Elias drove his shadow horse even faster on the way back than he had on the way there. Because he sensed that the high orcs will arrive at the Rebelbub Village at any minute.
The wagon was shaking violently. Patricia, who sat beside Elias, and Catherine, Cassius and I, who were sitting at the back, were shaken around like ragdolls.
"B-Brother, can't you drive a bit more gently!?" I muttered
"I-I'm gonna fall! No fair Patricia is on the driver seat!"
Elias heard the complaints in the wagon, he shook his head off and forgets the people beside him.
Also, Elias's party was heavily injured, Patricia and I suffered minor injuries, Cassius was barely even an adventurer, and Catherine was completely drained of mana. Forget stopping them, they wouldn't be able to slow the army down. We were in bad condition.
"Big Brother, stop accelerating this instant…" I complained
"Haah… oh how my wounds ache.."
Cassius was clinging on to the wagon for dear life, I was frightened by the big brother speed. Meanwhile, Catherine was writhing in ecstasy as each bump dug into her wounds, calling out for help in a monotone that fooled absolutely no one. Had this been his world, Elias would have been arrested, but it wasn't, so he didn't care.
About halfway to Rebelbub Village, I spotted one of my members from the guild that was riding hard in my direction. They were fully armored. From my senses, Elias was easily able to make out Carin, who was charging forwards with a ferocious expression on his face, and Barry, who was struggling to keep pace with him.
A few minutes later, the guild members spotted a giant black horse racing toward from them. From their perspective. Elias's horse looked some kind of monster. They quickly pulled one of their weapons and got into formation. Their quick response, even in the face of an unknown threat, showed just how well they are trained.
Elias honestly wouldn't have minded just driving right through them. Their attacks had no hope of even scratching the shadow horse.
However, he doubted his sister felt the same, and it would be a problem if Catherine and Patricia and the others got hurt as they drove past, so I opened the wagon's sunroof and I started shouting and waving my arms wildly to grab my members attention.
Barry was just about to start raining magic arrows down on the horse when he spotted something that looked distinctively human come out of it. His eyes squinted, trying to make out of detail.
Normally, Barry would have gone through the attack anyway, but something made him hesitate. His devotion to his vice-leader had given him some strange sixth sense when it came to detecting her presence. He raised his arms and gave the signal for his men to stand down.
His men looked at him suspiciously, especially Carin, but then their eyes opened wide in surprise as the shadow horse grew closer and they heard who was yelling inside of it.
"Lady Roxy?" Barry muttered, an expression of disbelief on his face.
For a second, the members of the Yellow Flower Guild were terrified that some horrible monster had eaten their vice-leader, but then they saw me waving frantically at them, yelling at them
"Barry! It's me! Please don't attack us!" I yelled
Joy spread through the members as they realized their vice-leader was safe. True, they were suspicious about the strange black horse she was in, but they understood that it wasn't an immediate threat.
Barry was perhaps a little too overjoyed as he spread his arms wide, as if inviting me to jump into them. Following the example, Carin and the other members of the guild also spread their arms.
Elias stared with disgust as he watched the reunite of guild members all stand there in a line, like a k-pop expedition from my real world, their arms spread to either side, obvious ecstatic expressions on their faces.
I had been certain my brother would stop in front of Carin and the others, but their attitude annoyed him so much that he instead accelerated as he got too close.
Seeing his litter sister got harassed like that, he showed him a piece of his mindset. As an duty of my big brother, he is quite annoying.
"Roxy, we so worried about you?" Barry asked
"No worries, I survived all thanks to my big brother." I replied
As I was greeting on one of my members. Elias mercilessly rode his shadow horse past the scattering guildmembers, the members watched, smiles still frozen on their faces, as the black thing sped away. My questioning scream faded into the distance.
"Lady Roxyyyyyy!"
Then as one they screamed like a group of abandoned lovers, and chased after the shadow horse. The members saw their vice-leader passing by the crossroads. I was furious about my brother
"Big Brother, why did you do that!?" I yelled furiously at Elias
"There was a good reason not to stop, Eirene. If we'd stopped, we'd have to explain everything what happened, which he don't have time for. We have to explain everything once we get to the village anyway, so I'd rather not waste time doing it twice."
"W-Well, I suppose that's true…"
I still wasn't about it, but considering how fast Elias was riding, I had to admit they would have lost a great deal of time stopping for the knights.
Patricia, who'd returned to her usual position next to Elias, leaned in to whisper in his ear.
"Elias, why the real reason?"
"Those grinning knights were creeping me out."
"Mmm, agreed."
I barely heard their whispers, I think they was talking about me. The once Elias I knew was a annoying and typical overprotective trope. But now, he was a kind of edgy type of people, the one who considered to cares about of himself more than others. I don't like this attitude.
Upon reaching Rebelbub Village, the party got out of the shadow horse and headed to the town hall.
As Elias, Patricia and Catherine took their time strolling leisurely there, I ran as fast as their legs would carry them. Big Brother had been hoping to just drop me and my guildmates off here and drive Cassius all the way back to Town Allure, but he'd jumped out of the truck before anyone else, so Elias had reluctantly followed after him.
The main streets was bustling with activity. Not only were this town's dishes famous, but there was also a huge lake nearby. It activated tourists and immigrants alike.
It was hard to believe that this town was about to overrun by horde of high force in less than a day's time. The party gazed longingly at the rows of food stalls, but they dutifully headed toward the town hall first.
When I broke the news to the village's elders, there was a huge uproar. The managers of the Rebelbub branch that tied to Lord Phillip began arguing what to do next.
No one couldn't believe what I had told them. No, they just didn't want to believe it. They kept on asking question after question, hoping against hope that maybe the party had just mistakes what they saw.
While they have been driving back. Me and my guildmates had agreed that it was not better not to mention Elias's true identity, being a luminous knight while keeping its identity incognito was part of Elias's adventures. As I recalled the third condition that my brother gave, telling me all of my connections.
It was in the midst of this uproar that Elias entered the town hall looking for Cassius. He seemed wholly unconcerned by the tumult.
"Hey Cassius, don't just run off by yourself. Think about the guy that had to protect you. If you're done warning everyone, then it's time to go back to Town Allure"
Everyone including me turned to Elias in surprise. The village elders exclaimed this to the effect of "Who the fuck is this kid?" faces.
"What do you mean, Elias? This is a huge crisis. You can't be seriously be suggesting we abandoning the town"
Annoyed by Cassius only true and valid answer, Elias retorted casually.
"What do you mean abandon? No matter what we're going to have to evacuate until reinforcements come. A tourist town like this only had huge walls stretching the area, still it's a low defense, and if we're going to have evacuate anyway, may as well evacuate to Town Allure. I'll just he evacuating you a bit faster than the others." Elias snapped back
"But… I mean, I suppose… but still. I can't just ran away before everyone else does! There has to be something I can do to help. Elias, please…"
"Oh please, won't you help too?"
Elias what he wanted to ask, but he trailed off after seeing my big brother's frigid stare.
"How many times do I have to say it before you get it? My one and only job is to deliver you safely to Town Allure. I couldn't care less about what happens this town. And i don't fucking care about your opinions either. If you refuse to come… I'll just break one of your limbs and drag you back."
"What…? Y-You fu-..."
Cassius went pale when he realized Elias was dead serious. He involuntary took a few steps back, unable to completely believe it.
To Cassius, Elias was practically a hero, a luminous knight. He'd easily beaten down the same chimera that had annihilated his veteran party in a single attack. Cassius had assumed that despite his aloof nature, Elias was still a good person who would have unconditionally helped the villagers in crisis.
He staggered backward, and Elias took a step forward. He was clearly pressing Cassius for a decision. The tense atmosphere had everyone else frozen in place, but one person stepped between the two. It was me, Elias one and only little sister.
I stared right into Elias cold eyes and questioned him.
"Big Brother. Isn't there something you can do about that monster army? I believe your strength Brother, I know you can fight them."
Conviction crept into my voice by the end. I was certain my brother can be able to save the town he wanted. The village elders broke out into another huge uproar at that.
According to me and Plasma's observation, the army bearing down on them was tens of thousands strong. Plus, it included ridiculously powerful beasts from up to mountain ranges over. The only person strong enough to change the tide of battle singlehandedly would be the strongest person among the reinforcements, the luminous knight.
But even they wouldn't be able to take on an army alone. Without the help of the luminous knights, they'd be overwhelmed by the sheer of numbers, so naturally they doubted the boy, who wasn't even the hero, could save them singlehandedly.
In the face of my determined gaze, Elias waved his hand casually, as if to deny my claims.
"No way, Eirene. That's impossible. From what I could tell, there was more than a hundred of them. There's no way…" Elias said
"But when Cassius asked whether or not you could do it back on the mountain, you didn't say so. You clearly said you can be sure your gotten them all. That means out in the open on the plains you could definitely wipe them all out."
"I surprised you remember that."
Elias berated himself for saying something like that when I knew how good my memory was. The truth is, Plasma did all the dirty work, I don't have enough time to thank my AI assistant. My brother averted his gaze, and I pressed my case, urging my brother to help.
"Big Brother, won't you please help us? At this rate this beautiful town will surely be destroyed. Worse, many people lose their lives."
Still, I kept my gaze on Elias the entire time, as if trying to read something in my brother's expression. After a while shook my head, as if to clear the hesitation, and stared resolutely at Elias. I had his little sister face on.
"Ha, how pathetic. I always thought you prioritized your guild members everyone else. Aren't you even only helping this country with its war because you're hoping it'll let them get home faster? And yet now you want one of your siblings to fight and possibly die for the sake of some strangers that I never met before? Even when they don't want to? Pathetic."
Elias rebuttal silenced his little sister. I bit my lip and furrowed my brows, conflicted over what she would do
The nearby village elders narrowed their eyes when Elias insulted the orders of a luminous knight, but I ignored them, my attention focused solely on my brother.
"If there was a way back home, I'd drag you all with me in a heartbeat. That's never changed. But since there isn't one right now… I want to help the people I've met here. The ones I've laughed with and cared about. Still, I'm your little sister first. If I have to choose, I'll always choose you guys. Always." I paused for a second, then kept going softly.
"Big Brother… I know something awful must have happened to make you like this. You didn't have a choice but to become hard. I wasn't there when you were hurting the most, and I hate that. But please… just listen to me, okay?"
I saw my brother's eyes start to water a little bit.
"You want to go home more than any of us. I get it. But when we finally make it back… are you really planning to live like this? Shutting everyone out except us? Hurting anyone who gets in your way? Can you actually flip a switch and go back to the way you were in Town Allure?" My voice grew gentler as the conversation goes on, there I continued
"I'm not trying to change what you want for the future. But if you keep going like this, you won't be happy… and the people you care about won't be happy either. Your kindness, your heart… those were always your best parts. Please don't throw them away."
Each and every one of my words pierced Elias to the core. Everyone else also listened quietly.
The people inside the town hall felt the weight behind my heartfelt message. This is wasn't generated by Plasma itself. Only my mindset.
They hung their heads, ashamed at how selfishly they'd wielded their powers until now. At that same time, they were both happy and somewhat surprised that I had given so much though to their lives after they felt they finally returned home.
Elias patted my head and left the building. This time he didn't look back. The two girls exchanged happy glances and headed out after him.
Once the door closed, the village elders, who had been silent until now, all started pressingly into my questions.
I looked at the door Elias had left through, my shoulders trembling. My words had gotten through him, but I wasn't happy at all. What I told him, the things I'd said about his current way of life being too sad, they were all my true thoughts.