The Drinking Sage 40

“Brother, brother! What are we going to play today?”

Adaptation happened faster than expected.

Compared to being tired when I first opened my eyes, as time passed, this dream quickly felt like reality.

‘Indeed, it’s the Tower Master’s magic.’

Adela had told me it was an incomplete magic, but well.

‘This level is close to a mystery.’

An ability difficult to implement even with magic.

If this is considered incomplete. What kind of miracle would happen if it were completed?

I was lost in contemplation with such concerns.

“Yap!”

“…?!”

Thump, and.

Something with considerable mass nestled into my arms.

My body was pushed back slightly by that object that rushed from the front.

Yet the reason I couldn’t push it down was.

“Ehe, ehehe….”

Because of the girl happily smiling while rubbing her cheek against my chest.

I heaved a sigh. Then I raised my hand and stroked the pitch-black silky hair.

“Adela. Didn’t I tell you not to do that because it’s dangerous?”

For reference, my age in the dream was not an adult.

Perhaps around mid-teens? It seems to have been matched to dream Adela’s age.

So I was somewhat worried that my speech pattern might feel awkward, but.

-Hmm? Brother always talked like that, didn’t you?

-I see. Doesn’t it seem strange?

-Yes! It suits Lorang brother. And it’s cool.

…So, to the obsidian eyes sparkling and staring intently at me. I shrugged my shoulders and didn’t change my way of speaking.

‘I can just use the same tone I use with Lorela.’

Since it wasn’t the tone I originally used with Adela, it was a bit awkward.

Anyway. Adela’s response to my words was simple.

“No! Brother never listens to me anyway.”

At those words, I also smiled bitterly.

‘I was too immersed.’

Since this magic was so new and fascinating, I was thinking about it a bit. It seems that young Adela didn’t like that.

Since it was an action unworthy of a brother, I also met Adela’s eyes with a repentant heart.

Looking at the small cheeks puffed up with a “pwoo-” and those cute eyes, I whispered affectionately.

“Alright, what do you want to do?”

“Catch ball!”

“That again? Don’t you want to do something else?”

“I’ve never beaten you before! If I win, I’ll do something else.”

Since I was inserted at a midpoint in this world, I naturally couldn’t know the past history.

However, Lorang von Welert. No, Lorang Ciadellia seemed to have played affectionately with his young sister.

Looking at the gaze full of affection with which Adela looked at me, it was impossible not to know.

When I realized that fact, I felt somewhat disappointed.

‘Lorela kept her distance from me for a long time.’

Since it was a treatment I hadn’t received before getting close to my real-life sister.

Naturally, I too was becoming quite attached to Adela, this lovely little sister.

I gently hold her waist with both hands. Then I put her down on the floor carefully so she wouldn’t get hurt.

Whereupon Adela immediately went to the desk and came back with a ball.

Seeing that, I asked one question.

“Are you going to put mana in it this time too?”

“Yes! That’s what makes it fun.”

Ordinary catch ball involves throwing a ball back and forth. So, when Adela first said to play catch ball, I understood it that way, but.

The ‘special’ ball created by Adela had taken it one step further.

‘Put mana in it and throw.’

If you put mana in the ball and throw it, the other person catches it, puts mana in again, and throws it back.

Repeating this process, the mana either wears out or the ball becomes too heavy with mana to throw. That’s the defeat condition.

I couldn’t help but be a bit surprised at this catch ball I’d never seen before. Since it was clearly a more fun way to play if one knew how to handle mana.

-Who made this ball?

When I asked Adela.

My little sister smiled brightly and answered confidently.

-I did!

‘I wonder if it was like this in reality too.’

Is this something that happened only in the dream? Or did Adela make that ball in reality too?

It’s impossible to know. For now, it was time to play catch ball.

“I’ll go first!”

Seeing Adela’s bold declaration, I also took an appropriate stance.

The girl holding the ball in her tiny hands. Adela smiled bravely and took a pitching stance.

“Here I go! One, two, …!”

The ball coming before she even shouted “three-“

If I had only focused on the sound of her voice, I might have almost missed it, but.

“Hmm.”

Since my Dragon Eyes read all of the other person’s emotions. It was all too easy to know that my little sister was trying to use a trick.

My hand extends smoothly to catch the ball.

Since I wasn’t so unworthy a brother as to give my all when playing with my little sister. I put just a little mana in it and threw it back.

The ball flying gently within Adela’s arm length.

“Yap!”

Jumping to catch the ball. Adela immediately throws it back.

This process continued thereafter.

“Yap!”

“You’re slow. Even in throwing.”

“Darn it!”

“Hyaah!”

“Try a bit faster.”

“Stop talking to me!”

“Whew, yah!”

“The angle of your arm was disappointing. Narrow the angle a bit more…”

“Brother, you’re noisy!”

Like that.

Only after Adela’s version of catch ball had continued for a long time.

“Heeh, heek…”

Adela, who had accumulated fatigue from jumping around and using mana with her young body, let out a groan.

Seeing that, I inwardly clicked my tongue. My voice that came out was filled with regret.

“Let’s stop now. We’ve done a lot at this point.”

“No, noooo…”

The girl panting so much she couldn’t even utter clear words.

However, Adela still managed to move her arms that could barely rise.

“Absolutely, absolutely won’t stop… ugak!”

But.

Limitations naturally had to come to that young body. Adela’s hand dropped the ball and her body collapsed.

A situation where she would hit the floor if not caught quickly.

That.

“You’re an incorrigible sister.”

My arm extended to embrace the small body.

“…”

Haa- Haa- Looking at my dream sister who was exhaling tired breaths.

‘So you’re doing this again.’

I let out another long sigh secretly.

Adela had just said she would ‘defeat me’, but.

How could I not know that was hiding her true feelings? No, even if everyone else didn’t know, I alone could know.

Dragon Eyes. The eyes of a dragon, lay bare my young sister’s heart completely.

-I want to keep playing with brother.

Adela’s heart contained just that one thing.

Even her declaration that she would do something else if she beat me. It had the hidden intention of prolonging this play by setting a high goal.

Recognizing that, I admonished Adela.

“Why are you so desperate?”

I raise my hand and stroke her head. The black hair wet with sweat returned a contradictory sensation of being both hot and damp.

“You could play with other children.”

“…”

“Is there a reason why you only want to play with me?”

Adela doesn’t say anything.

In a manner slightly avoiding my gaze. The child who was quietly rubbing her face against my chest.

“…I don’t like seeing them.”

She revealed a bit of her inner feelings.

My hand gently strokes Adela’s back.

Though I can’t know why this small body is living with so many worries. But hoping to provide comfort as a brother, at least in this dream.

I spoke with as much warmth as I could muster.

“Alright. Tell me. What don’t you like?”

“They always say I’m strange.”

“Why do they say that?”

“I don’t know. They say I cheated on tests, I always act superior, and I’m annoying. …Sniff.”

I ignored the tear-soaked sound heard at the end.

A few fragmentary words that were heard. Since a child’s thoughts are not yet those of an adult. They cannot refine and express their inner feelings.

But. It is the capacity of a brother to comprehend and accept all of that.

During a moment of silence. My head rotated quickly to analyze Adela’s words.

Cheating. Acting superior. Being annoying.

What exactly the other children said, of course, is difficult for me to guess.

But living this long in years. The psychology of children still far from becoming adults is somewhat predictable.

-Sigh… she shouldn’t have come back at all.

-Seriously. After acting like she wouldn’t associate with us at the Academy, she shows her face again?

-The thought of seeing that person again is horrible. Just horrible.

The first day I set foot in the Pitch-Black Tower with Adela. Back then, I recalled the unfavorable gazes of mages who appeared to be her peers.

After recalling and combining the evidences. The subsequently derived conclusion made me furrow my brow.

Envy and jealousy. Inferiority and immature hearts.

The blades of language, sticky with those emotions, would have ripped apart the small girl’s heart.

But since I could never reveal that in front of my little sister. I pulled Adela into my arms and quietly whispered.

“It must have been hard.”

I don’t say anything else.

You’re innocent but must feel wronged, when that happens you should fight back… Putting aside all those words.

Quietly. I examined my sister’s heart.

“Those children didn’t understand your heart.”

“…Yes.”

“You just did what you could do. And they called that acting superior, cheating.”

“…Yes. I just did it, but they say the superior girl is annoying.”

“Right. You’ve gone through a lot.”

After that, Adela buried her face in my chest for a while and didn’t think of leaving.

I too, silently embraced her. Quietly raised my head and looked at the ceiling.

‘What should I do?’

Thinking about it, I hadn’t heard from Adela how to wake up from the dream.

What could be the method for me to end this magic?

While I was immersed in such thoughts.

“Sniff.”

Adela raised her head.

Her eyes were red. And though she was making sniffling sounds, how could her beauty fade?

Rather, seeing her appearance shining despite such demerits, I could guess where the real Adela’s beauty came from.

While thinking of the future Sage. Looking at my face, my little sister said.

“Brother.”

“What is it?”

“Let’s get married.”

“…”

I barely managed to stop myself from biting my tongue.

Whether future or past, reality or dream. How do they all have a hobby of attacking me from unexpected angles?

Anyway, the girl, rubbing her eyes with her small fingers, continued speaking.

“I don’t need anyone else. I just need our family.”

“…”

“Mom and brother. But mom is mom. So I should marry brother.”

To say it again, the language that comes from a child’s thought process is broken.

Knowing that, I couldn’t easily open my mouth.

‘What should I say?’

How should I speak so that Adela won’t be hurt?

Regardless of my concern, Adela just continued chattering.

“Hmm? No?”

“…”

“Let’s get married. Hmm? I’ll make you happy.”

There’s really nothing a young child won’t say.

‘Whew.’

After a short time, yet one that felt long in perception.

Finishing my deliberation. I opened my mouth.

“Let’s talk about it in the future.”

“In the future?”

“Yes. Let’s think about it once you’re an adult.”

It was a statement made because both Adela and I met for the first time at Bardishe Academy after becoming adults.

Dream Adela, who had no way of knowing that now, tilted her head, but.

“Then are we really getting married? Once I’m an adult?”

“…Yes.”

The sight of her extracting a promise with innocent eyes, should I say it reminds one of the future dark cat-like appearance?

Having unwittingly made a marriage promise with the future Sage in a dream, I end up sighing.

‘It’s just a dream after all.’

Just as everything disappears from memory upon waking from a dream.

I just hoped, at least for now, that dream Adela would be happy.