Tia’s Smooth Life After Regression - Chapter 17

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Tiya’s Smooth Regression Life

Chapter 17

“You fool! There’s no guarantee this will save me, so why would you… over such a mere possibility…”

“But I don’t want you to die, brother.”

Lev made a dumbfounded expression, then bit his lips and hung his head.

When did it start?

Lev had given up on life. So he wasted his life with all his might.

That way, at least an early death wouldn’t feel unfair compared to others.

He knew that his brother Rodion was searching everywhere to save him, but he only felt sorry thinking it was futile effort.

But for the first time, he felt ashamed and embarrassed of how he had lived.

His sister was trying so hard like this, yet he himself wasn’t making any effort.

Tiya’s hand carefully wrapped around Lev’s hand.

She thought he was much bigger than her, but his hands were still so small.

“I don’t really know how much you hate spirits, brother. But just this once, can’t you be friends with the frost spirit? If the spirit says it doesn’t want to be friends, then…”

Tiya clenched both hands into firm fists.

“You know, right? The Northerner’s spirit!”

She made whooshing sounds with her mouth while punching the air.

“Like this, like this! Grab the spirit by the collar, beat it down, then say, ‘You, become my friend!'”

Tiya grinned, showing her missing front tooth.

Lev looked at that foolish smile, then faced the spirit’s egg properly in his hand. If he just clenched his fist like this, he could obtain the spirit’s egg.

‘If I have some special power.’

Then I won’t have to suffer from the boiling fever anymore.

Even so, Lev couldn’t readily grasp the spirit’s egg.

Because he hated spirits?

Because he didn’t trust himself?

No, Lev was simply afraid. Of harboring hope.

As if sensing his inner thoughts, a familiar voice whispered.

‘Acting all pitiful over just one spirit. What special talent could you possibly have?’

‘Where’s the guarantee this is really a frost spirit’s egg? Tiya must be mistaken about something.’

‘If you get your hopes up and fail, you really won’t be able to bear it then, will you?’

Familiar helplessness and resignation.

But this time, he couldn’t surrender to that voice.

Because of Tiya, who gave up what she wanted desperately for his sake.

He was insignificant but still Tiya’s brother, and he didn’t want to show such a pathetic sight of trembling in fear before his sister.

“Don’t make friends. I feel sorry for them.”

Grumbling like that, Lev grasped the spirit’s egg with both hands as if praying.

Crack. The barrier surrounding the spirit’s egg crumbled and scattered like broken sugar pieces.

When Lev opened his hands again, nothing remained there.

“How is it? Do you feel some unknown power surging? Any changes?”

“No.”

Absorbing a spirit’s egg didn’t immediately grant the ability to command frost spirits. Sufficient waiting was needed for the spirit to hatch.

Even knowing this, Tiya grew impatient.

“How about now?”

“I said no.”

“…Then how about now?”

“No!”

Tiya buried her face in the blanket with a thud, then mumbled as if determined.

“This won’t do. I’m sleeping here tonight. Together with brother!”

“Don’t say disgusting things. Do you think I’d share a bed with you at my age?”

Lev shuddered exaggeratedly.

It was then that Tiya, pouting her lips, noticed Winter nodding.

Winter, who had been standing in one corner of the room, tapped her upper lip with her index finger.

‘What does that mean?’

Following Winter’s gesture and touching her own philtrum, Tiya soon understood her intention.

‘Ugh, I have no choice.’

Though reluctant, she had to use the negotiation method she learned during today’s walk.

The next moment, Tiya covered her mouth with violent gestures as if coughing up blood and knelt on one knee.

“Ugh, suddenly the spot where my front tooth was pulled is throbbing.”

The front tooth that had grown back with the power of the growth potion hid back in her gums when she returned to her original body.

Feeling like something was given then taken away, Tiya’s acting became more convincing.

“What, what? Hey, I didn’t pull out your tooth, okay? At your age, teeth naturally fall out and stuff, you know?”

“Ugh, how frustrating! I can’t even avenge my tooth.”

“This tooth really!”

“If I could lie on that comfortable bed before my eyes, my tooth could rest peacefully in the afterlife too! Ugh.”

He knew it was fake illness.

But each of Tiya’s words pricked Lev’s conscience.

Lev, who had been suffering while clutching his head, eventually gave up the spot next to him to Tiya.

“Come here and get crushed in your sleep or something.”

Tiya didn’t decline and quickly laid her tired body next to Lev.

“Hehe. Brother. When we go to the North later, I’ll show you Sasha. Our Sasha is really cute, you know?”

“…Is that thing even human?”

“What kind of rude thing to say! Sasha is so good! And talented too, can even stand on a ball, you know?”

Tiya chattered tirelessly about the North.

Unlike usual, Lev, who was obediently listening to Tiya’s stories, spoke up first for the first time.

“Hey, tooth.”

“Yeah?”

Tiya looked back at Lev in the darkness.

A moment of brief silence settled between the siblings, like when waiting for the Star Deities to visit.

“Even without some stupid spirit, you’re Father’s daughter and my sister. It’s been decided that way since you were born.”

Lev’s words illuminated the shadows in Tiya’s heart like starlight.

“Even if I die, that won’t change, so never again say such stupid things… ugh!”

Tiya couldn’t hold back anymore and attempted a heart attack on Lev.

“You, won’t you let go of this?”

“Sniff, no!”

Tiya’s sturdy arms and legs tightly bound Lev’s frail body.

Then she buried her head in Lev’s embrace. Otherwise, the tears welling in her eyes might be discovered.

“Hey, wait. Why is your strength like this, huh?”

“Don’t say you’ll die. Brother is invincible now!”

“Ah, I got it, so please! I’m about to die right now, ugh!”

“I said no talking about dying!”

“Ugh.”

Only after hearing gasping sounds did Tiya peek up at Lev.

“Huh? Brother, why are your eyes rolled back? Snap out of it!”

Lev, who barely escaped from Tiya’s limbs, sprawled on the bed groaning.

It wasn’t an exaggeration; his ribs really seemed cracked.

‘What on earth did the North do to this child?’

How did my sister, who was like a dandelion seed, become a bear that attacks hikers?

When Lev couldn’t get up easily, Tiya got scared and shook him frantically.

“B-brother, don’t die!”

“I’m not dying. And I feel like throwing up, so stop shaking me, ugh, stop it! Bleh.”

“Big brotheeeer! You can’t die!”

* * *

After the commotion had passed.

From the bed where the siblings lay came a stream of gentle chatter.

Winter, who had been watching them from the darkness, finally let out a sigh of relief.

‘It went according to plan.’

Winter’s purpose wasn’t to reconcile Lev and Tiya, nor was it even to save Lev’s life.

It was to guide Tiya into giving up on becoming a Spirit Mage.

And thereby entice her to walk the path of a mage.

That was Winter’s true purpose, which she hadn’t told Tiya about.

Currently, only Winter knew that Tiya had the qualifications to become an Archmage.

However, no matter how fine the steel, it must be heated in fire and hammered to become a famous sword.

Tiya needed a strong motivation to become a mage.

Winter had used Lev’s life as bait for that purpose.

As a result, everything had proceeded according to her plan, but there was one thing that bothered her.

‘The luck was too good.’

Above the lake of the past, the memory inside the Memorial Box that sparkled like scales on water.

Thanks to that legacy, at the last moment, Tiya chose to become a mage.

But what were the odds that a Memorial Box purchased by chance would contain the past of Tiya’s parents?

Winter found this tremendous coincidence deeply unsettling.

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