Siblings Reincarnate as Enemies

Chapter 74 — In which they bring light (7)

“That’s unexpected.”

“What’s the matter, Grandmaster Scarlen?”

“I thought about quite a few possible places which Young Master may want to visit on his first walk outside in… what was it… five years? But, well, the Fire Garden was quite unexpected.”

“It’s just the quietest and safest place I could think of, so Crimo wouldn’t be worried.”

“I see. Very considerate.”

Scarlen smiled like a devil as he crossed his hands behind his back and looked around, making sure there was no one around.

Currently, he and Vern left the Archmage’s manor and were heading towards the Fire Garden, taking a rarely used route to avoid drawing attention.

At first, it was Sangria, who should be accompanying Vern, but perhaps the stress of new family members was too much, the poor mage fell sick.

Therefore, under Crimo’s insistence, Scarlen was appointed as Vern’s today protector.

Vern didn’t mind that, as he had something to talk about with Scarlen. Preferably alone.

And Scarlen seemed to have the same idea.

“Still. I somehow came to expect the unexpected from Young Master.”

Vern didn’t say a word and just glanced at Scarlen, prompting him to continue.

“… Ah, you want me to continue? But there are so many unexpected things about Young Master… If I have to chose one…”

Scarlen made a face as if he was contemplating deeply what he should choose, and then suddenly smirked mischievously.

“I think the most unexpected thing was when Young Master used the art of our enemies.”

But his eyes weren’t mischievous at all. Only cold obsidian was shinning between his half-closed eyelids, as he glanced down at Vern, who was half a head shorter than him.

‘So you indeed noticed.’

Vern wasn’t surprised.

In the first place, he wasn’t hiding much when he caught a bird and used a simple ritual to connect with its spirit and watch the meeting with guild masters through its eyes.

First, he wanted to test if anyone among the guild masters would notice him.

Second, he wanted to see how Scarlen would react.

“Isn’t it a mage’s virtue to learn everything they can?”

“It’s also a mage’s virtue that all their knowledge is obtained by ethical and transparent means, Young Master.”

Vern smiled at that.

“I’m afraid that virtue was forgotten by this land a long time ago.”

Then they walked in silence for a moment, until Scarlen spoke up again:

“Can I ask what was the goal behind your little trick, Young Master?”

“I’m not a very sociable person. Nor I’m very good at picking up a conversation. I’m glad I could make Grandmaster Scarlen pick it up for me.”

“… I’m not sure if someone with low social skills would be able to come up with such a scheme.”

“Please believe me, Grandmaster Scarlen, my social skills are truly terrible. According to Master Sangria I can’t even lie properly.”

“I’m afraid then that Master Sangria’s sickness was much more serious and longer than we thought. If he thinks that someone who tricked the entire mage community is bad at lying.”

Vern responded with just a smile that Am sometimes showed when his dissuasion's partner made a comeback that was incorrect, but hard to deny.

It was a very polite smile.

Then he changed the topic.

“I have a question. Does Crimo know that Grandmaster Scarlen is a demon?”

For a split second, Scarlen’s smile dropped. His aura turned sharp, and his eyes shined with dark light… and then it all disappeared like a lie.

“Lesser Lord Mage Vern is asking some difficult questions.”

“I’m afraid you started it, Grandmaster Scarlen.”

“Weren’t you the one who invited me?”

Scarlen smirked and then shrugged.

“I believe he knows.”

“So you never talked about it?”

“Should we?”

“I’m not sure, but if it was me, I would like to know beforehand that my lover may turn crazy one day and try to turn the world into hell.”

When the word lover came out of Vern’s mouth, Scarlen stiffened.

Then he slowly said:

“… I won’t. As long as I stay by his side.”

He spoke very firmly.

Vern looked at him for a moment and then nodded.

‘I guess something happened before…’

As expected, Scarlen’s devotion to Crimo wasn’t simply out of love.

‘Well… that’s reassuring…’

Vern knew better than trust someone’s words simply because of their love.

As Vermillian he might have made an idiotic mistake, but his siblings didn’t make any.

‘… Yet none of them keep their word.’

So Vern was reassured if something else was keeping Scarlen at Crimo’s side besides love.

“How strange…”

He heard Scarlen, who was observing his expression, mumble.

“What?”

“No, nothing… Is it my turn to ask, Young Master?”

“Sure. If we’re taking turns.”

“How did Young Master remove that curse? Did you use spiritual arts for that too?”

This time it was Vern’s turn to raise a brow in surprise.

He thought that Scarlen may want to know how Vern was certain he was a demon.

Well, he wasn’t going to complain about the question that was much easier to answer.

“Yeah.”

“Huh, no wonder. My Lord once took me to have a look at Young Master…”

“I don’t remember that.”

“You were in such a bad state you weren’t even aware what was going on around you, Young Master. Because of that, I risked using some secret demon techniques as I was sure you wouldn’t remember that. But I only ended up making things worse and Master Sangria kicked me out, haha.”

Scarlen laughed. Though it was quite a dry laugh.

It didn’t seem like a pleasant memory.

“Well, regardless. From that experience I got the idea that this curse couldn’t be solved with magic, and even less with any demonic art. I thought we may need something of the opposite nature. My Lord agreed.”

“Seems like your spying in Purplus wasn’t just to investigate that old case.”

“It would be better to call it an excuse for spying, Young Master.”

Vern sighed.

“Grandmaster Scarlen, please make sure Crimo doesn’t cause a war for stupid reasons.”

“Uh-huh. For stupid reasons, can do.”

It wasn’t really a convincing reply, but Vern left it be.

“My turn then. Was Black Forest clan part of Repentance faction?”

“… Young Master, I didn’t think of asking you how you know so much about demons, but now I’m really tempted.”

“You can try asking when it’s your turn.”

Scarlen nodded and then… nodded again.

“Yeah. They were.”

“Does it mean that Grandmaster Scarlen’s clan is part of Rebellion faction?”

“…”

He didn’t answer and just pressed his lips into a thin line.

“Seems like it’s complicated.”

Vern nodded and didn’t press further.

A few minutes passed as they walked in silence.

Soon they found themselves in front of the Fire Garden.

Behind the arc made from pale yellow sandstone mixed with red granite, a white barrier shimmered.

Nothing could be seen through it.

‘It got stronger…’

The last time he saw it as Vermilian, the barrier was very faint, almost transparent.

Scarlen, who stood at his side, looked up and asked:

“Those words were said to be carved out by His Reverence Vermilian himself. What does Young Master think it was about?”

Vern followed Scarlen’s gaze.

At the top of the arc, a single phrase, a promise, was craved out.

[I’ll sing a wordless song until I learn words we can sing to each other.]

He dropped his gaze and looked at the barrier again.

“I have no idea. What does Grandmaster Scarlen think?”

Scarlen was silent for a moment and then quietly said:

“Perhaps even His Reverence didn’t know how to say it.”

“…”

Another leap of silence.

Finally, Vern opened his mouth.

“It seems that Grandmaster Scarlen is really bothered by how to say it, if he sees those words everywhere.”

Then he glanced at Scarlen with a smirk.

“Well, only members of Archmage’s family can enter the Fire Garden. As Grandmaster Scarlen isn’t one, I’m afraid I’ll have to make you wait here.”

Scarlen laughed and his devil-like smile returned.

“Please don’t worry, Young Master. I’ll use that time well to ponder on this problem. Perhaps the next time Young Master decides to visit this garden, I won’t have to wait outside.”

“Very well, I’ll watch out for that.”

Vern bowed and entered the garden, leaving behind the words that could be either a blessing or a curse.

*~*~*