Furina let out a jubilant cry as she read that day’s Palais Mermonia Gazette. Since the judicial examination was the most prestigious exam in the nation of laws, its contents were published in the official gazette. It also included the list of successful candidates, and there was my name and examinee number beside the word “top scorer.”
"Just as expected of Avrora! He’s more than worthy of becoming my lover! Hehe~ At this point, even Neuvillette won’t be able to say anything, right?"
"What are you talking about, Furina? What do you mean, I won’t be able to say anything?"
"Eek?! When did you get here?!"
"When I came into your room, you were reading the newspaper and giggling after stopping halfway through your dessert, so I merely watched you closely."
"Is it that strange for me to read a newspaper?!"
"When would you ever have reason to read one? You hate pages full of writing. Especially an official gazette—there are no pictures whatsoever."
"A-Anyway! What’s on my schedule today? Nothing, right? Please say there’s nothing!"
"Since it is the weekend, today’s schedule includes three meetings with the public, one theater performance, and..."
"Aaargh! Why is a god this busy?! Why don’t I have any time to play?!"
"You previously canceled your schedule, locked yourself in your room, and went on a hunger strike. You even went to proctor the first-round examination. Think of this as karma catching up with you."
"Hah... Right... If I think of it as karma, then I suppose it is..."
Furina sighed and prepared to leave. Neuvillette studied the page of the gazette Furina had been reading.
"It’s the list of first-round passers. Is this what you were looking at?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"There is no problem, but I heard that this year’s examination produced its youngest-ever top scorer. Avrora Snezhevich, fifteen years and two months old."
"Right. I was merely looking at it for a moment because it was interesting."
"Merely looking? You buried your face in it and delighted in it... Do you have some connection to that child?"
"I-It’s nothing! Nothing at all..."
"Hmm, very well... I will not press you any further."
"Fine, got it. I’m going to work."
It’s nothing? Why did I say that? Of course it isn’t nothing. Avrora is my lover, the one who gave me my first kiss. If only I could see more of him, I feel like I could do anything...
With that firm resolve, Furina headed off to meet with her people.
On the way to The Steambird headquarters in Fontaine
Peruel and I held hands while sightseeing around Fontaine. I had been here several times, but it was Peruel’s first visit, and she swept her eyes around in wonder. Was this how a country bumpkin felt upon visiting a big city for the first time?
"Your younger sister seems fascinated by Fontaine. Is this your first time in the Court of Fontaine?"
"I’ve come here a few times for the exam, but it’s my sister’s first time."
"Thank you so much for coming all the way to The Steambird headquarters! I’m Euphrasie, a reporter. I look forward to this interview!"
Euphrasie...? Isn’t that the name of The Steambird’s editor-in-chief? She made it big by the time of the original story.
We headed toward The Steambird headquarters. On the way, we ran into several Steambird reporters.
"Hey, Euphrasie! Who are those two little kids?"
"These two? Hehe! They’re the distinguished guests I worked so hard to bring in! This boy is none other than the top scorer in this year’s first-round judicial examination!"
"W-What?! This boy?! He’s so tiny, and he came in first?!"
The reporter, shocked, set off a flash in my face without warning. This reporter had no tact whatsoever.
Euphrasie promptly rapped him on the head with her knuckles and scolded him.
"Hey! Taking pictures without asking for someone’s permission is a nuisance!"
"Ah, sorry... I was just so surprised."
Peruel glared viciously at him too, with an expression that seemed to say, How dare you do that to my brother?
"Well, I’m busy, so I’ll be going~ The editor-in-chief is going to love me for this, right? Hehehe~"
"Sheesh... Lucky bastard..."
I followed Euphrasie into The Steambird’s offices. It looked like a small building from the outside, but the printing presses and various supplies seemed to be underground.
As Peruel and I marveled at the newspaper office, a bald man approached Euphrasie.
"Hey, Euphrasie. You ran out at dawn in such a rush, saying you’d landed a scoop. Did you get it?"
"Of course, Editor-in-Chief! This boy is the very subject of it!"
With a ta-da gesture, she presented me to the man. It made me feel awkward to have become the subject of a scoop.
"What? He’s just a little kid. Aside from being a handsome fellow, he looks like an ordinary kid to me."
"Editor-in-Chief, he’s that kid! That kid! The one who placed first in this year’s first round!"
"What...? You brought that kid here? Did you kidnap him?"
"What are you talking about?! This kid personally said he wanted to interview with us! We just got lucky because he said ours was the only newspaper that came to the orphanage!"
"What? He’s an orphan? So the rumor was true?!"
The bald man looked me over, startled.
"His head doesn’t look absurdly oversized, so how did he come first in that damned exam? Anyway, Euphrasie, good work this time. I’ll put in a good word with the higher-ups."
"Yes!!"
As if she had seized an opportunity for promotion, Euphrasie jumped up and down in delight. Then she took both my hands in hers.
"Thank you so much! It was such incredible luck that The Steambird was at your orphanage! Shall we go do the interview now? Editor-in-Chief! Is there an empty room?"
"Yes. The interview room is vacant, so use that. Submit the article by the end of today. It has to go in tomorrow’s paper."
"Understood! Even if I have to work overtime tonight, I’ll get it done!"
"Of course you’ll work overtime, you brat... Anyway, our adorable guests, will you follow that lady there?"
Euphrasie led us away. We arrived at the interview room in the back of the first floor. She seated the two of us, then went to get snacks and drinks.
"Brother... What are you going to do now?"
"I don’t know either... If I’d known things would turn out like this, I should’ve taken it a little easier."
"Still, you’re amazing, Brother. First place... I’m happy to be your sister."
I patted Peruel’s head. At least for this moment, it was peaceful.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. I went to get food... Huh? You two really are brother and sister, right?"
"Yes... We met at the orphanage and grew close. We’re not related by blood."
"So you’re sworn siblings? That can happen in an orphanage. All right! Then shall we begin the interview? My heart’s pounding. An exclusive interview with the youngest-ever top scorer—I’m so lucky to have gotten an opportunity like this."
Euphrasie proudly took out a notebook and pen.
"First question, then. What is your name?"
"Avrora Snezhevich."
"Hmm. That sounds like a Snezhnayan name... Are you from Snezhnaya?"
"No. I was born in Fontaine, but I had no parents or relatives, and I just wandered around until someone from Snezhnaya found me and left me at an orphanage."
"Then what about your name? Did you choose it yourself?"
"No. I couldn’t remember my name. The Snezhnayan person who brought me in gave it to me. They said it means ‘aurora’ in Snezhnayan."
"That’s quite dramatic... No, I’m sorry... I shouldn’t use words like that with a child like you..."
"It’s fine. I’m used to it."
"Then... I’ll ask your sister beside you as well. What’s your name?"
"..."
"Um... Hello? Can you hear me?"
"..."
"Ah, she’s very shy around strangers. It would probably be better not to ask her name."
"Ah, all right. Then what does your brother mean to you?"
At that question, Peruel opened her mouth.
"He is my one and only brother... someone I can trust, and who knows everything..."
"Ah... I see... You call him ‘Brother’? How unusual. Next question, then. Your brother came first in the examination—no, he ranked number one. As his sister, do you have anything to say?"
"...I think it was the natural result. My brother knows everything..."
At that near-fanatical answer, Euphrasie broke out in a cold sweat before asking me,
"Um... Er... Avrora, was it? Isn’t she a little strange?"
"She doesn’t talk much with other people. You don’t need to worry too much about it."
"All right. Then, the next question! How did you study at the orphanage? I think that’s what the most people are waiting to hear."
How did I study? If I said, ‘I studied exactly as Focalors pointed out,’ they’d think I was crazy, wouldn’t they? It was the truth, though... How was I supposed to explain it? A famous line did come to mind, but if I used that, parents of examinees would raise hell, wouldn’t they? Once again, I prepared to speak while radiating the sadism I had felt when I mercilessly smacked Furina’s ass over and over.
"The orphanage didn’t really do anything for me. They just threw me books on constitutional law and civil law, then told me to study on my own. I’ve been studying since I was ten, so it’s been a while."
"You studied from the age of ten? Could the contents of the law really sink into your head at such a young age?"
Euphrasie was aghast. Apparently, she couldn’t accept that a ten-year-old had read law books.
"At first, I didn’t understand what they were saying, but I gradually improved as I kept at it. So, to sum it up, this is what I’d say."
"I solved lots of past exam questions and studied with the legal codes as my foundation."
By the time the interview ended, it was evening. The two of us had eaten all sorts of food and drunk all sorts of beverages, and our bellies were stuffed. It might have been the first time since Thanksgiving that I had eaten such a variety of things.
"Get home safely, then! And keep reading our paper!"
Euphrasie waved us off as we headed home. Peruel and I held hands as we made our way back to the House of the Hearth.
Along the way, children ran about and adults lived in peace. I wanted to remain in this peaceful atmosphere a little longer, but once we returned to the House of the Hearth, we would be back in that harsh environment. Ah, I wanted to escape already.
"Brother, did I do well today?"
"You did. I think you did well not giving them your name. It could bind you down later."
"Okay. Thank you for praising me..."
"Since we came all the way to Fontaine, do you want to look around some more? Kujavina said we had until tomorrow to come back. There are plenty of places I want to show you."
"Okay... If I’m with you, Brother, there’s nothing to be afraid of."
You’re not the one who should be saying that. That’s my line.
I bought the cake I had gotten for Peruel’s birthday party last year, then stopped by the attached café. I ordered coffee, Peruel ordered milk, and we prepared to share the cake.
"Wasn’t this tasty? It’s nicely sweet, so I liked it."
"Everything you bring me suits my tastes. It’s strange."
We ate the cake in small mouthfuls. It was quite satisfying after so long, and Peruel ate with a smile too.
"I can’t believe the limited-edition cake still isn’t sold out this late~ Maybe I’ve been lucky lately?"
Ah... That voice that heralded disaster. Peruel was here too—what was I supposed to do?
"Brother... That voice..."
"Yes... It’s Furina. She’s over there."
I pointed to Furina at the display counter, whose distinctive white ahoge was impossible to miss. Sensing our presence, Furina turned around, spotted me, and hurried over with an ecstatic look on her face.
"Avrora! What a coincidence to meet you here?! They have limited-edition cake too, so we can have some time alone..."
"..."
"Uh... Avrora? Why is she here?"
Peruel’s eyes glared at Furina as though she wanted to kill her. Furina soon felt afraid, while I sighed at the thought of the impending chaos.
"Um... You two? We’re inside a café. Shall we move somewhere else?"
"Y-Yeah! Since we ran into each other like this, we should spend some proper time together! Come with me to the Palais Mermonia..."
"Get away from my brother, you useless bitch."
Peruel tried to stab Furina with the fork she had been eating cake with.
"Peruel? You mustn’t do that here, all right?"
"Okay..."
Peruel dejectedly sat back down. Furina was panting and did not let her guard down.
"Furina, you remember the residence we went to before? Let’s go there."
"All right. If it’s what you say, I’ll listen."
"...The place you went to before?"
Peruel’s eyes narrowed. I shouldn’t let these two meet... It looked like today would be another exhausting day.
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