"Do you like it?"
"Yes."
“...Yeah, I will.”
“It’s my first time visiting the Academy, and I love it. Shall we take a walk around the campus together?”
As Alexander walked, led by Christa, he quickly sorted out in his mind how to treat her.
She came to find him with an intention.
It is certain.
It was likely an order from Duke Edgar Wassenberg.
"By the way, can you come see me?"
"Of course. I got my father's permission."
"I see."
"How is Vania doing?"
"She's doing well. But since I live in the dorms, I don't see her often. I only get to go home during vacation."
“Could you possibly invite me to your estate?”
As if she doesn't want to waste time, Christa states her objective first.
Alexander answered nonchalantly, mindful of the eyes and ears of Wassenberg and her servants following behind.
"Well, I'll ask my father and get back to you. It's not like I can just invite you on my own."
“Father? Haha, surely you aren’t talking about Brother Ryan? He’s your brother, how could he be your father?”
“...”
He felt it earlier when Christa blatantly said, "You are my father's son," but it has become certain.
Duke Wassenberg, who had been trying to hide and conceal his incompetent bloodline, intends to change his course.
“I’ve called him Father for so long that I’m more used to it. Oh, right, by the way, how is Brother Richard doing?”
“Oh, don’t even bring up that guy.”
"Is something wrong?"
"I'm telling you, he never stays at home. He lives in Bunsen all the time."
Bunsen, a familiar place name.
It is so famous that even Alexander cannot be unaware of it.
City of gambling.
“He eats and sleeps at the casino. Every time I see him, he looks so worn out, reeking of cigarettes..."
Mario Wassenberg, the sixth Prince of the family, visited Bunsen, where his younger brother Richard practically lived.
Richard was rarely at home, so to see his face, he had to come to the casino here in Bunsen.
'Damn it, smell of cigarettes.'
Mario, who was surprisingly a non-smoker, frowned as he entered the smoke-filled casino.
Mario recently perfected the water-manipulating ability, <The Abyss of the Water God>.
It was a moment he had been waiting for, and there was something he had prepared to do once it was finished.
If he succeeds in that task, Mario's position within the family will skyrocket in an instant.
Father will be very happy.
It is only natural to break free from the fate of doing menial tasks for his older brothers.
And maybe... Could I surpass my eldest and second brothers and rise to the ranks of the family's heir?
"Hehehe."
Mario, who had been giggling, soon discovered Richard sitting at a table.
Wheat-colored hair and green eyes.
Tears welling up, tender-hearted, and a pure, handsome younger brother, Richard...
'Sigh, why did he turn out like that?'
He was completely worn out.
Richard, who used to stay cooped up in his room day after day, whining that he missed his half-siblings whom he had kicked out, ended up here after falling asleep drunk more and more often.
Alcohol, tobacco, and gambling. Staying at the casino 24/7 with the spoiled children of nobility.
“Richard!”
Richard, who had been sitting crookedly with a cigar in his mouth and a frown on his face as he looked at the card in his hand, raised his gaze.
However, he only glanced to see who had called him.
He turns his gaze back to the card.
'That jerk. He didn't even greet me.'
Mario got angry but calmed down.
He came to ask Richard if he could help with this matter.
“Little brother, are you busy?”
Mario sat next to Richard and put his arm around his shoulder.
"Why."
"It's been a while since we last saw each other. Aren't you glad to see me?"
"Did you come to see me? You must have something to say."
Richard took a deep drag on his cigar, extinguished it by rubbing it in the ashtray, and pushed Mario's arm away.
"Hurry up and tell me. I'm busy."
"Ugh. You're so heartless."
As Richard took out a new cigar to hold, Mario quickly lit it for him and said.
"Let's do a job together."
“What’s wrong?”
"I'll let you know if you say you'll help."
"Is this something Father ordered?"
“No. I prepared this all by myself, so if it goes well, Father will really be happy. I can present it to him like a surprise gift.”
"I'm not interested."
“Yaaa.”
Mario expected a lukewarm response.
Finding things to do that weren't asked of him, trying to curry favor with his father to build his standing within the family—those kinds of things aren't Richard's interests.
“If things go well, I’ll tell you...”
"Go away."
Richard cut him off.
Mario felt his fist twitch at his arrogant younger brother, but he held back.
...Because I can't win.
If Richard binds him with the <Shackles of Bondage> and beats him, he has no choice but to take the blows helplessly.
"You ill-mannered bastard. Live a pathetic life like this for the rest of your life and die like this."
Mario felt too proud to just leave, so he mocked Richard and quickly ran away.
Cards were dealt on the table.
As he received the card, Richard glanced at Mario.
It was a sharp gaze, without a hint of weariness.
After meeting with Christa and returning to his dorm room, Alexander could not fall asleep.
The current situation of the brother, whom he had always missed and longed to meet again despite being physically far away, was truly shocking.
'Brother Richard lives at the casino, and Sister Christa is a puppet who obeys the Duke...'
If he tells her how the two of them grew up, Vania will put a wet towel on her head and lie down sick.
It still hurts.
Alexander forced himself to close his eyes. However, with so many thoughts swirling in his head, he still couldn't fall asleep.
He was sad even though he had somewhat expected it.
"Ha."
Eventually, Alexander, unable to fall asleep, got up. He turned on the light in his single dormitory room and sat at his desk.
A gift box from Christa was lying on the desk.
He opened it again.
Teddy bear.
Brown teddy bear.
It was still absurd to see, so Alexander let out a hollow laugh and closed the box.
Then... suddenly.
'Uh?'
He felt something strange.
Alexander opened the box again.
He takes out the doll and picks it up.
It is light.
It was only natural. Because it was a stuffed doll.
He put the doll aside and picked up only the empty box.
It was heavy.
It was the same when he first received the box.
The weight was suspicious for holding just a single stuffed teddy bear.
This, by any chance...'
Alexander's breathing became heavy.
The box was empty, but there was a difference between the depth seen from the inside and the height seen from the outside.
He hurriedly scraped the bottom of the box.
As expected, a hidden interior space was revealed when the floor was lifted.
There was a thick bundle of documents inside.
'Ah, Christa was going to give this, this...'
Alexander picked it up with trembling hands.
'And perhaps, she told me to open it right there on purpose.'
So that she can avoid suspicion from the eyes and ears of Wassenberg, whom she has no choice but to keep by her side.
Alexander began flipping through the densely packed documents one by one.
As he turned the pages, his expression was filled with surprise.
'Oh, my God.'
It was a document stamped with the seal of the Wassenberg family's supernatural ability research institute.
All information regarding supernatural abilities has been collected since the research institute was established.
That information is written in document format without omission.
"Wow!"
Alexander gasped for breath, clutching his heart, pounding with excitement.
This will serve as 'evidence'.
Who was the 'real culprit' of the Konrad massacre 16 years ago?
Ryan is a person with supernatural abilities who can never be charged with 'arson'.
This will be proven by this evidence, which clearly bears the seal of the Wassenberg family.
"Yes."
“I told you to speak freely, didn’t I?”
“It’s my first time visiting the Academy, and I love it. Shall we take a walk around the campus together?”
As Alexander walked, led by Christa, he quickly sorted out in his mind how to treat her.
She came to find him with an intention.
It is certain.
It was likely an order from Duke Edgar Wassenberg.
"By the way, can you come see me?"
"Of course. I got my father's permission."
"I see."
"How is Vania doing?"
"She's doing well. But since I live in the dorms, I don't see her often. I only get to go home during vacation."
“Could you possibly invite me to your estate?”
As if she doesn't want to waste time, Christa states her objective first.
Alexander answered nonchalantly, mindful of the eyes and ears of Wassenberg and her servants following behind.
"Well, I'll ask my father and get back to you. It's not like I can just invite you on my own."
“Father? Haha, surely you aren’t talking about Brother Ryan? He’s your brother, how could he be your father?”
“...”
He felt it earlier when Christa blatantly said, "You are my father's son," but it has become certain.
Duke Wassenberg, who had been trying to hide and conceal his incompetent bloodline, intends to change his course.
“I’ve called him Father for so long that I’m more used to it. Oh, right, by the way, how is Brother Richard doing?”
“Oh, don’t even bring up that guy.”
"Is something wrong?"
"I'm telling you, he never stays at home. He lives in Bunsen all the time."
Bunsen, a familiar place name.
It is so famous that even Alexander cannot be unaware of it.
City of gambling.
“He eats and sleeps at the casino. Every time I see him, he looks so worn out, reeking of cigarettes..."
***
Mario Wassenberg, the sixth Prince of the family, visited Bunsen, where his younger brother Richard practically lived.
Richard was rarely at home, so to see his face, he had to come to the casino here in Bunsen.
'Damn it, smell of cigarettes.'
Mario, who was surprisingly a non-smoker, frowned as he entered the smoke-filled casino.
Mario recently perfected the water-manipulating ability, <The Abyss of the Water God>.
It was a moment he had been waiting for, and there was something he had prepared to do once it was finished.
If he succeeds in that task, Mario's position within the family will skyrocket in an instant.
Father will be very happy.
It is only natural to break free from the fate of doing menial tasks for his older brothers.
And maybe... Could I surpass my eldest and second brothers and rise to the ranks of the family's heir?
"Hehehe."
Mario, who had been giggling, soon discovered Richard sitting at a table.
Wheat-colored hair and green eyes.
Tears welling up, tender-hearted, and a pure, handsome younger brother, Richard...
'Sigh, why did he turn out like that?'
He was completely worn out.
Richard, who used to stay cooped up in his room day after day, whining that he missed his half-siblings whom he had kicked out, ended up here after falling asleep drunk more and more often.
Alcohol, tobacco, and gambling. Staying at the casino 24/7 with the spoiled children of nobility.
“Richard!”
Richard, who had been sitting crookedly with a cigar in his mouth and a frown on his face as he looked at the card in his hand, raised his gaze.
However, he only glanced to see who had called him.
He turns his gaze back to the card.
'That jerk. He didn't even greet me.'
Mario got angry but calmed down.
He came to ask Richard if he could help with this matter.
“Little brother, are you busy?”
Mario sat next to Richard and put his arm around his shoulder.
"Why."
"It's been a while since we last saw each other. Aren't you glad to see me?"
"Did you come to see me? You must have something to say."
Richard took a deep drag on his cigar, extinguished it by rubbing it in the ashtray, and pushed Mario's arm away.
"Hurry up and tell me. I'm busy."
"Ugh. You're so heartless."
As Richard took out a new cigar to hold, Mario quickly lit it for him and said.
"Let's do a job together."
“What’s wrong?”
"I'll let you know if you say you'll help."
"Is this something Father ordered?"
“No. I prepared this all by myself, so if it goes well, Father will really be happy. I can present it to him like a surprise gift.”
"I'm not interested."
“Yaaa.”
Mario expected a lukewarm response.
Finding things to do that weren't asked of him, trying to curry favor with his father to build his standing within the family—those kinds of things aren't Richard's interests.
“If things go well, I’ll tell you...”
"Go away."
Richard cut him off.
Mario felt his fist twitch at his arrogant younger brother, but he held back.
...Because I can't win.
If Richard binds him with the <Shackles of Bondage> and beats him, he has no choice but to take the blows helplessly.
"You ill-mannered bastard. Live a pathetic life like this for the rest of your life and die like this."
Mario felt too proud to just leave, so he mocked Richard and quickly ran away.
Cards were dealt on the table.
As he received the card, Richard glanced at Mario.
It was a sharp gaze, without a hint of weariness.
***
After meeting with Christa and returning to his dorm room, Alexander could not fall asleep.
The current situation of the brother, whom he had always missed and longed to meet again despite being physically far away, was truly shocking.
'Brother Richard lives at the casino, and Sister Christa is a puppet who obeys the Duke...'
If he tells her how the two of them grew up, Vania will put a wet towel on her head and lie down sick.
It still hurts.
'Let’s not bring it up.'
He was sad even though he had somewhat expected it.
"Ha."
Eventually, Alexander, unable to fall asleep, got up. He turned on the light in his single dormitory room and sat at his desk.
A gift box from Christa was lying on the desk.
He opened it again.
Teddy bear.
Brown teddy bear.
It was still absurd to see, so Alexander let out a hollow laugh and closed the box.
Then... suddenly.
'Uh?'
He felt something strange.
Alexander opened the box again.
He takes out the doll and picks it up.
It is light.
It was only natural. Because it was a stuffed doll.
He put the doll aside and picked up only the empty box.
It was heavy.
It was the same when he first received the box.
The weight was suspicious for holding just a single stuffed teddy bear.
This, by any chance...'
Alexander's breathing became heavy.
The box was empty, but there was a difference between the depth seen from the inside and the height seen from the outside.
He hurriedly scraped the bottom of the box.
As expected, a hidden interior space was revealed when the floor was lifted.
There was a thick bundle of documents inside.
'Ah, Christa was going to give this, this...'
Alexander picked it up with trembling hands.
'And perhaps, she told me to open it right there on purpose.'
So that she can avoid suspicion from the eyes and ears of Wassenberg, whom she has no choice but to keep by her side.
Alexander began flipping through the densely packed documents one by one.
As he turned the pages, his expression was filled with surprise.
'Oh, my God.'
It was a document stamped with the seal of the Wassenberg family's supernatural ability research institute.
All information regarding supernatural abilities has been collected since the research institute was established.
That information is written in document format without omission.
"Wow!"
Alexander gasped for breath, clutching his heart, pounding with excitement.
This will serve as 'evidence'.
Who was the 'real culprit' of the Konrad massacre 16 years ago?
Ryan is a person with supernatural abilities who can never be charged with 'arson'.
This will be proven by this evidence, which clearly bears the seal of the Wassenberg family.
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