A younger sister who'd been away from home for years came to visit the older sister she hadn't seen in ages, carrying local gifts. It should've been a heartwarming scene, right?

"These are local specialties from Garden Town and the Amana Forest area. Please take them~"

Torina squeezed into Molly's mansion with bags in both hands, smiling from ear to ear, like visiting relatives during New Year back on Earth. Yet Molly's gaze on her little sister was icy.

"...You. What's with the sudden sucking up?"

"What do you mean, sucking up? We've been apart for so long. Ever since we reunited, we haven't even had a proper sit-down and chat."

"What is there to chat about? Or have you already set your sights on some rich husband?"

"Come on, don't bring that up. Look, I brought you lots of good stuff. This is juice squeezed from crushed Gergen bugs. It smells a little bad, but it's great for acne when you rub it on your skin! And this is Argus leech paste. You can mix it with rice. It's good for the stomach! And I also brought a gift for my dear nephew Yodel. This is a Butcher Ox—"

"Enough. If you've got something to say, just say it."

"Ahaha, I wanted to ask for permission to enter Valhalla City's library. When I was little—"

"—you messed around with runes and flooded the inside of the library. Father personally forbade you from entering on your own."

"Ahaha, you remember that really clearly... so, can I?"

"I don't really care, but... are you looking for reference books for that Mylora girl? Do you really think this means anything?"

"She's willing to stand up for me, so I should support her too."

"...You two really are a couple? A same-sex couple?"

"Nope, not for now. We're just very close companions."

"That's how you see her. She might not see you the same way."

"Eh?"

"Whatever. You're getting engaged soon anyway. Maybe that'll help you settle down and stop causing trouble everywhere."

"But I really don't want to get married... or rather, I don't want to get married or engaged so casually. Marriage should be built on love, right? At the very least, there should be real feelings there."

"Love, in the end, is just youthful self-indulgence. There's no need to take it seriously."

"You've never been nourished by love, so of course you don't take it seriously. That doesn't mean I have to feel the same."

"...What are you implying?"

"I know, you know. You and my brother-in-law had no feelings for each other at all. Back then, you just wanted quick achievements while you were young, plus a child with excellent bloodline, and to win over the other side. The moment both factions no longer needed marriage to maintain the relationship, you divorced immediately. So decisive."

"And what's the problem with that?"

"You really think that's a good thing?"

"What's bad about it?"

"You've never met someone you truly liked?"

"No. And I don't need to. Love would only affect my judgment."

"Would family affection affect it too? Honestly, I think I still have a bit of sisterly affection for you."

"That's assuming you're worth loving. Clearly, you aren't. As a daughter of the main house, you're not only weak, you're also idle and aimless. And on top of that, you're a homosexual."

"Try being a little more open-minded. Girls being close is totally normal."

"But what about 'weak, idle, and aimless'? Can you deny that?"

"Ugh~~~~"

Torina actually wasn't weak. After all, the original story's captain wasn't weak either.

But honestly, compared to the other powerhouses in the family, she was nowhere close.

Never mind her imperial soldier-king of an older brother and her younger sister who had joined the Heroic Vanguard. Even this older sister in front of her, who did desk work, had more combat power than she did.

"Your strength is lacking, your character is lacking, and what about administrative work? If the family's core affairs were handed to you right now, could you manage them? What contribution could you make to the family?"

"............"

"Let's be honest, Torina. I've never liked you. No one likes trash."

"...That was a bit too far, wasn't it?"

"If you think I'm too harsh, then refute me."

"........."

...Damn.

You're seriously damn impressive.

After awakening her memories of a past life, Torina's temper had never actually improved. She'd only become smoother on the surface. When she got mad, she still got mad.

"...Say, Sis."

"What is it?"

"If I can beat you, will you admit you're wrong?"

"Hah. Keep your dream talk inside your dreams."

Molly dismissed it with utter contempt, took another sip of black tea, and asked with a mocking smile,

"Don't tell me you're planning to challenge me personally in the exhibition match at the Battle Festival? Do you want to be humiliated twice?"

"'Twice'?"

"Your Mylora will definitely lose. And you, foolishly overestimating yourself and challenging me, will lose too. Two humiliations in a row. Can a little girl like you handle that?"

"And what about you? If you lose to me, would you dare kneel in public and lick my foot?"

"Pfft, lick your foot? If you can really win, I could even lick your ass."

"Your words, not mine."

Torina said nothing more. She turned and left Molly's mansion. There was no point saying anything else.

She'd only come to this bastard of a sister for library access. Otherwise, she'd have had to knock out the guards just to get in.

Boom!!!!

A huge rock smashed toward Patti, but Patti dodged it with light, nimble movement. Elves were naturally highly agile, and with her bonus as a wood spirit archer, that agility was even greater.

"Mylora, remember to calculate the lead. Before you throw a rock with gravity, you need to predict where your opponent will move."

"I know, but... mm... controlling the details is still really hard. Rewriting gravity's direction feels kind of vague. It's not quite the same as just throwing something directly..."

"I'm back!"

Torina had returned, and she was carrying a very old thread-bound book. The pages were even moldy.

"Ta-da-da-daa~ Exactly what you asked for—the Smoke Knight Sword Art!"

Mylora and Patti exchanged puzzled looks.

"'Smoke Knight'?"

"What's that?"

"A powerhouse from the northern continent six hundred years ago. Very, very strong."

Six hundred years ago, the Sword Emperor unified the northern continent through supreme martial might, founded the Northern Dominion that occupied the entire landmass, and became its first emperor. During that era, the ancestor of House Dewell had been one of the Sword Emperor's generals.

During the unification of the northern continent, the Dewell ancestor collected as many martial arts as possible from the powerful enemies he encountered, leaving behind a precious legacy for later generations. When the Sword Emperor went to war with Dolan Gureg, a great northern power of that age, the "Smoke Knight" was one of the enemy's fiercest generals. He had even forced their ancestor, at the height of his strength, into a bitter battle.

"According to the records, the Smoke Knight held a normal-sized straight sword in one hand and a giant sword as tall as a person in the other. In battle, he used both the large and small swords at the same time to unleash swordsmanship that was strange and impossible to predict. One moment it was the straight sword, the next the greatsword. One moment rapid offense, the next slow, heavy swordplay. His combos and transitions flowed like water."

"Whoa, that's insane!?" Mylora lit up with joy.

"Yep. Come on, come on, let's practice~"

"Okay!"

"And also, I'm joining the fight too."

"Eh?"

"You're itching for a fight too?"

"I am, after all... well, I'm still a member of House Dewell. Deep down, I've probably got a bit of a violence gene too. There are always a few days every month when a girl especially wants to fight."