Eldest SS10
by Cristae“Nesia~!”
“Hera~!”
That evening, Nesia returned.
Arriving in the capital with Theodor, Nesia rushed into Hera’s welcoming embrace.
After a brief exchange of greetings, Hera inclined her head to Theodor.
“It’s been a while, Lord Theodor.”
“You’ve grown up, Your Highness.”
“You haven’t changed at all, Lord Theodor.”
Theodor only smiled wryly at her sincere words.
The three proceeded together toward the ballroom.
The ball had already begun an hour ago.
“Why are you so late? Ryuspel arrived right on time.”
“I fell asleep in the carriage… If only Lord Theodor had woken me, we wouldn’t be late.”
“I couldn’t bear to wake a child sleeping so soundly.”
Seeing Nesia sleeping, Theodor had slowed the carriage.
Hera shook her head knowingly, and gently smoothed Nesia’s fluffy silver hair.
“Are you going to stay in that outfit?”
“Huh? Yes! This is the most comfortable!”
“But you’re the guest of honor.”
“That’s exactly why I’m wearing what I like!”
Ever since contracting with multiple spirits, Nesia found fancy clothes even more uncomfortable.
She glanced at her neat jacket and trousers and quickened her pace.
For her, there was something far more important than an outfit.
“Is Belladi in the ballroom? Meldor too?”
“Yes, everyone’s waiting for you.”
“I can’t wait to see them!”
Especially Belladi!
Nesia was all but running by now.
At last, as she flung open the great doors to the ballroom—
“Lady Nesia Alton is entering!”
Rover, lingering at the entrance, announced in a loud voice.
At his words, all eyes in the ballroom turned to Nesia.
“Lady Alton!”
“Our proud spiritist!”
“Congratulations on your graduation!”
Those invited to the ball hurried up to greet her.
Nesia returned their greetings briefly, scanning the room.
Thus, she quickly spotted the pair of siblings, each at least a head taller than most, with black hair.
“Sister! Brother!”
Pushing through the crowd, Nesia rushed toward them. Those who meant to surround her stepped aside.
Shooting like an arrow through the opened path, Nesia halted before them.
Her blue eyes sparkled as she smiled brightly.
“I’m home!”
Belladi and Meldor exchanged a glance, then both smiled.
“Welcome, Nesia. You’ve done well.”
“You made sure the Academy knew all about House Alton’s might, I hope?”
“Of course!”
With that, Nesia’s homecoming celebration truly began.
Many guests were eager to forge ties with the young spiritist whose accomplishments had made history.
These sorts of gatherings were always disorienting.
Thanks to Meldor, Hera, and Ryuspel, Nesia managed to accept greetings and gifts from the crowd.
Belladi watched her siblings from a slight distance.
‘They’ve all grown up.’
At that moment, someone approached Belladi.
“Have you been well?”
It was Theodor.
It had been almost a year since she’d last seen her father, and he seemed even more at ease than before.
“Life in the North agrees with you, it seems.”
“It does. Once I got away from your grandfather, I could finally breathe.”
After years receiving rehabilitation at a retreat, Theodor had relocated to the northern castle three years ago.
All at Belladi’s urging.
—From childhood, I’ve thought it extremely inefficient for a single Duke of Alton to shoulder all responsibilities. Leaders are only human—they need rest.
So she said she planned to expand recruitment, and that Theodor would be her first.
She hoped that, as a former Duke, he would oversee the northern railways.
He agreed, deeply sympathizing with her point of view.
But there was one thing he worried about.
—If I go north… I’ll be forced to see you regularly.
—You said you wished to apologize as many times as it took for my forgiveness. No more letters—show me by what you do.
Recalling this, Theodor asked his daughter gently,
“Will you be marrying His Majesty next year?”
“That’s the plan.”
“You’ve made me wait quite a while.”
“Killian’s circumstances were special.”
“…And… may I attend the wedding?”
Belladi met Theodor’s gaze.
His fingertips trembled with tension.
“As your father… is it all right if I come?”
Belladi was silent for a moment.
Theodor accepted this silence without question.
He knew the gravity of the wrongs he had caused her; a few years could not wash them away.
Still, for this, of all things, he wished to be a little selfish.
After what felt an eternity, Belladi finally spoke.
“Of course.”
“Truly?”
She nodded, her lips curving into a smile.
“I want to show you, too, that I’m all right now.”
Those old wounds had finally faded, now only faint scars visible if one looked closely.
That much, at least, she wanted him to know.
Overwhelmed, Theodor smiled—gentle, unrestrained.
He decided, then, to indulge one more wish.
“Ahem. So then… about your wedding’s evening dress…”
“Belladi!”
“Oh! You two were here?”
Mosstin and Sion had arrived, interrupting Theodor.
Mosstin greeted Theodor lightly, then quickly began to joke around with Belladi as usual.
Theodor decided he would return to his proposal at a better time, and started away—when his eyes met Sion’s.
“Our fathers are over there,” Sion said, adjusting his glasses.
Something in that look left Theodor oddly unsettled.
‘Did he interrupt on purpose?’
…Surely not. Sion?
“Thank you for letting me know.”
Shaking off his suspicions, Theodor headed for the Duke of Agla and the former Duke Fredo.
Behind his glasses, Sion’s sharp gaze gleamed as the corners of his mouth rose into a sly smile.
That look was as mischievous as Belladi or Mosstin’s, though no one seemed to notice.
Fweee—!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The highlight of this ball was the fireworks display, orchestrated by Meldor and the mages of the Tower.
Determined to prove his magical prowess, Meldor had worked through the nights to prepare it.
The fireworks adorned the winter night sky with a brilliance never before seen.
“Wow! I’ve never seen fireworks so beautiful!”
“I hear they were all created by Lord Meldor Alton?”
“That must require incredible magical skill!”
“Word among the magicians at the ball is that the Tower Master offered Lord Meldor the position of successor.”
“My goodness, so House Alton has the continent’s greatest swordswoman as eldest, the next Tower Master as second, and a gifted spiritist for third?”
“How remarkable. The Alton family’s glory will last for decades at this rate.”
High above the crowds, on the third floor where guests could not enter, Belladi stood on the terrace, listening to the murmurs below, and smiled to herself.
‘That’s just what I hoped for.’
Noticing Belladi’s amusement, Killian smiled as well.
They watched the fireworks, just the two of them, as Killian whispered gently.
“These past days, to be at your side… I’ve never been happier.”
“And I, with you, Killian.”
“…But now that Nesia’s back, I suppose our holiday is over.”
His face fell a shade, and Belladi, finding him adorable, pressed a kiss to his cheek.
“Killian.”
“Hm?”
Killian turned, blinking, expecting another kiss.
Belladi, her red eyes curved in a smile, leaned in till their breath mingled.
“Do you want to live with me?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then—when shall we marry?”
“!”
It was the first time Belladi had spoken so concretely of a date.
Just then, another firework burst in the sky above.
Boom!
Its light shone across Belladi’s profile.
In that instant, Killian instinctively grasped both her hands and cried out,
“Let’s—let’s do it tomorrow! Right away!”
“Hm?”
“No—I mean!”
Killian shook his head and gazed at Belladi with uncharacteristic gravity, his face flushed even redder than his hair.
“As soon as Hera is crowned! We’ll marry right then!”
“Sometime next spring, then.”
A spring wedding. How perfect.
“A wedding in spring… I’d love that.”
His gentle smile matched hers.
“No matter how many times I say it, it’s never enough. I love you so much, Belladi.”
Even after all the years since their first meeting, his confession retained a youthful freshness.
Belladi gazed quietly at Killian.
His clear gray eyes, framed by fireworks, shone all the brighter.
She murmured without thinking,
“This is a perfect happy ending.”
“My happy ending was fated the moment I met you.”
Now she recalled: wasn’t it just this time of year when they’d first met?
As if to echo the thought, voices erupted below.
“It’s snowing!”
“Look—it’s thick, fluffy snow!”
“Fireworks and snow—how romantic!”
‘That’s right. It snowed, too, that day.’
And all the time since came rushing back.
Belladi, unable to contain the emotion sweeping over her, threw herself into Killian’s arms.
“I couldn’t have reached my own happy ending without you.”
It was sweeter than any confession of love.
In that moment, Killian sensed at last that his long, wearisome battle had come to an end.
He was now, without doubt, the happiest man in the world.
After the successful ball,
once the last guest had departed late into the night,
a girl with tousled short hair crept through the halls.
Beside her fluttered a small, translucent pixie.
“This way, Nesia. It’s over here.”
“Hush, if you wake my sister…”
Nesia whispered ominously.
“It’s death training in the swamps.”
“Eek.”
The pixie frantically clamped its mouth shut, muttering in terror.
“I hate the swamps. It’s all damp and clammy.”
“Then keep it down.”
The pixie nodded hard.
Together, they stole across the fifth floor, barely breathing.
Finally the pixie halted outside a certain door.
“Here.”
Nesia eased the door open.
Inside, mounted on the wall, was the imposing spirit sword.
Beneath it, sprawled in sleep on a plush couch, was the massive tiger.
“Taudin, it’s been a while.”
“Hmph! Impudent child. Found yourself a fine contractor and now you live in luxury, is that it?”
Nesia cast a steely look at the pixie.
Intimidated by nothing more than her gaze, the pixie—a notorious troublemaker among wind elementals—fell silent.
“I—I found myself a good contractor, too…”
“Never mind that. Show Taudin the dream you just gave me.”
“Okay…”
This wind spirit, having tormented Belladi, had once been nearly annihilated by Nesia’s hand. Its power was to show dreams of future events.
In fact, the reason Nesia had dozed off in the carriage today was because this spirit had shown her a vision of the future.
‘Hehe… Taudin will love this dream, too, I bet.’
She didn’t remember everything clearly—the dream, after all, was hazy—but she was certain it had felt utterly happy.
As Nesia smiled, the wind spirit replayed the future dream for Taudin.
“There. Done.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
“You don’t want to see Taudin’s reaction?”
“I can ask in the morning. And don’t wake the other spirit just because you think Taudin is your rival.”
“Fine, fine. Hmph, you only pick on me.”
Nesia ignored the spirit’s grumbling as she flitted lightly out of the room.
Shortly after…
“No! No! Graaaah!”
With a wailing roar, Taudin awoke with a start.
The tiger was panting, sweating coldly.
“A nightmare… How could such a nightmare be possible…”
Taudin recalled the dream.
He’d been in the Monster’s Forest, hunting in perfect synch with Belladi—
But suddenly, the scene shifted to the vast plains of House Alton.
Confused, Taudin felt a powerful tug at his whiskers.
“Gack!”
“Let me ride, Taudin!”
“No! I was riding first!”
“It’s my turn now! It’s not fair that only big sister gets to ride!”
“How dare you talk back to your sister?!”
“Ow! Did you hit me? Did you just hit me?!”
“Yes! I hit you! So what?!”
“You—get off! Or I’ll tell mother!”
“Don’t you dare! Hey! Where are you climbing up to?!”
A little girl with dark red hair and red eyes, and another with red hair and gray eyes, were fighting dangerously on Taudin’s back.
He was at a loss, utterly bewildered.
“J-just calm down! Little Belladis! So strong, even from childhood!”
In his dream, Taudin thought frantically,
‘Ah—if only I hadn’t let Hera discover my secret that day!’
That day, when Hera found him out.
And as punishment for leaking Belladi’s measurements, he’d been made the children’s nanny.
‘I thought it would always stay secret!’
But there’s no such thing as a secret from Belladi.
As Taudin struggled to control the little Belladis, a great sound rang out nearby.
Crack!
As if… something very hard had broken.
“What was that?!”
Taudin whipped his head around.
There stood a boy with black hair and gray eyes, staring at a jewel in his hands in a daze.
A great diamond snapped cleanly in two.
“…It broke.”
“N-no! My magic diamond!”
“That’s what you get for pulling Taudin’s whiskers!”
“Sis wouldn’t get off! That’s why!”
“I’m sick of diamonds. Taudin, let me ride too.”
“You stay away, little one! Can’t you see your sisters are playing?”
“You’re too little to butt in!”
“I wanna ride too…”
Taudin jerked awake, fleeing from the memory.
He clapped a heavy paw over his head, shaking it vigorously.
“Graaah! Yes, it was only a dream! Just a nightmare!”
Desperately, Taudin summoned the magic diamond Belladi had given him as her price for their contract.
The diamond was whole, unharmed.
“Phew—truly only a dream.”
But—was it really only a dream?
Relieved, Taudin shut his eyes again, letting drowsiness claim him.
He would never remember clearly the future glimpsed in that pre-dawn dream—
One can only pity him for it.
End of Side Stories.