Unlike his twin, Serafim had never been particularly interested in the quest for Knowledge. For him, the Art of Combat had been far more important, his desire to protect his family being stronger than anything. Having learned to wield his magic at the Tower, as anyone wishing to venture into this field would, he naturally had to complete the two general years required before he could specialize. However, he could have done without this, since he had a teacher. But the latter and his master of arms had seen fit to make him do his two years. Seeing Ewald get agitated at the mention of a scent that none of them could smell, except Anastasiy, he regretted his choice a little.

"It's the kroseil. It is because of this fruit that you are not sure."

At the mention of this unknown fruit, Serafim searched his memory for any mention made, whether by his teacher, his twin, or Jason. However, he had to concede defeat and vowed to frequent his brothers' library after he returned from the Wall.

"... Yes. But... Stacie... where do you get this kind of information from?" Ewald asked.

Serafim frowned as he sensed the Demand of Truth hidden in his brother's words. He had no reason to use that spell, especially not on their little brother, unless... Mentally pulling a face, Serafim knew right away that the conversation about the kroseil wasn't going to sit well with him, and obviously, his father shared his opinion by the look of his fist on the armrest.

"From a book in the basement, I think? But I wouldn't be able to tell you which one," he apologized.

"It's not a big deal. Just... tell me when you remember."

"Only if you promise me I won't have to drink that stuff anymore," Anastasiy replied, his face serious as he pointed to the empty vial in Veronica's hands.

"I'll see what I can do about the taste," Ewald said, a smile reappearing on his face.

"It's better than nothing," he declared as he held out his hand to his brother, who took it to seal their Accord.

A thin golden ring appeared around Ewald's wrist, while Anastasiy's was larger. The size indicated the level of importance of the request of the one making it.

"Do you also want an Accord to explain to us what's wrong with the kroseil? Or would you prefer an Oath?" Questioned Seraphim, who felt like he was missing something important.

"I'd rather not tell you."

"Ewald, you have no choice. Otherwise, I'm the one who explains," declared Anastasiy, to everyone's surprise.

"Wh-Why?!"

"We just made an Agreement when I told you where you could find the book in question. Also, the value is disproportionate and no one protested, you first. Yet you should know better than anyone the importance of equivalence," he explained to his brother, who had grown pale with the explanation.

The rule of equivalence was one of the three rules of "politeness" in the Magic Circles. Every magical act required an exchange of equal value, whether in material or abstract form. In addition, practitioners had to respect the rules of honesty, where no secret was to be concealed, and secrecy, where no truth was to be spoken. For many, this paradox was the result of the Scarlet Flood, Awyll's final act before he was sealed forever in the East. As such, there were no immediate consequences for breaking these rules, but the accumulation could be dangerous. Of course, this was only a hypothesis, as few dared to abuse the rules, lest it free Awyll from his prison.

But at this very moment, Ewald was not thinking about the consequences of being tricked by his little brother or the possible release of a god. All he could see was that their duchy, and perhaps even the country itself, had been poisoned with kroseil. And there was only one possible culprit: Giusto Mor, the former Prime Minister of the Empire.