Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

Sufi was happy that she could study together with her younger sister, and Alice was happy that she could share enjoyable time with her older sister.

Sufi taught her younger sister what she had just learned, and Alice, admiring her older sister, learned alchemy together with her. For the two of them, it was a fun time—something that could be called happiness.

However, that peaceful time between sisters did not last long.

During practice to enact Forging, a fundamental spell of alchemy—despite Sufi struggling with the assignment from Wasel, Alice, who had been given the same task, solved it in just a few minutes.

That was the first time she beat her older sister. While Alice innocently rejoiced and boasted about it as she lost in her own joy, Sufi had wanted to congratulate her, praise her for it, and yet she found the words stuck in her throat.

This became the turning point.

Her own sister, who she had always recognized as “the one who can’t do anything,” had somehow ablaze Sufi’s competitive nature. Triggered by that first defeat, Sufi’s talent bloomed greatly.

Seeing her same-aged younger sister as a rival, Sufi spent her days honing her abilities through mutual competition. She threw herself into lessons, and everything she learned began to click one after another.

By the time Sufi cleared the next assignment, much faster than anyone her age could even hope to do, Alice was already three steps ahead.

Desperate to catch up, she tackled the next task and cleared it at an astonishing speed.

And Alice was already ten steps ahead of Sufi.

Determined not to lose, Sufi absorbed knowledge at a furious pace and devoted herself to practice, completing the next task immediately.

And by then, Alice was already somewhere beyond sight.

She was solving assignments in a domain that Sufi at the time could no longer even comprehend. Things she couldn’t even find a foothold to engage with, Alice handled as if kneading clay, all the while complaining how difficult they were.

Even so, Sufi chased after her—at a growth rate that made even Wasel shudder.

She brought all the foundational techniques she had learned up to the passing standard of Tier 1. Just over half a year after beginning her study, at the age of five, this was a historic achievement.

And standing beside her, Alice had already become a practitioner in basic techniques comparable to Wasel himself.

The essence of an alchemist is a researcher; no matter how important, an alchemist’s “ability” is not determined solely by their basic techniques.

Even so, the level of foundational skill greatly contributes to an alchemist’s research. There is no doubt it is one way to measure one’s skill as an alchemist.

Alice would turn around and get confused how Sufi could still be stumbling at the starting point. And, for the sake of the sister she loved, she tried earnestly to teach her how to do it.

So innocently, so mercilessly.

If an adult Sufi were to look back on this moment, she would likely describe what she felt then like this:

*“For the first time in my life, I almost began to hate my little sister.”*

What was born in her small chest was too thin to be called hatred, too faint to be called anger—a restless stirring. Her first crushing setback, childish jealousy and humiliation.

Each time she learned alchemy alongside her sister, that unrest grew stronger.

Ironically, it’s Sufi’s own rare aptitude that allowed her to perceive the extent of her sister’s unimaginable talent.

*“As long as I continue down this path, I will eventually not even be able to chase her shadow.”*

Her pride as a young genius could not accept her losing to a sister she had seen as a failure. Sufi was not mature enough to accept the fact that, no matter how much effort she put in, she would never win.

Each time she looked at her sister, that unpleasant stirring in her chest grew.

The only person in the world who shared her race, born on the same day, of the same blood, the same age.

A girl who could barely live without someone’s help, whose interests were extreme, an “airheaded girl with no sense of tact,” a spoiled and lonely, but adorable, little sister.

Above all, her beloved other half.

Sufi could not endure the growing feeling of aversion toward her sister within herself.

Just before their sixth “birthday,” Sufi decided to quit alchemy.

Even when Alice worried about her and invited her to continue together, she refused to learn alchemy. Seeing her sister’s lonely expression pained her, but she hardened her heart and followed the instinct that this was what she should do.

When Sufi told him she didn’t want to learn alchemy anymore, Wasel neither grew angry nor saddened—he simply said one thing:

*“What a terribly cruel thing I’ve done to you, Sufi…”*

What the seasoned alchemist spoke to his final candidate for a disciple was a confession. Though he had never intended it, he had caused the close twin sisters… to crush each other’s extraordinary talents.

Without any lingering regrets, from that day on, Sufi completely abandoned alchemy.

For the first time that day, Sufi was able to acknowledge Alice. She was finally able to say that her little sister had incredible talent.

She hugged her, nuzzled her nose to her forehead, stroked her head over and over, and praised her with all her heart—“Alice is amazing.”

Before she knew it, the unrest and the unbearable pain she felt whenever she looked at her sister had disappeared.

From that day to this one, Sufi has never taken an interest in alchemy. Even if she uses her knowledge to help her sister, like today, she will never learn alchemy again.

Her sister’s shadow is looming down that path. No matter how fast she runs, she can never close the distance—and at the end of chasing that shadow lies a misfortune beyond words… the young genius had long since understood that.

■■■■■

“Maybe I should try learning alchemy from Alice, nya. Maybe I’ll show my talent and surpass her right away, nya.”
“No way. Alice is amazing.”
“You won’t know unless you try, nya!”
“I do know! Alice is amazing!”
“Both of you, calm down.”

Noche, who was considering learning alchemy from Alice, was bluntly shut down by Sufi.

Sufi’s true meaning—that surpassing Alice was impossible, not that learning alchemy itself was—couldn’t be read from her limited vocabulary, shaped by short exchanges with her sister.

“Alice is amazing!”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it, nya.”
“You really love your little sister, huh.”

Nick and the others who heard the shouting, and even Noche who was rebutted, watched Sufi’s words gently as nothing more than bragging about her sister.

It couldn’t be helped. To those who didn’t know, Alice only looked like an unusually frail, absent-minded little girl. And so, as always, Sufi insisted on how amazing her weak little sister was.

But that simple truth was not easily conveyed.