198. Does It Include Her?
After a friendly chat with his Lecturer sister, Ling arrived at the Mysterious Scholar's room.
The room was dimly lit. An alcohol lamp held a round tube heated by the lamp, inside which some unidentified liquid was boiling.
Not far away was a telescope for observing the stars in the sky, though it was unknown whether there were stars here.
There were many, many books around. Every single one of Vill-V loved reading...
Except for the Great Magician.
The Mysterious Scholar lay languidly on a sofa, one hand gently supporting her head. Her voluptuous figure was faintly visible in the dim lamplight.
"Aren't you tired of supporting your head like that?" Ling stood before her, arms crossed.
Hearing Ling's words, the Mysterious Scholar slowly opened her eyes.
After staring at Ling for a while, she finally spoke.
"My hand is numb."
"If your hand is numb, sit up!" Ling's lips twitched slightly.
He helped her up from the sofa.
The Mysterious Scholar rubbed her slightly sore arms, looking at Ling.
"My other half, you have finally appeared before me."
The Mysterious Scholar's tone was calm and drawn-out, giving him an air of unfathomable mystery.
"I am not your other half. Call me older brother." Ling tapped her head.
"The contract is binding and cannot be broken." TheMysterious Scholar shook her head.
"That 'Vill-V Law'?"
"How do you know about it?" The Mysterious Scholar asked, somewhat surprised.
"Even Cricket Vill-V tried to hide something from me?" Ling said proudly.
"There is a traitor among us." The Mysterious Scholar stated decisively, while simultaneously speculating about who had betrayed Vill-V.
"Suddenly you're talking normally again."
Ignoring Ling's complaint, the Mysterious Scholar rose and went to the reagent station, handing Ling a bottle of prepared reagent.
"This is 'Truth Potion.' Those who drink it must never tell a lie again."
Ling took it, smelled it to confirm there was no strange odor, and then drank it all in one gulp.
"Is this what sweetness tastes like?"
Ling let out a burp as the bubbles rose. He couldn't perceive Vill-V's sense of taste, so this was the first time he'd tasted something.
"Now that you've drunk the 'Water of Truth,' you must not utter a single falsehood." The Mysterious Scholar looked at Ling.
"I am devoted to Vill-V," Ling said earnestly.
"You…you…" Upon hearing this, the Mysterious Scholar froze, unable to speak clearly.
"I love Vill-V the most."
"Ugh~"
"Vill-V is the most talented person I've ever met."
"Don't…don't say that…"
The Mysterious Scholar blushed and stepped forward to cover Ling's mouth, her usually indifferent eyes now misting over.
"I drank the 'Water of Truth,' so everything I said is true," Ling teased.
The Mysterious Scholar's brain overheated, and she fainted.
"So shy..." Ling was somewhat surprised and could only help the Mysterious Scholar to the side to rest.
There's no such thing as a "truth-telling potion" in this world; it's just a little joke between siblings.
Ling continued his visit.
Next was the 'Expert's' room.
"You're here? Help me take a look at this."
The Expert showed no surprise or joy, immediately asking about the troubles she was encountering while tackling the engineering problem.
Ling didn't waste any words and started working with the Expert.
After all, this Vill-V was currently the only one who was actually doing anything productive.
With Ling's help, the engineering problem was quickly solved, and the Expert finally had some free time.
"They won't leave everything to you, will they?" Ling asked.
"No, at least I don't have to do things like socializing and meals," the Expert said calmly.
"You're really being treated like a workhorse, working all year-round." Ling hugged her with a touch of heartache.
"Perfect, you can help me with some of the work from now on." The Expert handed over the remaining tasks to Ling without hesitation.
"…What can I say? I'm a good older brother who cares about his little sister." Ling reluctantly began processing the documents.
The expert's lips curled into a slight smile. She didn't just stand by and watch, but joined in.
"I'm also a good older sister who cares about her little brother. Of course, I can't let him do all the work."
Facing Ling's slightly questioning gaze, the Expert answered matter-of-factly.
"She didn't give you all her ambition, did she?" Ling shuddered.
"Not really. Everyone else has some, but I get the most." The Expert was perfectly aware of her position.
"How much?"
"80%."
"…My poor little sister, call me brother, and I'll handle half of your work from now on." Ling made her request.
"Brother." The expert called out without hesitation.
For her, sacrificing a little integrity was acceptable as long as it improved efficiency.
"Good girl, say it again," Ling said cheekily.
This was already the second sister he'd won over; one day, he'd become Vill-V's real older brother!
"You just said, 'Call me that,' so stop talking nonsense and get to work," the Expert kicked Ling.
Although somewhat heartless, a closer look revealed the Expert's cheeks were slightly flushed; clearly, saying "brother" wasn't as easy as he'd imagined.
Ling realized the flaw in her words, but it didn't matter; if there was a first time, there would be a second—that was his conviction.
After spending some time helping the Expert finish her work, the Expert left to take over Vill-V's body outside, looking like a very busy person.
So, only two rooms remained...
Ling decided to check out the 'Conductor's' room first.
The Conductor's residence was very similar to his own; perhaps this was an unexpected consequence of the initial separation.
"Hi~! Ling, you finally came to see me?" The Conductor greeted Ling warmly.
"You really are the most normal little sister," Ling sighed with relief.
"It's the older sister! I'll tell that to the other Vill-Vs, and then you'll be on trial!" The Conductor pointed at Ling's nose.
"Are you sure it'll be me being attacked and not you?" Ling retorted.
"Uh..."
The Conductor froze. If that were the case, the other Vill-Vs might actually get jealous and do something indescribable to her.
She was the one who understood most clearly among all the Vill-Vs how important Ling was to them—an irreplaceable, undeniable presence.
Although she didn't want to admit it, that feeling had transcended the bond of kinship.
After all, Ling's body had long since been cremated; their current communication was through the projection of her personality into their spiritual world.
"Okay, okay, I was just kidding. If they really wanted to kick you out, I'd be the first to object," Ling reassured her.
"Phew~ I'm relieved to hear you say that." The Conductor breathed a sigh of relief.
"After all, you're all my one and only little sisters," Ling added.
"...Does that include her, too?" The Conductor asked abruptly.
"Of course," Ling nodded earnestly.
...
[T/N]: Sorry for the late update, I have been busy with work for a while lately, and I have come to hate forced overwork.