Volume 1. Chapter 14 The Problem That Befell Zein

The sound of the door was heard.

"I'm home, mother..."

“Uh, Vail? Where is Zein?" Julian didn't see Zein come back with Vail.

"Isn't Zein with the two of them?" Vail told his adoptive mother to remind her that Zein was with Rii and Cini.

“How you Vail, didn't say you would be at the royal palace after finishing things.” Cini scolds Vail for acting relaxed.

"I'll be back, Mother," Vail, who realized this, immediately rushed to the palace to pick up Zein.

"Zein is a stranger to the palace, how can he be accepted inside?" Vail said this in his heart.

“Vail!”

Hearing Rii's voice, he immediately stopped and looked behind. Rii and Cini succeeded in following their adoptive mother's request to help Vail look for Zein.

They arrived in front of the palace, but they saw that the palace security was very tight.

"Mr. Rabe..." the soldier came, and whispered something to Rabe who held the position of head soldier in place of Nor.

"Go back to your place," Rabe ordered the soldier to return to his position.

"Yes sir." The soldier left and returned to where he was assigned.

"You are really lucky, found a partner who doesn't betray you," Rabe informed.

"I already said, my younger brother is not —"

“All the thieves we caught said what you said, to get forgiveness.” Rabe interrupted Clara's words, and immediately went out to catch the thief's partner.

Clara tries hard to calm Zein who is imprisoned alone, because he was accused of stealing royal treasures. By the soldiers on guard inside the palace, she saw Zein who seemed to be looking for something.

Outside the palace, three of them faced all the soldiers who blocked their way into the palace.

“As far as dodging a sword slash, you sure are great.” Rabe flashed a sword from behind the palace wall just as Vail stepped in.

“Can't you differentiate between evil and good intentions?” Vail managed to avoid the sword slash by jumping backward.

"We only came to bring our younger brother Zein," Vail informed.

"We have arrested your partner and are in prison, but you are really stupid... so confident in attacking the palace, to save your partner," Rabe said confidently.

"Thief?" Rii was surprised by the words of the chief soldier.

“Rii, Cini. Can you immediately move there? I will take care of them," Vail asked the two of them, to save Zein and free him without having to wait any longer.

Rii and Cini, who felt guilty and annoyed, immediately did what Vail said.

“Zein!” Rii who had moved to prison hugged his younger brother, and apologized for negligence as an older brother.

"Where are you from--"

"That's not important, for now, we'll go..." Cini stopped what him was saying, suddenly annoyed.

"What— " Clara fell silent as Cini hit the prison bars.

Rii looked at Clara, and she was also annoyed.

“Zein, everything is fine. Now can you stop crying?” Clara asked her younger borther to not cry anymore.

“Clara, who gave you magic?” Cini asked in an angry voice.

“No one gave—”

"Answer!" Cini snapped.

Clara cried because of Cini's yelling... Rii asked Cini not to get emotional.

"l'm sorry C--"

"I do not care!" Clara became annoyed and ran away from them.

“Why are you adding to the problem? I understand what you mean, but there's no need to yell at her.” Rii rebuked Cini's actions.

"Even though that's not what I meant..." Cini regretted his actions.

“You can apologize later, leave the rest to Vail. Moreover..." Rii told Cini that the sudden action of the two of them provoked the desire of all the prisoners to be free.

“I beg you, let me out of this prison.” Said one of the many criminals who were imprisoned.

“Get you guys out of here? What do we— ” Cini stopped what his was saying.

“Alright, I'll get you all out of prison without asking too many questions. Please all of you hold each other, no matter what it is as long as you are connected.”

“You will be able to move in with us,” Cini told all the criminals.

All prisoners hold each other's hands or shoulders, because the prison is not provided with partitions or is not separated. Makes it easier for Cini not to teleport repeatedly.

All the prisoners found themselves in a place with lots of tall trees.

“We're all going out?” one of the prisoners still doesn't believe it.

"We have fulfilled your request, the rest is in your hands," Rii informed.

They thought cunningly, to invite Rii and Cini into their group.

"Zein, let's go home." Cini and Rii teleported again to bring Zein home.

Julian, who was contemplating at the dinner table, was so worried about her children. Not long after, she heard the sound of the door and Zein's voice calling.

"Mother!" Zein ran to hug his mother.

"Zein, mom is glad you're okay." Julian also hugged her son with a mixture of sadness and relief.

"What are you doing? Mom is worried about you." Julian expressed concern.

"The king invited us to play at the palace." Zein tried to lie, he did this because didn't want his mother to be angry or something like Cini did.

"Rii, Cini, where are Clara and Vail?" Julian just realized that there were no other two children.

"Two of them still have business with the king." Rii lied to his mother.

“They'll both be a little late for dinner,” Cini told adoptive mother and also lied.

At the castle, Rabe and the palace soldiers are still trying to capture or kill Vail.

"There's no point in you continuing to dodge, the power of the ring given from—"

“Stop it!”

"King…"

Knowing their king was coming, both Rabe and the other soldiers stopped to capture Vail.

“I'm sorry, king.” Rabe apologized, feeling he had disturbed.

"I was told by Miss Clara that there was a commotion outside the palace, Rabe, what have you done?" The king was so angry.

Clara appeared from behind King Ligt with a very gloomy face looking down.

“Mr Vail, I apologize for any misunderstandings so far.” The king apologized for the mistakes of all his soldiers.

"As long as Zein and Clara are fine, I don't mind it." Vail accepted so sincerely.

"While you're here, there's something I want to say."

"I understand, please come in, Mr. Vail." King Ligt thought, Vail would sue for all the trouble he had caused.

Clara was passed by Vail, she became increasingly contemplative. She was shocked and couldn't believe that Vail would call her name and ask to come along.

"Before starting, Mr. Rabe...could you take off and give me the red gem ring?" Vail asked him.

“If this can atone for my mistakes, I will give it freely.” Rabe took off the ring and gave it to Vail.

Vail who received the ring, immediately destroyed it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be malicious or revenge. But that ring absorbs the essence of life." Vail told the effect of the ring.

“Esisen of life!?” Rabe was surprised. He was indirectly helped, and Vail's actions saved his life.

"Does it have anything to do with age?" King Ligt was so curious.

"It depends on when Mr. Rabe owned and used it, because what I saw...the ring takes years of the user's life to make a powerful attack," Vail tells it more clearly.

"I feel helped, Mr. Vail, Miss Clara...forgive my previous actions." Rabe was so lucky and immediately apologized to Clara.

“…..” Clara accepted Rabe's apology. Even though he didn't reply, Rabe felt helped by Clara's kindness in forgiving him.

“Okay, so what do you want to say, Mr. Vail?” The king was very curious about his affairs. He still thinks Vail will sue.

"Can you help us in looking after the business, that our adoptive mother will run?" Vail informed.

“You guys want to open a business?” The king was a little surprised by Vail's words.

"We or more precisely, I want Miss Julian to have a restaurant business. Then, I want to get a letter from the Gerna kingdom to avoid unwanted things." Vail asked the King, to make a letter of protection from the Gerna kingdom, for the welfare of the business that his adoptive mother would run.

"And, I also wanted to say that Clara will no longer work here starting today."

"I understand, I will make documents for the restaurant right now." The king understood Vail's actions.

"There's no need to rush, the three of us still have business with you tomorrow."

"It's almost past dinner time, I'd better take Clara home immediately."

"We both excuse ourselves, King, and mr. Rabe."

Vail came out carrying Clara who was still wearing maid clothes. Vail walked towards Clara by holding one of Clara's hands.

“Clara, did something happen to you?” Vail dared to start talking.

“……” Clara who was being led, was still silent.

"His hand, why does it feel warm?" In her heart, Clara was confused by Vail's suddenly warm hand.

“Felt hot?” Vail wanted to be sure.

“Not at all, but why are Big Brother's hands so warm and comfortable.” Clara was curious about, she was feeling right now.

"I used harmony magic to neutralize the magic in you," Vail informed.

“Magic inside me?” Clara was curious, she remembered how Cini was angry and shouted at her.

“There's no need to think about it, as long as you don't let go of this grip. Before you get home, the magic on you will disappear." Vail said again.

"Clara... as an outsider, you have nothing to say if it's hard to say." Vail tried to understand.

"And, can you keep this a secret from mother?" Vail asked Clara to keep what previously happened a secret.

“I'll do it, so can you let go of my hand?” Clara got better again.

Vail laughed, seeing Clara's quick change of heart.

"Why you laughing, is there something funny?" Clara was so surprised.

"No, not at all." Vail let go of his hand because the magic in Clara had completely disappeared.

On their way home, Clara tried to express what was in her heart.

“I like Mr. Hero and also Cini and Rii. But two of them have become my adopted brothers, what should I do?” Clara was so confused.

“You can still love and like both of them as brothers, right? Again, Cini and Rii…” Vail stopped his words.

"Is there a problem with those two?" Clara was so curious.

“They both already have women waiting for their return in Norf city, so I think a hero is the right answer for you,” Vail informed.

"Is it true? The hero doesn't have a fiancée yet?” Clara was surprised.