Chapter 235: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (28)

Chapter 235: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (28)

I resolved to make my way towards the slums alone.

Initially, owing to the aftermath of last night's banquet, our group had become somewhat distant from each other. Particularly, the Saintess would quickly avert her gaze whenever our eyes met.

If I dared to broach the events of last night...

"Fufu, perhaps you had a sweet dream last night? They say strong desires can influence dreams wildly. Brother Ian having such a dream could be seen as a Heavenly God's blessing. Immanuel."

That's all she would say.

Seemingly embarrassed, it seemed like she intended to manipulate her own memories.

If that was the Saintess's wish, I had to honor it.

Apart from that, there was Senior Elsie.

Trailing behind me, Senior Elsie would occasionally cast sorrowful glances at her chest.

And she would timidly ask me.

"M-Master... you wouldn't be tempted by mere flesh, right?!"

"Yes, I will be tempted by it."

It was only natural, being a man.

Senior Elsie immediately turned around, crestfallen as she retreated.

Lately, it had become uncommon for her to withdraw without clinging to me. Though I briefly wondered about her solitary departure, I soon stopped paying attention.

Was my only sin merely speaking the truth?

The unexpected trouble stemmed from elsewhere, however.

It was from my younger sister, Ria Percus.

Grinning broadly, she obstructed my path, wielding a shovel.

The sound of the shovel digging into the earth was sharp.

"Where do you think you're going, Orabeoni?"

"First, put down the shovel. Let's have a talk, Ria..."

The words escaped my lips with a sigh, but Ria wasn't one to take them at face value.

On the contrary, she drove the shovel into the ground once more, emitting a threatening sound.

It was as if she was saying, 'I'm upset now, so you have to coax me'—a somewhat endearing expression, in its own way.

Of course, with a schedule as packed as mine, I couldn't indulge such a request. To ease Ria's anger, I'd need to dedicate at least a few hours to her.

As siblings, Ria possessed a keen ability to discern my thoughts.

Watching me scratch my head, Ria pouted in discontent.

"Hmph, you were frolicking with other girls yesterday."

"They were guests I had to attend to, naturally."

"So you attended to them in the bedroom?"

"Hey, that's..."

I found myself at a loss for words in the face of Ria's sarcastic remarks.

Truth be told, there was little room for excuses regarding last night's commotion.

While it was necessary to pacify the situation, it still felt more like people choosing to overlook it. So, it was challenging to claim we had truly cleared the air.

Given Ria's natural disposition towards jealousy, it was unlikely she would let this matter rest quietly.

Ria persisted in voicing her dissatisfaction strongly.

"It must be nice, huh... While his little sister was waiting tirelessly for her brother, this brother of hers was entangled with two other women."

"Don't say things that could be misunderstood. I absolutely have no relationship with those two..."

"Considering that, your gaze seems to linger on a certain area every time you look at the Saintess."

I cleared my throat and averted my eyes from Ria's piercing gaze.

It was a reaction tantamount to an admission.

In response to my honest reaction, Ria grew even more upset.

"Hmph, you’re really forthcoming about your desires, aren't you? Are you planning to pounce on your little sister, too?"

Meanwhile, Ria subtly scrutinized my reaction.

It appeared she was anticipating a specific answer.

Naturally, I had to forget about it.

With that in mind, I brushed off my hands. In the end, Ria, who had allowed me to strike her, yelled with a bright red face.

"I-I'll make you take responsibility for this! It was the first time someone touched me there!"

"When was it not like that before?"

At my impassive response, Ria huffed with a sulky expression.

Finding her adorable, I chuckled lightly. However, something suddenly dawned on me.

"By the way, Ria."

"...Hmph, what. My perverted Orabeoni.”

Nevertheless, 'Orabeoni' was still more respectful than just 'Oppa'— although Ria typically used this term to address me, especially when she wanted to create some distance while upset.

Of course, Ria, being a good sister, wouldn't casually answer my question, no matter how angry she was.

With that trust in mind, I posed the question again.

"Have you ever heard of the ‘swindler’ in the slums?"

"...The 'swindler'?"

Ria, who had been pouting and grumbling, immediately perked up upon hearing those words.

Then, with a suspicious glance, she looked at me.

"Why are you asking about those people?"

"Well, um... I have a few matters to attend to."

Even with my obvious excuse, suspicion lingered in Ria's eyes.

As she resided solely at the Percus manor and managed the trading company, Ria was well-versed in the affairs within the territory. Perhaps she knew more about it than even my father.

It was more like I was checking if she knew, and judging by Ria's reaction, it seemed to be the correct answer.

Ria spoke with reluctance.

"...You're not planning anything strange, are you?"

"Why would I do something like that? I'm Ian Percus, a pacifist who abhors violence."

Ria stared at me suspiciously for quite some time.

However, no matter how long she stared into my eyes, she would never know my inner thoughts.

Eventually, Ria sighed deeply and divulged the information.

"You’re not lying, right? I’ll really, really trust you, Oppa? Don't stir up unnecessary trouble. Those guys are more dangerous than you might think."

I nodded with a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry... you know me, right? The gentle lamb of the Percus family."

And a few hours later...

A ray of light slashed through the air. Blood splattered, and a finger flew into the sky.

A man with a bushy beard blankly stared at me.

Seeing that, I wore a grin.

"...Who did you try to swindle in front of me?"

With a scream, the man collapsed shortly after.

Unable to bear the sudden pain, he began to rant and rave, writhing on the ground.

"B-Beat that bastard! But don’t hurt him too much since he is a noble!"

"Why did you tell them that...?"

A swift kick, like an arrow, struck the wooden desk, shattering it into splinters.

Several burly figures charging at me instinctively halted.

That was a mistake.

A hatchet cleaved into one man's shoulder. Stumbling, he gazed at his dislocated arm in astonishment.

Meeting his gaze, I let out a laugh.

"...You should have asked me for help instead, you know."

It marked the emergence of a pacifist in the back alleys of the Percus /genesisforsaken