Chapter 148: The Turmoil of the Cattleya Marquis Family II
Atop the gate stood Toya Cattleya, the third son of the Cattleya Marquis Family and Yuri’s older brother. He was a towering figure, resembling their father with a rugged, rock-like face, and his muscular build was a testament to his prowess. A master of the spear, he commanded a unit in the knight order despite his youth.
“You don’t have permission to stroll without a leash! Get back to your room! What would you do if someone saw that ridiculously cute face of yours and those angelic wings of yours?!”
Though Toya’s tone was rough, a deep affection for his sister shone through. However, his choice of words, calling her ‘ridiculously cute,’ added an odd layer of discomfort.
“Toya, I have to go to the academy. Let me through!”
“There’s no way I’m letting you pass… Ah, no way in hell!”
Toya thrust the tip of his spear down from the gate with a sharp clang.
“I can’t let a stunningly beautiful girl like you walk outside! Suitors would swarm around you like maggots on a corpse!”
“…Toya, that’s not the point.”
The house steward, who had been listening to the sibling exchange, shook his head with a grave expression.
“Indeed, Lady Yuri’s charm and beauty could only be compared to a goddess of beauty… but this is not the time for such discussions. Your father has ordered that you are not to leave the estate.”
“Ah… that’s right. Yuri, Father has not granted you permission to go out. Hurry back!”
“I’ve followed all the proper procedures to attend the academy! There’s no reason for me to be confined to the estate without justification!”
Yuri’s expression turned sulky as she shook her fist in frustration.
“If you try to stop me… even if you are my brother, I won’t let it slide! I’ll defeat you and return to the Royal Capital!”
“Is my sister… going through a rebellious phase? I feel like a puppy being playfully nipped at.”
Toya shrugged and leaped down from the gate.
“I guess I have no choice… I’ll have to discipline you a bit. You won’t be leaving the estate on your own again… and for heaven’s sake, stay away from dangerous places like the battlefield!”
“Ugh…!”
“ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!”
As Toya shouted, thick stone armor began to envelop his entire body. This was his signature magic, Stone Wear. By wrapping himself in stone and layering it with Hardening, he achieved an impenetrable defense. In his fully armed state, he could withstand even high-level magic without faltering.
“I win, Yuri.”
“…Do you really think you’ve won against me, Toya?”
“Of course.”
A muffled voice echoed from within the stone armor.
“Our Yuri (my puppy). I am your brother. There’s no way a brother could be weaker than his sister. Besides… you’re already fatigued from your battles with the other soldiers. You can’t possibly defeat me in your current state.”
That was a certainty. Toya was undoubtedly among the elite of the knight order, a warrior whose equal could be counted on one hand. In contrast, Yuri was merely a student. The effects of Oni Disease had granted her enhanced physical abilities, but that was all it was—enhanced physical abilities.
“I suppose discipline sometimes requires physical punishment… but I don’t want to do that to you. Please, just go back to your room quietly.”
“……..No.”
“What did you say?”
“I said no, Toya! I will never be a caged bird again!”
Yuri had already tasted freedom. Not just within the confines of the estate, but she had come to understand the vastness of the world. How could a bird that had learned the joy of soaring through the skies ever return to a life of confinement?
“Even if you try to stop me, I’m going! My friends are waiting for me in the Royal Capital!”
“…Very well. I’ll have to subdue you by force!”
With his stone armor donned and spear in hand, Toya lunged at Yuri. His speed belied the weight of the stone, suggesting that some form of magic was at play to lighten the armor. Toya was not just skilled in martial arts; he was also a seasoned warrior with a high level of magical proficiency.
“You’re right… I am tired, Toya.”
As her brother charged at her, Yuri whispered softly.
“I’m exhausted from fighting the soldiers trying to stop me from going out… oh, I’m so very tired.”
With a melancholic tone, she kicked off the ground.
“I’m tired of holding back so I don’t kill you!”
“Gah!?”
Yuri struck Toya’s abdomen with her bare foot, producing a thunderous crack. The stone armor shattered into pieces. Despite being magically hardened to near-steel strength, it was obliterated in a single blow from Yuri.
“Yuri…”
“Ah, as expected of you, Toya. You didn’t die even after I kicked you for real.”
Yuri spoke with a sense of relief, genuinely pleased that she hadn’t killed her brother. The remnants of the stone armor fell away, leaving Toya sprawled on the ground, a large bruise forming on his abdomen, but it seemed his life was not in danger.
“I am free now. I’m breaking away from my father and my brother, so everyone should celebrate my independence!”
“W-wait… Yuri…”
“And one more thing.”
Yuri looked down at her fallen brother and smiled brightly.
“The next time I come back here of my own accord, I’ll bring a wonderful boyfriend with me. I have some candidates in mind. Look forward to it!”
“……..!”
Toya’s mouth opened and closed in shock. Having said her piece, Yuri turned her back on her fallen brother.
“Well then, take care!”
With that, Yuri leaped over the gate and escaped from the Cattleya Marquis estate. The house steward and the soldiers remained behind, unable to pursue her, watching in stunned silence as her figure receded into the distance.