Why are these guys welcoming me so warmly? I didn't find out until I finished having dinner with the three brothers after meeting them for the first time in a long while.
"Verdin, do you know why I called you?"
Tony, with a meaningful smile, leaned back in his chair and continued speaking.
"Father is critically ill."
"...?!"
"He has contracted an unknown disease and is unlikely to make it through the year."
This was news to me.
No one had told me about this. Not even DiBerry, who was with me at the Strange mansion.
And it was completely different from when Father died in my previous life, where the reason was due to Brother Hysteria.
'It's certain.'
I had seen Brother Hysteria's sword pierce Father's chest myself.
"Is it the work of the Glazers?"
"No, it happened at the tower. The problem is they haven't found the necessary medicine yet."
"At the tower?"
"I heard it from Mother, so I'm not sure. But suddenly, his limbs stopped responding, and he couldn't regain his strength."
That can't be.
There's no one on the floor where Father is who has abilities related to disease, nor anyone who uses similar curse-type spells.
'What's going on?'
Father, who is currently known as the strongest being on earth, dying in such an absurd way?
'I can't let that happen.'
No matter what, I will be the one to take his head. I deeply regretted not doing so back then.
"So, you called me to the academy to keep this information from leaking outside?"
Tony nodded at my question.
"Yes, no conversations held here will be leaked outside."
"Is it certain that Father is in critical condition?"
"It must be. Mother heard it from the guards who went up the tower with Father."
"Father's guards, huh…."
This is a big problem.
Now that Gunter and Hysteria are gone, if the Glazers find out that Father is in critical condition, they won't stay quiet.
"Verdin."
"Yes."
"I've heard many rumors about you lately. Some of them are exaggerated, some are underestimated. But most of them are hard to believe."
Tony is now ten years old.
Since he left home and lived only at the academy, it was natural for him to not understand the rumors he heard from the outside.
'Things he could never do himself.'
Johnny, who had been listening to the conversation while standing to Tony's left, joined in.
"Verdin, we can't leave the academy right now. Until then, you need to find a way to restrain the Glazers."
What nonsense.
It's not like ambushing a few wizards; you're asking me to restrain the entire Glazer family alone.
I wanted to say, 'Why don't you just tell me to die?' but I didn't bother continuing the conversation.
Just looking at Johnny's mean expression, I knew there was no point in trying to reason with him.
"Ve-Ver-Ver-Verdin, Mother said you should stay here for two days after you arrive."
Ronnie looked at me with trembling eyes. Why is he suddenly acting like this when he used to hunt me down like a rat at the castle?
He's likely the one who will achieve the most growth at the academy among the three brothers.
I looked him over slowly before responding.
"Two days?"
"Yes, it seems like she wants you to at least see how the academy works since you haven't experienced it."
Well, I haven't lived in the academy in this life.
'But.'
There's no need to experience it.
There's nothing for me to learn here, and I don't want to spend time with these guys.
'Wait a minute?'
Father is in critical condition.
The three brothers cannot leave the academy. Katarina sent me here to inform me of this fact.
Why does she want me to know this now?
If Father were really in critical condition and at risk of death, she would have returned home to find a way to overcome the crisis.
'And.'
If she had accepted that Father's death was inevitable due to his illness, she would have been preparing for it.
'But.'
This incident has been kept so secret that even I was unaware of it.
I can understand wanting to hide it from the Glazers, but.
'The Father I know would never choose this method.'
He always chooses to face any crisis head-on.
"Brother."
I looked at Tony.
He pulled his chair closer and leaned towards the table to answer.
"Speak."
"It seems there is a hidden agenda behind this incident."
"Hidden agenda?"
"Yes, think about it. If Father is really in critical condition, and he wanted to tell me about it."
"..."
"Would he have sent me here? Or would he have called the brothers home to find a solution?"
Tony rolled his eyes slowly, then nodded in agreement.
"Now that you mention it, that makes sense."
"It seems someone is trying to put us in danger."
"Who could that be?"
How could I tell you?
The one I suspect is your mother.
"I don't know. But it will take some time to find out."
I looked at Johnny and Ronnie alternately before continuing.
"I will need your help, brothers."
"…Our help?"
* * *
There are too many unbelievable parts to this incident.
Father is critically ill yet doesn't come down from the tower. And Katarina, who sent the three brothers to inform me by calling me to the academy.
"Hmm-"
I lay in the bed provided by the academy and tried to organize my thoughts.
Originally, I had planned not to stay here to avoid fulfilling Katarina's wishes.
'It seems I'll have to use those three as shields for this matter.'
I have no choice but to deeply involve them in this incident over the next two days.
"You idiot, what are you thinking about so deeply? It's obvious who's behind this!"
Siegfried swung his sword through the air as he approached me.
"What do you mean, who's behind this?"
"Who do you think?"
"…Master, who do you think is behind this?"
"It's simple. Your mother is doing something shady to kill your father and drag you into this mess!"
I thought he was foolish, but he's somewhat perceptive.
"And the reason?"
"That's obvious too! You've been making a lot of progress lately. She's probably trying to kill both you and your father and put one of those three idiots as the family head."
"..."
"At this rate, you'll take that position yourself."
Exactly.
It was somewhat humiliating to realize that idiot and I had thought the same thing.
"Meow!"
Brunhilde climbed onto my stomach and rubbed her face against mine.
"Dean, then why do you think Katarina sent you here?"
Brunhilde's question wasn't just out of curiosity. Her expression hinted at trying to tell me something.
'The reason she sent me here.'
That was too simple.
"To keep me away from the Legion."
"Oh, and why would she want to keep you away?"
I haven't figured that out yet. What could she do if I were away for two days?
And she must have anticipated what I would do once I found out.
'No way.'
I turned my gaze to the armor I had worn here. The deep cross of Strange engraved on the back.
"Damn it!"
"Huh? Why are you suddenly like this?"
"That's it. That's why she wanted me away from the Legion."
"Did you figure it out?"
"Yes, the reason I must be away from the Legion now. And if Father is truly ill, what kind of illness he has."
If I hadn't experienced my past life, I would never have known this. It's an atrocity only Katarina could commit.
I immediately took out a palm-sized caterpillar hidden in my clothes and petted its head.
At the same time, the caterpillar, which had been in a deep sleep, shook its head from side to side, signaling to me.
"Rox, find DiBerry immediately and contact the Strange family. Request that as many troops as possible gather at the Legion."
The caterpillar nodded.
"If they ask why, say it's my order. And when they arrive, tell Beth to go straight to the tower and stay with Father until I get there."
Surely, this wasn't a scheme planned by Katarina alone. The imperial family or some unknown forces must be moving with her.
And now, the only person who can stop them is me.
"Master."
"Yes?"
"Sorry, but it seems you'll have to fight once."
"Fight? Me? If you want me to descend, it's a piece of cake! Ehem!"
Siegfried boasted as he swung his sword through the air. I shook my head from side to side and answered him.
"No, I don't mean descending. It seems it's time for you to fight directly."
"…What do you mean?"
"There's no other guardian spirit stronger than you in our family, is there?"
"That's right."
"Then, can you defeat all my brothers' guardian spirits?"
"That's a piece of cake!"
As he answered my question, he looked at me blankly, as if realizing something.
"You don't mean…"
"Not all of them. Just handle one of them for me."
* * *
The task Verdin asked the three brothers to do was very simple.
Guard against anyone approaching, without exception.
Even if they carry the Strange name.
'We don't know who's an enemy or an ally right now, so be cautious.'
The three brothers agreed.
'If Father is truly in critical condition, we are the ones who protect Strange, not just me. Understood, brothers?'
The command Verdin issued as a 'request' and the seed of suspicion planted deep in their minds grew, making them wary of everyone.
Even their fellow academy students, with whom they had shared classes, were not allowed close.
At this point, the three brothers didn't know.
How painful it would be to be on guard against an unknown enemy and to suspect someone.
"Did Instructor Philip say he's looking for me?"
Tony, who had been practicing swordsmanship alone in the training ground, tilted his head.
Philip wasn't his instructor, so he didn't know why he was being sought out.
'Could it be…'
Is this the movement of the unknown force Verdin mentioned? Had they already reached within the academy?
Johnny nodded.
"Yes, it was an unfamiliar name, so I asked the gatekeeper, and he said he's the alchemy instructor."
"Why does he want to see me?"
"I don't know. But I heard before that someone who learned alchemy from Mother is here."
"Really?"
"Yes, I think it might be Instructor Philip. There's only one alchemy instructor here."
Tony thought for a moment, then sheathed his sword.
Click.
"…Go fetch Ronnie. We'll go together, just in case."