Siblings Reincarnate as Enemies

Chapter 17 – In which people question each other intentions

“I’m a bit surprised.”

Sangria said.

He stepped away from Vern for a moment when Crimo requested him to make a full report about the Magic Exchange yesterday.

It would probably be better to ask Vern about it, but Crimo seemed uncomfortable with the idea of his younger brother reporting to him.

Or maybe he was just uncomfortable around Vern in general.

“About what?”

“Lord Crimo didn’t question how Young Master Vern came up with all of it.”

“Master Sangria didn’t question that either.”

‘That’s because I’m not in position to ask, dammit!

Sangria was not only a family servant, he was also someone who was saved by Vern’s mother. Vern was a son of his savior.

He couldn’t blindly question him.

When and how Vern came up with such spells? Where did he learn how to exploit and manipulate the public like this? How can he execute everything so calmly when he had no experience with anything similar?

No matter what, Sangria couldn’t ask that.

But Crimo was different.

He was Vern’s older brother. A family and a lord.

He had every right to ask those questions.

Sangria conveyed all of that through his gaze.

Crimo finally sighed and simply said:

“Vern was always a genius. It’s not so strange for him.”

Crimo remembered that when he was twelve or thirteen, he was struggling with solving a quite hard spell formula problem.

While he was biting his nails, unknowingly to him, Vern approached him from somewhere.

Vern seemed to be interested in the problem Crimo was solving and asked what it was.

Crimo, who looked at Vern’s burning gaze, thought that maybe explaining the problem a bit to his baby brother would help him find the solution.

What he didn’t expect was that Vern, who listened to his explanation with seriousness which about four years old kid shouldn’t have and who asked a few additional questions, would tilt his head and say:

— So don’t you just need to put that wriggly octopus man here?

And then solve the problem for him.

From that day on, Crimo was convinced that his younger brother must be a genius born once in a century.

He was very surprised when he heard that Vern had problems with learning magic.

When he asked his mother, the previous Archmage, about it, she just said:

— Some people are just unlucky to be born with talent and power.

Her gaze was quite odd, and at that time Crimo couldn’t understand it…

“Haa… I suppose then I’ll have to suffer my suspiciousness alone…”

Sangria’s laments got Crimo out of his thoughts.

He smiled towards the man.

“You could just ask him. Maybe he will answer you.”

Sangria thought about it for a moment, but soon shook his head.

“I feel like it may be something he shouldn’t tell anyone, but I also feel that if I straight up ask him about those things, he may actually answer me.”

“... I thought you wanted to know?”

“I want to know! I’m dying here to know!” Sangria sighed. “But I also feel like I shouldn’t know. At least not now.”

Crimo nodded in understanding.

There were many things he wanted to know, but shouldn’t know.

He wasn’t sure if he was ready to risk finding out about those things.

*-*-*

Mimosa crossed her legs and looked down at Orche.

It’s been some time since she got to do it.

She was taller than him, so she would always tower over him, but that guy seemed to hate it so much every time they met for the last couple of years, he always prepared a higher chair for himself.

But today was an exception.

As neither of them expected to have a conversation today, no preparations were made.

They didn’t even bother pretending by setting up tea and refreshments.

The table between them was empty.

“Splendid show, I must say.”

Orche spit out first.

“Indeed, whoever was behind it, clearly has an excellent taste.”

Mimosa smiled as she replied, remembering the fantastic end-show to Orche’s meeting.

He squinted his eyes.

“You speak like you had no hand in it.”

“I didn't.”

“Really? Then who was supposed to orchestrate it, hmm?”

“You investigated. You tell me.”

He snarked.

“Yeah, I did, but all I heard was that it must be doing of Rubrun or Purplus.”

“You seem to believe that Rubrun and Purplus would never try to sabotage you.”

He just smiled at her, a clear mockery danced in his eyes.

Mimosa thought he looked like a monkey. Very annoying looking monkey.

But she wasn’t surprised by his words.

“It seems that you trust your red and purple friends a lot. But didn’t these pretty flowers have traces of magic?”

“Are you trying to say that my friends have second thoughts about my friendship? Don’t bother. I know them well.”

Then his smile widened.

Mimosa heard somewhere that he can capture the hearts of any lady he meets with that smile, but looking at it now, she thought those ladies must have just discovered they have a hobby of punching out teeth and there was such a nice target in front of them.

“Besides…” Orche continued “Aren’t there always people who misuse magic? For example witches, like your mother.”

Really, a nice target to punch. With teeth, heart and guts…

“Thanks for the reminder.”

She also twisted her lips into something resembling a smile.

Then she said:

“But that also reminds me. I have a question for you.”

“Do ask my oooh so dear sister.”

“Orche, are you trying to start a war?”

Dancing monkey smile.

She ignored it and continued:

“Our father became a hero because he ended a war. Are you, his first child and only son, planning to go down in history as the one who started a new one?”

“Haha, isn’t history written by victors. All I have to do is to win. Think about it, even Great Saffaron has no records of starting any war until her unfortunate demise. If she had won, we would probably hear how Vermillian and Amaranth spread terror and death in the land and how with a heavy heart Saffaron cut down her brothers, to bring peace to the land and its people.”

“... Don’t use Her Majesty Saffaron as justification for your fucked up philosophy.”

“Oh may, did I smear on your idol? Too bad.”

She decided there is nothing to gain here, so she got to the last topic.

“I’ll be staying in the mansion for now.”

“And why would you do that?”

For the first time his expression showed clear disgust.

He didn’t expect that.

“Father's state is getting worse day by day. Besides, Saffra also looks worse than the last time I saw her.”

She threw an accusatory glance at the shitty monkey.

“So I’m staying.”

“I see… Yes, of course, you and your baby sister.”

He quickly pulled himself together and smiled again:

“That’s quite good actually.”

“...?”

“You see, the Archmage’s younger brother will have a coming of age ceremony within a month. A delegation from Flavun is expected to come to ‘maintain friendly relationships’.”

“Is there a problem?”

“Not really, it was just that I was also invited to this ceremony by my friends, so I was wondering which invitation I should accept. The current Archmage or my friends?”

Mimosa frowned.

She smelled something rotten cooking, but she didn’t have any idea what it was.

Besides, why was Orche telling her about it?

*-*-*

In the infirmary of the Universe Temple.

An attendant who lost his name opened his eyes.

“Old man, you’re awake!”

There was an attendant who looked to be a few years younger than him at his side.

“I told you not to call me old man.”

The older attendant frowned as he slowly got up.

His body felt suspiciously fine.

The younger man just happily chattered at his side, without any worries.

“It’s fine! I checked if anyone is watching or listening to us, just like you taught me.”

“You should still be careful, there are many mysteries in this world. My methods may not work on all of them.”

“Yes, yes.”

The older man had an urge to nag that kid a little, but he first checked his body.

The wounds, which he thought would take a long time to heal, were completely gone.

There was no pain or fatigue even, it just felt as if he woke up from a good sleep.

“How much time has passed?”

‘Did I sleep for months or years? No, this kid looks just like I remember him so it couldn’t be that long…’

When the attendant question the reality of this situation, the younger man said with a chuckle:

“It’s been a day. His Excellency came and healed you.”

‘His Excellency did what…?’

Now the older attendant really questioned the reality of this situation.