Aislin could not help turning to glance at Oliva... Her senior brother also turned to look at her thoughtfully.
Then the two of them made disgusted expressions at the same time.
Rute shook his head helplessly. "The Hainalson Family may have its internal struggles, but it has always been relatively fair to its children.
"The only thing they can do nothing about is talent.
"They grow up together before they have formed their own likes and dislikes toward people, eating and living together, studying spells together, struggling through spellcasting lessons together... Even if there is jealousy, at most it leads to cold remarks. They neither have the means nor know how to cause greater harm.
"Children like that, even when they grow up and go their separate ways, will find it difficult to direct their hostility at companions who once endured those hard days alongside them.
"Of course, sufficient benefits can render all of that meaningless... But at the very least, they will put those who live in their old memories at the bottom of the list."
Oliva looked up thoughtfully, then shook his head. "That level of trust can only be built on blood ties.
"Children capable of becoming Mages are not stupid. If they were strangers, they would not lower their guard so quickly... If there was hostility from the very beginning..."
He looked at Aislin. "No matter how well they treat her afterward, it will be useless."
Rute smiled. "That is why the Hainalson Family is special."
"Is that why Felis was not successfully used?" Aislin thought of someone else. "I could actually sense his jealousy toward Russell. Even when he spoke about Carpenter, whom he cared about more, there was a trace of bitterness in his tone.
"But when it came time to choose, his first