Chapter 106 — In which families are complicated (4)
Silence enveloped the room after Mimosa left.
Crimo's eyes were dark, as he considered the ripple effect that sad event would have on his state.
Vern remained expressionless, carefully hiding his worries about Saf situation.
Scarlen, who vaguely figured out what was going on, bit his lip and fired up his brain to come up with the best scheme to make Crimo benefit from it.
The only one who looked around lost and confused about what was going on was Sangria.
He wasn't a ruler or ex ruler like Crimo and Vern.
Nor did he have deep understanding of politics and Crimo's character like Scarlen to figure out what was going on from the context clues.
But his sensitivity to other people's moods and emotions told him that it was perhaps better not to ask.
They spent a moment in a dense, uncomfortable silence, until Scarlen spoke up:
"Are you okay, My Lord?"
Grandmaster Pommegra's warning was still on his mind.
Crimo blinked and quickly replied:
"Yes, I'm fine."
That earned him a covert disapproving glance from Sangria, and a sigh from Vern.
Vern stood up from his seat and took out the ointment which Crimo hastily put aside when Mimosa came.
He handed it to Scarlen.
"Use it on his back later."
Scarlen was puzzled for a moment, and then, as realization struck him, he gripped it tightly and smiled:
"Thank you, Young Master."
"No need."
Vern did that mostly because he was concerned about Crimo's injures, but if he pressed on it any further, it would only put Crimo in a difficult spot.
Vern still a bit uncomfortable about his new older not older brother having a demon as a lover, but he didn't plan to interfere as long as Scarlen stays sane. As Crimo was the one keeping him sane, he had even less rights to interfere into it.
Besides, as Scarlen assisted him during the coming-of-age ceremony, he would also assist Vern in future ceremonies, so it was best if they had a good relationship.
Crimo would understand the second part of the reason, but it didn't help him stop himself from observing that with his mouth half open.
The two closest to him people were just making a deal against him in front of his eyes.
Among all shocking things today this might have been most shocking.
"But how did my Lord get burned?"
Scarlen quietly asked, when he recognized what type of ointment it was.
It was only natural for him to know as he made it himself and gifted it to Crimo.
His black eyes looked down at Sangria, seeking an answer from him.
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Sangria was about to reply, but hesitated when he sensed Crimo's gaze.
The Archmage was staring at him with a clear order to shut his mouth.
On the other hand, Scarlen's eyes grew darker and darker with each passing second.
Sangria opened and closed his mouth, desperately trying to find an answer that would satisfy both parties.
“I believe there was a dashing guest involved?”
Vern added ‘helpfully’.
Sangria jumped as if he was struck by lightning.
“No! The pretty guest wasn’t involved in that! He didn’t burn the Lord, it was because of that relic and the clone…”
Sangria’s words trailed off when he realized what he was saying.
“Oh, so he was pretty?”
“A relic?”
Vern and Scarlen concentrated on two completely opposite facts.
“Yes! A relic!”
Sangria waved his hands in frustration, and glared at Vern.
“Young Master was first to say he was pretty.”
“No. I said he was dashing around. Seems like our pretty guest has pretty strong legs for you to lose a sight so quickly.”
“…”
Sangria just stared at Vern with a mouth half-open, unsure he was just talking about the guest appearing and leaving so quickly, or about Sangria losing his mind for that guest.
“Young Master, I apologize, but can I hear about that relic?”
Scarlen’s face was blank, with no expression at all.
Vern nodded easily.
“Yes, my apologies. Teasing Master Sangria was too tempting.”
“Then-!”
“The relic, Master Sangria. Please tell us about it, will you?”
Vern cut off the agitated Sangria, trying his best to suppress the smirk growing on his face.
Sangria bit his lip, then very deliberately turned his gaze away from Vern and stared into an unremarkable part of the wall.
“The clone of the Flavun’s envoy member came in with a small meteor stone. The stone started to emit strong light. For me, besides being slightly dazzling, it had no effects. But it was very effective on the Lord. He was severely burned in just a few seconds.”
Sangria glanced at Crimo’s face.
“The guest managed to deactivate the relic and then healed some of the Lord’s injures.”
“And where is that guest now?”
“He left through the teleportation circle.”
Vern answered Scalern’s question instead of Sangria.
The demon raised an eyebrow.
“Our teleportation circle?”
Was the security he set up that bad?
Before Scarlen’s thoughts deteriorated into self-blame, Vern shook his head.
“No. Through the teleportation circle created by the Purplus’ envoy.”
“Purplus’ envoy used… the teleportation magic?”
The expressions of all three listening men turned strange.
It wasn’t that unheard of that Purplus’ citizens knew magic, though they scoffed at it and treated it as heresy very often.
But teleportation magic was high level magic that a few were able to master.
Not only that, they would have to do that, while exploiting loopholes in the Archmage’s magic defenses.
No matter how unstable he was at that moment, those loopholes were extremely difficult even for a grandmaster to exploit.
Vern just smirked.
“Perhaps we will learn in a moment.”
He showed the surveillance spell he kept active to keep an eye on the situation in the ceremony hall.
“The parties involved are just coming to us.”
He pointed at Phlox, Alexandrit and Seven disguised as an attendant coming this way.
*-*-*
If Mimosa’s entrance felt like a morning sunlight slipping in, Phlox’s entrance felt like a blazing sun in the noon.
Though she had smaller built compared to everyone around her, and her colors were rather toned down, she had an aura so powerful one could have mistaken her for a general, rather than a humble priest.
“This humble one servant of the Universe, Phlox, greets Lord Archmage, Lesser Lord Mage and the associates.”
“Hello. How can I help you?”
“I’ll get straight to the point.”
Phlox, who preformed a customary bow, raised her head and met Crimo’s eyes.
“Our holy siblings fell sick, so we will be forced to leave earlier.”
Crimo’s eyebrow twitched slightly at the statement that didn’t even felt a bit apologetic.
“Priest Phlox, I believe you’re talking about the priests, who preformed a dangerous ritual in my house?”
Before Crimo was hit by light, he noticed the strange behavior of the Sun and Day Gods’ priests, and was briefed about what happened after by Vern.
Of course, he wasn’t able to fully comprehend the situation, because of lack of time, but he was quite certain that ritual was related to the relic he was attacked with.
And the fact that it was retrieved by someone with the help of the Purplus’ envoy meant they clearly knew about the attack.
But now they planned to act as if nothing happened?
No matter how thankful Crimo was for saving his life, he needed to be wary of the state that made many underhanded moves against his state in the past.
Phlox met his gaze head on. She spoke with a calm voice:
“Lord Archmage. His Excellency wished to convey those words: I’m very secretive person. But with my compassion as wide as the ocean, if someone asks me very earnestly, I may end up whispering a few words into their ears.”
“…”
Crimo’s eyes narrowed.
He understood a hidden threat.
‘That god…!’
If it was revealed that the Archmage secretly prayed to a god, even if it was just an experiment, his reputation would completely crumble.
The faces of the people around him were confused, as they didn’t understand the meaning behind those words, but Crimo felt cold sweat flowing down his nape.
“I see. I’ll keep that in mind.”
He didn’t press the subject of priests any further.
Phlox nodded with satisfaction and then pointed at the attendant, Seven, behind her.
“His Excellency also sent this gift.”
“We don’t keep slaves.”
“Ah, my apologies. I misspoke. His Excellency also returns this gift.”
When confused gazes gathered on her, Phlox said with a wide wolfish smile:
“This a sinner, who attempted to assassinate the Saint. He wore clothes with Rubrun’s emblem, so we’re returning him to his owner.”
The expressions of all members of Rubrun fell.
*~*~*