The Twin Mage

The whole thing happened in an odd fashion. Arthur and Morgan received a letter instead of a holo-call, and despite being addressed to them, it was delivered to Nana's house.

Being the host, Nana took the liberty of reading it before handing it to them. She was just concerned about Arthur and Morgan's well-being, of course.

The letter said in perfect penmanship:

"Dear Arthur and Morgan's,

"Thanks again for slaying the monstrous magical beast. You have served the County of Lustria and deserve to be rewarded accordingly. To this end, I would like you to join me in my manor in ten days after receipt of this letter. We have much to discuss. I urge you to contact me as soon as you can via Lady Nerea's communication amulet.

Count Trequill Lark."

"What does this mean? It sounds so serious to almost be ominous. It doesn't seem like something a joyful and spirited person like the Count would write." Arthur asked Nana.

"Hmmm." Nana nodded, eager to avoid the outrageous accusation of being nosey.

"I can smell good news and bad news. The good news is that there isn't anything serious. Despite the somber tone, worthy of a payment order, Lark used a letter. This means it's nothing urgent or important since he could afford to wait for the delivery and the reply. The bad news is that all the above stinks of formality and etiquette. I fear that you are in for a whole day of boredom while attending all the official business regarding your prizes and whatnot. As I always say, little imps, no good deed goes unpunished!"

'That's our line!' Arthur and Morgan inwardly screamed. 'Not only do you open our mail, you even steal our shtick?' Uncharacteristically calm and composed, managing not to ask them any questions about magic, nor did he lose his monocle once during the exchange.

After hearing that Arthur and Morgan's had accepted his invite, he stated that his personal tailor would stop by later to take their measurements, and that he would send his stagecoach on the set date, one hour after dawn in front of Nana's house.

Then, the Count politely but promptly ended the call, saying he had many things to attend to. For Arthur and Morgan, it was like talking to a complete stranger.

The tailor arrived less than an hour later, and he didn't give them any mean look or nasty remark. On the contrary, he somehow recognized them at first glance, complimenting them for their height.

Despite being only eight and a half years old, Arthur and Morgan were already over one meter and thirty-five centimeters (4'6") tall, and in the County of Lustria any person above 1.75 meters (5'9") was considered tall.

"Keep growing up so fast and soon you'll be as tall as the Count, young ones."

After the man left, Nana whistled in surprise. "Good gods, I know him. That's the tailor that personally prepares the clothes for the Lark's family. It's even worse than I thought. This occasion must be something really big, like being invited to a ball kind of big.

"This is one of those rare moments when I'm happy not being part of high society anymore. Prepare yourself for long awkward silences, insufferable small talk, and being shown around like some kind of exotic beasts."

Arthur and Morgan spent the next ten days in their usual routine. Obsessing about Nana's words was pointless since they had already taken those things into consideration when they decided to tighten their relationship with the Count.

"I beg your pardon?" Arthur and Morgan were flabbergasted.

"Dad! How many times have I told you to start explaining things from the beginning, not the end!" Keyla rolled her eyes.

"Yes, yes, my dear. You see, when I was Jadon's age, I got married.

"It was an arranged marriage, meant to join the resources of the Lark and Ghishal households. Back then, both families were in dire straits and needed a way out of the insane debts left by our profligate parents.

"The financial side of the arrangement was a success. Between our combined annuities and selling off residual assets, I had enough capital to invest wisely.

"Long story short, our families went from nearly broke to being two of the wealthiest in the Marquisate. And that's when everything fell apart between us.

"My wife, Koya, had never been kind or lovely to me; we were just business partners.

"We never shared common interests or ideals. At least, until we got our money back, the situation was bearable. Afterward, our marriage became purely for show. We had no intimacy aside from when she asked me to fulfill my marital duties.

"I had four children with her and even tested them with Blood Resonance magic to ensure they were mine. I may be a little airheaded, but I'm not naïve!"

Both Jadon and Keyla blushed deeply.

"Dad! Too much information! Stick to the facts, please. This is embarrassing enough already," Jadon interjected, but the Count was relentless.

"To help us, Arthur and Morgan need to understand what kind of woman we are dealing with, or do you want to underestimate your mother again?"

At those words, Jadon lowered his eyes and sat back down. Arthur and Morgan were intrigued by the Blood Resonance magic but decided to hold their questions for later; the situation was complicated enough.

"Where was I? Oh, yes. After our households recovered financially, Koya became restless. She was obsessed with gaining more titles, annuities, and land. She actively participated in court power games and intrigues, forming alliances to weaken our neighbors and seize their lands.

"But after working hard for over twenty years, I was content. I had four beautiful children, a prosperous household, and a thriving County.

"I wanted to slow down and enjoy the life I had built, expanding influence through honest work instead of underhanded schemes.

"Of course, Koya was furious. Her plotting was useless without my consent. After all, she was married into my family, not the other way around. And since I did all the work, I kept the largest share of the profits.

"Somehow, our constant arguments and mutual spite began affecting our two oldest children. I don't know if it was because they were born when I was too busy to care for them properly, or if they took after their mother more than me. Only the gods know.

"My eldest son, Lorant, started taking his status as my successor for granted. He neglected his duties and spent his time drinking, gambling, and chasing skirts. My second-born, Lyka, had always been a problematic child.

"She was never content with what she had—always wanting more toys, dresses, jewelry. Nothing was ever enough for her. As my fights with her mother continued, Lyka became angrier with everyone and everything, throwing tantrums over the smallest things.

"She began beating the servants almost daily. I lost count of how many ran away from the house because of her. Between Lyka and Lorant, it was like a competition to see who could waste more of my money.

"I tried sending Lorant to military academies, hoping discipline would straighten him out, but he always got dishonorably discharged in months, if not weeks.

"My last resort was giving him a position of responsibility in the household, but he either didn't show up or came dead drunk. When I discovered he was not only deceiving maidens with false promises of marriage but also taking them by force, I decided enough was enough.

"I publicly disowned him, stripping him of titles and annuities, leaving just enough money for an honest life—if he stopped gambling, of course. I warned him that if he defiled another girl, he would be judged like any other scoundrel.

"After that, Koya was outraged. To her, Lorant's crimes were 'boyish pranks' that we should indulge and forgive. But it was the Lark household he was dragging through the mud, and my money he wasted on gambling and loan sharks.

"To make matters worse, my reputation had become that of a corrupt and profligate noble. Even if I lacked any honor, how could I entrust my life's work to someone who would destroy it in a single generation?" Count Lark sayed.