OP Sister Chapter 523: Paranoid

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“The Heavenly Empress taught me many things. She said I was ideal for inheriting her abilities,” Anna explained vaguely. “I met her in that trial I told you about… yeah.”

She didn’t want to reveal that she had spent months in another world. It would be far too absurd. This was likely the limit of what they could already handle.

If her brother knew that Anna was teleporting to random worlds constantly, he would undoubtedly try to do something to ensure her safety.

She had considered, though, telling him about her System and everything, but it would raise too many questions, especially about her “knowledge” and “foresight.”

Telling her brother, the protagonist, that she was a reader or something similar was too outrageous to even consider.

Anna wasn’t foolish. She wouldn’t reveal everything to him. She planned to share only fragments, gradually, to avoid seeming strange or abrupt.

She had confided her secrets to her adoptive parents and her brother back in Bestia because they were entirely detached from the novel’s original story.

She was certain they wouldn’t be negatively affected, and unlike with her brother here, there was no risk.

However, this world, this universe, was unpredictable. With an entity like the “Author” overseeing everything, altering events at will, Void Rulers and Constellations observing her, and more, she couldn’t risk it.

Thus, Anna had accepted that she might never share these truths with others, and such secrets would likely remain with her until her death…

The most obvious were her identities as a Reader and a Reincarnator, of course.

Another was possessing a System, as its existence was peculiar since her brother was the only one in the novel’s entire universe to have one, created by Fenrir.

If Fenrir realized someone else had co-opted his creation, it would be too bizarre and could trigger unpredictable events Anna didn’t want to be involved in.

Indeed, she wasn’t withholding these truths out of foolishness or lack of trust in her brother or friends. She simply didn’t want to escalate the chaos.

…And she was also a bit paranoid.

“So this is what you had here… Amazing, Anna! The Constellations have truly made you their golden girl, haha,” Henrietta laughed. “So many gifts… I hope they don’t expect too much from you.”

“Me neither, but I’ve become oddly popular with them! I can’t help it,” Anna shrugged.

“Hmm, I don’t like that too much,” Jack said, crossing his arms. “I truly hope they don’t have ulterior motives… Or I’ll have to stop them myself.”

“C-Calm down a bit… I brought you all here to relax,” Anna sighed. “Alright then! There are many baths on the second floor, so you can take a shower if you want! I’ll show you the place.”

Anna divided her Aura into several Egos, guiding those who wanted to use the baths while heading to the kitchen with her brother.

“We should cook the dragon meat we got here,” she said. “I bet it’ll be delicious if we prepare something special!”

“Hmm…” Jack nodded. “I guess…”

“What’s wrong?” Anna asked. “You’re acting strange…”

“Am I? I’m just worried, that’s all,” Jack said. “It’s just… not normal. The Constellations have never shown such favor to one person before. I fear they’ve planned something for you. They want to use you… Anna, don’t accept all their gifts, okay?”

“Brother…” Anna sighed, rolling her eyes. “Will you stop already? I’m grown up, and I’m strong. I know what I’m doing. I may be playing with fire, but I also know there are Constellations I can truly trust and that—”

“No! You cannot trust any of them, none,” he said angrily. “Anna, open your eyes! This entire Apocalypse, these monsters we face every day… you’ve grown desensitized to it, but I haven’t. I’m reminded daily that this is all their fault. It’s all a game for them. They’re not your friends. They’re bastards who only want to see us suffer.”

“Wait, what?! That’s not… true… there’s… Well, okay, there might be quite a few who are that way, but not all of them!” Anna said. “And you’re literally with Fenrir right now. You know their circumstances aren’t all the same, right? Some genuinely want to do good things… or help others. They care about humanity and want to aid us. Some try to manipulate us, but I use those and manipulate them back. And… maybe you don’t know, or maybe Fenrir hasn’t told you, but they told me. The vast majority of Constellations are victims, survivors of Apocalypses, just like us. They may be stronger and higher in the hierarchy, but… they’re also players in this game. At the end of the day, we’re all in this together…”

“…” Jack remained silent, thinking deeply. “Ah, well… whatever. Sorry for yelling at you. Let’s just not discuss this. It’s not the time for that.”

“Damn right! Let’s make some juicy dragon steak to cheer you up, alright?” Anna patted his shoulders. “Look, I know you’re worried about me, and I know… because you love me, and I love you too. So I understand how much you worry… so please, just trust me. In the future, when we move past all the apocalypses… we’ll enter a whole new stage, and the bonds we’ve forged with these Constellations will be what helps us the most.”

“Anna…” Jack sighed. “Okay… Fenrir, you never told me any of this. Why?”

“Uuuhhh… Well, I forgot?” the dog wondered, eating a piece of dragon bone, only for Jack to nearly strangle him with his own chains. “ACK! S-STOP! THIS IS ANIMAL ABUSE!”

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New Illustrarion Progress: