After a moment of silence, Mom suddenly clapped once.

"Okay, now that it's clear, I have something I need to talk about, especially with Altaire!"

Alt-nii snapped out of his daze after processing the information regarding the Loera clan.

"What is it, Mom?"

"Hmm... okay, Lyra, Altaire, and... Rurune. All of you follow me," Mom said as she led us away from the rest of people who were still talking about what just happened, and the revelation before. Dad wanted to follow us as well, but Mom signaled that he should stay there with the guests.

"Altaire, what happened back then? You seemed to be surprised as you emitted [Void] magic power to Rurune?"

"That... right! Mom, something weird happened! My body just moved by itself at that time! Even though I was about to put my power to something else...!" Alt-nii described the whole confusing event.

"And... and! I was worried that the [Void] magic might do Rurune harm, but she was surprisingly fine after that!" Alt-nii continued his report.

"...We can conclude that Rurune is a magical beast that is capable of [Void] magic, then. Remember when she dispelled Lyra's freezing magic from Harvey?"

"Ah... yes, I remember!" I chimed in as well.

"Okay, now that it's solved... Let's focus on the matter of Altaire's body moving on its own," Mom said as she shifted her serious gaze at Rurune, who was floating leisurely beside Alt-nii.

"Yes, Mom! Do you have an idea what's going on?" Alt-nii asked.

Mom nodded. Her expression was so serious that I was taken aback for a while...

Then, her next words surprised me.

"It seems that the Familiar contract you made with Rurune... is a [Master-Servant Contract]. I think Rurune was the one who commanded Altaire to do so, to free her from the situation that irritated her... In other words," Mom sighed.

"Congratulations, son, Rurune is your Familiar-Master, and you're her underling...," Mom put her hand on her forehead, as if she was feeling dizzy. Nah, I'm sure she is feeling dizzy!!

"....WHAT?!" Alt-nii exclaimed in surprise.

"Eeeeh? No way!!" I quickly shifted my gaze towards Rurune.

In response to all of us looking at her with dreadful expressions and disbelief, Rurune stared back at us with her ever-innocent face, before she finally growled cheerfully, "Ruru~!♫"

Thus, my thought of Rurune as the "cute little beast" collapsed. With this very unexpected revelation, I began to question my whole view of the world.

***

After that, we leisurely spent our time by chatting and enjoying the tea (plus cakes!). Everyone then began to pack up to go back before the sun set, before it got too dark...

"Are you sure you don't want to stay the night?" I asked Iris and Carbuncle.

"Well, we're having school again tomorrow, so why bother? Our permissions were only to go outside today," Carbuncle clarified.

"T-thanks for the offer, Lyra!" Iris blushed a little.

"...Sigh... I was the first one to get ousted...," Harvey was still a bit dejected... Reality began to hit him after the whole shocking revelation happened.

"Don't mind it, Harvey! We've still got a long way to go!" Alt-nii slapped Harvey's back as if to give him his optimism.

"I must be very uncool... And the opponents were younger than me... Haaah...," Harvey sighed.

"Uhm... I don't think so! I think you're cool, Harvey!" Iris tried her best to cheer Harvey up.

"Yup, yup, even if our opponents are younger, they're still abnormal kids!" Clavis tried to cheer Harvey as well as he circled his arm at Harvey's shoulders.

"Really?" Harvey seemed to be a little bit more cheerful than before.

"...Who are you calling abnormal?" I realized Clavis' words and questioned it, staring at Clavis. (¬_¬)

"...Errr, no, Lyra, you get it all wrong...," Clavis must be feeling guilty, with his tail curling between his legs...

"Okay, shall we get back now?" Carbuncle asked Iris and Harvey.

"Why the hurry?" Harvey asked, surprised that Carbuncle seemed to want to rush back at the dorm.

"I want to nap," Carbuncle shortly answered, as if it was natural.

"..."

"To return faster, shall I carry you on my back?" Carbuncle suddenly asked.

"Huh? How...?" Harvey was confused at first, but he then recalled that Carbuncle was a dragon and... his face turned pale.

Carbuncle smirked.

"K-Kuu... It's not good to scare people with your dragon form, right?" Iris tried to stop Carbuncle from executing her plan.

"Hee... It's way faster and more convenient," Carbuncle pouted.

She then locked eyes with me and asked for my opinion, "Right, Lyr?"

"Eh? Ah, I want to see your dragon form, indeed...," I reflexively expressed my honest thought—regretting it later.

"See?" Carbuncle smirked.

"Wow, we're going to see a real dragon?!" Ein's eyes turned all sparkly again.

"D-dragon?" Leticia tilted her head.

"No. Let's not do that. It will cause an uproar."

Luckily, Dad rejected the whole notion before Carbuncle could do anything.

"Eeeh...," Carbuncle's face turned -'д'-

"Why don't you all come along with me and Eine? I can escort you to the nearby teleportation service. We're also going back using it, after all," Nicole suddenly proposed.

"E-eh? Teleportation service, b-but...," Iris timidly tried to reject.

"My treat," Nicole insisted.

"W-would that be okay?" Harvey hesitated as well.

"Thanks, then!" The shameless dragon readily accepted her proposal.

"No problem, I want to treat Eine's friends sometimes. Come to our house next time, okay? You all can stay the night," Nicole said, while looking over at all of us, indicating that she was inviting us all.

Thus, it was decided that Carbuncle, Iris, and Harvey would be coming along with Ein and Nicole to the teleportation service.

"It's also time for us to go back," Luca said.

"Eeeh? Already?" Leti protested.

"Ah, right, I have to go back with Father as well," Kiri said. He was now used to calling his stepfather/former uncle with 'Father'. He stuttered a lot at first, not used to the sudden change at all.

"Lyra-neeeee," Leti behaved like a spoiled child she was, as she extended her arms to hug me.

Of course, I extended my arms as well to hug her and spoil her!!

"See you next time, Leti!!" I nudged my cheek to Leti's cheek.

"Not fair, me too, Big Sis!" The little brother figure demanded attention as well.

"There, there," So I patted this troublesome little brother figure.

"Eeeh, not fair! Why are you treating me differently from Leti?!" Ein pouted, as he looked at Leti with a competitive stare.

"..."

I was speechless.

There's no way I can hug you like how I hug Leti, okay? Dad's here beside me, he will surely be triggered!! I mean, even if I've clarified how I saw you as my little brother and how you saw me as a big sister figure, he was still... on his guard...

After that, we sent everyone off.

The house became silent in an instant.

As we were leisurely spending time in wait for dinner time...

"Rurune... How could you..."

My big brother, who was acting all cheerful back when he cheered his friend up, peeled his acting and showed his true heart.

Yep, he was still heartbroken after knowing that Rurune forced the [Master-Servant Contract] on him. To put it harshly, Rurune was the [Master], and Alt-nii was the [Servant].

That was how Rurune could one-sidedly draw Alt-nii's [Void] power to her own convenience.

"Rururu~," Rurune didn't show the slightest bit of guilt or remorse, adding to Alt-nii's depression.

"T-there, there, Alt-nii...," I patted Alt-nii's back in hope to cheer him up a bit.

"Well, Altaire, don't be so sad. You can always train yourself to get stronger and reverse the contract, or at least turn it into the equal partner contract," Mom gave Alt-nii a solution I didn't know of.

"Eh, we can do that?" Alt-nii asked, hope returned to his eyes.

"Yes, definitely. You just have to become stronger than the other party and try to reverse the contract," Mom said.

"T-then, I'll try now!" Alt-nii closed his eyes and focused on feeling something... feeling the contract?

But after a while, Alt-nii sighed, "Nothing happened. I couldn't seem to change anything."

"...That means Rurune possesses power stronger than you...," Mom muttered while still contemplating.

She then moved closer to Rurune and patted her head, "Now, you're one mysterious fellow."

"Ruru~," Rurune happily enjoyed Mom's pat.

"Just what are you?" Mom asked.

"Ruru~!"

"Could you really be the same magical beast who accompanied Her Highness Remillia-sama back then?" Mom pondered.

"Ru, ru, ruuu?" Rurune only nibbed her claws.

"But there are still differences... and you had only just been born...," Mom continued to ponder.

"Mom, can't you check her again?" Alt-nii asked in his frustration.

"Well, I'll try then. You should come along as well," Mom patted Alt-nii's head.

"Mn!" Alt-nii nodded. He seemed to want to change his current condition no matter what.

...Well, that's understandable.

"Now, that's really surprising," Dad finally opened his mouth.

"Dad, you can't believe it too, can you?" Alt-nii nagged to Dad this time.

"Yeah, it's totally unexpected."

"I'm also curious about Rurune," Mom said.

"It's fine to be curious. You have always been like that, right? But don't get the usual tunnel vision," Dad said as he gently caressed Mom's cheek.

Whoaa--! I still couldn't really get used to Dad and Mom's showing affection at times.

"Anyway, Lyra," Dad suddenly shifted his gaze at me before he turned to Alt-nii as well, "And Alt."

""Yes?"" Alt-nii and I replied at the same time.

"Especially Lyra... Do you like having both Leti and Ein looking up to you like that?"

"Eh? Well, they're cute, and I don't mind!"

"Then... would you want a little brother or a little sister?"

"...!!"

I was surprised at Dad's sudden questioning!

"Y-yes, I don't mind, Dad!" I quickly said, before shifting my gaze at Mom.

Mom only smiled awkwardly.

"Then I want a little brother this time, Dad!" Alt-nii requested.

"Well, that's...," Dad seemed a little troubled.

"I don't mind either!" I stated my opinion.

"Alright, alright, let's not think too far ahead now. It should be dinner time soon, let's go," Mom interrupted as she began to walk to the dining room, followed by Dad and Alt-nii.

I silently clenched my fist and raised it up.

Good luck, Mom, Dad!!

In any case, I wasn't your ordinary child. I wouldn't feel jealous of my new sibling and act all childish...

Oh, well, I admit I feel a little bit uneasy, thinking about how I might receive less affection or attention from my family...

I guess, my bad experience as Reinst when I had a little brother was still ingrained deep inside.

But... I'm now a member of the warm Hartmann family.

Surely things wouldn't be as bad as that... Right?

I tried imagining a little sibling that was like the cute Leticia or Ein who was so attached to me.

Hmm, perhaps I might receive more love from them instead?

Anyway, just... good luck, Dad, Mom!

I'll be looking forward to the good news~!

Well, people often say that children are blessings from god, so I guess it's also up to the god's decision?

......I'm still unsure if the spectre of light I encountered back then is really a god, though... Despite 'they' really reincarnated me like this.

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Author's Note:

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