How to Live with the Golden Totem

#016 The Gathering of Oddballs (1)

-Which nation is the strongest on the continent?

To this question, excluding those who are intensely proud of their own country or view the world through a cynical lens, most would agree in unison:

Barhart Empire.

Once called the Barhart Kingdom, this nation rose to imperial status by subjugating the three nations of Morian, Spero, and Nahat during the “War of Domination.” During the “War of Judgment,” it boldly faced the invasion of the Ivstan Empire, pushing them beyond the Ural Mountains in the east, thus earning the title of the strongest on the continent.

The one who led all this glory, “Great Emperor” Ludwig Barhart, has passed the imperial throne to his son seven years ago, dedicating himself to the establishment of a new educational institution.

It’s no surprise that when the academy he created opened its doors, talents from across the continent flocked in droves.

“Who the hell just pushed me! Was that you?!”

“Huh? Why are you picking a fight, you crazy person? Want to go?”

“Who do you think will back down?!”

“Get out here, you little punk!!!”

Um, yeah, it’s only natural that things are chaotic.

“Here’s the deal! Freshly made weapons from the Fergus Workshop are waiting for heroes ready to write a new legend!”

“My, my wallet, it’s gone!!!”

“Hey, why hasn’t that guy shown up yet? He’s already late!”

“Damn it, my stomach suddenly—ugh!”

“I can guide you!!! I’ll take you to your desired location in the city for just fifty gold coins! What, too expensive? Then you’ll have to find your own way!”

………

“No matter how you look at it, isn’t this a bit too much chaos?”

“It’s like even dogs are losing their composure. Look over there.”

Following Ligret’s gaze, I saw a dog desperately darting around, trying to avoid being trampled by the throngs of people.

The level of difficulty rivals that of a shooting game!

I reached out to the little creature as a test, and it swooshed toward me, snuggling into my embrace—

—only to immediately begin rubbing against Ligret’s leg and acting cute.

“Hey, buddy.”

“Seems even dogs can differentiate between greedy fools.”

“Seriously, how can it not recognize a human weapon that looks like a girl? Its sense of smell is definitely low!”

“What are you talking about? It knows the other is dangerous, which is why it’s crawling around like that. Look, it’s calm even when lifted.”

“If you say that, I have nothing to respond with.”

I looked at the dog that remained still in Ligret’s arms like a doll. Is it even breathing?

Right now, Ligret and I were in Armatia, the third-largest city in the Spero Kingdom, where my branch of the Midas Guild was located.

With no restrictions on status, no background checks, and a ridiculously simple entry requirement of submitting a small participation fee for those aged 15 to 30, an overwhelming crowd from across the continent had come pouring in. One of the preliminary examination sites set up across the continent was right here.

With the influx of people, the guild’s profits would naturally increase, which meant more gold coins in my pocket — a good situation overall.

That said…

“Why hasn’t that girl arrived yet?”

Theo Midas’s younger sister. In other words, she’s the girl who is basically my half-sister and she was still nowhere to be seen, despite our promise to meet in front of the examination venue.
“Maybe she got lost?”

“I shouldn’t even be saying that; she’s not a child, but with this population density, it’s entirely possible.”

Not having a phone is inconvenient during times like this. The price of a portable communication magic tool isn’t a big deal for me, but it needs to be registered with another device to use, so it’s not something you can just use freely.

Just as I was contemplating whether to contact Theo Midas, I heard a different kind of commotion in my ear.

At the center of the ruckus stood a girl.

Her slightly bluish silvery hair, adorned with ribbons, flowed long past her waist, and her outfit, featuring a white base accentuated by black belts and cuffs, presented a neat impression from the front. However, upon closer inspection, one could see that the shoulders and back were rather revealing, sporting quite a daring design.

Her bare forearms and feminine figure contrasted with her grinning face, which exuded an oddly innocent vibe, reminiscent of a flower bud yet to bloom.

“Oh, what a beauty.”

It was understandable that people nearby would be stealing glances.

In fact, if we were to judge by looks alone, Ligret wouldn’t fall behind either, but this one hardly makes an effort to dress up in the first place. It seems her experience as a mercenary made her shy away from presenting a feminine appearance, as it could lead to trouble, and she still prefers practical clothing.

Noticing the gazes directed at her, the silvery-haired girl was looking around as if searching for something.

It felt like she was looking for someone…

… Huh?

“Isn’t that her? The one you said is your sister?”

“To be precise, she’s my half-sister. But yeah, that looks like her.”

Unlike Theo, who had ordinary blonde hair, this girl had a bluish-silver mane, yet her cheerfully smiling face bore a strong resemblance to him.

Her outfit seemed a bit overly bold for an apprentice priestess, but there’s no rule saying a religious person must only wear modest clothing.

“Now that I think of it, she said she entered the temple not purely for faith but to learn how to use magical powers.”

What should I even call this? A fashion priestess?

Just when I began pondering, she seemed to have spotted Ligret and me, making her way over directly.

“Excuse me, are you Mr. Chrome Midas and Ms. Ligret?”

As I nodded, the girl bowed gracefully, her face blooming with a bright smile.

“I’m Fiore Midas. Nice to meet you!”

<><><>

After receiving our waiting numbers for the exam venue, Ligret and I started chatting with Fiore.

“I’m sorry for being late. I got stuck in this silly play that I had to watch, which took a while to get out of.”

“A silly play?”

When Ligret questioned, Fiore nodded eagerly.

“Three men who looked like they’d been living life half-heartedly were making crude remarks and crowding around. Just when I tried to ignore them and walk past, they blocked my way.”

“Oh, I see. And then?”

“Then suddenly, a grossly flamboyant blonde guy showed up, chased the ruffians away, and asked if I was alright.”

“A grossly flamboyant blonde? Like Chrome?”

“Wow, you’re definitely poking fun at me while I’m just sitting here.”

When I lamented my plight due to Ligret’s remark, Fiore shook her head.

“Same blonde hair, but he was full of unnecessary decoration, with a complete lack of restraint—a crown that looked obnoxious—while Mr. Chrome has a lighter, oh, let’s say, kind of a gold leaf vibe, so it’s a bit different.”
“Am I really getting some support here?”

“Anyway, it was so obvious that they were exchanging looks with the thugs, I figured it was all staged. So, I told them.”

Fiore paused for a moment, her smile wide yet tinged with an icy undertone, as if she was about to reenact the moment.

“‘Thank you, self-proclaimed knight on a white horse whose name I don’t even know and frankly don’t care to remember. It seems you have a flair for theatrics, and if you ever decide to star in a comedy, I’ll make sure to attend.’ After hearing that, he just froze like a stone, and I slipped away.”

A brief silence ensued before Ligret turned to me, curiosity in her eyes.

“Does your family have some sort of ingredient in their blood that turns them all into oddballs?”

“…Different.”

I couldn’t answer directly. Thinking of Vern Midas gave me a nagging feeling that there might be some truth to that.

Honestly, am I not relatively normal for my situation?

“Oh, speaking of which, we should sort out our titles. Is it okay if I call you Brother Chrome?”

At Fiore’s words, I hesitated for a moment before responding.

“It’s fine, but I don’t really intend to hide the Midas name, so it might cause you some trouble.”

“I don’t mind. Same goes for me, really.”

Fiore replied without missing a beat.

“It’s better to show my strengths outright than to hide them awkwardly and be treated as a weakness from the start. I think that’s a wise choice.”

Hmm, I can definitely see why she’s Theo’s half-sister.

“By the way, why do you want to go to the academy? Given that you’ve already entered the temple to learn how to use magic, it seems like you were pretty well-prepared.”

“Because it seemed fun!”

Fiore’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.

“The emperor, who sent shivers down the continent and was revered as a god by his people, created an educational institution for his last great task. There’s no way it can be an ordinary place!”

With the knowledge of its true nature, I couldn’t help but smile wryly at her enthusiasm.

While it’s anything but an ordinary place, it’s definitely not a level that can be brushed off like that.

I asked, “But it was built by a legendary hero known for his wars, so isn’t it going to be more bizarre than what ordinary people can imagine? It could very well be dangerous. I know, I know, it’s the cliché line about life being at risk, but are you really okay with that?”

“Even if it looks like this on the outside, I have my own skills, you know?”

As she clapped her hands together, a sharp crack! echoed, a sound characteristic of magical power bursting forth. The spontaneous release of her magic was clear evidence of her considerable skill in magic manipulation.

“And with my reliable brother and strong guard by my side, I don’t think there’ll be any real issues.”

Her cheeky response made me chuckle.

I wasn’t quite sure how sincere it was, but it was definitely clear she was an entertaining half-sister.

“-Numbers 270 to 279! The ten summoned, please head inside the corridor!”

Alright then, let’s show the results of these past two years.

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