"Seriion Magic Tower?"
Tilting his head and asking back, at Ruin's appearance, Cabella quickly nodded and answered.
"Y-Yeah. You know Master Reno Ban, right? I heard you became his named disciple? I-I'm also Master Reno Ban's disciple. I came because I was curious after hearing a new junior brother was born!"
"...You say you're Master Reno Ban's disciple?"
"Yeah, that's right?!"
There was a bit of falsehood and exaggeration mixed in, but at least Cabella believed without a doubt that she would become Reno Ban's disciple in the future.
"M-Master really cherishes me a lot. Hehe. Even if I look like this, I'm the top talent in the magic tower..."
"Proof?"
"Huh? What, proof?"
At Ruin's subsequent demand, Cabella made a very flustered expression and hurriedly waved her hands.
"Pr-Proof? Where would there be proof?"
"..."
"Ah, aah. Wait a second. I don't exactly have proof that I'm Master Reno Ban's disciple, but look at this."
Pulling out a brooch that was attached deep inside her clothes, Cabella.
"You know what this is? It's the symbol of the Seriion Magic Tower. Only members of the magic tower can wear this!"
She recited the origins and symbolism of the brooch she was wearing at a very rapid pace.
"..."
But even to Cabella's words, Ruin still gazed at her without any response, his eyes unwavering.
"Sigh, damn it! I'm not lying! This is the symbol of the Seriion Magic Tower?!"
As if frustrated, Cabella shouted quickly, and the voice of the Sword Soul, who had been silent, rang out.
[Hey, Ruin. That is a real brooch...]
But before his words could even finish, Ruin replied.
'I know.'
[Huh?]
At the Sword Soul's puzzled retort, Ruin murmured in a light tone.
'I'm just trying to educate her properly right now.'
[Education? Ha, I see. Yeah. She looks like the type who'll be a headache if you don't rein her in from the start.]
'...Exactly.'
Ruin and the Sword Soul exchanged a conversation that she could never know about, with invisible smiles.
But Cabella, who had no way of knowing that, just kept shouting with eyes and an expression that looked like tears were about to burst out at any moment.
"I'm telling the truth, please believe me. And could you put this sword away...? I'm Cabella Ksante from the Seriion Magic Tower!"
.
.
.
A little while later.
Before he knew it, Ruin had retrieved the Sword Soul Black Shadow, and on the opposite side, Cabella was seen sitting slumped as if her legs had given out.
She kept sniffling and venting her grievances about what had just happened, as if it was unfair.
"Geez, I said it's real, but you didn't believe me. Sniff!"
At her murmuring, Ruin, who had been quietly leaning against a tree, lightly shook his head and said.
"Stop crying already?"
"...I'm not crying! Sniff."
She looked like she'd shed quite a lot of tears no matter who saw her.
At Cabella's appearance, stubbornly insisting she hadn't cried until the end, Ruin let out a small sigh invisibly.
And at her appearance, the Sword Soul burst into chuckles, finding it very amusing.
[Kukukuk, what a cute and spirited kid.]
'Spirited? She's just a kid who doesn't know the ways of the world.'
[Oh? Then are you a kid who knows all the ways of the world? She looks older than you at a glance?]
'Just being older doesn't mean everything.'
Since Ruin possessed the memories and experiences of No. 1872 intact, it was very burdensome for even most adult men to match his mental fortitude.
"Sniff, why didn't you believe me? My words... And you kept threatening me with that sword like you were going to kill me. Sniff!"
"Hey."
"Hey? It's Cabella!"
"Yeah, Cabella."
Lightly nodding and going along with her rhythm, Ruin asked in a low tone.
"What's your relationship with Adorno, the master of the magic tower?"
Having learned that the girl in front of him was named Cabella Ksante, Ruin judged that she must have a deep connection with Adorno, who was called the owner of the Seriion Magic Tower.
And as he predicted.
"He's my freaking respected grandfather, why?! You're not gonna believe me anyway. Sniff."
At Cabella's appearance, blowing her nose and shouting like that, Ruin thought to himself.
'This kid is the granddaughter of Adorno Ksante, the current master of the Seriion Magic Tower?'
In the memories of No. 1872, Adorno Ksante of the Seriion Magic Tower, one of the Four Heavenly Nine Provinces, was quite a charismatic old man.
The few times he'd encountered him by chance, he showed the appearance of a great hero who would shout commands as if standing alone before a million-strong army was no big deal.
He'd even seen the hermit-like Ro Ben Paterion, who ignored others and lived trapped in his own world, utter words of admiration.
'Compared to her grandfather, the granddaughter is a bit... Tsk, is it from her mother's side? Well, at least her eyes look a little similar.'
Recalling his memories of Adorno, Ruin soon lightly shook his head and replied.
"No, I believe you this time."
"What?"
At Ruin's appearance, accepting it far more easily than expected, Cabella glared at him with dumbfounded eyes and muttered.
"Geez, earlier when I explained and begged so desperately, you didn't even pretend to listen, and now you just believe me right away...?"
"Why, should I not believe you?"
"Ah, that's not what I mean! Damn it, you bastard!"
-Bam!
At Cabella's appearance, slamming the ground hard and reacting irritably, Ruin let out a smirk.
"Just kidding, kidding."
"What kind of joke in this situation... Gah!"
Cabella, who had been glaring at Ruin with a fully pissed-off expression and bloodshot eyes, soon muttered to herself.
'What kind of kid is this? It's like he's raising over a thousand sly snakes in his belly.'
Then, recalling his earlier appearance, she shuddered.
'Earlier, I really thought he was the grim reaper, but now he seems like a kid my age... Ah, whatever!'
At that moment, Ruin's voice continued.
"So."
He trailed off for a moment, then looked at Cabella and continued.
"You and me, so our relationship is senior-junior disciples?"
"You? Yooou? Hey, you..."
"Mm, no. Not hey, it's Ruin."
At Ruin's action, shaking his head and correcting her words, Cabella shouted again.
"No, why does that matter right now."
"Ruin."
"Sigh, fine. I got it, I got it. What, you... no, Ruin."
Finally, as if surrendering to his words, Cabella nodded, called Ruin's name, and immediately continued.
"But calling me 'you'? Ruin, like you said, if we're senior-junior disciples, then strictly speaking, I'm your senior sister!"
"..."
Ruin sealed his lips, showing no particular reaction.
At that, Cabella's mind began spinning rapidly.
'What is this guy?'
Having lived in the magic tower and pranked and teased countless people, Cabella could immediately sense an amusing vibe from Ruin.
'Aha, this guy. He doesn't want to call me senior sister? Fine, then I'll make him pay for surprising me.'
Muttering that to herself, she soon opened her mouth toward Ruin with a very soft voice and a subtle gaze.
"Alright, Ruin. From now on, call me senior sister, and I'll call you junior brother."
"..."
At Ruin's appearance, still not giving any answer, Cabella glanced at him slightly and continued.
"Now that we're senior-junior disciples serving the same master, we should get along well. Right? Hahaha."
At Cabella's appearance, forcing a laugh as she spoke, Ruin's mouth finally opened.
"No, just call me Ruin. I'll call you Cabella too."
"Hey, Ruin. Cabella?! How dare you call your sky-high senior sister's name so casually? This is exactly when we need to strictly maintain the senior-junior relationship! Come on, try it. Senior sister."
For a moment, it seemed like Ruin's hand twitched and was about to reach for the sword on his back again.
But soon, he shook his head and muttered.
"Cabella."
"Senior sister."
"Cabella."
"Ah, come on! I said call me senior sister."
At Ruin's appearance, still stubbornly calling her by name without change, Cabella eventually shouted irritably first.
But soon.
"Cabella, I have something I want to ask."
"Wh-What! What do you want to ask?"
"Why did you suddenly come all the way here and secretly watch me?"
Ruin asked about the reason for her visit in a firm tone.
At that, Cabella whipped her head away and shouted.
"Hmph. No, I'm not gonna answer unless you call me senior sister?"
Sticking out her tongue in rebellion, at her appearance, Ruin slowly lifted the monocle in his hand.
"This."
"Hey, that's expensive. You have to handle it carefu..."
Cabella hurriedly reached out to retrieve the monocle.
Swish.
Lightly dodging her movement, Ruin smirked at the corner of his mouth and said.
"I'll break it?"
"What?"
"If you don't answer properly, I'll smash this."
"Hey!"
"Hey? It's Ruin."
"No, you... Ruin. So, aargh!"
Cabella, who had intended to tease Ruin, let out a scream with an expression that looked genuinely annoyed.
But Ruin, paying no attention to her behavior at all, opened his mouth again.
"So answer me. Why did you come looking for me all the way here?"
"Why come looking? I heard Master Reno Ban took on a new named disciple, so I immediately..."
"Why?"
"What?"
"Is it such a special thing that Master Reno Ban has a new disciple?"
"Of course it is. Not just anyone can become one..."
Suddenly, Cabella trailed off the words that had slipped out unconsciously, quickly muddling through and shouting again rapidly.
"Ah, no. The wise man of the Seriion Magic Tower, known as one of the Three Stars, taking on a new disciple—wouldn't anyone be curious? So I came out of curiosity, no particular reason!"
Cabella questioned if he even knew how amazing it was that Reno Ban had taken Ruin as a named disciple.
However, Ruin gazed at Cabella with utterly unshaken eyes, then soon grinned.
"Cabella."
"Ah, what now!"
"You're not, are you?"
"Huh?"
"You're not Master Reno Ban's disciple."
"...!"
As if stabbing sharply into her heart with a very keen dagger, at Ruin's aggressive question piercing right in, Cabella could only stare at him with a dazed expression.
"Well, let's stop here for today."
"...Thank you for your hard work, Master."
"Yeah, you did well too."
Reno Ban Versaten lightly exchanged farewells, ending the lesson.
As he prepared to leave slowly, Ruin spoke politely toward him.
"Um, Master."
"Mm, yes. Is there something you're curious about?"
At Reno Ban's faint smile and question, Ruin murmured very cautiously.
"Do you know someone named Ca...bella in the magic tower?"
"Cabella? Cabella Ksante?"
"Yes, that's her."
At Ruin's nodding appearance, Reno Ban asked again with a slightly odd look in his eyes.
"I do know her, of course. But why suddenly ask about that child?"
"By any chance, is that person one of your disciples..."
Just as Ruin was about to continue his question about Cabella.
Crash, bang. Boom!
Suddenly, tremendous noises came from outside.
"Oh my, what on earth is this all of a sudden? Could it be a thief? Bind!"
In a very monotone and nonchalant voice, as if catching someone, his mother Daisy's voice.
"Aah. N-No, wait a minute. I'm not a thief... Ru, Ruin. Help me out here for a sec!"
Now, the all-too-familiar voice of Cabella rang out.
At the same time.
"Ruin? Ruuuuin? Did you just say Ruin? You, what's your relationship with Ruin?!"
Suddenly, his mother Daisy's voice rose sharply, and an inexplicable chill could be felt.
And.
[Man, what a troublesome little troublemaker has shown up.]
At the Sword Soul's very honest evaluation of Cabella.
'Yeah.'
Ruin simply nodded lightly in agreement.
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T/N:
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