WeTried Translations
Translator: Nemui
Editor: Nemui
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Reincarnated as the Villain's Heir
Chapter 16: The Women Are Fighting Over Me, Including My Sister
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At dawn, we returned to the mansion.
I yawned, but I did not feel especially tired.
"Lord Alphys, is it fine to leave the servants alive?"
"No problem. Even if they make a fuss, no one will believe them. If things grow larger, our special cleaning squad will simply clean it up."
House Balfont's special cleaning squad erased traces of things like murder.
I had deliberately left the bodies of the guards I killed at House Demaseka's mansion as a warning, but by now, they should have vanished without a trace.
Those people basically did not kill directly, but they did clean up ordinary civilians who made pointless noise.
"Congratulations on completing your first missioooon, and now a kiss!"
The one who leapt at me the instant I opened the mansion door was Big Sister Mirei.
This was the first time she had tried it immediately after I entered the mansion.
So I showed her an easy dodge, and Big Sister Mirei splatted onto the ground.
"Hyan!"
"How did you know I completed the mission?"
"Ow... Well, I knew a request of that level would be nothing for you, Alphys, so I at least practiced my congratulatory kiss."
"Maybe I should have failed."
If I had failed, who knew what this sister who doted on me would do?
She might flood House Demaseka's mansion and crush it with water pressure.
"There you go again, doing indecent things like kissing!"
"Oh, Luchel. If you think a kiss is indecent, there are far more amazing things in this world."
"M-more amazing things..."
"Aah, your face is bright red!"
Hey, I was seven, at least in body. Show some restraint.
Expecting that sort of ethics from someone who tried to assault and kiss her seven-year-old brother was probably pointless, though.
Just as I was about to ignore them in exasperation, my body was wrapped in a sphere of water.
Floating inside the water, I stuck only my head out.
"Pwah! Hey, what are you doing?!"
"You must be tired, right? I will carry you to your bedroom."
"Hey, idiot, stop."
"Do not hold back. Oh, come to think of it, this sword is a magic sword, right?"
Big Sister Mirei controlled the water in the sphere and easily took the magic sword from me.
I had beaten the old Black Death Butterfly with ease, yet here I was being toyed with as she pleased.
If Big Sister Mirei had felt like it, I would have died just now.
There would have been nothing to it. The water pressure in the sphere would crush me flat, and it would be over.
This was exactly what people meant when they said there was always someone above you.
It was frustrating, but I was still nowhere near matching her.
"I will allow no further disrespect toward my master."
"Wah! Something came out!"
Hiyori emerged from the magic sword and easily broke the water sphere.
The broken water sphere turned into dark mist and vanished.
"You are strong. Alphys, even though you already have your big sister as a woman, you are keeping company with someone amazing."
"A mere thing like you is a hundred years too early to toy with my master. Begone, small fry."
"I see. I understand. Then let us compete over who can love Alphys more."
"Hmph, how shallow. The master I acknowledged would never be swayed by a woman like you."
"I wonder."
What contest had just started?
I felt like sparks were flying between them.
When would my actual sister realize that it was strange for her to even stand in that ring?
* * *
"Alphys. Good work on your first mission. It may have been somewhat unsatisfying."
Whether Leorg knew I had won easily or not, he spoke with a hint of provocation.
Did he think I had struggled against the old Black Death Butterfly?
Even so, there was no need to be modest.
"Yeah, an opponent of that level made it an easy mission. Father is kind."
"Hmph... Good. That is exactly what a son of House Balfont should be. Still, even that Black Death Butterfly must have aged."
"You are different, aren't you, Father?"
"Do not compare me to someone who retreated from the front line after losing to age."
Pulse wrapped around Leorg's body.
Just a little, his pulse flickered like a heat haze, as if threatening me, on the verge of exploding at any moment.
The current me could not control pulse like that.
Leorg knew that too, which was why he was showing off the gap like this.
In short, it was his way of telling me not to get carried away.
He wanted me to become strong, but he did not want me to surpass him.
He always wanted to be the strongest and remain the ruler.
That was why he wanted me and the other family members to remain only as strong as pawns.
In other words, he was small.
He feared someone threatening him.
He was terrified that his position might disappear.
That excessively twisted ideology was what would give birth to Leorg, the World King.
"Alphys, are you handling pulse well?"
"No. I cannot manage it like you, Father."
"Where did you learn of pulse's existence?"
"Since I became aware of things, I suppose."
See? The fact that he was probing like this meant he thought I might become a threat.
Among House Balfont, the one closest in ability to Leorg was Vaid, but he awakened to pulse much later.
If one side was already controlling pulse at seven years old, of course he would be frightened.
"Perceiving pulse is genius. Controlling it is divine talent. Each has a wall that cannot be crossed. At present, you are a genius."
"I hope I am divinely talented."
When I showed no sign of backing down, Leorg's eyebrow twitched.
There was no point provoking each other further.
I decided to change the subject.
"Father, why did you make Belanna an illegal drug?"
"...What are you talking about?"
"It was House Balfont that instructed the royal family to designate Belanna as an illegal drug, wasn't it?"
"You know that much? You truly are a good son."
Leorg chuckled.
I did not sympathize with House Demaseka, but because of that, the state of the market must have changed greatly.
If House Balfont felt like it, it could ruin a flourishing noble house in an instant.
House Demaseka was not the only exception.
"Because it was in the way. No one outside House Balfont has the right to obtain power."
I said nothing.
There was no point pressing him, because that was all there was to it.
The people of this country knew nothing. They swallowed the public story and never suspected House Balfont's involvement.
Behind it all was nothing but one man's ego, and no one had any way of knowing that.
"Alphys, like your other siblings, you will enroll in the academy eight years from now."
"Is that for House Balfont too?"
"Yes. When the time comes, I will tell you the details. For now, polish your skill."
The Royal Sailrand Academy.
There could only be one reason I would enroll in the academy attended by commoners and nobles alike.
Nine years from now would be when the game began, when the main story started.
Until that time came, I would do as Leorg said and devote myself to even further training.
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