Whether it was him or his younger brother Wood, neither of them had the ability to threaten him.

Luther understood.

To put it in a very humiliating way—why would a person care what relationship two toothless pet dogs had with each other?

Whatever their relationship was, could it possibly affect him?

Things that weren’t even in his eyes to begin with—why waste any energy caring about them??

That was why he hadn’t even remembered who Wood was. Because to him, Wood was always just an irrelevant nobody.

“Luther, from your eyes, I can tell you don’t bear me any malice. You came to me purely to make friends, without any strong ulterior motives. That’s it, right?” Vinny smiled.

“Of course. I have great admiration for you, Vinny.” Luther smiled naturally, but inside he was sweating.

He didn’t know if Vinny was doing it on purpose, but those words had just cut off what he’d been planning to say next.

From Vinny’s eyes, Luther could see it—Vinny was doing it on purpose. He had probably already guessed why Luther had come.

“Of course, as a friend, I do have a presumptuous request. I was hoping you could agree, Vinny.”

Even so, to complete his task, Luther could only bite the bullet and press on.

“Oh? Luther, I just finished saying that the thought of friendship between you and me is very pure, with no ulterior motives.” Vinny took a sip of tea. “So it turns out that’s not the case?”

“That’s not what I mean, Vinny. It’s just that there are some things that can’t be changed. My little brother Wood is rough and stupid, but he’s still my blood brother. You should know this already—his student status has been revoked, and he’s been locked up in Carillian Academy’s prison for questioning. After this, he’ll be escorted back to the Kingdom of Camella for further trial.”

“Of course, I don’t think there’s anything unjust about that. He brought all of it on himself. But, Vinny, losing his student status and whatever subsequent punishments—those are all things we feel he deserves. It’s just… the kid really did get possessed for a moment there. I was wondering if you could… give him a chance?”

Luther finally stated the reason he’d come.

“Oh, I hadn’t heard. But Luther, I think you’ve come to the wrong person.” Vinny spread his hands. “This matter should be handled by the Disciplinary Committee and the academy administration. If you’re going to plead with someone, it should be those two sides, right? Coming to me, a Student Council underling with no real authority, is useless.”

“No, no. You’re the only one whose plea would matter, Vinny.” Luther said. “In matters like this, if the victim is willing to forgive, it’s a completely different situation.”

“Oh, so you do know I’m the victim?” Vinny raised a brow.

“Of course, of course. We’re not unreasonable people. Naturally, we wouldn’t expect you to forgive him for nothing.”

As he spoke, Luther lifted a bulging pouch of gold coins, weighed it, and set it on the table.

“Vinny, if you’re willing, this is a small token from my family. I hope you can show mercy and spare that snot-nosed brat this once. Afterwards I’ll make him kneel and apologize to you. I truly am sorry about all this!”

“So, Luther, what you’re saying is that you want to use this bag of gold to buy someone’s life?” Vinny tilted his head.

“Ah? No, no, that’s not what I mean at all.” Luther hurriedly shook his head.

“But that Wood really did almost manage to swap out my token, you know.” Vinny looked at him seriously. “If I hadn’t been cautious enough, and it had been someone else in my place, then Wood really would have succeeded, wouldn’t he?”

“If that happened, Luther, would you still be here, like you are now, asking the victim to spare Wood? Oh, I suppose you wouldn’t be able to ask the victim by then. You’d only be able to beg the victim’s family.” Vinny added, a touch of mockery in his voice.

“So, what you mean is…?”

“What I mean?” Vinny said. “What I mean is that it’s not that I don’t want to help you, Luther—it’s that I can’t. After all, once he’s sent back to the Kingdom of Camella for trial, I’m not the High Judge presiding, and I’m not any of the responsible officials either. How about this: you go talk to Mirexia. If Mirexia agrees, then I’ll agree.”

Vinny furrowed his brow in deep thought, looking very much like he was sincerely considering Luther’s situation.

Luther was briefly at a loss for words. He knew that while those words sounded like they left some room, they’d basically killed the matter.

Vinny had no intention of accepting the coin pouch either. It was obvious that this little bit of money couldn’t buy him at all.

Which didn’t match the intelligence reports. The report had clearly stated that Vinny was a petty, greedy piece of trash whose eyes lit up at the sight of money. Yet this pouch of gold—enough to make anyone’s eyes shine—Vinny hadn’t even spared it a glance.

“Sigh, Vinny, it’s better to resolve grudges than deepen them. Some matters are very complicated—far too complicated to be brushed aside with a single impulsive act.” Luther sighed, and after saying that, he added, “And I’m not saying this because I’m Wood’s older brother. It really is the truth.”

“Mm, mm. Luther, I understand what you’re saying very well.” Vinny put on a look like he had seriously thought it over.

Seeing Vinny acting like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, Luther could only feel helpless.

This was the classic “agree to everything and promise nothing.” This kind of attitude was the hardest to handle, the hardest to get any concessions out of.

“So… there’s really no room to discuss this, Vinny?” Luther rubbed his forehead.

To be honest, he hadn’t wanted to get involved in this mess at all. Luther was a veteran among veterans; he knew perfectly well just how serious Wood’s crime was. A bit worse, and it could be used as one of Carillian Academy’s official negative-case warning posters.

Because of that, even with the tie of kinship, he didn’t dare casually violate the rules.

Besides, he couldn’t afford that much money on his own.

He’d been unwilling to do this even before he met Vinny. After meeting Vinny, he was even less willing.

Wood was basically completely finished. Luther had zero desire to go and offend Vinny further for his sake.

But he had no choice.

Because the Siris family had to serve as vassals to larger noble houses.

That little brat Wood knew some very serious things—things that absolutely could not be allowed to leak in interrogation.

To put it in a rather cruel, un-family-like way: it was better for only Wood to be gone than for the entire Siris family, and the house standing behind the Siris family, to go down with him.

“I never said there’s no room to discuss it. I told you already, didn’t I?” Vinny said. “Go talk to Her Highness Mirexia. If she agrees, then I’ll be able to step in at the right time. Otherwise, wouldn’t I be overstepping? Luther, as my friend, you wouldn’t want to see me caught in the middle, would you?”

Those words were a refusal—an extremely sharp and forceful refusal.

Ask him to go talk to Princess Mirexia about this? Was that supposed to be a joke??

A student from the Kingdom of Camella had committed a crime in the academy—attempted murder, no less—and the target was a fellow noble from the same kingdom. That was already an enormous scandal in terms of public opinion.

And on top of that, he was supposed to let Princess Mirexia, who was upright to a fault, hear about it?

Plead for leniency? Not only was there zero chance of that being granted, the person who made the suggestion might find themselves investigated as well. Who would dare touch that? That would be suicide.

That was precisely why they’d called in Luther to plead.

If anyone else pled, it would be suspicious as collusion; only a family member pleading for mercy could be considered natural and reasonable. As Wood’s blood brother, Luther had a legitimate motive to beg for his useless little brother.

“Sigh.” Luther sighed again, stood up, and put his coin pouch away.

“Sorry to have bothered you today, Vinny.”

“As for everything I said today, just pretend you never heard it.”

With that, Luther rose, bowed to Vinny, and left.

Vinny watched Luther’s back with a bit of surprise. He’d been wondering if Luther would cling on and badger him if he didn’t agree today, but he hadn’t expected him to give up so easily.

You could say he was fairly sensible.

Vinny drained his coffee in one go and left as well.

After leaving the café, Luther walked straight toward the Carillian Academy dormitory sector. He headed for the second-year area and stopped in front of a villa dorm ranked in the top five. Quietly, he pressed the doorbell.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me. Luther,” Luther answered.

A moment later, the door opened.

Luther glanced around carefully before slipping inside. Only after he shut the door with utmost care and confirmed no one had seen him did he follow the open door deeper into the house.

“Did you succeed?” the person in the room asked.

Luther said nothing. After a moment, he sighed, took the coin pouch out of his pocket, and set it on the table.

“Failed?”

After a while, the man on the sofa spoke, brow furrowing.

“Yes. He wouldn’t take it.”

The rest didn’t need saying. If he hadn’t even taken the money, how could he possibly have agreed?

“He actually refused… that money-grubbing scoundrel.”

After a brief silence, the man on the sofa spoke again.

“Did you try every method?”

“Yes. I tried everything. He even told me to go discuss the matter with Her Highness Mirexia.” Luther paused for a moment, then added.

“What a stubborn bastard—won’t take oil or salt.” The man on the sofa said coldly. “He’s really gotten arrogant.”

“All right, I get it. You can go back.” The man on the sofa waved a hand.

“Understood.”

Luther sighed, stood up, and headed for the door. When he reached it, though, he stopped, turned back, and hesitated.

“What, you’ve still got something to say?” Seeing that Luther hadn’t left directly, the man on the sofa asked.

“Young Master, I don’t know if I should say this or not.” Luther said, standing there.

“What is it? Say it. It’s fine.”

“Young Master… I think, if possible, we really shouldn’t provoke Vinny any further.” Luther said, his expression complicated.

“I thought you were going to say something important. That’s all?”

The man on the sofa fell silent for a moment.

“Why are you suddenly saying this? Did something happen?”

“Young Master, to be honest, after testing Vinny this time, I don’t think he’s anywhere near as bad as the rumors make him out to be,” Luther said after a brief pause. In the end, he still said it, even though he knew that the moment the words left his mouth, his Young Master would definitely be very [N O V E L I G H T] unhappy.

“What’s this now? Don’t tell me you got scared by that thug’s presence.” The man on the sofa frowned.

“That’s not it. It’s just… Young Master, from my observation, I think this Vinny is anything but simple. He already has the mindset and potential a true powerhouse should have. Given time, he might really become something extraordinary. I feel those rumors out there might not be all that accurate. At least to me, his advance to the Magus realm doesn’t seem like—”

“Enough!”

Before Luther could finish, the man on the sofa cut him off.

“Why are you here singing that punk’s praises over and over? How long have you even known him? How long have you spent around him? You’re acting like you understand him better than I do!”

“That’s enough. You’ve really lost your head today. Go back and get some rest. There’s nothing here that needs you.”

Once the silence settled, the man on the sofa said coldly.

“…Understood.”

Luther knew his Young Master was angry and wouldn’t listen to a word, so he could only give up, helplessly leaving the room.

Accompanied by the crisp sound of the door closing, the spacious villa returned to silence.

The man on the sofa sat in silence for a long time.

From the inner room came a soft click of a door opening, and then a man walked out.

“See? Just like I said—he’ll always be a nail in your heart.”

“Our interests are aligned, aren’t they?” The man smiled. “As allies, shouldn’t we work together nicely?”

“Aligned interests? Allies? You mean allies who threaten me and force me to cooperate with him?” the man on the sofa said after a brief pause.

“Haha, you’re still hung up on that. It was just a means to an end. Don’t you want to pull~ out that sharp thorn in your heart?”

“Think carefully—how many good things has he ruined for you?”

“There was no need for you people to come in, and even less need for you to put a sword to my head,” the man on the sofa snorted coldly. “Still, I really didn’t expect you to be this kind of person.”

“Right back at you, Young Master. You’re not as polished and glorious as you look on the surface either, are you? We’re all hypocrites here. Shouldn’t that make us on the same side?”

The man’s expression didn’t change as he smiled. “Besides, I happen to know quite a few things about you, Young Master.”

“So this is all your own idea?”

“Young Master, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“What do you think? Don’t play dumb. You know exactly what I mean,” the man on the sofa said coldly.

“Of course it’s my own idea. Besides, you don’t need to understand so much. All you need to know is that our goals are aligned for now. That’s enough.” The man spread his hands.

“Heh. Even if I work with you, there’s no opportunity right now anyway, is there?”

“That’s nothing you need to worry about. There’ll be an opportunity very soon. On that point, rest assured. Don’t rush.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep