity that was hard to miss.

“You look cute,” she stated simply, her voice monotone but somehow kind.

She gave a small nod as if confirming her own words, as if she was objectively assessing Reina’s appearance and approving of what she saw.

Reina, on the other hand, just stood there completely frozen.

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