Chapter 3: Sione Sianella (3)

She had really hit a peak of laziness over the past week.

It was as if she wanted to show off how much fat had attached itself to her body, as I hadn’t seen her engage in any

proper exercise.

Her routine consisted of lying buried under blankets and devouring snacks, a simple but unbearably tedious display

that was becoming her daily habit.

The only relief was that, after the incident in front of the dining hall, she started smiling every day, holding back

from her usual snarky remarks.

Of course, I did get some unpleasant stares from two men while waiting for her in front of the dining hall.

But aside from that, it wasn’t as bad as I expected.

And so, Sione and I spent our days, each respecting our own spaces without much conversation.

My assessment of Sione Sianella after observing her for a week was simple.

She was a person without a soul, just drifting through aimless, lifeless days like a shut-in.

Whatever she did, Sione lacked energy, always on edge when it came to guarding her space—her room.

But today, for whatever reason, she stepped out of her room in the middle of the day.

“The sun is warm, and the breeze is cool. The weather’s quite nice.”

“It’s perfect for a light stroll around the area.”

“Indeed.”

Perhaps in a good mood, she even responded to my words in a normal tone.

That wasn’t all.

Although her chubby face made it hard to notice, I could see the corners of her mouth slightly turning up. Unlike

before, she started walking around with a relaxed step, no longer in a hurry.

“Where are you headed?”

“I’m thinking of going to the garden. Around this time, the daffodils and irises bloom, making it quite beautiful.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Looking forward to something can be a kind of amusement. You’ll also see tulips and daisies.”

Sione was undoubtedly excited.

For the first time, her usually glazed-over eyes seemed to have a spark of life.

To think, I never imagined Sione would talk so casually about the names of flowers…

Is there some story behind the garden? Or is it just a hobby?

Whatever it was, it was refreshing to realize she wasn’t just a snack-gobbling glutton.

Though she certainly made enough trips to fetch snacks.

After walking a bit more, we arrived at a small garden.

As Sione had said, yellow daffodils and purple irises were harmoniously decorating the garden.

Between them, tulips and daisies were also blooming vibrantly.

“They’re in full bloom. It was worth the anticipation.”

“You’re stating the obvious.”

“Do you like flowers, Sione?”

At my question, Sione stopped and turned to look at me.

Naturally, I also had to stop following her.

Ah, did I step on a landmine…?

Sione silently stared at me.

I began to feel nervous for no reason.

I just asked because she seemed to be in a good mood.

She’s not going to snap at me again, is she?

Thankfully, she looked away from me without saying anything and stared at the wide field of daffodils.

“Yeah, I like flowers quite a bit.”

Well, that’s unexpected.

Sione having such a calm day?

The thought that I might not get another opportunity like this crossed my mind.

Maybe I could ask her a bit more?

“…May I ask why?”

“Because flowers bloom. They break free from dark, suffocating seeds, set down roots, and continue growing until they finally blossom.”

Sione’s gaze shifted back to me.

“Don’t you find that admirable?”

With a faint smile, Sione asked the question, and I nodded in response. Her atmosphere was so different from usual

that it was almost hard to adjust.

As a result, I didn’t say much else and simply admired the garden for a while.

In that moment, the slight curve on Sione’s lips faded when she spotted another person entering the garden.

“Sion…”

A low growl came from Sione’s mouth.

It was a voice filled with more caution than I had ever heard from her before.

Sion… If I recall correctly…

Sion was Sione’s younger brother, born into the Sianella family—a renowned martial house famous for their

exceptional swordsmanship.

But unlike his family’s tradition, Sion was a priest, possessing outstanding talent, not just any talent, but a

prodigious one.

It wasn’t just average talent—he had the kind of exceptional talent you could truly call genius.

His pure divine power was far beyond what any ordinary priest would possess.

On top of that, he inherited his mother’s beautiful appearance, which made him stand out even more.

Sion’s silver hair was neater and more elegantly groomed than Sione’s, and his gaze was sharp, never dull like hers.

As he looked at Sione, a sly smirk crept onto his lips.

Sione, who had been standing frozen, wore a cold, emotionless expression as Sion slowly approached her.

“What brings you here, Sister, lugging that heavy body all the way out here? I didn’t expect to see you in this place.”

“…I didn’t expect to see you here either. If you have no reason to be here, then I’ll be on my way.”

“Sister, please. You have so much time on your hands; no need to rush. We’re siblings, do we really need a reason to talk?”

Sion began teasing Sione quite maliciously.

His jabs were always the same.

He mocked her chronic lethargy, her laziness, and her lack of talent—so much so that it seemed unbelievable they

shared the same blood. Despite his obvious insults, Sione showed no reaction, which made it clear this kind of

torment had been going on for a long time.

It was obvious even without seeing it firsthand.

“Oh, by the way, Sister, have you heard the recent news?”

What kind of news could Sione, who was cooped up in her room every day, eating the snacks I brought her, possibly have heard?

The only news she could expect was about the types of treats prepared for her that day.

As expected, Sione quietly kept her mouth shut, knowing nothing.

“Our eldest sister has already reached a level where she can spar with Lord Diolia. Isn’t that impressive? At this rate, she might even become a sword master before Mother.”

This time, Sion’s words drew a reaction from Sione.

When she heard the term “sword master,” her forehead wrinkled slightly.

Sion’s unpleasant smile deepened as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“…Sion, what’s the point of telling me that?”

“Isn’t it only right that you know how well the family is doing? After all, regardless of everything else, you are still a member of the Sianella family.”

Sion’s smile twisted into a sardonic grin.

He looked down on his sister, exalting both himself and Siabel in comparison.

If he were just joking, at least it wouldn’t be so awkward to stand here in silence…

The tense silence was making it excruciatingly uncomfortable for me, an outsider, to stay in this situation.

“And lately…”

Sion didn’t stop there, continuing to boast about his and Siabel’s superiority while comparing it to Sione’s inferiority.

He mentioned how Siabel had recently discovered something new about swordsmanship, or how his divine power

had become even purer.

With each achievement Sion listed, Sione’s sense of inferiority visibly swelled.

It was clear that this kind of teasing was why Sione had growled the moment she saw him.

Even I would’ve planted my fist squarely in his temple if my younger sibling constantly grated on my nerves like that.

However, Sione merely clenched her chubby hand into a tight, round fist without losing her temper.

Other than that, she showed no reaction.

“Well, that’s how things have been with me and our eldest sister… But you, Sister, seem exactly the same as always.”

“Is that all you have to say?”

“More or less. I’d like to hear about you too, but… judging by the look of things, there doesn’t seem to be much worth hearing. No matter how untalented you are, swinging a sword would be better than lying around all day, wouldn’t it?”
“…I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll try harder from now on.”

It was obvious that her promise to “try harder” was just empty words.

Even though no sound escaped, anyone could see that Sion was mocking her.

Sione seemed tired of the conversation and began to move away.

“If there’s nothing more to discuss, I’ll be going now.”

Sion merely shrugged in response, a sneer still playing on his lips.

Sione passed him, and I quietly followed behind her.

We were trying to leave that unpleasant conversation behind, but…

Sion, who had been bragging about his magical prowess to his sister, suddenly spoke to me.

“Oh, right. I heard from Mother that the man who became Sione’s personal servant is quite skilled in handling mana. And apparently, you have a few other talents, quite unusual for someone of your birth…”

When I looked at him, he flashed a bright smile.

“It seems Mother found you quite amusing. To think someone like you would end up as Sione’s personal servant—what a twist of fate.”

I couldn’t tell if Sion was praising me or insulting me to my face.

It was hard to make sense of.

“In time, you’ll surely grow tired of Sione too. When that day comes, come and find me.”
Without a word, I nodded toward him.

Right now, catching up with Sione, who had already fled far away, was more important than thinking about Sion’s words.

If I stayed and talked to Sion for too long, who knows how much Sione would torment me in her room later.

Besides, I had already messed with Sion’s personal servant once.

There was no reason for me to willingly go back to a workplace where I’d had a fight with a colleague.

I hurried past Sion, chasing after Sione’s retreating figure.

I successfully caught up with her again.

“…If you keep walking like that, you’re going to end up suffocating again.”

Seeing her walking at such a fast pace without stopping, it was clear that she would soon halt and gasp for breath.

Yet this time, instead of panting, she kept moving, which meant Sion’s earlier words had really gotten under her skin.

Shaking my head, I watched Sione hurriedly retreat to her room, wobbling slightly.

“I should bring her some cold water.”

Seeing her attempt to calm herself by hiding in her room instead of yelling or lashing out made her seem pitiful, at

least to me.

The least I could do was get her some cold water to help her cool down.

“I brought some cold water.”

I quietly entered Sione’s room.

I was about to head toward her usual spot on the bed, but this time, she wasn’t there.

For once, she was sitting in the leather chair in her room, deep in thought.

Carefully, I set the cup on the desk in front of her and poured the cold water.

As I did so, I overheard her muttering to herself.

“So, my sister has already reached the level of a sword expert…”

Indeed, Sion had said their eldest sister, Siabel, had reached a point where she could spar evenly with the knight

Diolia.

Even Siabel’s personal servant couldn’t stop bragging about it.

It seemed the knight Siabel had sparred with was at the level of a sword expert.

Sword expert…

Hunters on Earth, especially those who wielded swords, often classified their skills in similar terms, like sword

runners or other ranks.

Among them, an expert was just below a master.

Even within the expert rank, there were distinctions between upper, middle, and lower levels, but reaching expert

status in itself was proof of being an outstanding knight.

In the past, I wouldn’t have found it too dangerous unless the expert was upper-level.

But for someone like me, who couldn’t even summon spirits, let alone use my powers as a spirit archer, that level

seemed impossibly far away.

How did I end up like this…

I shook myself out of my brief daydream and turned my attention back to Sione.

“Hah…”

She was staring at her chubby hands, spread out before her.

“…No matter how hard I try, I can barely reach the entry level of a sword user. Isn’t that just too unfair?”

A weak laugh escaped Sione’s lips.

The ability to skillfully use mana to enhance one’s physical abilities in combat was what defined a sword user.

For Sione, even reaching the advanced level of a sword user seemed like an impossible dream.

Being able to fight while using mana made sword users far from weak, but the standards in the Sianella family were

different.

From what I’d heard, every member of the Sianella family had at least reached the level of a sword expert.

Perhaps that was why her expression, hidden beneath her layers of flesh, was filled with self-loathing.

Then, it happened.

[Quest has been generated.]

“Persuasion”

“Sione Sianella was not always the hopelessly lazy noblewoman she is now.

In the past, she was a diligent and persistent person. However, unlike the rest of her family, she had no talent in

swordsmanship or divine power.

Crushed by societal expectations and her own self-loathing, she became consumed by the widening gap between herself and others.

Within three days, encourage Sione Sianella and help her regain her former vitality.”

“Success: Sione Sianella’s affection for you will increase.”

“Failure: The collapse of Sione Sianella will accelerate.”

“If I had real talent…”

Sione’s muttering was filled with anguish, her face twisted in despair.

After quickly scanning the sudden system message, I calmly responded to her bitter lament.

“Then why not find a different talent, not related to the sword?”