Siblings Reincarnate as Enemies

Chapter 96 — In which they meet (10)

“There is really no people around… It’s almost creepy.”

Unlike her words, Tangeri looked around with sparkling eyes.

Apric walking beside her had a thoughtful expression.

“Lady Mimosa mentioned that Rubrun’s internal situation is quite tense. Perhaps Lord Archmage moved the stationary personnel for their safety, considering that something might happen.”

“All of the food we saw was something that doesn’t need to be served straight away and is okay to be prepared beforehand… At first, I thought that it was because fresh fruit and vegetables are hard to come by in Rubrun, but now that I think about it, there is no way that Lord Archmage would spare money for his younger brother’s coming of age ceremony.”

“Yes, lack of fresh dishes should be because non-essential personnel isn’t around for today.”

To confirm their guesses, they passed another completely silent scullery.

Usually, even if this place was only used for special occasions like today, someone would have to maintain this building, so numerous workers would live here, even if none of the guests visiting would ever see them.

The fact that servants’ quarters were completely empty meant that they had to be moved somewhere else for today.

Saffra’s three ladies-in-waiting appreciated it, as it meant they didn’t have to explain what they were doing.

But their appreciation wasn’t long.

“I think they entered the boiler room.”

“They’re not thinking of blowing up a boiler, right?”

“No way, that would kill the-….”

Apric, who was looking out through the gap in the door and observing the group of people looking eerily similar to Orche’s subordinates, paused.

If Young Lady Saffra’s guess was correct, those people weren’t real living creatures, but wax figures.

Though they couldn’t be sure how many thoughts such a wax figure would have, there was a possibility that they wouldn’t be that concerned about being melted down in a gush of steam.

“If they do that right, the entire room will go down…”

Tangeri mumbled and Apric’s eyes sunk as both of them had the same thoughts.

If there were servants around, it was certain that there would be casualties.

And even if there are no casualties, such big explosion would draw attention. The ceremony would be suspended and Archmage’s reputation would suffer a severe blow for not being able to prevent such a dangerous incident.

“What should we do?”

Craya, who stood behind them, also had a grim expression.

“… It’s a hot day and there are no servants around to manage it, so the boiler should be shut down.”

“Then if those guys want to blow it, they would first have to start it up.”

“Right, they would be only starting. And it takes a moment to create enough pressure. We have some time.”

Apric and Tangeri drew on some of their experiences and quickly came to a conclusion.

Forming a plan, Apric said to Craya:

“Craya, do you think you can find water valve switch? Steam is our biggest enemy here, but as long as we can shut down the water pump before they create it, we’re good.”

“… I’ll try. What about you?”

“We will try to have a civil conversation with them, but if things start to get hot, we will have to pour some cold punches.”

“Will you be okay? There is ten of them.”

“Ten divides by two, so it’s perfect.”

The two older women reassured their younger friend as they lightly pushed her towards the door where water pump should be.

Craya seemed to be a little reluctant to go, but finally nodded and said:

“Okay, I trust you. Just don’t get hurt and make Our Lady worry.”

“Yes, yes. We won’t worry neither you nor Our Lady.”

“… I’m already worried, though.”

She mumbled and then stepped out.

After Craya disappeared, Apric and Tangeri exchanged glances and opened the door leading to the corridor where boiler room was.

They planned to use their momentum and storm the boiler room, but stopped in their tracks, when they were suddenly faced with two people standing before the boiler room.

The twins, Durio and Rambeta, who were just considering how to ambush their uninvited guests, turned to them with slightly surprised faces.

Apric and Tangeri reflected that surprise back.

Recognizing stewards’ uniforms the twins were wearing, Apric quickly gathered her wits and bowed slightly.

“Hello, beautiful Ladies, it’s a pleasure to meet you. May I ask if you’re planning to enter this room?”

“Ah, yes… We need to ensure safety of the guests.”

Durio blinked and replied slowly.

Apric clasped her hands.

“That’s perfect! You see, it appears that lord Orche misplaced some of his things, so we were just about to bring them back. If beautiful Ladies would be so kind to assist us, we would be delighted.”

Tangeri standing beside her nodded and flashed her prettiest smile to the twins, who tried to keep their faces as expressionless as possible.

“We insist.”

When Tangeri also lightly bowed her head, Durio and Rambeta exchanged quick glances and then agreed.

“Then we’ll gladly carry out our duties and help two Esteemed Ladies.”

“Thank you very much.”

In that strange, but nice atmosphere, they opened the door to the boiler room with a bang.

The people inside, who were messing around with the pipes all turned their heads towards them.

And then took out weapons without saying a word.

“Ah… It seems that tea party won’t be possible today. Only wrestling match.”

“Would you mind if we had hand-to-hand conversation with those people?”

Tangeri turned to ask Durio and Rambeta.

The twins shook their heads.

“We don’t mind.”

Small knives were already in their hands.

*-*-*

Craya looked around with a worried face.

She told her friends that they should try to find the water valve switch, but when it came to it, she really wasn’t sure where it should be.

‘It shouldn’t be far from the boiler room, but…’

She closed the door to the wood storage and started to look around again.

Suddenly, something cold brushed against her cheek, stopping her in her tracks.

Having experienced it a few times before, she concentrated her senses and activated spiritual vision, as she was taught.

As she expected, a shadow of a person suddenly outlined itself in front of her.

The person with empty sockets and bloodied robes smiled at her gently, and then pointed at a particular door.

Craya double-checked the person in front of her, but feeling no ill-will, she opened the door and…

Found the water valve switch.

“Thank you…”

She turned around to thank the helpful ghost, but he was already gone

*-*-*

Sangria bit his inner cheek, as he observed actions of multiple people through the surveillance spell.

Though nothing happened yet, he had a bad feeling that everything was balancing on a blade’s edge.

‘At least that strange ritual was interrupted.’

Sangria wasn’t an expert in this domain, so he couldn’t be sure, but his instincts were flaring up as he observed the ritual of the Purplus’ envoys proceed.

Looking at how the Purplus’ envoy leader barged in and knocked priests out, there indeed seemed to be something wrong with it.

‘But it doesn’t improve the situation yet.’

He glanced at the man sitting beside him.

Crimo closed his eyes and was breathing deeply, sweat forming on his temples.

Because almost every defense spell was activating right now, for a reason or without it, even with his considerable mental strength, it was too much to keep up with.

But the only thing Sangria could do was to protect him from any distractions.

He turned to the surveillance again.

‘… That clone left the building.’

What bothered him the most at the moment was the clone of Flavun’s envoy.

After passing through the corridor with the prayer room, the clone suddenly dodged the two subordinates of Mimosa and left the building, effectively entering the blind spot.

Sangria was even more bothered by it than by the pair of attendants from Purplus, who were drawing a teleportation circle.

Mostly because Sangria was sure he could easily stop them, even from another building.

But as Vern said ‘Leader of Purplus’ envoys seems to be our ally, leave them alone’, he didn’t.

After confirming that Durio and Rambeta were easily dealing with another group of clones, together with two ladies from Flavun, he was about to report the situation to Scarlen, as Crimo was preoccupied.

But…

Creak.

A door opened behind him.

Sangria quickly turned around and almost gasped in shock.

The missing clone from Flavun appeared before his eyes.

‘But what are they doing here…?’

He met the clone’s eyes and said:

“I’m sorry, Esteemed Guest, but this area is off-limits. I kindly ask you to leave.”

But the clone’s eyes didn’t move. They didn’t even blink.

Though it was a very unsettling sight, Sangria was trying to quickly figure out the situation.

‘Why are they here? Grandmaster Scarlen left a few of his subordinates to protect the Lord. There is no way anyone could pass them unscathed…’

But his thoughts couldn’t continue, as the figure took out something from their pocket.

A meteor stone.

*~*~*