Chapter 618 – Brothers Bonding.

Large doors swung open as an armored man pushed them aside. For a moment, Arthur looked at the person seated inside. It was his older brother Julius, a man he had only glimpsed during his previous stays in the palace. Their age difference was nearly ten years, and they had always lived in separate worlds.

Arthur had been treated as a prisoner, confined to illusory spaces under the pretense of safety. His mother was occasionally allowed to go outside, but even that stopped as the attempts on her life grew more frequent. During the rare gatherings of nobles, Arthur saw his older brothers, yet none of them ever showed any interest in him or spoke to him.

Most of his memories from those events were of sitting quietly in a corner, waiting for the evening to end. For a child who only wanted to play and have fun, it was painfully dull. Now, the most distinguished of his brothers sat before him. Julius was considered a strong candidate to become the next Duke, though because of their father’s distrust of the church, Theodore’s chances were also substantial.

“Ah!”

Julius sat at a table with a teacup in his hand. When the doors opened, he looked up and saw his younger brother. To Arthur’s surprise, a smile appeared on Julius’s face. The two had never been close, but after the recent incident with the cultists, their relationship had grown a little warmer.

“Good day, Brother Julius.”

Arthur entered the room awkwardly, unsure how to behave. He tried to offer a small bow, the kind nobles of lower rank gave to those above them. During the cult attack, he had not been as courteous and had even given orders to people above his status, but now the situation was different. Before he could finish the gesture, Julius raised his hand to stop him.

“There is no need for that, Arthur. We are brothers and comrades in arms.”

Arthur straightened his posture, uncertain whether Julius’s warmth was genuine or a carefully constructed act. If he had met with him before visiting his mother, he would have been overjoyed by this treatment, but now he was unsure what to think. It was possible that his brother or Lady Aurelia had caused his mother harm. If that were true, he would have to seek revenge, and Julius would become his enemy.

“I see. Then, Brother Julius…”

“Just call me Julius.”

“I… fine then, Julius. Why did you want to see me?”

It seemed his brother wanted to grow closer to him, and Arthur was not in a position to refuse. He was also interested in gaining new allies and gathering information. If Julius was an enemy, earning his trust would make it easier to learn more about him. For now, Julius appeared sincere and seemed capable of setting aside old grievances and matters of rank. He did not seem like a bad person, so Arthur decided to give him the benefit of the doubt for the time being.

The air inside Julius’s chamber carried a faint scent of rose oil. Sunlight filtered through the stained glass, scattering colored patterns across the table where several religious symbols lay beside a map of the area.

“First of all.”

Julius began as he poured another cup of tea.

“Congratulations on gaining Father’s favor. That is no small feat. But you should be careful of Theodore. He will probably not let this matter rest.”

“I’m sure he won’t, but I don’t intend to let him either.”

“Haha, that’s my younger brother!”

Julius seemed genuinely happy as he spoke with Arthur, which surprised him.

“Regrettable, so regrettable.”

Julius said, leaving Arthur confused.

“What is regrettable?”

“It is regrettable that this is the first time I am having a real conversation with my own brother. We should have done this long ago…”

Arthur was not sure what to make of it. If Julius was lying, he hid it well. His brother seemed truly regretful about how their relationship had unfolded. As the firstborn, Julius carried favor but also many responsibilities. His training to become a paladin of Solaria took him away from the main island for a time, and during his absence, Theodore managed to catch up.

“What’s done is done. There is no use dwelling on the past when we have the future ahead of us.”

“Haha, well spoken!”

Julius replied warmly and leaned back. The two exchanged small talk as they tried to make up for lost time, but eventually Julius revealed why he had taken time out of his day to speak with Arthur.

“Tell me, Arthur, are the rumors of the sacred beast in your city true?”

“Ah? The Sunlight Wolf? Yes, it exists.”

It seemed that Arthur would need to thank his friend once again, as the icebreaker turned out to be Agni, his tamed beast. To him, it was just a normal creature, but to the Church it was a bearer of good fortune and something sacred that should be protected. He was not sure why, yet it did not matter. Having Julius on his side was worth far more. If they grew closer, he would also have a chance to meet Lady Aurelia, who even if she proved innocent, might still shed light on other potential suspects such as Lady Layla, Celeste, and Scarlet.

“Would… could I see it?”

Julius sounded rather bashful, as if he was not used to asking people for favors. His brother’s voice carried an almost boyish curiosity. For a moment, Arthur forgot his doubts and saw not a rival or a schemer but simply a curious brother.

“If you ever visit Albrook, I’ll arrange it.”

“Is it truly possible, just like that?”

“I don’t see why not. It is the tamed monster of my Knight Commander. You’ve met him already.”

“Him again? Where did you find a man with such talents?”

Arthur chuckled, unsure how to answer the question. In truth, he had done very little himself and had been carried forward mostly by Roland’s brilliance. In the latest incident, people had confused Roland’s plans with his own and believed Arthur was responsible for everything, not the runic craftsman. Yet, with Roland’s blessing, he kept silent and accepted most of the praise.

“I was just in the right place at the right time.”

“Hah, some say that good luck is a skill too!”

“Some do say that.”

The two laughed and continued talking about Albrook. Arthur was not surprised that his brother was already informed about the Solarian Order of Paladins that had made Albrook their home. With his arrival, more people would likely take interest in the city, so there was no reason for him to refuse this request. He was unsure what he could ask as a reward, but Julius had already offered something.

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“Splendid. Perhaps after I visit your city, you would like to visit mine. I will show you the fruits of unbroken faith in the goddess.”

His brother was something of a zealot, and his territory contained a great number of churches and places of worship. It was a good idea to visit other regions across the island to see what he was dealing with, although traveling always carried its risks.

“I will keep that in mind. When I am free, I will be sure to come and visit.”

“Haha, I will be sure to remind you later.”

Julius chuckled softly, then turned his gaze toward the map.

“Regretfully, I think we will have to conclude matters here. Father has been distant lately, and the other nobles are still in discussion.”

“Indeed.”

Arthur rose from his chair as the two concluded their business and agreed to meet later in Albrook. Their father remained as distant as ever and seemed more interested in the affairs of the island than in speaking to his sons, who had just survived a life-and-death encounter. Only a few trusted high nobles still stayed in the palace, conducting strategy meetings to which the brothers were not invited.

“Oh, and before you leave.”

Julius glanced toward one of the maids standing nearby. She stepped forward, carrying several sealed scrolls bearing the Duke’s crest.

“It seems Father finally remembered your existence. These are the official documents for the stewardship of Aldbourne. You are its legitimate lord now, deed and all. No more arguments from Theodore or the others.”