Chapter 29: Conversation

Chapter 29: Conversation

After Bran left, his sister started to complain: “What a miser.”

The mother frowned slightly and denied it: “No, he is not a miser at all.”

“How is he not a miser?”

“Look at all the equipment on you now. Which piece isn’t made by Bran?”

“Not at all! I asked him a few times, and he just ignored me.”

“You. Actually, all the equipment for the people here has been readjusted by Bran. It’s just that the better the material, the more obvious the effect. You can ask Danny.”

“She’s his attendant, of course she would side with him.”

“You can also ask your own attendant, Lisha.”

When the sister turned her head to her attendant Lisha, she saw Lisha nod affirmatively.

“You are always careless and don’t notice the small details. Your brother now has increasingly microscopic perception over his abilities, and his understanding of weapon s goes deeper and deeper. Weapons that seem unchanged actually have very significant changes in their details. Now when he uses his abilities, it’s completely silent. When he takes a sword to examine it, he might already be quietly adjusting it, and you are still kept in the dark.

Haven’t you felt that it’s easier to exert force when you swing and slash? It seems you thought your martial skills improved again.

Our weapons and equipment have actually been adjusted by him according to our habits. Weapon-making always struggles to make finer adjustments for individuals. Personal habits, arm length, the balance of the blade—many times we are the ones adapting to our weapons.

Now your brother trains with us and then makes subtle adjustments to the weapons based on our characteristics. Very keen observational skills.”

“He’s still an idiot who can’t remember people,” the sister muttered softly.

“Lily! Do you really think your brother can’t remember people? When he custom-makes weapons for the Knights, he faces the materials and the Knight’s name. How does he tailor the weapons? All the Knights in the Castle demonstrated their proud martial skills in front of him, but that was when the Mountain Villa was being built. After the Mountain Villa was completed, he never spent time alone with any Knight again.

Is it possible he can’t remember people? Your so-called idiot brother has been pretending to be foolish. He probably remembers more clearly than anyone else.”

The Madam sighed, “He just isn’t used to socializing, doesn’t really want to get close to others, so he comes up with all sorts of strange excuses. Many times, when he is rejected, he just pats his bottom and leaves, seeming not to care, but has there ever been a time when he truly didn’t care? Your brother just uses the wrong methods.

Your brother is someone who loves cleanliness so much. All his things are placed neatly and orderly, never messy. But this time, he just piled the jewelry in a box and carried it over. Don’t you find that strange?

He intentionally created an opportunity so that we could casually take a few pieces. For him, it’s an interesting game.”

“So you took the whole box of jewelry. You are too cunning, Mom.” The others also showed expressions of admiration, only Xirui seemed not to understand.

“Actually, this kind of little game has been going on for a while. Whenever he wants to give you something, he shows it off in front of you first, then puts it in a place where you have to use a little cleverness to get it. Or he pretends to accidentally forget it somewhere, letting everyone search for it, saying whoever finds it keeps it, and he watches from the side as you siblings rummage around…”

“So are the weapons in this room also like that?” Lily asked, her eyes shining.

“No, this place is too tidy. He probably didn’t expect me to come in here. Actually, I was really curious about what he was hiding in this room. It’s truly astonishing,” the Madam remarked with feeling.

“Look at those jewelry boxes on the table against the wall over there. Open them layer by layer, and I guarantee they are sorted and placed neatly and orderly. That child’s own things are always like that, but with things he intends to give away, he starts putting them in disorder.”

“Don’t look like you’ve been tricked. There is at least one weapon here that your brother prepared for you.”

“How do you know?” Lily looked completely unconvinced.

“Just now, your brother called out that there were two Short Blades for when your younger sister grows up. It’s not possible he only prepared for the younger sister and not the older sister.”

“Hah, I don’t believe it. He has always been much better to our younger sister than to anyone else.”

“You two were very close when you were little. He wouldn’t talk to anyone else then, but when you were alone with him, he would say some strange things, and you would run and tell us that our brother was talking…

At first, your father and I didn’t believe it, but later we secretly watched a few times and found he really was talking to you in strange words no one else understood. You were very close when you were little. For a while, you could even say a few strange words yourself. When asked what they meant, you said they were stories from your brother. Back then, as soon as the sun rose, you would run to find your brother, saying you wanted to hear a story.

Later, when you reached the age to start training, your relationship gradually drifted apart. And when you also started calling him an Idiot, he began to stand alone at the Castle gate in a daze, ignoring everyone.

Actually, he has always remembered. When he gives gifts to others, there is always a portion for you, which then reaches your hands through various ways—whether you boldly snatch it or secretly take it, he always manages to make sure you get it in the end.

If he didn’t want to give it to you, why would he make an extra portion and make sure you see it?”

At this point, the Madam lifted her wrist, revealing the bracelet Bran gave her, and showed a faint smile: “He said he has always remembered. All of it.”

She sighed and looked at her daughter again: “It’s just that you forgot.”

…

“Danny, you’ve been following Bran for a while now. You must have heard him tell stories. Tell us one, any one.”

Danny thought of the various birds, beasts, and Monsters Bran painted on the Manor wall and explained first: “Bran said every bird, every beast, every Monster on the wall has its own story. Back then, every time he finished painting one, he would tell a story. At first, only Huahua listened when he told them. I only noticed later.”

Danny began with “A long, long time ago…”

Then, Lily said something with a strange expression and in a voice no one could understand, and then waved her hand, signaling Danny to continue.

The Madam glanced at her daughter with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.

…

In the evening, Bran sat on the guardrail at the top of the Mountain Villa slope, lost in thought. His sister came over and said something in a strange language. Bran looked at his sister in surprise and replied with a sentence. Then the siblings began, one after another, from awkwardness to gradually smoother, talking to each other.

Bran looked at the girl before him, as if seeing the little one from back then who claimed to be his Sister, sternly lecturing him to behave. Then, he began to tease the little girl using Chinese. Gradually, that little girl could also babble along with him for half a day. Then he started telling the child stories. Children all love to hear stories, don’t they?

Bran reached out and ruffled his sister’s hair. In return, his sister extended her two claws and gave his head a thorough, fierce rubbing.

Little Xirui, standing not far away and seeing this scene, also wanted to join in, but her mother gently held her back. She could only stand by her mother’s side, watching with envy.