[TL: Alex called Celia, Aneue. But depending on the sentence I have to use [older sister].]
A strange-looking girl stands in front of Ceilia.
Her hair is green like emerald and translucent, with a big bun. Pearly white, smooth egg skin. Both eyes are as clear and blue as the azure sky.
Her small body, which is only 12 or 13 years old, wears a white bikini with an underwear-like top and bottom. On top of this, she wears an extremely coloured gown like a cape.
Her clothing is excessively revealing, which is unbecoming of a young lady of her age. She is dressed in an outfit that could not be mistaken for a dancer or, in some cases, a prostitute.
And her ears peeking out of herâŠâŠgreen hair are pointed. It shows that the girl has the blood of another race different from humans â a subhuman blood called elves.
âHey, âŠ..Alex!ăWhy are you here!?â
The sudden appearance of her sister â Alex Rainmakina Amaltu Arslanian, caused Celia to exclaim as if she were bubbling over.
âYouâre an imperial princess! You shouldnât be going out so casually to a remote area like this!â
Celia released a large boomerang.
In the first place, it is Celia who is living the adventurerâs life, running away from the castle as if she were a runaway.
âIt couldnât be helped! I was looking for you, Aneue!â
Perhaps because of her long-lived elven blood, her younger sister, who is smaller than her age, walks in front of Celia with small strides.
She puffs her flat chest out and looks down on her sister, who is taller than she is.
âAndâŠâŠI didnât come alone!ăIâve brought an escort, so donât worry!â
âOh, really? Then, umâŠâŠit is okay?â
Celia tilts her head⊠but of course, it wasnât good.
It is a splendid anomaly, with two imperial princesses of imperial blood staying in a provincial city in the countryside.
While Celia is a picture of pure and innocent. Alex is the picture of arrogance and irreverence.
The sisters were not at all similar in appearance or even personality, but surprisingly, they werenât on bad terms.
She is one of the few members of the royal family who is not involved in power struggles in the royal court, where there is a lot of intrigue and scheming. For Celia, Alex was one of the few people she didnât have a hard time being with and they interacted with each other in a reasonably friendly manner at the royal palace.
âWhat do you want from me?âŠâŠDonât tell me, did something happen in the imperial capital?â
âWell, âŠâŠ itâs a long story, so letâs change places. Where we can talk privatelyâŠ..?â
âOh, thereâs a guild meeting room. Do you want to use it?â
The receptionist, who had been relegated to the mosquito net, raises her hand in a gesture of encouragement and makes a suggestion.
âWe donât normally rent out rooms, but if you two are âŠâŠroyalty, Iâm sure the guildmaster wonât say no. I also owe Celia-san a debt of gratitude for accepting my request on such short notice, so Iâll go and rent you a room.â
âUmu, That would be good. Iâll send you a reward later.â
Alex commands in an austere tone that does not match her pretty appearance.
âThatâs fine. I have some tea and pastries if you like?â
âNo, thank you. Iâll leave as soon as Iâve finished talking to Aneue, so Iâll just take it as a gesture of goodwill.â
âOh, is that so? We have some new cookies and stuff. âŠ..â
âAu!!â
Not Alex, but Celia, who let out an unintentional sound.
Her greedy eyes. The eyes of the sweet-tempered imperial princess, a feeling of satisfaction is conveyed.
ââŠâŠIâll wrap it up for you as a souvenir. Please eat it later.â
âThank you! I love you, Rusha!â
Celia hugged the receptionist.
The receptionist pats Celia on the back with a troubled expression.
âAneue, time is finite. Letâs talk quickly in the room.â
âOkay.â
Alex chides her sister in a somewhat dismissive tone. Celia also replied in an absentminded manner and moved away from Rusha.
It was hard to tell which of them was older.
The sisters, who didnât look much alike, moved to the room the receptionist had prepared for them. The soldier who had accompanied Alex as her escort was waiting at the entrance to the guild.
They were taken to a room that looked like a reception room. They sat facing each other on the soft sofa placed across the table and got down to business.
âSoâŠâŠwhat do you want from me? You donât mean youâre here to bring me back, do you?â
âMm, no. My business isâŠâŠ well, I donât know where to startâ
Alex nods her head in agreement to Celiaâs question and ponders.
[Hmmm] she snarls, gathering her thoughts in her head.
ââŠ..Aneue, you are aware that the ăSix Witches of Doomăhave returned, are you not?â
Celia nods with an ambiguous expression at the topic that is finally broached.
âI know. It was the night of the earthquake, wasnât it?â
Celia, the holder of the Holy Sword, had heard from her father about the first visit of a witch in three hundred years â the ăWitchesâ Resurrection Rituală.
On the night of the red moon a few months ago. She is aware of the resurrection of the witches on the night of the great earthquake that hit the western part of the continent.
The earthquake caused by the ăearthă witch, Osman, did not cause much damage to the empire since itâs located on the centre of the continent. Rather, the hordes of demons that appeared immediately after the earthquake were more important to Celia, who had already started working as an adventurer.
âI know there are more demons appearing and thatâs the sign of the witches coming back. Itâs really unforgivableâŠ..No, I think there are good children among the witchesâ
The image of a certain maid appears in Celiaâs mind.
Not for a single moment did Celia believe that naughty maid was one of those who would lead the world to ruin.
âI wonder how Neimilia is doing? Because itâs about that girl, she must be flirting with Onii-san even today⊠Aaah, mouuuu! Why does it make me feel frustrated!?â
ââŠ..Nothing. So whatâs up with the witchâs resurrection?â
When Celia answers, feeling a stirring in her chest, the fifth sister resumes her explanation.
âThe other dayâŠâŠAneue might not know about this. It seems that an army of undead has attacked the Kingdom of Zain. The source of the outbreak is the Kingdom of Athena in the western part of the continent.â
âWhatâŠâŠundeadâŠâŠ?â
âIt seems that the ăearthă witch â Osman, also known as the Queen of the Dead in the Kingdom of Aeterna, has come back to life. It is unconfirmed, but it seems that she is the one who destroyed Athena and has also attacked the Kingdom of Zain.â
ââŠâŠâŠâŠ..!â
Celiaâs eyes widened.
She almost screams, but the face of that man comes to her mind before that.
The man who defeated her and was recognised by Emperor Zacharias. There is no way that man would easily allow the undead to invade.
âButâŠâŠthey won, the Kingdom of Zain won right? Thereâs no way they can easily lose because they have Onii-san there.â
âAs per Aneueâs wise words. The undead have been repelled by the army led by the kingâs brother, Raidorl Zain. Now they are preparing to invade Athena in the opposite directionâ
âHmmm, thatâs how it is!â
Celia nodded and puffed out her chest proudly.
As expected. Raidorl seems to have defeated the army of the undead.
But for some reason, Celia feels proud, [Fufun] and a satisfied smile appears on her face.
âWellâŠ..If itâs Onii-san,he will be alright! Heâs the man who defeated me. If he canât do that, it makes me look weak for losing!â
âI donât know why you are so proud of himâŠâŠbut hereâs the thing. I would like you, my older sister, who is acquainted with His Highness Raidorl, to tell me. Whatâs his personality. What does he like and what does he dislike? I would like you to tell me what beliefs he stands for.â
âThatâs fine, butâŠâŠâŠ.eh, why?â
Celia raises a shaped eyebrow and looks doubtful.
Why would Alex want to know about Raidorl? Celia couldnât think of a reason.
âThere is now a proposition to send reinforcements from the Arslanian Empire to the Kingdom of Zain. Itâs going to be hard over there, even just because of the earthquake damage, so weâre going to sell our gratitude and gain a diplomatic advantage while we still can. Iâve been put in charge of the advance team, so Iâve come to ask Aneue for advance information about His Highness Raidorl.â
âHeh, reinforcementsâŠâŠhmm, I seeâŠâŠ.â
Celia ponders for a moment, crosses her arms and groans.
âHmmmâŠâŠdo you think Onii-san would take that?ăOnii-san is a person who rather chooses means to an end but he also has a strange sense of pride. And even then, heâs also very cautious, so he might refuse to accept Imperial support, though?â
âWell, we were enemies until the other day. It is understandable to be suspicious. Thatâs why I want you to be the go-between for His Highness Raidorl.â
âI seeâŠâŠ.So, if itâs all right to send reinforcements, why is Alex in charge? Itâs unusual for Otousama to give you permission to go out.â
Alex is a mixture of elven and human.
Due to the Empireâs hostile relationship with the subhuman countries to the south, there was a strong tendency to discriminate against subhumans.
For this reason, Alex, who has the appearance of a subhuman, rarely leaves the imperial capital and it must be the first time that she has been sent to another kingdom.
âOf course it is His Highness Raidorl. His Highness may be the kingâs brother but he is the real ruler. He is more important than the king, Granard or that young crown prince. It would be natural for the Empire to send him a wife, wouldnât it?â
[TL:Young crown prince referred to Neferte Athena]
âEhâŠeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!?â
Celiaâs exclamations echo through the interior of the guild.
The day of her encounter with the man who would become her husband was getting closer by the minute.
[TL: Now, as we know Zacharias is a playboy and have dozens of wife, it wouldnât be surprised if the list is updated. Hereâs the list of Celia sisters as requested..]
Mariastella Rin Arslanian(Eldest Daughter/Half older sister of Celia)(Became a saint from GoldCross Theocracy)
Beatrice Von Arslanian(Real older sister of Celia)
Eician Von Arslanian(Real daughter of Zacharias )(His brother died by Zacharias, the failed coup)
Celia Von Arslanian
Alex Rainmakina Amaltu Arslanian(female elf, mistressâs daughter)(her mother was a queen in her territory but fled/died when her kingdom was about to make peace with the empire)
Carolia Styria Arslanian(The youngest amongst all daughters)(Her Styria name came from another novel but itâs on hiatus)