Everstone Clan, Internal Affairs Hall
Aria sat at her desk, her face pale with shock as she processed the news.
"You're telling me that one of the Second Young Master's warriors was found pinned to a tree at the base of Mount Eternity?"
"Yes, Lady of Internal Affairs," replied the kneeling figure in pale robes.
The man was no warrior. He was a tactician, a member of the Everstone Clan's Strategist Division, responsible for serving as the "brain" of the clan.
"…I didn't think the two brothers were on such bad terms," she muttered, brows furrowed in thought.
"That is correct. It seemed to be nothing more than a healthy rivalry…"
There were only three possibilities:
The First Young Master perceived the Second Young Master as a threat and acted against him.The Second Young Master orchestrated the event as a ploy to discredit his brother.A third party had intervened.