Chapter 222 Sister Karina and ‘Family’
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”There should be an announcement about the ‘new dungeon discovery’ tomorrow! The day after that, the dungeon will be open to the public, so I’ll spend tomorrow preparing for practice and exploration──so I can still drink!”
Saying that, Gièze chugged her beer mug.
”…You’re pretty drunk, huh…”
”…I’ve been drinking with Liz, Asuka, and Simona the whole time…”
Kazumi and I took a sip of honey lemon at the same time.
”Gièze really has guts. But it’s also important to gauge your opponent’s strength.”
Asuka, the bride, who should have been pretty drunk, started lecturing Gièze calmly.
”…Going after that Demonkin (Majin) Otto was reckless… You could have easily been killed or violated, you know?”
Gièze shrank a little under Asuka’s admonishment.
”Asuka… gets pretty touchy when she’s drunk, huh…”
Gorge, who had somehow appeared behind Kazumi and me, muttered in exasperation.
”Well, it’s fine, right? Gièze is reflecting on it! ──Right?”
”Yuh, yuh! Gutts are important, ya know?”
”──I’ll keep working hard…”
Gièze, who was patted on the shoulder by Liz and Simona, said that and chugged her mug again.
* * *
”That was fun!”
”Yeah! Asuka was really beautiful too!”
The party was over, and I was helping Rena and Kazumi clean up with Ms. Hanna and the others.
Next to Ms. Hanna and the wolf maids, who were quickly washing the dishes brought by Lotta, Noriss, Aluda, Eluda, and Meluda, I was desperately drying and stacking them up.
Asuka and Gorge still don’t have much furniture at home, so they’ve gone up to the third floor, while Liz and Simona are probably carrying the passed-out Gièze to the bath together. Martina and Dorothy are cleaning up the decorations.
”Hey? Where’s Sister Karina?”
”Mr. Hiroya, about that…”
Lotta, who brought some dishes, whispers to me.
”She’s still drinking in the reception area. She’s saying, ‘Bring Hiroya! Bring my brother!’ but…”
”…Got it. I’ll go check on her.”
I leave the washing up to Kazumi and Rena and head from the kitchen to the dining room.
* * *
”Ah… Hi, Hiroya! …C-Come sit here for a second!”
When I make eye contact with Sister Karina, who’s sipping wine on the sofa in the reception area, she gestures dramatically for me to come over.
”Sister Karina… aren’t you drinking a bit too much?”
”W-Well, at a time like this, if I don’t drink… when else would I?”
”…True.”
”I-I’m a little sad that Hiroya can’t drink yet, though…”
She offers me her empty glass, so I pour a little wine for her.
”Yum!”
She must be wanting more. She thrusts her glass right in front of me.
”…Here you go.”
After I pour an appropriate amount, she smiles contentedly and takes a sip.
”…This is the most fun party I’ve ever had…”
Sister Karina holds her glass with both hands and looks down. Even though she’s looking down, she’s smiling gently.
”I-I’ve lost… my country… my family… everything… Just one person… Gisela──Gièze… was my only ‘family’…”
Sister Karina’s expression turns a bit sad as she takes another sip of wine.
”B-But… coming to this village… meeting all of you… I’ve made such wonderful… friends…”
”Sister… we’re ‘family’ (Famière), you know?”
”Family (Famière)…”
Sister Karina repeats my words as if savoring them.
”Th, this ‘family (Famière)’… it won’t, it won’t disappear… right?”
”It won’t.”
”H, Hiroya will… always be by my side… right?”
Suddenly, she looks up and stares at me seriously.
”Yeah. Karina is my sister, after all.”
Joy spreads across her serious eyes.
”Sister-in-law Karina, when did you become such a loving sister to your little brother?”
When I turn around, Kazumi is smiling with a plate in her hands. She places a plate with what seems to be snacks on it in front of Sister Karina and sits down next to me.
”Ah, ah, sister… loves her little brother… so, so much…”
”Really as a little brother? Is that true?”
”Of, of course!”
”Hmm.”
Kazumi looks at Sister Karina with a suspicious expression. Sister Karina seems unable to meet her gaze directly, fidgeting around nervously as if she’s acting suspiciously.
”…I’m just joking. Don’t worry… Sister-in-law Karina’s new ‘family (Famière)’ won’t disappear. ──No matter where we are, we’re always connected as ‘Famière’.”
With a gentle smile, Kazumi speaks to Sister Karina.
”Ms. Kazumi…”
With tears in her eyes, Sister Karina nods and suddenly collapses onto my lap…
──Zzz…
”…She fell asleep.”
”Let’s just let her sleep. Wake her up in a little while. ──She still hasn’t taken a bath, right?”
Kazumi stands up.
”I can’t move, though…”
”Think of it as being nice to your big sister and just hold on a bit. By the way──.”
”?”
”Did she suddenly get a wonderful little brother and become a brocon… or has she had feelings for you since you helped her? It’s hard to tell with how Sister-in-law Karina is ‘getting close to Hiroya’.”
”Kazumi!?”
”Well, I’m leaving it to you. I still have some cleaning up to do!”
Kazumi winked and headed to the kitchen.
”…I guess it can’t be helped…”
As a little brother, I have to endure at least lending my knee to my sister. …It’s a bit heavy, though.
* * *
In the end, Sister Karina woke up after the cleaning was done, and everyone had finished their baths and headed to their respective bedrooms.
”I-I-I’m so sorry!”
Sister Karina was sitting on the sofa, facing me, with her knees tucked under her and bowing her head.
”It’s fine. I was dozing off a bit too.”
”Sister-in-law Karina, are you awake? Let’s go take a bath together!”
”I-I-I… I can go later… H-Hiroya, why don’t you go ahead?”
”Ms. Hanna and the Wolf Maid girls have already gone in, so it’s just us now.”
Kazumi took Sister Karina’s hand and led her out of the dining room.
”What about you, Hiroya?”
”…I’ll go last…”
I rubbed my slightly numb legs and waved goodbye to the two of them.
(Now, should I move around a bit for some rehab before the bath…)
I crossed the now quiet dining room and took a Bokken sword from the rack next to the door leading to the backyard.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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