Boyd was just as shocked.

She’d been on the run all this time?

Back when that incident had happened—the one that had left the Academy half-destroyed—

Rubian had been in real danger.

Now that he thought back on it belatedly, the whole thing was enough to make him dizzy. Hadn’t they almost ended up doing nothing but standing there and watching their precious little sister get hurt, without even understanding what was happening?

Of course, Leviathan had told them not to worry. The adults would eliminate anything that threatened Rubian, so the boys should go on living just as they always had.

At that, the brothers had nodded.

Their father was big and strong. If he said it, then it had to be true. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

So for now, they nodded.

“Ahem. Let’s see here. There are an awful lot of circles and circles and more circles.”

“Brother Liam, are you actually interested in this?”

The truth was, he wasn’t interested at all. He wanted to go back to reading his magical-beast book.

He only wanted to look because this was Rubian’s language.

“What’s this, then? Is this writing too?”

“That’s a stain—! No, seriously, why are you suddenly interested in magic stuff?”

When he ruffled her round little head, Rubian pouted and buried her face in the cushion like she was already fed up.

“Honestly... you’re so annoying...”

Her soft cheek squashed flat. She kept mumbling with her lips pursed like a little bird’s, and judging by her half-lidded eyes, it was probably all meaningless grumbling.

Truthfully, Liam still didn’t know what he could do for Rubian right now.

It had not been long since he’d even become aware that there was an “enemy” they would have to fight against, and more than anything, that enemy’s whereabouts were completely unknown for the moment.

But whatever happened...

If anyone lays a hand on our fairy, I’ll kill them all.

If anyone makes my little sister suffer, they all die!

The two boys made their solemn vows with perfectly calm faces. At last, they had found /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ a truly serious reason to grow stronger.

“All right, Ruby. Start from the beginning again. So this is writing...”

Boyd, pulled back out of his thoughts, reached toward the paper—

then shut his mouth at once.

Someone had made a soft shushing sound.

“She’s asleep.”

It was Khalid, who had been silent the whole time.

When they looked down, they saw Rubian’s face—she had fallen asleep without anyone noticing.

She had played hard, drunk something warm, and settled into the perfect place to grow drowsy.

“Oh. She really is.”

Boyd eased himself back and went looking for a blanket. Liam seized the chance and picked up the book he’d been reading.

“...”

Staring at her sleeping face, Khalid unconsciously reached out toward the loose strands of hair that had fallen across Rubian’s cheek.

He didn’t even get close.

“Hey—! Khalid! Watch where you’re putting your hands. Don’t you dare tuck her hair back.”

The duke’s sons lunged like hawks, eyes blazing.

“Boyd, tie his hands. You’ve got capture rope, right?”

“Huh? No? Why would I have something like that?”

“...Fine, then be quiet.”

Lowering his voice, the boy made a grave suggestion.

“...Then let’s all move her hair together. Split it into three sections.”

“Hm. Good.”

Softly, softly.

Winter piled up.

*****

That summer,

Dad suddenly called a family meeting.

What is this about?

Was it something serious?

But when I actually got there, Grandpa was sitting there yawning his head off, and Mom was smiling gently.

My brothers were there too, of course.

Dad, seated at the head of the room, finally opened his mouth.

“Lately, Dad’s been suffering from malicious letters.”

My eyes flew wide.

“What?! Who dares bother my dad? I’ll teach them a lesson with magic!”

“It’s His Majesty the Emperor.”

“...”

That really should have come first.

I hurriedly sat back down properly.

“Go on, hurry up and punish him, Ruby.”

Dad spoke lazily, his chin propped on the armrest of his chair. I flashed a grin and flicked my finger once through the air.

“Yap. Done. I just punished him.”

“You’re looking down on your father because he’s not a mage.”

Thunk. As always, a light tap on the forehead came right back at me.

“Hmph... So what’s going on, Father?”

When I asked for the real point, Dad straightened up and slid a letter across the table.

A glittering gold sheet of stationery.

It really had come from His Majesty the Emperor.

“Well, it’s nothing major.”

“If it came from the Imperial Palace, how can it not be major...?”

I muttered, but Dad only lounged there at an angle and answered without much enthusiasm.

“I’m only asking in case.”

“Mhm.”

“Out of the people here... is there anyone who wants to become the heir?”

“...What?”

This was absolutely something major!

“You can always change your mind and cancel later, so just say whatever.”

The whole thing was so absurd it left me speechless.

“What noble house in the world picks its heir like that...?”

“What does it matter? It’s my house.”

Well, that was true.

Somehow that single line made perfect sense.

Grandpa clicked his tongue and turned his head like So that’s why you called us all here? Mom, meanwhile, just kept sipping her tea with a calm face...

Really, I had never seen an heir selection process with less tension in my life.

Then again... a succession struggle in this house?

A fight over pudding at dinner would probably be fiercer.

And judging from the mood, His Majesty the Emperor must have kept pressing and pressing, until Dad finally had no choice but to call us all in like this.

“Since we’re on the subject, Ruby, do you want to do it? You’ve already got the heir’s sword anyway.”

Wait—why is the spark landing on me?

“I’m really not into titles...”

Standing out was the worst!

“Hm. True enough.”

Dad shifted his gaze to the adolescent sitting beside me.

“Then Liam. You do it. You’re the eldest.”

Crash.

Liam, who fully intended to devote his soul to the university research division, looked like the world had just collapsed.

“I’ll be running away from home exactly one week from now.”

Since he would need time to pack his books. And Ruby.

Dad swallowed back another short sigh.

“Boyd, what about you? Zebbert is a knightly house, so if we’re being practical, the one with the best swordsmanship should take it.”

“Me...? But I’m going to be a writer when I grow up.”

Dad stared at him like that answer had physically offended him.

“And when exactly did your future dream change again?”

“Seriously, Brother? Last time you said you were going to be an adventurer!”

“Ruby, you’re the one who said I write well!”

I only meant his diary was entertaining...

Boyd’s dream changed once every month. Unfortunately, “head of the Zebbert family” had not yet appeared in the lineup.

“Haa... What am I supposed to do?”

Dad dragged the gold letter back toward himself and let out a heavy sigh.

Oh no. Is this bad? He has three children, and all of them are saying they won’t carry on after him...

I looked at him with a slightly worried expression.

“Can’t be helped.”

Dad’s pen moved without hesitation as he wrote out the reply.

“This year too, my heir is me.”

Heir to the House of Zebbert:

Leviathan Zebbert

“Huh?”

Wait. Is that allowed?

What is this? Directed by Leviathan, starring Leviathan, produced by Leviathan?

I whipped my head around, trying to read the room. Liam nodded with a deeply moved expression and even applauded.

“Of course. In this world, the only person fit to be Duke Zebbert is Father.”

“For once, I agree with him.”

At that, Grandpa finally lost it and burst out laughing.

“Bwahahaha! Be the duke even after you turn into a ghost, son!”

“Father. I’m not interested in becoming a ghost groom.”

“Oh, really?”

Well... maybe this was fine.

“Father, stay strong!”

Boyd ran over in a clatter and started massaging Dad’s right shoulder.

And naturally, I rushed over too and took charge of the other one.

“Dad... live a long, healthy life...!”

And so, the master of the House of Zebbert was apparently going to remain Leviathan Zebbert for a very, very long time.

*****

Seriously. Unbelievable...

Then again, if anything suited our family, it was probably this.

His Majesty the Emperor is going to grab the back of his neck again.

His Majesty’s intentions were obvious.

Lately, magical beasts had been appearing with strange frequency all across the continent, especially in the South.

Dad’s been going out to fight in all sorts of places, so His Majesty’s probably started feeling nervous all over again.

Nervous that House of Zebbert might leave the position of its next head vacant, only for Dad to suddenly die or be gravely injured.

Even if he was the strongest man on the continent.

And if Dad ever left his post, having a young duke in place would make it convenient to summon and use him for this and that...

Dad knew that too, which was probably why he kept putting it off and putting it off.

Still... was I a little too harsh?

The regret hit me all at once.

After all, I had received the surname Zebbert too. I couldn’t just live doing only the things I wanted forever.

What if this makes things difficult for Dad?

My brothers seemed to have clear reasons for refusing. Compared to them, I...

“Hmm.”

After thinking for a bit, I hurried back up to my room. Then I pulled out a small sheet of stationery and wrote a letter.

“Hm?”

Leviathan stopped on his way to the bedroom.

Pat pat pat pat.

Because something small and round had just darted quickly out of sight around the corner.

“...Ruby?”

That little fluffball had definitely been Rubian.

What was she up to?

Puzzled, he moved to enter the bedroom—

then noticed a pink letter tucked into the crack of the door.

“...”

Hello, Father. It’s me.

What scheme was this now?

He frowned as he read down the page, but soon a soft laugh slipped from his lips.

“Cute...”

The contents were simple.