As I was arranging her hair as usual, the mistress met my eyes through the mirror.
When this small mistress asks people things, she has a habit of quietly staring into their eyes.
Those copper eyes are calm, as if no emotion lit them at all.
When I stopped my movements and waited for the question, she asked something unexpected.

“Hey, Keika. Between me and my father, which do you think can serve the Rujil better?”

This young mistress which has just turned nine, asked that with a perfect smile.
Her copper eyes and hair along with her calm atmosphere made her seem mature.

Her, or the head of the clan, who will I pledge allegiance to———-she is inviting betrayal.

The mistress has shown sudden growth in these two years.
She was always a girl overflowing with talent, but after taking charge of her untalented brother, she has been concentrating on magic, completely absorbed in it.
The way she developed herself was so extreme that madness could be felt, not just her actual mother, but even members of the clan that prize strength above all else have distanced themselves from her.
Her technical abilities are still somewhat raw.
But even compared to the current master who is known as the most skilled, considering her rate of growth, it is clear that her potential is great.

Keika is undoubtedly a Rujil woman and a magician.
Her master is the head of the Rujil, and it must not be any other.
But as if kicking aside that taboo, the copper girl tempted her with eyes dyed with dark emotions.
The aides of the current head is already set in stone, Keika knew there is no hope for anything beyond being a maid for her in this situation.
She was presented the choice of betraying the current head and be the first of her subjects, or living out her life here as one of the ma.s.ses.

Origa knew best that she was not a magician able to let such a crossroads in life, such a change go.
While getting excited, Keika somehow felt her body grow cold.

“……I, I……pledge my lifelong loyalty to you.”
“Thank you, my Keika. There is one thing, I want you to investigate———-”

The mistress whispered the plan into the ear of the maid.
The maid, trembling in fear and joy, received the order as if in a dream.

As I finished my morning training and was proceeding through the open corridor to return to my room to wipe off the sweat, I saw Gil-sama gesturing towards me from behind a pillar.
What could it be.
Usually he would be scared of me and find a way to avoid me, this is unusual.
I could just glare at him a bit and then go back to my room, but since I happen to have some business with him, I turned towards the gazebo he was inviting me to with light steps

As I sat down on the chair, Onii-sama that was seated opposite stared fixedly at my face and lowered his brows slightly, as if worried.
It’s cute, but what is it.
Do you want to kill me with moe with such a cute worried face!?
Imouto-sama doesn’t mind if you confess everything on your mind. I’ll burn down all those people that you don’t like.
I waited for Gil-sama to speak with that sentiment, but the words that came out from his mouth betrayed my expectations.

“Origa, it’s better not to get too obsessed……”
“I do not need onii-sama to tell me that. I am properly managing my health.”
“Your complexion just didn’t look very good. Sorry if I was wrong.”
“…………oh my.”

———-a little surprising.
His apt.i.tude for water has already been refined enough for him to tell that much.
Water magic is healing magic.
It is said that skilled users can tell if you are sick or how much longer you have left to live just by looking at a person’s face.
If Gil-sama says that, then I am probably a little tired although I am unawate of it.
Even since I was reborn, my body has been healthy, so I didn’t know my own limits and often collapsed due to using too much magic or studying too much, so I need to be careful

“…….Okay. I will take a break later. So, what else?”
“What else?”
“Did you bring me all the way to the courtyard just for that?”

Seeing him blink blankly, I unintentionally muttered, ‘unusual’.
Not only because he is not good at dealing with me, but also because there is a high chance of drawing attention for members of the clan, he usually maintains distance from me.
Come to think of it, he has become more positive lately.
Just as I was thinking that his compatibility with his sword teacher is probably good just as in the light novel.
While blushing lightly, probably from nervousness, he dropped a bombsh.e.l.l.

“Aah…err, yeah. Do you want to go to the town’s festival for a break?”

————huh?
Hmm? I feel like Gil-sama never invited Origa like this in the light novel.
Then is this an event that arose from me accelerating fate(the story)?
Or more like, I am getting to have a date with the main character, if his fans were in this world, I would definitely be strangled.
He was a main character with such wild fans.

“…………”
“I tried going down to the town recently and heard there will be a festival soon. Origa never went to the town right? So, since there is this chance……I…?”

Is it okay? It’s okay right? It should be okay!
Including preparation time, I’ve been acting as the lady of the inferno for five years, so a reward like this should be allowable right?
Ignoring the question of why such an event is occurring even though his feelings towards me should be the worst.
Since this wasn’t a development in the light novel, even if I enjoyed this side benefit, I should be able to erase something like this.
Even if it is impossible to hold hands with onii-sama, I might be able to unintentionally accidentally do something to get a ‘here, aaahn’ development!

“…………”
“……Origa?”

My consciousness had flown away for a while because of the screams of my heart and delusions that swelled up all at once.
A little sister that suddenly becomes silent and keep changing expressions must be scary.
Currently, Gil-sama’s expression is a little stiff.
Just as I opened my mouth to temporarily give some kind of answer.
———Unfortunately, I felt a signal light up.

……This conversation is also, being watched over by father’s lackeys.
It has increased bit by bit since the incident the other day, but recently it has become too obvious.
Is this also a test, a trap, to confirm our thoughts?

While consciously changing gears, I replied in as cold a voice as I could.
With a ‘no’.

“……Does onii-sama not understand? It is not strange even if a war erupted with the neighboring country right now. As one of the keystones of the country’s defense, if I do not treasure every spare moment and polish my skills, what are you telling me to do?”

The fact that war is close, that the clan of fire will be needed, is exactly as in history(the setting).
There is no way to change it.
So, it is certain that there is a need to polish my abilities even a moment earlier. I am not lying.
I just need to follow my memories and say what ‘Origa’ had said.

“And you will gain power to, burn, people?”
“Yes, that is right. If the clan of fire does not burn away our enemies, the citizens of our country will be trampled.”

Unlike this magician, this future savior of the country, who has on a disturbed expression, I cannot do anything else.
Because fire magic is not meant for saving someone.
As I silently stood up and tried to leave, my arm was caught.
As I slowly met his gaze, eyes lit with determination looked up at me, digging at my heart.

“Origa, we really should go to the town. This clan’s people are strong. But, you should also meet normal people.”
“You want me to meet then, and learn the importance of fleeting, fragile lives? Ridiculous.”

By showing a sheltered girl who is estranged from the world a new world, he wants to change this brutal clan, this meritocracy that doesn’t think of people as people, even if only by a bit.
The only one in this house that takes him seriously is his little sister, me, so he called out to me.
His actions today that were unlike him, were probably because that was his aim.
But, ‘Origa’ will not waver———that is decided in the story.

“I cannot go along with your jokes any more. It is a waste of time.”
“Just by killing people, resentment will be born. And then it will repeat again,”
“Onii-sama. If you do not want a burn on your body that will never disappear, shut your mouth immediately.”

When I lit a small flame at my fingertips with a snap and held it before his eyes, Gil-sama widened his eyes and froze.
He knows the pain brought by red flames very well.
He knows that this flame, this magic, brings nothing but resentment and pain.

Resentment and grudges, history repeats itself.
I personally believe that it is right to put lives first.
Gil-sama in the light novel took action with that way of thinking.
I also agree with that way of thinking and I admired Gil-sama who embodied that thinking.
But. I am not the one who will accept that and fight with him.

“If you do not like spilling blood, please gain enough strength to prevent it, then say those things.”
“Origa, wait.”
“We, no, our country has no other choice but this. This is the best option.”

I repeated it, as if to let those listening from far away hear, as if to tell myself.

“Since this is the best, father, and then I, will continue lighting the fire that protects the country, we will not let it go out.”

As I stood up and brushed off onii-sama’s arm to indicate our conversation is over, I once again felt a signal light up far away.
That flame, which was lit stealthily at a low temperature, means capture.
The signal of the maid that I drew in to act as my arms and legs.

Identify those that are carrying this conversation to father’s ears, and eliminating them from the stage———this is, my first resistance against father.
There was some inconsistency during the many times I made her join me in my training, but as expected as one that has been chosen to be Origa’s (my) maid, Keika is a skilled fire magician.
Seeing as she sent a signal, she has probably succeeded in identifying father’s worshipers.
The crows that notice too much, think and quietly whisper into the current head’s ear.

Like this, I have to endure making the second move, which is extremely irritating, but it can’t be helped.
If a talented person spoils the untalented onii-sama unconditionally, the members of the clan will definitely harm him.
My maid, Keika is a good example, their complex towards power is just too severe.

Of the clans that were once hailed as the five great magic clans, only the clans of fire, wind and wood are left in this age.
It is tough for those that have lived relying only on magic to watch blood and ability thin slowly as generations change.
So that existence which shows not a speck of apt.i.tude for fire despite inheriting the best blood is strongly perceived by them as a symbol of decline.
Thus everyone is excessively aware of onii-sama, wants to eliminate him, and wishes to forget his very existence.

There are two methods to protect onii-sama.
One is to declare that I like onii-sama and protect him with my own power.
——but this, in addition to immense efforts, is not a very good choice considering onii-sama’s independence.
So I rejected that other method, and conversely took the stance of spearheading his elimination.
So that I can both avoid provoking their complex and not push onii-sama beyond a certain line.
Miraculously, this led to me taking the same actions as the antagonist ‘Origa’, but this is the best option ‘I’ can take.

“Ah, also.———if you keep saying too much, the one that gave you useless knowledge(onii-sama’s sword teacher) will be implicated too.”

‘Please be careful with your words’, I warned him using a threat.
Hearing the sound of a chair clattering, I started moving towards the main building.
After this I’ll be extremely busy even if I use Keika.
Since Gil-sama has started to have his own way of thinking, it can be considered that the story has started moving.
It is a few years earlier than expected, but if this is due to ‘Origa’s’ actions, then I know what will happen after this.
Even if I know the setting and the story, I need to be serious in dealing with any plans to kill abnormal existences.

When I took a glance behind, onii-sama was hanging his head, alone.

Considering onii-sama’s future, it is good to have him bear ill will towards me.
I was getting excited and didn’t realise but, although at a later date, there is a development in the light novel where we face each other due to differences in ideology.
It would be about right to consider today as that development.
With this impulse, our sibling relationship will become even more distant.
Just like in that light novel.

Honestly, how good would it have been to be able to help him openly?
But, because Gil-sama is too kind, when it comes the time to cut me down, he will suffer.
That’s why this might be better.

Due to ignoring the disturbances in the balance of her mana due to growth and training too hard, the girl collapsed due to anemia two days ago.
The room was filled with gifts, allowing one to see how concerned the clan was about the girl, but the girl herself did not have any interest in them at all.
Because the feelings packed in those gifts are not purely from worrying about the girl herself there is no need to force herself to go to the trouble to sincerely thank them.
If she just shows the quick recovery they wish for, that would suffice as thanks.

When the girl forcefully moved her still sluggish body and cut across the room to the window facing the terrace, she saw something swaying outside.
Getting curious, she opened the window and there was a get-well card and a bouquet tied neatly with a ribbon.

The bouquet made of handpicked wild flowers was very simple, but conveyed kindness more than any extravagant bouquet.
The girl knew only one person who would give her such a bouquet.
She cannot directly thank that person.
Because if those around her saw that, the sender would meet a horrible fate.
But it is someone who, even if she said she was fine and acted normally, would be able to immediately tell that she still has not recovered.
Thus, she cannot show her thanks.

The girl fell into thought for a little, then pulled just one flower from the bouquet, gave a glance to the contents of the card, then burnt them in the fireplace.
The girl gently inserted the flower into a dictionary n.o.body would read, she muttered something with an embarra.s.sed smile, and then the girl walked towards the door.

Don’t worry, onii-sama!

———I will try my best again from today onwards!