***
— What actually happened? Bradomir Bach asked his assistant.
«Those two worthless bitches dared to scold me!» Earl was outraged. «Me, a mid-ranking mage!» Despite the fact that they themselves are useless offspring of a degenerate clan, without magical potential!
Earl Row, although he is not officially a member of the Bach clan, has been serving for his benefit for many years. In addition, like Bradomir, Earl comes from the common people, but in reality, their characters differ significantly.
While the master is proud to have achieved everything with his own talent and work, his assistant cannot stand it when he is reminded that he is supposedly of low birth. For this reason, he never married, and instead of joining any clan, through marriage, he decided to stay and serve his military commander, who more than once helped him out during his years as a mercenary.
«Relax Earl,» Bradomir sighed. — This is temporary, after a while your torment will end.
«If we were at war, I would gladly slaughter this entire clan on the spot!» the aide lamented, his hatred for the clans who held their position not by personal force but by parasitizing on the wealth earned by their ancestors was extremely deep.
«Since you yourself expressed such a desire,» the head of the clan grinned. «Balthazar, give Uncle Earl that thing...»
— You're talking about...
«Yes, yes, about what Aaron told you,» the old man nodded.
«But he said that I personally...
— No, why do you need to do such things, you are a good boy, let your uncle fulfill his cherished desire.
Balthazar hesitated, and then took out a vial of poison from his pocket, which he kept next to him all the time, in order to fulfill the order of his younger brother at the right time.
«Clan Arcer has already filed a complaint, so the investigation will begin tomorrow,» Bradomir explained. «Well, it's time for a show.
The grandson nodded and approached his grandfather's assistant, with his hand outstretched, in which lay a vial of poison.
«Two drops of each before bed,» Balthazar explained. — The effect will appear just in time for the start of the performance.
«Revenge...» Earl grinned, and joked awkwardly. — Mom said that was my first word ...
The assistant took the vial and then left the room, closing the door behind him.
«God, Uncle Earl is so creepy,» said the eldest grandson. — How could you even let such a person near us in childhood, because I rode on his back ...
«He's harmless,» the old man waved him off. — The truth is only for us ...
***
The next day. Anna and Susan Arcer were talking in the guest room.
«We need to get out of here,» said the older sister, Anna. «It is strange that the clan has not contacted us for more than a week, although we were rescued from the clutches of the robbers.
«So you need to find those who ordered the kidnapping,» the younger sister, Susan, disagreed. — Grandfather Bradomir explained everything to us ...
«What the hell, grandpa!?» Anna shouted excitedly. «Are you completely stupid?
«What's wrong, they're good friends with our grandfather...» Susan replied.
The older sister did not know how to react, after all, after years, she seemed to be used to it, but sometimes she was still embarrassed by the hopeless naivety and stupidity of her younger sister.
«It's all nonsense,» Anna waved it off. «I've never heard anything like this in our family, on the contrary, they only spoke badly about the Bach clan ... They are nothing like us, their head is generally an orphan from the peasants ... I will never believe that our grandfather would want to be friends with such a mob.
«So they hid their friendship,» Susan explained, with a smart look.
— These are all the words of this old man, Bradomir, it may well turn out that all this is a lie ...
«Well then, what do you propose to do?» the younger sister asked.
«What else can you do in such a situation... We need to run away and return home, to the clan, as quickly as possible,» said the elder sister.
— In some way, I don't think they will let us go ...
«There's a stable around the corner,» Anna began to explain her plan. Our room is just on the first floor. During breakfast, when the head of the clan and his grandson are in the dining room, we will climb out through the window, and then we will take the horses. I know the way to the house, that old bastard Earl, assistant to the head of the clan, because he recently said that the mansion of our clan is not far away, and you can get there by the road that is beyond the lake.
«What if we get caught again?» Susan asked fearfully.
— This will not happen, because we will go home, along the bypass road, there are rarely anyone there, and the chance of running into robbers is negligible.
***
Standing at the window, in the office of the head of the clan, Bradomir and Balthazar watched as two girls got out of the window, and sneaking into the stable, they found two horses ready for exploitation.
«They bought it,» the old man nodded.
«It was easy,» his grandson said. «Still, we are really suspicious, especially Uncle Earl, I'm surprised that they did not dare to run away earlier.
«Aaron thought of everything,» Bradomir explained. «Until today, there was no idea in their meager minds about how exactly they would return to their clan.
— Yes, and here everything is developing in such a way that here is a chance, reach out your hand, and you are free ...
«That's right,» Grandpa snorted. "Now all that's left is to survive this damned test.
They called it a test? Balthazar chuckled. "Clan Moiser knows how to choose the right words. A search does not sound so pleasant... One might even say repulsive.
Bradomir moved away from the window and sat down at the desk, on which lay various documents.
«Now we can only wait for news from Aaron...
«They won't be here soon, at least a week's journey to our lands,» said the eldest grandson.
The grandfather looked at his grandson, and then shaking his head, said:
"Aaron has not gone to the Uldar Mountains now. And on a visit to our enemies, who do not even know that they will soon face an imminent crisis.
— What? Balthazar was surprised. «But to me he...
«You would have blown yourself up with him, but you are needed here,» Bradomir explained. «While the Moiser clan is conducting their investigation, all the demigods in our family must have alibis. You and I are here, in front of them, and your sister is at the academy, in full view of the offspring of various clans, including the Moiser clan.
«Damn...» the eldest grandson cursed. — When he returns, I will definitely avenge him for deceiving my older brother.
— Alas, he will not return home soon, after the case, Aaron will go to our lands, for a period of at least a year ...