A dull longsword and a heartbroken villager

Lux, are you alright?

"fine."

Lux, have you lost weight?

"I haven't lost weight."

Lux, do you have a boyfriend?

"No."

"Lux..."

"Brother, shut up!" Lux shut Bray up, her face full of exasperation.

Bray lowered his head, looking somewhat dejected.

Is my younger sister disgusted with me? What did I do wrong?

Is it because we haven't talked to her for too long?

Distance really is the reason for the breakdown of the relationship!

"Don't be too nervous, I'm fine."

"You're the one who worried me, coming back from Vinicado so late," Lux said, sitting down in a chair, sounding annoyed.

If Lux knew what Bray was thinking, she'd probably want to throw a fireball at him.

"I already told you, your little sister is fine," Naruko said, munching on an ice pop.

"So nervous, like a fool."

“Shut up.” Bray curled his lip.

"Alright, alright, bro."

"You should go back now, I'm fine here." Lux stood up from her chair and pushed Bray.

Now a bunch of people are crammed into their own rooms.

Seeing Lux trying to push him out of the room, Bray felt a chill run down his spine.

"Then I'll head back now," Bray said, looking reluctant.

Lux's lips twitched as she watched; couldn't her brother be a little more reliable?

---

After walking out of the Imperial Academy gates, Bray silently lifted Levy up and casually tossed the fireball off Levy's head aside.

"Meow?" Fireball was completely bewildered. Why was it being treated like this?

Wait, why is this guy lifting his little master up?

Also, why is the little master so excited? Is being lifted up high something to be happy about?

Little master, you must have the dignity of a lion!

But Levy doesn't have the so-called dignity of a lion.

Levy, lifted high by Bray, wagged her tail rapidly, revealing a =V= expression.

If she could, Levy would even like to lick Bray's face.

“Levy,” Bray said.

"Oh!" Although she didn't know why she was being lifted up, Levy instinctively responded with a "Oh!"

A good boy should respond when called.

"Do you think Lux is disgusted with me?" Bray asked.

The moment the question was uttered, Levy's expression became very subtle.

"Lux and I used to laugh and chat all the time, she was so cute." Bray reminisced about the original Lux.

Lux was always on very good terms with me when I left home to become an adventurer.

"What do you think happened?"

"Hmm?" Levy's eyes darted around; she didn't understand what Bray meant.

Lei understands every single word! But why does it look so complicated when they're put together?

"Levy...Levy doesn't know." After a long pause, Levy managed to utter these words.

Levy really doesn't know anything. Bray's questions are so profound.

"Meow meow meow!!! Meow!" The fireball rolled on the ground, protesting vehemently.

Unfortunately, Bray didn't even glance at the fireball.

"Sigh—" Bray let out a sigh like that of a middle-aged or elderly person.

He realized that his relationship with his sister might be getting a little distant.

In fact, Bray doesn't deliberately try to cultivate good interpersonal relationships; he lets everything take its natural course.

However, my younger sister is an exception.

It's not good to have a bad relationship with your sister; Lux is your only family.

“Hey, Bray, put Levy down first.” Naruko slapped Bray on the head.

"Why did you have to ask Levy of all people?!" Naruko was speechless.

"Am I asking you?" Bray looked at Naruko with disdain.

"Why, why, can't, it be, me!?" Naruko was stunned, wondering if she hadn't made the right choice.

She's the most normal person in their group, okay?

Naruko, a woman with a mental illness, unconsciously labels herself as a "normal person."

However, since she had already set her sights on someone, Naruko wasn't as infatuated as before.

It's mainly because of that guy, Bray, who's as hard as a rock.

"Thud." Bray gently placed Levy on the ground.

Levy quickly picked up the fireball that was lying on the ground pretending to be dead.

"Go on," Bray said, arms crossed, looking at him expressionlessly.

"Hmm, beg me then." Naruko raised her head, as proud as a swan.

"Hehehe, this time I'm going to make Bray submit! I'm going to climb into that guy's bed! I'm going to pull back his blanket!" Naruko started plotting.

But after waiting for a long time, Bray still didn't say anything.

Naruko, who had raised her head, had no choice but to lift her eyelids and look ahead.

"Hey! Don't just walk away without a word!"

---

"Cough cough." Naruko coughed a few times, pretending to cough, on a park bench.

Bray stood in front of Naruko, looking like he was saying, "If you don't tell me, I'm leaving."

As for Levy, she was pressing down on the fireball and lighting it on the side.

Why light it? It's just because Levi's picture is fun.

"Between you and your sister, time and distance have created something called a barrier."

"... "

"Simply put, it's awkward! A very subtle kind of awkward!" Naruko pulled out her black-rimmed glasses, pointer, and blackboard from behind her back.

"???" Bray wanted to ask if Naruko could do magic.

Most importantly, this is a park. Doesn't Naruko feel ashamed?

"Listen up." Naruko tapped the blackboard with her pointer.

"They both clearly wanted to get along well, but this awkward situation left them unsure of what to do."

"!" Bree suddenly realized that Naruko was quite something, and couldn't help but start listening seriously.

"So, all you need to do is defuse this awkward situation, and you'll be fine!"

“And what will resolve this awkward situation is to evoke strong emotions in Lux,” Naruko said mysteriously, pushing up her glasses.

"How do we do it?" Bray found himself sitting on the floor, watching Naruko give her speech on the bench.

Even Levy listened while holding the fireball.

Although I don't understand what Naruko is saying, she seems really impressive.

"Let's start with a gift."

"I've tried it."

“It’s not just any simple gift; it’s something that can touch Lux’s heart.” Naruko 1 looked at Bray with disdain.

Is there anything your younger sister likes the most?

"It's not the kind of liking you do in everyday life, it's the kind that's deep in your bones."

"Let me organize my thoughts." Naruko rubbed her temples and began to think.

"Yes, it's that kind of thing you like but can never have."

"Ideally, it should be something that can move her." Naruko's expression gradually turned lewd.

“What I want, but can never have… things Lux likes.” Bray murmured, lost in thought.

Bray's right eye involuntarily closed as countless memories flashed through his mind.

"It's probably a cake."

"Ok?"

"Lux and I both want to eat our foster mother's cake again," Bray muttered. Bray and Lux ​​are siblings, but they are also orphans.

An elderly couple named Claes adopted Bray and Lux.

Although the elderly couple passed away more than ten years later.

But those ten-plus years were the only time Bray and Lux ​​ever felt love.

Both Bray and Lux ​​wanted to eat the cake made by their foster mother, simply to reminisce about their past relationship.

The problem is, the adoptive mother has passed away, and no one can make that cake anymore.

Even if it tastes similar, it's not the same cake.

"You really know how to make things difficult for people," Naruko said, patting Bray on the shoulder.

"No, I just said it offhand."

“I know it’s impossible.” Bray glanced at Naruko, not knowing why he had said that.

"Well, can you think of something else?" Naruko asked, slumping in her chair and crossing her legs.

"Never mind," Bray simply shook his head.

Naruko is right. There's a distance between her and Lux ​​right now, which makes their meetings feel a bit strange.

The first time he came to the school to find Lux, she still dared to kick him.

Later, Lux gradually kept a certain distance from Lux.

“It doesn’t matter, she’ll always be my sister,” Bray said softly, his hands in his pockets.

"Emmmmmm," Naruko didn't know how to tell Bray.

Bray's mood seemed to drop considerably all of a sudden.

Naruko grabbed Levy, who was playing with fireballs.

"Huh?" Levy was caught off guard and grabbed.

Naruko hugged Levy like a cuddly pillow, shaking her head and sighing.

---