When little Norn ran toward Wood, unlike usual, he didn't reach out to pick her up. Instead, he focused on comforting the sobbing Aisha in his arms. This change quickly made Norn feel unhappy. She pouted and, with her not-so-fluent speech, complained, "Wood is being unfair. Norn is your real sister. Aisha is just a servant…"
Before she could finish, Norn saw her gentle and loving brother's face turn stern for the first time.
"Who taught you to say that?" Wood asked, his tone firm and displeased.
Norn, having never seen this side of her brother, immediately began to cry, her little lips trembling. Now, Wood had not one but two tearful little girls to console in his arms.
Wood understood that Norn, being so young, didn't comprehend the weight of her words. Someone must have influenced her. It couldn't have been Rudy, who rarely came home due to his responsibilities at the Boreas household, but whenever he did, he treated both of his little sisters equally. As a fellow transmigrator, Rudy shared the same belief as Wood: there was no real difference between a legitimate and an illegitimate child. Both Aisha and Norn were their beloved sisters.
With Rudy ruled out, that left only Paul, Zenith, and Lilia. Zenith was far too kind-hearted to instill such ideas in Norn, and Paul, feeling guilty about his affair with Lilia, would never dare treat Aisha differently.
"It was Lilia who said it to Aisha. Norn overheard it… Please don't hate me, Wood…" Norn's voice trembled as she spoke.
Understanding the situation, Wood cast a sharp glance at Lilia, clearly displeased with her methods of raising the children. He scolded her quietly, disapproving of how she was handling things.
Turning his attention to his two sisters, Wood gently began teaching them a valuable lesson, his voice calm yet firm. "Norn, Aisha is your sister. Even if you're only a few hours older than her, as her big sister, you should be protecting her, not bullying her. From now on, I don't want to hear you say Aisha isn't your sister. If you do, both Rudy and I will be very upset."
He then turned to Aisha. "Aisha, the same goes for you. If you ever feel wronged, come to me. If your mother won't stand up for you, your big brother will."
Wood and Rudy, being far more mature than their actual age, had never needed Zenith's constant care, growing up with a solid sense of right and wrong. This led to Zenith having very little experience raising children, assuming that Norn and Aisha would be just as easy to care for. Paul, meanwhile, was too busy trying to reclaim his authority as the head of the family, working tirelessly to support everyone, leaving no time for him to teach his children properly.
As for Lilia, out of gratitude for Zenith and Wood's acceptance, she had adopted two very different attitudes toward Norn and her own daughter, Aisha. Wood realized that if this continued, his two sisters would grow up with skewed views. Thankfully, he caught it in time, determined to correct the imbalance and stop any future issues from arising.
When Wood expressed his desire to take charge of his sisters' upbringing, Zenith did not object. Although Wood was only eleven, his manners, character, intelligence, and strength were all extraordinary. Zenith often attributed Wood's excellence to her own remarkable genes, proudly remembering that she had once been known as the "Perfect Noblewoman."
As for Rudy, while his magical talents clearly came from her side of the family, she often joked that his personality (especially his womanizing tendencies) must have come from Paul.
Neither Norn nor Aisha had any complaints about their older brother looking after them. To them, Wood was not only the best brother in the world but also the most capable. Back when the family lived in the countryside, Paul's salary as a senior knight had barely been enough to support them all. But now, with two additional mouths to feed and living in the bustling city of Roa, Paul's income was stretched even thinner. Roa, being a more expensive city, meant that while Paul's earnings could cover the basics, any luxuries were out of reach.
Wood, now an adventurer, often spent three to seven days on missions. Whenever he returned, he would bring back rare monster ingredients and gifts of new clothes and toys for the two little girls. As a result, Norn and Aisha came to view their second brother, Wood, as far more important than Rudy, who only came home every few months.
Both girls knew that their brother was a renowned figure in Roa. He had defeated numerous bandits and dangerous monsters on behalf of the city's lord. Whenever they went out shopping with Lilia or Zenith, people would praise them for being Wood's sisters, and the compliments swelled their hearts with pride. They were incredibly proud to have such an amazing brother.
The next day, as they walked through the busy streets of Roa, Zenith decided to cook a grand feast to celebrate Wood's return. She personally went out to buy the ingredients, feeling confident with the large sum of money Wood had recently given her.
Wood walked alongside his mother, holding hands with both of his little sisters. Norn and Aisha were both in high spirits, excited not only for the feast but also because they were wearing the new clothes their brother had bought them. They paraded around the marketplace, proudly showing off their dresses to anyone who would listen, and basking in the compliments they received.
Zenith, leading the way, smiled warmly at the sight of her children enjoying each other's company. It should have been a perfect, happy day for the family. However, Wood couldn't shake an uneasy feeling. His gaze frequently drifted toward the sky, where he noticed a strange orb hovering above them. It seemed larger now than it had earlier, though he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.
"Wood, what's wrong? Are you really that unhappy about coming shopping with your mother?" Zenith teased, noticing her son's distracted demeanor. But before she could finish her playful scolding, Wood suddenly pulled Aisha and Norn toward her, his expression urgent.
In the next moment, the family of four was engulfed in a blinding pillar of light.
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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 380+ at p@treon.com/Betek and change @ to a