In Ark Simulator, why do I always get a tough start?

Chapter 130 Encia: This woman will never set foot in our house!
"Alright, alright, Encia, your injuries have all healed, haven't they? They don't hurt anymore, do they?"

Forced to stay alert, Chen Qi used cleansing magic to remove all traces of his "fierce battle" with Jian from the dormitory before carrying Encia into the room.

Chen Qi looked at Encia, who was still clinging to him like a sloth, and patiently comforted her, both amused and exasperated:
"Didn't you just say you've grown up? How come you're more like a child than before?"

"—As my brother just said, I will always be a child in his eyes."

However, even though his injuries had all healed, and even the hidden injuries that had accumulated in his body during his years of exploration had been completely cured by Chen Qi.

Encia remained curled up in her brother's arms, as if afraid that her beloved brother would leave her again.

"I need to confirm again, brother, is this still the brother I know?"

"Until I'm completely certain of this, I need to make sure that demon woman doesn't come near you again... Ouch!"

Before Encia could finish speaking, Chen Qi, who was amused by her, lightly tapped her forehead.

All that could be heard was Chen Qi saying in an annoyed tone:
"What demon? Encia, when did I ever teach you to use that kind of address?"

"Do you know that if the Sarkaz heard you just use that term, it could get you killed?"

Encia, who was covering her forehead, pouted and muttered upon hearing this:
"What does it matter? It's not the first time."

"And those demons... there's nothing to be afraid of with those Sarkaz. I've dealt with them more than once, and I've been living just fine for the past ten years or so—ouch!"

"Stop knocking! Stop knocking! Brother, please spare me!"

Before Encia could finish speaking, he received a series of taps on the head from his older brother.

Such a feat, so effortless it barely caused any harm, left the renowned "Wilderness Hunter," famous for his fearlessness, begging for mercy.

Of course, anyone could hear the hint of smugness and a faint smile in Encia's plea for mercy.

Undoubtedly, she was enjoying this rare and precious reunion with her brother.

"That's not OK."

After knocking Encia's head until she was dizzy and making sure she remembered her lesson, Chen Qi said in an annoyed tone:

"When you're out and about, the most important thing is not to create unnecessary trouble for yourself."

"Furthermore, she is not a member of the Sarkaz clan."

“Encia, you’ve been away from home for so many years. If you can’t even see this, then all those years of your life have been wasted.”

"..."

Reminded by her older brother, Encia, who had calmed down, turned her gaze to Jian, who was quietly brewing tea in the distance, trying his best to make his presence disappear.

Indeed, with a closer look, Encia would notice that the patterns on the mace's long horns are quite different from those on ordinary Sarkaz long horns.

They weren't Sarkaz, but rather Caprini who deliberately disguised themselves as Sarkaz.

"...Please use it."

At this moment, Jian, who was not very skilled at brewing tea, finally managed to place a pot of fragrant black tea in front of Enshia on a tray.

Facing his aunt, whom he had accidentally injured, a rare, ingratiating smile appeared on his usually aloof face as he said:

"I added extra sugar, you should like it."

"—Hey? Isn't this the Iron Fist Sister who almost killed me with one punch? You're still here?"

Unfortunately, Jian's strategy of trying to win over Encia with a pot of black tea failed, as expected.

This girl, who had been wandering for more than ten years and remained friendly to everyone except the Sarkaz, met someone she disliked even more than the Sarkaz on this day.

Looking directly at Jian's slightly embarrassed smile, Encia simply stared coldly, her tone even more sarcastic as she said:
"You're going to brew tea for me personally? Please spare me, I'm not worthy of such a treat."

“This is the first time we’ve met, and you’ve already hit me with such force. I can’t even imagine how much my brother suffered when he was with you.”

"If you really want to apologize, why don't you release my brother now? I'm taking him back to Shelag—it hurts!"

This time, before Encia could finish speaking, she received an even heavier tap on the head, making her turn to her brother with an even more aggrieved look.

"Don't be so rude, Encia."

As Chen Qi withdrew his hand, he patiently explained to Encia:

“Jian is my soulmate who has gone through thick and thin with me, and she is also your future sister-in-law. You should treat her with respect.”

"Besides, you started the fight with the mace, didn't you? As a warrior, there's nothing to complain about if you're not as skilled as the other."

"Huh? Really? Brother, you really like this muscular blonde?"

For a moment, Encia's face showed a look of extreme astonishment after receiving his brother's personal acknowledgment.

However, after the initial shock, a strong sense of disbelief overwhelmed Encia, causing her to blurt out anxiously:
"Then, what should we do about Lord Yeragand?!"

"Brother! You're not planning to abandon Lord Jeragand for this muscular blonde, are you?!"

"What's so great about this muscular blonde?!"

Encia pointed in the direction of the mace with a bewildered expression. Seeing the mace's confusion and his brother's slightly changed expression, he quickly asked:
"She has neither the gentleness and kindness of Lord Jeragand, nor is she any stronger than Lord Jeragand!"

"And, more importantly! What if Lord Jeragand finds out about this?"

"Even Lord Jeragand would probably be so angry upon hearing that you, brother, have fallen in love with someone else that he would bury Kjerag in the snow!"

"...Yeragand?"

After a long silence, Jian gradually came to understand Encia's confusing remarks.

“I remember that Yeragand was a deity worshipped by Sherag, and she did indeed demonstrate her divine power in past wars, thus confirming her existence.”

"...So, Qi, you didn't hook up with someone from the Shiva'ish family, but with the god of Kjerag?"

For a moment, when Jian realized this absolutely terrifying fact, even though he was as calm as a hammer, a wavering expression couldn't help but appear on his face.

After all, that's a "god".

Although Jian didn't know much about the so-called "god," she had only heard of the fact that the other party could change the climate and cause the summit of Mount Kalan to collapse by his own power.

That was enough to give him a general understanding of Yeragand's power.

And Jian really never expected that one day he would actually be qualified to become a rival for "God" in love.

The mace, however, was not afraid of any "god".

Rather, it's more accurate to say that Jian, who already enjoys the thrill of climbing to the top, really wanted to try out the experience of competing with "God".

However, there are still some issues with the mace that cannot be ignored, and we must find out the answers.

"So, there's something I've never been able to understand, Inori."

After calming herself down, Jian turned her probing gaze to the man she loved most, and asked with an unprecedentedly serious expression:
"As the emperor of Letania, how did you manage to invade Kjerag while simultaneously becoming involved with the god of Kjerag?"

"Besides, if you were able to seduce the god of Shelag back then, why did we have such a hard time when we led our army to attack Shelag?"

However, no sooner had Jian finished speaking than Enshia, who hadn't understood, suddenly looked up and asked his brother in a daze:
"Brother? What did she mean by that just now?"

"Why did she say you were the Emperor of Letania? Brother, aren't you the King of Sherag?"

"...Well, I think I need to spend some time explaining this to you."

As expected, this day has finally come. Chen Qi couldn't help but sigh, not at all surprised by what he was going through.

For Chen Qi, aside from the fact that he was a time traveler and that he possessed a system, which was his last line of defense that he absolutely could not reveal, there was something else.

Everything else is not something that cannot be shared with the people you love.

The reason he didn't say anything before was simply because all of this was incomprehensible to others.

Now, even Jian and Encia have sensed something is amiss, and their explanations finally have convincing evidence. "Whether it's the Emperor of Letania or the King of Sherag."

“Enya, Jian, please believe that both of these identities are the real me.”

"The people who shared your hardships and tribulations in your memories are all the real me."

"The only difference is perhaps time."

Facing the two women's incomprehensible gazes, Chen Qi, after some thought, offered a solution they could understand, patiently explaining:

"You can understand this as my Originium Arts."

"My Originium Arts can change my identity, even my race, allowing me to travel to an unknown point in time and meet you all."

"……I see."

Gradually understanding Chen Qi's meaning, Jian, after a brief moment of thought, revealed a look of sudden realization and said calmly:

"I said, why did you become a dragon after more than ten years when you were clearly a Caprini?"

"I thought you had a new body, but it turns out you changed your race and traveled back to more than ten years ago."

"That's it."

After nodding with a smile, Chen Qi continued to explain, meeting Encia's still somewhat confused and dazed gaze:

“Ensia, before I met you, I was the Leitanian Emperor who conquered the western continent, as mentioned by the sword.”

"When I first changed the course of history with my Originium Arts, Enshia, the fate of Kjerag at that time was simply to be a piece of land conquered by Letania."

"Sherrag...has been conquered?"

Encia murmured softly, stunned. After what was an unbelievable fact to her, she gradually realized what her brother meant.

This is not surprising; without the older brother, the isolated Sherag would have been no chance to stop the army of Letania.

Therefore, the only fate awaiting Kherag was indeed to become a conquered land.

"However, I never expected that when I activated my Originium Arts for the second time, I would become a member of the Shivaesh family."

“I went from being a triumphant conqueror to the ruler of a small country who had to rack his brains to survive the steel onslaught of Letania.”

Recalling the predicament he faced when he first arrived in Shelag, Chen Qi couldn't help but smile bitterly.

However, he remained completely without regret for what he had done, openly and honestly admitting it to his sister:

"So, Encia, do you understand now?"

"Why was I so tense during my time as King of Kalan? Why did I even have to resort to cruel methods to rule Shelag?"

"...I think I understand now."

In the past, all the choices and anxieties that her brother made seemed incomprehensible to her were gradually becoming clear in Ensia's mind with Chen Qi's patient explanations.

Encia's eyes gradually brightened, and having understood the truth, she quickly replied:
"Because at that time, only you, brother, knew how fast Letania was rising, and only you, brother, knew the future fate of Sherag."

"That's why you launched the coup, and that's why you were so eager to reform Serlag and make it strong enough to withstand attacks from Letania!"

"Is that so, brother? Everything you've done is to prevent Kjerag from being destroyed, isn't it?"

"—A smart child."

Seeing that Encia fully understood his actions, Chen Qi smiled with relief and gently embraced her.

However, now that all her inner conflicts had been resolved, Encia buried her face deeply into her brother's chest.

“I knew it. There must be a reason why my brother did all those things.”

“I knew it… my brother is definitely not the cruel person they described.”

As she spoke, she seemed to be recalling the past ten years or so when she, as the younger sister, couldn't help her older brother in any way.

Back then, I could only watch my brother from afar, bearing all the insults and misunderstandings, dragging the whole of Shelag forward alone.

She desperately wanted to do everything she could to share some of the burden with her brother.

Otherwise, when Sherag was first invaded, Encia wouldn't have infiltrated the Snow Golems, attempting to fight alongside her brother.

"...Why are you doing this to yourself?"

Even just listening to Chen Qi and Encia's conversation, Jian could imagine the immense pressure Chen Qi endured during his time in Sherag.

This is probably a much heavier burden than when I was with her.

Leitania can be considered a powerful nation in any case, and after Qi became emperor, there were almost no dissenting voices around him. Everyone worshipped and admired him.

In Sherag, however, he had to overcome everyone's incomprehension and transform a closed-off small country into one that could resist Letania in just a few years.

Even if he had accomplished such a feat, the people of Sherag at the time would not have been grateful to him.

Even with only tenderness and affection for the man she deeply loved, Jian couldn't help but ask Chen Qi:
"Since you became the King of Kalan, why did you have to bear all this burden?"

"Why not just surrender to Letania on behalf of Sherag? After all, you're still the Emperor of Letania now."

"—That won't do, mace."

Faced with Jian's question, Chen Qi simply smiled and, meeting Jian and Encia's gazes, answered without hesitation:

"Even if I become the King of Kalan, I will not be able to persuade everyone to surrender to Letania."

“My family are a group of people who would be willing to die for Sherag.”

"In order to protect my family, I had no choice but to do my best to protect Sherag as well."

As he spoke, Chen Qi cast a loving glance at Jian and said, word by word:

"It's like how I'm willing to face the challenges of evil in order to save you."

"...Idiot, a man as stupid as you is a rare find in this world."

Although she was already adept at forcing Chen Qi to pay public taxes, Jian was still completely unaccustomed to these sweet words, and her ears turned red as she looked away.

However, she couldn't help but slightly curl the corners of her lips and replied in a low voice:
"But... there's really nothing I can do. The man I've fallen hopelessly in love with is just like that."

Jian's voice was extremely soft, but in the enclosed dormitory, both Chen Qi and Enxia could clearly hear her murmurs.

It seems this muscular blonde really does love her brother from the bottom of her heart...

—But that alone isn't enough for me to support this guy becoming my sister-in-law!

Nestled in Chen Qi's arms, Encia, having figured out the truth of everything, began to ponder what she considered most important.

That was his elder brother's life-long happiness.

Encia knew very well that, given the current situation, it was impossible for her to persuade her brother to give up on this muscular blonde woman.

The overflowing love in their eyes was something even Encia knew was unshakeable.

Even so, Enshia must find a way to make Lord Jeragand superior in status!
She needs to find a way to let this blonde muscle woman know that when it comes to love, Lord Jeragand is absolutely not going to lose!

"It seems we need to find a way to send a letter to Shelag so that my second brother and sister know that my brother is still alive."

"Of course, most importantly, we need to let Lord Jeragand know as well."

Curled up in her brother's arms, Encia murmured to herself in a voice only she could hear:

"As long as Lord Jeragand and my brother are reunited... everything will turn around!"

"This time, I'm determined to make that violent, muscular woman back down!"

(End of this chapter)