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304. Siblings Ep – The Reversed Lie

“Did you hear what the Marquis said? Alright then, take care of it. Oh! And don’t forget to contact ‘Reb’. I’ll handle ‘Cardinal Berg’, so just let him know.”

“Got it. I’ll reach out again.”

With Ray’s words, the mirror shattered with a crack.

Lean quickly tucked the mirror away into his bosom, making sure the Marquis didn’t notice.

In truth, Ray would have no way to contact me after reaching Reb, but he cleverly said it at the end.

– I’ll reach out again.

Knowing my mirror would break. Also, considering I was in quite a precarious situation, it was a message meant to inform Marquis Tatian.

If something happened to this person, the great Swordmaster might rush to intervene. That was the implication.

Kid, you’re really something…

I almost let out a sigh of relief.

Oops, realizing my mistake, Lean slowly exhaled through his nose. Thankfully, the Marquis was distracted by something else.

“How fascinating… Magic it is. I never expected there’d be a prince who is also a sorcerer.”

He seemed genuinely surprised. Lean desperately concealed his excitement and shrugged his shoulders.

The crisis was not over yet.

In front of Marquis Tatian.

With just a hint, the Marquis would probably realize this was all bluffing. I mustn’t let my guard down to ensure Ray’s cleverness isn’t in vain.

Moreover, he wasn’t someone who would shy away from conflict with Count Hermann Forte.

Right now, he was just a bit startled; he was not someone to fear a Swordmaster so far away. Lean decided he wouldn’t tell more lies.

“Haha! It’s nice to hear ‘sorcerer’, but I’m no magician. Not like ‘that prince’.”

“Are you saying that wasn’t magic just now?”

“No. It’s just a useful mirror. It’s not much different from contacting through the church’s communications. Anyway—”

Having passed this hurdle, now I needed to establish rapport.

Not that I needed to become close, but I needed to clearly express my desire to team up with him.

“I know why you’ve been watching me and Ksenia. Let’s drop it from now on.”

“…”

Lean took a swig of his drink, which tasted sweet mixed with Tortal tree sap, while making his position clear.

“Building trade routes doesn’t seem like a bad idea. I could snag a win over Prince Eric de Yeriel.”

That’s right. I am the unfairly ousted prince. I have no proper way to exact revenge on my brother who has a firm grip on the Conrad Kingdom’s power.

Before long, Marquis Tatian spoke up.

“…You have no intention of reclaiming your position, do you?”

As expected, he understood my words. Lean let out a hearty laugh, genuinely.

This was enough.

I had already mentioned ‘Cardinal Berg’ before, so the Marquis would surely let his imagination run wild. Lean added a spark to that imagination.

“Oh, by the way, there’s something I’d like to ask.”

“What is it?”

“I want to meet Prince Vivian de Isadora. Before we arrive in Oberg. Could you arrange it? Because when he arrives, he’ll likely be busy preparing for his engagement.”

Things were getting interesting. The Marquis quietly adjusted his posture.

Lean could roughly guess what he was thinking.

“Why?” – the question must have been lodged in his throat. He wanted to ask but was holding back, realizing he was losing control of the conversation.

The Marquis ultimately did not ask.

“…Alright. I also intended to meet Baron Oliver Trudy, so let’s travel together.”

It was a sign he wanted to keep an eye on what I was planning. Lean smiled, thrilled.

I made it. I deceived this intelligent giant head-on while walking a tightrope.

To the Marquis, I appeared as someone with connections far in the north, leaning southward toward the Cardinal, and attempting to approach a prince from the east… Someone spinning a vast web.

However, I had no interest in reclaiming my position as a prince. If I did, I shouldn’t support the idea of building trade routes or mention the Cardinal.

That would be the path to ruin for the Yeriel royal family. Allowing smuggling would reduce the royal income, and receiving aid from the Cardinal would strengthen the church’s influence.

In the long run.

It might have been an act of desperation to reclaim my status, but it was also a foolish move.

Marquis Benard Tatian did not think of Lean that way.

Instead, he scored him as a power player who enjoys manipulating the world from behind the scenes. At least by the Marquis’ standards…

A perfect score.

The student receiving an excellent grade slipped away from the wary gaze of the complicated scholarship supervisor, escaping from the tightly barred mansion that resembled the teeth of Old Phantom Fox.

Phew.

*

– “Benard. You belong to me.”

The sounds of flesh colliding subsided as Reriana caressed Marquis Benard Tatian’s belly.

His twisted golden eyes were embraced by burning desire and ambition.

The graceful yet sorrowful naked figure. The self-destructive girl smiled gently, awakening with a confused “Huh?”

“Did you sleep well?”

It was blinding.

Usually, she would have screamed, “Aah! Older Brother! Close the window!!” but Reriana simply stood up.

With her hair flowing down, she glowed brightly, receiving the sunlight all over her body.

She had a strange dream.

Pushing herself off the plush bed with both arms, Reriana exhaled a humid, somewhat exhilarated breath. But soon, she answered with a bright smile.

“Yeah!”

Just like usual.

Reriana washed her face with the water her older brother brought and changed her clothes. However, she did one thing differently this time.

“Should I tie my hair?”

“Yeah.”

“Should I let my brother do it?”

“No. I can do it myself.”

Reriana, with a hair tie in her mouth, skillfully twisted her hair up.

Her index, middle, and thumb fingers quickly intersected as she braided her hair.

Soon, the completed bun atop her head became a delicate knot that revealed her neck beautifully.

Seeing her little sister’s strangely transformed demeanor, Lean let out a soft sigh.

Reriana, who had grown taller from eating well, was already showing some curves. Lean silently followed behind her.

“Are you free today?”

“…Yeah.”

Actually, I’m busy.

I need to meet Ksenia for engagement preparations and also chat with Edlyn and Count Peter. But today, I felt I should stay close to my sister.

“Perfect!”

Reriana smiled brightly. She had recently been learning the Hiberuna martial art and thought she should test it on her older brother.

Hehe! I’ll fix my bad habit of pinching cheeks this time!

After finishing breakfast with her brother, Reriana headed to the front yard.

Her friends were already out and exercising.

“What’s up with Reriana?” — greeted warmly, only to suddenly gasp. Reriana also gasped in surprise.

“You look really pretty today.”

“Yeah, I know. Who did your hair?”

Gathering excitedly together, Reriana could see the emotional undercurrents among them. This one likes that one. This one is jealous of me. Their feelings were almost tangible.

However, she didn’t know how to handle it… In fact, the truth is she wanted to poke around in those emotional gaps but held back.

After secretly winking at Santian Launo, who was staring blankly at her, Reriana planted her brother on the sandy ground.

“Why? What are you trying to do?”

“I’m going to hit you now. Prepare yourself. You always bother me lately, but I may seem like this…”

“Pfft!”

As her little sister cracked her knuckles audibly, Lean burst into laughter.

In his eyes, Reriana was just too cute.

“You’re laughing?”

Older brother’s dead today.

Her teacher for Hiberuna comes every Saturday morning, but she had never been able to attend due to it being too early for her in the morning.

So she had learned it separately from Santian, and thanks to that (those cursed windows), she had finally been able to attend class last weekend.

Back then, Reriana received massive praise.

She could defend herself properly. Her peers already struggled to compete with her.

So surely, her twig-like older brother was no match.

It was heartbreaking, but I need to fix that bad habit of mine. Such things should only be done to Sister Ksenia…

‘Huh?’

Whoosh—

Her punch darted quickly through the air. It was gentle, of course, but her brother stood smiling with his arms crossed.

What’s going on? Did I miss something?

Again, she whipped out a kick.

Though it was her brother, kicking him in the head didn’t seem right for a little sister, so she aimed for his shoulder. But the kick again whooshed through empty air.

“???”

He didn’t even move?

Her brother’s legs stayed planted right in the midst of the sand.

With a misjudged distance, Reriana felt her face heat up, embarrassed as if she had danced alone.

It was morning, and her eyes felt heavy… she blinked quickly to relieve them.

“Are you done?”

“Huh? Aahhhhh!!!”

Her brother lunged at her like lightning.

He grabbed her shoulder, twisted her arm behind her back, and pulled her in close.

Caught completely off guard, Reriana shrieked as her brother twirled her around.

“L-Let me go!”

“No way. Oh, our little sister. You’ve gained some weight.”

“Geez, what are you doing in front of my friends!? D-Don’t pinch my cheeks!”

“Wahaha! Look at that!”

Reriana squirmed.

Struggling. Lean felt a twinge of annoyance and lightly set his sister down.

“How dare you challenge your heavenly older brother. It’s way too early for you.”

“Ugh… T-Tian… I lost.”

Reriana hurriedly ran away to Santian. Perhaps her messy bun was the reason. The strange aura she usually exuded returned as Santian laughed brightly.

“Yeah. I expected you to win… Sorry.”

“You’re the one filling my sister’s head with nonsense, aren’t you?”

“Ah… H-hello.”

“Right. Good timing. Come here for a second.”

“Hey! What are you going to do to Tian? He hasn’t done anything wrong!”

“Come on. Just sit tight. I just have a question to ask.”

“I’m going too!”

Lean took Santian over and plopped down in the yard.

He had no need to dance around with a kid younger than Reriana, so he straightforwardly asked.

“What’s the relationship between Launo and Laono? You know, right?”

“U-um? Huh?”

“I’m asking about the relationship between Launo and Laono. You should know at least that much.”

Santian fumbled his lips and looked flustered.

Having dealt with people like Count Gustave Peter or Joseph Rauno or Marquis Benard Tatian, the little kid’s expression was easily readable. Santian eventually hesitantly stretched out his arm.

“W-What’s Laono?”

“Huh? Hey! Tian, you fool. Why don’t you know Laono? We learned about it last time. In history class. Speaking of which, didn’t you say you had something only you knew back then…”

But Reriana interrupted and made Santian jump.

“Ah! I said it was a secret!”

“You didn’t tell me anything, yet why the fuss?”

“I said it was a secret, not just to others!”

“What?”

Reriana’s expression hardened.

“…Is my older brother someone different? What do you mean by that? I’m disappointed! Let go!”

She smacked away the hand that had been holding hers. Santian gasped, surprised.

“R-Rena. I’m sorry. I won’t…”

“From now on, don’t shorten it to Rena! I’m Reriana, and I’m older than you, Santian.”

“But Re… Ugh…”

“Alright, enough. Enough.”

Shocked by the changed address, Santian Launo looked as if he might cry. Lean thought the situation had turned easier and patted the shoulders of the boy and girl.

“You can’t fight among friends. But hiding things from friends can hurt feelings, you know. Quickly apologize. Reriana, you too.”

“I don’t mind hiding things, but he…”

“Oh please. Hurry up.”

Reriana pouted, puffing out her cheeks.

Santian apologized in a voice barely audible.

“Sorry, R-Reriana… Sister.”

“…Hmph!”

“Yeah, yeah. Shake hands and make up. Then…”

With a bright smile, Lean asked again.

“What’s the relationship between Launo and Laono that makes it a secret? It’s okay. I won’t tell anyone.”

“My mom and dad said to never tell others… Ah, no, it’s not about other people.”

As Reriana’s eyes narrowed, Santian quickly changed his words. He fumbled for a while before finally spilling the beans.

“Our family is known to be descendants of ‘Banun Raono’, the first nobility. Launo… they say changed their name. They aren’t nobility anymore, but I heard they changed because Raono is too famous of a surname.”

“…That’s all?”

“Huh? Yes. That’s it…”

That can’t be it, right?

Lean tilted his head in confusion.

The Banun family name he saw in the Northern mysterious temple was ‘Launo’. Not the widely known ‘Raono’.

Truth and lies were intertwined.

In fact, the world knew Banun as ‘Banun Raono’, while the people of the Launo family were openly revealing the surname they were supposed to keep hidden.

Thousands of years had stretched for so long that everything was tossed about.

But why did the family that was known to be the first nobility have to change their surname?

Upon further reflection, this wasn’t a recent occurrence. The surnames of the Second Saint Constantino and the Third Saint Lazarus, revered by the Cross Church, were also wrongly known as ‘Laono’.

So, the family didn’t fall and change their name, but rather, for some reason long ago (to Raono), it became the norm.

Modern Launo family chose to drop Raono as it placed a burden on their identity as they claimed they were no longer nobility due to its fame.

At least one puzzle was solved. The Launo family was indeed descendants of Banun Rauno.

However, I still could not ascertain why we were entangled with them. If it were because Banun was the first divine servant of Todler Akiunen…

‘Not enough.’

There remained a link I still didn’t understand.

Lean couldn’t help but sigh, thinking that the ‘broken-armed beggar’ would likely hold the answer.