Egru hastily straightened his clothes. He smoothed down his disheveled hair and scrubbed his face with his sleeves.

“D’Élysée, d-do I look okay?”

“Yes, you’re beauti… I mean, you look magnificent. In fact, ‘magnificent’ doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

“Thanks. Y-You too.”

Beaming, Egru tried his best to compose himself. This was his first official meeting; he absolutely could not afford to make any mistakes.

O-Okay, just step out of the carriage with dignity…

Click. The carriage door opened, and D’Élysée strode out first. After checking that his triangular sword, Barbal, was secure at his hip, Egru followed with a determined step.

“Secure the carriage properly.”

“My apologies, my lord. The sound of the drawbridge lowering must have startled the horses.”

The driver apologized at D’Élysée’s admonishment. Whoa! As the carriage shifted, Egru’s body suddenly lifted into the air. D’Élysée had swept him up and set him gently on the ground.

I-I could have gotten down the steps by myself…

He knew it was just his kind brother being considerate, but it was still a little embarrassing. I’m the older brother, after all. He was just glad that, being outside the main gate, there was no one around to see but the guards.

“Welcome, Lord Egru and… the unnamed adventurer.”

Thump. Just as the drawbridge slammed into place, a man came running gracefully across it. “I was sent by Chancellor Chelsea. We will do our utmost to serve you during your stay in the Giel Principality.”

The young attendant bowed deeply in greeting. “As per visitation protocol, please enter one at a time. We will begin with the party’s representative, Lord Egru…”

“We will enter together.”

At D’Élysée’s curt statement, the attendant looked troubled. “Begging your pardon, but His Grace the Duke of Giel has come to greet you personally. The members of the Hero Union are also scheduled to arrive shortly. Might I ask you to follow the proper etiquette for the occasion?”

Sensing D’Élysée’s displeasure, Egru spoke up. “Y-Yes. We’ll do that.”

“Hyung.”

“D’Élysée, d-do you want to go in first? I’ll be fine!”

“That’s not it…” D’Élysée let out a short sigh. “If you sense even the slightest hint of danger, you come right back out. If you can’t, at least scream. I’ll find you, no matter what it takes. Understand?”

At the low, whispered concern, Egru smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry.”

“Then, Lord Egru will now enter.”

At the attendant’s cue, Egru waved to his brother and crossed the drawbridge.

Wow… Stepping past the gate, Egru couldn’t hold back his gasp of admiration. He could only see the exterior, but the castle where the Duke lived was magnificent, its towers soaring into the sky.

T-They’ve done all this for us…!

The gardens were filled with banners and decorations to welcome the heroes. And to think that the lord of the domain, the Duke himself, had come to greet them in person. It was a true honor.

With sparkling eyes, Egru took in the lush greenery. As he neared the end of the long garden path, an enormous cheer erupted.

“The Hero! The Hero is coming!”

The moment Egru stepped out from behind the manicured hedgerows, the cheers died as if severed by a knife. A terrifyingly complete silence fell over the Duke of Giel, the assembled nobles, and even the servants and maids. The only two people still smiling were Egru and Marquis Chelsea. Seeing the short, scrawny demon walking toward them, everyone looked palpably disappointed.

“Small, white, and cute…” the Duke of Giel muttered under his breath, turning a reproachful glare on Marquis Chelsea. The Marquis simply beamed and played along.

“Isn’t he just?”

“Is he a mage, then? I hear they are quite rare.”

“No, I believe he is a swordsman!”

“Surely that toy at his hip is not his weapon. Please, tell me it is not.”

“You have a keen eye, Your Grace!”

“Hah, good heavens…”

As the Duke pressed a hand to his forehead, Marquis Chelsea approached Egru. “Welcome, Lord Egru! It has only been half a day, but it is a pleasure to see you again!”

“Ah, Marquis Chelsea…!” Egru asked, cautiously glancing at the silent crowd. “D-Did I do something wrong?”

“Not at all. Please, pay it no mind. Come, let us go inside.”

Somehow, Egru couldn’t bring himself to lift his head. The grand crowd that had gathered to welcome their hero was now murmuring amongst themselves.

“Is that the hero who’s come to save us?”

“We’d be better off waiting for the ones from the Hero Union. I heard they’re almost here.”

In the middle of the disgruntled crowd, the Duke of Giel also looked thoroughly displeased.

“The Hero!”

Just then, someone shouted.

“The real Hero has come to save us!”

Egru looked back toward the garden path he had just walked.

It was D’Élysée. He had taken off his hood, likely as a basic courtesy. His verdant eyes scanned the area alertly, as if searching for something. When his gaze finally met Egru’s, a faint, relieved smile touched his lips.

The people of the castle began to cheer again. A collective gasp of wonder rose from a group of what appeared to be Omegas. Some even blushed as they praised his exceptional features. It was only natural that D’Élysée, so handsome and tall, would be popular. He deserved it. He was a master of the greatsword and had an outstanding character, to boot.

I know that, but…

Feeling as though everyone only liked his younger brother, Egru’s shoulders slumped. The Duke’s face was now also wreathed in smiles.

“Welcome to the Giel Principality!”

“Hero! This way, please!”

“You must be an adventurer? Please, I must hear of your exploits!”

Egru was pushed back and separated from the crowd as they surged forward to get a look at D’Élysée. For some reason, it reminded him of his days in the capital. D’Élysée, always surrounded by a crowd, and himself, always watching from a distance…

Sniffle.

Egru quickly wiped his nose.

It’s okay! I just have to do better from now on!

There was nothing he could do about it right now. He wasn’t strong yet, and there wasn’t much he was good at. When he thought about it, it was nothing new. He was used to a life where no one paid him any mind. He couldn’t change the world’s opinion of him like magic, but if he was truly, desperately determined, he could at least change himself. If he was at the bottom, there was only one direction to go. Egru lifted his head, his gaze determinedly pointing upward.

“Hyung!”

D’Élysée pushed his way through the swarming crowd and came to his side, the young attendant in tow. “Let us proceed to the banquet hall. The members of the Hero Union have just arrived. You can hear the details while you partake in the supper provided by His Grace the Duke.”

“We will only need one guest room,” D’Élysée added.

The attendant, leading them deeper into the castle, replied, “I will see that it is prepared as such.”

***

Sometime after Egru and D’Élysée had been seated in the banquet hall, the door opened quietly, and the heroes from the Hero Union entered. The two of them, both wearing dark robes with the hoods pulled low, kept their faces hidden. Crackle, crackle. Only the sound of the fireplace filled the silent room.

“His Grace, the Duke, is arriving.”

At the chief steward’s announcement, the central doors opened, and everyone rose. Egru, taking his cue from D’Élysée, stood as well. The Duke of Giel, dressed in full formal attire, entered with his back ramrod straight.

“Thank you all for coming to the Giel Principality. Please, be seated.”

At the Duke’s permission, everyone sat back down. Only then did the two heroes remove their robes as a sign of respect. They were a human man and woman; the man had a playful smile, while the woman had a cold, stern expression.

“First, I wish to extend my thanks to the heroes gathered here today.” The Duke of Giel looked over the guests seated in the hall, yet his gaze pointedly slid past Egru, even though his eyes were sparkling with anticipation. “I believe you have all been briefed on the general situation. The daily appearance of even small-scale dungeons is increasing, and we are being overrun by monsters.”

The Duke tapped his fingers on the banquet table. “To that end, we have two heroes from the Union, each said to be a match for a hundred men. And I express my gratitude to the unexpected heroes who have also graced us with their presence. I have heard the heroic tale of how you rescued the Chancellor of Giel.”

The Duke singled out D’Élysée with his praise. D’Élysée gave a short nod of acknowledgment. Egru, watching him, awkwardly mimicked the gesture. From across the long table, Marquis Chelsea gave him a subtle wink and a thumbs-up, as if to say he had told the story well.

“As you may know, the Giel Principality is a small domain in a corner of the West Continent. However, we have a thriving commercial sector and are located between rival nations, making us a strategic point they covet. If a war were to break out at a time like this, we would lack the knights to even defend ourselves. The number of wounded and dead grows daily, and our situation is truly bleak.”

The Duke of Giel bowed his head respectfully. “Please, help our domain. This is my request.”

“Is the task to repair the seal on the A-rank dungeon?” the female member of the Hero Union asked.

The Duke nodded once. “Yes. Use whatever means necessary. Just ensure that no more monsters can escape from that place.”

“The Hero Union will offer its full cooperation.”

“As will we,” D’Élysée added coolly to the male hero’s statement.

“I am most grateful.” The Duke of Giel raised the goblet before him. “A toast to your great will!”

Following the mood, Egru picked up his own glass and downed the contents in one go.

“Cough!“

It was incomparably bitter, nothing like the sweet apple wine. He felt as if he’d just swallowed poison. It tasted far worse than any of the spoiled food he’d eaten in the past.

Wh-Why would anyone drink this stuff?

He barely managed to stifle his coughs. A wave of heat washed over him, and his insides felt like they were on fire.

Why, why isn’t anyone else reacting?

In the end, Egru forced himself to drain the glass. The potent alcohol went to his head almost immediately. He wasn’t sure how much of the food D’Élysée passed him he managed to eat in his dizzy state, but after the lavish supper concluded, the Duke was the first to leave the hall.

“Hyung, did you eat your fill?” D’Élysée asked warmly.

Egru nodded his head much more than usual. For some reason, he felt light enough to fly.

“Let’s go, then.”

“Okay!”

As they were leaving the hall, they happened to exit at the same time as the Union heroes. They were about to part ways in the corridor without a word, when one of them spoke.

“Is that your slave?” the hero asked, pointing at Egru.

D’Élysée’s face turned to ice.