Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 201

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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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“Well… the contract would have fulfilled the wish made at the time of its creation. Speaking of current desires is somewhat beside the point.”
“!”
Wait, that’s how the system worked?! So I’ve been wasting my time all this while?!
Living through the current twenty-first loop, what could that child’s wish be? When would Leon ever develop a true desire of his own? All my scheming and careful efforts to please him—was it all for nothing?
I stood there with my mouth agape, overwhelmed by the futility and emptiness of all those years, while Father patted Leon’s back and looked at me as though I were a goldfish.
Well, I suppose a person can be foolish sometimes. How could anyone live like the Duke, methodically finding the correct answer at every turn?
“There is a way, Sister!”
Fine, fine. It’s probably useless, but go ahead and tell me.
It seemed that the magic would only be lifted if I fulfilled what the original Leon had wanted, so with no other brilliant solution in sight, I furrowed my brow. But Leon was different. As if he’d thought of something revolutionary and ingenious, the boy spoke as though he might leap from his seat at any moment.
“I’ll go to that sword and recover all my remaining memories! Then I’ll know what my original wish was!”
“Hold on just a moment!”
This boy’s mind works well when it comes to useless things! But absolutely not!
I wasn’t certain whether the memories the sword was backing up started from the first loop that I remembered, or from before the contract was established—when Leon lived a life similar to the one in the book. And if Leon learned everything, there would be no shortage of people whose lives would be ruined.
First, Leon would become irreparably damaged. The man who stabbed him, the Crown Prince he married, his attempt to marry Marius, the affair with that bastard number two, his suicide after kissing that fool, his ostracism in the Knight Order and death—all the other misfortunes. If he recalled every unhappy memory, this child could no longer exist as Asterion.
One of the great gains of this loop was Asterion’s remarkably resilient mind. What if the shock caused him to do something rash? Of course, there was a possibility Asterion could overcome it all, but that possibility was extremely low.
The human spirit is fragile. Even I gave up and let go starting from the fourteenth loop. If I hadn’t happened to meet the corrupted Excalibur and hadn’t gained hope to stop the regression, I would already have become the next battery as Celin intended.
“No! I cannot allow it! You cannot go!”
“Why not, Sister! There doesn’t seem to be a better solution!”
“It’s just… the battery! The battery charge doesn’t have much left! If you make contact carelessly and use up what remains, then it’s my turn next!”
“Oh my! I hadn’t thought that far ahead!”
Leon looked at me with admiring eyes, calling me Sister, and I quietly pulled Father aside to a corner and whispered in his ear. If it was this Duke, he could have Sage measure the battery level precisely, then propose a way to make contact within that timeframe.
So I had to reveal this part. I had no choice but to tell Father. The history of Asterion—the footstool of all people, under the blue starlit night—that I had witnessed all this time.
I explained everything about Leon to Father. How the Crown Prince and Leon, who now fight whenever they meet, had progressed in previous loops, the story of being caught between Marius and that bastard number one, getting stabbed, and how Leon, now a beloved child of Rocksburg, met a man named Luke Chatel and was stabbed again. The sudden death of Jang Brown.
As my explanation continued, Father’s expression grew increasingly somber. Our Father, who rarely showed intense emotions, was crying, then angry, then upset—displaying quite extraordinary expressions today.
“I only thought it was repulsive, but Leon has grown so well.”
“This is the strongest output yet. If anything else gets mixed in, the child will be in serious trouble.”
Being the strongest in every way is certainly troublesome. But still, the child is so spirited, isn’t she? A child’s greatest virtue is simply being positive and spirited. Perhaps the positivity is a bit excessive. But still, it’s not causing harm to others.
“I understand. I will issue a prohibition order for Leon to approach the Sword of Contract.”
“How wise of you.”
Wow, he even came up with such an impressive name in the meantime. I just called it the corrupted Excalibur or the purified Excalibur, but the Sword of Contract—how wonderful. It conveyed exactly what the sword was, had a good ring to it, was concise, and somehow felt remarkably cool.
Starting with the meeting’s name, Father certainly has a talent for naming things impressively. Come to think of it, all the new legal provisions added after Father inherited the dukedom came from Father’s mind, didn’t they?
I like the Good Samaritan Law, Father. Not that the Good Samaritan doesn’t come to mind. Anyway, it was apparently enacted into law following the incident when Mother didn’t turn a blind eye but intervened and saved Father when he was in danger of being kidnapped by a ruffian.
How romantic and cunning. Through this, children learning common-sense law and ordinary citizens could spread heartwarming stories of Rocksburg and receive a good impression, couldn’t they? Father is truly the best. I must become a statesman like that too.
“In the end, to reveal all the truth. To check the Zoroab Religion, capturing Celin is absolutely essential.”
“It seems… that will be the case.”
“I understand.”
Huh? What does the Duke mean by that? I have nothing but an ominous premonition…
Father had made a firm decision and returned to the chairman’s seat, opening his mouth with resolve. It was a choice that made sense when you heard it, but he had truly mastered the art of cutting straight to the point without any preamble.
“From this moment forward, I am establishing a team for Celin’s capture. Team leader: Rosalite Rocksburg. All authority to resolve this matter belongs to Rosalite, and I hereby grant her power over Celin’s life and death. Use any means necessary to break the contract.”
“Yes!”
“Hey! Hey, you Duke! Who do you think you are, granting someone the right to kill or spare a life!”
“A victim!”
When Father thundered his response, Serena’s spirit completely deflated and she fell silent. Right… everyone here was a victim of Celin. When the patriarch spoke, it was only natural they’d be scolded.
Father had stated it simply—victim—but concerned about his counterpart’s senility, he added more detailed explanations. First, he pointed to me.
“A 60-year survival loop victim of Celin.”
Then he pointed to Mother.
“Sixty years wasted pursuing Celin.”
And as if this part were most important, he pointed to himself and grew heated.
“The Duchess is alive and well, yet sixty years of solitary confinement!”
Ah, so that was what bothered him most, Duke. I was beginning to feel embarrassed and wanted to avert my gaze, but the Duke quickly composed himself and rattled off the team members.
“Rosalite will lead the team, accompanied by Aster Brown, Jack Brown, Asterion Rocksburg, Serena Kim, and Sage Oswald. I trust the Magic Tower will cooperate.”
“Well, if the Doctor goes, I’ll accompany her as a guardian, but this girl certainly knows how to complicate things.”
“What can we do? We’re the guilty ones.”
“Now, if you’re going to speak of Grandmother, do it properly. Why am I guilty? The only guilty ones are Grandmother and Celin.”
“Ugh!”
Serena must have felt quite struck, for she didn’t even hit Papa’s back. She simply buried her head in the table and wailed.
“Will Brown, Glen, and Luke will remain in Alein to focus on interception. And this is where the important matter begins.”
Father tapped the table to draw everyone’s attention, then brought up a key figure in the Zoroab Religion’s assault team.
“We’ll use Fourth Prince Nerva as bait to make contact with the Pope. Celin has been moved to the Pope’s headquarters, correct? If we can breach that place, Maria will be able to track her.”
“That’s right, Eddie! When it comes to pursuing Celin, I’ve got experience! If I’m anywhere nearby, I can sense her!”
The Duchess spoke with confidence and thrust her head toward Father to gain his favor. Father stroked Mother’s head like one would pet an animal, then scratched his chin. She’d probably start purring if he kept it up. Ugh, how disgusting. Why do I have to witness this?
“Duke, surely that girl values her own life. Do you think she’ll come willingly?”
“That fool has some capacity for thought and has entrusted herself to Alein, so being used was expected. If she’s foolish enough to let go and hide in Alein, thinking she can safely return home after the war ends…”
Then we’d have no choice but to take Nerva as a hostage, meet with the Pope, and dispose of her once business is concluded. If she’s too foolish to even know how to sit at a negotiation table, there’s no point in supporting her claim to the throne—early elimination is best.
“Use her as material to meet the Pope, then have her disappear. A blockhead has no value alive.”
Exactly. Especially if that person holds a position above all others, being alive only brings trouble to those around them. It’s good for neither Alein nor Largol’s future.
Father’s opinion was sound, and I nodded in agreement, but for some reason Jack Brown, Glen, Sage, and Serena all looked pale as they glanced between Father and me.
“Sigh… What sin did I commit in my past life to be born into the Brown family?”
“I-I will work hard from now on. I’m sure I fall short in your eyes, but… I will do my best!”
“How can people like this even exist…?”
“Doctor, don’t worry. Even if your character is somewhat… ruined in many ways, Papa loves you.”
What? Why? Isn’t it obvious? Father and I simply reached the most rational conclusion, so why is everyone like this!
While everyone lamented, Father alone proceeded steadily through the procedures. Meeting adjourned by the chairman’s unilateral decision. Formation of the Celin capture team, budget allocation, full delegation of decision-making authority regarding actions in Largol as a sign of entrusting the operation to me, and a document requesting cooperation from Fourth Prince Nerva.
After Father had everything documented, he instructed that official notices be circulated throughout the Mansion with urgency, and asked Lam to handle the copying. Lam seemed worried she might be drafted as a combatant, but since we’d hired her as a copier, there was no reason to use her as an assassin.
When Father and I brought up the contract we’d made with Lam, explaining that Ram Bart only needed to fulfill her function as a printer while working at the Duke’s Mansion and need not worry about anything else, she finally relaxed and went to fetch paper from the supply room with a bright smile.
Hehe, using such a convenient girl for something as crude as killing people? Absolutely not. Father must have felt the same way, for he quietly extended his fist toward me, and I bumped it with mine to affirm our family bond.
Goodness, so much to do. I need to prepare the Saint Brilliant Lusilu Ship to take the team to Largol, request an escort from Bienar, and while I’m at it, sell off some radios.
I worked diligently to atone for the days I’d spent idling about, completed the preparations for departure before sunset, and secured the Fourth Prince’s pledge of cooperation. All those years of struggle with Lusilu Ship hadn’t been in vain—young Nerva agreed that if his safety were guaranteed, I could use him however necessary until he met the Pope.
Given that he’d crawled into enemy territory alone and was barely clinging to life, he had no other choice, but I resolved to watch over the boy’s safety as much as possible.
If the situation arose where Largol withdrew its forces from Alein, Largol’s internal affairs would be in ruins. I concluded that only Nerva’s son was capable of putting things in order.

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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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