Seven days had passed since Sylphie left with Rudeus.
The only conclusion I could reach over that short stretch of time was that my brother had either caught on to Sylphie's situation, or she had been forced to spell it out for him herself.
My brother is brilliant when it comes to certain things, and completely clueless about others. A bit like me sometimes, I suppose.
Setting that aside, I continued experimenting with the handgun prototype, but the results weren't promising. Lizard scales seemed like a good material for the spring at first, but they didn't transfer enough energy to snap back into position, making them too stiff for the mechanism to work.
"Brother?" Rudeus's voice suddenly broke through my thoughts. "You okay? You were spaced out over your desk."
"Ah, Rudeus... When did you get back?"
"We just got in... It's a long story. Anyway, there's something I need to tell you..." He leaned in close and whispered, "You damn spy, how did you find out before I did?"
"Rudeus... We're alone. You don't need to whisper."
"Fine, fine... Killjoy. Anyway, I know everything about Sylphie now. Were you ever planning on telling me?"
"Plan on it? Maybe, but I was never actually going to," I said. "It was her choice, not mine. So, what happened?"
I looked at Rudeus. His face was flushed, clearly flustered now.
"Does that matter? What happened, happened..."
I looked him up and down. The poor guy was a nervous wreck. His right leg, which was usually completely still, was bouncing against the floor in tiny, rapid taps, movements so faint that only I would notice.
"Right... what happened. She didn't have a rough time, did she?"
"No, not at all," Rudeus said, puffing out his chest. "I treated her right, and the trip back was great."
"Good."
"What about you?" He sat down beside me, propping an elbow on the desk. "Still working on the gun?"
I turned slightly toward him.
"Yeah... You seem in higher spirits than usual."
"Yeah, well..." Rudeus dropped his forehead onto the desk and rubbed the back of his neck. "Something good finally happened to me, you know? I was sick of the cold and everything else."
"I'm glad."
"Thanks, brother."
Rudeus stood up with a grin and headed for the door.
"Why don't you go grab a bite? You've been cooped up here all day. Good luck!"
With that, he slipped out in a hurry.
Normally, I would have spent the rest of the day looking into Darian and refining the gun, but how could I refuse my brother's request? All I could do was wander around for a bit with a sandwich.
As I walked past window after window, watching the world outside slide by, I couldn't help thinking about everything that had brought me here. All the miles, all the emotions this new body had experienced, only to end up with nothing now.
It's ironic, having felt so much.
I haven't lost everything. My father is still alive, along with my sisters and Lilia. Zenith is safe, I know it. And Eris... I know I shouldn't dwell on her. I never imagined I could feel this way, but it reached the point where I miss her more than I care to admit. More than I miss, perhaps...
A pair of arms suddenly wrapped around me, stopping me in my tracks.
"Daiki-niisan... Thank you."
"Huh?"
"Rudy finally realized. Isn't it wonderful? Thank you for looking out for him and lending me your strength..."
"It's nothing..."
"Oh, it's plenty. I just get nervous sometimes and don't know how to put it into words."
I pulled back slightly from the embrace and looked down at Fitz.
Despite wearing her usual clothes, she looked just as radiant as she had back in Buena Village, carrying that same smile and posture of the cheerful girl who wanted nothing more than to be with us. Now that we were here, that finally felt within reach.
I hugged her once more.
Maybe I missed Eris even more than my own parents from my past life, but that was because I had spent eighteen years as an empty shell, never really feeling anything. Now, I couldn't escape the emptiness, and it cut deeper than any winter cold ever could.
[You don't miss me, do you?]
Hello? You're back.
[Now that you're thinking about Eris again, it's fair to say you aren't so happy. That's why I could come back... So, do you miss me or not?]
That's different... I used to see you every day.
[Well, I'm you, so I don't expect you to miss me the same way. It's just... I wish I could do more.]
You never told me who you are or how you came to be, nor did you ever explain why I wouldn't be able to exist in this world without you...
[I don't know. That's the strange part. I know it in my gut, but I can't put it into words. That instinct is all I have.]
"Hey, Daiki-niisan. We've put this off for a while, but Princess Ariel wants to see you for, well, a few things she wouldn't really explain to me. I think she just wants to make sure you're good company for me. The rumors about Badigadi have gotten so out of hand that it's only natural she'd want to know more about you, not to mention she already knew of you because of that unique trait of yours..."
"Releasing bloodlust?"
"Yes! Exactly that! ...Though I don't really get it. Will I ever be able to do something like that?"
"You should be able to. Releasing bloodlust is rare, but it's not hard. Everyone just taps into it differently. Tell me... what gets you angry?"
"Mmm... When Rudeus says he'll be gentle, but then gets carried away..."
"Wait, what?"
"H-huh? That's not what I meant! I mean... I was talking about his magic!"
"Uh-huh... Right. Well..."
"You know what?" She took my hand. "Why don't we just go so you can talk to her yourself? She wants to see this 'bloodlust' of yours, that emptiness that's had everyone on edge ever since you showed it."
Sylphie went ahead so we wouldn't draw attention if anyone saw us together.
I made my way up to the top floor of the building, stopping outside a door marked "Student Council Room." I knocked.
"Who is it?" Luke's voice answered.
"Daiki Greyrat. Word is you wanted to speak with me."
"C-come in!"
Taking Luke's slightly uneasy invitation, I opened the door and walked in.
Princess Ariel was seated in an ornate, expensive-looking chair. Sylphie stood on guard at her side, sunglasses firmly in place. Her expression was almost icy. Gone was the affectionate little sister from our training sessions; she clearly meant to keep up appearances around Ariel and Luke.
"I m-must admit, having an audience with you is a privilege, Daiki Greyrat. Even more so knowing you aren't the sort to fawn over status... Please, sit."
I walked forward and took a seat.
"You're quite intimidating in person. I've seen you before, of course, but you've never looked at me quite like that." Ariel gave a light cough into her hand. "In any case, I assume you're curious why I called you here, aren't you? Fitz has told me quite a bit about you, especially how fiercely you protect her."
"That's just my duty as an older brother," I replied.
"Oh, I see. Even if it's only by a year, you watch over her as if she were the youngest of all, don't you? That truly is enviable..."
"Princess Ariel," Luke cut in.
"Ah, yes... My apologies. I wasn't there to witness it myself, but I was told you cut Badigadi clean in half. Is that true?"
"Yes. I did."
"And you say it as if it were nothing... I tend to take rumors with a grain of salt; people love to exaggerate, but this doesn't seem to be an exaggeration. Even if you shrug it off, that doesn't make it any less real."
"What do you want, Princess?"
"You certainly don't beat around the bush... Very well. I want to know if I have your backing."
"I heard you helped Sylphie. So yes, you have my support."
"I was under the impression you wanted nothing to do with the power struggles of the Asuran nobility. At least, that's what Sylphiette led me to believe."
"I couldn't care less about politics, but if I have to protect someone... I won't hesitate to use those games to my advantage. Wouldn't be the first time."
"Ha..." Ariel blinked in surprise. Luke looked equally taken aback.
"Don't you hold any resentment toward the Notos, the family your father ran from? Or toward the Boreas, who treated you like a servant?" Luke blurted out.
"Resentment? Why would I? I'll never forgive them for executing Sauros, but the rest doesn't matter to me."
"Fascinating..." Ariel tapped a finger against her lips. "'A man who harbors no petty grudges is difficult to manipulate, but one who never forgets a debt can become the most dangerous ally of all.'"
There was truth in what she said. If the opportunity ever presented itself, I wouldn't hesitate to settle that score. Even so, I had to be careful not to act without thinking things through. Dragging my family into a political war was the last thing I wanted, though I knew an arrogant enemy was bound to let their guard down eventually.
Luke kept his eyes pinned on me. Sylphie stood stiff as a statue, though a subtle smile tugged at the corner of her lips. And Ariel...
"Speaking of which..." Ariel said, turning her attention to Sylphie.
The princess leaned an elbow on the desk, resting her cheek against her hand as a fond smile formed.
"May we tell him, Sylphiette?"
"I-I'd like to tell him myself, Ariel-sama..."
"Very well. Go ahead."
Sylphiette stepped over and looked me straight in the eyes.
"Rudy... right here in this room, he told the princess he wants to marry me. Just out of nowhere... And of course I said yes, but it happened so fast we didn't know what to do next. He was torn between going back to search for Zenith or staying behind so I wouldn't be left alone, and then... he just said it..."
[No wonder that little bastard looked so smug... He didn't say a damn word to us! Chickened right out!]
And just like that, I found out my brother was getting married at sixteen.