Chapter 477 – Family Drama Approaching.

There she was, his sister Lucienne. He hadn’t seen her for an entire month, but the two had stayed in contact through other means. She looked out of breath and was running in his direction. Roland focused on her facial expressions, which showed panic but also a certain level of relief. His mind raced with possibilities, each worse than the last.

“Oh, well if it isn’t student Lucienne. I think she is here for you. How about we catch up later?”

“Yeah, sure…”

Arion had protected his sister in his absence, and the two had apparently interacted before. Not much had happened after his departure, and not even the young nobility had attempted to bully his sister. It seemed once his new position as the right-hand man of the Principal got leaked, the brats got scared. However, it wasn’t quite over yet, as the ringleader was set to return in a day’s time. Viola’s appearance could reignite the conflict, but he was here to stop that from happening.

“Please don’t run in the hallways!”

One of the teachers walking by called out to Lucienne, prompting her to stagger. Her legs crossed awkwardly, and she flopped forward. Usually, there wouldn’t be many people to witness this spectacle, but due to the Rune Department’s newfound fame, the corridors were more crowded. She flew forward, her hands flailing and her face distraught.

“What are you doing?”

“Huh?”

Before her face collided with the wooden floor, the young girl found herself floating in mid-air. The other students chuckled at the sight but were also in awe of Roland’s handling of the flotation spell. The cast time was impressive and showcased the advantages of runic spells. The girl let out a breath of relief as she regained her footing, her face flushed with embarrassment.

“How about we continue this in a more secluded location.”

Roland moved swiftly to her side, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. With the help of an altered sound-blocking spell, he whispered into her ear. There were far too many people here for a family get-together, and the potential for enemy spies was high. It was better if people didn’t know she was his sister just yet.

“Ah, of course…”

“Professor Arion, let us continue later. This student seems to wish to discuss some matters with me in private. I’ll be in my office if you need me.”

“Take your time, Professor Wayland. There is no rush.”

There was nothing alarming in him speaking with Lucienne. He had already shown a willingness to help her, and everyone knew the little spider golem she had with her was something fashioned by the Runic Department. They walked towards the park area through which they could access his tree office. With his badge present, the path opened up for him, and they both entered.

‘Now that I’m here, maybe I should tidy this place up and organize a few things, but first…’

His office had not really been used by him or changed. What was here belonged to the previous Deputy Professor, who seemed to have been enamored with the old Arch-Wizard Xandar. The large portrait on the wall was unsettling and was probably going to be the first thing to go once he was finished with this place.

“So what is it Lucienne, is it about Viola or?”

“It’s not about her, this is about Robert!”

“Robert? Has something happened to him? Did something happen at the border?”

Roland noticed that his sister was quite distressed. Her eyes had been darting around, and she seemed tense throughout the entire walk. He had hoped that Lucienne would shed some light on their brother’s whereabouts, but it appeared that the news wasn’t good. Roland started to assume the worst, fearing that their older brother had perished at the border where he had gone to serve the kingdom. However, what his sister disclosed was not at all what he expected.

“At the border? No, he had been granted leave recently after performing well, he even became a Knight Captain.”

“Then what happened, is he safe?”

“Yes but… it’s hard to explain…”

Roland furrowed his brow, trying to piece together the information. Robert had been granted leave, achieved a commendable rank, and was safe, yet something was troubling Lucienne enough to make her panic. He motioned for her to sit on the chair opposite his desk and took a seat himself, leaning forward to give her his full attention.

“Take your time, Lucienne. Just tell me what happened.”
She took a deep breath, steadying herself before she began.

“It started when Robert returned home. Everything seemed fine at first, but then we noticed he was acting strange. He was… distant, and secretive. Mother tried to talk to him, but he would always brush her off, saying it was nothing.”

Roland nodded while trying to take in the information. The Robert he knew was usually a straight shooter, not someone who kept many secrets. It seemed that after his return there was something troubling him.

“Then one night, he just vanished. I was back at the Institute then, mother didn’t wish to disclose it to me or anyone but finally she relented.”

“Oh? Did something happen for her to finally speak up?”

“Well… he had been… apprehended by another noble house.”

“He has? On what charges?”

“Well on the charges of… adultery…”

“Wait, he did what!?”

Roland found himself raising up from his seat and shouting but quickly sat himself down when he saw his sister recoiling in fear.

“Uh… excuse me but, Adultery? Did he have an affair with someone’s wife?”

Roland was baffled by this revelation but there had to be more to it. He didn’t know his older brother too well, but adultery seemed out of character for Robert. Lucienne continued, explaining and it all started making sense. He had not seduced any noble wives and done something different.

“Lucille De Vere? You mean, both of them tried to elope while she was promised to another?”

“Y-yes…”

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“I see… So that’s what those two were up to… ”

It all started making sense. He had not heard from either of them for months now. They had been on the run from Lucille’s father and forces for a while now. However, eventually they were caught and brought back to the De Vere estate. The charges were serious, and Robert was facing severe consequences for his actions.

In this world, nobles took their arranged marriages very seriously. Adultery was a grave offense among the noble houses, often leading to heavy fines, loss of titles, or worse. When they first met, Lucille De Vere’s house was at the level of a viscount. However, due to recent events, they had advanced further and were granted the title of count.

Roland had done some investigating, and it seemed that the De Vere family had been engaged in a rivalry with a competing viscount family for some time, emerging victorious. Their patriarch appeared to be ambitious, and using his daughter to stabilize their newfound position was a strategic move. Roland assumed that they had proposed an alliance with someone influential to solidify their new status as counts.

Then Robert appeared in the picture – a third son of a militaristic Baron who rarely attended the kingdom’s noble gatherings. It was clear which side the new count would take and his older brother was in danger. There was no way of telling what he would decide on, and for some reason, he didn’t think they would stop on a fine. They could use this as a display of might and attempt to punish him to the fullest extent.

“That doesn’t sound good, has Wnetw… I mean, Father attempted to free Robert? Perhaps, he could gain freedom if he agrees to a banishment?”

“Father… he returned to the Kingdom for a few weeks before this incident was known. We haven’t been able to reach him since a skirmish has broken out at the border, it might be weeks or more until the information reaches him.”

“I see.”