Prologue
The main street leading to the town square is bustling with activity today, despite the small size of the town.
This area is particularly popular among the youth, especially young women, so the majority of people you see here are either young women or young men accompanying them.
I, Richard, am among them, standing in line at a food stall selling a new, trendy sweet food called “Fluffy Fluffy Castella.”
It’s worth noting that I’m not exactly blending in with the young crowd. The lines are clearly divided and, despite the vendors’ efforts to maintain close distance, I find myself surrounded by an empty bubble of space.
This is not surprising, as “Fluffy Fluffy Castella” is not really the sort of queue that someone like me, over thirty, would fit into. While there may be some older men who can pull off this sweet drink, I am not one of them.
Despite being born in this town, I have spent half my life in the frontier wilderness, so it’s painful to admit that I don’t belong in this crowd.
For many years, the only sweets I could find were the fruits from the cactus in the desert.
So, I’m more of a meat-lover than a sweet-tooth. The meat I consume, however, isn’t from well-raised cattle or lamb, but rather from iguanas that come to feed on the fruit of the cactus.
This begs the question – why am I enduring the disdainful looks of young ladies and standing in line?
If you’re inclined to laugh, go ahead.
Others may not understand, but this is my job search.
Finally, my turn arrives, and I recite the rehearsed lines when the vendor asks, “What would you like to order?”
“Fluffy castella, half-and-half with chocolate, topped with vanilla ice cream and butterscotch sauce, and also with tapioca, peanuts, taro, and extra whipped cream…”
Whew, I wipe the sweat from my brow. Spells have never been my strong suit.
Did I manage to get it right?
“Here you go, thank you for your patience…”
Even as I receive the order from the vendor, I’m not confident that I recited it correctly.
Regardless, I leave the food stall and head towards the plaza’s seating area.
As I make my way to a table, I spot a young woman with hair the same shade of reddish-brown as mine.
Or at least, it would be the same color as mine if I still had any hair left. My locks were singed off by a dragon, so I’m now bald.
The girl sits up straight, aligns the toes of her shoes, and takes her seat with her hands on her knees, her posture impeccable despite her modest attire and footwear.
However, when she spots me walking towards her from the line of food stalls, she jumps up and waves her arms.
“Big brother, over here, over here!”
Yes, this girl is my younger sister, Stella.
While it might be an overstatement to say we look like parent and child, there’s a significant age gap between us, with my sister having just graduated from the Magic Academy’s high school division at 18 years old.
As her older brother, I can’t help but note that my sister has lovely features, is incredibly cute, and bears little resemblance to me, to the point where I sometimes doubt we’re related.
My sister’s eyes light up as she sees the “Fluffy Stella” desert I brought her, and she exclaims:
“Wow, it’s the famous ‘Drinkable! Fizzy and Fluffy Stella’! It looks delicious. Let’s try it right away…”
With that, my sister closed her eyes and opened her mouth wide, making an “ah” sound.
“…”
“…”
There was a moment of silence between us.
But then, my sister looked at me with a slightly reproachful expression and said, “Big brother, if you don’t hurry up, the ice cream will melt.”
I was disappointed, but not surprised.
I scooped up a spoonful of castella and fed it to my sister, who eagerly accepted it with a crunch.
“It’s delicious!” she exclaimed. “The advertising slogan ‘Not fluffy? No, this is castella’ is no lie! It’s like drinking a fizzy, melting treat…”
She put her hand on her cheek, entranced by the flavor.
Then, like a baby bird waiting to be fed, she repeatedly opened her mouth wide and said, “Ah.”
After a few repetitions, she suddenly took the spoon from my hand.
“Big brother, would you like a bite too?” she offered, scooping up another spoonful of the treat.
“Here, open your mouth, aah…”
I tilted my head slightly and opened my mouth a little, facing her.
I couldn’t believe it — was my sister actually trying to feed me?!
“You idiot! You can’t do something like that!” I shouted in a moment of panic.
My sister’s eyes widened for a moment, but once she understood the meaning of my words, tears began to flow from her large eyes, and she started sobbing.
People at nearby tables looked over with concern, but they were intimidated by my imposing figure and didn’t dare to intervene.
I was getting flustered as well. “Come on, don’t cry,” I said, trying to comfort her.
“But, but big brother…,” she sniffled between sobs.
“Don’t cry over something like this,” I said, trying to calm her down.
“I’m sorry, I just can’t stop crying… What should I do? Big brother will hate me, sniff, sniff…” she continued to sob.
Just then, a buzzing sound filled the air and a large insect-like creature appeared, flying around me.
“Wha…”
“Hey old man! Don’t you know what will happen if you make Lady Raldine cry?!”
I was scolded by the little creature, which had wings on its back and looked like a fairy girl at first glance. But its menacing wings made it clear that it was far from being a friendly fairy.
“I got it, I got it. I’ll eat, okay! So don’t nag me like that! It makes me feel like some kind of dirty person!”
I responded to my sister’s urging, and she stopped crying, her smile returning to her face.
She offered me the spoon once more. “Here you go, big brother, ahh…”
“…”
I reluctantly put the spoonful of food from Stella into my mouth.
“Is it delicious, big brother?” she asked.
“Yes,” I replied, trying to ignore the stares and whispers around us.
(What? That old guy. He’s letting a young lady feed him… Are they father and daughter?)
(But it’s too cold. I feel sorry for the girl.)
I’ll say it again, this job hunting process is crucial for me.
And let me say it one more time, the girl feeding me with the spoon is my sister, Stella.
But it’s only her appearance—her soul has been switched with Lady Geraldine, the daughter of the Duke’s family.
And the insect-like creature flying around us is Stella’s familiar, Belle.
⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂
My name is Richard.
Just plain old Richard.
For many years, I served as a border security guard, relying solely on my own strength to defend against any demons or monsters that threatened the area.
But with the protection of Saint-sama in the Holy City, the threat from demons and external enemies has diminished, and I was relieved of my duties. I returned to my hometown after several years and have been living here for a few months.
Although it’s great to live in a peaceful world, I’ve struggled to find steady employment as I have no other skills besides swordsmanship.
Just as I was feeling lost, my younger sister Stella returned from studying at the Holy City’s Magic Academy for three years.
Unlike me, who lacks any magical ability, Stella possesses a natural talent for magic and was awarded a scholarship to attend the advanced program at the academy.
It’s rare for someone from a commoner background like my sister to be accepted into the Magic Academy, where the royal family and noble-born students receive exceptional education from a young age. And to receive a scholarship on top of that is even more extraordinary.
I had been concerned that my sister would face bullying and harassment from the wealthy and high-class students at the academy, as well as from the snobbish and malicious ladies who held high positions in the social hierarchy. To my surprise, she showed remarkable adaptability and was able to thrive in school, even forming a close friendship with Lady Geraldine, the Duke’s daughter.
Growing up in the downtown area and rolling around like a dog among the boys, my sister had a rough upbringing which was a stark contrast to her appearance and intelligence. On the other hand, Lady Geraldine was raised delicately and with great care, but had a completely opposite personality. Despite this, there was something that attracted them to each other.
Lady Geraldine, who was a bit too carefree and slow-witted, had become the target of bullying from the newly wealthy aristocrats at the academy, but my sister came to her rescue and they had been inseparable ever since. My sister aided her with her studies and looked after her in various ways.
My sister was a kind-hearted person, even with her background.
Lady Geraldine was set to be married off to a foreign land after she completed her higher education at the Magic Academy and underwent several months of bridal training.
It was a scheme that Lady Geraldine couldn’t resist – a chance to live a carefree life before her arranged marriage.
With the help of her best friend and top Magic Academy student, Stella, Lady Geraldine used possession magic to switch bodies.
So, Stella is now living as Lady Geraldine in the Duke’s mansion in the Holy City, while Lady Geraldine is pretending to be Stella and spending her days eating sweets with me.
The familiar Belle has been sent by the real Stella to keep an eye on things and report back. Interestingly, Lady Geraldine, who is impersonating my sister, cannot see Belle.
All the information I have about Stella’s life at the academy and her relationship with Lady Geraldine comes from Belle’s reports. Apparently, due to our large age difference and the length of time we’ve spent apart, Stella doesn’t have much affection for me.
“I heard from my master that you’re an unemployed NEET, aren’t you?” says Belle with a cheeky grin.
The “Master” Belle is referring to is my younger sister, Stella.
What a way to talk about someone. Is she talking about me like that to others? But it’s true, so I can’t refute it.
“If you serve Raldine-sama exceptionally well, it’s not just a pipe dream to become an official in the Holy City. Raldine-sama is shy, so if you assert yourself a bit more, she’ll do as you say…”
It’s disheartening to hear a small-minded familiar like Belle talk down to someone. I can only imagine that Lady Geraldine was probably being taken advantage of by cruel, lower-ranking nobles at the academy or made to perform menial tasks. I silently sympathize with her.
However, the prospect of becoming an official in the Holy City is tantalizing. While it’s unfortunate to have to take advantage of a timid young lady, it’s worth putting in the effort to work hard and rise in the ranks.
“By the way, what is Raldine-sama?”
“It’s Lady Geraldine. My Master referred to her as Raldine-sama, so I do too…”
“I see. I’ll call her that as well. Noble names are too lengthy and it’s a hassle to keep track of and remember them…”
“Listen carefully, Raldine-sama is pretending to be my magnificent master, so the old man must make sure he doesn’t reveal her true identity. My existence is also unknown to Raldine-sama. Raldine-sama is an important person who is soon to be married, so if her disguise is revealed to the public, it will cause a significant issue. If that happens, the old man will be without work forever, just a burden on society…”
“I understand…”
And thus, I am currently sharing a home with Raldine, the Duke’s daughter, who is pretending to be my sister.
It’s important to note that this arrangement is solely for job hunting purposes. It’s the first step towards realizing my dream of leaving unemployment behind and joining the coveted Holy City.
As Raldine is unfamiliar with the outside world, it’s necessary to be overprotective in order to protect her before her upcoming nuptials.
Please note, I am not a “siscon”. Absolutely not.
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