I arrived at the small mansion with my companions. Despite being called a "small" mansion, it was several times larger than a typical suburban home. The three-story structure had been neglected for a long time, resembling a haunted house.
"Cleaning this place will be a headache," Rio said, marveling at the mansion's size and the thick dust.
Lisa, confident in her cleaning skills, fetched cleaning tools from somewhere. The Kinzer brothers were the first to spring into action.
"Please rest, sir! We'll finish this quickly!"
A massive cleaning operation began, with dust flying everywhere as furniture was moved outside and every corner was scrubbed.
I cut down the tall weeds, while Lakto removed the vines crawling up the walls. The scale of the operation was impressive.
"Hello, Young Master," the magical unit members greeted, arriving mid-cleanup.
I put down the scythe and counted them with my eyes—exactly twenty, a sufficient number.
"How long have you all been part of the unit?" I asked.
"We all joined within the past three months," they replied.
"So, you're all 5-circle mages," I deduced.
"Yes, that's correct."
They were all newcomers, which wasn't surprising since the more experienced members were likely already aligned with my siblings.
I felt a pang of disappointment, but it seemed they shared my sentiment.
"This is a bit of a misstep, isn't it?" I thought to myself.
Ideally, being assigned to the first or second eldest would have been better, as they were more likely to become the next head. Currently, I was the weakest among the potential heirs.
To them, I was a weak lifeline.
"Anyway, nice to meet you. Let's do our best," I said.
"Y-yes... but what are you doing now? You're cleaning?"
"Why should I just sit back while others work? This is my home."
The unit members exchanged glances, seemingly perplexed.
The notion of nobility versus commoners was tiresome.
I tossed cleaning tools at them.
"Help out."
"Uh, do we have to?"
"Of course. You're part of this mansion's staff, aren't you?"
They hesitated but eventually picked up the tools.
In reality, magical unit members were high-class personnel, but I was the only noble who would ask them to clean.
"Who's the water-element mage?"
"I am."
"You too?"
"Clean the floors."
"Who can control wind magic?"
"I can, but—"
"Clear the dust from the roof. Be careful not to break anything."
With the mages' help, the cleaning progressed rapidly, finishing by early evening.
I admired the sparkling interior of the mansion.
"This room will be for Rio and Lisa, and the elderly can use that one."
"Wow! Our room is amazing!"
"It's too luxurious for an old man like me," Lakto chuckled.
The mansion had many rooms, enough to accommodate fifty people. I assigned the second floor to the unit members and took the entire third floor for myself.
After unpacking, we gathered again as the sky darkened.
"Wait, we don't have any food," Rio realized, looking worried.
I had been so focused on the mansion that I forgot about meals. The kitchen was empty, with nothing to feed over twenty people.
"We need to go into town," I said.
"But it's late. Is that a good idea?"
"It's inconvenient, but we're all hungry."
Who would have thought that a noble family would worry about meals?
My companions stared at me, their stomachs growling.
I came up with a plan.
"The closest place is Tunda's small mansion, isn't it?"
"Yes, but are you planning to visit Tunda? That could be seen as a declaration of war."
"Why not? It's a good opportunity."
I smiled lightly, seeing my companions' concern.
My next target was indeed Tunda Arahan, the sixth eldest, a year older than me.
"I'll head to Tunda's mansion. The rest of you stay here."
"But, sir, going alone...?"
"It doesn't matter. I'll bring back some food."
I walked calmly despite their worries.
In the city of Neca, most of the territory was already under my siblings' control. To expand my influence, I had to take from them, and realistically, Tunda was the only viable target.
At Tunda's Mansion
Tunda, 16 years old, was a novice magician who had just reached the 3-circle level. While impressive for his age in the empire, within the Arahan family, it was considered subpar.
As a result, he wasn't recognized as a strong competitor by his siblings.
"Don't be picky, Tunda. Eat everything to stay healthy," his housekeeper, Gracie, advised.
Gracie, in her mid-40s, was the de facto ruler of the mansion. Tunda, young and inexperienced, was essentially her puppet.
Tunda threw a tantrum, smashing a plate because he disliked onions.
The staff and unit members were accustomed to such outbursts and calmly cleaned up the broken glass.
Meanwhile, Gracie smiled wryly.
"Why does our young master behave this way? If he only eats what he likes, he'll get sick."
Tunda threatened the staff, but they ignored him, used to his behavior.
Just then, a unit member rushed in.
"Gracie! Something's happened!"
"What is it?"
"Zed...! Zed Young Master is here!"
Gracie's expression changed upon hearing the name.
She hadn't considered Zed a significant threat since he wasn't seen as a competitor.
However, a visit from another brother without an invitation was unusual, akin to a declaration of war.
Gracie ordered the units to assemble immediately.
"Are you sure he's alone?"
"Yes, he's outside now—"
At that moment, I pushed past the units and entered.
Everyone froze, staring at me in surprise.
I glanced at the dinner table and then at Tunda and Gracie.
"You're having dinner?"
The atmosphere was tense as the units took defensive positions.
I smiled briefly before adopting a serious tone.
"Look at this. No one greets me?"
A unit member offered a formal greeting, but my gaze was elsewhere.
"You're Gracie, the housekeeper here."
Gracie didn't respond, and I continued, "Don't you know how to greet someone?"
My red eyes locked onto hers, and the room fell silent.
The tension was palpable, as if a battle could erupt at any moment.
Gracie noticed that I had opened my mana, though she couldn't gauge its level.
She felt a chill, realizing that the Zed she knew was no longer the timid boy he once was.
Tunda, finding the situation amusing, chimed in.
"Look at this guy? He doesn't even greet his brother. Has he lost all sense of propriety?"
Tunda sneered at me, but Gracie remained calm, though internally she was seething.
She had never taken me seriously, thinking me a weakling without magic.
But now, I seemed different, confident and at ease, like the first eldest.
"What's going on with him?" Gracie wondered, noticing a small emblem on my shoulder.
It was the insignia of a priest, a symbol of the empire's blessing.
Gracie's eyes widened in shock.