Chapter 163

“Wait…!”

“You cannot become a hero.”

Before D’Élysée could intervene, Tutu spoke. “I will tell you plainly. The sooner you realize you lack the talent, the sooner you can find another, more suitable path.”

“What?” Egru’s eyes were vacant, clearly shaken by the blunt assessment.

While D’Élysée scrubbed a hand over his face in frustration, Tutu continued in a level voice. “The kind of person the Hero Union seeks is one who can help others. This naturally requires a foundation of exceptional ability…”

With a perfunctory, “Pardon me,” Tutu began to prod and squeeze various parts of Egru’s body. His shoulders, biceps, hands, and even his thigh were gripped in her hand. Egru’s face flushed in surprise. D’Élysée immediately scowled and slapped her hand away. “My apologies,” Tutu said with a short nod, and continued.

“You must have the capacity to protect not only yourself but also those around you. The motivation for doing so is irrelevant. Whether it’s a kind heart or a pouch of gold coins, what is required is outstanding martial strength.” Tutu let out a deep sigh. “Frankly, I doubt you could last a single exchange in a duel with a novice swordsman. Can you even hold a longsword properly?”

“I-I can if I try…!”

“And swing it?”

“Th-That’s…”

“You need basic physical strength to wield a sword, and it won’t be easy for a pureblood elf to build muscle. However, if you were proficient in magic, that would be a different story. High-level mages are rare talents that nations burn with desire to secure. And an elven mage would certainly be welcomed by the Hero Union, but sadly…” Tutu looked Egru up and down. “You don’t appear to have much innate mana. For some reason, the channels through which your mana flows are blocked. Have you not been told before that you were born with little mana?”

“I… I have…” Egru bit his lower lip, fighting back the tears that were welling in his eyes. His amber irises trembled. The cruel truth was a silent blade twisting in his chest.

“I’m sorry, little boy.”

“I-I’m not a li-little boy…”

“How old are you this year?”

“Twenty-two.”

Tutu shook her head. “For an elf, you are a little boy. Though I admit, you seem to have matured quickly for your age.”

“Watch what you say.” D’Élysée cut her off and turned to Egru. “It’s not that you can’t become a hero, hyung. It’s just… the time isn’t right yet. Okay?”

“…”

“There’s no need to be heartbroken. You can achieve anything you set your mind to.”

Tutu, who had been listening quietly, shook her head again. “No. This is a world where childish bravado will get you killed. Face reality, little boy.”

“What have you been spouting this whole time?”

Tutu merely shrugged at D’Élysée’s aggressive reaction. “As a hero, I am saving a life that might be sacrificed in the future.”

“That is none of your business.”

“Then let me ask you one thing. Why haven’t you taught him how to use a sword until now? With your level of skill, you could have taught him long ago.”

“…”

For a moment, D’Élysée was speechless.

“And why didn’t you take him on the dungeon exploration? Was it not because you were preventing him from setting foot in danger yourself? Everyone, including myself, assumed as much and accepted it.”

Seeing D’Élysée unable to say a word, Egru was struck with an even deeper shock.

“Do not recklessly plant false dreams in his head. That is how you ruin a child.” Tutu looked D’Élysée directly in the eye. “A time will surely come when he is not under your watch. You will regret it then.”

“That will not happen,” D’Élysée murmured, his gaze locked with hers. Hyung doesn’t have to be responsible for anything. From now on, I will not let him out of my sight for even a moment. If he wants to be a hero, all he needs to do is lift that triangular sword. I am more than enough to wipe out any enemy that stands before him.

“We’ll see about that.”

With a final, “Forgive the long lecture,” Tutu quietly left. The bedroom, now that she was gone, was as still as the aftermath of a storm.

“I-I’m still, still going to be a h-hero…” Egru managed to say, barely holding himself together. “D-D’Élysée, you didn’t take me on the exploration because it was t-too much for me, that’s not it, right? Huh?”

“…”

D’Élysée, who had been covering his face with a large hand, finally lowered it and slowly pulled Egru into a hug. “I’m sorry, hyung. I didn’t want to say this, but… you’d lose a fistfight with a chipmunk.”

“!”

***

For a long time, D’Élysée simply stared at the lump in the bed. It was the small cave Egru had been hiding in for the last thirty minutes.

He must be… crying.

D’Élysée swallowed a sigh and looked away. He couldn’t let him cry himself to sleep. First, he meticulously closed the blackout curtains, then gently patted the Egru-shaped mound.

“Hyung. Come look at this, okay?”

The white, fluffy duvet was surprisingly easy to pull back. Unexpectedly, his brother’s face was not tear-streaked.

“A present.” Seizing the moment, D’Élysée held out a leather-wrapped object. As he peeled back the covering, a light so brilliant it turned night into day poured out. “I found it earlier.”

It had been in the deepest part of the dungeon, but it hadn’t been hard to find. As Gilbert had said, it was more than just “shiny”; it was so bright it was hard to even look at. “The relic you were looking for, is this it?”

“Mhm…”

To Egru’s eyes, it just looked like a severed foot. A right foot, judging by the position of the big toe.

“That’s a relief,” D’Élysée said with a smile.

<system> Congratulations. You have discovered the second [Relic]. </system>

<system> Offer the [Relic] to the [Underground Core]. </system>

<system> Proceed to the World Tree? (Y/N) </system>

In his despair, he wanted to press ‘Y’, but Egru mentally repeated his refusal. Helping the Giel Principality came first. I don’t know if there’s anything I can do, but… Just as he had agonized under the covers, he knew he would find a way.

<system> Storing in [Inventory]. </system>

The moment he nodded, the glowing relic in his hand slowly evaporated. He handed the now-empty leather wrapping back to D’Élysée.

What the? D’Élysée’s expression turned strange. Did hyung know how to use magic? But he hadn’t felt any mana at all.

“Where did it just go, hyung?”

“I-I can’t say…” Egru remembered the disaster that had occurred in front of Lady Mayfield, the day the system had only repeated, That statement is subject to censorship.

“Not that you won’t, but that you can’t. What are the relics for? Can you tell me that?”

“Mhm, to get my memories back…”

Is that true? It was widely known that manipulating memories with magic was impossible. But hyung wouldn’t lie… It couldn’t be a complete fabrication. After all, he had a history of coming back from the dead.

“So, what do you think of my present, hyung?” D’Élysée prioritized the matter at hand. The remaining questions could be figured out over time.

“Th-Thank you, D’Élysée. You worked so hard. This was supposed to be my job, and you did th-this all by yourself, too…”

Sensing the gloomy atmosphere returning, D’Élysée quickly spoke. “I was happy to do it. To be able to help you.”

“T-Tomorrow, can I go with you?”

D’Élysée couldn’t answer the unexpected question right away.

“Do you… not trust me?” Egru asked, his voice thick with tears.

“No,” D’Élysée said firmly. “That’s not it. It’s all my fault. It’s just… having lost you once, I’m so anxious.” He closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again. “I’d rather die than see you in danger. Even if it means you end up hating me…”

“How could I ever h-hate you, D’Élysée…” Egru lowered his head, feeling ashamed of himself for being so unreliable. “Th-That’s why I’m trying to learn by doing…!”

“No. On the battlefield, if you ‘do’, you die, hyung. I know. I’ve seen it countless times.” D’Élysée gripped his brother’s shoulders firmly. “The heat of battle is hell. You glance to your side, and the heads of three or four of your comrades are just… gone. I’m terrified that might be you.”

Tears sprang to Egru’s eyes at the heartfelt, experience-born story. “I-I’m sorry, for making you go through that…”

“I chose to enlist in the Holy Knights.”

“But I want to be helpful to you…”

“Actually,” D’Élysée began, his gaze dropping to the floor. “It’s a huge help to my peace of mind if you just stay here, safe in the palace.”

Egru couldn’t say another word.

“Please, hyung…” D’Élysée took his brother’s hands gently. “Will you give me that peace of mind?”

“…”

Egru finally nodded. Seeing him finally relent, D’Élysée offered a complicated smile. “Thank you for putting up with my selfishness, hyung.”

The next day, just as before, D’Élysée left the room alone. “I’ll be back.” This time, he kissed the forehead of a fully awake Egru, who gave a small nod, seeing his brother off.

“Be safe…”

Outside, it was already bustling. The exploration team, gathered at the castle gate, began to move out with D’Élysée’s arrival. From the high window, Egru watched his brother’s retreating back.

You have to be safe.

After an enthusiastic prayer, Egru shot to his feet. Of course, he had no intention of just sitting around.

Don’t be a brat! Everything D’Élysée said is right!

His combat skills were sorely lacking. The solution, then, was simple. He just had to diligently train and improve!

I can’t waste any more time!

D’Élysée had said he just needed to stay safely within the castle. That meant as long as he didn’t go outside, it was fine. The morning before, D’Élysée had let slip an enormous secret. There was a large training hall in the castle basement. After breakfast, Egru had secretly asked a guard, who confirmed that any guest of the castle was free to use it.

And apparently, it’s always empty these days…

That was because the entire military force was deployed to defend the principality.

Okay. I’ll train in the morning, and in the afternoon, I’ll look for people who need help.

He would build his foundation, step by step, starting with what he could. Every endeavor required trial and error. Nothing was perfect from the start.

Having changed his clothes in an instant, Egru ran with all his might toward the basement training hall.

“…you know what I mean. Round up the unconnected back-alley trash and use them as sacrifices…”

“?”

And there, he ran into someone unexpected.

Didn’t the exploration team leave the castle?

Jade was standing alone in a corner of the basement training hall, muttering to himself. “…the east side is clear today, so take care of the rest.”

Spotting Egru from the corner of his eye, Jade hastily ended the communication.