Volume 1 Chapter 34 Stardust Magician
I still can't forget that day.
When my sister's job class was revealed.
In an instant, all the attention my father had been giving me was completely taken away by her.
I had been expected to do well since I was little, and I had worked hard behind the scenes to meet those expectations.
But just because my sister had a rare job class, it felt wrong that she was getting all the attention without putting in any effort.
'...What the hell.'
I hated it.
I was envious.
I grew to absolutely despise my sister.
Why were you, who hadn't done anything, being expected to succeed?
It felt like everything I had done until now was meaningless.
And ever since my sister was born, I had to endure days that felt like hell.
'Orkide, you can do whatever you want. I'm focusing on raising Cosmos.'
My father became indifferent to me.
Relatives were equally obsessed with Cosmos.
In the household, I had become completely unnecessary.
I never thought my job class was inferior.
But I could never compete with the attention that Cosmos's rare job class received.
Above all, my father didn't seem to have much fondness for my 'Night Knight' job class.
'To think you can only show your power under specific conditions. The Etoile bloodline has really become diluted.'
My father was dissatisfied with my inconvenient power.
It was only natural for him to turn his attention to the shining star (Cosmos) with her rare job class.
And after about ten years of living a life where everyone was obsessed with my sister, only able to watch from the sidelines...
An unexpected turning point arrived.
'What the hell! Do you have any idea how much time and effort I've put into you until now!'
My sister's Cosmos had suddenly fallen from grace.
My father had high hopes for Cosmos and had provided her with the best education since she was little.
And when she turned 14 and was deemed safe, he finally took her out for hunting.
From then on, with what could be called overprotective support, Cosmos steadily grew her job class's power.
Taking her time, they spent 3 whole years reaching level 10, and only then did my father finally wake up.
Cosmos, contrary to the family's expectations, could only throw pebbles.
'You filthy blood like yours is not needed in the Etoile family! Never cross my threshold again!'
Her incompetence was exposed, and after incurring father's wrath, she was expelled from the Etoile family.
I thought it was a perfect opportunity.
The last chance to pull back the attention that had been stolen by my little sister.
When I said I would work hard in place of my foolish sister, my father turned back to me once again.
I was able to reaffirm that I was the one who would carry the next generation of the Etoile family.
At the same time, seeing Cosmos, who had been kicked out of the house, I genuinely felt a sense of schadenfreude (happiness).
Moreover, when a marriage proposal came up for her and I learned about her partner's background, I couldn't help but think that all the grudges I held until now had taken form.
That's why, at that time, I deeply regretted not being able to bring Cosmos back due to an unexpected interruption.
* * *
Two weeks later, at night.
Orkide was riding in a carriage across the grasslands.
Inside was his father, Lizeron Etoile, and several other people were following in another carriage behind them.
"I'm sorry, Father. I couldn't bring back my foolish sister..."
Orkide apologized again to his father for the mishap from 2 weeks ago.
It was his father who had ordered him to bring Cosmos back, so he felt terrible for not meeting that expectation.
However, Lizeron didn't particularly blame Orkide.
"That's fine. More importantly, have you gathered any details about who is backing Cosmos?"
"Not much yet... But recently, I heard that someone broke an extraordinary record in the adventurer's promotion exam held in that town. The characteristics of that person seem similar to the girl I faced, so they might be the same person."
"An adventurer, huh..."
Lizeron frowned, looking displeased.
In any case, the discussion settled on continuing the investigation into the girl who had intervened.
Then, Orkide turned to ask his father a question.
"More importantly, were you really okay? It's really reassuring that you came, but I never expected Father to come all the way to such a remote place..."
"I thought I should greet the one backing Cosmos. Not only did they disturb us, but they also harmed the next head, Orkide. This is practically a declaration of war against the Etoile family. As the current head, I intend to discipline that person and that stubborn foolish daughter directly."
"The next head..."
He only caught about half of what Father, Lizeron, was saying.
Hearing the words 'next head' from him again, Orkide suppressed a cry of joy.
Then, turning that joy into determination, Orkide confidently declared,.
"I will definitely bring my foolish sister, Cosmos, back home for the prosperity of the Etoile family."
"Since I'll be lending a hand, make sure that useless girl doesn't get hurt before her marriage."
"Yes."
Eventually, the carriage they were in arrived at a grassy plain with a good view.
It was a little distance from the town of Hyamars, where they had stopped before.
There were only a few trees around and a small hill; nothing particularly noticeable.
As Orkide and the others got off the carriage and looked around, they tilted their heads in confusion.
"So, Cosmos is around here?"
"Yes. The 'observer' we hired temporarily said so."
The observer they hired to bring Cosmos back.
Thanks to their ability, they always had a rough idea of where Cosmos was.
According to the observer, they sensed a presence in this empty plain.
However, the crucial figure of Cosmos was nowhere to be found.
Just as they thought that...
"Hm?"
On a slightly rising hill, a small figure appeared.
The moon was bright tonight, so even from a distance, it was clear that this person was Cosmos.
It felt really unpleasant to be looked down upon, but he tried his best to smile and called out.
"Hey, Cosmos. I came to pick you up, just like I promised. But I never thought you'd be in such a remote place."
"...Father came too, huh?"
Cosmos looked down at them, her gaze scanning as if assessing their strength.
Thirty soldiers were brought here by carriage.
To be honest, he wished they had more numbers to counter the red-haired girl, but he decided against it, knowing that moving a large group over long distances would be too burdensome.
Besides, each member of their party possessed a powerful job class, and, on top of that, Count Noir's current head, Lizeron Etoile, had decided to join them. With that level of military strength, he thought it would be enough.
He set out with that mindset, but contrary to his expectations, the person he thought would be there was nowhere to be found.
"Hey? Aren't your friends with you today? Did they maybe abandon you?"
"No. I didn't call anyone else here because I don't want to drag them into my mess anymore."
"..."
Orkide looked around.
He thought they might be planning a surprise attack by making it seem like no one was around, but he definitely didn't sense any presence nearby.
It seemed like it was really just Cosmos here.
"Waiting all alone is quite bold of you. Maybe you're thinking of quietly coming back to us? If that's the case, that's a commendable mindset, but..."
"Not a chance. Who would want to go back to a house like that? I wouldn't return even if asked to a family that sees their daughter as nothing more than a political tool."
He figured she would say something like that.
The one who reacted to her words was their father, Lizeron.
"If you just sit there and listen, you'll say whatever you want. Not only have you failed to meet my expectations, but you also insult the Etoile family. After all the effort I put into raising you, have you forgotten that kindness...?!"
"I'm grateful for being raised, sure. But in the end, it was all just for political reasons, and more than anything, you kicked me out afterward. It's obvious that my resentment is stronger than my gratitude."
Cosmos continued, gritting her teeth to expose that resentment.
"Do you understand the feelings of someone who has nowhere to go? Can you grasp the despair of realizing you're not needed by anyone? Do you understand what it feels like not knowing what will happen tomorrow? There's no guarantee I can even eat a proper meal. I felt like I was being crushed by anxiety and fear."
"That's why I arranged this engagement with the son of the Marquis Liche family and prepared a place for you. You won't have to worry about food anymore. You won't have to feel anxious about the future. You can even repay the Etoile family for their kindness. Isn't this all good for you?"
"Keep the jokes to that beard of yours. The only ones benefiting from me going back home are you guys, right? Do you really think I'd fall for something like that?"
Hearing that conversation, Orkide couldn't help but let out a sigh.
He realized it was pointless to say anything to this foolish sister.
"It seems like we have no choice but to bring her back by force, Father."
Orkide used Equip Magic to summon his armor and sword.
Similarly, their father received a spear from his attendant and pointed it at Cosmos.
"I don't want to be too rough since it would be disrespectful to Lord Poncé, but..."
"If she resists unnecessarily, I don't mind breaking an arm or 2. Just beat her up and silence her."
"Understood, Father."
After receiving permission to engage in battle from her father, Orkide couldn't help but smirk internally.
This was his chance to thoroughly punish his detested foolish sister.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he strongly supported bringing Cosmos back for this very reason.
Filled with joy from the bottom of his heart, he slowly approached Cosmos, who raised her staff in her right hand.
"Don't move."
"...?"
"If you come any closer, I will shoot you. I won't hold back even for you, elder brother."
Orkide couldn't believe his ears.
Immediately after, he burst into laughter.
"'Shoot'? Are you talking about that little rock's magic? Do you really think that's going to scare me?"
"..."
Knowing Cosmos's abilities made it even funnier.
To think she would use such weak magic as a threat was nothing short of a joke.
However, Cosmos's expression was completely serious.
"If I shoot this, it might not just be a simple injury. So turn around quietly and go back to that rotten house."
"...Are you serious, Cosmos?"
This time, he thought it was just a bluff.
He can't believe that just throwing that little rock could cause such a big deal.
It should be hard to even get a speck of dirt on him, let alone get hurt.
Cosmos is probably just trying to bluff her way through this situation.
It seems like she's been abandoned by her friends and is now desperately trying to make something happen with just a bluff.
"There's no way something like that little rock can stop us. If you want to shoot, go ahead and shoot."
Orkide glares at Cosmos with sharp eyes.
"But be prepared to shoot. That will practically be the signal for war, and you're going to feel some serious pain."
With that, he turned the threat back on her, as if to teach her how to intimidate.
And Orkide, unfazed by Cosmos's threats, gripped his sword tightly.
"Alright, here I go, Cosmos."
He kicked off the ground and dashed across the grassland.
As he raised the sword in his right hand to slash at Cosmos, she unleashed her magic as promised.
"[Meteor]!"
A magic circle appeared at the tip of her staff.
It was a sight he had seen many times before, a magic he had heard countless times.
Laughing at the unchanged spectacle, Orkide closed in on Cosmos.
Ignoring the flying rocks, he aimed to pin Cosmos down! ──Or so he thought as he started running...
"...Huh?"
A pitch-black shadow fell around Orkide.
The moonlight was completely blocked, and he could hardly see anything.
The Cosmos he had seen on the rising hill was now completely out of sight, and instead, right in front of him was...
"...A house?"
A house.
A single-family home.
He thought the house was flying toward him.
"──What!?"
Orkide instinctively jumped to the side.
Feeling a powerful wind against his back, he fled with all his might, following his instincts.
Just then, an incredible impact and sound came crashing from behind him.
As he turned back, cold sweat trickling down, he saw that where he had just been standing...
A "giant rock" had crashed into the grassland, piercing it.
"W-What's... happening...?"
Orkide's mind was filled with question marks.
But he quickly came to an understanding.
He had definitely seen it.
From the tip of Cosmos's raised staff, that massive boulder comes flying out.
What was supposed to be just a pebble from the magic circle is a rock so big it could be mistaken for a house...
no, a rock as large as a "star" is unleashed.
"W-What the hell...?! Cosmos's magic is supposed to just launch pebbles..."
Orkide is in a state of intense confusion.
Even his father, Lizeron, is at a loss for words.
The soldiers he brought along are frozen in shock.
As Cosmos looks down at the scene from the hilltop, she coldly says,.
"Next time... I'll hit you for real."
"..."
That overwhelming chill and tension, like when he faced the red-haired girl, surged through his entire body.
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