Chapter 17: This Wasn't Part of the Plan

Yoshino originally thought that her identity in this world was merely being a fellow villager of Tatsumi.

But when the Three Beasts approached her and claimed that Esdeath was her sister, she was surprised—but not particularly doubtful.

After all, the system had only implanted memories from the past eight years. In the original story, Yoshino became a Spirit at the age of thirteen, and her actual age was already in her thirties, close to forty. Even if her identity in this world was fabricated, it was unlikely that she was truly only eight years old.

So when she heard from the Three Beasts about her hidden identity, she almost immediately believed it.

This kind of thing was entirely within the system's capabilities.

At the same time, this gave Yoshino more freedom.

Tatsumi fellow villager, Esdeath younger sister—one aligned with the Revolutionary Army, the other with the Empire. Possessing two identities meant Yoshino could fully choose either side, and whichever she chose would be completely reasonable.

So, for Yoshino, the most important question wasn't which faction suited her better, but rather—which faction could allow her to complete her mission more efficiently.

After a brief consideration, and being pulled between the Three Beasts and Night Raid, she chose the Empire.

Because within Night Raid, in order to maintain her character setting, she couldn't directly participate in assassination activities.

And Night Raid's primary operations revolved entirely around assassination. If she couldn't take part in that, she would, at most, serve as a mascot.

But the mission issued by the system required her to become a hidden figure orchestrating revolution and change from behind the scenes. Simply being a mascot clearly didn't align with the requirements of her main task.

So, she decided to try her luck on the Empire's side—to see just how far she could go under the identity of Esdeath younger sister.

Simply put, it was a trial run. If the prospects here turned out to be even worse than those with Night Raid, then all she had to do was create another opportunity for the Night Raid members to "rescue" her again.

After all, there was nothing to lose.

As things stood now, although she still had no idea how her identity as Esdeath sister could influence the Empire's course of change, at the very least—Esdeath attitude toward her had far exceeded her expectations.

Before actually meeting Esdeath, due to the memory loss setting, the system had not implanted any shared memories of their life together. Yoshino wasn't sure what kind of relationship or emotional bond they had.

Especially considering she knew the original story—Esdeath barely reacted emotionally to her own father's death. For a woman that cold by nature, how would she treat someone she claimed was her "sister"?

So, while interacting with Esdeath, she remained on high alert.

"But... her attitude toward me is much better than I imagined..."

Fiddling with the bunny-shaped ice sculpture in her hand, Yoshino thought pensively,

"Why is that? Given Esdeath belief in survival of the fittest, shouldn't she despise someone as weak as me?"

Esdeath was born in the Empire's northern border region, a place adjacent to the lands of the northern tribes.

That region was harsh, covered in snow year-round, a place where the spark of human civilization could not take hold.

There, the law of the jungle was vividly and brutally enforced.

One had to face not only the extreme environment but also fend off barbarian invasions from the north. And the powerful Danger Beasts that roamed the borderlands were an even greater threat.

No Imperial citizen willingly chose to live in such a place.

Except for the Partass Tribe—a powerful group that had lived there since ancient times, surviving by hunting Danger Beasts.

This tribe was small in number, but each of its members was strong. The brutal living conditions forged a race capable of defeating the very environment they lived in. Even the weakest among them could hunt Grade-1 Danger Beasts. This was the foundation of their continued survival through the ages.

Survival of the fittest—this was the creed of the Partass.

If one didn't want to become prey on this merciless land, they had to strengthen themselves—become stronger than anyone else.

Esdeath was one of them.

From a young age, she had learned hunting skills from her father and showed talent and power far beyond her peers.

While others her age were still terrified by the dying cries and struggles of prey, she could calmly help the adults dissect the animals. Even before she reached adulthood, she already had the power to kill Grade-1 Danger Beasts with her bare hands.

Innate talent, a harsh environment, the tribe's culture, her father's teachings...

On top of that, her mother was devoured by a Danger Beast and became food for another creature. This deeply rooted in her the belief that only the strong survive.

Even when her entire tribe was slaughtered during a northern invasion, she shed no tears, felt no sorrow, and didn't even harbor thoughts of revenge.

Because to her, the deaths of her tribesmen and her father were natural outcomes.

Compared to the northern barbarians, they were weaker—so they died.

It was as simple as that.

After surviving such an extreme environment, Esdeath became an extreme person.

That's precisely why, when she saw the Empire's people suffering due to war, corruption, and oppression, she had no desire to change anything.

She even colluded with the Minister and joined in the corruption, dragging the Empire deeper into the abyss.

To her, the common people were weak, so their suffering was justified—it was the natural order of things.

Either become meat for the strong, or, like her, become strong by fighting against adversity. There was no third option.

And Yoshino, by Esdeath definition of "strength," was clearly not among the strong.

Shy, timid, kind-hearted, submissive, preferring to hurt herself rather than others...

Such a person, in Esdeath eyes, should be an undeniable weakling, not worthy of pity—only fit to become a feast for the strong.

"I don't have a sister like you."

"Sharing the same blood as you is a disgrace."

"If others found out you were my sister, I'd rather kill you myself."

Before meeting Esdeath, Yoshino had wondered if she would say something like that to her.

But reality was completely different from her imagination.

Not only was she not treated cruelly, she was even cherished like a treasure held delicately in someone's palm.

"Maybe... my presence has caused this world's Esdeath to take a different life path than the one in the original story, and that's why her personality has changed?"

The girl pondered, trying to figure out why Esdeath was acting this way.

But lacking the necessary memories, all guesses remained speculation.

Besides, the past didn't matter too much to her. What was important was what she should do next.

Shaking off the irreLivernt doubts, she tossed her head and refocused her attention on the upcoming plan.

"The Empire is a deeper pool... Even as Esdeath sister, I must act cautiously."

Through the window, she looked at Esdeath leaving the General's Manor and thought to herself:

"For now, I'll just live here for a while and observe the situation quietly."