Chapter 19 - Glasses Boy Reunites with His Childhood Friend

Chapter 19 - Glasses Boy Reunites with His Childhood Friend

"——Horn. Who was the villager… Oh."

Oh.

From behind the puzzled Horn, a familiar face appeared.

"You—Eil!?"

The one who said that was Lexton.
For me, he was the so-called childhood friend—the kind who left Albat Village right after the Selection Ceremony three years ago.

Lexton had always been big and strong since childhood. He was the top troublemaker in our small village.
At least, until he messed with my sister.

After teasing and provoking my sister—who was still just a little girl at the time—he got thoroughly beaten and ended up becoming her most devoted lackey.
Horn had been strong even as a kid. In a way, she was less like a human and more like a beast, overflowing with wildness.
Her aura hasn’t changed much even now.

Once the two biggest idiots in the village teamed up, they kept doing stupid things and suffering the consequences.
I wasn’t all that interested, so I don’t know the details.

After Horn and Lexton started causing trouble together, I became even more withdrawn.
Before long, I became a hunter’s apprentice.
So, in a way, he might know Horn better than I do.

He was still a giant of a man.
But compared to before, he looked far more rugged—like a young, muscular adventurer. Unlike Horn, he wasn’t wearing armor, just light clothing that made it impossible to miss the iron-like muscles underneath.

——Honestly, they were both the village’s biggest fools, but at least Lexton was slightly better than Horn.

Of course he was.
Someone surpassing my sister’s talent? That’s practically impossible. A small village like ours would never produce someone like that.

"Eil? …My little brother has the same name."

What a shocking statement. Even after hearing the name, she didn’t connect the dots.
I thought she hadn’t changed, but maybe she’s only gotten worse.

"It’s not the same name—it’s the same person! Your little brother!"

Even the village’s second-biggest idiot had to correct her. I was speechless. I didn’t want to get involved—but there was no avoiding it.

Horn grinned up at the giant man.

"Are you stupid, Lex?"

Being called an idiot by an idiot is infuriating. Even though it wasn’t directed at me, I was annoyed. You of all people? Naturally, Lexton looked offended too.

"My little brother doesn’t have weird things growing out of his face."

Glasses don’t grow. They’re not even part of my face. (Though they might as well be part of my soul at this point.)

"Horn."

I couldn’t stand any more of this family embarrassment.

I took off my glasses and called my sister.
Just like I did two years ago.

"Ah, it’s Eil."

I put my glasses back on.

"…Are you really Eil?"

I took them off again.

"It’s Eil."

I put them back—

"Quit screwing around! What the hell are you two doing!?"

No, if anything, I was the one being messed with.

"So, who the hell is this guy?"

If only my sister had any self-awareness.

"Horn, it’s me."

I stood up, facing my sister—who was just slightly taller than me.

"Your little brother, the one who left Albat Village two years ago."

What kind of family reunion requires this much explanation?

But if I didn’t spell it out, she’d keep embarrassing us forever, so I had no choice.

"Ah, so it really is Eil? You came to the royal capital?"

At last, she recognized me.
Sigh… Dealing with my sister after two years is exhausting.

The reason I stopped engaging with people seriously was because I learned from her how draining it can be.

Horn and Laila, who had brought her here, were expected. Lexton, however, was a surprise.
Since the room was cramped, we regrouped with Laila outside and headed to a nearby tavern.

Once seated, Lexton smiled. "Long time no see, Eil."

…Huh.

Even though he was the village’s second-biggest idiot, he didn’t seem like one anymore. He looked like a refreshingly pleasant young man.
Not sure if he was intellectual, but his demeanor was calm.

Since he was a year older than my sister, he must be eighteen or nineteen now.
Maybe life in the royal capital had matured him.

"What’s with the glasses? You doing alright?"

"Don’t worry about the glasses. You seem fine yourself."

Lexton had always wanted to be an adventurer since childhood and trained hard for it.
After getting a generic "aptitude" in the Selection Ceremony, he left the village for the royal capital.

He’d come back once a year since leaving three years ago, but…
I wasn’t particularly close to him, so we never really talked. I was busy with my hunter training anyway.

"Didn’t expect you to team up with Horn."

"Same. Never thought we’d end up together even in the capital."

Meanwhile, Horn was intensely focused on the menu.
Probably deciding which dish had the most meat or what kind to eat. When it came to food, she was deadly serious.

"Lexton, are you with Dawn’s Blackbird too?"

"Yeah. Though I’m still just a rookie. Only a one-star adventurer."

Huh. Well, with his build and skills, he must’ve shown potential.

But enough about Lexton.
As family, I was more concerned about my sister.

"Why is Horn called something like Saintess? It doesn’t suit her at all."

That was my biggest question. The Demon-Slaying Saintess—what was that about? Some kind of ironic nickname?

"Because she takes every request to help people, no matter how tough. Even if the reward’s not worth it. She’s always been like that, right?"

Right.
Horn had always been that kind of person.

If someone was in trouble, she’d butt in whether they wanted her to or not.
If they hesitated, saying it was too much, she’d snap, "Shut up, idiot, let me handle it!"
She’d do chores for the elderly, then go off to play like nothing happened—never tiring.

That’s why people said she had the makings of greatness.
Because she was terrifyingly loyal to her desires and instincts—too much to just call her a "fool."

So, she did the same thing in the capital and got called a saintess? …"Brutal beast" would’ve been more accurate.

"Not to interrupt, but…"

Laila, who had been politely quiet, finally chimed in.

"A year ago, my village was in trouble. We asked the Adventurer’s Guild for help, and Horn-neesama was the first to act."

Ah, I see. No wonder she calls her "Horn-neesama."

"Right, Horn-neesama?"

"Shut up. I’m picking meat right now, don’t talk to me."

Some things never change. Ignoring Laila’s smile, prioritizing food over her long-lost brother—yep, that’s her.

"Mom and Dad were worried… Well, not that worried, but they wondered about you. You never came back these past two years."

"Shut up. I’m deciding between deer or goat right now, don’t talk to me."

Yeah.
No doubt about it—she’s my sister.