His Crime

*sigh*...

Bria, what's up?

It is nothing important.

Is there something on your mind? You can talk to me about anything.

Aldo...

I appreciate it. The truth is...

Oh, never mind! Forget about it...

Come on... Spill it. If it's a difficult problem, then maybe I can think of a way to help.

Really? Thank you very much... The truth is... I REALLY want to go to Unigan.

Unigan? We were just there catching that thief remember. But if that's where you wanna go, then let's go.

W-Wait! This time is different!

Huh? What do you mean?

*clears throat* This time... Umm... There is this man...who I am... Kind of worried about...

There's a man you're worried about?

Y-Yes. I started thinking about him and I just could not stop worrying.

Oh my! That is not what I meant to say! I honestly do not care at all about him.

Bria, could it be that you...

......

Got it. Let's go to Unigan right now!

What?! Like, right now?!

Just looking at you, I think we'd better go see this man right away.

Eh... O-Okay... Onward to Unigan.

Let's go!

So Bria... Where's this guy you're so worried about?

He is usually in Miglance Castle, but...

Then why don't we walk around the castle and ask some people about him. Somebody should know where he is.

That sounds like a great idea. The castle should be...

Hey, did you hear the word on the street?

About what?

About that troublemaker... About Breeno!

What about Breeno? Did something happen to him?

This is just between you and me, but...

He's got himself wrapped up in some terrible things.

What the, ?!

What does that mean?

I don't know much about what's going on, but... My friend heard him speaking to this other guy!

Don't you have any idea of what they were talking about?

Nothing on my end... I haven't heard anything bad happening. But come to think of it, he does often leave in the middle of training drills.

So that's when he goes somewhere to do something nefarious, right?!

Are they talking about Breeno of the Order?

There is definitely some misunderstanding going on here!

Breeno? I can't imagine him doing anything wrong! Those were just rumors...

There is surely something wrong about those rumors!

Bria?!

Aldo, it is about time that we went to the castle. Maybe we can get some clarity on what is going on there...

All I did was worry, and worry, and worry some more... Darn it... I should have come sooner.

Wait a second... The person you were worried about was...

Huh? I told you, did I not? I was talking about Breeno.

Breeno?

He was often misunderstood as a child... We would get into heated discussions all the time. I do not think I worry about him any more than others though.

So you knew Breeno since you were kids?

Well, I suppose you can say it that way. It is kind of to be expected.

What do you mean by that?

You see... Breeno is my little brother.

H-He is your little brother?!

Really?!

He was often misunderstood as a child... We would get into heated discussions all the time. I do not think I worry about him any more than others though.

So you and Breeno have known each other since you were kids?

It would be strange if I did not know him. Because you see... He is my kid brother.

D-Did you just say he's your kid brother?!

That is right. Even our names are somewhat similar.

You're right, now that I think about it. It all makes sense now! Why didn't I make the connection before?

Which means the pendant we used before was from him!

Yes, my kid brother gave it to me when I left our village. I cannot allow him to be blamed for things he has not done. Aldo, could we investigate these rumors a little further?

Of course!

Apparently, rumors are spreading within the Order. I think it is about time that we asked around Miglance Castle about these rumors.

Sounds like a plan.

You're not the only one worried about your brother.

You're not the only one worried about Breeno.

Can I ask you one thing?

What is it?

I am not really that worried about my brother. As his older sister, this is a matter of family honor. That is why I am serious about this. That is all I wanted to say.

......

Bria... You really are a kind sister. You're just looking out for your little brother.

What, !

Now let's go ask around and find out what's going on!

W-Wait! Aldo!

Hmm... Maybe we can ask that knight over there.

Oh... Him?

He might know something.

Let us go ask him.

What?!

Wh-What the, ? We didn't even call him over...

Are you two the new mercenaries who were summoned to the castle?

Huh? You mean...

Yes, we are.

What?!

Be quiet! Just play along.

Oh, sure. I got it.

Excuse me, did I make a mistake?

No, you are correct. We are the new mercenaries. Do you have some work for us?

Well, if you've been to the castle before, maybe you know who I'm talking about but... Have you heard of a man named Breeno?!

No, I cannot say that I have.

Huh?!

Umm...

N-Nope, I haven't heard of him either.

......

Well well! You might say this guy's a bit of a bad egg.

He's always got this serious look on his face and has absolutely no personality. He's been up to no good!

Huh? Did you say something?

That is just surprise. Could you tell us any more details?

Oh, that's right! Just the other day, he left right in the middle of our training drills. I thought it was odd, so I followed him.

That guy, Breeno, he went into the knights' quarters and guess what?

He started rummaging through our stuff without asking!

Wait, what?!

He must have been looking to see if we had anything valuable in the room. He'll be stealing our stuff before long!

Oh, I see... We cannot allow that, can we? This is most definitely a deviant act.

Huh?!

This man, Breeno, sounds to be more of a rogue than I expected. He is definitely up to no good. That is what I believe but...

Don't you get it? That's the truth. That guy also abandoned his friends while on a mission and ran away. And he forced a woman to confess in front of everyone by threatening her! He's just a deplorable man!

If he is indeed the evil man you claim he is... Then he cannot be forgiven! One who commits such inhumane deeds must be stopped!

B-Bria?!

I can feel the angry welling up within me. How can that man be so vile? I will make this evil doer pay. Is that what you want?

Really?! My dreams have come true! Breeno was dispatched to Rinde on the mission suddenly. He is a dark elf just like yourself. You should be able to spot him easily.

Thank you for the information. Wish us luck!

W-Wait for me, Bria!

......

Haha... It's laughable to think she doesn't know him. But what will she do about her little brother's terrible crimes?

Bria!

Yes, Aldo?

What are you going to do now? You were just telling him what he wanted to hear, right? Shouldn't we talk to more people in the castle about Breeno?

Actually... That will not be necessary.

Huh?

Now that he has been proven guilty, it is unnecessary to prove his innocence.

H-Hold up. You didn't really believe what that knight told you, did you?!

Of course I did. Do you think he would make all that up?

It is deplorable to think that my kid brother did all those terrible things.

You've gotta be kidding me! There's no way that Breeno could have done those things. You said so yourself!

I said that, but things have changed now that I heard his testimony. I did want to believe my brother, but I cannot treat him differently just because he is family. That would not be fair.

Bria!

This could get ugly if it comes to blows. He is a crafty opponent even for me.

Aldo, let me tell you his weakness, then you can use it during the battle.

Come on, I have no intention of fighting him...

Nrgh...

Aldo...

Eh?!

Listen. Then fight. Otherwise, I will cut you down without a second thought.

Well then, it is about time we made our way to Rinde. We have to stop that rogue...

There you are, Breeno. I heard you were here for work. Have you already finished?

I was just thinking about you, big sister. I just finished up here. I had to save a family from a monster that appeared on the Serena Coast.

That is quite admirable.

Does he work for you or something?

I'm Aldo. Bria and I travel around together.

I see... Well, thank you for taking care of my big sister for me.

This is not the time for pleasantries, Breeno.

You've got a serious look on your face right now. What kind of trouble did you bring me?

I was just thinking about you, big sister. And Aldo, you're here too. I just finished up here. I had to save a family from a monster that appeared on the Serena Coast.

That is quite admirable.

Breeno...

You look like you smell something bad. What kind of trouble did you bring me?

You know all about this, right? Breeno...

I will... Ah... Ah... I got it... ...Ah...

Huh?

Ah-chooowwy!

B-Bria! Are you okay?!

Oh, sister... You've still got that weird sneeze?

Oh, be quiet. Listen to what I have to say.

I heard from one of the knights in the castle that you were rummaging through the knights' things. Then instead of helping a woman, you forced a confession from her by threatening her. It seems that you are just doing as you please.

I see... So rumors are spreading around the castle like some kind of pest. I'm disappointed. You really don't believe your own flesh and blood?

There is no reason to treat this mission any differently just because we share the same blood. Only the truth matters.

Hmph... So that's how it is.

Aldo, how about you? Do you think I'm capable of doing all those things?

Huh?! Well I...

......

I do not need to hear anything else.

Breeno, are the rumors true?

This has nothing to do with you. Please don't get involved in this.

Is that all you have to say?

If you cannot defend your actions, then as a member of the elven people and your sister, I will take you in. Due to the mistakes of our ancestors, our family became dark elves. That is why we must maintain our pride and discipline. You understand the consequences of your actions. En garde!

This isn't good...

I've got just as much pride as you do, but there's something I must do. If you stick your nose in my business, then don't be surprised by the consequences.

Bring it on!

When you were just a child, I taught you as much as I could. You have certainly gotten stronger since then. Rest in peace, Breeno...

......

Ha-Hu-Hu-Ha... Hahahahaheehee!

Who's there?!

Marvelous! You two performed more spectacularly than I thought! Thank you for removing this bothersome fool!

You are that knight from the castle! What is the meaning of this?!

*snicker* You poor thing. Let me explain everything to you.

Breeno was sniffing around trying to figure out what my companions and I were up to. We couldn't have him interfering with our plans, and so we needed him out of the picture.

Who and what are you talking about?

......

Everything I said to you back at the castle was a complete lie! How pathetic are you?!

Just you wait, !

Don't get angry at me. You're the ones who killed him. All I did was nudge things along by spreading some rumors. But even I couldn't have anticipated that his own sister would be the one to do the deed!

You monster... You led us along this whole time!

We both lied, did we not? You told me that you didn't know who Breeno was. But we knew long ago that Breeno had a sister. I knew who you were from the beginning. And you, what was with your terrible acting? I had to keep myself from laughing the whole time!

Ugh!

The reason you lied was that you were ashamed of your brother. You understood that you needed him out of the picture. I just took advantage of the situation. After all, there's nothing that elves value more than order and discipline.

Darn it!

You coward!

Well then, it's about time I go tell the Order about what you did. It'll be a tragic story of an innocent knight killed by his own sister and her accomplice.

......

Are you enjoying yourself?

What's that?

Hey big sis', how much longer do we have to listen to this jerk? I'm feeling rather good since absolutely everything went according to plan.

Huh? But I watched you die!

What a shame, I guess I went too easy on him. You were so eager to speak, we did not wish to interrupt.

Could you at least pretend to be a bit more concerned about me? I had to pretend to be dead for a while.

Breeno, are you alright? I really didn't wanna hurt you.

Don't worry, just a few scratches here and there.

How can you be alive?! I saw you, !

You underestimated the connection that my sister and I have. We've had our own secret way of communicating since we were children.

We will never forget these secret cues for as long as we live. And let us not forget your excellent performance, Aldo.

Well, I kind of messed up there in the castle...

Maybe, but you made up for that by listening to me later.

Well...

Aldo, let me tell you his weakness, then you can use it during the battle.

Come on, I have no intention of fighting him...

Nrgh...

Aldo...

Eh?!

You really surprised me when you hit me in the stomach like that.

Sorry, Aldo. I had to get close enough to tell you the plan without raising suspicions. You know I really would not try to hurt you, right?

It sounds like it got the job done though.

......

Darn it! I should have seen through that!

Well, it is all over. Come along now. We are turning you into the Order!

No...

Do not even think about!

Guagh!

You cannot run from us!

Let's all return to Unigan together. We can catch up on the way there.

Son of a sub, !

Do not waste your breath. Any one of us is far stronger than you. Come on, it is time for us to return to Unigan.

I'm glad they believed us and your name has been cleared, Breeno.

My reputation, good or bad, means little to me.

Do not say such things! I do not want to imagine a situation where everyone thinks you are some kind of monster!

I-I mean, as a member of your family.

Is that so...

Hahaha! Bria was really worried about you this whole time.

She must be so relieved that you understood those cues. I had no idea what they were supposed to mean so I was really nervous. She just told me that everything would be okay.

Oh yeah, about the cue...

It was just her sneeze.

J-Just her sneeze?

Really Aldo? You thought that I normally sneeze like that?

U-Ummm... You don't?

Of course not. That is the cue that we decided on when we were kids.

I had no idea!

If something were wrong on Breeno's end, then he would have done the same sneeze.

You would've sneezed like that, Breeno?

Let's just stop this conversation there.

By the way Bria, what brought you to Unigan? You're not here with the other Order of the Fleareth members, are you?

Oh well you see, Bria said that she just had to...

W-We just happened to be in town! Just some business, that is all.

Huh?!

...... Just business...

Yup. We just were in town. Nothing personal at all. Conversation over. Come on, Aldo! Time to make our rounds in another town!

Really? And here I was enjoying catching up with Breeno.

No rest for the wicked. Hurry up! Well then, Breeno. Take care of yourself!

You too, Bria.

Well... Maybe I'll happen to be in the area where the Fleareth are getting together. Until then, take care.

...... J-Just do not interfere with our work.

Understood.

See you again.

Until next time.

Those two just really don't like showing their feelings.

But I think deep down, they understand each others true feelings. I'm glad everything worked out.