They say there are times that when you wake up, your loved one is clinging onto you tightly. Although I’ve never believed such nonsense, I can feel someone clinging onto my body as though it’s a pillow. I know of only one person on good enough terms with me to do this.

“Lumi, wake up.”

“Mnng. But onii-san feels nice.”

She actually clinging harder now. If she puts any more force into it, It’ll become painful. Not that I’d tell her off or anything, I’m just hoping she won’t. I wish to avoid any pain, thank you. It’s hard enough to deal with this exhaustion crap. Errr, actually, I want her to get off me. It’s beginning to hurt.

“Mm… But I have stuff to do.”

“Awww….”

Lumi finally releases me, which is making me a little regretful, but not enough for me to go and hug her. I have stuff to do! Places to see! I think that makes me sound old. Anyway, I get out of the bed, ensuring I don’t bother Lumi while doing so – she’s gone back to sleep extremely quickly.

Now, the reason I’m getting up early is for the Martial Practice ‘Flavour’. I want to learn about it but you need to be in an alert state, while ensuring you are in a space where you won’t be distracted. Well, the only reason I know this is because the guards tole me so. They should be around right now…

“You two here?”

“…”

Silence. Perhaps I was wrong? I was sure they said they were basically around the entire time due to the king’s orders. Oh, but they weren’t meant to interact with others either. I thought they might have been slacking off but I guess I was wrong.

“Huh? Oh, crap. Errr…. It’s not like we were sleeping or anything, no way!”

“Yeah, exactly. Obviously we weren’t slacking off – we were following orders and not talking.”

“No, that’s wrong? Aren’t we talking now?”

Oh, so they were sleeping. It’s not like I care or anything, just make sure Lumi isn’t hurt! What’s disconcerting is the fact that I can hear their voices but I’m unable to see them. Checking outside the door, I can’t see them. I thought for sure they’d be like those guards in videogames that stand at the entrances of rooms and stuff… Oh well.

“I think we tricked him!”

“… You said that out loud, you know?”

“OY! What are you doing – we’ll get punished!”

I am fairly sure I heard a slap just now – I wonder if friendly fire is turned on?

“You’re the one that said sleeping would be okay! That with such a cute sister clinging onto him, he wouldn’t want to move!”

“You…….”

“You guys, stop. Just do your duty and look after Lumi.”

“Of course!”

Why do I feel like you guys just saluted? They don’t seem exactly human… What am I talking about, they just seem like a couple of weird guards.

Leaving them be, I exit the room and head towards the library. It’s my hope that there isn’t anyone there but if there is I’ll just find another spot. Or have a conversation with whoever it is, if they are willing.

As I head to the library, I see a familiar maid heading my way. Somebody please tell me she’s not coming for a second round of painting! Hold on a second – I’m not doing anything wrong, so she can’t blackmail me. I’m safe.

“H-h-hello, master. Is th-there, there anything I can do for y-you?”

“Not right now.”

“Underst-stood.”

The maid interrupted me for no purpose that I can imagine. It’s weird that I haven’t learned her name yet, but I suppose it isn’t necessary. She’s not anyone important so I don’t need to bother to learn her name. At least, that’s what I think royalty is meant to think like. If it turns out I’m wrong, it doesn’t matter. After all, I’m a prince and a child! They can’t expect me to be completely polite, especially as I’ve never left my room before.

This time, I manage to get to the library door uninterrupted. It was just a nice, pleasant walk and it wasn’t tiring at all! That mightn’t be a good sign – it’s possible it’s the sign of a relapse… But it doesn’t matter. If it happens, it’s the will of the goddess. Or anpther deity, if they ever butt in. The other deities, huh? I’ve met a few, but they are all to lazy to participate in world events… So basically, praying to anyone except her would just get ignored. I’m not even sure what religion she’s from because she always dodges the question.

Okay, enough standing around at the door and thinking about useless information. I open the door to the library and walk in. The amount of books is the same as last time and ther isn’t… Never mind – there is someone here. The person just moved from behind a shelf and is now looking at me directly. It’s definitely not a kind gaze.

“Oh… Hello, onee-sama.”

“What do you want?”

“Nothing.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Is there a problem for me to come here, onee-sama?”

“Well, no…”

It seems she doesn’t want me here, yet is unable to find a reason that I shouldn’t be here. That’s my foolish assumption.

“Hmph, if you’re here, help me out.”

“Help?”

“Right, help. I don’t feel like carrying this book to my room so you’re going to do it for me.”

“Is that so…?”

I walk over to where she is and pick up the book she is pointing to. This is bullying, right? Though if it’s a sibling, bullying is normal. There are those sorts of interactions in most families. It’s fine – I won’t complain.

“Now, come with me.”

Oh, she’s going to walk to her room along with me… I thought she’d have just told me where to go and then stay here. My incorrect assumptions have been growing today. It must be due the fact I woke up in a weird state – Lumi is the one at fault!

We walk silently until we pass my room, where Lumi manages to walk out just as we reach it. When she notices onee-sama and me, she comes and hugs me. Onee-sama seems to tense up when she does so.

“Lumi, you shouldn’t hold onto your brother like that.”

“But I want to!”

The two end up in a staring competition and I’m half expecting there to be sparks between the two. Even in this world though, such a cool thing won’t happen and even if it did, it would only occur when two people were competing over someone, right? It’s not like onee-sama and Lumi have the same love interest so…

I basically just claimed to be Lumi’s love interest… Well, it’s true. She’s a child though and she’ll grow out of it. I think?

I end up walking the rest of the corridor with Lumi holding on my left arm and onee-sama in front of us constantly telling us (mostly Lumi) off.

“You shouldn’t have even been in his room!”, “Why are you clinging to him so close?!”, “Grrr…….”

Onee-sama got so mad she’s begun to growl! What is there to counteract this?! Okay, I’m just going to ignore it. It’s not as though it’s harming anyone. I think I read something about emotional trauma in kids but it shouldn’t happen.

Her room ended up being on the complete other end of the hall.

I check my amulet just to see how much energy I have used and it appears to be around a day and a half. Is there really an actual consumption rate for this thing or is it random? Oh, onee-sama has begun to speak again.

“Lumi, you have a study session. Go there now.”

“But…”

“Lumi, you should do as onee-sama says.”

“Yes, onii-san!”

This turn around in enthusiasm… I’m surprised onee-sama isn’t deciding to hit me right now, as it was something I might do if I were in her position. It’s not like the action would be justified, it’d just be something that happens in the moment.

“Alright, weakling. We’re about to have a little chat. Put the book down on the bed.”

Doing as she says, I walk to the bed and place the book down then proceed to stand around looking lost. I don’t wish to do anything that will anger her.

“Just sit on the bed.”

She commands me blankly and I don’t see any reason not to do so. What I’m scare of is what she’s about to do to me – she said a ‘chat’ and I helped her send Lumi away but she’s surely planning on doing something bad!

“You – what are you planning to do from now on?”

“I’m sor… Huh?”

“I asked you – what are your plans from now on?”

“… To not spend my entire life bedridden is my goal. Other than that, it would be to learn everything I can.”

“So you intend to get stronger, right?”

“Yes, onee-sama. I do plan to.”

“Then I’ll help you out.”

“Ehh.. Why would onee-sama do such a thing?”

“I can’t stand to be associated with trash and I don’t want Lumi cling to trash either! So I’ll make sure you’re no longer trash.”

She did not hold back on her words just now.

“And…”

“Hmmm….”

“Nothing.”

I could of sword she sounded just like a doting nee-san. I’m probably imagining things though, as it’s not possible for her to dote on me. Rather, it’s embarassing to hear how trashy I really am. I’m so weak… Though the only reason I said I intended to get stronger was onee-sama looking like she would murder me if I said otherwise. I really do have to get stronger now!

“Well, when the time comes, I’ll help you. Now get out!”

“…”

Leaving without saying a word, it seems like onee-sama got mad for no reason. Did I do something that’d piss her off? If I did I think I’m screwed.

I guess I can just go back to my room to try this Martial Practice, then. Now that Lumi’s gone off to her study session, there shouldn’t be anyone there. She studies a lot – it’s weird I haven’t been told that I need to study yet.

“Oh, well. It doesn’t matter.”

I utter the words out loud as though it will make a difference. In reality, I’m doing so to shake off the feeling that I’ll be studying soon. I don’t want to study! Don’t make me!!!

On another note, aren’t I still sick? This amulet is only cheating my body – I’m forcing energy into my body in order to move. I should probably check the usage – three days. I have approximately four days left before I run out of energy. I bet you learning the Martial Practice will use up a large chunk of it though.

In my room, I sit down on the floor and observe the Martial Practice ‘Flavour’ that I was given. It’s said to be completely useless and that it doesn’t even work properly, but as long as I can learn this, I should be able to use other Martial Practices.

Reading through thoroughly, I slowly comprehend the Martial Practice works. This particular one relies on a minute amount of Martial energy (Which is apparantly not the same energy that the body makes) in order to change the taste-buds sensations. It’s really easy and quick to use the Martial Practice, but there is an issue.

As there is no recorded information about what makes something taste good (it’s really easy to make something taste bad), it’s a completely impractical Martial Practice.

It would require a lot of trial and error for it to work out as a convenient tool for someone, but if it’s possible… Wouldn’t it be able to detect poison if practiced properly? That’s the though I had when I heard about this, so I’ll be spending my spare time attempting it.

Oh, didn’t my father mention an academy? There’ll probably be more time for me to practice there… I think… I hope it all goes smoothly!

---

[Previous Chapter] ~ [Table Of Contents] ~ [Next Chapter]