164 – The Ster Sister’s Talent Strikes Again


    It was a bright and sunny day. Birds were chirping, children wereughing as they yed on the streets.


    There were even couples strolling around being all lovey-dovey with each other.


    Ste watched them all with bleak eyes and then shook her head, continuing on her way.


    She didn''t have a particr target in mind. The main objective she had was just to get out of the house and move around.


    Although she could do some magical experiments if she wanted to since no one was home to bother her, since Onii-chan said that she''d be going to magic school soon anyway, Ste decided to wait a bit.


    After all, it wasn''t any fun doing cool magic things by yourself with no one around.


    ...Okay. Maybe she had been hanging around Onii-chan too much...


    "Woof. There are a lot of people here today. Woof." Leo padded along beside Ste and looked around.


    Wata nodded from his spot sitting on Ste''s right shoulder and said, "I hate to agree with the mutt, but it looks like he''s right." The feline water spirit looked around with a frown on his face and said, "Do you think Rudy is doing something again?"


    Ste adjusted her backpack and shrugged. "I dunno what Onii-chan''s doing these days, but I wouldn''t doubt it." She sighed and said, "He''s always doing things without me these days."


    Ever since they met up with Onii-chan''s old teacher, Onii-chan had been spending less and less time with Ste.


    No,e to think of it, that started ever since they left Arcadia.


    On the one hand, it was nice to have some alone time and be a bit more independent. But...


    Ste stopped in the middle of the street and then looked up at the sky. After staring for a bit, she flung up her hands and said, "Isn''t letting your baby sister go around all day by herself too much independence?!"


    Seriously! Even if Ste was technically a grown woman if they went by her umted years, she was still physically just a toddler!


    ...Well, she was five years old, so maybe not a toddler anymore. But anyway, she was just a kid! What kind of big brother lets their kid sister walk out by herself without supervision all day long!?


    "Woof." Leo frowned... well, as close to a frown as he could get. After that, he said, "You aren''t alone, Ste. Woof."


    Wata nodded and then tapped his chest. "That''s right! And besides, Rudy wouldn''t leave you alone if he didn''t think you couldn''t handle it! ...Or if he didn''t think we could protect you."


    Ste sighed and said, "I guess so..."


    They had a point. Onii-chan was super duper overprotective. And she *did* have the magic charm to call him across space in a pinch if she needed it.


    Still, it was weird.


    ...Was she starting to miss being treated like a baby?


    No. That couldn''t be it. She was a mature individual! There was no way that she would miss being spoiled by Onii-chan drinking yummy hot chocte and eating candy while being carried around everywhere-


    ...


    Feeling her face heat up in embarrassment, Ste patted her face and said, "Argh! Stupid kid body! This is because I''m still small! That''s it! I definitely don''t miss being spoiled by Onii-chan!"


    Wata and Leo shared a look before wisely deciding not to say anything.


    There were a few onlookers who stared at Ste for a bit as well, but they quickly went on their way.


    Considering Roxy''s usual antics, they didn''t think too much about small girls and children making random outbursts.


    ...Though Roxy would probably send a few people flying with explosions if she knew that.


    Ste shook her head and then continued her stroll.


    She had a bit of pocket money, so maybe she should go buy some candy or something. She remembered seeing some cute sweets and pastries in some shops by themercial district, so since she didn''t have anything better to do-


    "So this is the esteemed Magic City, is it?"


    A male voice echoed from the distance.


    Ordinarily, Ste wouldn''t have paid attention to it. But she noticed that it sounded vaguely simr to a voice she knew.


    It wasn''t Onii-chan''s. The only person who sounded like him was that suspicious Pierre guy who was still pretending to not be an evil time paradox version of Onii-chan even though he *totally* was.


    And it wasn''t Rnd either.


    Ste frowned and then looked around to see who the person was.


    Wata paused and then looked around as well. "Is there a suspicious person around, Ste?"


    "Woof." Leo raised his head and sniffed the air, taking a look around. "I don''t smell any bad guys. Woof."


    Wata rolled his eyes and said, "As if that nose of yours is worth anything, Mutt."


    "Who''s the one who can block people from seeing Ste''s fate? That''s right, cat. Me."


    "You...!"


    Ste clicked her tongue and said, "Shut up you two. I''m concentrating."


    Wata and Leo immediately shut up, but not before ring at each other again.


    In the meantime, Ste took a look around, carefully watching the crowd.


    There wasn''t anyone who stuck out. Just students, young nobles, and ordinary travelers.


    But just as Ste was starting to wonder if she was just hearing things, she heard another voice.


    "Mm... it''s not that impressive for a Magic City. I think our Eris''s husband would have made something much more impressive, wouldn''t he?"


    A female voice. One that was also weirdly simr to one that Ste knew well.


    This time, she paid attention to where it came from and then saw the source of the voices.


    An elegant woman wearing a purple dress, long red hair trailing behind her.


    And standing next to her, a rtively handsome man with light brown hair but shady squinty eyes, dressed in a sleek ck overcoat with a fancy coat of arms emzoned over his chest.


    The man adjusted his overcoat and said, "Considering how much of a genius Rudy was when he was young, I can only imagine what miracles he has been up to since then."


    The woman covered her mouth tough and said, "True. Considering that he turned Father-inw into a reasonable person after throwing him out that window all those years ago... and seeing as he tamed our wild Eris, I''m curious to how much he''s changed."


    Rudy, Eri...


    Ste didn''t think those names were ''that'' rare. But hearing the two talk, as well as seeing how familiar they looked...


    Ste didn''t recognize them. But staring at the man, she felt that he looked vaguely simr to that sorry excuse for a Father she had. And as for that woman, she looked a lot like Eri nee-chan.


    Wait.


    That wolfdy, Gilly... Laney? Gil something or another had mentioned that she met Sylphy nee-chan and Eri nee-chan''s parents after the spacetime warp thingy.


    And then she had a talk with Onii-chan and everyone about getting everyone together after clearing up the misunderstanding...


    "Ste?" Wata looked at Ste and frowned. Following her gaze, the water spirit eyed the man and woman down, slowly materializing a stream of water. "Are they bad guys?"


    "Woof." Leo shook his head and said, "They''re not bad people, dumb cat."


    Wata''s eye twitched and he flew down to grab Leo''s mane. "Alright! That''s it, you mutt!"


    Leo barked and spun around, trying to bite Wata. "Woof! That''s unfair!"


    Wata held onto Leo and swung a water ball, smacking Leo''s face. "Life isn''t fair! Now eat snow!"


    "Grrrr!"


    Ste facepalmed seeing her two spirit friends act up. "...Is this what Onii-chan feels like?"


    Being a main character gets you into all kinds of weird situations, huh?


    She shook her head and sighed, reaching out to grab Wata and Leo. "Hey! No fighting!"


    Wata and Leo immediately slumped, stopping their fight. But they kept ring at each other even while Ste was holding them.


    Because of themotion, a crowd had formed, surrounding Ste and staring at Wata and Leo.


    Ste pointedly ignored the group. Instead of reacting, she shoved Wata into her bag and scooped Leo up in her arms. After that, she started marching back home.


    This was a stupid idea. Next time, she was going to drag Fai around with her instead. At least she was just energetic and not troublemaking like these two idiots.


    "Wait, Husband." The woman spoke up in the distance and pointed at Ste. "That girl... doesn''t she look like Zenith?"


    Ste froze for a moment, suddenly sensing trouble.


    The man rubbed his chin and said, "She does... And she also looks a lot like Norn did when she was younger... Pardon me." With those words, the man started making his way through the crowd towards Ste.


    And so, like what any reasonable young girl would do with a strange man approaching her, especially a strange man who looked simr to her EXTREMELY strange and perverted father, Ste ran.


    Only to bump into a blonde elf man wearing leather armor.


    "Kya!" Ste instinctively screamed and stumbled back.


    "Laws!" A brown-haired woman spoke up, tugging the blonde elf man away. "Be careful where you''re walking! Look! You''ve scared the poor..." The woman trailed off as she stared at Ste. "...child? Wait."


    Ste took a few more steps back, hugging Leo to her chest.


    "Woof." Leo looked up at Ste and said, "Should we run?"


    Ste looked behind her.


    The weird noble man was walking over, followed by his wife.


    The blonde elf man was staring at Ste with sharp eyes, and that brown-haired woman was staring intently at Ste too.


    The crowd had blocked off the exits, and those strangers were surrounding her.


    And at that moment, Ste realized just how tiny she still waspared to everyone else. Also how scary it was beingpletely surrounded.


    At that time, Wata squirmed out of the bag. Looking around, he said, "Let me at''em! Who scared Ste?!"


    The man was in earshot, and when he heard Wata say Ste, the man frowned. "Ste? Is that not-"


    Overwhelmed by everything happening, Ste did what her instincts told her to do.


    Ste grabbed her ne and then closed her eyes, screaming, "HELP ME ONII-CHAN!"


    The sound of shattering ss. Space and time twisting as a man leapt through both to reach Ste.


    With one smooth motion, he scooped Ste up in his left arm. In another, he swept his right arm out and drew forth a shimmering crimson de from the void.


    Ste sniffled and hugged Rudy''s arm, burying her face.


    ...Also doing her best to bury her embarrassment at instinctively calling out for Onii-chan again instead of resolving the situation herself.


    An oppressive aura filled the air as a calm but threatening voice echoed. "Who dares to harm my- Huh?"


    The oppresive aura suddenly vanished. And right after, the voice continued, but more confused than threatening. "Miss Rose? Mister Laws? And... Uncle Philip? Auntie Hilda?"


    Eh?


    Ste slowly peeked out.


    The noble man and his wife were looking at Ste with embarrassed looks.


    The elf man cleared his throat, looking to the side, while his wife let out and embarrassed smile.


    Silence.


    And then Rudy let out a deep sigh and said, "My cute baby sister. You have *got* to stop giving me a heart attack every time you meet up with some of our family members."


    "...Teehee?"