“Is my brother really here?”
“That’s what I said! We need to hurry inside!”
In response to D’Élysée’s question, an excited Tarn bounced up and down. D’Élysée, who had skipped identity verification with a bribe, entered through the city gates with Tarn.
“All places where people live are the same.”
Separate from bribing the gatekeeper, D’Élysée clicked his tongue, pointing out the flaws in the fortress security.
Generally, scaling the walls of the Demon Federation wasn’t easy. Seeing the lanterns strung throughout the capital streets, it seemed security had been relaxed due to the festival.
“Wow! It’s so bright!”
D’Élysée looked down at Tarn, whose eyes were shining. The beast-folk child Tarn had helped lower their guard.
“Why are all these pretty lights on?”
Tarn asked, pointing at the colorful lanterns.
“Don’t wander off too far.”
“What’s this? Why is this on the ground?”
Ignoring D’Élysée’s warning, Tarn ran ahead with pattering steps.
He gathered the flowers scattered across the plaza floor, then hugged sparkles from spent fireworks and strings to his chest. Tangled strings dangled from Tarn’s feet.
“Today is the memorial festival, it seems.”
D’Élysée answered after exchanging a few words with a street vendor who was closing shop nearby.
“Festival? Festivals are good things! I saw them on the island too! I want to join the festival!”
“It’s already over.”
“What? You should have told me something so important earlier! Then we could have come faster! Egru would have wanted to play with me at the festival too!”
Tarn drooped his brown ears as if heartbroken. He whined while looking back at D’Élysée, but the man was busy calmly surveying the capital’s geography.
“Eek!”
Tarn bristled. Receiving no response made him even more heated.
“Yellow bad person! Bad!”
Tarn threw the flowers from his arms at D’Élysée as if in a staring contest. The flowers hit D’Élysée’s back and fell to the ground.
However, despite throwing them enthusiastically for quite some time, they seemed to have little impact. Regardless, D’Élysée just continued forward while looking at his map.
The flowers that had filled Tarn’s arms were almost gone. Tarn shouted as he threw the last remaining flower.
“You say you’re Egru’s brother, but you don’t look anything like Egru!”
D’Élysée’s steps paused momentarily before moving again. Still looking at the map, he quietly countered.
“…We do look alike.”
Tarn folded his arms and raised his head haughtily.
“No way. Egru is warm, but you’re all cold. You’re not really his brother, right? Family usually has similar smells, but you don’t at all—eek!”
Tarn was startled. D’Élysée, who had approached without notice, grabbed him by the collar. Tarn kicked frantically as his feet left the ground.
“Let go! Yellow bad person!”
“Where is my brother? I don’t care about your trivial assessment, just point me in the right direction.”
Despite claiming disinterest, he seemed quite irritated.
“Tsk!”
Though huffing angrily, Tarn eventually extended his index finger—pointing in the direction where he sensed Egru’s presence.
Once I meet my friend Egru…!
He vowed to report all of D’Élysée’s wrongdoings.
D’Élysée’s gaze followed the direction of Tarn’s finger. Where his pale green eyes landed stood a towering palace.
***
“Do you know where Levian is?”
Mayfield asked as she entered the palace a step ahead. Egru, following behind Röwugor, hung his head.
“N-no, Miss. I escaped while the soldiers were holding Levian off…”
“I thought so. He’s certainly pursuing you, so let’s go to the palace basement. If we use the transportation portal, we can completely escape his tracking.”
“Miss, um…”
Suddenly Egru stopped. They were in front of the massive door leading to the basement. Moonlight streaming through the palace corridor windows dyed his dark brown hair blue.
“I-I don’t know how Levian will act, so I think it would be better if I moved alone from here.”
“If I cared about that, I wouldn’t have brought you back to the palace in the first place.”
It was Röwugor, not Mayfield, who spoke. Though her tone was indifferent, the sincerity within was caring.
“I a-appreciate your concern, but I still can’t accept.”
Despite his trembling voice, Egru stood firm. He couldn’t put those unrelated to Levian in danger.
“B-both of you and other palace people could get hurt.”
“The wounds on your neck—Levian did that to you, didn’t he?”
Mayfield suddenly grabbed Egru’s wrist and asked.
“Huh? Are there wounds?”
Egru rubbed his neck with his free hand. As Mayfield said, it was slightly throbbing and stinging. It seemed bruises had formed already.
“You’ve only just reunited and he’s already hurt you. After all the tender care I’ve given you.”
When Mayfield clicked her tongue, Egru stammered a response.
“W-well, that’s because I said I w-wanted to be a h-hero…”
“For such a trivial reason? Human nature rarely changes. Though that’s true for everyone.”
Mayfield pushed Egru through the basement door. As Egru stumbled down the first couple of stone steps, the Röwugor couple followed behind.
“Levian will likely exploit your weaknesses without hesitation to achieve his goals. You know that, right?”
“Th-that’s why…”
“My role is to protect you. To keep you away from that vermin. As your close friend and elder, I’ve decided this, so even you can’t stop me.”
Mayfield smiled with confident eyes.
“Your concern is appreciated, Egru. But you should think about your own safety before ours…”
Thud.
Just then, Röwugor hurriedly closed and locked the door.
Röwugor exhaled painfully with half-closed eyes. A previously unseen syringe was stuck in her green neck. Someone had attacked Röwugor.
“Ugh…”
“Darling!”
Röwugor, who had pulled out the syringe in one breath, slumped against the door. Mayfield jumped in surprise and supported her.
“What is this…! I’ll call the royal guards right away!”
Bang, crash—!
At the thunderous pounding on the closed basement door, the communication orb fell from Mayfield’s hand.
Mayfield reached out a moment too late. The jewel-shaped sphere bounced down the stone steps.
“I-I’ll go get it!”
“No, Egru! No solo actions!”
Mayfield grabbed Egru’s arm as he was about to dash out.
“It’s okay. I’ve already pressed the emergency call. Reinforcements will gather soon.”
After calming Egru, Mayfield turned her head and asked:
“How are you, darling?”
Röwugor tasted the tip of the syringe needle and then spat out the gathered saliva.
“It’s not a dangerous drug. Just temporary paralysis.”
“That’s a relief.”
“I-I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Because of me…”
Egru sobbed, not knowing what to do. Röwugor glanced at Egru, then turned back to block the door.
“Go down first. I’ll hold them off as best I can. This is the only door to the basement, so for now, this is our best option.”
“B-but still…”
“It’s fine. As the ruler of a nation, I have immunity to most poisons.”
Just then, vibrations spread through the space. Heavy armor and footsteps. Royal guards responding to the emergency call.
“Intruder! Subdue immediately!”
The sound of metal clashing violently echoed from beyond the door. Only then did Mayfield nod and turn around.
“You absolutely must not get hurt, darling.”
“Of course.”
After reassuringly promising, Röwugor turned to Egru.
“Traveler on the hero’s path. Though our acquaintance was brief, I’m embarrassed to have shown such childish behavior. If we meet again someday, I’d like to have a more profound conversation.”
“Ch-childish behavior? Not at all…”
“Hmm, I appreciate your claiming ignorance.”
Seeing Egru’s innocent expression of complete incomprehension, Röwugor felt even more guilty. To have been consumed by the ugly emotion of jealousy toward a child as pure as a white canvas.
“Anyway, hurry down as quickly as possible.”
“Y-yes! Your Majesty! L-let’s definitely talk later!”
Egru followed Mayfield down the stone steps leading to the basement. Guided by the light of mana stones hung like torches at regular intervals, the two headed deeper and deeper.
“Over there, Egru. See that red glow? We just need to reach there.”
Boom—!
Just then, an explosion sounded above their heads. The echo of the thick door being destroyed transmitted through the cool air.
Egru looked back with an anxious face, but Mayfield firmly pulled his hand, leading him forward.
“Just a little more.”
“M-Miss…”
Understanding Mayfield’s feelings, Egru hurriedly wiped away his tears. Finally, having descended to the bottom of the basement, the two stopped in front of an enormous door.