I Will Protect My Brother - Chapter 20

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 20
“Before I met you, Whezel visited Abuye unofficially once. We ran into each other briefly back then.”
“I see….”
“You said you were worried about me, so he offered to sneak me in. But he said no one could find out I was here. He told me that even if you saw him, you absolutely couldn’t acknowledge knowing him.”
It was an excuse delivered without hesitation, as though he’d rehearsed it beforehand.
Then again, when Kalian Wynack pleaded with tears streaming down his face so pitifully, no one—man, woman, or child—could resist being swayed….
Perhaps sensing that I was genuinely upset, Kalian Wynack continued speaking without pause.
“Even if I’m discovered, it wouldn’t be good for Delpiam either if word got out that you brought me to a place like this. So it’s fine. And I swear, I didn’t come in here out of curiosity about what goes on in the Harem. I have no interest in men, Rosy.”
“….”
“Why are you looking at me like that…?”
I averted my gaze from his eyes.
“Well, it’s just… your identity might change as you grow up….”
“That’s not it!”
Kalian Wynack immediately waved his hands dismissively, his expression wounded.
“Really, it’s not…! I’m being wronged! I’ve never been attracted to men!”
“Sure, you might not know yet. You might realize it naturally at some point….”
As I muttered absently, Kalian Wynack looked equally shocked.
“What on earth is going on in your head, Rosy…?”
“You’re the one talking strangely! And you went so far as to sneak in here!”
“That’s not what I meant?! How could that even be possible!”
“Ah, fine, fine. Never mind.”
I sighed and led the aggrieved rabbit toward the bed.
My expression must not have looked good. Kalian Wynack hesitantly spoke up.
“Rosy, are you angry that I acted on my own?”
“No, it’s fine. What’s done is done. We just need to make sure you’re not discovered.”
I pushed Kalian Wynack toward the wall side of the bed. The bedding was large enough for the two of us to sleep comfortably.
“Someone’s coming to pick you up tomorrow morning. I’ll wake you, so as soon as you’re up, hide straight in the wardrobe. Understand?”
“Okay. I won’t ask you to sing me a lullaby tonight.”
“Alright….”
Kalian Wynack, who had burrowed into the blankets, waved at me with a soft laugh.
His appearance was so captivating that I couldn’t help but want to go embrace him, yet somehow my unease only deepened.
‘I have a somewhat… ominous feeling about this.’
I know all too well from the past three years that Kalian Wynack hates being separated from me even for a moment.
It doesn’t feel like obsession. Perhaps merely attachment. But the attachment of a Transcendent is weighted differently than that of an ordinary human.
‘The attachment a Transcendent shows toward something specific, and their high dependency….’
These were the necessary conditions for an Elixir.
I composed my expression and nestled beside Kalian Wynack. I felt the need to settle this once and for all.
“Brother.”
“Hmm?”
“When we return to Abuye, let’s search for your Elixir.”
Within the blankets, Kalian Wynack blinked his crimson eyes at me, studying my face intently.
“Why the sudden talk of elixirs?”
“Because transcendents need elixirs—it’s essential. Besides, you suffer from sleep deprivation due to your nature, which makes it even more critical. People need proper rest.”
“I’ve been fine until now with Rosy putting me to sleep.”
“I can’t keep doing this forever. And once you grow up, my lullabies won’t work on you anymore.”
“Then what if I never grow up?”
Despite my firm resolve, a helpless laugh escaped me. Kalian’s expression was far too serious.
“Are you trying to take shortcuts again?”
I let out a small giggle and pinched his left cheek. The soft flesh stretched like elastic cheese under my fingers.
“That’s not something you can control. In just a few more years, you’ll grow taller by a span, your voice will change, and the blessing of the stars will only intensify. You need to learn to protect yourself.”
“Then why can’t Rosy become my elixir?”
Ah. This.
Kalian had said exactly what I’d anticipated.
His dependency was dangerously high—I’d suspected as much.
Before I could stop myself, my voice came out firm and resolute.
“That’s not happening.”
“Why?”
His tone seemed to drop a register, though it might have been my imagination.
Surely he wasn’t asking because he genuinely didn’t know? I responded awkwardly.
“Using a person as an elixir carries far too much risk. Haven’t you learned that?”
…
“If you use a human as an elixir, you inevitably become dependent on them. Since you never know when your nature will manifest, you must always stay close. Even brief separations cause severe withdrawal symptoms, and if the elixir dies, there’s no way to revive them. That’s why more than five Family Heads throughout history have gone berserk because of this very issue.”
The emotional instability was precisely why transcendents considered human elixirs taboo. Every heir of the Transcendent Families learned this.
‘Though that’s certainly true…’
I chose my next words carefully.
The real reason was different. I had always intended to return to Kirges someday.
The moment I discovered Alpien wearing the planetarium around his neck—that artifact as precious as my own pride—I remembered my true objective from my past life, something I’d long forgotten.
I was a candidate for the position of Family Head of Kirges. I was the sorcerer most cherished by Kirges’s Guardian Star.
Even a sorcerer without a planetarium, arrogantly summoning true names repeatedly, received power without reproach from that Guardian Star—my star.
‘Please don’t be too disappointed, Guardian Star of Winyak, “Judge of Darkness and Chaos”…’
And so, as of today, I had solidified my resolve. The next Family Head of Kirges would be me. Not the presumptuous Alpien.
But becoming Family Head of Kirges meant, on the other hand, that I could never remain at Kalian’s side forever.
A Family Head of Kirges couldn’t stay in the Abuye Kingdom, and becoming the elixir of the Winyak Family Head was even more impossible.
Yet I couldn’t simply tell him, ‘I’m planning to leave you eventually, so I can’t become your elixir.’ It would surely hurt him.
Besides, human elixirs truly were dangerous.
“History already shows precedents that ended poorly. You should know this by now. In any case, it’s absolutely not happening.”
“…I see.”
After a long moment, Kalian slowly nodded his head.
“Then what will you do when your nature manifests later?”
“Me? I…”
Perhaps because my body had grown younger, the heat of maturation had yet to visit me. I was somewhat concerned about how the symptoms might manifest.
In my previous life, the heat of maturation had presented itself once a month in the form of migraines so severe it felt as though my skull were shattering, accompanied by high fever and body aches.
Compared to Alpien and my other brothers, who lost their reason and were driven to the brink of rampage, my symptoms were relatively mild, so instead of relying on the planetarium, I managed the heat of maturation by taking mana sedatives.
‘But now I’m receiving blessings from Winyak’s Guardian Star as well.’
There had never been a single recorded case of one person receiving power from two or more Guardian Stars.
Once I passed around seventeen years old, the heat of maturation would likely begin to manifest in me too. I wondered if it would be alright.
‘Ah, whatever. It’ll work out somehow!’
Surely nothing too serious would happen?
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll manage on my own without seeking help.”
“Then… Rosy doesn’t really need me, does she? I wanted to help you when you experience the heat of maturation later.”
“Your help, brother?”
I laughed carelessly.
“You’re trying to extract the liver of a flea. Why would I ask you for help when I have nowhere else to turn? That will never happen.”
“Ah, is that so…?”
Bewilderment flickered across Kalian’s face. He blinked in confusion before speaking quietly.
“So you really don’t trust me.”
“It’s not a matter of trust.”
“Then what? Is it because I’m your ‘brother’?”
From beneath the blanket, Kalian seized my hand and pulled it toward him. With a surprisingly firm grip, he interlaced our fingers and asked like a petulant child.
“If I don’t do things like this, will Rosy need me?”
I stared at him, who seemed oddly anxious for some reason. Then I shook my head.
“You’re grasping at the wrong thing, Kalian.”
Kalian Wynack was someone I needed to protect, not someone I needed to rely on.
“I don’t need you now. I never have.”
Kalian’s expression wavered greatly.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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