223 Meeting 2
I had been planning to meet up with Reina.
Alone, of course.
That was the original plan—simple, straightforward. Nothing too complicated.
"Riley?"
"Riley..."
But who could have predicted I'd run into these two out here?
Considering the grand opening ceremony had nothing to do with them, I assumed they'd be busy doing whatever they did in their free time—most likely something indoors.
Going outside wasn't really their thing.
Neither of them struck me as the type to explore during rowdy and noisy times like this, and it wasn't ever mentioned in the game either.
During the opening ceremony, there was never a hint that these two would be out and about together, or even separately, for that matter.
"Rose, Seo... you two were outside? I never thought I'd see the day you two would go out together."
Seo, immediately shook her head, her expression blank as always.
"I just met her randomly... she's been bothering me,"
"Excuse me?" Rose's brow arched, eyes narrowing. "I believe I was helping you out."
"You were not...."
It was clear they hadn't exactly bumped into each other on good terms. Did they just cross paths by accident?
That seemed more likely.
These two never got along in the first place.
I glanced down at Seo's hand, noticing the half-eaten crepe. So, she was exploring the food stalls.
That was surprising—she didn't seem like the type to indulge in festival treats.
As for Rose, knowing her, she was probably just wandering around on a whim, maybe curious about something.
"What about you? What are you doing out here, Riley?" Rose asked as she suddenly stepped closer, her head tilted slightly as she looked up at me with that warm smile of hers.
It felt almost too natural, the way she closed the distance between us—something I hadn't really noticed before.
Now that I think about it, this was the first time we'd seen each other since the winter vacation.
Two months.
Not exactly a long time, but not short either.
Yet, looking at her now, there was something different about Rose.
It wasn't anything drastic, but... what was it? Her new hairstyle, perhaps?
She had tied her hair up in a ponytail—a change from her usual loose waves.
It made her seem more mature somehow.
More refined.
There was an elegance to her that wasn't so obvious before, as if she had grown in ways that I hadn't expected.
"I'm just here to meet up with my little sister," I replied casually.
"Little... sister?"
Both Rose and Seo said the words in unison, their eyes widening ever so slightly, clearly caught off guard.
Wait. Now that I think about it... Had I never mentioned Reina to these two before?
'I'm pretty sure I mentioned to Rose once that I had a younger sibling....'
"Yeah," I confirmed with a nod. "My little sister. Since the grand opening ceremony at the gymnasium should be over by now, she's probably waiting for me there."
The two of them stood there, absorbing the information.
Their expressions shifted, as if they were processing the idea of me having a sister they didn't know about. It was strange—seeing them both so surprised.
But then again, I had never really gone into much detail about my personal life with them.
After a moment of silence, both girls spoke up at the exact same time.
"Can I come along?"
"Can I go with you?"
The simultaneous request hung in the air, and for a brief moment, the two of them exchanged glances.
A spark of tension flared between them, an almost electric animosity in their eyes.
"Why don't you go along and continue getting scammed in these crowded streets, Miss Seo?" Rose's voice dripped with sarcasm, her lips curling into a smirk as she looked over at Seo.
The tension between them was thick, like a storm ready to break at any moment.
"I wasn't getting scammed..." Seo muttered, her expression as blank as ever, but the slight edge in her voice showed she wasn't taking Rose's jab lightly.
It didn't take much for the atmosphere to shift. In an instant, the rising tension between the two became almost palpable.
The air felt heavy, as if a single wrong word could set off an explosion.
It was clear—both of them wanted to come along with me, but neither could stand the idea of tolerating the other's presence.
Their mutual disdain was written all over their faces.
If only Uriel were there, this cute little sister of mine could probably take Lucas's title as the main harem protagonist of this world.
The way the girls seemed drawn to her was almost unnerving.
Granted, Lucas wasn't exactly doing anything that could attract their attention at the moment.
He was flying under the radar for now, seemingly uninterested in anything beyond his own goals. But that wouldn't last.
Once the main scenarios for [Act 3: Chapter 2 – Demon Flare] and [Act 3: Chapter 3 – The Cult's Revival] started, things would change.
By then, all of the heroines would be enticed by him—at least, that's how the story was supposed to go.
But seeing Reina now, surrounded by the very same girls destined to be Lucas's companions, made me wonder if things weren't already shifting....
Now that I think about it, I'd heard rumors about a certain incident involving Lucas and Reina during the practical evaluation exam last time...
I narrowed my eyes slightly. Did that guy accidentally "rizz" my sister or something?
The thought was both amusing and mildly concerning. Lucas was oblivious to that sort of thing, but Reina wasn't.
She had a way of navigating social situations with a subtlety that often went unnoticed.
It wouldn't be out of the question for her to handle herself well around him, but still...
As I observed the girls gathered around Reina, one stood out in particular: the Saintess Emilia—or rather, Enna, as she was currently known.
Disguised as an ordinary student, her radiant title as the Saintess of the Holy Church of Light was carefully hidden beneath a modest exterior.
The Holy Church of Light, the most powerful and well-known religion in the world, hailed her as their beacon, their living symbol of purity and divine will.
Yet here she was, mingling among the crowd like any other girl, her saintly aura replaced by the simple charm of a seemingly clumsy, innocent student.
But I knew better.
Enna's innocence although isn't exactly a facade, is quite the contradiction to the ruthless actions she always took against those aligned with darkness and evil.
Beneath that innocent smile and wide-eyed expression was a force that had eradicated entire organizations rooted in corruption and sin.
It was almost surreal to see her now, laughing casually with Reina, as if she hadn't faced down horrors that would drive most people mad.
Hugging Enna like a mother with her child was Vanessa, an elven princess with her own role to play in the later arcs.
Her arms were wrapped around the saintess in a way that spoke of familiarity and comfort, as if she found safety in Enna's presence.
No... Maybe it was Enna who found her comforting?
As I got closer, I couldn't help but feel a slight unease.
I was relieved that, for the moment, no unwanted memories resurfaced as I neared.
The large hood she wore, obscuring half of her face, probably helped.
I didn't want to risk acting strange in front of her, or anyone here.
Then there was Stacia and Flamme, two more unexpected presences in Reina's little group. Their inclusion baffled me at first.
They were the last people I would have ever expected to associate with my sister, let alone each other.
They couldn't have been more different, and yet, here they were, mingling with the others as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
I shook my head slightly.
I guess considering their whimsical nature, the chances of them crossing paths with Reina weren't exactly zero.
As we drew closer, Reina didn't seem to notice us at first, her attention absorbed by the lively conversation she was having with her newfound friends.
I cleared my throat and called out to her.
"Reina."
She froze at the sound of my voice, her head snapping around in surprise.
"Big bro." she said, though her voice was quieter than usual, carrying a mix of surprise and relief.
She hurriedly turned to face me, but her expression shifted quickly, her brows furrowing with frustration as she began to speak, her tone quickly sharpening.
"You finally show yourself. Where exactly have you—" her voice rose, her anger bubbling up, but it was short-lived.
As she prepared to fully scold me, her gaze fell upon the two girls flanking me, and she immediately fell silent, her eyes widening in shock.
Her gaze darted between them, confusion written all over her face.
It was as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Rose, standing gracefully to my right, and Seo, stoic as ever on my left, made quite the intimidating pair. Reina's eyes locked onto mine, silently screaming, Who are these people, brother?
Before I could even attempt to explain, Rose stepped forward with her characteristic charm, a mischievous smile dancing on her lips.
"You must be Reina~"
Rose moved closer, circling around Reina like a curious cat inspecting a new plaything, her hand resting thoughtfully on her chin.
"You're so beautiful~" she added, her eyes gleaming with genuine admiration.
The compliment caught Reina off guard, and I could see a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. Meanwhile, Seo, as unreadable as always, quietly observed the exchange.
Then, in a gesture that seemed completely out of character for her usual reserved nature, Seo stepped forward, her expression as blank as ever.
Without saying much, she gently placed her hand on Reina's head and patted it—almost robotically, but with a sincerity that was hard to miss.
"You look cute," she stated simply, her voice monotone but somehow kind.
She gave a small nod as if confirming her own words, as if she was objectively assessing Reina's appearance and approving of what she saw.
Reina, on the other hand, just stood there completely frozen.