"Shh. Be quiet. Yulia will wake up."
"Hehe. Got it. Yulia, really. Even at this age, she can't sleep alone."

Giggling, covering her mouth, Charlotte quietly entered the office.
This girl...
Every time she meets me, she blushes and runs away, but now she seems only intent on teasing Yulia with a mischievous expression.

"If you want to hold hands while sleeping, just tell me..."
"Your hands probably won't do. It seems I can only sleep if my hand is there."
"Hehe. Is that so? I've been sleeping while holding hands with Yulia for a long time. Way before I met you, uncle."
"Really?"

What does she want?
Charlotte placed her hands on her hips, puffing out her chest.
She gently stroked the sleeping Yulia’s head as if to say, "She's originally mine."

"It's been a long time since I saw her sleeping so soundly..."
"She was suffering from insomnia."
"Hehe. I'm glad to see her comfortable. Thank you, uncle."
"..."

Charlotte, wearing a look of relief as if it were her own business.
She usually seemed to live without much thought, but it appeared she was quite worried about Yulia.

What a deep bond they share.
Perhaps it was because they had no one to rely on but each other in the orphanage.
Thinking about it made me feel a bit sorry for them.

"So, what's the reason for your visit at this hour?"
"Oh, right. The Super Strong Sword... I want it back..."
"Alright. Since you came personally, I should return it. Silvia."
"Yes."

Silvia smoothly emerged from the shadows, holding the Super Strong Sword.
As Silvia readily returned the Super Strong Sword, Charlotte's expression turned slightly bewildered.
Is this really the end? She seemed to ask with her eyes.

"You can go."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Then...?"
"Do you have something else to say?"

She paused.
Frozen at the door, Charlotte slowly closed it again and returned.

"The strike that split the mountain. What was that all about...?"
"You're only asking now? To be honest, if you had gone out without asking that, I would have been quite disappointed."
"It was a test...!?"
"Power is inherently dangerous; it's a luxury for those who don't contemplate it sufficiently. You must understand your power and constantly reflect on it to truly make it yours."
"Ah...!"

I stole Silvia's words from the end of Chapter 1.
So naive. It's good.
But when using power, you have to be serious.

Especially since Charlotte's power is equivalent to 120 "Booms," or 30 times Silvia's.
Just think about it—if that girl went astray.
Ugh. It's terrifying just to imagine.

Charlotte herself also has the responsibility to fully understand and restrain her power.
But I also have the duty to guide her down the right path.
That's the role of an adult.

"So, what was it?"
"After investigating the Super Strong Sword that delivered the strike, I found traces of a large amount of energy being released from the sword body."
"Is it magic...?"
"I can't tell. It's certain that mana was burned to emit energy, but whether that's magic or not is unclear. Until we ascertain its true nature, that technique..."
"It's 'Rumbling!'" "Until we understand its true nature, 'Rumbling' is prohibited."
"...!"

Charlotte sat down, her expression as if the world was crumbling around her.
She seemed quite disheartened.

"Don't worry. It probably won't take too long to identify it."
"Is there a way? You're smart, uncle, so you can figure it out quickly, right? Is that so?"
"No. It's not me who will figure it out..."

Boom!
In that instant, the mansion shook violently, and the candlelight extinguished.
What started as a small tremor grew closer and intensified.
My hair stood on end, and suddenly I felt a chill run through me.

[Carly, the Evil God, growls.]

...This is much earlier than I expected.

"Charlotte! Behind me!"

Boom!
Suddenly, the wall of the office crumbled.
I hugged Yulia and rolled away to a safe spot.
Charlotte had already sensed the danger and quickly fled to safety.

"Ah!? What’s going on? ...?"
Grrrr.
A dark shape loomed in through the broken wall.
As it spread out, a familiar woman with long black hair appeared from within.

"Irene..."
"Why do you look like that? Like you saw something you shouldn’t have?"
"..." "Look down."

Irene Vermont.
I had expected her to come.
But I never thought she'd make such a grand entrance.

"L-Lord Soga... you should run..."
"Do you think that idiot would run? You just stay quiet."
"Ugh...!"

Crack.
With blood on her hands, Irene grabbed Silvia by the throat.
Our mansion's top combat force had been subdued in an instant.
Irene tossed Silvia lightly into the office and stepped inside gracefully.

'We're on the fifth floor...'

She couldn't have flown up to the fifth floor.
That massive dark shape that brought Irene here must surely be the Evil God Laura.
No... it must be a manifestation of Laura.

With just a clone, she was able to easily overpower Silvia and demolish the mansion.
Could Carly do something like that?

[Carly, the Evil God, glares fiercely at Laura!]

Damn it.
Carly was no help at all.
I gritted my teeth as I locked eyes with Irene, who slowly approached me.

"What's going on?"
"What’s going on, you ask? You weren’t planning to hide it, were you? After destroying an entire mountain like that? Are you playing peekaboo with me?"
"The back mountain was like that from the beginning. Are you misremembering, sister?"
"Ahaha. My lovely little brother. Your boldness has increased, but your lies haven’t improved at all. Just stop it. You’ve been found out. How about you start confessing?"
"I... have no idea what you’re talking about."
"Are you planning to keep your mouth shut until I speak?"

Irene's expression turned serious.
A chill crept into my ears.
But I had to endure.
As I remained silent, Irene clenched her teeth, leaning closer to my ear.

"If a Swordmaster was born in our family, you should have told me long ago. Are you joking? I saw it all with my own eyes. I witnessed the black aura splitting the back mountain with my own eyes. So why not end this childish power struggle?"
"..."

Swordmaster. Aura.
Thanks to that, I gathered all the necessary information.
I had been indoors when Charlotte delivered the strike, so I didn't know.
But the aura that split the mountain at that time was indeed the aura.
It seemed to be a kind of energy wave that only a Swordmaster could wield.

But normally, wouldn’t the aura manifest as something wrapped around the sword?
Is it even possible for it to reach a size that could split a mountain...?

There were many questions.
But for now, I had to pretend to know everything in front of Irene.

"I was quiet because I was afraid of your reaction. Isn’t it a joyful occasion for our family that a Swordmaster has emerged? Why ruin such a good day by causing a scene?"
"Ah, right. It is a joyful occasion. But that Swordmaster happens to be under your command. I know you, Aslan. You’re destined to ruin everything around you, whether you like it or not."
"..." "Surely, this little fool couldn’t have become a Swordmaster. Was it that brat who released the aura? How ridiculous. Talented knights spend decades just to experience aura, and if a child that age can do it, how much of a genius must they be?"
"Very much so. Almost too good to be under me."
"If you're truly that precious, why not leave them to me?"
"Well, it’s not quite that level."
"..."

Crack.
Irene ground her teeth, her expression contorting.
The last time I faced her, I couldn’t fight back, but this time is different.

'If I retreat now, it will ruin everything!'

The forge, the security business, and even Yulia and Charlotte.
There are far too many things at stake.
If I allow Irene’s interference now, it will ruin all my plans.

Looking at those heels made my heart race, but I steeled myself to confront her.

"I'll say it once. Hand over that brat. She was originally mine."
"If you want to take her, take her."
"Oh, then I won’t hold back..."
"Of course, in that moment, I won’t hold back on my own display of power."
"..."

I stepped forward, warning her.
What gives her the nerve to act this way?

[Carly, the Evil God, is furious and preparing to descend!]

Carly.
I have pinned all my hopes on Carly.
To be honest, considering her usual behavior, she doesn’t seem very strong.
But the fact is, she’s the only trump card I have right now.

"Honestly, I was really angry when you barged in and made a mess of my security. I was generous enough to let that slide. But if you come any closer, it’ll be war. A war between Evil Gods."
"...!"

For the first time, Irene’s steady gaze wavered.
No matter how weak Carly is, she’s still an Evil God.
Even if it’s just a clone, a war between Evil Gods is no small matter.

The outcome doesn’t matter.
Carly can be destroyed.
What’s important is that if a war between Evil Gods breaks out on this land, it will advertise that "We signed a contract with the Evil God!" to the whole world.

Can you handle it, Irene?
Even if I die, I won’t die alone.

"Aslan, your arrogance has increased. Acting all tough while trembling. But it seems like the time for war is still early."
"..."

Irene lightly caressed my cheek.
With her sharp nails, she scratched a line and stepped back.
She leaped gracefully down through the broken wall, landing on the dark shape.

"Don't forget. You're my little brother. It’s a thought I’d rather not entertain, but we’re connected by blood. If your existence blocks my path, then it will be war, and I’ll come back to kill you."
"Do as you wish..."

Grrrr.
The dark shape moved away.
As it swiftly crossed the mountain and vanished into the darkness, I felt my legs give way and I sank to the ground.

"Uncle! Was it a Swordmaster? What is that?"
"It exists... It’s super strong..."
"...!"

It felt strange.
I had definitely drawn the winning lottery ticket, so why didn’t I feel much joy?
Why did it seem like the peaceful future without threats of murder was becoming more distant?

"Swordmaster... Swordmaster... Swordmaster..."

In the midst of all this, Silvia's expression became vacant, repeating the same words over and over.
Is she okay?