“Phew…”
As I swayed inside the carriage, I gazed at the scenery outside. However, this wasn’t just any carriage—the wheels moved automatically now. Thanks to sorcery, a spell had been cast to keep the wheels operating almost indefinitely.
The horses were merely for assistance.
Perhaps in the future, we might not even need them anymore.
And so, summer vacation had finally entered its final stretch. I had spent this entire break enjoying it with everyone—something I never could have imagined before.
I’m truly happy that I’m able to live a proper student life.
The scars of war remain. No, they will probably stay with me forever. But even so, I can carry them as I move forward, alongside my irreplaceable friends.
But it’s not just my friends. I have a family now.
They’re the people I met three years ago, and they’ve become just as precious to me.
“Alright. Time to walk.”
Stepping out of the carriage, I started down the country road.
The Arnold Kingdom is one of the largest nations in the world. The central areas are certainly urban, but that’s limited to the central districts. The eastern region, on the other hand, is relatively rural. And my hometown? It’s at the farthest edge of the east.
It’s located at the very easternmost part of this kingdom.
Surrounded by forests and mountains, traveling there is no easy feat. But in terms of natural scenery, this place is among the finest in the kingdom. I’ve always loved my hometown.
Enveloped by the forest, surrounded by nature, and cherished by the people I hold dear—I can’t wait to return home.
“…Phew. It’s hot.”
Sweat dripped down my forehead.
With a backpack strapped to my back, I kept walking. By now, all I could see was nature. On both sides of the path stretched vast fields of sunflowers, with a narrow animal trail cutting through them.
A brilliant blue sky. The scorching sun. A sea of sunflowers stretching upward, reaching for the heavens.
The sight was breathtaking.
City life is undoubtedly convenient and comfortable. But for some reason, being surrounded by nature always brings a sense of peace.
As I silently walked on, I saw it.
A large mansion stood before me. A two-story, predominantly white building.
—This brings back memories.
With that thought, I took another step forward—But then, the sunflower field beside me rustled.
“No way…”
As I muttered that, a person emerged from the flowers.
And I immediately recognized them.
“Boom!!”
The figure leapt at me, clinging tightly—
It was my little sister, Stella.
“Big brother! Welcome home!”
“Yeah, I’m back, Stella.”
“Ehehe~ It smells like big brother!”
Stella rubbed her head against me playfully. I gently stroked her hair in return. It was an action I had done countless times before, but today, it felt especially nostalgic.
Stella White.
Her beautiful chestnut-brown hair was tied up in a ponytail. Her face lit up with a beaming smile, making it clear how happy she was.
She’s my younger sister, one year younger than me.
Though she’s technically my adoptive sister, by now, I treat her as if she were my real sibling.
Three years ago, I was taken in by the White family. It was the household of my master’s older sister, and I became their adopted child.
Back then, the wounds from the Far East War—both physical and emotional—were unbearable. But my new family supported me through it all.
Of course, my master and others would visit me as well, but the ones who truly took care of me were this family.
And among them, Stella had always called me “big brother” and adored me.
At first, I didn’t know how to interact with her, but now, we have a strong sibling bond.
“Hey, big brother.”
“What is it?”
“Is school fun?”
“Yeah. I’ve made a lot of friends.”
“Whoa! That’s amazing, just as expected of my big brother!”
“Heh, it’s not that big of a deal.”
“Kukuku, next year, I’m coming to that school too! Hehehe… Be ready, big brother!”
“Haha, alright. I’ll be waiting for you at the academy.”
“Yup! I really love you, big brother!”
As we walked side by side, we chatted like this.
Next year, Stella plans to enroll in Arnold Magic Academy. She still needs to pass the entrance exam, but my sister is both intelligent and skilled in sorcery.
And no, that’s not just family bias.
…Well, maybe there’s a tiny bit of bias. But still, I truly believe she’ll be fine.
When we finally arrived at the house, Stella ran ahead, throwing the doors open before dashing inside.
“Mom! Dad! Big brother’s home!!”
“Is that true?!”
“Dear, let’s hurry!”
“Yeah!”
As I set down my backpack at the entrance and took a deep breath—
My father and mother came rushing to greet me.
Of course, they’re not my biological parents. I’ve only known them for about three years.
Still, everyone has accepted me as part of the family.
I can only be truly grateful from the bottom of my heart.
“Ray! Welcome home!”
Overcome with emotion, my mother hugged me tightly. She was my master’s older sister, with blonde hair and blue eyes. My father, on the other hand, had brown hair and was only slightly shorter than me.
Once my mother let go, I shared a brief embrace with my father.
“Ray, have you been doing well?”
“Father… Well, a lot has happened, but yes, I’ve been doing well.”
“I see… That’s good to hear.”
After reuniting with my family for the first time in about six months, I headed to my room.
My room was on the second floor, not particularly spacious, but I liked it nonetheless. Inside, there was a simple setup: a desk, a chair, a bed, and a bookshelf.
Nothing had changed since I left, yet it felt incredibly nostalgic. Though, in reality, not much time had passed—it was strange how I felt that way.
As I set down my backpack, I heard Stella’s voice from the door.
“Onii-chan! You must be all sweaty! Let’s take a bath together!”
“Yeah, it’s been a while. Let’s do that.”
“Yay!”
Bathing with Stella wasn’t unusual. Even Father and Mother would just smile and say, “You two are so close.”
But one time, my master caught us and had a lot to say about it.
“What!? You’re taking a bath with Stella!?”
“Yes. We’re siblings, after all.”
“B-But you’re not related by blood! That’s… borderline inappropriate!”
“? Is that a pun?”
“No, you idiot! Well… if you really don’t think anything of it, then fine…”
“?”
The whole time, my master kept saying things I didn’t quite understand.
I really had no idea what she was trying to get at. Bathing together as siblings was perfectly normal. We’re family, after all. There’s nothing strange about it.
“Onii-chan, I’ll go in first~”
“Alright.”
Stella quickly peeled off her clothes and disappeared into the bathroom. I followed suit, removing my clothes and stepping in after her. The bathroom was quite spacious, more than enough for the two of us.
“Onii-chan! I’ll wash your back!”
“Oh? That would be great.”
And so, I let Stella wash my back.
She lathered up the towel with soap and scrubbed my back.
Before leaving home, this was almost a daily routine. Being able to bathe with my sister again after so long made me really happy.
“Alright! Now it’s your turn, Onii-chan!”
“Leave it to me. I’ll scrub your back with all my heart.”
“Yay!”
After washing each other, we soaked in the bath together. With Stella sitting on my lap, we let the warmth of the water relax us.
“Fuu~”
Our sighs overlapped.
It had taken quite a while to get here. That made this peaceful moment all the more soothing.
Then, Stella turned slightly towards me and spoke.
“Onii-chan.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Do you think I’ve grown?”
“Of course. You’ve changed so much since half a year ago.”
“Really!?”
“You’re a proper young lady now. You’ve grown a lot, Stella.”
“Yay! I’m a lady now!”
We continued chatting about small, everyday things.
And so, after returning home, I enjoyed these precious moments of peace.
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