Vol 6. Chapter 141: You’re Both Sister-Obsessed

One week into the job, the siblings were eating lunch on the rooftop of the academy’s training hall.

“How was it today, Sis?”

Safina sat cross-legged on the ground, holding a lunchbox packed with food Kaiser had picked up from the academy cafeteria.

“They don’t like eating in crowded places, so they bring their own lunchboxes, get their food, and come up here to eat. No one bothers them, and it’s nice and quiet.”

“Mmm—” Safina replied, a mouthful of rice nearly spilling from her lips.

“The same as always. That little brat learns everything absurdly fast, and then...”

She pressed her lips together, then added,

“Other than normal classwork, she still won’t say a word to me.”

Kaiser was quiet for a moment, then set his utensils down.

“Looks like General Casmod already told his daughters about us. They’re not exactly impossible to deal with. Not easy either, but they haven’t completely rejected us.”

Safina blinked and shook her head.

“That’s not quite it. The third, second, and first daughters of Leon’s family are actually all willing to be friends with me—especially the third. She’s young, but that little head of hers is sharp. Real sharp.”

Kaiser raised an eyebrow. “So only Noa is resisting us?”

“Yeah.”

Safina said, “Before we came here—before the relic search resumed—our boss even prepped me with a briefing on his daughters.”

“Based on how the couple described them, the eldest, Noa, is definitely the hardest to approach.”

“Oh, but by ‘hard to approach,’ I don’t mean she has a bad personality.”

“She’s just naturally... wary of strangers.”

“Noa tests people she wants to get close to in her own way, and based on how they respond, she decides if they’re worth opening up to.”

Safina paused, set her lunchbox down, rolled her wrist behind her back, and lifted her head to look at the sky as she continued.

“She’s a very cautious little girl. She doesn’t waste emotion or energy on things and people that don’t matter.”

Then she brought her gaze back down and looked sideways at Kaiser.

“You know who she reminds me of?”

“Who?”

“You.”

Safina smiled.

“You were just like that when you were a kid. You wouldn’t talk to anyone except me.”

“Unless you were one hundred percent sure that someone was worth your time, you’d never bother getting to know them.”

“So growing up, aside from Anita, there was basically no one else—”

She was still talking easily, reminiscing about Kaiser’s childhood.

But the moment she realized she had accidentally mentioned the name Anita, she fell abruptly silent.

The smile on her face froze, then slowly faded.

It was replaced by the sorrow and loneliness of a memory.

The glimmer that had just sparkled in her violet eyes vanished, replaced by grief and guilt.

Kaiser immediately sensed the shift in his sister’s mood. He reached out and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Let it go, Sis. Slowly. Anita wouldn’t want you to stay stuck in that place.”

Anita—the girl Safina and Leon had talked about on Lantern Festival night. A member of the Void Homeland unit driven mad under Atos’s serial indoctrination—

And Safina and Kaiser’s dearest friend.

Even now, Safina still dreamed about her often.

They grew up together. Trained together. Lived together.

Those past days were like a passage Safina had memorized by heart—she could recall it from any point, word for word.

She closed her eyes for a moment, adjusted her thoughts, then put a smile back on her face.

It was forced, but it was a sign she was trying to break free from the past.

“Yeah. I know.”

“Anyway, being cautious isn’t a bad thing. Apart from not talking to me, that brat is actually kinda cute.”

Kaiser smiled, a bit relieved. “That’s good to hear.”

As they were chatting, they heard the rooftop door to the training hall creak open.

They turned toward the sound.

Two girls in school uniforms were stepping onto the rooftop, holding elegant lunchboxes.

Kaiser squinted. “That’s Noa... Who’s the other one? A friend?”

“Mm. Her name’s Helena. According to Moon, the two of them have the second-strongest bond in the world.”

Kaiser blinked and turned to look at his sister. “So who’s the first?”

“Moon, obviously.”

“......”

Safina gave a mysterious smile and gave her little brother a firm slap on the shoulder.

“Forgot to mention—Moon’s just like you. Total sister-obsessed freak.”

“I’m not sister-obsessed, Sis.”

“Oh sure. If you say so. Anyway, I’ve got a dinner date with a male teacher tonight. Don’t give me that look—you started the joke, don’t get jealous now, I’m teasing you~”

Noa and Helena had already noticed the two siblings.

Noa didn’t show much expression. She tugged ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) Helena’s wrist and started heading toward another part of the rooftop.

But Helena stood her ground and said,

“Isn’t that your new teacher for this semester?”

Noa nodded silently.

“Go say hi, or we’ll look rude,” Helena said.

There were only four people in the world who could convince Noa to do something with a single sentence:

Her teacher, her mom, Moon, and Helena.

Aurora didn’t count.

Because even if the first and third tried, Noa’s sixth sense would immediately know if it was just for fun.

Noa let out a small sigh.

“Alright.”

The two best friends walked over to the siblings.

Safina looked up and smiled at her student, greeting her first.

“Hi, Noa. We’re eating lunch up here too.”

Noa held Helena’s wrist with one hand and subtly pinched the hem of her school skirt with the other. Her expression was a little awkward.

“Mm... Good afternoon, Miss Safina. And...”

Her gaze fell on Kaiser.

A few months ago, she’d stolen the Wind Spirit Core from this man.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Kaiser.”

She hesitated for a second, but still decided to greet him.

Kaiser nodded in silence.

He wasn’t good at dealing with kids.

Especially not ones he’d beaten up not that long ago.

“Good afternoon, teacher. I’m Helena—we met a few days ago,” Helena said.

Her manners were impeccable. Not a hint of disrespect.

“Ah, right. I remember you. The pretty girl with blue hair.”

Safina paused for a moment, then added, “But now that I think of it, I feel like I’ve seen other blue-haired girls somewhere else...”

“Her mom is Claudia,” Noa explained.

“Oooooh~~~”

A few months ago, among the Dragon Kings who ganged up on her brother, there had been one called Claudia.

“Is the continent of Samael really that small? Everywhere you go, it’s a familiar face,” Safina muttered inwardly.

But before coming here, Leon had reminded her to avoid mentioning anything unpleasant in front of the children.

So Safina wisely changed the subject.

“Wanna eat lunch together?”

Noa shook her head. “No, thank you. You two stay here. Helena and I will eat over there.”

“...Alright.”

Safina didn’t push it.

The girl’s attitude and personality were way too obvious—if she forced a conversation, she’d only make things worse.

The two best friends walked away.

Kaiser watched them go, his gaze settling on Noa in particular.

“You were right, Sis.”

“Hmm?”

“That little brat... she really is a lot like I used to be.”

Hearing that, Safina smiled.

“Don’t worry. Wait until I introduce you to Moon—you’ll think she’s even more like you.”

“...I’m not sister-obsessed.”

“I~ am~ not~ sister~ obsessed~~”

Safina mimicked him, then picked up the grilled meat from her lunch and dropped it into Kaiser’s plate.

“Eat up. You’re on gate duty this afternoon.”