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

Chapter 98 On a dark and windy night, when Tsukasa wielded his sword!
"Sherrag!"

"We're back!!"

At the newly built train station in Shelag, after three years, the three descendants of the Shivaish family finally returned from their studies in Victoria.

At the train station, I gazed at the familiar snow scene from my memory, and at the familiar yet much-changed town in the distance.

Over the past three years, Encia has grown considerably taller. With the excitement and liveliness befitting a young girl, she loudly proclaims her return to her hometown.

"Sister! Second brother! Come and see! Sherag has changed so much!"

"Not only have there been more railways, but also a lot of power lines have been laid! Ah! On the distant mountains, is that an intercity network?"

"It seems that my brother has really done a great job developing Sherag over the past three years!"

"—Encia, calm down, don't vent too much of your enthusiasm on the snow mountain."

Behind Ensia, Enya, who had just stepped off the train, also cast a gentle glance at her energetic younger sister.

She's only two years older than Enshia, but I wonder if it's because she's like a mother to her?

Over the past three years, Eun-ah has gradually come to understand the responsibilities of an older sister, and has shown a composure and maturity beyond her years.

However, only when mentioning her older brother does Eun-ah's face reveal the same innocent and slightly dependent smile as before.

"Your brother will be here to pick us up soon. Didn't you say you'd give him a big hug as an apology when you saw him?"

"Hehe... That's because I spent all my allowance on mountaineering equipment, so I didn't have money to buy my older brother a gift."

Encia gave a slightly embarrassed smile.

"But it's okay, my brother is so good to me, he definitely won't blame me!"

"When I see my brother, I'll be the first to rush over and hug him, and he'll definitely forget about the present!"

Despite being the youngest sister in the family and being pampered, Encia remains fearless.

"Speaking of which..."

However, she still turned her gaze to Enya, and to Ensiodes, who was slowly walking off the train, each holding an exquisitely packaged box.

Inside were the gifts that the brother and sister had brought from Victoria, intending to give to their beloved brother.

"Sister, second brother, what gifts did you pick out for brother? You're all being so secretive!"

"this?"

Enya pointed to the somewhat over-packaged box in her hand, smiled slightly, but did not tell her sister the answer to the question.

"It's a secret, Encia. I hope that my brother will be the first to see this gift."

"Second brother, it's unusual for you to be so mysterious. You didn't let me and Encia get close to the gift you prepared from beginning to end?"

Meeting the surprised gazes of his two younger sisters, Enciodes, who had honed himself into an incredibly mature and composed man over the past three years, answered without a single flaw:

"Perhaps I'm just as enthusiastic as you are about giving gifts to my brother."

“Be careful, Enya. I’m very confident this time. My brother will definitely prefer the gift I give him to you.”

"Huh? Just you wait and see, I'll make sure you lose miserably, Second Brother!"

Feeling challenged, Enya was full of fighting spirit, her eyebrows raised defiantly, yet her face radiated a smile as warm as a snow-capped mountain.

However, looking at his two younger sisters who knew nothing about him, Enshiodis could only sigh.

Perhaps only he knows what will happen the next day.

Here, only he and his older brother know what tomorrow will bring for Sherag.

Enciodes unconsciously turned his gaze to the box in his hand, the gift he was going to give to his brother, his heart heavy and resolute.

He knew that his brother had made up his mind.

As the younger brother, I absolutely cannot hesitate or be timid at this time.

"Hey! Second brother, sister! Look!"

Encia seemed to have discovered something, pointing to the billowing snow mist not far away, and immediately called out joyfully:

"Is that a sled? I saw one of those in Victoria!"

"With such novelties in Kjerag, it must be our big brother coming to pick us up!"

Soon after Encia finished speaking, several sleds stopped in front of them.

The graceful figure who stepped off the sled at the front, after removing her helmet, revealed blue hair and dragon horns that were extremely familiar to the three of them.

"Hey, my three brothers and sisters, it's been a long time!"

"Sister Chen (Miss Chen)!"

Upon their long-awaited reunion, the enthusiastic Encia first gave her brother's close assistant a big hug.

Chen Huijie was clearly not used to such close contact; she stiffened for a moment when Encia hugged her.

But when she looked at Enxia in her arms, who was acting like a little sister, a doting smile involuntarily appeared on Chen Huijie's handsome face.

"Okay, okay, stop hugging me like that. I'm here to take you back."

After gently rubbing Encia's little head in her arms, Chen Huijie looked around but didn't find her friend Fiona.

"Where's Fiona? Didn't she go to Victoria with you? Why hasn't she come back?"

"—Miss Fiona said she was going back to her hometown, so she'll be back a little later."

With just a few words from Chen Huijie, Enshiodis understood that Chen Huijie was unaware of his brother's coup plan.

Enciodes used a pre-prepared lie to evade Chen Huijie's question before finally asking the question he was more concerned about.

“Speaking of which, Miss Chen, my brother has rarely written to us in the past two years.”

"May I ask, how is my elder brother? Is the situation with the family still stable?"

"..."

However, Chen Huijie responded to the three siblings with a brief silence.

But it was this silence that caused the remaining joy on the faces of the three siblings to vanish like smoke in the cold wind.

"Sister Chen? Why aren't you saying anything?"

"Could it be that something happened to my brother?"

Looking at Eun-ah's questioning eyes, which were full of worry, Chen Hui-jie, who was not good at lying, fell silent.

However, she had to consider the spies of the Shivaish family who had been bribed by Manjuuin and had come with her in the sled.

Now, under the oracle, all of Sherag has seen the decline of the Shivaesh family.

Within just a few days, the servants and some members of the clan sought refuge with the Manjusin family or the other two major families, leaving the Shivaish family with virtually no secrets.

Under these circumstances, even Chen Huijie couldn't say much to the three siblings.

“…Enya, Enshia, your brother is sick, very sick.”

"As for the matter of Shivaesh, I think your father will explain it to you in detail when we get back."

"Also, remember what I said."

Under the watchful eyes of their spies, Chen Huijie's expression turned serious as she addressed the three siblings, enunciating each word clearly:
"Once you get home, don't say anything or ask anything."

"The relationship between your elder brother and father... has been somewhat strained lately."

"Whatever questions you have, keep them to yourself and don't voice them, understand?"

"……understood."

However, faced with Chen Huijie's solemn warning, Enya and Enxia, ​​who were unaware of the truth, felt heavy-hearted, and even the joy of returning home was completely washed away.

Only Ensiodis understood the current state of his family from Chen Huijie's words.

I had a vague idea that this night might be the night that would completely sever the two younger sisters' connection with their past happiness.

……

Even as night falls and the cold wind howls, the mansion of Shivaish remains brightly lit and constantly enveloped in warmth.

In present-day Kjerag, electricity is no longer a rarity.

But only Shiva's family could enjoy such treatment, with the whole house enveloped in light and warmth.

However, the atmosphere inside the mansion was completely out of place with the warm interior.

The Shiva's family sat around a huge dining table, and to celebrate the return of their three children, the Shiva's family had prepared an exceptionally lavish dinner.

Not only is there fresh, steaming hot pack animal meat, but also a cheese pot kept at a constant simmer, and fruit and cheese burritos that kids love.

However, what should have been a lively and warm evening turned into an unusually oppressive and heavy atmosphere at Shiva's house.

As the head of the household, Olafur sat alone in the seat of honor, the seat next to him, which symbolized his beloved wife, was empty. He ate his food in silence.

Besides his beloved wife, the seat closest to him, which should have belonged to Chen Qi, the eldest son, was also empty.

Enshiodis, Enya, and Enshia, who were sitting around the dining table, were also affected by the atmosphere, and even lost their appetite for the delicious food they had been craving.

Finally, someone couldn't hold back any longer.

"dad."

The lively and cheerful Encia was the first to find the strange atmosphere in the house unbearable. She looked up at her father, puzzled, and asked:
"What exactly happened at home? And what about my brother...?"

"—Shut up, Encia."

However, before Encia could finish speaking, Olafel forcefully interrupted him.

"Don't mention your brother in front of me."

Encia never expected that her father, who had always doted on her, would be so stern with her on the very first day she returned home.

The youngest sister's eyes welled up with tears almost instantly. At that moment, Enya, feeling sorry for her sister, couldn't help but stand up and ask:

"Dad, please don't do this. Encia did nothing wrong."

"Although I don't know what happened between you and your brother, I think there must be something going on—"

"Enya! Don't say nice things about your bastard brother!"

However, Enya's advice only enraged Olafur.

With a crisp sound of glass shattering, the eyes and ears who had been seemingly busy but were actually observing the surroundings unconsciously stopped what they were doing.

"Do you know that your brother has ruined you? And he has ruined our family even more?!"

Olaf slammed his fist on the table, and roared at his three children, whom he had frightened, while barely suppressing his heartache:
"Shivaish is in his hands. In three years, we've almost been driven out of Shelag!"

"Ask him again what terrible idea he came up with to keep Shivaesh in Shelag?"

"He actually wants Enya to participate in the Saintess Selection! To go to her death on that trial path!"

"What?!" X3
However, as soon as Olafel finished speaking, not only Enya and Enshia, but even the incredibly composed Enshiodis, subconsciously called out.

But soon, upon receiving this shocking news, Ensiodis quickly understood the reason why his brother had done this...

Yes, without the saintess, even if the brother succeeds in his coup, he won't be able to rule Sherag.

Only if the saintess is his sister can he ensure his rule in Sherag, a position that no one can challenge.

If it were Enciodes himself, he would have chosen to do the same after a brief period of self-reproach.

Because this is the best choice for Sherag and for the family.

Even if doing this would make his sister hate him for the rest of her life.

But as long as it's for the country and for their families, no matter how bitter the choice, as leaders, they have to do it.

"I don't believe it!" However, after her pupils contracted for a moment, Enya shook her head in disbelief at her father's words.

She couldn't believe that her most respected and beloved brother would let her embark on the path of the Saintess Trial, a path where hundreds of selectors had died!
But just a second before Enya could open her mouth to refute her father, a weak voice suddenly broke in, shattering Enya's last illusion.

"—It was my decision, Enya."

puff.

When the familiar voice rang out, Eun-ah felt her heart stop for a moment.

As she mechanically turned her head, Chen Qi, who was being helped over by Chen Huijie, dragged his still-recovering body and spoke in a low voice:

“Father is right. It was my decision to make you a saintess, Enya.”

"This is the only way to preserve our family's position in Shelag and to stop the persecution of us by the Manju Academy and the other two major families."

Supported by Chen Huijie, Chen Qi walked step by step toward his sister, whose eyes were unfocused and whose face was filled with disbelief.

Chen Qi's expression remained cold and ruthless.

It was as if he wasn't looking at his own sister.

Rather, it's a commodity, a tool.

For a moment, gazing at her beloved older brother Eun-ya, she couldn't quite make heads or tails of him.

The heartless man before her, and the loving brother she remembered... who is the real him?

“…Enya, you can hate me all you want, but my choice will not change.”

"As a girl of the Shivaesh family, this is a responsibility that you, and we, should all bear."

“I have done my part; now it is your turn.”

Then, at Chen Qi's signal, a servant presented Enya with a set of exquisitely crafted, heavy clothing that exuded a sense of holiness.

Although it was the first time Enya had seen those clothes, she recognized them.

Those were the saintly robes that the candidates for the trial of sainthood needed to wear, hand-sewn by the Brantou family.

And it was this very dress that shattered Enya's last glimmer of hope.

Enya stared blankly at her brother, whose eyes were devoid of any emotion. After a long while, she finally came to her senses and revealed a desolate smile.

"...Tick-tock."

Crystalline tears streamed down Enya's cheeks. She chuckled as she took the saint's robe from the servant's hands and bowed slightly to Chen Qi with the courtesy due to a retainer.

“…Enya Shivaash obeys the head of the family’s orders.”

A simple, calm sentence seemed to sever the bond between the brother and sister, causing even bystanders to feel a pang of pain in their hearts.

Olafel turned his head away, feigning toughness, but he was holding back tears in his eyes, not wanting his spies to notice anything amiss.

He knew that his son's plan was only one step away from being realized.

He absolutely could not allow his adopted son's plans to fail because of his own mistake.

"...Before I came back, I brought my parents a gift that I made myself."

After standing up, Enya looked at her brother, whom she no longer recognized, and forced herself to remain calm as she whispered:

"If the patriarch doesn't mind, you may open it and take a look."

"As for whether the patriarch needs it or not... please let the patriarch decide for himself."

"...Excuse me, I'm feeling a little tired, please excuse me."

After saying that, Enya brushed past her brother without looking back and left the living room as if she were running away.

"elder sister!"

Concerned about her sister, Eunsia immediately followed Eunya and left the living room as well.

For a moment, the huge living room was as silent as a tomb. Finally, Chen Qi, the head of the family, sighed and wearily spoke:

"...Everyone, get out. I need to be alone."

"Yes."

After Chen Qi gave the order, all the servants who had gathered enough information left the scene.

Even without opening his eyes, Chen Qi could guess that these people would pass on the last information about the Shivaesh family to their respective masters as soon as possible.

However, only after these spies and informants have completely left can those present have a brief moment to speak the truth.

"...Chen, Ensiodis, and Father."

Am I a bastard right now?

"...Speaking of the current situation alone, you really are a jerk."

Faced with Chen Qi's almost self-pitying words, only the most candid Chen Huijie ultimately answered his question.

"...But I think everything you've done has been worth it."

"As long as you can give the people of Shelag a new blue sky, so that they are no longer shrouded in darkness."

"I believe that everything you have done will be understood by everyone."

"...I hope so."

Faced with Chen Huijie's comforting words, Chen Qi, exhausted both physically and mentally, shook his head and slowly dragged his ailing body back to his room.

He knew he would have to wait a little longer.

Only when everything has settled down can he stop hiding his ambitions.

All you need are the last few hours.

……

Late at night, around the railway in Kjerag, two guards from the Perroch family, who controlled the military in Kjerag, were conducting their final patrol around the area.

However, the two sleepy Perrochi tribesmen heard the familiar sound of train tracks coming from the direction of the railway.

"...It's so late, isn't the Shivaesh family's train still running?"

"I guess their patriarch's illness is almost cured, and they'll have to accept the divine decree soon. They're probably trying to make a little profit before production stops?"

"No matter what, we have to go and see what the Shivaesh family sent."

"They're even including the inspection within our scope... The Shivaesh family is almost gone, I don't know what we're so nervous about."

After a brief conversation, the two Perrochi men carried their torches and headed towards the train station.

Soon, braving the wind and snow, the two found the very conspicuous train station.

One of them, holding a torch, stepped forward, knocked on the train door, and called out:
“We are from the Perroch family.”

"What's loaded in your carriage? We need to do a routine inspection."

Before anyone inside the train could respond, Perroche's guards, already accustomed to the inspection process, immediately opened the carriage door.

The next second, however, the scene before his eyes left the guard stunned.

What came into view was not minerals, grains, or new equipment.

But people.

Teams of men, armed and fully equipped, with eerie white marks on their helmets resembling holes, appeared.

For a moment, the guards who were looking at the scene in front of them suddenly had the word "Mountain Snow Ghost" pop into their minds.

This is a monster that exists only in stories in Shelag.

Legend has it that they hide deep in the snowy mountains, do not follow the teachings of Yeragand, have skeletal faces, wear animal skins, and hunt lone prey in the snowy mountains.

And now, how many "mountain snow ghosts" are there in front of him?
This carriage alone has at least 50 people!
And now, how many carriages are there? And how many snow monsters are inside?

Suddenly, a terrible thought arose in the guard's mind!
"Yes—woo!"

But before the guard could speak, a sudden attack knocked him unconscious and he collapsed to the ground.

"What happened?! Waaah—"

The other guard who noticed the anomaly was also knocked unconscious in the same way before he could even shout.

"get off."

However, at the command of a woman's voice that seemed particularly abrupt, all the snow ghosts in the carriage obeyed and got off the train.

This group of fully armed, numbering over a thousand, with impeccable military bearing and strict discipline, quickly assembled with a speed of action almost unimaginable to the Sherag people.

Just then, Fiona, who had given the order, jumped out of the carriage, looked at the team she had trained, and nodded solemnly.

"Okay, proceed according to plan."

"The four teams, A, B, C, and D, circled around to the back of the sacred mountain, quietly climbed up the mountain by rock climbing, and hid."

"Yes."

"Two teams, EF, will block the only road down the mountain from Shelag, and no one is allowed to escape on their own."

"Yes."

"The rest of you, follow me to the designated hiding place and be ready to be deployed at any time."

After completing the deployment, Fiona took a deep breath, took out her communicator from her pocket, and dialed Chen Qi's number.

Today, although Kjerag has an intercity network, it's likely that there isn't a single person in all of Kjerag capable of intercepting communications.

Therefore, Fiona was able to use the communicator to inform Chen Qi, who was far away, about her without any worries.

"Ding-ling-ling..."

The communicator's sound echoed in Chen Qi's room, and Chen Qi, who had been sleeping peacefully, opened his eyes almost immediately after hearing the communicator ring.

Strangely enough, he seemed to recover almost instantly from his serious illness. He quickly sat up in bed, picked up the communicator, and his voice became much stronger.

"Hello? Fiona?"

"Qi, everything is ready."

On the other end of the communicator, Fiona's slightly apprehensive yet resolute voice clearly reached Chen Qi's ears.

"You can do what you want now."

"Thank you, Fiona."

Having received a clear answer, Chen Qi quickly hung up Fiona's call.

After taking a deep breath, he, who had been suppressing his emotions for so long, finally couldn't hide the excitement and agitation in his voice, and shouted sharply:

"Horned Peak!"

"exist!"

Upon hearing Chen Qi's call, Jiao Feng, who had been guarding the door, opened it and immediately responded:

"Master, what are your orders?"

"—Go and summon Father, Ensiodes, Enya, Ensia, and Chen Huijie to the council chamber."

As Chen Qi stood up, his eyes burned with an uncontrollable flame of revenge. In his intense excitement, even his voice became hoarse.

"I have endured for three years, just waiting for this moment."

"Tonight is the day we have long awaited, the day of our revenge!"

(End of this chapter)