Violet Evergarden

Even from his younger brother’s perspective, Dietfriet was very charismatic as he playfully smiled with his eyes closed. Although Dietfriet had a self-centered and bossy personality, he had some sort of quality that drew others to him. He was always surrounded and respected by many people, never bashful of it. As Gilbert was unable to love anyone due to being too stern, his elder brother had everything he lacked, to the point of making him infinitely envious as a fellow human being.

”That’s right, I brought something great for the party.” Dietfriet casually signaled with his hand to one of his friends close by.

Once he did so, the man brought in his arms a hemp sack taken from a different room.

”That’s the weapon I’ve been using lately but I’ll give it to you. With this, there’s no mistaking that you’ll keep getting even higher promotions.”

The sack was carelessly placed on the oval table between the two of them. Dietfriet smirked stiffly as Gilbert noticed something moving from within the sack and immediately got up from the couch, firmly gripping the sword plugged to his belt.

”It’s okay. It’s okay, Gil. Calm down. It’s nothing strange. No, maybe it is crazy. Haha. It may be a bit difficult to handle and dangerous, but it’s well-behaved when you don’t give it orders. But don’t think of doing anything weird… since its looks aren’t bad. As far as I know, eight people tried to sneak into its bed and had their necks ripped. Its rough temper is troublesome. It doesn’t serve as a comforter.”

”What’s inside?”

”Only… use it as a weapon. Don’t think of it as anything else. Don’t get attached to it. It’s a ’weapon’. All right?”

”I’m asking… what’s inside.”

”Try opening it.” Dietfriet’s words sounded like an invitation from a devil.

Gilbert and moved his hands to unravel the cord tightly tied around the hemp sack that had once twitched. The person inside looked like a mermaid princess for a moment as the hemp sack lay at her waistline.

”I haven’t named it. We just call it ’you’.”

’It’ was a girl. Her sooty-colored clothes were scraped rags made out of poor leather and fur. A choker that somewhat reeked of subordination was fastened around her neck. A smell that seemed like a mixture of rain, wild animals and blood wafted from her body. Everything that enveloped her was dirty. However, rather than her simply being a slightly muddy child that needed to be cleaned up…

——It’s unthinkable… that she is from this world.

…she was too beautiful.

Gilbert’s breathing halted at the girl’s figure. Her waist-long ashen hair shone brighter than any gold jewelry. On her face were too many scratches and grazes. Her blue eyes could be seen beneath the slits of her disarrayed locks.

Orbs that were not exactly the color of the sky nor the sea looked straight at Gilbert. The two stared at each other for a moment. Neither moved, as though time had frozen.

”Hey, give your greetings.” Dietfriet aggressively grabbed the girl’s head and forced her to bow down.

Upon seeing that, Gilbert quickly pushed away his brother’s hand and embraced the girl with his own two. She trembled in his arms.

”Don’t be violent with a child! Have you been trafficking people!?”

While hugging her as if to protect her, no matter how one looked at it, Gilbert was enraged. His face of pure anger with a vein protruding on his forehead silenced the blithe conversation of the other men in the room.

Amongst them, only Dietfriet remained collected and with a neutral expression. ”Don’t spout nonsense. I don’t need slaves. I do want warriors, though.”

”Then what is this girl?! What’s so amusing about offering me such a small infant?”

”Like I said… this isn’t a kid. It’s a ’weapon’. I just told you that, didn’t I? You’re some pretty distrusting younger brother.”

Gilbert observed the girl. Apparently, she was about ten years old. Her finely-adorned face gave off a slightly adult-like impression, but her youthfulness was delated by her petite shoulders and hands. Just what in her was a weapon? She was but a child that could easily fit within one’s arms.

Gilbert’s wrath subsided, gradually supplanted by sadness. Not letting go of the girl, he glared at his brother and stood up from his seat. ”I’m taking her with me. Calling this… little one a weapon… I… don’t want to see you ever again.”