Chapter 843: Nina's Diary, The Sword Princess's Revenge, The Dungeon Ends

My name is Nina, Zuer. From as far back as I can remember, I learned from my parents and neighbors that I have an older sister six years my senior.

However, my sister has always been away studying on a massive vessel called the School District, and has never returned home even once; my understanding of her came only through letters.

At first, it was from my parents' letters — after learning of my existence, my sister would always use elegant words to express her affection for me, which made me, as a child, gradually grow fond of this sister I had never met, yet who seemed quite knowledgeable.

After my mother taught me to read and write, I began corresponding with my sister directly. When I was seven, a massive vessel named the School District appeared at my hometown's port, and I decided to walk the same path of study my sister had once taken.

I admired my sister, and she was an honor student; therefore, after entering the School District, I studied hard, aiming to become someone just as outstanding as her.

My efforts were rewarded — I scored high on every exam, and I counted as an honor student in the mouths of the School District's teachers.

But this was only in comparison to students of the same age. Compared to my sister, who earned perfect scores in every subject except Combat after enrolling, I appeared utterly ordinary. The teachers would praise me for a good score, but every time they would inevitably add something like "Your sister is an even more outstanding student," telling me not to become arrogant over minor achievements.

At first, I did not dislike such words; they even spurred me on, driving me to study even harder.

Until, no matter how I studied, I could not surpass my sister's grades. I realized the gap in academic talent between us was not something that could be bridged by effort alone — and my feelings toward my sister changed.

Every time someone compared me to my sister, I felt as though I were living in her shadow, and the pressure in my heart grew heavier and heavier.

I knew my sister was innocent, that my situation was my own problem, yet I simply could not suppress the terrible thought that kept sprouting in my heart: "It would be better if I didn't have a sister."

For a period of time, I even came to hate receiving my sister's letters — until four years ago, one day, the letter I received contained my sister's sorrowful confession. A rookie adventurer under her charge had died in the Dungeon, and she blamed herself for not fulfilling her duty. When she revealed her vulnerable side through her writing, the rejection and aversion I had built up toward her melted away like ice and snow.

So the sister everyone called outstanding also had a fragile side. She was not a perfect person, but someone who, just like me, had things she could not accomplish.

The thought of wanting to help my sister welled up naturally. After deep consideration, I decided to transfer departments.

I transferred from the Management Department to the Combat Department. I wanted to become an Orario adventurer in the future, to help my sister do the things she, being bad at combat, could not do.

Imagine — if I became an outstanding, capable adventurer, wouldn't I be able to help my sister look after some rookie adventurers?

And with my care, wouldn't the rookie adventurers my sister was responsible for as a Dungeon Advisor no longer so easily lose their lives in the Dungeon?

I studied desperately, honed my combat techniques, entered the Bader Class, and accepted training from Teacher Leon, an Adventurer Level 7. I became the top-ranked student in practical combat scores among my year in the Combat Department.

I achieved something my sister herself could not. When the School District's massive vessel was about to reach the Port of Melen, I told Teacher Leon I wanted to graduate and go become an Orario adventurer who could help my sister. However, Teacher Leon felt my ability was insufficient, saying there was a vast difference between the combat techniques learned in theory at the School District and real life-and-death combat.

I paid that no mind. What difference could real combat possibly make? In the School District's Combat Department for my year, my practical combat score was first. Even if I went to a World Capital like Orario and stepped onto a larger world stage, I should still be an outstanding adventurer.

Finally, the School District's vessel arrived at the Port of Melen. I accompanied classmates who shared the same aspiration to become adventurers, and together we came to Orario.

I had wanted to hurry and find my sister to show her my excellence, but unexpectedly ran straight into a War Game — a conflict between gods and mortals the likes of which the Lower World had never seen in all its history.

I witnessed the power of Orario's strongest adventurers with my own eyes. A small island was effortlessly leveled in the fighting, and even a great deity who had unleashed their Divine Power perished. This made me realize my own insignificance relative to top-tier adventurers, and much of the pride in my heart was reined in.

After I mentioned to my sister that I intended to become an Orario adventurer, she took me to meet that VIP who had successfully challenged a deity.

That was when I learned the Demon King was actually the rookie adventurer my sister had once been in charge of. Even more unexpected was that my sister had an extraordinarily intimate relationship with him.

Of course, simply gaining a very capable brother-in-law, I would probably be happy for my sister. But this brother-in-law had a large number of beautiful other partners around him, and that made me feel indignant. Because the Sister I had admired since childhood, outstanding as she was, turned out to be merely one of the women by his side, I found myself somewhat hostile toward this brother-in-law I was meeting for the first time.

Even after later learning that many of the partners by his side were people even more outstanding than my sister, I still felt it was a waste for my sister.

Someone as outstanding as my sister could completely find a man devoted solely to her; there was absolutely no need for her to become part of someone else's harem.

Under this mindset, I felt intense rejection toward the brother-in-law I had just met. And he, as if he could sense my dislike, deliberately let my classmates and me fall into a death trap when he took us to experience the real life of an adventurer.

In the Dungeon Floor 11 Labyrinth, my classmates and I triggered a monster trap. Dense hordes of monsters suddenly dropped from the walls, directly surrounding us, who were entering the Dungeon for the first time.

And my brother-in-law, like an uninvolved bystander, hid in a spot the monsters couldn't reach the moment they appeared, watching indifferently as we were killed by the massive swarm surrounding us.

The fear and wails of my companions beside me, the madness and screams in the face of despair, the sensation of my own body being torn apart and devoured by Hellhounds — it was all so vivid, and it reminded me of Teacher Leon's words. Only then did I understand the difference between so-called theoretical combat and real combat.

Theoretical combat results in severe injury at worst; barring the unlucky, basically no one dies. Real combat, however, kills people, and they can die horribly.

My companions and I died because we took the Dungeon lightly. Of course, we didn't really die — after we died, my brother-in-law revived us.

And only after being revived did I learn that this bastard brother-in-law who had left us to die was actually just faithfully carrying out the task my sister had entrusted to him: to make us deeply understand the life of an Orario adventurer, and the life-threatening situations we might encounter after becoming adventurers.

It's just that his methods were too harsh. He said something about how teaching people is a bit difficult, but experience teaches them in one go.

Although I agree those words are probably right, the feeling of real death is truly too painful. My brother-in-law is practically inhumane.

"Broly, although your method can give them a deep impression of the real life of an adventurer, Nina is still Miss Eina's younger sister. Aren't you afraid of giving her and her little friends psychological trauma?"

Tiona's words earned Ais's agreement. She, too, had been put through life-and-death training by Riveria as a child, and the result was that she became a landlubber — she only learned to swim a few months ago.

"Uh, then how about this — let's not make the adventurer life experience that real. I'll look after you a little?"

Compared to the possibility of psychological trauma, I hate the idea of being given special treatment even more. I want to be my sister's helper, not a burden. So I immediately rejected the bastard brother-in-law's suggestion.

My companions didn't want to be looked down on either. One by one they rallied their spirits and went to experience the so-called adventurer life once more.

After that, we died many more times — yet it was in this harsh experience of death that we quickly transformed from School District students into qualified, even outstanding, adventurers.

During this time, those other women by the bastard brother-in-law's side, whom I had originally been somewhat hostile toward, I also came to feel their kindness toward me through our interactions.

The bastard brother-in-law's harem had no jealousy or rivalry. On the contrary, because I was his sister-in-law, the other women all treated me like a younger sister.

At this point, I realized I had not only gained a cheap brother-in-law, but a whole herd of outstanding older sisters.

Beautiful in appearance, gentle toward me, and even guiding my combat techniques — I quickly developed a favorable impression of this group of outstanding older sisters.

And when I curiously asked these older sisters how such outstanding people could all be willing to become my cheap brother-in-law's partners, part of his harem — after learning the stories of their encounters with him, my impression of my cheap brother-in-law also changed somewhat.

Hmm, my cheap brother-in-law is not at all what I imagined — a pervert who falls for and wants to add every beautiful woman he sees to his harem.

On the contrary, he seriously pursued relationships with the many older sisters, and only gradually became a family after their feelings deepened.

Especially after learning that he was the one who had given more inside those relationships, I, who had always treated him as a villain, felt a bit ashamed.

When I ran over to sincerely apologize to him for this, what I got in return was his large hand gently stroking my head.

My brother-in-law didn't blame me for mistaking him for a bad guy. When I wanted to understand more deeply the stories between him and the other older sisters, he patiently told them to me.

And this attitude made me realize that my brother-in-law did not treat me as an outsider, but truly regarded me as family.

I sat beside my brother-in-law, listening to the stories he told, and felt the beating in my chest speed up.

Suddenly, I understood my sister — why she would be willing to become one of my brother-in-law's partners. He's strong, has a good personality, and his appearance is that of a rugged, handsome man. I really can't think of any reason not to be heart-stirred————

After experiencing the real life-and-death life of an Orario adventurer for half a month, I resolved to become a true adventurer.

Harboring some special thoughts in my heart, in the choice of Familia, I chose the Hestia Familia without the slightest hesitation.

"Nina, you want to join our Familia?"

"Yes, Brother-in-law."

"But Lady Hestia said that anyone who joins Hearth Manor's members, they all have to become my Home's Regiment Leader's wife."

"Well, Daphne, everything has exceptions. Bell is an exception, and I feel Nina can be an exception too. After all, she is Miss Eina's Younger Sister."

"And letting this child join, even giving her a Crystal Palace External Wife identity is fine. This way, her Strength/Power becomes Stronger, and she can be Safer too. This also lets Miss Eina Rest Assured more."

After Discussion, Hestia Familia accepted me. Brother-in-law even gave me an External Wife identity.

He said it was for Attaching Temporary Skill use, so that when I act as an Adventurer in the future, I can be a bit Safer. A wife in name only, his.

I happily Agreed. My recognition of the benefits of becoming Brother-in-law's wife deepened another fraction. And I didn't take Brother-in-law's words to heart.

A wife in name only. Why should I be Brother-in-law's wife in name only? Can't being a real wife work?

The word Harem, in my brief 13 years of life past, I never thought that one day I would treat this word as a good word.

I Graduated from the School District, officially joined Hestia Familia, formed a party with classmates, and Adventured in the Dungeon.

Whenever I returned from Adventuring, I would Lean against Brother-in-law's side. Some Older Sisters saw through my thoughts; some didn't.

But regardless of whether they saw through or not, none of them opposed adding one more person like me to this big family.

These days of Leaning against Brother-in-law's side, being Default-acknowledged as Brother-in-law's little lover, passed just like this for a month————

And on this day at year's end, I suddenly learned that Older Sister Ais was preparing to go Subjugate the Black Dragon————

Battle Power Waza continuously polished, Dual Cultivation Capability Value surged. Current Ais absolutely has Six-Sided World Sword God Strength/Power.

"Broly, I feel my Strength/Power is enough. I'm preparing to go Subjugate the Black Dragon."

When Broly's Stay Duration had only single digits left, this Sword Princess girl spoke her intention.

Regarding this, Broly wasn't Not Unexpected. As someone by the Sword Princess's side, he had some anticipation of the girl's thoughts, more or less.

Taking out the Custom Embedded Equipment previously made to Measurements for Ais by Chun, taking out the Twelve Talismans from the Crystal Palace Space one by one and Embedding them on, Broly said to Ais: "Alright, you put on the equipment Embedded with Twelve Talismans. This way you lack nothing."

Black Dragon was found. I originally thought Brother-in-law and other Older Sisters might join forces to Subjugate, but unexpectedly Older Sister Ais went up alone. Under the protection of Riveria-sama's Dimensional Isolation Defensive Barrier Magic, I watched a girl's Slaying the Dragon performance at close range.

The sole remaining Subjugation Target of the Adventurer Three Great Quests, the legendary strongest monster 【Black Dragon】, indeed had Terror-inducing power. But Older Sister Ais was even more Terror-inducing. She became an Avatar whirling a Storm Magic of massive Sword blades. In merely Half a Day, she dismembered a colossus.

After Orario learned Black Dragon was successfully Subjugated by Sword Princess, the People's Enthusiasm burst forth, nearly melting all the white snow covering this World Capital.

As Artisans began crafting Statues, preparing to place her daughter's Statue on the remaining spot on Hero Bridge opposite the Ancient Hero's Statue, Hearth Manor instead seemed to Isolate the Outside World's clamor, enveloped in a Reluctantly parting Atmosphere.

"What are you all crying for? I'm not gone forever."

"But this time leaving, Broly, you Don't Know when you'll return."

"Lady Hestia, I Guarantee you, I'll be back Not Long from now."

"Since it's Not Long, how about this, Broly. After you fulfill the promise to exchange purity with someone, come back Immediately."

"No Mistake, Broly-san. You still have fifty-plus wives Outside. More monks than meat. If you don't come back Earlier, what about us here? Can we still eat a Mouthful of the thick stuff?"

Broly: "————"

After the not-quite-joke jokes, having all Encounter Targets join the Crystal Palace, the Countdown of Stay Duration on Broly's Crystal Palace Panel also reached the end.

His figure Directly Disappeared before the Hearth Manor girls. Hestia also Immediately opened the Crystal Palace Panel. The Group Chat Room, originally unable to be opened, also returned to normal usable state the moment Broly left.