TAMWSFB 27

Chapter 27 

 Same Fan (同担)

In this world, spirits are considered legendary beings—no one really knows whether they exist or not, but they are regarded as mysterious, divine messengers of the gods.

There are even legends of spirits helping heroes during the Demon King subjugations of old, so the Church recognizes them as “beings of good.”

“As proof of that,”

my older brother said meaningfully, glancing toward the cardinal.

That mischievous look on my brother’s face—it’s rare, and honestly, kind of precious.

I should save this memory carefully in the photo album of my heart.

“The only ones present in our household are myself, acting as proxy for our bedridden father, and my young sister.
Even so, Your Eminence forced your way into our home without notice, yet the gates still allowed you entry.
That must be because you are a servant of God.
The spirit, as a fellow messenger of the divine, likely could not bring itself to bar your way.”

What a sharp jab.

Still, no matter how high-ranking a Church official he is, showing up unannounced like that is just plain bad manners.

Then again, the Inquisition is basically a gathering of zealots. If they thought there was a witch nearby, they probably rushed here to contain her immediately.

Good thing the “enemy detection door” didn’t activate.

I still don’t know how exactly it determines friend from foe, but maybe it rejects anyone who harbors intent to harm our family.

The cardinal probably came here thinking that if I were a witch, he’d capture me—but since he hadn’t decided that from the start, the door let him through.

“It’s not as though I intend any harm to the young lady,” the cardinal said.

“And yet, placing a magic-sealing bracelet on a child with excess mana is no different from telling her to die, wouldn’t you agree?” my brother replied.

“If she is no witch, such a thing would never occur,” said the cardinal, narrowing his already thin eyes in what might have been a smile.

But… it didn’t feel like a smile at all. It was terrifying.

Without thinking, I gripped the sleeve of my brother’s coat.

He gave me a small nod, as if to say, It’s all right.

“If you doubt us so, why not take this charm back with you and study it?”

At those words, the cardinal’s eyes widened.

In his brown irises, I could see the calm, composed reflection of my brother.

“You would lend this to me?”

My brother turned to the butler standing quietly behind him.

“Sebas,” he ordered.

Sebas stepped forward, removed the charm, and handed it to the cardinal.

“Please, take it.”

The cardinal accepted the charm and peeked inside the small pouch—only to freeze.

It bore the words ‘Enemies stay out’ written in kanji, which of course, he couldn’t read.

“What does this inscription mean…?”

The cardinal’s expression turned instantly wary, his sharp eyes locking onto us.

I had no idea what to say and instinctively looked up at my brother.

He answered for me, perfectly calm.

“She says she saw it in a dream.”

“A dream?”

“Yes.”

“But could that not be a demonic temptation?”

It is believed that some monsters, called succubi, can enter people’s dreams and deceive them.

Though, according to the Holy Sword, such monsters don’t actually exist.

In general, monsters only attack physically.

Well… dragons breathe fire, but I guess that counts as magic, right?

“No,” I said firmly. “God answered the prayers in my heart for my brother’s safety.”

That’s right.

The very reason I was reincarnated into this world was to ensure the happiness of Serios Rosenberg—my supreme beloved.

Since God must have had a hand in my reincarnation, it follows that one of the gods is also a fan of my brother.

In other words—we’re 同担 (dōtan), fellow fans supporting the same favorite!

I don’t know which god it is, but—

Let’s continue to cheer for Serios-oniisama’s happiness together, shall we? 💖