Regarding Agnes, Roland had only met her three months ago.

She carried herself with calm composure and excelled at socializing. As for her strength… though he’d never seen her fight, her every gesture hinted she was likely Roland’s equal—or better.

Still, from the moment she met the sibling pair, she’d been utterly captivated by their charm, hopelessly so.

“Little Sasha, shall we ignore this *big brother* leering at girls with such a lustful gaze?”

“…” Roland had always figured Agnes simply struggled to express herself around him alone—which was why she constantly pushed him away with sarcastic remarks.

After all, it was that classic trope: the more you cared, the harder you pretended not to, all to hide your feelings. Because getting caught would be *so* embarrassing.

Mm… Mm…

Roland crossed his arms and nodded slightly.

Truly, he was a man burdened by profound sin.

…

…

Of course, all of that was purely his fantasy.

“What about this Elf King?”

Finally tearing herself away from doting on Sasha, Agnes returned to reality. She stood and glanced at the Elf King lying on the ground, barely breathing.

“This Elf King was captured during the previous Spirit Mother hunt. It tried to avenge its master, chased us onto the train… and I took it down. Oh, and this is the Spirit Mother’s core.” Roland pulled out a violet crystal as he explained. Agnes accepted it with a nod.

“So the Black River Train incident followed?”

“Mm.”

“And your reason for bringing it back? Though an Elf King’s brain and spirit gall have medicinal value, you’re not the type to haul corpses for no reason.”

“It’s not dead yet.”

“What’s the difference? So—what’s the real reason?”

“It turned human…”

Sasha, standing beside Agnes with hands clasped behind her back, spoke softly.

Agnes froze for a moment, then furrowed her brow.

“Turned human? Little Sasha… you mean *this* Elf?”

“Mm. Roland and I saw it together.”

When they weren’t performing the “loving siblings” act, Sasha simply called him Roland—it felt more natural. Constantly saying “older brother” or “Brother Roland” was unbearably cheesy. Sasha believed terms like “older brother/sister” packed maximum emotional damage when used strategically, so she adjusted her address based on context.

Agnes didn’t seem particularly shocked—almost as if she’d heard rumors before.

Sasha noticed, but didn’t press.

Instead, Agnes replied calmly:

“I *have* heard whispers that Elves were developing a human-transformation potion. But Elves and humans, despite similar appearances, are fundamentally different. It’s like trying to turn a blazing fire into a basin of water using only primitive tools—nearly impossible. However…” She paused, then turned to Roland.

“I’ll have this Elf King transported to the research institute privately funded by the young lady. But set that aside for now. Come with me to the Sunny Mansion first.”

“Sure.”

Roland agreed readily. Given the sensitivity of the matter, only the young lady’s esteemed status had smoothed over the Black River Train incident so cleanly.

…

Sunny Mansion.

Nestled at the border of the Fifth Ring and Fourth Ring in the Lis Empire, spanning over five thousand square meters—an absurdly vast estate.

Sasha stood before it, mouth agape. Roland muttered beside her:

“This isn’t a mansion anymore… it’s a manor.”

“It was always meant for this edge zone. We searched for ideal land since last year but couldn’t find a suitable large building. So we bought this former ‘museum’ at a high price.”

“This was a *museum*?” Roland’s eyes widened.

Agnes didn’t answer, simply stepping inside. They followed.

Immediately inside loomed a six-meter-tall monster skeleton, gorilla-like in shape.

Just standing there sent chills down your spine.

“What is this?” Sasha asked in a tiny voice, deliberately clinging to Agnes’s sleeve.

*(If I asked, she’d just tease me: “Scared? Your legs are shaking. Restroom’s on the left.”)* Roland knew better.

Agnes gently patted Sasha’s head, smiling.

“This is an Elf King created by a High-tier Spirit Mother. Rumor says one punch could shatter earth, pierce mountains, carve rivers. An entity demanding extreme caution.”

*“Caution” doesn’t cover it. Meeting that thing? Survival would be the miracle.*

“Of course, little Sasha will surely surpass such monsters someday—unlike *certain someone* whose legs are already trembling. Oh, and the restroom’s on the *right*.”

Roland pressed his lips together.

*Does she have mind-reading powers?!*

“Hey! Roland! Hey!”

Rounding the skeleton into the hall, a vibrant boy with deep blue short hair waved excitedly.

“Thuke!” Roland’s face lit up. They embraced like long-lost friends.

“Haven’t seen you in a month. Still as dumb as ever.”

Thuke clapped Roland’s back; Roland clapped his shoulder.

“Same to you. About that hundred gold coins I lent you for drinks last time—when’s repayment?”

“Demanding money the second we meet? So hurtful!”

“And you didn’t think *that* was hurtful when you borrowed it?”

Roland locked Thuke in a rear hold.

“You *must* have mission funds now. Pay up.”

“The reward hasn’t cleared from the young lady yet! Chill! Let go—this is basically assault!”

Thuke dodged the topic, then grinned at Agnes.

“Still stunningly beautiful as ever, Miss Agnes.”

“…Good afternoon, Thuke. Per local reports, you overslept and failed the mission entirely. What reward do you expect?”

Agnes’s glare alone made Thuke break into a cold sweat.

“N-no merit, but… effort counts, right?”

“Does *sleeping* count as effort? Then go roll back and sleep for the rest of your life.”

Her tone left no room for jokes. Thuke shrank.

“S-sorry. I’ll do better next time. I’ve got bad habits—playful, sleepy… without someone reminding me, I forget important things fast.”

*Huh. He actually has self-awareness,* Roland noted inwardly.

“Is that so… Good. Then the next mission is worth anticipating.”

Thuke’s face brightened.

“Really?! So I’m getting a partner as cute and strong as little Sasha—who also doubles as a nighttime pillow?!”

“…” Roland instinctively pulled Sasha behind him and stepped farther away.