Chapter 26: Mood

Chapter 26: Mood

After his elder brother left, Bran became much quieter, only doing his daily exercises and studies as usual. Several days later, his brother’s two Attendants returned, but they didn’t bring much information, only saying that the two of them had entered the Wasteland.

At noon that day, Bran stood on the 3rd floor platform of the Mountain Villa, looking into the distance, seeming deep in thought. Danny asked, “Missing your brother?”

“No, you know my relationship with them isn’t close, it’s even somewhat distant.”

“Still, they are your brothers.”

“Yes, I’m just a little worried.” Bran hesitated, then continued, “But I’m thinking more about myself.”

“The Duke didn’t plan for you to take part in the Trial.”

“I know. Actually, compared to them, I’ve sensed it all along. The demands on me, the training, and so on.” Bran gave a bitter smile. “I’m far behind them. But one day, I will also hear the call of the Wasteland. What will I do when that day comes?”

“I will leave the Northlands with you. Forever.”

“I knew you’d say that.” Bran said somewhat gloomily, “They will send me away, just as long as I can stay alive. But what about my identity to the outside world? Can I still call myself a Northlander?”

“No.”

“Where do they plan to send me?”

“Where doesn’t matter anymore, but for now, they won’t send you too far away.” Danny smiled.

“I guess I still have some use, huh.”

“Don’t frown at me like that, Danny. I’m not unhappy. This is the Northlands. There are many things here that are just taken for granted. Weak babies might be killed at birth, those with disabilities have no chance of surviving at all. I should actually be grateful that I can live.

I know what people in the castle were saying before. I know how much pressure my parents endured those years, and I also know they love me very much.

I also know the meaning of the Trial for Northlanders. Just look at you. You are so much stronger than my two brothers in terms of power, so strong it’s almost unreasonable. Apart from age, the biggest difference between you and them is that you completed the Adulthood Ceremony.

Power? It can’t be gained out of thin air. There’s always a price to pay.

But, is it worth it?”

Danny fell silent. She remembered her two former Wolf companions. Was that the price? She had made a wish: if she could return alive, she would agree to the Duchess’s request and become the Attendant to her idiot son. Was that also the price? No, at least becoming an Attendant wasn’t. She liked that child. She liked the cleanness about him, the closeness that showed in the ordinary and simple moments, she liked hearing him talk nonsense beside her, she liked it when he shouted ‘Danny!’ She liked this feeling of family. So she affirmed, “If there is a reward, then everything is worth it.”

If there is a reward… Bran thought for a moment. Growth in power after the Adulthood Ceremony? I don’t seem to need that kind of power. It would be nice to have, but it doesn’t matter if I don’t. But from Danny’s expression, it didn’t seem like she was talking about power. Big sister, you should flex your muscles here, give me a hint.

…

Bran felt worried, though this worry was mostly his own speculation. The call of the Wasteland didn’t come at a fixed age, but during an age range. Aside from reasons of Bloodline, why was there this difference?

At first he thought the difference was caused by physical growth, but when he saw his two elder brothers, he dismissed that guess. Now he believed it was due to the combined effect of spirit and body. So he had a premonition that the call from the Wasteland would happen to him earlier, which made him somewhat restless.

“Take me out for a walk every day from now on. Tell me more about things in the wild,” Bran requested.

“Okay. We can bring a few White Wolves in rotation as well. It’s time they got familiar with the surroundings.”

…

When they returned from outside, Bran and Danny discovered a fact: their home had been robbed. This made Bran, who had just been feeling excited, very frustrated.

He wasn’t frustrated about not catching the thief, but about being completely powerless against this thief. From the reaction of the White Wolf left at home, and the fact that the falcon in the sky hadn’t given any alarm, it was definitely someone familiar. He didn’t need to guess to know who it was.

The cause of this incident was that Bran, to relieve his restlessness, or perhaps to convince himself from another angle that power wasn’t important, had made a more ingenious hand crossbow, a repeating hand crossbow. The principle wasn’t complicated; he just added a magazine above the crossbow that could hold 5 bolts in advance. When the lower bolt was shot, the ones above would fall down in sequence. Combined with the crossbow’s cocking device, it could barely be considered a lethal weapon.

With an attitude of ‘you only feel the hurt when there’s a comparison’, Bran, accompanied by Danny, ran to his sister’s Training Ground and showed off for a bit. With Danny acting as his protector, Bran taunted, ‘I just won’t let you touch it,’ and left in high spirits under his sister’s envious and jealous gaze. Unfortunately, instant karma came quickly.

“Danny, I have a question for you.”

“Go ahead.”

“Can you beat my sister’s Attendant?”

Danny kept silent, not intending to humor Bran.

Bran said dejectedly, “I knew it.”

…

Given Bran’s temperament, the thing was taken, so be it. He didn’t really mind that much; it was just a means to adjust his mood. But he didn’t want things to just pass like that, and he really was feeling somewhat anxious lately, so he thought about venting, or rather, finding a target for his frustration.

So Bran, accompanied by Danny, blocked his sister at the castle’s Training Ground. Bran looked at his sister, whose eyes were somewhat evasive, and suddenly his heart softened. Thinking about that Adulthood Ceremony, thinking about the possible risks involved, the words that came to his lips changed: “I originally meant to give it to you. I just shot a few bolts and thought it could still be improved.”

Watching his sister visibly relax, Bran smiled.

“How did you climb that high wall? I bet your Attendant swung you up. Actually, there’s a kind of tool that can help us climb. I’ll make one for you another day.”

…

On the way back, Danny asked with a smile, “When you came, it seemed like you wanted to demand an explanation.”

“I suddenly found I couldn’t bring myself to. Are you unhappy about that?”

“No, this is good. It’s just not very much like the style of a Northlander.”

“Forget about Northlanders.”