At 8200 words, this subchapter is two times longer than the previous one! The staff at Imoutolicious LNT worked hard in bringing you this new release, so please thank them. They went the extra mile and included translators' notes for the allusions and Korean memes.
Anyway, after this release, we will also start introducing/reviewing some great Korean light novels.
Translators: Kurosmith & Kalkin
Proofreaders: Kalkin + imoutolicious
____________________
「On the 9th
of last month, Commander Blackhazel of
the international private military company Bandersnatch arrived at the Incheon
International Airport to discuss the substitute
troop deployment for the temporary absence of military force, caused by the
relocation of an American base south of Weonnam-seon at Pyeongyang. In that morning,
Commander Blackhazel had a meeting with the Minister of
National Defense Kim and leading members of the military at the Blue
House[1], and…」
Once
again, I’m at the Blackhazel Mansion
located on the outskirts of Brașov, Romania. Or more specifically, I’m at my all-too-awkward
room inside the mansion.
Part way through copy-pasting the article
on the computer, I click the back button. As I look, the content displayed on
the monitor is none other than a search results page on a portal site about
Maria’s background. Excluding rumors and conspiracy theories, here are some of
the impressive quotes that I’ve picked out.
「Completing the doctoral program in an American
military university at the age of 11, she received the Best PhD Thesis Award for her “Militaristic
Reconstruction and Comparative Analysis of Stalin’s National Strategy”.」
「Right
after her graduation, she was appointed as
a staff officer in the international private military company Bandersnatch. During
the Revolution of Kuwait and Middle East Rebellions, where they were at a major disadvantage, she led the allied forces to victory from the front line to—(omitted)」
「The second
coming of 21st century Clausewitz[3]. The
greatest military tactics expert of the century. 」
I
intently read the backgrounds of the girl inside the screen.
Her
name is Maria Lunalady Blackhazel.
Also
known as the 《Princess
of Pure Darkness》, she’s a perfect
lady with both intelligence and beauty. A flower in a painting.
And…
“Ahhh, Onii-sama… I love you, Onii-samaaa…♡”
Behaving
like a spoiled child, this defenseless and
clumsy girl—who’s clinging on to
me with
both of her arms around my shoulder—is definitely the same person.
They’re
the same, all right.
There’s
no way that two people with such monstrous careers can exist in the same world,
and I really don’t want to imagine a parallel universe
where
those two could exist.
I’ve
heard that human psyche shuts off information processing when it’s exposed to
extreme situation beyond processing…
Because
I can’t really feel the 《Princess of Pure Darkness》 repetitively
rubbing her cheeks against me in a display of fierce physical affection.
Am I… shaking right now?[4]
Surely
there must’ve been a serious error in the story’s development.
Leaving
aside the straightforward and nonsensical premise of being the Blackhazel’s
hidden child, I really can’t understand the fact that I’m from the same blood as
the 《Princess
of Pure Darkness》.
“Being able to smell Onii-sama’s scent up
close like this, ahhh… I feel dizzy just by thinking about how happy I am!”
But just what exactly was the error?
Although I came here by my own free will, it
was actually more like I had no choice in the matter. Anyway, in a private jet,
I was shown a bunch of data to bring me up to speed. You could say that they
were cold, hard facts. Aside from the exact biographical data registered at the
government office, there were things from my RH- blood type, at what age I was
left at which orphanage, whom I was adopted by, and the list goes on.
Even if I don’t exclude the possibility of
fabrication, just what does the 《Princess of Pure Darkness》 have to gain by doing so?
There
isn’t.
“No,
let’s put that aside for now.”
“What
is it, Onii-sama?”
“Could
you let go of me a little? I’m having a difficult time breathing.”
“I
don’t want to. Even for a second more, I want to feel Onii-sama’s body firmly in
my arms.”
Shaking
her head, she hugs me even tighter. She’s
more tenacious than a serpent constricting its prey. No, it’s worse than that.
“Onii-sama’s
scent, breath, voice and down to your single last cell; I find them so
endearing and loveable that I can't hold back any longer.”
Even
a lovey-dovey couple in the heat of their burning passion would show more
discretion than her.
“So
I’ll never let go of you. No, I can’t let go of you.”
“Mm…
I understand your feeling. But…”
Actually,
I don’t understand it at all.
“It’s
not like you can spend the whole day stuck to me like this, right?”
I’m
not a glue stick, you know.
“Let’s
see if I can.”
“Sorry,
but I absolutely prefer that you don't!”
Giggling
mischievously to those words, Maria pokes me in the side with her finger.
“Uwah?!”
Before
I can even react back to that sudden stab, she nibbles on my earlobe mischievously,
and then whispers.
“My
my, you are such a shy boy, Onii-sama…”
For
goodness sake.
I
have no intention of intruding into your personal delusion, but there are
boundaries. And stop causing trouble to others around you!
‘…Saying
that probably won’t work.’
Then
it’s time for a change of tactic.
If
my hard-line policy doesn’t work, then I’ll use a softer stance to make her let
go of me no matter what.
“Say,
Maria…”
“Ye-es?”
With
her arms still tightly wound around my shoulder, Maria looks up and slowly
tilts her head at me like a puppy.
“It’s
been quite a while since we ate. Aren’t you hungry?”
“I’m
full just by breathing in the same air as Onii-sama. Why, I’m so full that I feel like I’m pregnant
with Onii-sama’s child!"
‘Your
love really knows no boundaries.’
It’s
enough to make my skin crawl.
“Well,
you may not be hungry, but I am.”
“Ah-h?!
Is that so? In that case…”
Good,
now we’re going somewhere.
With
a look of confusion on her face, it seems Maria is caught in a dilemma.
And
Maria’s decision after that much consideration is:
“Here,
please feel free to devour me♪”
—this.
“Relieving my Onii-sama’s lust, don’t you
think that’s a basic duty for any excellent little sister?
Really, I don’t even want to understand what
she just said metaphorically.
Then how should I take her words?
I do not want her to in any shape or form.
There’s no way that I could want such a thing.
However, even if I don’t want to, what
power does a mere citizen like me have in front of the 《Princess of Pure Darkness》?
In
the end, this is just a downscaled version of what you see in society. It’s a
hierarchy structure where subordinates obey their superiors unconditionally.
Well,
it’s like in the military: Shut the hell up and do as you’re told.
◇ ◆ ◇
“Kyaaaah—?!”
If I recall correctly, I said something
about a hierarchy structure at that time.
Right now, I’m on top of Dorothy. Her
white blouse is half-off and she’s on the verge of crying.
After binding Dorothy’s wrists with a pair
of leather cuffs to subdue her opposition, I smile wickedly, licking my lips like
a certain caretaker violating students at an all-girls music academy.[6]
She puts up a resistance, struggling helplessly with a pool of tears in
her pretty, harelike eyes.
As she does, her curly honey-blonde twintails dance around, loose and disheveled.
“Fufu, you’re no longer my little sister!”
Shaking her head wildly, Dorothy cries out.
“I-I’m sorry, Onii-san! I won’t do it again… P-please, I beg of you! Forgive
me!”
“There is no use asking for forgiveness now! You will pay dearly for looking
down on your older brother, the one and only!”
“No, please, I beg of you! I’m
truly sorry!”
“A naughty child like you needs to be punished accordingly!”
“Please, anything but that… No! Please help me, Onee-sama!”
It’s unlikely that your desperate cry for help will reach Maria, who’s
outside currently.
This is another superior-subordinate hierarchy structure established inside
the mansion between me and Dorothy, so to speak.
Thus, ignoring Dorothy’s fainting cry, with her pure white breasts, I—
*SMACK!*
With a rhythmic sound effect, my consciousness rushes up from its sleep
like a coiled spring.
“Gyaaaaah!”
I sit up on the sofa in an excruciating pain and look around my
surroundings. This place is the living room used for reception inside the
Blackhazel Mansion.
Then I notice I’ve been drooling in my sleep, along with Dorothy
looking askance at me. Judging from how she’s in her school uniform and has a
bag over her shoulder, it seems she just came back from school after her last
class.
Wiping the drool with my sleeve, I assess the situation.
There’s only one conclusion that I can think of.
“Ah, it was a dream…”
While kicking my body around like she’s playing soccer, Dorothy spits
out insults.
“Geez, what an eyesore! Do you know how disgusting you looked, sleeping
like a hobo with a stupid smile on your face?!”
It was a nice dream too…
“Damn it! It was you, wasn’t it?! You smacked the back of my head while I was
having a good sleep!”
Dorothy snorts dismissively and raises me
her middle finger in an audacious manner.
“Yeah, it was me. Got a problem with that?
You stupid, idiotic
Onii-san.”
“Nah, I got 99 problems.”
Sounding like she didn’t understand what I
just said, Dorothy snaps back at me.
“What? I’m not good with slangs, so say it
plainly.”
“…”
“……”
“………”
“…………”
“Ah, okay… So, you got 99 problems but a
bitch isn’t one. Then it’d be okay for me to hit you, right?”
“It’s a good thing that you catch on quick,
my little sister.”
“Who do you think you’re playing with, you
crazy idiot!”
Finally grasping the situation, Dorothy’s
action is—as I thought—preparing for a straight punch. Hmm, this time I might
have to attach “Hyper” at the front and “Finisher” at the end.
I swiftly lower my body and assume a guarding
stance by lifting my arms. It’d be a lot better to be hit somewhere else than
my face and save myself some dental fees.
“H-hold on a second! Why don’t we talk this over like civilized people
of the 21st century?”
“Just drop dead, you human trash!”
“W-what?! Drop dead? Okay, understood! I’ll drop dead! So please put
down that fist of yours!”
“Words are useless!”
Yes! There it is, ladies and gentlemen! An uppercut from the below,
followed by a left hook! A clean finish by boxer Dorothy! Clearly, this isn’t her
first time beating people up. What a terrifying sight we’re seeing here today!
“Understand this, alright? You say stuff like that next time, I’ll
seriously kill you!”
Dorothy spits out in a cold voice, brushing off her hands.
“I-I understand…”
Lying on the ground like a corpse, I nod my head weakly.
Then, within a flash of lighting, the dream I just had crosses my mind.
The important thing is to get a pre-emptive strike! If I first get my authority
back as an older brother, things will change for the better then.
All right.
Taking deep breaths slowly, I collect my composure.
Let’s see… What did I say in my dream again?
Ah yes, right. It went like this.
“Who the hell do you think I am? Bring it on! I’ll teach you a lesson not
to mess with your older brother! One that you’ll never forget!”
“Oh really~?”
However, Dorothy overwhelms me with just her glare. This cruel reality is
nothing like the dream I had!
Dorothy is glowering at me, with her eyes inviting me to a fight.
I flinch slightly, but it’s already too late to back off now.
“You’re no longer my little sister!”
I’ve been letting her hit me all along since she’s my little sister,
but no more. Dorothy is a girl and I’m a healthy 18 year old boy. Girls are
absolutely no match for boys in terms of physical strength. Therefore, I can win this if I just pin her
down with brute force.
In other words: Domestication flag route!
There’s a saying that it only takes a moment of courage for a man to
turn into a wolf.
Wait…
But now that I think about it, wolves are members of the canine family.
They’re basically dogs.
……
I’m probably not going to make it.
“Ah~ Is that so? Then why don’t I beat you into a fine dust and you can
go buy yourself an electronic anklet!” [8]
I think this became a good opportunity for us to firmly establish the order
of rank of the master-servant relationship, and who can give out ruthless
beatings. I really do.
◇ ◆ ◇
Let’s continue talking about Dorothy for a little bit more.
If you were to ask me why she’s furious like this because she can’t kick
her only older brother out, not
giving a damn about our brother-sister relationship, then I think I might know the reason why.
I had no intention to get on her bad side like that when I got here, of
course.
That happened about a week ago.
The very day that I met Maria and suddenly became the Blackhazel’s
eldest son.
I was heading towards Romania in Eastern Europe, far away from the
northern hemisphere, on Maria’s private jet.
Of course, the decision of abandoning your home and going somewhere
else overnight might be difficult to understand right away. But it wasn’t a
problem for me. I was a half-blooded, working-class student living in a one
room mansion[9] and
changing rents every three months. Ever since I became independent from my
foster parents on my own, I had no one to call as my legal guardian.
I have a pretty complicated past, if I do say so myself.
Anyhow, the place I arrived after all night was Otopeni International
Airport, located northwest of Romania’s capital Bucharest. After we got off the
private jet, we kept on traveling in the Lincoln Continental limousine that was
standing just outside in advance.
The treatment I received throughout the course of getting to the
mansion was something of an awe-inspiring level of privilege that an ordinary
person like me could never dream of in their lifetime. Even now, it’s hard for
me to express the feeling of becoming like a prince of a royal family.
So I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t looking forward to it.
Who could have expected things to unfold this way?
The Blackhazel mansion situated at the northern foot of Carpathian
Mountains[10] wasn’t
an ancient Gothic castle like the one in Dracula. Rather, it was a sophisticated,
postmodern present-age building harmonized with the essence of geometry.
As soon as I opened the car door—admiring the sensuous
beauty of the building’s architectural design—and stepped outside, that happened.
A mysterious shadow ran towards me from the front door and hugged me.
Judging from its soft and babylike skin, I could vaguely tell that the mysterious
shadow that clung to me was a young girl.
I’m talking about the girl that’s busy intensely expressing her
affection by rubbing her cheeks against mine.
So there was another person waiting for my return besides Maria.
Ahh, this development is straight out of a Japanese eroge.
Frankly, I was kind of baffled at first; however, I knew by intuition
that my inflated expectation had already become a reality.
But the first words she blurted out all of a sudden were,
“Welcome back, Onee-sama! I, Dorothy, was eagerly waiting for my Onee-sama
to return~♪”
Haha, so you were eagerly waiting for me.
But wait…
What?
Did she just say “Onee-sama”?
I probably misheard her. Yeah, I must have.
“Oh my, Dorothy! That’s quite a daring display of affection for your
Onii-sama already!”
“…Fueh?”
At Maria’s words, the girl named “Dorothy” finally regains her
rationality and raises her head for the first time.
Ahh, and that expression.
The face of a pure, innocent girl in her first love was stricken with dismay and terror as our eyes met.
It would be sort of like finding out in the morning that the person you
spent the wedding night was another man that you didn’t even know. There’s no way it could ever happen,
but it seemed it was that shocking to her.
Well, okay. I’m fine.
I’m fine with all that.
But you know what. Even so, how am I the one to blame?
You’re the one to blame.
◇ ◆ ◇
Here’s an arrogant complaint that I can now make.
Rather than being a culture shock, the so-called privileged life of upper
echelons doesn’t even seem to be all that special.
With the exception of Maria’s aggressive advances and Dorothy’s persistent
harassments, the life in this mansion is monotonous. It’s so tedious that it
feels like I’m being imprisoned here.
The daily life of idling away each day without any responsibilities
like labour or studying. At this rate, I’ll
surely degenerate into a cancer of society that is no different than a NEET. Maybe
I already have.
Well, for that reason…
I hereby by declare this,
here and now!
“Gaaaaah! I can’t take
being a Blackhazel anymore!”
“Onee-sama! I think he’s
finally gone insane!”
It’s probably my
imagination that you seem quite happy at the fact that I sound insane.
Anyway, Dorothy’s
sure-fire insults really are of the highest caliber in terms of bad attitude.
While Pushing Dorothy
away, who’s pouncing on me like a baby tiger, I complain to Maria.
“Apart from stuffing
down three meals a day into my mouth, all I do is fool around on the computer, locked
up in my room! As if that wasn’t bad enough, you won’t even let me go
sightseeing in this remote, mountainside! How am I supposed to live under such
suffocating conditions?!”
Breathing heavily, I unload
the chambered complaints on full-auto.
“Mmm. In regards to that matter, Onii-sama… It is painful for me, too”
Despite her words, Maria
wipes her mouth with a napkin while maintaining her serene poker face.
“Then explain to me just
why! My social life is one thing, but why would you keep me from going outside?!”
“T-that’s because…”
Strangely enough, at a
loss for words, Maria dodges my question.
Eventually giving in
to my quite temperamental demand, Maria opens her mouth hesitantly.
“To me, Onii-sama is
the most precious person in the world.”
A momentary silence.
“But you’re telling me
to neglect that Onii-sama to let him to
play alone somewhere beyond the reach of my surveillance. In the event that I
do such a thing, my heart will surely burst from anxiety and fear.”
“Pardon me?”
*clink*
Setting down the black
tea on the saucer, Maria adds placidly in a gentle voice.
“To be honest with
you, I’m worried even now because I can’t take care of you with a leash around
your neck.”
“Why don’t you just cut
off all my limbs and look after me around the clock while you’re at it?!”
“My, that method doesn’t
sound too…♡”
Opening her eyes wide in
response to my rather appealing “suggestion”, Maria poses herself in a contemplative
manner.
Whoa, that’s really creeping
me out. She’s seriously thinking about it.
“Stop joking around
with me! You see, I need a straight answer from y—OOMPH?!”
“Don’t talk back to my
dear Onee-sama!”
Before I can raise my
voice, Dorothy’s missile drop-kick flies in from the sky at a terrifying speed.
*CRRRACKKK!*
The sound of my bones shattering
along with the chair reverberates in an upbeat melody.
After barely getting
up on my feet, I straighten up my posture by pulling my aching bones together
and point a finger at Dorothy.
“God damn, you little shorty!
You got a case of rabies or something?!”
“Grrrrr!”
“GAH—?! Y-you just bit
my hand!”
My goodness, I can’t
tell you apart from a pack of wild dog.
Biting down hard on my
hand, Dorothy refused to let go.
I swing my hand up and
down in an effort to shake Dorothy off, but it’s not helping—her teeth are only
sinking deeper and deeper into my skin. This kind of development is humorous
only in cartoons; in reality, it’s pure gore!
“It hurts! I said it
hurts, damn it! Somebody please help me!”
“Dorothy… Would you
stop it for a moment?”
As though she came to
a decision, Maria stops her meal and puts the fork down gently on the rim of
the plate.
Obeying Maria’s
restraint, Dorothy finally loosens her jaw and walks away to her seat. It’s quite frightening, the way she’s smacking
her lips and looking this way with the corner of her eyes like she still
haven’t had enough.
“In truth, there is a reason
why I restrict Onii-sama’s freedom out of my concern for you.”
“A reason?”
I really hope it’s not
something like “my blood boils when I see you with another girl” or anything risqué
like that.
“Currently, there are those
who are after your life.”
“What?”
I tilt my head
sideways, failing to understand the meaning of those words.
There are people after
my life?
What are you talking
about? Are you saying I’ll become a leader of a resistance movement that will fight
against artificially intelligent machines?
“This is not a joke. I
just didn’t inform you because I was worried about the shock that you might receive.
Our security department has already captured and suppressed multiple
assassination attempts before they could be carried out.”
And those attempts
include sniping, bombing and disguised accidents. What is this, Baskin-Robbins?![11]
“Err, wait a minute. You’re
joking, right? Why are those people after my life in the first place?!”
Nothing is making
sense to me; it’s completely foreign. Even those inane metaphysical philosophy discussions
would make more sense than this.
“Well, it would be difficult
to tell you exactly why since there are so many reasons.”
“……”
In contrast to her
words, Maria is absolutely impassive to the end.
“If I were to choose only
one reason why, it would be because you are my
Onii-sama.”
Maria’s transparent voice
hung low and shook the floor with its weight.
Uhmm… How should I
answer here?
Since Maria’s words
are right in conclusion, should I apologize for my misunderstanding? Perhaps say
stuff along the lines of “Haha, if you have to keep me in a cage for such sound
reason, you’re more than welcome to do so! Waitress, more fried dumplings[12] over
here please!” to her? It doesn’t feel quite right.
“Huh, now that’s quite
something.”
I’ve already been
stupefied out of my senses by the situation up until now, but honestly, all
that seems like nothing in comparison to what I’ve just heard.
My life is in danger.
Why so?
Because I’m Maria
Lunalady Blackhazel’s ‘Onii-sama’, that’s why.
Only for that reason
alone.
It’s a sudden
development without any sign or foreshadowing whatsoever.
This is just complete nonsense.
And Dorothy—who would
normally be throwing insults like, “Ha, serves you right! Why don’t you just
get stabbed already and drop dead!”— is being as quiet as a mouse, carefully studying
Maria’s countenance.
Frankly, this was the most shocking!
“Hm, okay. Fine. To
summarize, I have to live here penned up forever because somebody is after my
head. Is that right?”
“I don’t think it’ll
be like that, though I can’t say for sure.”
You can’t say for
sure?
Doesn’t that mean I’d
have to spend my sweet youth stuck here in the mountains if things don’t work
out so well? I’m only 18, damn it!
It’s not like I’m some
kind of a princess captured at a faraway demon castle.
If Maria’s words are
true, then my life is at stake. This is not a joking matter.
Furthermore, when I
realized this was all because of someone else’s actions, my emotions suddenly surged
up inside me.
“Let me ask you one
thing again.”
“Yes?
“Why did you bring me
here?”
“……”
Disheartened, Maria
lowers her head, not being able to reply.
Seeing Maria in a dispirited
state like now really pricks at my conscience. Nonetheless, that doesn’t change
the fact that I’ve been dragged to a remote country where my life is now being threatened.
And I can’t keep
fooling around with her volatile “my pace” like a marionette.
I’ll say it straight
out.
Here’s my ultimatum.
“I’m going back to my motherland.”
“What do you mean?
Onii-sama’s motherland is here, Romania.”
“Like I said, I’m not your
older brother!”
Maria flinches in
surprise, trembling.
Perhaps I raised my
voice a little too high.
But the lapse of Maria’s
mind is only momentary.
There’s no longer any
trace of confusion on her face as I carefully check her face.
“In all aspects, it was
my decision that I have brought you here. A childish impulse, if you will.”
Instead, she responds
with firm resolution.
“However, I have
definitely not brought back the wrong person, nor was there any mistake about
it. To me, there is only one Onii-sama in the world. There is no mistake about
it.”
Reflected in her heterochromatic
eyes are her own confidence and will— something no any other mortal person
could ever obtain overnight.
“I am Maria Lunalady
Blackhazel. The head of the all-powerful Blackhazel family, in sole control of
all the wealth that exists in this world. The single direct descendent
continuing the legacy of the Voivode of Wallachia.” [13]
She was one of the
few, chosen from birth. An entity of absolute power, even ruling over the
others who were also chosen from birth.
She’s what you’d call ‘crème de la crème’.
Maria’s words are not overstated
in the slightest.
“And that girl's everything… Do you not want them, Onii-sama?”
“What…?”
“The only sacrifice Oni-sama
has to make is to just give in to the whims of a little girl.”
The unexpected change of
the flow in the conversation throws me off balance.
“In exchange, I will promise
Onii-sama the authority over all the kingdoms of the world.”
“W-what are you
talking about?”
“Riches beyond measure.
The iron throne that will bring the world to its knees and under your command. The concupiscent feasts of lakes made with
alcohol and trees made with meat[14]. Along
with my body and heart. Such authority that even the devil in the desert[15] cannot
covet will be put underneath Onii-sama’s feet.”
“Err, body and heart? You’re
going overboard…”
“Please do not reject
them. I have already decided from the beginning to dedicate my precious purity
to Onii-sama.”
“PFFF—?!”
Although I wasn’t
drinking anything in particular, I have a hard time recollecting my composure from
all the coughing.
The contrast between
her overwhelming charisma and the content of the conversation is far too great
for me to comprehend.
Even if I heard the
Catholic Pope allowing homosexuality, it wouldn’t be as shocking as this.
It seems I’m not the
only one taken aback by Maria’s statement, judging from Dorothy’s mouth lined with
horror.
“Do my words sound like
lies to you, Onii-sama?”
Not in the slightest.
Riches beyond measure.
The iron throne that will bring the world to its knees and under my command— No matter how absurd the promise may be, it is
possible for her to make it come true.
After all, she is the 《Princess of Pure Darkness》 who can bring down the stars above if she so desires.
“Then, to you, do I look like a philanthropist
who would give away everything to others without hesitation?”
“W-well…”
“I wonder if Onii-sama knows this by any
chance.”
Maria pauses for a moment to take a sip of
coffee, and takes her time doing so.
“According to the UN Security Council, in
the event that there are more than 1000 annual casualties and the federal government
forces engage in an armed conflict in any form, it is classified as a ‘major
armed conflict’ and the legislative body is summoned to decide whether the
deployment of Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) forces to the authority is
necessary.”
And the topic of this conversation is derailing
yet again.
“And based on our independent statistics,
there are about 31 cases of “major armed conflict” that are taking place in
the four corners of the world as we speak. In the Kashmir
region of the Indian subcontinent[16];
Columbia’s civil war[17],
induced by rebel forces; trifles in Africa surrounding the mining rights to diamond deposits—the continent’s
most lucrative natural resource; down to bloody clashes among nations due to
their religious antagonisms.”
Nonetheless, having no
power whatsoever, all I can do is listen.
“200,000 child
soldiers lose their lives on the battlefield for nothing, and every day tens of
thousands of refugees suffer from starvation and epidemic, and women and
children are raped and killed. Those who are forced to work at a cannabis
plantation in South America for the rest of their life are few of the lucky
ones.”
“W-what are you—”
The moment I open my
mouth, having completely lost the thread of conversation, Maria cuts me off and
continues.
“Yes. Without doubt, this
world is spiraling down into corruption. And to the weak in all this anguish, I
can offer them salvation.”
“Salvation…?”
“Yes. I could become a
saint for the weak in all this anguish if I wanted to, but I won’t; because I’m
not a ‘philanthropist’ that could sacrifice everything out of hollow sympathy.”
“Ah.”
Only then I was finally
able to see a fragment of Maria’s intention behind her words.
“A single conflict will
bereave these countless people of their lives, family, and irreplaceable things
they hold dear. But at the same time, they are opportunities to create a
tremendous financial gain to ‘some people’.”
So, calamity brings birth to wealth.[18]
“Because of that we ignite even more conflicts, keep them burning, and lead this world down into corruption. We provide supplies to rebel forces that have lost their capacity to rebel, assassinate politicians who advocates policies against us, and proxy for battles themselves as required.”
In short, they are
merchants of death.
The international
private military company Bandersnatch.
And the supreme
existence that judges and forges ahead at the top of Bandersnatch.
—Commander Maria
Lunalady Blackhazel.
The 《Princess of Pure Darkness》that reigns over with dignified and deathly charisma.
Not once will she look
down to the despairs and cries of countless people in the pits of hell. Not to
turn a blind eye, but to simply search for a way to do business.
That’s all it comes
down to— a business.
Her eyes are terrifyingly
cold, like looking down into an abyss.
Unlike those nouveau
riches that raked in wealth indiscriminately against morals, she was a being
beyond humankind that had no divide between good and evil from the very start.
“Do you understand,
Onii-sama? I will not treat even a
single gold coin lightly, swayed by trivial feelings of altruism such as sympathy
or compassion.”[19]
As I came to my sense,
the pace of the conversation was already in Maria’s grasp.
“I decide and set their
values, purely according to the logical scale of reason.”
Now under Maria’s
control again, the atmosphere inside Black hazel Mansion was no different from
the usual. Well, there might’ve been a subtle difference, but I’m not sure
“And this is what I
have to say to you. To me, all these sacrifices are worth enduring to obtain
Onii-sama’s heart.”
It’s an embarrassing
line normally said between two lovers. But if you take the weight behind her words
into account, it’s neither a flattery nor a sweet talk.
“Because…”
Right now I’m overwhelmed
by her resolve, and all I can do is to remain silent.
Observing my reaction
closely, Maria proceeds in a low voice.
It won’t feel real no
matter how many times I hear it; however, as long as I’m here, it’s an
inevitable fate.
“You are my precious
Onii-sama, the one and only.”
◇ ◆ ◇
In the end, the volatile
atmosphere was reversed. It petered out to nothing, and none of the real issues
were settled.
I return to my room
after finishing the meal quietly. Then, as per usual, I turn on the computer and
check the responses to my post on the bulletin forum.
Subject:
Huh… hey guys Maria Blackhazel says that Im her Onii-sama lol.txt
Nickname: asdf
Body: So was it two weeks ago? Maria suddenly barged
into the classroom and called me Onii-sama and dragged me to her mansion in
Romania lolololol Maria is my little sister lolololol
IP Address
000.000.000.000
202X-0X-27 18:46:07
→SH: u also smokin weed lately bro?
→iwanttolickMariasthighs: y dont u go play some moar eroge lol
→Promise&Faith: lolololol yo
pplz DF[20]
is gonna go under lololololololololol
→HeavenlyDevil: @iwantto/ lulwut?
→zxcv: How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
→Ondal: 700lbs! 700lbs! 700lbs!
“Man, have you guys been
tricked all your life? Why can’t you trust what people say?”
Scratching the back of
my head, I whine and complain.
*click click*
I keep clicking the
mouse, but the next page takes more than five minutes to load.
As it already stands,
this city of Brașov is a backcountry stuck in a remote
area of Carpathian Mountains.
Of course the Internet—the
fruit of our cutting-edge civilization—is going to be several times slower
compared to Korea.
Okay, I understand
that the network infrastructure is seriously underdeveloped here. But my god,
this is way too slow.
No matter how hard I
try, I can’t get used to the speed at all.
I sigh quietly and
take a bite out of the vanilla madeleine that I had stored away as a snack a
while ago.
It’s redundant even to
mention it, but it’s delicious.
Although I've never had a
fine sense of taste, the culinary skill here is so sublime that even I can tell
the difference. The foods here at the mansion have always been top-notch, prepared
in-house by first-class chefs with great devotion.
As for me, I do
nothing but stuff food down my throat and sit around all day long.
I don’t know why I
have to keep suffering from feelings of guilt like this.
That’s right.
What happened a while
ago was a pretty big incident in its own way, but in retrospect, none of the
real issues were settled.
As I wait for the site
page on the screen to load, lost in inane thoughts, someone knocks on the door.
*knock knock*
Before I can even ask
who it is, the girl opens the door and enters the room. It’s Maria.
“Maria?”
Her hair was wet with moisture
as though she had just finished taking a shower, and she was wearing a rather
large white shirt for her frame that exposed her sharp collarbone.
“It seems you’re not
in bed yet.”
Maria sits shyly on the bed and begins to speak.
“Well, it’s not even…ten
o’clock yet.”
Taking a glance at Maria’s
snow-white thighs, I lightly shake my head.
And what’s more, because
the baggy shirt is covering her bottoms, I can’t tell if she’s wearing underwear
or hot-pants underneath.
Generally, there‘s a limit
to how defenseless you can be.
Even if it’s true that
I’m Maria’s older brother, the gap created by time and cultural difference isn’t
something you can disregard by any means. So please keep that cheeky coquettishness
of yours in check!
I try hard to maintain
my composure as my mind becomes flooded with thoughts.
Then, sitting on the
bed, Maria carefully opens her mouth again.
“I would like to apologize
for the incident earlier. I was somewhat agitated and wasn’t quite myself.”
“Y-yeah, I was kind of
surprised.”
The awkward silence
falls over the room. Contrary to my expectation of her immediate response, Maria
is hesitant and she just keeps staring this way nervously.
Gold and blue.
A different hue
resides in each of her heterochromatic eyes.
But the overwhelming
dignity and pride she showed earlier were nowhere to be seen. Instead, those eyes were
lost, wavering in a sea of anxiety.
What is it that Maria
wants to say?
Eventually, Maria
breaks the silence.
“Do you despise the
way I am, Onii-sama?”
“Huh?”
I’m not quite sure,
but it appears she’s talking about the incident earlier.
The reconstruction of
the food chain where the strong prey upon the weak, based on the distribution
of wealth.
A lecture in regards
to that law by the strong.
That the virtue of
capitalism is not equal opportunities, but equal rights to move up on the food chain
through accumulation of wealth.
“I won’t deny it. Surely,
it could be that I have been defiled.”
“D-defiled?”
“If I had the will to
do so, the world today would certainly have been a bit better.”
The world would have
been a bit better, you say?
I can’t even begin to
imagine the size of that scale.
“Well… I don’t think you
need to blame yourself. And even so, you’re not the one at fault.”
And it’s not like the
world became like this in just a day or two.
“But…”
Not being able to continue
with her words, Maria hangs her head down.
Again, the awkward
silence falls over the room.
Seeing me not knowing
what to do, Maria hesitates for a while before muttering in a whisper.
“From time to time, I’m
scared beyond my wits’ end.”
“Maria, I told you
that it’s not your fault.”
“That’s not what I’m
talking about.”
“What?”
“I could care less
about the world. The dead that condemns me in my dreams every night, the sea of
blood from the bullet-riddled bodies we have killed, the weight of their
grudge, and the fingers pointing the blame for the misery of the world; I do
not care in the slightest.”
Maria gently bites her
lips and struggles through her words like a young girl in penance.
“What I really fear is
not my ugliness or the world’s blame, but the rejection that will come from Onii-sama
because of those things.”
“Reject you?”
I tilt my head
sideways a little.
“Yes. What if I might incur
Onii-sama’s hatred? Whenever I become weighted with such thought, it pains my
heart to the point of breaking.”
Like a child having
done something wrong, she’s looking downward at the floor.
She’s not the 《Princess of Pure Darkness》 that everyone knew.
She’s just a delicate 17-year-old girl in pain
because she couldn’t read the mind of the person she admires.
“So please tell me,
Onii-sama. Does Onii-sama truly despise this ugliness of mine?! And, if you do,
if you truly do…!”
It really is an
unfamiliar sight you can’t get used to.
“Then I…”
“I don’t.”
“…Y-yes?”
Due to my unexpected
interruption, Maria replies back with a surprised look on her face.
But I don’t need to
hear any more of this. To be honest, well, my answer is already decided at this
point.
“I’m not trying to say
that I dislike you in particular.”
I don’t have a special
reason why.
It’s just that I’m
certain.
From Maria’s
wholehearted confession.
“You may think that
you’re a bad person, but I don’t.”
I’m not trying to be noble
here, with morals and ethics and whatnot.
At least, this is what
I believe to be so.
“And…”
Embarrassed, I scratch
my cheek.
“No matter how
‘defiled” you are, I will never come to hate you.”
Why though?
Was it just a change
of heart from seeing Maria in such a vulnerable state?
I’m not sure.
Maria’s plea reflected
in her desperate eyes is the only thing I can ascertain.
It was just moments
ago that I was strutting about how I was returning to Korea, but now the ball’s
in her court.
“Onii…sama?”
Maria blinks with her
eyes wide open like a surprised puppy.
“What I wanted to say
was that I’m unhappy with the present situation and treatment. I didn’t mean
that I’d leave the mansion because I hate you, Maria.”
“I see.”
Relieved, Maria smiled
sweetly.
That’s right.
There’s no change in
the way things are now, but the important thing is my mental attitude in the
end.
And do I really have
an urgent reason to go back to Korea? It’s not like I have any friends or
relatives there, or an apartment of my dreams that I’d prepared. And wasn’t I
living a hard life? On top of attending high school, I was working part-time every
day just to earn enough money for the monthly rent.
I am kind of worried as
to how I’ll get back the deposit money for the monthly rent due next month from
the landlord, but in the end, it’s only these kind of things.
“By the way, Onii-sama…”
“Yeah?”
It was when I was
thinking this and that sort of things.
“There’s one thing I’d
like to correct.”
“One thing you’d like
to correct?”
“I’ve said it myself
that I was “defiled” a moment ago, right?”
“What? Ah, yeah.”
Does she still have
more to say?
“Actually, strictly
speaking, that was about 50% wrong.”
Just what does she
mean now?
“My body hasn’t been
defiled yet by anybody, and it’s still pure.”
“W-what?”
My god.
I knew she wouldn’t
let this end peacefully. She just had to spoil it at the last moment.
Raising the lower hem
of her white shirt, Maria smiles flirtatiously.
What I see below her
raised skirt is, as one would expect, an undergarment. To boot, it’s a
Western-styled undergarment that maximizes a girl’s femininity— a lingerie.
Well, of course. Now
that I think using common sense, I've never heard of a weird after-shower-look
that combines shirt and hot-pants together.
“But, if it’s
Onii-sama, I would gladly allow you. No, it has to be Onii-sama! If it’s you,
then it’s okay to mess up and break my body.”
“Whoa! Hey, w-wait! Weren’t we about to finish this like a nice
and warm drama?! I don’t get why it’s going off-topic like this!”
“Not at all, I heard this
normally happens in bishoujo simulation ga— I-I mean, ahem! I understand this is
a normal development between two lovers.”
Hey, you were about to
say something very obscure, weren’t you?
“I've never heard of such
strange development and, leaving that aside, we aren’t even lovers!”
“Now! Please dye my
purity blood-red and make it all wet♪”
“Stop! Where’s the rating
board?! I’d like to report a violation of regulatory law here!”
And more importantly, stop
unbuttoning your shirt!
This light novel is
rated PG-13, not R!
It was when I was
trying to stop Maria with all my might.
As though my words
have finally reached her, Maria stops what she’s doing and hesitates momentarily.
I take a sip of coffee
on the desk to quench my thirst while I wait for Maria’s next words. Then…
“Onii-sama, are you
perhaps sexually disabled?”
“PFFFFFFFF—?!”
Those are some catastrophic
words.
I spit out the coffee on
the computer screen. But there’s only a slight blush on Maria’s face; her voice
and nonchalant poker face remains the same as usual.
“Despite my aggressive
advances against my own embarrassment, you are still unresponsive. I can only conclude
that there is a problem with Onii-sama’s reproductive function.”
“Wait a minute. Don’t
you think those aggressive advances are the problems here?”
“What do you mean? I
assure you that my actions are based on verified and credible data.”
That credible data wouldn’t
happen to be from bishoujo games, would it?!
“And I heard that men’s
masturbation is where you ‘extract’ periodically on an average of once every
three days. However, ever since
Onii-sama came here, you have not released any— any drop of semen.”
“W-what?”
I don’t know about the
first part, but the second one might be quite— wait, what am I saying?!
“If that is true…”
“If that’s true?! I’m
a perfectly healthy guy, so don’t mind it!”
“Weak as I am, please
let me be of assistance, Onii-sama…!”
“H-hold on! Just
listen to me!”
Really, what on earth does
she mean by ‘be of assistance’?
My face flushes red
from an unwholesome imagination, which I shouldn’t have thought of.
To boot, with the
image of Maria who’s coming this way with a determined look.
“S-stop! Okay, that’s
good! Let’s wrap up for today, director! Ahaha, good work today, everyone!”
“Excessive abstinence
is not good for you; it’s been proven medically, Onii-sama! Please let this
weak girl lend you a ‘hand’!”
“J-just wait! Please let’s
talk this over rationally!”
It’ll be a bad end if
I tell her that I’ll do it alone.
It’ll definitely be a
bad end if I ask her to help me or such things.
It’ll also be a bad
end if I just let her go and get branded as being sterile.
“Hey, just wait! I
think there’s a huge misunderstanding here on your part. You see, I’m a
perfectly fine male!”
“Then how come, for
the past two weeks, you haven’t…”
“Hey, would you do
that kind of thing at someone else’s house?! You’d have to be insane to try it
in the first place!”
"What do you
mean? This place is Onii-sama's house. Besides, masturbation is nothing to be
ashamed of. Sometimes, while thinking of
Onii-sama, even I...♡"
"Whoa, too much
information!"
“Then, Onii-sama, you’re
saying there really isn’t a problem, right?”
“Yes, yes! So please,
you don’t have to mind any unnecessary attention.”
You really don’t!
“Okay…”
I’ve managed to avoid
the bad ends. Thanks to my defiant refusal, I got past the worst of it.
With a wistful look on
her face—though I don’t know what she’s got to be wistful about—Maria continues to speak.
“Since Onii-sama is so
stubborn about his chastity, I will overlook this matter for today. However
Onii-sama, if you do not provide a sufficient proof of your health in the near
future…”
“I-if I don’t?”
“I will make sure that
you do, by force if necessary. So, please prepare yourself.”
Leaving such spine-chilling
words behind, Maria got up leisurely from her seat.
[1] Blue House: Known as Cheongwadae (靑瓦臺) in Korean, it is the executive
office and official residence of the President of the Republic of Korea. Think
of it as an equivalent to the White House.
[2] Persephone: A Greek goddess, who carries into effect the curses of men upon the souls of the
dead.
[3] Clausewitz: A Prussian Major-General and military theorist, well-known for his notable work Vom Kriege.
[4] TL|Kuro: From the Korean drama series “Sandglass”, this famous line uttered by Tae-soo shortly before his federal execution. In the
unofficial subbed version, it’s just “Am I… shaking?”
[7] TN|Kuro: This line is originally a lame
comeback that uses a pun. The sentence “do you have a problem?” in Korean may
also mean “do you only have fire?”, but it’s mainly used to display
belligerence. So when Dorothy asks
Siyoung if he has a problem, he purposely responds in a joking manner by saying
that he also has water.
[8] TN|Kalkin: Reference to how sex offenders are given electronic tags as
surveillance; Dorothy is basically calling him a pedophile.
[9] One room mansion: Basically, a really small
apartment. For more information, please read this Wiki article.
[10] Carpathian Mountains: A range of mountains
forming an arc across Central and Eastern Europe.
[11] TN|Kuro:
Reference to the Baskin-Robbins’ original 31 flavors when it first opened in 1945. Its concept was variety— you could have a
different flavor every day of any month.
[14] TN|Kalkin:
A rather long proverb
from China… Those familiar with Romance of the Three Kingdoms may pick it up. (Although it took place before
Sangokushi)
[15] TN|Kuro:
Reference to the devil in the temptation of Christ.
[16] TN|Kuro:
Reference to the Kashmir conflict.
[17] TN|Kuro:
Reference to the Colombian Civil War.
[19] TN|Kuro:
Reference to “The Model Millionaire” written by Oscar Wilde, where the main character gives a gold coin (sovereign) to a beggar out of pity.
[20] DF: Short for “Dungeon Fighter”. This sentence is a reference to the game-breaking event “Kiri’s
Promise & Faith”, where players were able obtain +11-+14 items without
breaking them by using premium currency.
[21] TN|Kuro:
Reference to the horrible Korean dubbing in Half Life 1. Replaced it with
the original line in English.
[22] TN|Kuro:
Reference to an old Korean
drama “Rustic Period”,
where a male character becomes sterile after an accident involving his Johnson.
In the video clip, after
being informed by the doctor that his Johnson is now impotent, he cries out to
himself “[What do you mean] I’m sterile?!”
Thank you for the new chapter ;D
ReplyDeleteOh yeah! I'm the first one to comment xp
thanks, cant wait for the next part III. Good work!!
ReplyDeleteふわぁ❤ I want to take Maria home~!
ReplyDeleteThanks for translating the new chapter. I was really looking forward to this LN.
ReplyDeleteQ'w 'Q YESSSSSS, still so much win.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the artist is Japanese though, considering the alias and the artstyle...
I assure you, Nyanya is one of many gifted Korean illustrators. He's currently working as a freelance in Tokyo, as seen here.
DeleteI see '. '
DeleteAlso, just to comment on his "TMI" tsukkomi
Not Enough Information!! Q'w 'Q Need moar details, possibly in anime form!
N.E.I NEI NEI NEI
Eh, if I may ask, is this a Korean or a Japanese novel? The setting seems to be Korean, but you're using Japanese suffixes. Are you translating it from a Japanese translation?
ReplyDeleteSekaimo is a Korean light novel. Although we are translating the series from Korean to English, we opted to make use of Japanese honorifics.
DeleteMakes it a bit more confusing to those who are aware that those Jap-specific. Even more confusing who knows a little Korean suffixes as well.
DeleteFor the benefit of those who read too many scanlated works, please make it clear that you are using Japanese honorifics in a Korean novel's translation. :)
Heyo! Thanks for all your hard work guys.
ReplyDeleteThank you a lot for this new chapter! This LN is really great!
ReplyDeleteWow, THANK YOU for the new chapter! I check the site daily for updates and this was an spectacular surprise!
ReplyDeletethanks *_*
ReplyDeleteThank you very much. Would you make pdf-version?
ReplyDeleteSure, if you're okay with PDFs created from non-Acrobat software.
DeleteThank you very much for this chapter !
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chapter and for all the hard work!
ReplyDeleteyaayyyy part 2 thank you
ReplyDelete................ emh but that wasn't a korean novel? o.O
ReplyDeletewhy there is the traslation onii-chan/onii-sama?
those are japanese way to adress an older brother lol :/
If you could kindly scroll up a bit...
Delete"Sekaimo is a Korean light novel. Although we are translating the series from Korean to English, we opted to make use of Japanese honorifics."
I'm that guy XD
DeleteI completly agree with your choice :D
Yeah if they use the honorifics of Korea it would be "Oppa" or "Hyung" for "Onii-sama, Nii-san, etc.". I learned those from my sister who is so into Korean waves that it's so annoying. However I cannot blame her or I will get a rebuttal that "I sill like Japanese culture and products so don't mess with me"
ReplyDeleteFunniest thing about all this is the Catholic Pope is ok with homosexuality now XD
ReplyDelete“What I really fear is not my ugliness or the world’s blame, but the rejection that will come from Onii-sama because of those things.”
ReplyDelete“Reject you?”
I tilt my head sideways a little.
“Yes. What if I might incur Onii-sama’s hatred? Whenever I become weighted with such thought, it pains my heart to the point of breaking.”
Like a child having done something wrong, she’s looking downward at the floor.
She’s not the 《Princess of Pure Darkness》 that everyone knew.
She’s just a delicate 17-year-old girl in pain because she couldn’t read the mind of the person she admires.
WTF, i was thinking finally they are going to address the fact that this girl is a monster and that the MC purpose is to bring her onto the right track, but nope, lets just skim over the fact that she aggravates wars and starts them for money and that the house the MC is in, the food he eats and the bed he sleeps in are made from blood and degradation of women and children. The real kick in the balls though is the fact that between the scene of her confessing what she has done and her desire for him and her seeking forgiveness from the MC is that there was a scene about slow internet and troll forums.
I know i am over reacting its a story about little fucking sisters, but when i heard she was a fucking war inciting monster i hoped there would be something more that some fuck tard of a MC who ignores the only real issue in the story because she is pretty and wearing little clothing