Chapter 30: The Sisters' Vow

“Please call me ‘Onee-sama’.”

“Hah?”

No, no, what is this person saying? When I woke up, for some reason I was receiving a lap pillow from Zelda-senpai. The moment I apologized with a “Sorry” and got up, she started saying something weird.

“Umm,”

“Call me Onee-sama.”

“No, ‘Senpai’ is normally fine…”

“Call me Onee-sama.”

“But,”

“Zelda Onee-sama. Come on, repeat after me.”

“…Zelda Onee-sama.”

It’s no use; those eyes are the eyes of someone who won’t bend their will no matter what I say… Why ‘Onee-sama’? Did she want a little sister that badly? Well, it’s true I’m often treated like a little sister… Because I’m small… I’m not small!

“Then, take this.”

“What is this? A star?”

What Zelda-senpai brought out was a ring made of several small stars connected together. It was a platinum-colored, expensive-looking ring. When Zelda-senpai put it on the middle finger of my left hand, the ring shrank with a kyu sound and fit perfectly. Eh?! Is this a magic tool?!

“This is a charm to show that Nero is my little sister.”

“No, like I said,”

“I am your Onee-sama.”

“…Is that so-desu ne.”

Whatever. It’s a waste of breath to argue. Just as I reached a state of resignation, I heard the voices of the guys from behind.

“What does this mean?”

“It’s a ‘Sisters’ Vow’, huh. A vow of sworn sisterhood formed with one’s successor, or a particularly close upperclassman or underclassman, I think. Ah, like the female version of ‘Sworn Brothers’ Cups’?”

Listening to Kou and Keel’s conversation, I was becoming even more confused. Sisters’ Vow? Sworn sisters? Sworn Brothers’ Cups (TL Note: One-Piece reference)… is that like the “Though the days we were born are different” thing you often see in Ether-Vision dramas? I heard from Sherry that there are customs like that in the ‘Academy’, but I just let it go in one ear and out the other with a “Hmm”… She mentioned something about the one becoming the older sister giving an accessory to the one becoming the younger sister as proof. Is this ring that?

“With this, I am Nero’s Onee-sama. If you have any troubles, please ask me anything.”

“Umm, ah, yes…”

Zelda-senpai… or rather, Zelda Onee-sama, with a beaming smile, hugged me tightly gyuu. Who is this? Where did the cool Rank 1 from a few hours ago go?! I don’t really get it, but apparently, I’ve been made into a little sister… It’s not like I hate it, but I’m just mostly confused right now…

“Zel-chan, so forceful~. Nero-chan, if you have a real older sister, you can refuse, you know~?”

“No, I don’t have any parents or siblings, so…”

“Ah, sorry…”

Sharon-senpai looked apologetic and slumped her shoulders. She doesn’t really need to worry about it, though. I lost my parents to an epidemic when I was four. A few years later, my grandmother who took care of me also passed away. Normally I would have gone to an orphanage, but Master became my guardian and even let me attend school normally. Well, not just school; I was also forcibly enrolled in the Adventurer’s Guild, though… So when it comes to family, my Master, who acted as a parent, is the only one. I never thought I’d gain a sworn sister, though. I don’t have many memories of being lonely because I didn’t have parents or siblings. Or rather, dragged around by Master, I didn’t have time to indulge in such sentimentality. Because that person attracts trouble for any reason…

“Looking so distant… Sorry for making you remember painful things…”

“No, well…”

I wouldn’t say it’s painful or anything. Well, I can’t really answer if she asks weird questions about Master, so I’ll just stay silent… Clap! Principal Quun clapped her hands.

“Alright, alright, for now, the first short-term part-time job is complete. Good work.”

“First?”

Huh? Isn’t this a one-time job? This thing?

“Next time, I’ll have you ride a different machine, not this one. Since the three of you have different types, it’s easier to gather varied data, and you seem to have good compatibility with the ‘Norn Series’.”

” ‘Norn Series’… does that refer to the pseudo-personalities installed in the machines?”

“Yes, that’s right. Urd, Verdandi, Skuld. Based on these three pseudo-personalities, we plan to raise several more. Eventually, we intend to make proper bodies for them too.”

Heh. Like Golems for Frame Gears? It’s true that thanks to Skuld being there, I feel like I was able to fight Zelda-senp—Zelda Onee-sama to that extent. Well, in reality, there was quite a handicap… The road to becoming a [Trooper] is still long. I have to train more.

“The part-time pay will be transferred by tomorrow morning, so please check it on your smartphone. Well then, good work.”

Seen off by Principal Quun, when we left Grand Hangar 3, the sun had already set and it was night.

“Wow, I completely missed dinner time…”

Dinner time at the dorm is fixed. If you contact them in advance that you’ll be late, they’ll save it for you, but by now, not only will nothing be left, but the cafeteria itself will probably be closed. Checking the time on my smartphone, it was just past 20:00. It closed by a hair’s breadth. Can’t be helped, I’ll go eat out… Curfew is 22:00, so I should still be fine.

“Nero-chan, let’s go eat together~.”

“Nn. Onee-sama will treat you.”

“Eh? U-umm… Thanks for the meal!”

If Senpai says she’ll treat me, it would be a loss not to accept. I’m hungry, too. Apparently, there’s a large restaurant catering to students right outside the ‘Academy’. Come to think of it, there was something like that. I had thought about going there sometime. I never imagined my first visit would be sandwiched between the Rank 1 and Rank 3. The restaurant, which I visited for the first time, had reasonable prices for many items, and the taste was undeniably delicious. Occasionally, a dinner like this isn’t bad. I’ll invite Carrol and the others next time.

◇　◇　◇

“Woooah…! Th-this is…!”

The next day, I was looking at my personal data on my smartphone while eating breakfast in the school cafeteria. What surprised me was that a large amount of Gs had been transferred there. Amazing?! It’s nearly three times the amount of a normal short-term part-time job. It’s not like it happens every week, so the efficiency is bad, but the amount is perfect. Thank you very much, Principal!

“Nero, what are you grinning about over there?”

“I got Gs from the part-time job.”

Sherry says something rude. Was I grinning that much? Was I…?

“You should not waste it. Your caliber will be known by how you use those Gs.”

Lirisha said that while eating udon with an innocent face. I know that without you telling me! That said, what should I do? No, using it for machine improvements is decided. The question is just where to start. Armed Gear? Or Frame Gear? Weapons? Armor? Or suspension? Mmm, too many choices, I can’t narrow it down.

“First, either Armed Gear or Frame Gear… I guess.”

“That should obviously be Frame Gear. What we should aim for is to be a [Trooper], after all.”

“But if you don’t get stars, your ranking won’t go up, you know? In Nero’s case, I think the winning rate is higher with Armed Gear.”

“But if she doesn’t learn to win with a Frame Gear eventually…”

“But in that case…”

Lirisha and Carrol started arguing in front of me. Both of them are saying correct things, though. Like this, no matter how many Gs I have, it won’t be enough. Yeah, since I bought gauntlets for the Armed Gear last time, let’s go with the Frame Gear this time. Once decided, the question is what to buy. My ‘Lucifer’ is a mobility-focused Lightning Frame… If I add armor, the weight might kill its advantages… Then weapons…? Or maybe additional boosters to further increase mobility? Mmm, I’m torn… While I was groaning with my machine still called up on my smartphone screen, I realized that for some reason, the surroundings had gone silent. When I looked up, Lirisha and Carrol, who had been arguing in front of me, were looking at me with widened eyes and surprised faces. No, rather than at me… above me? Turning around, Zelda-senpai in her uniform was standing there.

“Good morning, Nero.”

“Eh, ah, good morning, Zelda-senpai…”

When I managed to exchange greetings, Zelda-senpai made a slightly sulky face. Wait a sec, don’t tell me…

“…………”

“Eh, no,”

“…………”

“Umm, everyone is here too, and,”

“…………”

“Good morning, Zelda Onee-sama…”

『Onee-sama?!』

In that instant, the entire cafeteria buzzed as if it had exploded. Zelda Onee-sama, without a care, completely changed from before into a beaming smile and hugged me.

“What does that mean?! Zelda-sama allowed that child to call her Onee-sama?!”

“Lestia didn’t have a fourth princess, right…?!”

“Then did she form a ‘Sisters’ Vow’ with Zelda-sama?! Who on earth is that child?!”

I feel like the eyes of every student in the cafeteria are turned toward us…

“N-Nero…? What does it mean that Zelda-senpai is your Onee-sama…?”

Carrol asked with a twitching face. Even she, who is usually calm and composed, seemed quite shocked. Not just Carrol, but Lirisha and Sherry were also frozen with their eyes wide and mouths open.

“Umm, I went to a part-time job, and it turned out like this…?”

“I don’t understand at all…”

I don’t understand either! This person suddenly started saying it!

“Umm, Zelda-senpai? By any chance, did you exchange a ‘Sisters’ Vow’ with Nero?”

“Yes. Nero is my little sister. Please treat her well.”

Zelda Onee-sama answered Sherry’s question like that. And once again, the cafeteria buzzed. As if speaking for everyone, Lirisha raised her hand timidly and small, and addressed Onee-sama.

“Umm, what exactly is the reason for that? Did this country bum… no, did this child have something that interested Zelda-sama that much?”

Hey, you were about to say country bumpkin just now, right?! However, since I also wondered about Lirisha’s question, I didn’t interrupt.

“Intuition. I felt a zap. That this child is the ‘same’ as me.”

“H-hah…?”

How vague… If she said my fighting style was wonderful, or even because I’m small and cute, I could have accepted it more. ‘Same’ as Zelda Onee-sama? In what way? Hair and eye color, personality, body type, birth and upbringing—everything is completely different.

“Most likely, Nero is… No, that is something you do not need to know yet. Nero, let’s eat lunch together. There is someone I want to introduce.”

“Introduce…? Haa… well, that’s fine, but…”

When I accepted, Zelda Onee-sama patted my head and left the cafeteria. And, immediately, screams of agonizing chaos erupted as if the cafeteria had exploded.

“Not good…! Everyone, run!”

“Eh?! Gueh?!”

Carrol grabbed me by the scruff of my neck, and then I was carried by Sherry and Lirisha as we escaped the cafeteria. Wait, my breakfast is mostly still there?! I tried to voice that, but seeing the first and second-year students chasing us from the cafeteria, my face twitched. Why is everyone chasing us with such resentful eyes while crying?!

“Well, naturally, having their admired Onee-sama snatched from the side would lead to this.”

“Why am I getting involved too! It is a nuisance!”

“Hahaha, it’s never boring with Nero!”

“Unreasonable…!”

I’m not in the wrong, am I…?