Chapter 90: Brotherhood

Eleanor Leywin POV

“Come on Ellie!” Lilia called out for me. Ducking in between people and mana beast mounts I hurried my way back to her.

She smiled as I leapt into her arms. “Something caught your fancy my lady?” She jokingly asked.

“Nope.” I said as I laughed it off.

Lilia looked at me funny for a few seconds before grabbing my hand. “Come on. We should be getting back. Don’t want to make your mother worry again now do we?”

“Aw, do we have to go now?” I winned. Giving her the puppy eyes. Ever since this war began both of our parents have been like hawks trying to keep us safe. I swear my mom is only a few steps away from locking me in a sealed room.

These little errand runs I get to have with big sis Lilia are the rare occasions I can be free. And even then it is mostly because Lilia is strictly told to keep a close eye on me.

Lilia stared back at me for a moment before she relented. “Hitting me with that look isn’t fair Ellie.” She scolded.

I only flashed her a wink as I tugged her arm to follow. She allowed herself to be led around as I ran off into the market.

I always enjoyed these small moments. The small things, the light laugh or chuckle at a bad joke. The small touch and warm feeling of friends and family. Ever since my brot- Arthur left these moments were growing fewer.

I still remember my mother. She had refused to leave her room for days and when she finally came out she looked to have aged at least a decade.

My skin still crawls and I could feel my palms get sweaty just imagining it. Her cheeks gaunt and hollow while her skin was sickly pale and her skin was stretched far too tight around her bones.

But the worst thing was the eyes. It was empty. As if I wasn’t looking at my mom instead looking at a hollow husk. That day changed something within me I suppose. After that I had a hard time adjusting to my new school life.

Not that it mattered much anymore. Many of the professors were pulled into wartime duties. What few classes we did have were only on the bare fundamentals. Big sis Lilia said we should be glad they even held classes at all. Saying they could have very easily turned the entire academy into a war command post like what became of the Lancer academy.

But in that short time before everything changed so fast. I can still see them. My classmates. They all kept their distance from me. In part due to my detached and cold exterior, it was no secret to the academy and its students that I was the younger sister of their new king.

They didn’t dare get too close to me. Some noble children tried but they quickly gave up when I ignored them. I couldn’t care less about them. I overheard some professors discussing my mental state. Something about unresolved family trauma.

Heh. How would they know? The person I looked up to. Whom I loved. He was not who he said he was. He wasn’t my brother, at least not really.

Just a pretender. Wearing the face of my brother. And look at him now.

I craned my neck upwards at the large holo screens at the central market. I can see him now. Just as I remembered him. He may have grown slightly older and tougher but I can still see the resemblance between us. Atop a dragon of obsidian as he leads the troops into battle.

The people love him. Who would have imagined that their ruler would actively lead them in battle. Everywhere he went victory followed. My hands balled up into fists as I felt my nails digging into my palms.

‘Why?’ I questioned. ‘Why did you leave us? Did you ever love mom and dad? Did you ever love me?’

All those words and acts. Was all of that just an act? To sell the illusion of a model brother and son? He abandoned us. He abandoned me. Was there something we did wrong? Why? Why? Why!

“Ellie?” A finger tapped my shoulder and brought me out of my trance. The scene on the screen had already changed.

I wiped away tears and took a deep breath. “I’m alright big sis.”

“Are you feeling sick? We can just go home if you want.”

The tears still flowed. I was sick. My heart ached. My chest felt heavy and my eyes. They won’t stop. In between my attempts to wipe away my tears I nodded silently.

Lilia pulled me in close and picked me up. Despite how big I have grown she made no complaints as she carried me all the way home.

Just outside the outer gate of our home she gently placed me down. She bent down and using her handkerchief helped me clean up.

She didn’t speak, only offering me a warm smile.

We stayed like that for a few minutes before I gained the bearing to speak.

Tugging at her sleeve I asked. “Big sis Lilia?”

“Yeah?”

“You won’t leave right?” I said in a pleading tone.

“Leave where?” She asked, confused and concerned about my question and tone.

“Just promise me. Promise me that you won’t leave. Ever!” I demanded.

“Alright alright. I’ll always be here. Next to you.” Lilia insisted as she sat down next to me.

“Forever?” I quietly asked as I leaned on her.

Lilia looked back with reassurance. “Forever.”

We stayed like for a while as we watched the sun set on Xyrus city. Having lived here for years the sunsets were still breathtaking. Being on cloud level and watching the sun dip beneath the horizon. Painting the sky and clouds into shades of orange and pink.

If only times could be peaceful and beautiful like this. In moments like this I can almost forget about the war raging on.

“My goodness, look at the time!” Lilia exclaimed as she glanced at her watch.

“Our parents are gonna kill us!” She said as she shot up and grabbed my hand.

“Come on, we are going to be late for dinner.” She said as we bolted to the house.

But instead of knocking, Lilia led me towards the other side of the house. Gesturing for me to keep quiet and to stay clear of the windows. I copied her as we sneaked towards the backdoor when I felt a sense of doom and dread from behind us.

“Where have you two been all day?” A menacing voice called out to us.

“Shit!” Lilia cursed under her breath as we both turned our heads slowly, as if any sudden movements would further trigger the menace behind us.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Aunt Tabitha stood arms crossed. Despite her lack of any mana core I could feel her rage and fury coming off of her ber like a fire.

“Mom! Um ah, we have been-“

“I notice that your hands are free. So unless you have the groceries I asked for in that ring of yours what have you been doing all day.” Aunt cut Lilia off.

“So about that-“

“Lilia Helstea you are coming with me! And little Eleanor, don’t think you are off the hook. Just wait till your mother hears about this.” Aunt Tabitha shouted as she grabbed Lilia by the ear, dragging her inside as I helplessly followed.

Just as I was about to close the door behind me I felt something. I could have sworn I felt some kind of familiar presence watching me. My head snapped back to stare at the roof of the neighboring house only to see nothing.

‘Huh, after having gained a mana core these phantom feelings were only growing more frequent. Just what the hell is going on?’

Arthur Leywin POV

“She is quite perceptive. I'll give you that.” Nico said as we both watched her and Lilia return home.

“She was special in the past.” I replied. Despite us both being under my concealment spell Ellie had still detected the minute aetheric disturbance on instinct.

“Is there something in your bloodline?” Nico halfheartedly joked.

“Well my maternal ancestors are the Djinn while my parental ancestors are a long line of accomplished mages and nobles.”

“Heh. Ironic isn’t it. An orphan turned king in your first life and in this life , you seemingly had all the cards handed to you.”

“Hardly. I can’t tell you how many times I nearly died during my first life here. Having all these advantages doesn't help much when your opponents are literal deities.” I remarked. In truth I doubt I could have defeated Kezess and Agrona separately at their full strength originally.

It was their bouts with each other that weakened them as well as the fact that neither of them expected a mere mortal to come out of nowhere to rival both of them.

“So you brought me here on our grand old tour of Dicathen to brag about your family?” Nico cynically asked.

“No. I brought us here to show.” I paused for a moment. I had originally planned to show Nico the full scale of this conflict as well as what I have done. Bringing him here was an unplanned impulse. In truth this was the first time since I abandoned them that I saw my sister in person.

A part of me wanted to go back. To burst through those doors to kneel and ask for forgiveness from my family. Beg them to take me back.

“I wanted to show you the price I have paid in forging a new future for us. They are that price.” I answered.

Nico stared at me for a moment before asking.

“Was total abandonment your only choice? Because this whole situation strikes me as deja vu.”

“If I wanted them to live for a bit longer.” I painfully said.

I felt the tug. The want to peer through the veils of time and space. To analyze the gossamer waves of reality to see what was to come.

But I stopped myself. Not when the nightmare of the future oh so perfectly matches every single footstep of today. What use was this gift of an ever changing vision if all they brought was grief.

Perhaps it was the vision that locked the seer into the future they observe.

No, I have unshackled myself from that course. At least for a time. Refusing the gifts of the Djinn Emperor that felt more like a curse.

Disengage. Disengage. Disengage.

I just had to hope that the path I had chosen was the right one.

“You know Grey. You claimed to have changed but true change takes a long time.”

I smile at my old friend. A look that I hope tells what I cannot.

“Tell me, who is the mentally older one of the two of us?”

“I don’t know about mental age but I know that I was always the smarter one.” Nico said with a small laugh which earned my chuckle.

“Hence the reason why I need your help.” I say as I turn to see the edge of the sun kiss the horizon and disappear into dusk.

“You want me to create weapons of mass destruction to level Alacrya? If so, I'm gonna need some nuclear physics textbooks and a few decades.” Nico joked.

“No, I don’t wish to commit genocide if I can help it.”

“Says the war criminal with a track record.”

“No, the true problems are the Vritra as well as the Indrath clan. But I wish to lead these people to uplift themselves. Believe me when I say that mortals cannot look up to godheads to solve all of their problems. That is what put us all in this mess in the first place.”

Nico stood silently for a while. Absorbing everything I have said and shown him. He knows of my physical prowess. I have shown him much back at the Wall. My mere presence was enough to whip up the troops to lead a charge to destroy a mana beast nest the Alacryans were using.

He has seen the charts and maps. We were pushing the Alacryan invaders out. They have lost nearly their entire foothold upon Dicathen. And we are prepared for their ships to make landfall in the coming months at Etistin.

“So, where is the next stop on our merry little tour? Perhaps your birth town? Or our old classrooms and dorms at Xyrus academy since we are already here?”

“You don’t want to visit?” I asked. I wondered how Nico thought about his time as Elijah. Perhaps he wanted to revisit his own hometown or school. Although Xyrus academy was mostly repurposed into a military camp for the professors and adventurers stationed here.

With only a skeleton crew actually conducting minimal classes. It was a change I wasn’t in favor of but had to make nonetheless. It was actually my direct order for them to keep the classes in the first place.

But Nico only responded in silence as he stared out onto the city, which I allowed for him to think for a moment.

“You know it’s strange. I know I was Elijah in some way. But now… he feels so distant. As if he is a completely different person. All those memories and experiences are here.” Nico said as he poked at his own head.

“But they aren’t mine.”

Seeing the frustration and confusion on Nico’s face made me thankful for Sylvie and Regis. If it weren’t for them I don’t know how I could have kept my sanity.

“You know I thought something like that when I was born here. I was. Well. I was myself when I was born. Fully aware with all of my past memories intact. And it made me wonder when I was brought here and born into Arthur Leywin’s body. Whether I snuffed out the soul of the son of Rey and Alice.”

Nico stared back at me. “You are wondering if you killed a baby in its cradle.”

“Yes. And I don’t think I deserve to deceive his parents. I have taken enough from them.”

A heavy silence hung in between us.

“What a fucked up pair we are.” Nico finally commented as he buried his face in his hands.

“You know you and Neoth are the only people who talk to me like that.”

Nico shot me a look. “Does that bother you?” He asked.

“No.” I answered truthfully. “In truth it is quite refreshing actually. Having people who won’t hold back their opinions in my presence.”

“You remember that time at the orphanage when we ran out of toilet paper?” Nico suddenly asked.

“Ok, this conversation is over!” I exclaimed as I snapped my fingers and teleported us back to Darv.

“You actually whipped your a-“ Before Nico could finish I placed my hand over his mouth to shut him up.

“Ok buddy, that is enough.” I said as I began to lightly choke him.

Nico quickly tapped my arm as a sign of surrender as I released him. He rubbed his face and neck as he winced in pain.

“Jeez, I forgot just how strong you are huh?” Nico said. And I have forgotten just how weak Nico was. While Cynthia and Lucas have both been trained by Neoth and me to hone their skills and raise their mana core levels. Nico was in a coma all this time and was still at orange. We had our work cut out for us it would seem.

“Also you gotta stop with the whole teleporting me randomly thing.” Nico glared at me.

“Alright alright. But you do get used to it with time.”

“Next time I'm going to throw up on your face.” Nico said as he shook his head to get his bearings

“Where the hell are we anyway?” He asked as he looked around.

We were in an underground hallway deep under Darv. A newly constructed part of the underground city I had commissioned to house my more important assets. As well as home to my underground dungeons and research laboratory.

“You’ll find out soon enough, come follow me.” I said as I gestured for him to trail behind me.

After a couple of minutes of walking we reached our destination. A small set of double metal doors stood in front of us. No fancy design or metalwork. Just a plain old functional set of doors. There was no real need to make them fancy when they are getting blown up every other week.

“By the way, since some people know your connection to your family, are you alright with having them just live in the city like that?” Nico asked

“Don’t worry. This idiot king isn’t that shortsighted. I have a custodian as well as numerous Djinn guards keeping an eye on them. Now, why don’t we say hello to some old faces?” I reassured Nico as I opened the door.

Only to be met by an explosion of smoke right in my face. The smoke was so hot that if it were anyone else it would have completely melted off their face. But my experience with lava skinny dipping helped me keep a straight face.

“Professor!” A female voice screamed out.

“I was close that time!” A male voice replied as the owner of that voice emerged from the smoke.

Good old Gideon. He looked the same as always. Hair a mess with heavy bags under his eyes. I pay him handsomely and give him a lax schedule. But he insists on working himself to the bone. He was simply born as a workaholic I guess.

“I swear he is trying to blow up half the continent.” The female voice came through the smoke to join us.

“Oh!” Emily Watsken exclaimed once she saw me. She hurriedly tidied her hair and glasses before bowing deeply.

“We apologize, your majesty!” She stammered.

“Well well well. If it isn't wonder boy. Here to rain down another one of your genius ideas upon me?” Gideon asked, ignoring his lab assistant.

“Emily. How many times do I have to tell you to just call me Grey when we are not in public?” I said as I made her stand up.

“Nothing much. Just another set of hands I thought could help.” I said as I patted Nico on the back.

Gideon peered through his goggles at Nico before staring back at me.

“Hey kid. I’m not some babysitter who you can just-“

“When did people get the sudden notion that I am some helpless infant.” Nico said with poison in his voice as his mana flared up in the form of black fire.

“Oh you’d be surprised by this one.” I reassured Gideon as I placed a restraining hand on Nico’s shoulder.

Nico eventually calmed down as he took a look around the lab. Setting his eyes on some odd device at a table.

“Hey kid don’t touch that-“

Nico’s mana flared again as his eyes turned a blood red.

“First of all, I’m not a child. And second, I assume this device is supposed to be some kind of drill? Or at least provide another device or vehicle with enough propulsion to accelerate it to do so?”

“How the fuc-“

“If so then you are using the wrong type of fuel and engine. Whatever sorry excuse for oil you are using is too reactive and dangerous. I’m not sure if this world has oil or coal. Even if it did, we lack the industry to refine and apply it for mass use. I could get the basic refinement process down but that will take a while.”

Gideon looked completely bewildered before asking.

“Wait, what do you mean this world?” As he gave me a suspicious glare.

“All in due time, professor.” I replied.

“Anyways, I hope you three can get along and don’t kill each other. And Nico?”

“Yeah?” Nico replied as he was inspecting some of the lab equipment much to Gideon’s displeasure.

“Don’t let Gideon take all of your time. We still gotta level you up a bit.”