“Restia—

WHAM!

“—GAH!!?” “GAH!?”

Argh…!!! What did my head hit this time…!!?

Hmm…? Did I just hear a ‘GAH’ just now?

“What’s wrong with you— you stupid brat…!? What sort of idiot wakes with a sit-up before opening their eyes!?”

Hearing that voice, I inadvertently raise my head on reflex.

“Huh—”

That man— whom I promise to save, is now kneeling on the ground while struggling in pain from my headbutt.

Isn’t this the living room…?

“Hey— Hey—!!! Did you bust your head!!?” That man slaps his hand on my forehead. “Oi— little girl! Your brother’s awake and he seems to be broken…!!!”

“I’m not broken!!!” I retorted. “Is this the way to treat your saviour!?”

“Yeah, yeah, thanks for saving me.” He perfunctory said.

That man, when I realize he picks up a bowl of porridge from the floor and starts shoving into my mouth—

“GYAH— PFOOOOOO…!!!”

—I inadvertently spit out the porridge that he shoves, out from my mouth.

“GYAHHH— IT’S HOT!!!” With his hands, he starts rubbing the porridge off from his face. “WHY DID YOU DO THAT FOR, SAVIOUR!!?”

“THE PORRIDGE IS SO DAMN HOT!!! ARE YOU AN IDIOT OR SOMETHING!!?”

“BIG BROTHER…!!!”

Restia barges into the living room.

“RESTIA— Hmm?”

When I thought she’s going to give me a hug— she takes out my phone from my pocket, opening an email and shows it to me.

‘From: THE ORIGINAL LUCIFER.’

As my eyes inadvertently notice the sender— I quicky snatch my phone from my little sis.

What is the meaning of this…!?

My gaze shifts to the upper right corner of my phone to check the time and date.

‘18 July, 7.32 pm.’

—it’s been two days since I fainted…!?

Fearing on what he would say on the message, I inadvertently swallow my saliva— reading his message.

’DEAR LUCIFER NIGHTMARE,

I’M ABSOLUTELY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU.

EVEN IF MY PARENTS ARE GONE— I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU SHOT MY PRECIOUS RUBY WITH A BULLET— WHAT’S MORE, A PIERCING BULLET.

NOT ONLY YOU SHOT HER, YOU EVEN TOLD HER TO LEAVE.

AND I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU DIDN’T LOOK FOR HER IMMEDIATELY AFTER RESTIA WOKE UP.

YOU ARE WORSE THAN SCUM— SCUMBAG.

GOD, SCOLDING HALF OF MYSELF SUCKS.’

“………………………” Reading across that message makes me bit my lips in silence and frustration.

This is the first time I scold myself— and it felt extremely awful.

“What’s wrong, scumbag? Why the long face?”

When those ear-piercing words came across my ears, I lift my head from the phone and glares at him.

“…You……!”

“Scum!”

“Even you, Restia!?”

“Big brother told me to do so…” Restia replies with a despondent look.

“Yeah, right— he even told me to call you scum too, scum.” That man suddenly interrupts.

“H-Hey…!” I inadvertently yelled. “W-Wha— you are speaking my tongue…!?”

“Wow.” He murmured, almost like he’s genuinely surprised. “It took you a minute to realize?”

For some reason, he pisses me off.

Restia immediately shakes me to pull my attention away from him.

“Big brother— just read the message…!”

’YOUR ANSWERS.

YOU FAINTED FOR ONE DAY, AND I TOOK OVER YESTERDAY NIGHT.

RUBY HAS NOT BEEN FOUND BY EITHER THE CAT OR THE SNAKE.

HOWEVER, SO DO I.

EVEN IF I’M ABLE TO FIND HER, THE WAR CANNOT BE STOPPED.

IF THE CAT FINDS RUBY, SHE MIGHT GET KILLED— SO THAT SHE COULD ATTACK THE SNAKE WITH A SOLID REASON.

IF THE SNAKE FINDS RUBY, THE CAT WOULD DISREGARD EVERYTHING AND FIGHT THE SNAKE TILL DEATH.

IF BOTH OF THEM COULD NOT FIND RUBY, I SUSPECT THE CAT WOULD LOSE HER PATIENCE. THUS, I PREDICT THAT THE WAR WILL START IN ABOUT ONE OR TWO DAYS.

AS FOR DÓMR, I DECIDED TO TRUST HIM— NO MATTER IF IT’S ON HIS OWN WILL OR FROM DAD’S ORDER. I PERSUADED HIS DAUGHTER TO STAY HERE WITH US, AS AN INSURANCE.

AS FOR THAT WHITE RABBIT MAN, HE’S SAVED BY THE SNAKE’S ANTIVENOM, THANKS TO RESTIA. HE JUST WOKE UP THIS MORNING. I DIAGNOSED HIM TO HAVE AMNESIA, AND THE REASON MIGHT BECAUSE OF THE NEUROTOXINS. THOUGH HE HAD AMNESIA, HE RECOVERED HIMSELF HIS INTERNAL DAMAGE WITH HIS MAGIC SPELLS.

I’M UNABLE TO FIND ANY DATA REGARDING HIS IDENTITY, BUT FROM THE LOGO OF THE KNIFE THAT WAS STABBED ON HIM, IT IS MANUFACTURED BY ONE OF THE REGALIA’S EMPIRE PERSONAL MILITARY COMPANY. I SUSPECT THIS WHITE RABBIT MAN MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE SUBJECTS UNDER THE TYRANT KING, LUCIS NOX V.

IF BY CHANCE, WHERE I THINK IT’S IMPOSSIBLE— IF THERE ARE SOLDIERS FROM THE REGALIA EMPIRE CAME HERE TO KILL THIS MAN, DON’T SELL HIM OUT— BECAUSE I’M CERTAIN THEY ARE TRAINED TO KILL EVERYONE IN SIGHT. YOU NEED WORK WITH HIM INSTEAD TO PROTECT EVERYONE ELSE. HE MAY HAVE AMNESIA, BUT HE STILL HAS HIS MARTIAL ARTS AND MAGIC. FOR NOW— YOU COULD PUT YOUR TRUST IN HIM.

FINALLY, THERE ARE ALSO A FEW THINGS I’D LIKE TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO YOU.

NO MATTER WHAT RUBY HAS DONE WRONG, SCOLD HER OR EVEN PUNISH HER. DON’T YOU EVER, SHOOT HER WITH A GUN.

MOM AND DAD WOULD NEVER ABANDON US, EVER. EVEN IF THEY ARE GONE FOR GOOD, THEY ARE DEFINITELY GONE WITH A GOOD, SOLID REASON. DON’T EVER FORGET THAT.

DON’T EVER LET RESTIA OR RUBY OR EVEN YOU TO PUT YOUR LIFE ON THE LINE. THINK, CALCULATE, PREDICT EVERYTHING— SO THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO SO.

UNTIL I TAKE OVER AGAIN, I WILL LEAVE THE REST IN YOU AND NIGHTWALKER’S HANDS.

P.S.

FROM THAT MAN’S MAGIC SPELLS, I SUSPECT HE SHOULD RECOVER FROM AMNESIA IN ABOUT THREE DAYS.

ALSO, THE ONE AND ONLY FORTUNE RABBIT IS NOW WITH US. YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO.

ALSO, I TOLD THEM TO CALL YOU SCUM.’

While sliding the message with my finger, the contents ‘I’ wrote surprised me through and through.

“You…” I inadvertently murmured, while looking at that man. “…have amnesia…?”

“Wow, so what you— I mean he says is true.” He inadvertently murmured.

This is my second time seeing someone’s else reaction on my condition. It’s been a while since then. I wonder how are Mattanarafa and her parents doing…?

“I don’t even remember I was stabbed by someone else. I thought you kids are the one who stabbed me with a knife.” He added.

“That’s why you attacked…?”

“When you wake up seeing a knife stabbed on your body with two suspicious people and a hungry-looking Fenrir wolf next to you, of course, you would attack.”

“Makes sense,” I said. “Now I have one serious question.”

“What.”

“Where did you get this porridge?”

I thought every food supply in the kitchen has been completely destroyed by that lion.

“Well, taking from the neighbouring country, of course.” He said with a bragging tone.

“What!?”

In response to his remark, I get up and grab him on his collar, shaking him twice to emphasize my surprise.

“You got out of here!? How!? Teleportation magic!?”

“Are you alright? You asked me a question and answered it yourself?”

To catch my attention, Restia grabs my sleeve, jerking it.

“That’s not the only thing he took,” Restia said. “He brought us food supply enough for months, and he also fixes the house.”

Shifting my gaze back to that man, I release my hands.

“…Who on earth are you…?”

“How would I know? I lost my memories.” He replied. “And besides, I’m rather surprised you weren’t feeling guilty at all with the food I stole.”

“I think I deserve it as a charity. Besides, that country produces the most food each year. A little wouldn’t hurt.”

“Why, really?” He murmured, then he takes a card from his chest pocket. “Damn… I should have stolen them instead of buying them with this black card.”

“Hey— that’s my debit card…! Give it back!”

With a slight movement, he flicks my card upwards— where I fail to snatch it from his fingers.

As I try to jump, he places his right hand on my head, pressing me down to the floor while catching my card with his fingers again.

With a tender-looking smile, he looks at me.

“What do you want from me…!?” I angrily scowled at him.

“Let me stay here for a while, brat. Until my memories return.” He said. “I’m not sure whether what the other you said to me is true, well— I need to be safe just in case.”

“…I’m not so cruel enough to abandon a person with lost memories,” I replied. “Why are you even seeking for my agreement anyway? Didn’t ‘I’ already agreed to let you stay?”

“Haha, who knows whether he would be using you to get rid of me? I’m extremely cautious.”

With that, he returns my card back on my hand.

As I shove my card into one of the drawers in the living room, Restia— who seems to be at lost, stares at me.

“Big brother… so what are we going to do…?”

“…Hmm?” I inadvertently murmured, while recalling what ‘I’ told me. “Ruby… we need to find Ruby…!”

“Whoa, whoa, hold it.”

Just when I head to the exit, that man grabs both Restia and my hand, pulling us back to the sofa.

“What!?” I yelled at him.

“It’s dark out there.” He said. “Aren’t the Black thing and White thing with a bunch of beasts roaming around in that forest?”

“Ruby’s in there for three days!”

“And? A beast-kin and a human— which of it survives better in a forest nowadays?”

“She’s just four-year-old!”

“And? Are you she would be willing to go home with a ten-year-old kid who shot her with a gun for three times?”

“I…” My voice inadvertently went silent.

He’s right. Though the first two bullets are meant to frighten her… yet I still aimed at her instead of the ceiling…

“But… at least I want to know where she is…!” Restia said.

“She could detect your scent before you even see her.” He said. “Give up and rest well. We will look for her tomorrow.”

Restia seems convinced, but I could tell there’s a part of her is still worried about Ruby.

“B-But…!”

“Give up.”

“But…!”

“Shut it, brat. Either you die out there or I will knock you out this instant.”

“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE—”

THOK!

Without another word, he lands a knife-hand chop on Restia on her carotid pulse.

“—UGH…!? IT HURTS…! N-NGHHHHHHH….!”

“H-Huh…!? Why you are still conscious— h-hey…! No, stop— I hate crying kids!!! H-Hey brat…! Take my place…!”

Restia, while trying to hold her tears in place— that man panics and toss me next to her like a basketball.

“U-Uwaaaaahhhh……”

Feeling Restia’s tears dripping on my hand as I hug her, I find something from my chest seems to be swelling up to my head.

“Uuuh…!”

“Alright, alright, stop…! Don’t cry you cry-babies…!!!”