I'm home.
Oh, welcome back, big brother!


　My house is about an hour's walk away from the institute. Well, I'm running back to my house by running on the roof, so I can arrive home in about 15 minutes. Alchemy is really useful. Well, if Fee finds out how to use it, it's a big deal, but there's no slack in it. It's safe to say that I've done a good job of hiding the magic formula and blocking any signs of it.


''So, why did you get called to the academy?''
It's about your career.
Again?　Are you sure you want to be a farmer?　Your father, of course, and everyone else is telling you to stop?
"...Lise, I've decided to teach part-time at the Academy.
'Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!　


　My sister, Liese Willis. She is in the midst of puberty and yet she is strangely attracted to me. Her brown hair is cropped, semi-long and very pretty. Lately, I've been getting a lot of calls from boys at school, and if I mention my name, they run away in fear. Huh, I won't let anyone mess with my sister. Come back to me when you're over me.


　Well, with that thought in mind, I head to the living room.

　By the way, this house is all renovated and rebuilt with my alchemy. It was made possible because it's so far from the capital of the kingdom...but I'll tell you about that some other day.

　It has three floors and a basement. The basement is now my alchemy workshop, and the rest is used by my family as they wish.


　And when I go to the living room, I find my dad, my mom, my sister Marie, and my sister Liese there.


''Well Elle, are you really going to be an instructor at the academy?''
Dad I'll do it. It sounds like Fee's guy is having a hard time too. But my 'World's Best Farmer Project' might be delayed a bit...
"No, I don't care about that kind of nonsense.......you finally have the awareness of being a blue star class [Bluestella].......
No, it's not. My dream is to create the greatest agricultural crop of all time and astound the world. That's right!　You'll see my walking corn again later!　And then everyone would understand...?


　There's something strangely dark about the atmosphere. What's going on?


"Elle I don't mean to be abrupt, but you're graduating now. I was actually going to tell you when you came of age, but today it looks like your career path is firmly set and I have something important to tell you.
Yeah, okay.


　The dining room table in the living room is lined with me, my dad, my mom, my sister and my sister. The only time we're all together is when we're eating or at a family meeting.


"Actually, Elle you're not my son....
"...hmm?　What?
You're not your mother's son. You're not your father's son.
'Hey, hey, hey, hey, wait!　That's why my dad didn't want me to take over the farm!　Because I don't have any legitimate farmer's blood in my veins!


　That's ridiculous!　You mean to tell me I'm not descended from the venerable Willis family of farmers?　Then who am I...!


'Calm down, Elle. You were actually taken in from the orphanage because you were never born a boy. You were only two years old, so I don't think you'll remember...
I'm sorry, Elle. But you're still our family...


　My mother says that after my father.

　Wait. What was my pride?


Hey, Elle. You really didn't notice?
What's the matter with you, Sister Marie? What's the matter with you, big sister?
You're the only one with different hair color.
"...What?　It's some kind of a segregation gene or something....
My family's always had brown hair. My father's family and my mother's family and your hair is not platinum. It's much lighter in color...



　Marie's sister is right, everyone in the family has brown hair. My mom and sister have long brown hair. My sister, Liese, has semi-long brown hair. My father has short brown hair, and I have platinum brown hair. My dad has short brown hair, and I have platinum hair. I've been wearing my hair in a ponytail lately, but I was often praised at the academy as well. I've been told that I have very beautiful platinum hair. But I didn't know that this was such a reason... oh my God... I'm not a farmer's blood, I'm not a farmer's blood... the "World's Best Farmer Project" was completed. Can you do that?


''Brother, I know you're depressed but we're not nobles, blood doesn't matter to farmers. Besides, we're family even if we're not related by blood!　Family is not blood. It's a heart connection!
'Lise you were an angel after all....


　I am sobbing. If it were true, I wouldn't complain even if I was branded a failure as a farmer and exiled from this house. A farmer's blood is such a noble thing.

　But everyone in my family, including Liese, is looking at me warmly.


"Am I family...?　I'm not a farmer's blood, but I don't know if I can stay in this house.
You're the only one who thinks so highly of farmers. I wish I could be an alchemist like you. Besides Liese is right, we are family. We all recognize that.
Sis, guys...


　I'd like to sing a song of joy. I wasn't born into a farming family. But my family accepts me.

　But it was that fact that made me decide to move forward with my plan.


"Dad, I'm going out on my own...
'Hey, it's not that sudden you can't stay in this house forever, can you?　You're my son. You're family. You can't just leave because you're not related to me by blood like that...
'No, I've decided this before. I'm going to start my own business and share my produce with the world. I've decided to teach part-time at the institute on the side. I'm moving out of my house. I've already rented an apartment near the academy. Fee's guy got me a great deal on a cheap rental for teachers at the institute and I've been thinking about going out on my own for a long time now. I'm sorry I'm late to tell you...


　I wiped my tears away and told him about my future plans.

　That's right. I may not be a legitimate farmer's blood, but I'm a farmer. Then what I will do is the same.


I see. I get it. You're already a Blue Star class alchemist, so I have nothing to say to you. But if you have any problems, come back to me anytime. Everyone is waiting for you!
Thank you Dad!　Everyone!


　And I was crying big time again.


　§ § §


　After the world-shaking incident (that I wasn't a farmer's blood relative), I was in my room.


　I guess I'll have to say goodbye to this room. I'm in that atmosphere when there's a knock at my door.


...Is this your sister?
I'm coming in.
Yeah?


　It's a good thing that you're able to get a good idea of what you're looking for. In fact, she is a student of the academy. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to get a ticket to the academy after a tremendous amount of effort. I really respect Marie's sister.


I'm not going to be able to tell you what to do, but I'm not going to be able to tell you what to do.
Well I guess I'll have to ask Fee about that one.
Oh, yeah. But you got in at the same time as me and I can't believe you're graduating...
'Sis ... about that ...'
That's okay. I've gotten used to your substandard talent.


　By the way, my sister is a bronze grade alchemist. And from what she said earlier, I was enrolled at the same time as her sister.


　My sister is currently 18 years old. I'm 16 and my sister Liese is 13.

　And me and my sister entered the academy at the same time two years ago. There is no definite limit to entering the Alchemy Academy, but the standard age is 16 at the earliest. That said, my sister is an excellent student.

　But I was the youngest person ever to be accepted, and even more so, I finished the graduation process, which takes at least five years, in just two years.

　I feel a little bit of a pullback in my sister. There were some hard days comparing herself to me, but she continues to study without saying anything to me.


'....Hey, are you really going to sell your crops to the world?
You know.　He said I'm learning alchemy for it.
I know, but I didn't really feel... well, go for it!　My dad and mom are against it, but I'm okay with having an alchemist like that.
Thank you, sister.
Well, good luck with that.
'Oh...'


　And so my sister left.

　But in the next moment, there was another knock at the door.


'Lise?'
'Hehehe!　I'm next in line after your sister!
Lise is looking lovely today.
Right?　Hmmm!


　And as soon as Riese came into the room, she handed me something. This is..............an apple!


You, the apple, no way.
Hehehe. You should try it, mister.

　I take a gulp and try to eat it in one sitting. And at that moment, along with the mellow aroma, the flavor of the grapes spreads in my mouth... well, it's finally done!


How's that?　Big brother.
"...gobbledygook. These apples are perfect. They definitely taste like grapes!
'Yes!　It's a success!　Big brother!
'Yeah, you did it!　Riese!


　We embrace and we both share in the joy.

　Lise is as obsessed with crops as I am, and I've been teaching myself the alchemy of breeding for the past few years.


　We share, and I'm the vegetable. Liese is in charge of the fruit.

　If we can commercialize my crops and Liese's 'It looks like an apple, but it's actually a grape', there's no doubt... a revolution in the farmer's industry will happen...!


Hey, big brother. You're going to live by yourself, right?　Can I go to your house?
Of course. Liese and I are all about the same thing. One of these days, we'll connect Liese's room to my new room, space by space. We'll be in and out of each other's rooms in no time.
'Yes!　I love you, big brother!

　Then Lise hugs me again.

　That's right. I learned alchemy for situations like this. To use it conveniently. But Fee told me not to tell him about the alchemy of space transfer. But, well, it's an alchemy that only Liese and I can use, so it's fine. Even if we use it........!


So, about that next piece of fruit...
'Hmmm. Then that technique...]


　We would argue until late into the night to work on our next topic.