The Hero’s Brother Is Bound To Be Depressed

243 – Winter Vacation

After finishing the meal, Bella caught me as I was about to return to the academy.

“I have a gift for you.”

As I looked at her with puzzled eyes, Bella motioned to Theodore who was sitting behind her. Theodore took out a small box from his chest, placed it on the table, glanced at me with strange eyes, and then returned to his seat.

I opened the small box when my eyes told me to open it. Inside it was something like a pill with a transparent inside, like a bright red ruby. I felt something wriggling inside, like a living creature.

“… “What is this?”

Bella brushed her hair in response to my question.

“It’s an elixir taken from the imperial warehouse. It’s such an incredible elixir that it can restore lost lifespan. The timing is strange, but don’t get me wrong. I didn’t give this to you because you were a lily, but I wanted to give it to you because you are Roel’s younger brother. My fault… “Because I was planning on fixing it.”

For once, I looked directly into Bella’s eyes. I closed the box without saying a word as he looked straight at me as if it wasn’t a lie.

An elixir that could restore shortened lifespan would have been difficult to find outside of the imperial warehouse. The identity of the lily was revealed today during the day. It would be difficult for Bella, even the crown princess, to obtain this level of elixir within a few hours. Because inspection of the imperial warehouse is the sole authority of the emperor. It must have taken a really long time to get the elixir out.

It’s not a waste to say thank you to someone who worked hard for me. In fact, it is closer to a settlement due to violence, but it is true that efforts were made.

“… thank you.”

The bright smile on Bella’s face when I said thank you felt very unfamiliar… I had no choice but to turn and run out of the store.

***

After returning to the club room, I immediately took out the box containing the elixir I had received from Bella from the space storage room. This is the first elixir I am trying. It was natural to have expectations.

In fact, I was planning to continue purchasing elixirs once I made a lot of money through the improved portal. There were definitely things that could not be achieved through training and effort alone.

It is true that one cannot reach the realm of the transcendental with the elixir alone, but with the help of the elixir, the steps toward the realm can become lighter.

Without hesitation, I swallowed the pill-like elixir with water. And I looked forward to the changes that would come.

“… ?”

There was no change. While I was scratching my head wondering if I had been scammed. At that moment, some hot energy began to spread from my heart.

“Queuuu… !!!”

It felt like my blood vessels were burning and my internal organs were melting from the heat. Her tremendous energy was pounding through her entire body, to the point where she even forgot the instinctive action of exhaling and inhaling.

“omg… ! Huh! Ugh… !”

I bit my molars in pain. It is a painful pain similar to the intestines of a volcanic poisonous toad that I once ate.

After looking back for a while, a familiar message finally appeared before my eyes.

[ Indomitable Courage is activated. ]

It felt like the pain was going away, but it was just my mind. My body was shaking like crazy, as if I was cold, and something welled up in my throat.

“Puhak!”

I vomited dark red blood. The blood that soaked the carpet in the club room was foaming as if it was boiling.

Could it be that Bella gave me poison with the intention of killing me? It was a painful pain that felt as if my organs were being forcibly twisted to the point where I had such doubts.

A hot energy swept through my entire body and gathered back into my heart. I felt a strange sense of déjà vu, feeling as if my blood vessels were shrinking. The place where the hot energy passed was not exactly the same as the passage through which magical power was used when using intangible breathing, but it was similar.

I used the intangible breathing as if it were instinct. Then a huge storm swept through the club room.

At that moment, something penetrated me and my vision changed. It is not human vision. In my mind, I recognize the passage through which the elixir energy flows through my third vision.

Something is blocking the way. The runic chains that somehow existed in my veins were pushing away the energy. I tried gently pushing the chain away, but it didn’t budge. He gathered all the energy from his heart and his whole body and poured it into the chain in an instant.

-no!

I hear someone’s voice in my head. I felt a numb pain in my brain, but eventually the chain was pushed aside and a huge force of energy reached my brain.

I opened my eyes with the feeling of something leaving the top of my head. And before my eyes, an unfamiliar message that I had seen a long time ago appeared.

「Synchronization rate 97%.」

***

Three days passed and Kane returned to the academy. She seemed somewhat relieved, so I asked her if there was any good news. Kane answered in a sighing voice, contrary to her facial expression.

“I was wrong, so they told me to confess five more times. “Then you joked that you would give it some thought?”

“… “It’s like Aria.”

When I answered that with a smile, Kane also smiled and shook his head.

“Well, because I’ve been wrong all this time… “You have to try to like it.”

Kane will do well. Because a new driving force has arisen. I patted Kane on the shoulder without saying a word and left the club room. This is because I promised to meet Estelle at Modest.

When I arrived at Modest and was heading to Estelle’s room, I ran into Amy who was walking down the hallway.

When we first met, he was a bit thin, but he seemed to have gained a little weight, perhaps because Amber was taking good care of him. When she waved her hand happily, Amy noticed her and gently waved her hand. I guess she’s still shy.

I spoke in a friendly voice, hoping to ease the tension.

“Hi, Amy. “It’s been a while.”

“An, hello.”

As he said that, he held out a bunch of chocolates and candies from the storage room in front of Amy, who lowered her gaze. She looked so cute as Amy, who instantly brightened up and smiled brightly, gently stroked her head.

Amy, who had stuffed so much chocolate and candy that her pockets were bulging, looked at me with her lips pursed as if she had something to say.

“why? “Do you have anything to say?”

Amy, who pondered my question for a moment, finally opened her mouth.

“T-To enter Transcendence Academy… Like you said, how many hours should we study together every day?”

I raised the corner of my mouth at the look in Amy’s eyes, hoping that she would give me the answer I wanted. At that age, I’m at an age where I hate studying so much. Of course, I was admitted under special circumstances, but I have the social skills to know how to respond in situations like this.

“Actually, a few hours is not enough. “If you study hard every day, exercise hard, and train hard, you will be able to enter the academy.”

He looked slightly disappointed by my words, but eventually smiled happily when I heard that he could enter the academy. I suddenly became curious about that smile and asked.

“Why do you want to attend the academy?”

“… “I want to wear a pretty school uniform like Estelle!”

Although it was a childish reason, it was not a bad reason to use as the first step toward admission to the continent’s best academy. Whatever the reason, having a goal itself becomes an opportunity to work hard.

However, by the time Amy reaches the age to enter school… The academy is not functioning properly. This will change into a world where survival takes precedence over learning.

Even if a tragic future awaited her, there was no reason not to support Amy’s efforts. I will work endlessly to change the planned future, and if my efforts bear fruit, Amy will be able to enter Transcendence Academy normally.

So, what I would say was decided.

“If you try hard, you can do it.”

*

When I entered the room where Estelle was, Estelle, wearing a black cat mask, immediately started selling to me.

“This lolicon… ! I told you to come quickly, but in the meantime, you’re seducing innocent Amy?! “A perverted pig like you has no age limit for women?”

I guess I was eavesdropping on the conversation I had with Amy in the hallway. The distance must have been quite long, but the successor to the assassin group is definitely different. I sighed and scratched my head.

“Why is it tempting to tell you to study hard?”

Estelle seemed to have nothing to say in response to my sharp criticism, as she pounded her hand on the desk and spoke.

“Anyway, the perverted pig is off limits to Amy from now on!”

I ignored the nonsense and sat down opposite Estelle.

“So what’s the good news?”

Estelle’s letter asking her to come see her last night added that she had good news.

In response to my question, Estelle put out her small chest and assumed an arrogant posture.

“Hmm, you seem curious~? “How about you, you couldn’t sleep due to anticipation~?”

I asked, wondering what that would look like.

“Is that why you sent the letter at night? “Are you having trouble sleeping from anticipation?”

“Oh, no… !”

That’s right.

After drying her face and staring at her, Estelle quickly changed the topic.

“you… Has your energy changed somehow? “Did you take any elixir?”

At Estelle’s question, I unconsciously shrank my shoulders. Just by taking the elixir, I gained valuable effort.

The ability level that would have risen after working hard for almost half a year increased all at once simply by taking the elixir. However, the phenomenon of decreased synchronization rate was unknown.

I spoke sarcastically to Estelle, who was looking at me intently and waiting for an answer.

“Thanks to having a good older brother, I got a good elixir.”

Estelle snorted at my words and shrugged her shoulders.

“anyway… ! The good news is that we found a clue in Death Canyon. “They said they found the entrance to an old dungeon buried in the soil.”

I couldn’t hide my surprise at those words. She was prepared for it to take some time, but she never expected to find it so quickly.

Estelle must have read my expression, crossing her arms in an even more arrogant manner and nodding her head… . Just helping me get the Spear of Shadow made me more grateful than thinking of him as a cocky kid.

Estelle asked as she stood up.

“good! Are you ready to get the Spear of Shadow?”

This winter vacation will be a time of explosive growth for me.

I stood up and repeated the name as hard as I could.

“Ready!”