A heavy silence lingered between Egru and D’Élysée after they returned to their room.
“Hyung, did you enjoy the formal dinner?”
“Yes, it was delicious…”
“Then why do you seem so down?” D’Élysée asked, stroking the shoulder of his brother, who had his back turned to him. “Are you not going to look at me anymore?”
The hurt in his voice made Egru’s lips part, but before any words could escape, a firm knock echoed from the door. Scrambling out of bed, Egru walked past D’Élysée toward the entrance.
“Hyung, I’ll…”
“N-No. I’ll get it.”
Egru turned the doorknob with a weak hand.
“Ah, finally.” A pleased sound came from the late-night visitor as the door opened. Egru tilted his head, surprised to see who it was. “Hero?”
“Good evening.” Tutu, from the Hero Union, gave a short nod in greeting.
“Wh-What brings you here?”
“I wanted to apologize for my rudeness the other day. And I have a personal proposal to make as well.” Tutu’s gaze flickered over Egru’s shoulder to acknowledge D’Élysée. “I’m sorry to disturb your rest. It was just difficult to find any other free time.”
“N-No, not at all! Please, come in!” Egru stepped back, ushering Tutu into the room.
“In fact, I stopped by last night, but there was no answer. I assumed you had gone to bed early.”
“O-Oh, is that so? I didn’t hear you.”
“Neither did I,” D’Élysée added smoothly. Unlike his brother, who had been lost to the world while D’Élysée was having his way with him, he had heard the knock perfectly clearly but had chosen to feign ignorance.
“Um, Ms. Tutu.”
“Please, just call me Tutu.”
“T-Tutu, well…!” Egru clutched the hem of his shirt. “Actually, I-I’m not sure what you’re apologizing for…”
After closing the door, Tutu scanned the room before her gaze settled on Egru. “For the outrageous remark I made the other day, calling you a slave.”
“Ah.”
“I sincerely apologize.” Tutu stood straight and bowed her head deeply. “I know this is nothing but an excuse, but I asked because if you were a slave, I intended to secure your freedom, by force if necessary.”
“Did you not see us dining together? How could you interpret that as a master-slave relationship?” D’Élysée’s voice was ice.
Tutu raised her head and continued her explanation. “It’s not uncommon for an owner to dote on a valuable slave. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a ‘pureblood elf’,” she said, putting a slight emphasis on the words for Egru’s benefit. “So I asked, just in case. They are a subspecies coveted by many. It was not my intention to cause a misunderstanding, and I am sorry. And though it may not be enough coming from me, I apologize for my companion’s rudeness as well.”
The apology was direct and sincere.
D’Élysée said nothing, simply looking at Egru. He felt it was his brother’s place to decide whether to forgive her, not his.
“It’s okay…!” Egru replied immediately. “Th-Thank you for coming all this way.”
“Thank you for accepting my apology.” For the first time, a faint smile touched Tutu’s lips.
D’Élysée stepped forward, subtly positioning himself to hide Egru behind his back, shielding him from Tutu’s gaze. “I have a question.”
“A coincidence. So do I.” Tutu gestured for him to ask first.
“Is your companion truly a member of the Hero Union?”
“His name is Jade Milan. Not that you seem particularly interested,” Tutu replied, as if she had expected the question. “To be honest, we were just dispatched together from the Union; we are not close. I had only heard rumors of him before meeting him for this mission. However, his skill is well-regarded within the Union. Though still a rookie, he has already amassed an enormous track record. They say he has single-handedly saved numerous villages that were being plundered by bandits.”
“Have you ever actually seen him fight an enemy?”
“I understand your doubt.” Tutu gave a slight nod. “At first glance, I also thought he was nothing special.” But, she seemed to imply, he must be reasonably competent. He even volunteered for the most dangerous sector during this exploration. He must be confident in his own abilities. She shrugged. “He came back unharmed yesterday, didn’t he? If he were all talk, he’d be rotting in a monster’s stomach by now.”
This was a point that had been bothering D’Élysée as well. The same thing happened today… How did he survive on his own?
As a former Commander of the Holy Knights, D’Élysée had faced countless adversaries. He had the ability to size up an opponent’s skill at a glance. But no matter how he looked at him, Jade was less skilled than an apprentice knight. And he certainly wasn’t in a situation like his own, where he needed to use concealment magic to hide his true abilities.
If he’s not a fraud, then… He wanted to uncover the trickster’s secret and tell his brother.
“That said, I wouldn’t recommend getting close to him. I certainly don’t plan to,” Tutu added, then asked coolly, “Have all your questions been answered?”
“…Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. My turn, I believe?” Tutu studied D’Élysée for a moment, stroking her chin. “I happened to see your swordsmanship today. Frankly, I was astonished.” A bright light flashed in her eyes. “By any chance, can you use Aura?”
“No.” D’Élysée’s answer was unhesitating. He planned to hide his identity as much as possible. Aura users were so rare they were easily identified. Moreover, a human Sword Master would stand out far too much in the West Continent, the land of demons.
“Whatever it is, your skill is extraordinary.” Tutu crossed her arms, her eyes shining. “I want to officially scout you for the Hero Union.”
“I decline.”
“You haven’t even heard the conditions.” Despite the flat rejection, Tutu chuckled and continued. “You would receive unparalleled treatment. The Hero Union has a great many sponsors. The compensation for individual members is by no means small.”
Just a few years ago, it was an offer he would never have refused. Back then, unlike now, he had been desperate for even a single copper coin. Wasn’t it the lack of a few miserable coins that had forced him and his brother apart? Money was a strange thing. Having it didn’t guarantee happiness, but not having it certainly made a person wretched.
But not anymore. For the rest of his life, only one thing mattered. His verdant eyes settled on Egru, who was fidgeting with his hands. The look of admiration on his brother’s face as he gazed at Tutu was intensely irritating. In contrast to his own childish jealousy, D’Élysée conveyed his decision calmly. “I appreciate the offer, but my decision will not change. It would be best not to waste your efforts.”
“…Frankly, that’s a shame.” At the clear dismissal, Tutu rose from her seat as if she had no other choice. “I do hope you’ll reconsider. We can attach any conditions you desire. You don’t seem like someone who’s swayed by money, but it costs nothing to offer, so I’ll mention it just in case.”
There’s no need for that. The thought made D’Élysée recall his secret account. He had opened it on a whim during his time as Commander, but the number of digits in the balance was no longer a trivial matter. It was enough to buy his brother all the cheese he could ever want for the rest of his life. If his brother wished, he could even build him a Republic of Cheese.[^2]
“I’ll be on my way for tonight.”
“W-Wait…!” Egru gathered his courage and stopped Tutu just as she was about to leave. “You said you’re with the Hero Union, s-so that must mean you’re a Hero, right?”
“That’s right.”
At Tutu’s reply, Egru’s eyes shone even brighter. “Th-Then, if-if I join the Hero Union, c-can I become a hero, too?”
Despite his severe stutter, brought on by overwhelming nervousness, Tutu showed no sign of impatience. She simply raised a thick eyebrow. “You want to be a hero?”
“Yes!”
At the booming reply, Tutu stared down at Egru. Then her gaze shifted to D’Élysée.
“You haven’t told him yet?”
“…”
D’Élysée’s expression turned slightly colder as Tutu continued to look Egru up and down. Egru, for his part, looked back and forth between them, a puzzled expression on his face.
“You’re making a mess you can’t handle,” Tutu said, shaking her head as she spoke. “In that case, I’ll be the one to tell you.”