Since gaining self-awareness, I've mostly lived a life of observation. My eldest brother was gentle, but his gentleness felt hollow, leaving me with a sense of emptiness. On the other hand, this second brother in front of me, though also kind-hearted, had a slyness about him that made me feel whole.
So, even as a naive boy, I still held fond feelings for him. But now, he was leaving because of me...
"Shiki will definitely be sad," Satsujin murmured silently.
…
"Brother, aren't you cold?" Looking at Ryougi Raku, who had given him his coat and was now wearing only a simple kimono like he had been earlier, he asked with concern.
"Of course not. I just wore the coat out of habit. But you, Satsujin, going out in such thin clothes on a cold night is just as foolish as Shiki!" He said with a laugh, but grabbed Satsujin's hand and quickly headed back toward the Ryougi residence. Although he had given her his coat, it wouldn't do for his sister to catch a cold in the middle of the night. As for himself? Compared to his own strength, a little cold wind was nothing...
"Satsujin and I aren't foolish!" he muttered, but his voice gradually softened. "Satsujin and I were just worried about you..." Unknowingly, Shiki and Satsujin had switched personalities.
Though the voice was soft, after years of training, my hearing had become sharp, so I still caught it. I tightened my grip on the delicate little hand in mine, pretending not to have heard. "Shiki? Where's Satsujin?"
"He said he was a bit tired and went to rest."
"...I thought it was Shiki following me earlier, but it turned out to be Satsujin." Ryougi Raku knew that switching between personalities wouldn't cause such fatigue—it was all because of him. So, he wisely changed the subject.
"...I was a little scared," Ryougi Shiki said softly after a brief silence.
"What are you scared of? I'm not going to eat you," Ryougi Raku asked with a smile.
'When you grow up, maybe you will!'
Of course, that was just a thought.
"I was afraid you'd hate me, so I asked Satsujin to come," she said, her voice even softer than before.
"Haha, how could that be! Shiki is my favorite little sister!"
"Just a little sister?" she grumbled discontentedly, but upon hearing that he "liked" her, Ryougi Shiki still smiled.
Ryougi Raku was slightly stunned by Shiki's smile. It was a smile tinged with relief, carrying a strange beauty. Although Ryougi Shiki wasn't exactly a "tsundere," she rarely smiled.
…
Since the bamboo forest was essentially part of their outer courtyard, the two soon reached the main house. The butler, Kyuuryuu, was already waiting at the door.
"Young Master, Young Lady, you're back! The hot water is ready; you may bathe at any time." Kyuuryuu wore a black suit, his expression serious and his tone respectful. He looked every bit the proper butler, though Ryougi Raku sometimes thought he looked more like a yakuza...
"Kyuuryuu, take Shiki back to her room. I'm going to take a hot bath myself." Having lived with the Ryougi family for so many years, Ryougi Raku had naturally picked up some authoritative habits.
"Yes!" Although the young master was still quite young, he was very mature, and Kyuuryuu had long grown accustomed to taking his orders.
"Brother, your coat." Seeing Ryougi Raku about to leave, Shiki called out to him.
"You keep it! Make sure to wear more when you go out at night next time! Kids will be kids," Ryougi Raku said casually.
It was just a coat. Besides, wasn't that the style Ryougi Shiki should be wearing anyway?
Hearing him call her a kid, Ryougi Shiki retorted, "Aren't you a kid yourself?"
Kyuuryuu knew better than to interrupt the young master and young lady's banter. Once it subsided, he said respectfully, "Well then, Young Lady, allow me to escort you back to your room!"
"Mm!"
Her brother had already left, leaving only his retreating back. Ryougi Shiki regained her usual indifferent expression and responded.
Kyuuryuu saw the look on the young lady's face and smiled wryly to himself. It seemed the young lady only showed a different side when she was with the second young master. But as for the second young master...
He quickly dismissed his wandering thoughts and focused on his duty, escorting the young lady back to her room.
The second young master's affairs were beyond the reach of a butler like him...
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"Young Master, are you really going to Kyoto? The family head has already prepared a residence in Tokyo and arranged for your schooling. You can return at any time," Kyuuryuu said respectfully at the entrance of the Ryougi residence.
"You know, Kyuuryuu, I've already mastered the basics. I'm almost at a university level now. Those schools are practically useless to me," Ryougi Raku said, looking at Kyuuryuu with a faint smile. "Besides, I also plan to travel to famous mountains and rivers, hoping to improve my swordsmanship."
Kyuuryuu fell silent upon hearing this. Indeed, the second young master had been a genius since childhood. At just ten years old, he had already acquired knowledge that would take an ordinary person over twenty years to learn.
Seeing Kyuuryuu's admiring expression, Ryougi Raku chuckled inwardly. Although he had been a shut-in in his previous life, given the education system of the Celestial Empire and his own university graduation, the knowledge of this island nation was child's play to him. As for the island nation's language and history, which he hadn't fully mastered, he only needed to learn enough to get by.
After straightening his casual clothes, Ryougi Raku felt somewhat uncomfortable. Having worn the simple kimono of the Ryougi family for so long, it would take some time to adjust to suddenly switching to casual wear.
"Kyuuryuu, after I leave, I'll entrust Shiki to your care!" Ryougi Raku said solemnly to Kyuuryuu.
Kyuuryuu's expression turned stern, and he replied with determination, "Yes!"
Dropping his serious demeanor, Ryougi Raku smiled as he saw his eldest brother coming out to see him off. "One more thing, Kyuuryuu..."
"Hmm?"
"If any man dares to pester her, don't hesitate—just cut him down!" he said with a murderous aura.
"…"
Kyuuryuu was at a loss for words...
However, as Miss Shiki's fiancé, it was only natural for him to say such a thing...
…
Ryougi Kagetomo looked at his brother, who was about to leave, with a thousand words stuck in his throat but no way to express them. He felt no jealousy or resentment toward this brother, whose talents far surpassed his own—only admiration and a hint of envy.
His lips moved several times before he finally lowered his voice and said, "If you have time... come back and visit..."
"I wish you... smooth sailing on your journey!"
"Big brother, take care of yourself too."
He turned gracefully and walked straight down the path. He carried nothing with him. In this modern society, as long as one had money and identification, most things could be easily managed.
…
The morning air was filled with the fragrance of bamboo, and the flowers along the roadside were beginning to bloom. His first destination was Kyoto, a symbol of the island nation's history, home to numerous historical buildings and a wonderful place to visit.
After years of practicing kendo, Ryougi Raku had gradually developed a fondness for the feeling of the sword strike. Besides sightseeing, his trip to Kyoto was also for the purpose of learning from a master, as it was a place with a long history and likely housed some well-established kendo schools.
As for going to the Celestial Empire in this world... Although the history of this world was somewhat different, the people there were not particularly friendly toward island nation citizens. The "abnormal" forces were extremely xenophobic. Even a massive organization like the Holy Church had failed to infiltrate it for centuries. In this life, having grown up in the Ryougi family and practiced the art of killing from a young age, and from his vague memories, some of the events of the Type-Moon world did not occur there. He felt a faint longing for his homeland and did not want to cause it any more trouble.
Of course, the most important reason was that the Celestial Empire here was no longer the Celestial Empire of his past. After all, this was not his hometown!