I’m the Slit-Eyed Character at the Academy, but I’m not the Mastermind – Chapter 432

[Crossroads event occurred! Please choose one of the two.]

[1. Persuade Lowell and help her reconcile with Rodelin (Current Success Rate 65%)]

[2. Follow Lowell’s will]

Right on cue, a system window popped up.

A Crossroads event—one of the game’s usual tricks.

The catch with these was simple: the story freezes until you pick one of the options.

Meaning no weaseling out, no improv, no running like I usually do.

‘For a game that brags about freedom, it sure loves slamming doors in your face. Crossroads are always like that.’

And for the record, this particular Crossroads was new to me.

‘Given the duel with the Dark Beast Squad, and that absurd favorability spike as a quest reward… yeah, an event like this tracks.’

Still, the options were a pain.

What’s so hard about choosing whether to reconcile them?

‘Because I’ve never taken this route.’

Lowell was supposed to die within six months.

And until then, the player wouldn’t even see her again.

Picking option 1—“Reconcile”—would almost certainly rewrite that future.

‘No. Not “almost.” It’s basically guaranteed.’

That’s how this game works.

Sisters making up? Fine. The story I know getting bulldozed? Not fine.

Not fine to the point of being spectacularly, catastrophically, swear-jar-filling bad.

‘I’ve already thrown the timeline off a dozen times. And now I’m supposed to flip a main character’s fate too?’

Too risky. Any sane player would pick option 2, [Follow Lowell’s will].

“…”

I glanced up at Rodelin, posted on top of the rock.

Was it because this was the first mission she had with her sister? Or just worried about the one limping below?

Either way, she kept sneaking looks over here, cheeks red.

‘She can’t even admit she cares. Not out loud.’

It was sad, but reconciling them still wasn’t the smart call.

So I told myself that.

“No anomalies during watch!”

Call it a tiny present for that rigid, stubborn kid.

I made my choice with a look.

And where my eyes landed was—

Option 1. [Persuade Lowell and help her reconcile with Rodelin].

“I seriously don’t know who she got that stubborn streak from.”

“Keke, who do you think? She’s your spitting image, Lady Lowell.”

“…What?”

“You’re stubborn too, Lady Lowell. So why are you acting like reconciling is some impossible quest?”

Lowell’s eyes sharpened—pressure rolling off her like a warning banner. Yep, Mad Lion, alright.

Still, I wasn’t backing off.

‘Success rate’s 65%, anyway.’

Not high enough to be a lock.

So screw it. Let’s dive in.

“Think about it. She pulled off Sky Splitter at that age. How much effort do you think went into that?”

“Effort, my foot… She’s just talented. My Delin’s a genius.”

“A move even Lady Lucia—one of history’s biggest prodigies—barely managed at eighteen?”

“…”

Lowell clamped her mouth shut.

Yeah. Rodelin’s [Sky Splitter] came from work, not talent.

Work fueled by pure stubborn will—wanting a chance to protect her family too.

And—

“It’s her first step toward earning your approval, and chasing the same dream.”

Lowell’s glare eased a little.

The same dream.

She probably never imagined Rodelin would cling to some throwaway childhood promise.

“Still… still, I can’t. I can’t let her fall into this abyss too.”

“Who said anything about pushing her into an abyss?”

“You are, right now!!”

“I’m not. I’m saying give her one damn compliment.”

“A compliment…?”

“Yeah. How hard is it to praise her once?”

I slid closer and lowered my voice.

“Think it through. If you two patch things up, convincing her gets way easier.”

“I-is that so?”

“Obviously. People lean toward warmth, not a boot to the face. You’ve only shoved her away. Start pulling her in, and she’ll follow your lead.”

“Hmm… That does make sense.”

“You could even go full fan mode. Talk through the crystal ball every day, ask for photos, the whole deal…”

“Ugh, hmm…!”

Was she picturing Rodelin in some questionable scenarios? Lowell’s mouth twitched upward.

While she was distracted, our eyes met—way too close.

She threw a punch on reflex, and I leaned back.

Whish!!

The air snapped right in front of my face.

“Oh, you dodged?”

“Keke, if that landed, I’d be a corpse.”

“I aimed to kill, so yes.”

“…?”

“Anyway, I’ll handle my business, so stay out of it!”

She barked it out. Her pushback was stronger than I expected.

Fine. Time for my specialty: truth wrapped in a lie.

“I can’t. Because I used to be you.”

“…What?”

“I tried to protect someone precious. Didn’t care what they wanted, didn’t even ask. And the result was…”

I let it hang. Just dipped my head and smiled bitterly.

Side profile into the void, bitter smile, dead-eyed stare.

Though, my eyes basically being slits, means you can’t see the pupils.

Anyway, she was filling in the blanks by now.

‘Nothing fuels imagination like a half-told tragedy.’

No need to spell out my past.

What she already knew was plenty.

The kid with slit eyes, demons, the Lester family, brains beyond his years, connections, all of it.

Her head was running a sad movie on autoplay.

Before the credits rolled, I stepped in and whispered.

“All you need is one step. One step, and you get what you want.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because you’re looking at someone who got wrecked for not taking it.”

Baron Kelven took the easy way out despite having the best territory around.

And me—apparently somebody who’d paid for cowardice in blood.

Come to think of it, this whole episode was about ‘Courage’.

So yeah.

“Be brave.”

Lowell flinched.

Mad Lion Lowell—the woman everyone calls fearless.

But in this, she was a massive coward.

A lion too scared to even talk to her sister.

“Can I… be forgiven?”

“Beats me.”

Because the success rate was only 65%.

Still.

“Even if it bombs this time, you’ll get another shot.”

And if not then, the time after.

They’re family. They love each other, whether they admit it or not.

Lowell hesitated, then finally moved.

Short, narrow steps that matched her height—but steady.

Straight toward Rodelin.

I had no clue if they’d reconcile.

And no clue what this choice meant for me.

“Keke, moments like this? You focus on what’s in front of you.”

I slipped away, dodging the looks from Alex, Pjol, Rodelin, and Lowell.

A moment later, I was standing over Baron Kelven’s corpse.

Alright, then.

“Time to collect, yeah?”

[Casting ‘Predation’.]

---

Rodelin kept watch from atop the rock.

Then she spotted a kid in uniform.

A girl groaning as she tried to climb.

She looked painfully familiar, and Rodelin shouted.

“It-it’s dangerous! With injuries like that, you’ll—”

“I’m not so weak I can’t climb a rock, you know?”

Except she couldn’t.

Normally she’d hop up in one jump, but the wound had to be worse than she thought. Her mana wasn’t listening.

Lowell hung on by her fingertips at the ledge.

Then she dropped her head.

“…Give me a hand or something.”

“Ah, ah! S-sorry!”

Rodelin lunged forward and grabbed her.

Lowell froze. Rodelin’s hand was shockingly rough.

‘Calluses?’

Yeah. Her palms were layered with thick calluses.

Even Lowell’s own hands, trained for years, weren’t like that. How long had Rodelin been swinging her sword?

‘Those soft little hands… turned to stone.’

Lowell’s throat tightened.

And it made her want to stop this even more. She didn’t want her sister walking a road like that.

“You’ve seen enough today. Give up on becoming a soldier.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

“Why?”

“I want to protect our family, but… it’s also our dream. Yours and mine.”

A dream and a promise they’d made as kids.

A dream Lowell herself had only just remembered.

‘So it’s still because of me. Idiot. I shoved my sister toward a grave and forgot the reason she followed. What kind of sister does that make me?’

Self-loathing could wait.

Breaking Rodelin’s dream came first.

“If that’s all it is, then drop it. Who keeps a childhood promise like that?”

“…”

“We were kids. We didn’t know about the contract binding the family… and we didn’t know Father would stake everything on you.”

Rodelin knew.

The day she became old enough to understand the contract, the day she realized Duke Luke had pinned his hopes on her—she chose her path.

But.

“I didn’t choose this because of that.”

The family’s suffering, the rule that only she could kill the Legion Commander.

And—

“That day, after I heard it all, I understood why you were chasing strength.”

Lowell had taken up the sword to protect Rodelin.

The second Rodelin heard that, she took up hers too and swore—to be stronger than anyone.

To protect her sister and her family.

“…I worked for it.”

Worked until her palms split and scabbed.

Worked until her legs gave out and she had to crawl through training.

People praised her. Recognized her.

She even received the lion cloak—proof of the family—earlier than anyone.

But.

“None of that matters to me.”

If Lowell didn’t acknowledge her, if they couldn’t share the same dream—then the effort meant nothing.

At first she thought she just wasn’t trying hard enough.

So she pushed harder, desperate for Lowell’s approval.

But she was only human. As time dragged on, exhaustion set in.

“It’s fine if you don’t acknowledge me. I’m walking this road either way.”

No approval. No old relationship.

As long as she could protect them—kill the 2nd Legion Commander—save her sister and family.

“I can throw this life away anytime.”

“Delin, you…!”

Lowell’s hand rose.

Rodelin squeezed her eyes shut, bracing.

Tears spilled down her cheeks.

Crying over words. Pathetic for a soldier.

Maybe she could pretend it was from the blow?

“…?”

She waited, confused.

No pain came. Instead, her head bobbed gently—almost soothing.

Rodelin opened her eyes, vision swimming with tears.

Through the blur, she saw it.

Lowell on tiptoes, patting her head.

Her sister. Lowell.

“You’ve been carrying all of this because of me.”

My beloved sister.

–TL Notes–
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