97人人模人人爽人人喊谢绝

Vol 6: Chapter 2 (2)

I didn’t know how the【Orb Destruction】skill works. So I asked Kook-san to go with me to a store called “Skill Destruction Shop”, pretending to want to confirm how the skill works.

The【Orb Destruction】skill is a “unique characteristic”, and it is necessary to notify the government about its acquisition and use. Although its rarity is lower than that of【Orb Detachment】, it requires regulation.

「…That seems to be how it works. Is this enough?」

「Yes.」

I was shown the process of destroying a【Physical Strength ★】that Kook-san had. I am sure I will be able to do this with【World Ruler】.

「Alright, then. I’ll bring Lark with me.」I said.

「Hmm… it somewhat feels like we’re in the way.」

「No, of course not. I’ll be back as soon as it’s done.」

「Okay.」

I said so to Kook-san and the others after returning to the inn, and headed for Lark’s room.

I can’t tell them that I can learn skills, so I need to pretend to take Lark outside, just in case.

「Lark, I’m coming in–」

Upon entering her room, I saw Lark in her bed, dressed in casual clothes.

Wearing a shirt and trousers, similar to a man. Clothes which are easy to move in, remnants of her sky pirate days.

Lark will no longer have to go out onto the battlefield in the future. She should be able to live peacefully in the town. But we don’t have to talk about it just yet.

「…………」

「Your hair is messy.」I said.

「Ah……」

Lark’s expression was dark, perhaps because she was nervous about destroying the skill orb.

However when her health is restored, her feelings will surely change.

I used a comb to straighten Lark’s hair. Comb her long hair and bundle it into one. Even when we were in the mine—when we had poor meals day after day, Lark’s hair was still beautiful, but now it is dry and dull, and I can’t feel any vitality in them.

(But that too… will soon return to normal.)

After I tied her hair with a hair tie, it seemed somewhat kempt.

「…Sorry. I never cared about my hair. That Riviera-san who came to treat me, randomly told me that “dressing up” and “hairstyle” is the life of a woman.」

Lark was about to fall when she tried to get out of bed. I caught and supported her.

「Lark, please be patient until your eyesight returns.」

「…H-Hey! Little brother!?」

I lifted Lark up with both arms—in a princess carry.

「Idiot, stop this. It’s embarrassing.」

「You can’t see, right? Then there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.」

「That’s not the problem!」

Lark complained, but she didn’t even have the power to escape from my arms.

Kook-san and the others stared in wonder as we entered the cafeteria.

「Fuh… How nice. When you look at her like this, you realize that the young miss is also just a maiden.」

「Scout, I will remember you said that!」Lark said.

「So the young miss has recovered enough to say all that…」

We left the inn while being teased by whistlings and applause.

「Lark. Let’s go.」

There is no need to go to the store that destroys skill orb. And it would be a problem if the store owner had something like【Orb-See】. I cautiously headed to the hill.

Probably because I was carrying her, I saw smiles on Lark’s face. But I proceeded forward without saying anything about it.

Lark was so light that I didn’t even have to use【Support Magic】to carry her. Which saddened me a little.

The hill was within the town, but it was a place overlooking the town and there was nothing special about it. Hardly anyone visited the hill during daytime, so I took Lark to the grassland with a good view. You can see a small hill and a lighthouse on a lone cape.

The wind blew through, carrying the scent of grass. I sat her down on the grass.

「What’s this place? It feels grassy. What are you doing?」

「I’m going to tell you something I haven’t told you yet…」I said

「…………」

I felt Lark’s spine stretch a little when I said that.

「But let’s heal your body first. I’ll put【Shadow King】back inside.」.

「O-Ok…」

I took out the 6-star skill orb out of the leather bag and pressed it against both of Lark’s hands.

I am also learning the【Orb Attachment/Detachment】skill which can insert skill orb into others.

「Nn?…A-Aaaaaaaaah!!」

The skill orb was sucked into Lark’s body. At the same time, her eyes, which have lost their color, regained the light.

「……I can see.」

She looked around. Below was the town of Zackerhafen. And in the distance was a harbor with ocean waves, and black-tailed gulls flying freely.

「Little brother… No, Reiji.」

「Yes.」

「Did you not think that I would use this power to escape if the skill orb was returned to me?」

「Nope. I did not.」

「Why? You know that I wanted【Shadow King】badly. For that reason, I might even tell one or two lies–」

「I don’t think so. You wouldn’t do that.」

「Why…」

「Because you are you.」

「…………」

「Because you haven’t changed since our time in the mine. You are my sister Lark.」

「…………」

The amethyst-like violet eyes that were staring at me turned away.

「…I can never win against you, little brother. Ah no, I mean, Reiji…」

「You can call me “little brother”. I am always your brother.」

「…………」

Lark’s ears turned bright red. Rising heart rate, rising body temperature —— World Ruler-sama, I can see all that without you telling me it.

「Then, I’ll erase the skill now…」

「Ok.」

This time, firmly locking eyes with me, Lark replied as if it wasn’t a big deal at all.

She then closed her eyes.

Did she make her decision so easily?

To erase the skill orb that she wanted so badly.

Even though I did not explain how I was going to erase the skill.

Does she trust me so completely that she leaves everything in my hands?

As I held Lark’s hand and closed my eyes, I saw an intense light in her body. This was probably the skill. It had a stiff feel at first, but when I put my strength into it, it started to crack and then shattered like a glass—particles of light floated in the darkness and melted away.

「It’s done.」

I opened my eyes and saw Lark who had opened her eyes slightly.

Does she feel that the skill has been lost?

「How are your eyes?」

「I can see. And I don’t feel sick…」

As the wind blew, Lark’s long hair fluttered in the gust. She turned her gaze to the town and to the sea. She seemed like wanting to say something, but she didn’t say it. So I decided not to ask either.

As the Sage said, her vitality has returned. Of course, she is still far from perfectly healthy, but she can gradually recover from this point on. At least she will no longer be bedridden.

「Lark. I have things to tell you. Let’s stay here for a while.」

「I’ll listen. I have a lot of time right now.」

While sitting next to Lark, I told her everything that had happened so far.

Lark didn’t seem particularly surprised or emotional when she heard the secrets of my birth and the secrets of my skill.

After listening to my story till the end, she reached for my head.

And she patted my head.

You did your best, little brother.

Lark’s face, as she said that line, was the same as I remembered back in the mine.