oOo

Chapter 2 - Second Born

Langris broodingly looked at the piece of paper in his hand. "Errands, how quaint." He rolled his eyes and waved the paper around. He would've handed it over to someone else, but the Wizard King specifically asked him to get it.

Who was he to refuse the Wizard King?

Originally, it would've been Captain Vangeance who would've received the piece of paper, but since he was currently away on a mission, there was no other choice than Langris who was next in line. Langris would've been fine with it, but he had duties as Vice Captain.

This reminded him that he left Mimosa somewhere.

He had been tasked to help and monitor her progress when she joined.

Langris had never been active on mentoring her as much as they liked, given how busy he was, but whenever he had the time, he fulfilled that role. To Langris, Mimosa was doing surprisingly well on missions. Her drive to learn more attack spells was commendable. For someone who was raised a royal, Langris had to admit that she was an excellent study.

He really hoped Mimosa was still where he left her.

"I'm not paid enough for this."

Sometimes he wondered what the point of being the Vice Captain was when he still had to do menial tasks that he could've easily given to some lowlife who would instantly take it. He rolled his eyes, berating himself for being bitter. This was a special request from the Wizard King, he should be proud to get such attention.

He looked at the list of items.

"At least these aren't that hard to find."

When Langris turned the corner to the main hall, he halted.

His face scrunched in disgust as he watched Kirsch twirl around Mimosa. There was a trail of cherry blossoms behind him that drifted and disappeared after his full turns. Mimosa's face was the picture of restraint.

Langris could tell she looked ready to kill her own brother.

He shouldn't have left her alone.

It was impossible not to run into other brigades in the Royal Capital. It was unfortunate that it had to be Kirsch of all people. Not that Langris had anything bad going on with him, it was simply because Kirsch, while a Vice Captain like himself, was unique, strange, and… creepy.

"Mimosa!" Kirsch cheekily flipped his hair. "Are you here on a mission as well?"

"If I say yes," She politely said. "Will you go now?"

"Nonsense!" He chuckled. "Tell me!"

"I don't see what business it is of yours, Brother."

"That's not beautiful, Sweet Sister!" He leaned over and pouted. "Your crude language more often than not stings."

Mimosa smiled, "That's the whole point."

"You must be sick, Mimosa."

"You're the sick one here, Brother."

Langris squinted when Kirsch struck a pose and more cherry blossoms erupted out of nowhere. This was ridiculous. It was too bright and sparkly for this early in the morning. Seeing it from the shadows was worst. Langris felt a little sorry for Mimosa and part of him was glad Kirsch wasn't his sibling.

That made him shiver in disgust.

"Brother," Mimosa narrowed her eyes. "You're embarrassing me."

"Everyone should be embarrassed." Kirsch declared when other people walked past them. "Being in the presence of royalty must shake and cleanse their filthy existence."

"The change of weather must be getting to your head."

"That isn't attractive to say, Mimosa."

"You're such a narcissist."

Langris had enough of their strange banter. He didn't want to spend the rest of his valuable time being blinded by Kirsch's magic or hear Mimosa verbally attack her oblivious older brother. Although he was tempted to stay just because it was slightly entertaining, he had a job to do.

He stepped out from the shadows and walked over to them.

Langris greeted, "Kirsch. Mimosa."

"Vaude," Kirsch smiled. "It's always pleasant to see you."

"Thank you," He smoothly replied. "As delightful as it is to see you, Mimosa and I have pressing matters to discuss. We've been given a mission by the Wizard King and it's best if we leave now to fulfill it."

"I see." He nodded. "I'm glad my beloved sister is in safe hands then."

Mimosa deadpanned, "I've been on missions before."

"I would like to join you," Kirsch ignored her and continued. "But the Wizard King has also given me a way to share my beauty to the world in need of it."

"Is that so?" Mimosa twitched. "You should go now, Brother."

He nodded, "I shall see you soon, Mimosa! Vaude!"

Langris wanted to vomit as he watched Kirsch twirl away to the exit. Suddenly, the room got cold. It was surprisingly better than whatever that was earlier. He turned to Mimosa, who had an angry flush on her cheeks as she stared at the door Kirsch exited in.

"I apologize," Mimosa sincerely voiced. "You didn't have to see that."

"Too late." Langris mumbled. "We should go now."

"The mission?"

"To get some items from the Common Realm." He shrugged, waving the piece of paper in his hand. "They're mostly ingredients like herbs for elixirs. Healing mages are in short supply. The Wizard King would've given it to Captain Vangeance, but he's away. Everyone else was deployed to patrol certain areas to make sure the upcoming Star Festival would be safe."

He didn't need to tell her that they were chosen specifically for this mission.

"I understand." Mimosa nodded. "Shall we?"

Langris moved to the exit and Mimosa followed him.

oOo

Langris was glad to leave the Royal Capital.

He had a hard time admitting it, but it was literally a breath of fresh air to fly above the city. He really disliked stuffy, boring environments. He stared at the vast open area and admired the view. Flying next to him was Mimosa, who was just as glad to be out of confinement.

Langris looked down and stared at his broom.

He hated the fact that he couldn't portal anywhere as quickly as his brother could. That left a huge dent on his ego. He had attempted it before with a branch, but going into his Spatial Magic will just result in lost limbs.

"Excuse me," Mimosa called.

Langris turned to her, wondering what she wanted. She was never much for conversation when they were together. He wasn't a conversation starter either, so that was probably his fault. Mimosa flushed in embarrassment, but gave him a sweet smile.

"I apologize again for my brother." She felt the need to say. "I wouldn't have entertained him if he wasn't so persistent."

Langris felt her struggle.

Sometimes, being at the mercy of an older sibling was suffocating. In Langris' situation, Finral was just as persistent when it came to worrying about him, although Mimosa seemed to have it worse with the added challenge of Kirsch's attitude.

Langris grimaced; he shouldn't be comparing Kirsch and Finral.

They were the complete opposite.

"It's fine." Langris declared. "Despite his strangeness, you brother is reliable."

Finral wasn't, but Kirsch was. That was the reality of it. Langris would often see Kirsch on the field and in the Vice Captain meetings. He hated to admit it, but there were times that he admired Kirsch's dedication as a Magic Knight. He was already filling in the role of a Captain for the Coral Peacocks while Captain Dorothy was asleep.

That took a great deal of effort.

Finral, on the other hand, was deadweight.

Sure, Langris knew that Finral handled the Black Bull's paperwork and treasury, and he attended as a temporary Vice Captain for the meetings, but it wasn't the same as being one. He may fulfill that role, but never had he exhibited talent for combat.

The only thing Finral was good for was retreating. Then again, things in Kiten had been different. He saw just how versatile Finral's Spatial Magic had become.

Suddenly, a vein twitched on Langris' forehead as he remembered Yuno's dialogue in Kiten. I'll become the Captain of the Golden Dawn! Who the hell did Yuno think he was? He clenched his fists on his broom and nearly seethed in mana.

Mimosa paled, "V-vice Captain?"

Langris took a deep breath and calmed down, "We were talking about Kirsch, right?"

"Oh, y-yes." She replied, composing herself with a bright, deceitful smile. "I agree with my brother being strange, but creepy is more the word I would use."

That was surprising.

"You don't mind speaking about him in that way?"

"Not at all." She giggled; her irritation was clear as day. "If I had what I wanted, I would keep him away from me as much as possible."

Mimosa was terrifying, but she had a lot in common with him when it came to being the younger sibling. Langris figured the reason she chose to be in the Golden Dawn was to stay clear from her family and relatives. The very idea of being in the same brigade as ones sibling or cousin brought shivers to Langris' spine.

He wouldn't want that either.

"You don't seem fond of him." Langris pointed out. "You don't think he's reliable?"

"Oh, he is!" Mimosa said. "His narcissism just clouds his judgement."

Kirsch was vain.

Even during their Vice Captain meetings, he couldn't help but mention his eternal beauty or some such nonsense that Langris never cared about. Beauty had never really been at the top of Langris' list. Power always meant something to his family. At least Kirsch could balance both and got the job done despite being an anomaly.

"And then there's him."

Langris thought about Finral and how his carefree attitude got in the way of his work.

He was surprised his brother still had a job. It probably had something to do with their rare Spatial Magic. It was the only thing he could think of that kept Finral in his current rank. Deep down in his muddled mind, where he would like it to stay buried, he did see merits to Finral's capabilities as a Magic Knight if what he saw in Kiten was any indication of him getting serious.

The Black Bulls will beat the Golden Dawn!

A lot of strange things happened in Kiten that Langris would like to forget. He shook his head, getting back to the topic at hand. "Narcissism aside, Kirsch gets the job done."

Mimosa accepted that.

"Yes, and I'm happy for him." She said, but Langris had an inkling that wasn't the end of their conversation. "He just charges blindly, mind you."

Bravery or foolishness, he didn't know what to call that.

Kirsch was impulsive by nature and wouldn't lift a finger it were commoners and peasants. Yet, he still ended up as Vice Captain for the Coral Peacocks for a reason; that counted for something. In Finral's case, he would flee in a fight whenever the need suited him. He wasn't cut out to be a Knight. If it wasn't imposed on him in their childhood, Langris was sure Finral would've chosen another occupation.

"We're almost there," Langris mumbled. "Get ready."

"Understood." Mimosa nodded.

oOo

As soon as they dropped down, the two wasted no time in looking for ingredients they needed to complete the list. They walked to one of the stores and Langris couldn't help but stare at his reflection. He was very well aware how he and Finral weren't that different when it came to looks and color.

It reminded him of Kirsch again.

Langris was glad that Finral wasn't vain.

His brother was always sweet and kind, a little too much for his own good. Maybe that was why Finral had so many friends compared to Langris. Then again, Langris was glad he wasn't a pushover like Finral. But the nagging part of his brain said otherwise after he saw Finral in Kiten.

It changed his perspective on things.

Langris clenched his fists, willing himself to calm. He shouldn't be so high-strung over the events in Kiten. Maybe what he saw was a fluke and Finral would revert back to normal. He shook his head and pretended everything was fine when Mimosa sauntered over to him, holding an item.

"I found it." Mimosa smiled. "They were willing to give it to us for free."

"Good." Langris nodded. "Let's move on."

"Of course."

Mimosa blindly followed him while Langris lead them around town. They were halfway done with the list when he noticed a familiar face at one of the intersecting streets. Langris stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Finral walk by with several bags on his arms. Another member of his squad was holding a list and leading them.

Langris clenched his fists.

He wasn't pissed because they were here with the same looking paper the Wizard King gave. No. He was pissed because Finral was carrying the bags like a servant while the other wasn't.

Of course his brother was still a pushover.

He would let anyone step on him if it meant avoiding conflict. He won't even stand up to a member of his own squad. Langris recognized the guy's face. It was Gauche Adlai, former convict and now walked as a Magic Knight.

Honestly, how low could Finral get?

Langris grimaced and walked the other direction.

Mimosa squeaked and turned to follow him. Of course she noticed the Black Bulls, but she didn't bother to mention it. That relieved Langris. He didn't want to explain his reason of avoiding them to her. The two of them remained silent and distant.

They only spoke when it was necessary.

After a couple more hours of finding all the ingredients, they finally finished and went back to the Royal Capital. Once they delivered the items, the two of them flew back to the Golden Dawn in (surprisingly) comfortable silence.

"Thank you for your help." Langris declared.

"Not a problem." Mimosa smiled. "I was glad to do it."

They parted ways a little after that. Langris wasn't in the mood to mingle with anyone. Truth be told, he never really enjoyed getting to know people as he would've liked to. He ordered someone to have his food delivered to his room and made his exit.

"What a day," He thought.

As soon as he stepped inside his sleeping quarters, he noticed a decorated box next to a pile of paper work. He rolled his eyes. It must've been another one of those pesky new recruits trying to suck up to him to get promoted.

"That's never going to happen."

Langris took off his robe and placed it over his desk chair.

He ignored the decorated box and pulled off some of his uniform. He took his casual night clothes from the drawer and headed to the bathroom to clean up. An hour later, he walked out and dried his hair. He stared at the box again and sighed.

"No use ignoring it." He thought. "I wonder what it is this time."

He wrapped the towel around his neck and picked up the decorated box. He walked over to his bed and sat crossed legged on top of the sheets. He noticed a note on top of it with a very familiar handwriting. He tore it from the box and read it.

To Langris:

Please take care of yourself more and take needed breaks.

Langris didn't need to finish reading the signature at the bottom to know who it came from. He flushed red in embarrassment and annoyance. He placed the note aside and tore open the package. He pulled out a dark violet scarf with gold trimmings at the edges.

"What the hell is wrong with him?!"

He turned pink, unable to hide it from the safety of his room.

Langris scowled, because he knew why Finral did it. It only surprised him that it took so long, but he understood why. It was getting colder, after all. He remembered the time that he got sick and it had been Finral who had rushed to his aid. He sighed as his face softened when he brushed his fingers along the comfortable, custom made scarf.

He pulled off the towel around his neck and replaced it with the scarf.

Langris got out of bed and turned to the mirror.

He hated how his cheeks were flushed. He stared at himself and ran a hand down the scarf. He let himself smile a little. "Seriously, Brother." He shook his head. "What is wrong with you?"

oOo

"You can also check this story out on AO3"

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