My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero's

The boy pouted at my sudden silence.

"Hey, hey, next you tell me about yourself. I'm the only one talking."

Caught off guard, I met his gaze.

His big, round emerald eyes were clouded with displeasure.

I thought I had some distance from it, but it was actually surprisingly close.

"Well... I have a little sister too, but what kind of girl is your sister?"

For a moment, I was taken aback.

But when I thought about it, it made sense — they had families, siblings, parents, people they cared about, just like anyone else.

Humans, Beastmen, even the Elf race teach their children first and foremost how dangerous the Demon Clan is.

In plays and such, the Demon Clan is always the villain.

Considering how many people have been kidnapped or killed by them, that fear is understandable.

Maybe it’s a kind of brainwashing.

From the point of view of Demons who haven't done anything, it's extremely unfair.

But that's how much non-demons fear the Demon Clan.

I, too, had the notion that demons were completely heartless evils.

So the idea that a demon boy could have a sister felt so human that I couldn't reconcile it.

"...My sister was strong. But I only recently learned she was actually fragile."

Kirika was certainly jealous of me, envied me, maybe to the point of wanting to kill me.

But I felt the same.

If Kirika hadn't exploded, maybe I would have.

"After being recognized as the only Elf with sword aptitude, she said she'd use the sword to protect our kin, who only had aptitude for ranged attacks, and she practiced the sword tirelessly, literally to the point of skipping sleep."

I watched my sister go to the labyrinth every day, watched her practicing swings late at night, watched her cutting at a tree as if it were an enemy.

I couldn't understand how she could get so absorbed.

Kirika must have been working hard to be seen as my equal.

We were sisters of the same Elf race, I was born just a little earlier, and yet at that time she felt almost like someone from another race.

"Now she's a gold rank adventurer, and in combat power she doesn't lose to demons."

"Then why was she fragile?"

The boy, who had been listening quietly, asked as if puzzled.

I gave a bitter smile.

Looking back now, it's almost laughable I didn't notice.

Because whatever Kirika carried in her chest and inflated, I also had.

"It’s a long story so I’ll skip the details, but my sister was jealous of me. And she cleverly hid it from both Father and me."

People often say our personalities are different, but I think we're very similar.

Surely Father and Kirika didn't notice my ugly jealousy.

"When that exploded, I finally learned how fragile Kirika was. She, jealous of me, wrecked the comrades she wanted to protect, deceived Father, and wailed like a baby that she wanted to be here with me."

Even that was enviable.

The Amélia the Elf folk desired would never do such a thing.

That alone had taken root in my heart, and I refused even to think, much less act.

"Kirika was fragile."

Then what about me?

Kirika couldn't hold back, so she was weak?

No—though the vector was different, I who harbored the same feelings but didn't explode am I weaker than Kirika.

"I see. When I went to the Elf race, I only had eyes for you, so I was curious what kind of girl your sister was. Now I’ll tell you about my sister."

The boy spoke brightly, as if clearing away the darkness I’d been brooding in.

Curious about how other siblings related, I listened.

"My sister's good at controlling demonic beasts! Better than me... no, better than any of the Demon Clan!"

His eyes sparkled with pride.

It was dazzling.

Suddenly it felt like an emerald sun had appeared in the labyrinth.

"I like my sister. ...Ah, not in a romantic way! Of course, as family. But she seems to hate me and always ignores me."

The sun dimmed.

What an emotionally volatile child.

Yoru, naturally, and Akira and I don't show much emotion, so this was refreshing.

Lately I could tell what someone was thinking by the look in their eyes.

"Maybe because I’m like this, she finds me annoying, so for a while I kept my distance from her."