D’Élysée bit the inside of his cheek fiercely to stabilize his wavering focus. He clenched his jaw with such force that his lower face ached.

“Calm down.”

“Calm?”

“He’s just fallen asleep.”

Gilbert wore a smile brimming with composure.

“I will most certainly end your life.”

D’Élysée murmured softly while gripping his sword hilt. Blue veins rose prominently on his sturdy hand.

The fierce blue aura riding the turbulent air fluctuated violently. He wanted nothing more than to plunge his blade into that presumptuous face.

D’Élysée couldn’t believe the scene before his eyes.

Upon clearing the dungeon and returning, he found his unconscious brother. He was cradled in Gilbert’s arms, his buttocks exposed with visible red handprints.

His brother’s eyes were reddened and swollen, his entire body drenched in cold sweat. Transparent fluid dripped in long strands from his anus.

I thought he had some semblance of decency.

His nape stiffened with rage that surged instantaneously.

His judgment that it would be safer than taking his brother to the dungeon core had been mistaken.

Would it have been better to leave his brother outside the dungeon entirely? No, with such a depraved individual nearby, nowhere would have been safe.

“Did you violate my brother while I was gone?”

“What? Do you think I’m like you?”

Gilbert retorted as if deeply offended.

“I have someone I love. A noble person incomparably superior to novices like you. I’m saving my purity for them.”

If Gilbert’s words were true, the current situation was even more incomprehensible.

Had he merely toyed with his brother out of boredom? Either way, it couldn’t be tolerated.

Eventually, the trembling of the blade ceased. He was calculating the trajectory to sever Gilbert’s vital point while avoiding his peacefully nestled brother.

“A tentacle laid eggs in his stomach.”

Gilbert said, kicking away tentacles that brushed against his feet.

“Don’t you see these dried husks on the floor? He begged me to get them out, so I only helped…”

An artful smile never left Gilbert’s lips.

“You’re swinging your sword without assessing the situation. Looking at it, he really seems quite unfortunate.”

Gilbert rubbed his cheek against Egru’s damp forehead. D’Élysée’s expression grew even colder.

“Tentacle-type monsters don’t lay eggs that quickly. You must have simply watched with folded arms until it planted its eggs.”

“I was monitoring the situation. Just like you were applying soap last night. I too acted for his sake.”

“……”

“Believe it or not as you wish.”

D’Élysée glared at Gilbert, who stood with shoulders proudly squared.

He could clearly see what was going through that depraved mind.

If I leave any visible wounds…

He would undoubtedly report it to his brother, while putting on airs of victimhood. Was this revenge for yesterday?

D’Élysée sheathed his sword with practiced precision. If he had orchestrated this merely to sow discord, he wasn’t worth exchanging words with.

“Hand over my brother.”

Gilbert frowned with an unsatisfied expression. Unconsciously, he held Egru tighter. A sudden reluctance to surrender him had emerged. Egru, buried in the ample chest, moaned softly.

What’s this? Why am I acting this way?

But the moment he questioned himself, he handed Egru over without hesitation.

“…Take him then.”

Gilbert mumbled, pursing his lips.

D’Élysée first pulled up Egru’s waistband. His poor buttocks, tormented thoroughly, finally returned beneath his clothing.

D’Élysée carefully slipped both hands under Egru’s armpits. His large, firm hands slowly lifted the light weight.

“Uh…”

The sudden change in position partly roused Egru from unconsciousness.

His eyes, still clouded with drowsiness, blinked repeatedly. The single layer of eyelid felt as heavy as an encyclopedia.

“Brother…”

Brother? At the sudden sound of his sibling’s voice, Egru snapped briefly to attention.

Oh, aah!

His disheveled state flashed through his mind instantaneously. The dungeon, tentacles, essence, monster eggs…!

As he felt the pulling force from behind, Egru extended his arms and frantically grasped Gilbert’s neck. He couldn’t possibly go into his brother’s arms in such a state, even if it killed him.

“Brother?”

D’Élysée’s face registered shock at the immediate rejection.

“You’re startled from waking. Let me hold you. Come here.”

Egru shook his head vigorously. Tears of distress seeped out once more.

He had been caught in a shameful state by his brother. Though his pants had been pulled back up, his entire body was covered in tentacle secretions.

If only you’d woken me before D-D’Élysée saw. No, if you’d just picked up my d-dagger before the tentacles got me, this wouldn’t have…

Egru cast his tearful gaze downward.

What use was there in blaming Gilbert now? Everything was already ruined.

His humiliation was complete. Far from being the impressive, admirable older brother, he had fallen to a pathetic, wretched state.

Boom, boom. The dungeon’s trembling intensified. Stones that had supported the ceiling began to fall one by one.

“He doesn’t want to go to you.”

Gilbert couldn’t hide his subtle pleasure.

“He wants to stay with me.”

“You don’t recognize me in your drowsy state, brother? Look carefully. It’s me, all right?”

D’Élysée approached Egru repeatedly with a desperate expression. But Egru merely hid his face in Gilbert’s embrace.

“We’ll be crushed in the dungeon at this rate.”

Gilbert gestured toward the dungeon exit with his chin.

“You go first. We’ll follow.”

The implication was to stop dawdling.

D’Élysée bit his lower lip firmly. Why was this bastard allowed, but not himself…

“Brother…”

Despite the lingering affection in his call, Egru only burrowed deeper into Gilbert’s arms. With eyes tightly shut, he rubbed his face side to side, hiding between the massive chest. His cream-colored pointed ears were completely lowered.

Gilbert rumbled with a quiver at the tip of his tail. He emitted a low laugh at the pleasing tickling sensation.

It was a scene that could crush and pulverize D’Élysée’s insides.

D’Élysée clenched his fist with all his might but soon released it. At the very least, he couldn’t leave his brother alone with someone whose pants were wet at the center.

“I found what you were looking for, brother. I wanted to see your happy face.”

“……”

“Do you dislike walking with me as well?”

D’Élysée deliberately revealed glistening tears, moistening his voice with sadness. Egru startled while Gilbert frowned.

Confirming Egru’s immediate anxious response, D’Élysée added in an even more dejected voice:

“As dangerous as it is, I can’t leave without you.”

It was an ambiguous expression. In D’Élysée’s eyes, Gilbert appeared as harmful as the collapsing dungeon.

“Won’t you give me one more chance? Have I committed some grave error?”

At D’Élysée’s words, Egru quickly whispered something to Gilbert. But unwilling to relay it, Gilbert merely turned his head away.

“Why try to look good? Do you like him that much?”

Gilbert grumbled, revealing his jealousy. It was a green light for D’Élysée.

“If that’s how it is, I have no choice.”

D’Élysée needlessly rubbed his dry eyes with his forearm.

Thinking his brother was crying, Egru’s expression became thunderstruck.

“You go first, brother. I’ll be the last one out.”

D’Élysée assumed a forlorn expression. Just then, the dungeon floor cracked with a splitting sound.

“I can’t leave first while abandoning my brother in a collapsing dungeon…”

“Ah, ah!”

Egru finally jumped from Gilbert’s arms. He struggled to raise his body that had collapsed like a sheet of paper.

“Hey, you can’t walk alone!”

Despite Gilbert’s admonishment, Egru approached his brother, trembling like a newborn calf. D’Élysée immediately opened his arms to receive him.

“Brother…!”

“D-don’t c-cry, please.”

Egru spoke haltingly through his tears.

D’Élysée was inexpressibly moved by his brother’s voice, which he hadn’t heard in so long. He was overjoyed that his brother had finally spoken aloud for his sake.

Unlike the elated D’Élysée, Egru moved desperately toward his brother. D’Élysée gently supported him.

“It’s n-not your fault.”

Egru said, clutching D’Élysée’s clothing. Overcome with accumulated distress, tears poured from his amber eyes.

“I’m j-just so pathetic…”

“What are you saying? You’re not pathetic at all.”

D’Élysée placed small kisses all over Egru’s face. From his soft eyelids to his adorable nostrils.

Eventually, as Egru exhaled a calmed breath, they gently rubbed foreheads. The ticklish sensation of their mingling bangs felt intimate.

“Get on my back, brother. Let’s leave this place.”

Egru nodded at the affectionate question.

Gilbert, who had been watching all this, left for the dungeon exit first in exasperation.

What a touching reunion they’re having.

With an erection making it impossible to carry him in front, so carrying him on the back instead. He wanted to expose everything to Egru.

Despite the pleasant fantasy, Gilbert felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest.

I waited patiently all this time…

Glance. The crimson eyes that had turned back to look for Egru faced forward again.

It had become harder to endure lately. He needed to find this relic or whatever it was and meet his hero as soon as possible.