Volume 1, Chapter 70 – Little Sister

Since the chaos had drained most of the barrier’s magic, Fia easily shattered the iron door.

A room no different from an ordinary bedroom unfolded before Fia’s eyes.

Apart from the lack of windows, there was almost no indication that this was a prison cell. Fia’s gaze swept briefly across the room before settling on the sole figure within.

A young elf, curled up in the corner of the bed, staring at her with a mix of fear and panic.

Fia considered herself quite young, but the petite elf before her—with delicate pointed ears peeking out from her purple hair—was even more so. She appeared no older than a human girl of twelve or thirteen. Her slender frame, draped in a white dress, gave the illusion that she might shatter at the slightest touch. Her long, flowing purple hair spilled across the bed, and her cute toes were curled tightly.

Terrified beyond measure, the young elf hugged her knees, her rose-colored eyes glistening with unshed tears.

If the elf princess was the embodiment of elegance and wisdom, then the elf before her was the epitome of adorable fragility. The kind that stirred an intense protective instinct, like a small, vulnerable animal.

—At least, that would be the impression for an ordinary person.

To Fia, however, the young elf evoked a different feeling. Especially when their eyes met, an indescribable sense of connection made her heart skip a beat. It was as if she had known this young elf all along—just like when she first met Anastasia, an unconditional trust surged within her. A bond of blood, filling her with overwhelming warmth.

This was her little sister—the Third Princess of the Elf Kingdom, Liti·Alexia·Yushir.

Realizing this, Fia felt a surge of emotion. Yet, having never experienced familial affection, she wasn’t sure how to react—until Liti’s trembling voice broke the silence.

“Big… big sister?”

“Princess Liti!” Anastasia rushed past Fia to the bedside. After confirming Liti was unharmed, she let out a long sigh of relief. “It’s alright now. Her Highness has come to rescue you. Kirill, check the other two rooms.”

“Understood.”

Reaching out to wipe the tears from Liti’s face, Anastasia helped her down from the bed.

This is… awkward.

Fia stood stiffly in place.

Logically, she should have been the one to take Liti’s hand—or perhaps, moved by the emotional reunion, embraced her. But with no memories of Liti, a sense of unfamiliarity made her hesitate.

This was hardly befitting of an elf princess. Though it was difficult, she had to try—she needed to act like an elder sister should.

Taking a quiet breath, Fia stepped forward.

“Liti, are you alright?”

Ah…” Liti blinked in surprise at Fia’s question, her rose-colored eyes filled with confusion. Then, as if flustered, she quickly lowered her head, her voice barely above a whisper. “Y-yes, I’m fine. Thank you, sister.”

My, what a polite child.

Fia couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.

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Initially, she had worried that her little sister might be a spoiled, willful, and unreasonable princess. But the reality was the complete opposite. Liti seemed understanding, innocent, and utterly adorable.

Her concerns instantly melted away. Without thinking, Fia reached out and patted Liti’s head—a gesture one might use with a neighbor’s child. But the moment her hand made contact, Liti flinched as if electrocuted, her shoulders jerking up. She looked up at Fia with wide-eyed disbelief.

Yet compared to Liti’s shock, Fia’s reaction was even stronger. She had only meant to comfort Liti like an elder, but Liti’s terrified response made it seem as if Fia had abused her in the past.

Wait—could that actually be the case?

Fia couldn’t help but glance at Liti again, only to find the young elf cautiously peering back at her. Her large, amethyst eyes held a mix of surprise and curiosity.

“Captain, we’ve found them!”

Kirill’s voice echoed from outside the room, followed by the clanking of chains. Three elves appeared at the doorway, all adult males. Two were dressed as nobles, while the third wore prisoner’s garb and shackles.

Compared to Liti, the three looked far worse for wear, especially the two noblemen, their sunken eyes suggesting prolonged starvation.

“Treacherous scum!”

Before Fia could speak, one of the noble elves kicked the shackled man to the ground. His actions ignited the other noble’s fury, who promptly stomped on the prisoner’s face, ignoring his cries of pain as he vented his rage.

“Earl Alvin? Lord Alfred? What are you doing here?”

Anastasia’s mature face showed surprise at the sight of the two middle-aged men.

Panting heavily, the two nobles trembled with unspent fury.

The gaunt man identified as Earl Alvin pointed at the prisoner and snarled.

“It’s because of him that we ended up in this hellhole. Alfred and I led a team to chase down this bastard after he kidnapped Princess Liti—only to be ambushed by Holy Knights he tipped off in the valley.”

As if that wasn’t enough, the noble delivered another vicious kick to the prisoner’s face.

“He’s the traitor?”

Anastasia’s expression darkened instantly, a sharp chill permeating the room. Without a word, she stepped forward. The two nobles, sensing her intent, moved aside. Then, with terrifying force, Anastasia kicked the traitor in the ribs, sending him flying across the corridor and slamming into the opposite wall.

The sickening crack of bones and the traitor’s agonized scream sent a shiver down everyone’s spine.

Brutal, but well-deserved.

Fia felt no sympathy. Traitors were unforgivable in any world. The fact that Anastasia hadn’t slit his throat outright was mercy enough.

“Kirill, cripple his arms and destroy his mana surge. We’re taking him back to Silvar. Death is too lenient—I want everyone to see the fate of traitors.”

“Understood!”

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“Earl Alvin, Lord Alfred, leave the rest to us.”

“Ah, thank you.” The two nobles’ gazes shifted past Anastasia to Fia. Their expressions, previously grim, brightened with hope upon seeing the black-haired princess with her twin-tails. They bowed deeply. “Thank you for your rescue, Your Highness. The Church lied to us, claiming you had fallen to the Unsinkable Moon’s ambush. Clearly, it was just a ploy to crush our morale.”

Now was the time to embody the dignity of an elf princess.

Fia maintained an impassive expression.

“I did encounter the Unsinkable Moon, but they were nothing more than a minor inconvenience. This place is unsafe—we must leave immediately. Anastasia, guard the rear. I’ll take the lead.”

As she spoke, Fia stepped out of the room. Wanting to protect Liti, she instinctively reached for her hand.

No one could resist such an adorable and well-mannered little sister, especially someone like Fia, who had never had one before. The idea of a younger sister filled her with immense fondness.

To her surprise, the moment their hands touched, Liti flinched again, pulling back slightly.

Had the elf princess truly done something to traumatize Liti?

Unfortunately, Fia had no memories of their past interactions. All she could do was ask under the guise of amnesia.

“What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing…”

Timidly, Liti took Fia’s hand again, shrinking close to her side.

Though curious, getting everyone to safety took priority.

The group of seven retraced their steps.

With the chaos already cleared by Fia, the return journey was far simpler. Sadly, none of the other cells held survivors—the underground was eerily silent. The ground was littered with the corpses and blood of demonic wolves, their remains squelching underfoot like a macabre carpet. The sound, amplified by the walls, sent chills down their spines—as if they were walking through a massive graveyard.

Unable to bear the oppressive silence, Liti spoke up in a small voice.

“Big sister… you seem different.”

Here it comes.

Fia’s chest tightened. Though she had braced herself for this question, hearing it aloud still made her nervous. Fortunately, Anastasia intervened.

“Her Highness was gravely wounded by the Unsinkable Moon and lost her memories. That’s why she seems different from what you remember. I… failed to protect her. Upon our return, I will atone before the Sacred Tree.”

“Lost her memories…”

Still holding Fia’s hand, Liti lowered her head, her long purple hair cascading down. Had Fia seen her expression now, she would have noticed that all traces of fear and panic had vanished—replaced by deep contemplation.

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The two nobles, however, reacted far more strongly.

“Lost her memories?! Anastasia, this is no small matter! Her Highness was named Crown Princess by His Majesty! Do you realize what this means? As her attendant, why are you still alive while she suffers this?!”

“Need we remind you that if not for Her Highness mercy, you and your father would have been executed long ago?!”

Anastasia didn’t defend herself. She simply bowed her head in shame.

“…I accept full responsibility.”

Fia frowned.

Though she understood the nobles’ anger—indeed, their loyalty to her was why they blamed Anastasia—she couldn’t stand this. Anastasia meant too much to her.

“Enough. Do not blame Anastasia further. I may have forgotten people, but my magic remains.”

“Y-you still remember magic…?”

“Good.”

The two nobles visibly relaxed before hastily adding,

“Your Highness, though you were named Crown Princess, your position is far from secure. True, you are the most outstanding of His Majesty’s children—but your rivals aren’t limited to those in the open. There are His Majesty’s siblings, even illegitimate offspring we know nothing about. The First Prince was poisoned by His Majesty’s own brother. Many covet your position—you must maintain both your strength and reputation at all times.”

“I suggest we conceal your amnesia until your memories return. Only then should you consider returning to Silvar.”

They’re really pushing me toward the throne…

Fia felt troubled. For some reason, she had no desire for kingship (having once been a super-intelligent being that governed the entire universe, a mere throne held little appeal). But she kept these thoughts to herself. Elves lived long lives, and the current king was still young—she had time before succession became an issue.

What intrigued her more was Anastasia’s past.

Anastasia had once told Fia that she was the “sun” who pulled her from the mud. Fia had assumed it was metaphorical—perhaps referring to a promotion or mentorship. But the nobles’ words hinted at a deeper story.

I’ll ask Liti about it later.

Changing the subject, Fia asked,

“By the way, why did the Church imprison the traitor here as well?”

“I-I know.” Liti tightened her grip on Fia’s hand, her adorable face now free of fear. “The Church wanted to use us and the traitor to negotiate with Father.”

“Negotiate?”

“Mhm. I overheard this from the nuns and Holy Knights who brought my meals. One nun said the Church’s leaders initially planned a swift assault on the capital to force Father’s surrender. But because of your advice, sister, we stationed far more troops at the borders than usual—thwarting their plans. Two years of war exhausted their resources, so they decided to use us as bargaining chips for a ceasefire.”

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She swallowed—a childish gesture Fia found unbearably cute—before continuing.

“Apparently, they first tried to eliminate you to force Father’s hand, but when you that was supposedly dead appeared in Aurora City, coupled with the magical disaster in the Dry Desert, the Church panicked. They wanted to negotiate with you. The higher-ups are divided, the faction opposing the war has now overpowered the one that started it.”

“They told Liti all this…?”

“Because I’m a child, they let their guard down. They even gossiped about their personal lives!”

Puffing out her modest chest proudly, Liti seemed to grow bolder the more she spoke—especially after Anastasia revealed Fia’s amnesia. She inched closer, even clinging to Fia’s arm whenever they stepped over a wolf corpse, letting out exaggerated squeals of fear.

Honestly, it was a bit grating.

In this regard, Claire was far better.

The thought of Claire waiting outside quickened Fia’s pace.

Yet something felt off. The path didn’t quite match their route in. At this speed, they should have reached the exit by now—but no light appeared ahead.

Come to think of it, the Holy Knight commander mentioned their High Inquisitor had gone to rescue Liti. But they never crossed paths—

A flicker of torchlight ahead made Fia halt.

“Sister, someone’s there!”

“I see.”

The corridor abruptly ended, opening into a massive pit over a kilometer wide. Faint sounds of battle echoed from below.

When Fia peered over the edge, her ruby-like eyes narrowed.

There were indeed Holy Knights in the pit—but their opponents weren’t demonic wolves or chaos. Instead, a castle-sized violet dragon loomed over them, and atop its head stood a girl with flowing gray hair.

As if sensing Fia’s gaze, both the girl and the dragon looked up—locking eyes with her.

“Finally, you’ve arrived, Princess of Elves.”

Translator Note

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