Chapter 55
I stopped myself from smiling out of habit at my younger sibling.
“At least I told them to stay comfortable in front of me.”
So, as I met my sibling’s gaze with a calm expression, Moren seemed to have finished organizing their thoughts and finally spoke.
“Even if it could have been prevented beforehand… I’m not disappointed.”
As Moren said that, they gently took my hand.
“Everything that happened must have been because of your intentions, sister.”
I stayed silent for a moment, moved by my sibling’s unwavering faith.
Moren smiled confidently.
“So, when should we step in?”
The expression on Moren’s face felt a little unfamiliar.
The sibling I had always seen as younger had grown so remarkably each day since deciding to walk the same path as me.
“Perhaps leaving it to Hist was the right choice after all?”
If I had been there, could Moren have regained such confidence?
The question came and went, unanswered, fading away.
Now was not the time for personal feelings.
Just then, Marin, who had been quietly monitoring the activity outside the castle, whispered in my ear.
[Master~, they’re coming~.]
“Understood.”
“Now, let’s go.”
Following Marin’s signal, I descended the central stairs of the lobby, cautiously calling out to my aunt.
“Aunt… are you alright?”
Moren, following behind me, also looked worried and spoke.
“Looking outside, there’s fire…”
Having grown up in the royal palace, Moren was accustomed to such smoke.
My aunt didn’t notice our act at all.
“Ah, Neroli. Moren. You must have woken up because of the commotion.”
Instead, she approached us, unable to hide her anxiety.
Then she reached out, gently stroking our cheeks.
“It seems the fields caught fire. But it will be resolved quickly. We’ve prepared thoroughly for situations like this.”
She removed her hands from our cheeks and placed them on our shoulders, smiling as she tried to lead us upstairs.
“Come now, guests, don’t worry and go back to sleep. This is something the Duke and I can handle.”
“That won’t be possible, Aunt.”
The magical devices the Duke had installed throughout the fief, including the fields near the castle, were high-level tools designed to protect the land in case of fire or flood.
“But right now, they won’t work properly.”
The twisted magic mixed with the wind was preventing the devices from functioning.
For now, I pretended to be unaware and followed my aunt quietly.
Moren moved silently behind me as well.
As we reached the middle of the stairs…
[They’re coming~.]
Hiiiiing!
Bang!
The main doors flung open with a loud crash, accompanied by the neigh of a large horse.
A knight hurriedly dismounted.
He was one of the Duke’s closest aides, always near him.
The castle steward, waiting nearby, shouted at the knight’s entrance.
“What kind of disrespect is this! Coming inside on horseback!”
The steward froze mid-shout.
The knight’s appearance was alarming.
His clothes and armor were scorched in places, and there were burn marks scattered across him.
Plop!
Even the horse, exhausted from racing, collapsed, frothing at the mouth.
Seeing this, my aunt quickly withdrew her hands from our shoulders and hurried down.
“Sir! Where is the Duke?! Where is he?!”
“Your Grace!”
The panting knight called out urgently to my aunt.
“You need to evacuate! Initial attempts to put out the fire have failed!”
“What?!”
My aunt exclaimed in shock.
“But we have magical devices! Using them should be enough to contain the fire!”
“The devices aren’t working! And the wind is so strong the fire is spreading uncontrollably!”
The knight pleaded with a desperate look in his eyes.
“The outer wheat fields were already too late! Sparks carried by the wind have set the connected forest ablaze as well! At this rate, we don’t know when embers might reach the castle!”
“That can’t be! The magical devices failing?!”
My aunt’s face paled; she had placed her full trust in them.
“What about the Duke’s magicians?!”
“Some are trying to repair the devices, some are doing their best to contain the fire, but it’s not enough. The flames are too strong!”
Her lips trembled as she clenched her fists.
“What about the nearby villagers? Are they safe?”
“There are no casualties yet, but their houses are all burning! The castle itself isn’t entirely safe either!”
“Steward!”
My aunt ordered the steward next to her.
“Open the inner castle to the banquet hall immediately and evacuate the villagers! That place is fortified against disasters in addition to the magical barriers!”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
“Your Grace, leave the villagers’ evacuation to us and take cover yourself!”
“How can I do that? The Duke, the villagers… they’re all here. How can I leave alone?!”
“But there are precious guests.”
The knight glanced at us.
“If the royal family members are even slightly harmed, it would be disastrous. Especially since Your Grace is also—”
“Enough of that!”
My aunt scowled.
“I am no longer a royal! And the Duke is not just hurt by fire!”
“But—”
“Most importantly, we have to extinguish this fire today! Even if the villagers are safe by luck, if the fields are ruined…! We must at least prevent the fire from spreading to the vassals’ lands!”
Her face darkened as she spoke.
Everyone present knew the gravity of the situation.
If the worst happened, the Emperor would never forgive the Telum Duke family.
“Even if it’s due to a strange natural disaster.”
Her breathing grew heavy as emotions flared.
Had she remained in the palace, she could have kept a poker face even in such a crisis.
“Like Moren and I do.”
Moren glanced at me, as if sharing the thought.
Although calm, there was a trace of unease in Moren’s eyes.
“Sister.”
Moren called softly, asking when they should act.
I nodded in response to that silent question.
Seeing the signal, Moren swallowed hard, steeled their expression, and stepped forward.
“Lead me there.”
At that, everyone in the lobby turned to watch.
Moren descended the stairs, facing all eyes.
“No fire can ever overcome rain, after all.”
“M-Moren? What do you mean by that?”
My aunt stared in surprise at her youngest niece, who had suddenly stepped forward.
Moren gripped my aunt’s hand firmly.
“Aunt, I apologize for revealing this so late.”
“What are you trying to say…?”
“I can use magic. I became a disciple of the Tower Master currently residing in the royal palace.”
Moren spoke with determination.
The announcement hit everyone like a bomb.
Eyes widened, especially my aunt, who quickly grasped Moren’s hands.
“Then you can summon the Tower Master here?! Someone that skilled can control the weather, right?!”
“My teacher can certainly do that.”
“Then do it now!”
Moren calmly interrupted my aunt.
“But they cannot come immediately.”
“Why not?”
“My teacher is just as hated by His Majesty as the Telum Duke family is.”
“What?”
“If it’s known that such a teacher aided the Telum Duke family, who knows how His Majesty would react.”
“Ah…”
The momentary hope in the lobby quickly fell back into despair.
I quietly admired Moren.
“They can handle this without me even telling them.”
[As expected of Master’s sibling!]
[Quite the eloquence, huh~?]
[I thought you were just the kid clinging to Master. Growing up fast indeed.]
“Exactly.”
Moren continued with confidence.
“But I can also cast magic to summon rain.”
“You…? You can make it rain?”
“The formula to gather rain clouds was independently developed by my teacher. I learned it directly from them.”
“But… you’re still so young!”
“Even if I’m young, I am a Lornod, Aunt. You understand what it means for a Lornod to learn magic, don’t you?”
My aunt inhaled deeply, realizing something.
There was little time to hesitate.
Thick black smoke poured beyond the open entrance, clearly visible.
The acrid smoke formed a wall in the sky, and missing this moment would mean losing control completely.
Quickly deciding, my aunt clasped Moren desperately.
“Please, Moren! I beg you, save the Duke and our lands!”
“I will succeed, Aunt!”
“But, Your Grace! What if the prince is endangered?”
The steward and the Duke’s knight approached, trying to restrain my aunt.
I couldn’t let that happen.
I dashed down the stairs, interrupting them.
“Moren!”
Tears welled up instantly in my eyes.
Without hesitation, I embraced Moren tightly.
