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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
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Chapter 25
Karl. My brother. My cute little brother, young and old.
When I close my eyes, I recall the times when he would come running into my arms, saying ‘Sister!.’
He was so full of charm that loved him more than father or mother.
As time went on, he grew a head taller than me, but Karl was still Karl.
When the news came that he had suddenly enlisted as a soldier, I can’t describe how much my heart sank.
He shouldn’t get hurt. I just wished he would give up and come back home.
I felt an overwhelming desire to pull him out of the training camp by any means necessary and keep him by my side.
Meanwhile, Father just said, ‘Son, be strong!’ without knowing what I was going through.
Mother tried to put on a brave face, respecting Karl’s decision.
And ultimately, Princess Miquella also urged me, “Please be patient,” so I had to endure.
At first, I thought I would be okay. But then, immediately after, the war broke out.
Hardliners on the Elven side. The Hawks. Luzernes. Those bastards started trouble, and it turned out that Karl was the one sent out in the midst of that disaster.
It was a nightmare that haunted me for nearly three years before the war ended.
Every time I heard Karl calling me ‘Sister,’ I woke up drenched in sweat.
Every day was hell, worrying if he was eating well, if he had been seriously injured.
As time passed, the war finally ended. And Karl’s suffering came to an end too.
I no longer had those nightmares.
Finally, my brother came back.
Then one day, quite unexpectedly, the princess, who had become close to me, gave me some news.
“Your brother. He’s going to be a Medal of Honor recipient. Rika.”
I was puzzled. What the hell does that mean, and why my Karl?
It turns out he had achieved such a remarkable feat but kept it a secret.
At first, I felt a little hurt, but soon I understood. Karl must have had his reasons for doing so.
All I had to do was embrace my hardworking brother and tell him he had done well.
But then, my remarkable brother made another big achievement after receiving the medal.
He prevented a train hijacking. It could have been a terrorist attack.
He single-handedly subdued the elves of Luzerne and saved countless lives.
When Karl’s deeds became known, everyone applauded him.
It was wonderful. I was happy. I was so pleased to see Karl become such an accomplished person.
But… I was a little disappointed that he didn’t tell us about it.
But to my brother. To my Karl, who is the best thing in the world.
“Even if I chew you up and spit you out, it won’t be enough! That guy! Karl, wasn’t it?! I’ll curse him even in death! Disgusting imperial bastard! The enemy who slaughtered our people! Rot in hell!”
“…?”
A moment later.
When I came to my senses, I found myself arranging flowers for the Kanfras.
* * *
To cut to the chase, the would-be train hijackers and terrorists spilled everything.
Starting from their names, ages, and addresses, to their target selection reasons and the rough outlines of their command structures.
‘They were about to tell us the color of your underwear, too, for a little banter, weren’t they?’
Rika would ask one and they would automatically answer ten.
They wanted to say more, but they didn’t know, so they just squirmed.
“Is that all? Nothing more?”
“Yes, yes! That’s really all! We swear!”
“Hmm.”
“I, I’m sorry! Please forgive us! Please spare us!”
If they had smiled and cooperated when the special forces agents were being nice, none of this would have happened.
Or at least don’t curse me in front of my sister. I feel bad about it.
“Alright. This should suffice. Oh, uh, about those things stuck in your shoulders. Would you like me to remove them?”
“Huh? Th-this? Us?”
When the Kanfras hesitated and looked to my sister for guidance, they replied with a resounding ‘Yes, please!’ when she gave them a stern look.
Then, they self-extracted the knives stuck in their shoulders and presented them to my sister.
They were clearly in pain, but they were expressing relief rather than screaming in agony.
It was a moment where the saying ‘a kind word and a gun will do more good than just a kind word’ came to mind.
“As expected, the Blade Queen…”
In the midst of it, Eloise seemed to be expressing admiration, muttering to herself.
Hey, stop using that title. It bothers me even in another world.
And I don’t even want to imagine my sister’s hair turning into sea anemones!
Clack―
“Karl, sis’s here!”
“Uh, uh… here, sis?”
It was almost a cognitive dissonance, but if I reacted negatively, there would definitely be trouble… Let it go! Think positively.
“Still, I’m glad the Kanfras aren’t completely uncooperative.”
“T-They’re not?”
“Yeah. I’ve seen some who absolutely won’t talk. Sis gave them plenty of chances at first, but the ones who wouldn’t talk anyway wouldn’t talk if you gave them a hundred chances.”
“…”
Maybe the hundred chances I mentioned. I wonder if it’s the chance I think it is.
I glanced sideways at Eloise next to me, as if asking if my thoughts were correct.
Then she closes her eyes, as if she knows my sister better than I do.
Nod―
…What I thought was right. You mean she stabbed them a hundred times, not just twice as she said earlier?
The ridiculous nickname of Blade Queen wasn’t just for show.
From now on, I should listen to my sister better. I’ve always listened well, but I should do even better. Whether I get married or not, I’ll warn my children to treat their aunt with respect.
I want to avoid the hedgehog future, whether I become a parent or not.
“Ugh.”
“I-I’m alive…”
Meanwhile, the two Kanfras were leaving the interrogation room, bleeding profusely from both shoulders. Despite looking terribly hurt, they seem more relieved to be alive.
“Are you okay, sis?”
“Huh? What are you talking about, Karl?”
“Well… You said we were interrogating them, but sticking knives in their shoulders…”
My sister used to be a member of the Special Operations Execution Division, but she’s retired, not active duty.
So, you could say it’s more like a noble meddling in official duties and ‘interrogating’ ‘prisoners’ through ‘torture’, in a way.
“Ah, don’t worry. The Ministry of Special Affairs says it was a ‘minor incident caused by excessive aggression on the part of the interrogation subjects during the interrogation.’”
“Oh. Can they do that?”
“You know where I used to work. People from there and the Special Operations are familiar with each other, and they’ve seen each other here since then. Naturally, they have higher ranks. So, they cover for each other!”
“…”
“They said they’d take care of it, so there’s nothing for my Karl to worry about. Hehehe! But seriously, were you that worried? Huh? Geez. Do you like your sister that much?”
Of course, I like my sister. Where else would you find someone who cares so much about their younger sibling?
But, sis. Everything’s fine, so could you please tone down the affection a bit? I’ll be half fifty next week. And I’ve been through the military… I even got a medal…
“Rika Adelheit.”
Just as I was starting to worry that she might hug and kiss me, Eloise, at a suitable moment, calls for my sister and extends her right hand.
“Thanks to you, it was a big help. I was sure those guys were up to no good, but I never imagined we’d finish them off in less than a day. It saved me the trouble of having to go looking for them.”
She may look like a weird elf dressed in rags, but she’s actually the head of the Hyzen’s Extermination Unit.
Simply put, she’s an elf who used to be in the same position as my sister.
It’s not hard to see who she’s going to be looking for.
“Well, Eloise Loengrand. The sooner Hyzen can capture the last of the Luzerne, the sooner peace will come to the Empire.”
“Your brother’s no pushover either, being a medal recipient.”
“Thanks. You’re not a pushover either, so don’t feel too bad.”
Eloise extends her hand, and my sister takes it.
The handshake between the Blade Queen and the perverted elf… No, no. Wait. Former and current agents.
It started off a bit ambiguous, but now there’s something between them. A kind of camaraderie―
“By any chance, can you give me Karl?”
“Fuck off, you crazy bitch!”
“Ahaha! Then how about a half-elf niece?”
“How about I split you in half right here and now.”
“Awww! Can’t even take a joke! Hehehe!”
Saying she’s got everything she needs and she’ll go check things out and then return, Eloise disappears first.
It feels like a storm just swept through. Somehow, I feel more exhausted than when I prevented the train incident.
As I blankly watch Eloise disappear, my sister calls my name from beside me.
“Karl.”
“Yeah, sis. You called?”
“Want me to take care of that bitch for you?”
“…Huh?”
“That bitch. She’s starting to get quite annoying. Just say the word.”
So, she’s suggesting… publicly executing the head of the Hyzen’s Extermination Unit… now?
“Please, sis. Just hold back.”
“If you say so, then there’s nothing we can do.”
Is she not doing it because of diplomatic issues or for her own safety, but because I told her not to?!
“…But still, isn’t asking for Eloise’s head crossing a line?”
“Ah, come on!”
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
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