Part 1

The first night I came back to school.

A lot happened today ―― No, I think it was too much.

“What the hell the capture target becoming a girl? It would be harder to predict.”

I agree with you. But now it’s clear who’s better, me or Creare. Master, please tell me your current assessment.

Luxion asks me to correct my assessment, as if he is still holding on to the fact that I once said that Cleare was more reliable.

I felt like I was losing if I answered truthfully, so I decided not to answer.

“More than that, I’m going to sleep, so give me some medicine.”

―― Are you so reluctant to admit that I’m good at what I do? And how many times have I told you that I can’t allow drugs?

“I just want to sleep without thinking about anything today. The capture target became a girl, you know.”

It doesn’t make any sense at all, but what I’m trying to say is that it was so unexpected that I couldn’t process it.

Right now, I just want to sleep without thinking about anything else.

There is no need for it

“That’s okay. I know where you keep the medicine.”

I see Luxion storing the medicine and finding the pills in that place.

The fact I saw that made Luxion’s panic and that was quite unusual.

That’s no good

“Why? Different medicine?”

No, it’s a sleep inducing drug. It’s a new drug formulated by Creare, and it’s already been tested, but it has side effects.

“Side effects? Eh, that’s a dangerous drug, isn’t it.”

It is not life-threatening and there are few disadvantages to using it. It is safer than most of the drugs available in this country. It’s just ――

“Then, no problem”

―― Wha!

Luxion was about to say something, but I didn’t care and took the medicine.

It is a medicine made according to my constitution.

There would be few side effects, and if it were dangerous in the first place, Luxion would have thrown it away.

It’s probably just a minor side effect that he has trouble judging.

I don’t care what happen. I’ve warned you.

“Then you’ll have to prepare a safer medicine next time. Fua~, I’m getting sleepy, so I’m going to bed.”

I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes.

This drug makes me sleep faster.

I like it a little.

.

Part 2

Master, please wake up. It’s time to get up.

The next morning I had a very uncomfortable wake up.

“I don’t feel like I slept so much”

Crawl out of bed with a drowsy head and yawn with a stretch.

“Are? What day is it today?”

When I ask Luxion about the plans for today, he answers with a dumbfounded look.

Get a grip, please. Today is the entrance ceremony. Your cousin is also entering school, and if you show your disheveled appearance, she will dislike you.

” ―― Cousin?”

Are you still half asleep? Master’s father has a younger brother and his daughter is entering school this year. Your father should have told you to take care of her.

“I don’t remember that. Luxion, if you’re going to make a joke, make it a funny one. I may have a cousin or something, but I don’t remember being asked to do anything like that ――”

Before I could say I didn’t remember, Luxion played back the audio recording.

It was a conversation between me and my dad.

“Leon, your cousin is entering school this year, so take care of her.”

“Cousin? Are? Who is she again?”

“I don’t think you know each other. My brother, your uncle, was sent away to the countryside after his service. But I’ve received a letter from him asking me to take care of his daughter as she’s entering school.”

“Hm~m”

“Are you listening to me properly? Ha~a ―― If Nix were still there, I’d feel a lot more assured.”

The conversation ended there, but it was definitely me and my dad’s voice.

I can tell from the voice that I’m not listening to him seriously.

“Eh? Did I really have a cousin? No, I had a cousin, but a cousin I’ve never met is coming to school?”

Indeed, there are relatives, but I hadn’t expected any other children to be admitted from our house besides Finley.

I don’t remember any of this to begin with.

Even if I hadn’t listened carefully, I doubt Dad would have reminded me.

He has a tendency to worry, so it shouldn’t be surprising that he talked about my cousin before I left.

Did Dad forget about it too?

Did I have an uncle who was sent to the countryside in the first place?

As I was pondering, Luxion, who was in a good mood to point out my mistake, happily told me about the plans for today.

We are scheduled to meet before the entrance ceremony. I’m looking forward to meeting her too.

“Are you looking forward to it?”

Yes. If she is related to Master, then I can assume that her genes are closer to the old humans.

He’s still the same guy who cares about the old and the new.

I don’t think it’s worth worrying about now, but I guess it’s still important to these guys.

I didn’t dare to ask any questions, because it would have been too annoying if I had mentioned the situation.

“Then we should meet face to face as soon as we have breakfast”

.

Part 3

After getting ready and eating breakfast, I headed to the school building.

I could see the students in their brand new uniforms, looking quite happy.

“So this is what a new school year looks like.”

I’m sure Master has been through this before,

“Things are different now than when I first came here. It’s more refreshing to see a normal scene.”

None of the schoolgirls had a dedicated sub-human servant with them.

That’s all, but it feels very fresh.

Is this really that school? It feels like I’m dreaming.

I headed to the fountain plaza in the school with Luxion.

Many students seem to use the plaza around the fountain as a meeting place.

“There are many people. It’s going to be hard to find her.”

When I was fed up with the number of people, Luxion went in front of me to show me the way.

This way

“You know it?”

Yes. Look, there she is.

Ahead of Luxion was a female student who for some reason had a spherical unit machine Luxion with a ribbon attached on, floating by her side.

She has long black hair, and at first glance, she seems like a normal girl.

However, with ribboned Luxion by her side, it makes her look different from the people around her.

“Why does she have a unit too? Maybe she’s the owner of the lost item?”

Surprised, I asked Luxion for confirmation and got a surprising answer.

No, it’s an AI I created that specializes in support. Cute, right?

“C-Cute? It’s just you with a ribbon attached.”

The texture of the surface material is different. The size of the lens has also been changed, so it would be a mistake to assume that we are identical.

If I look closely, they may be slightly different, but to those around me, they both look the same.

The ribbon are the only reason I can distinguish them, otherwise I would have made a mistake.

“I-I see.”

When Luxion approached her, perhaps noticing me, a dark-haired girl walked up to me.

The way she walked with her bag in both hands, she had the air of a girl of culture.

I got the impression that she was ladylike.

“Nice to meet you. Etto ――”

As I try to greet her, I realize that I don’t know her name.

“I am Linette. It’s an honor to meet you, Marquis.”

“I-I see. I am ――”

“I know. You’re Leon Fou Bartofalt, right? I know I have a lot to learn, but from now on, please take care of me.”

Linette bows, and when she raises her head, she smiles at me.

Looking closer, she looks adorable.

But for some reason, it stuck with me strangely.

Then a Luxion with a ribbon comes up to my nose.

Hey, what are you looking at? If you mess with Linette, you will never get away with it.

“The fake Luxion seems to be quite loyal. They may look the same on the outside, but I have a feeling they’re something else on the inside.”

I took a step back and created a distance, and when I spoke lightly, Luxion was colder than usual.

She has the name Lucria

“Eh, did you name her?”

Is there a problem?

“There isn’t, but”

As Luxion and I were talking, Linette and Lucria started talking as well.

Hey, Linette! All men are wolves, so don’t let them fool you. Especially that guy is absolutely no good!

“He’s a relative, so he won’t look at me like that, right?”

Linette is cute, so you should be more vigilant.

“No-No, I heard he has a fiancée, I’m sure it’s okay.”

Linette is having a conversation with Lucria.

Apparently, this is Linette’s true self.

Perhaps she noticed my gaze and tried her best to smooth things over.

“E-Excuse me. I got distracted by my conversation with Lucria.”

Linette is so cute when she’s trying to smooth things over!

Lucria circled around Linette, calling her cute.

While Linette had a drawn-out smile on her face, but she was acting stern in front of me.

“You don’t have to worry about it. I was the third son of a poor baron not long ago. I’m not very good with formalities.”

When I said that, Linette was visibly relieved.

“Really? Cause you said so. I got permission from the Marquis, right? Ha~a, I’m glad. I’m just feeling a little tired at the thought of all this stiff talk going on.”

The sudden change in attitude gave me the impression of an athletic, active girl.

I guess she was pushing herself too hard.

Linette is such a person, but she is very close to me mentally.

“So what should I call you, Marquis? As for me, I don’t think it’s appropriate to call you Marquis every time.”

She called herself using “Boku“.

When she is quiet, she looks like a ladylike girl, but when she talks, her personality comes out clearly.

“Senpai or Leon is okay, call me whatever you like.”

“I don’t feel comfortable calling you that. The safest choice is Leon-senpai, or if you want to go for something else is onii-chan or something like that? You’re my cousin, so do you mind if I call you that?”

For some reason, my heart skipped a beat when Linette, a boku girl, called me onii-chan.

I wasn’t aware of her as a member of the opposite sex, but she was very protective.

Linette goes on to give a few suggestions.

“Leon-senpai or Leon-oniisan? I feel like Leon-niichan is too familiar, which one is good?”

“Leon-oniichan”

When I answered immediately, Luxion and Lucria get closer and start whispering to each other.

He chose without hesitation, Luxion-oniichan

Lucria, this is the kind of person Master is. He always says he doesn’t like a little sister, but in fact he’s happy about it. He is an unprincipled person.

――Eh, what? That guy Luxion, he makes her call him oniichan?

That’s more impossible.

“Are you in a position to say anything about the other people? You’re letting her call you oniichan, too. If you made her, aren’t you her father?”

Lucria argues with me in a harsh tone.

What’s wrong with me calling him whatever I want! In the first place, if Luxion-oniichan is the father, who is the mother? Who? Bring her to me!

“Creare, maybe?”

Ha~a? Why is she the mother? It doesn’t make sense. Explain the reason within 400 characters. Explain it to me in a way that would convince me!

She is so annoying.

Her attitude toward Linette was noticeably indulgent, but she was extremely harsh toward me.

Luxion calms Lucria.

Lucria, leave it at that. It makes no sense for Master to have chosen Creare as your mother. There is no point in pursuing it.

As expected from Luxion-oniichan. You know all about this guy.

Not so much

The AIs are making fun of me in a friendly way.

Just when I think I have more troublesome AI, Ange and Livia arrive at Fountain Square.

“There you are”

“Leon-san, who is that girl?”

They were apparently looking for me, and when they noticed Linette, they became a little suspicious.

It must have bothered them that I was with a girl.

Tell them what’s going on before it gets messy.

“She’s a relative of mine, her name is Linette. My dad told me to take care of her.”

Ange’s gaze softened as I stated the facts.

“Is that so? I’m Angelica.”

Livia also greeted Linette.

“I’m Olivia. It’s nice to meet you, Linette-san.”

Linette bowed, a little flustered.

From her attitude, it seems that she knows about my fiancé.

“Nice to meet you”

As I was about to cut the meeting short, Ange and Livia approached Linette.

Suddenly, Ange closed the distance and lifted Linette’s chin with her fingers.

“You’re related? You sure do look like Leon.”

“A-Ano?”

Livia, who was behind her, pressed her large breasts against the back of a confused Linette.

“You’re right. The atmosphere is somewhat similar.”

They huddle, they stare, they push ―― Linette turns her gaze to me, asking for help.

“Leon-niisan”

In order to help my confused cousin, I warned them.

“That’s enough, both of you. Linette is troubled.”

When I say that, Ange turns her gaze to me.

There was something mysterious and charming about Ange’s expression as she smiled.

“It’s fine, right. I like her. She looks like Leon, which is really nice.”

“――Eh?”

Ange grabbed Linette’s face gently with both hands and brought her face close to hers.

Linette’s cheeks blush in front of Ange, and she remains as she is.

And then Livia says something outrageous.

“Ange really likes girls.”

I was stunned by her words. Before I could say anything, Ange said to Livia.

“I’ve had enough of men. You’re not interested in men either, are you?”

“Right”

Ange and Livia’s confession made me decide to confirm it.

“Ano, I’m also a man, though?”

The two of them give me a puzzled look.

Could it be that they’re tired of me?

When I think about it like that, Livia looks at me questioningly.

“Leon-san is Leon-san, right?”

“U-Un. That’s right.”

Sure, I’m Leon, but I’m also a man.

“Then, it’s fine.”

“What?! It isn’t fine at all? Because I’m also a man that means you hate me too, right?!”

It was Ange who drowned out my anxiety.

“No problem. I hate men, but I like you. I like Leon personally, regardless of your gender.”

My heart fluttered at the manly words, and Ange turned her gaze back to Linette.

“So if there’s a girl who looks like Leon, I’ll be interested.”

“Yes. Yes?”

For a moment, I was almost convinced, but I couldn’t get my head around it, and before I knew it, Marie was at my side. She was clutching my clothes and had a sulking face.

“Since when have you been there?”

Marie glared at Linette.

“Oniichan’s little sister is me only! Don’t get carried away!”

I hurriedly covered Marie’s mouth with my hand as she shouted in public that I was her big brother.

“Ba-Baka! Why did you say that here? I told you to keep your mouth shut because it would complicate things――Are?”

I looked fearfully at Ange and Livia, but they were not there.

Before I knew it, Marie had also disappeared, and the only ones left in the fountain square were me and Luxion ―― the others were Linette and Lucria.

“A-Are? Where are the two of them? And Marie’s not here either. Oi, Luxion.”

As I try to confirm the situation with Luxion, I suddenly hear the sound of an alarm.

.

Part 4

“Master, please wake up. It’s time to get up. “

The next thing I knew, I was lying on my bed.

As I sit up, I can hear Luxion’s usual sarcasm.

Oya? You woke up pretty straightforwardly today.

Slowly, I looked at Luxion, and he didn’t look any different from usual.

Was everything that had just happened a dream?

It felt too real, so I confirmed with Luxion.

“Tell me the side effects of the medicine I took yesterday.”

From the looks of it, you’ve experienced the side effects. It’s just as you imagine, Master. It is a side effect of the medicine, it’s you have a dream as if it were real.

I let out a deep sigh at the ridiculous side effects.

“I’m relieved to hear that. No, I had a dream that I had a cousin I didn’t know about. Luxion had a little sister too.”

I don’t have a little sister

“Right! Iya~, I’m glad. In my dream, I was surprised when Ange and Livia said they weren’t interested in men.”

In the future, please check the side effects before you take the medicine. That being said――

Luxion tells me today’s schedule――.

The little sisters of Julius and others are entering the school. They have requested a meeting with Master, so please have the meeting before the entrance ceremony.

――The five of them have a little sister? I thought so for a moment, but then a question came to mind.

I didn’t hear a word from them that their sisters would be enrolling.

So is this a dream? Or is it real?

――Which one is it, really?