Was that all? He really drank two potion bottles in succession, then limped back toward the dungeon.
No one tried to stop him. Everyone called him a reckless madman. He had barely survived, yet he was walking back into danger of his own accord.
“I have to… go with you… D’Ély…”
Gavin, whose kneecap was clearly visible due to his injury, lost consciousness as soon as he was handed over to the medic. The last thing he saw was D’Élysée’s retreating back.
The dungeon’s core, which had caused countless casualties, was destroyed like that. Somehow D’Élysée had reported it, and Gavin received a military medal along with him. His head felt dizzy and dazed.
He was truly an unpredictable guy. But one thing was certain.
Gavin would be loyal to him. Until his dying breath.
***
“As D’Élysée’s close friend, I felt I had to ask.”
Gavin, finally opening his eyes, asked Egru:
“Why have you come only now? Is it just to borrow money?”
“N-no, that’s not it…!”
“Then why didn’t you ever come to meet him before?”
“T-that’s…”
Egru couldn’t answer easily. His parched lips trembled.
Gavin’s expression twisted at the nauseating act of playing the victim. He could practically hear the gears turning in that scheming head.
“Why? Now that your brother has become a commander, did you suddenly want to see him again?”
He shot back before Egru could spit out a plausible excuse.
“N-no! Absolutely not!”
“Is there anything easier to say than ‘no’? Do you think 300,000 gold coins that you suddenly demanded is a small amount?”
As Egru shook his head vigorously, Gavin took a big step closer.
“Yes, it’s a fortune saved while barely escaping death. I risked my one and only life on the battlefield. But what have you been doing all this time?”
Suddenly, Gavin’s expression hardened.
“You can do this because you haven’t experienced those horrors.”
“Ah, ah…”
Egru stiffened as if he couldn’t breathe.
“Aren’t you ashamed of leeching off your promising brother? Even today. You’re not going to stay by his side, so don’t give him false hope.”
Tears flowed down his pale green face. Though partially hidden by his unkempt hair, his cheeks were clearly wet.
“You’re the worst. You’re using family ties to get money. No, you’re not even family, right? You said there’s not a drop of blood shared. Is that why you can deceive without guilt?”
The sound of sniffling and trying to hold back tears could be heard. Even that looked like nothing but a shallow con act to Gavin.
“If you have even a shred of conscience left.”
Gavin growled lowly.
“Leave the check and get out. Don’t ever come back.”
“……”
Gavin clenched his fist. If words didn’t work, he was prepared to use force. But fortunately, there was no need to commit a mortal sin in the name of the god. The mongrel’s deliberation didn’t last long.
“D-D’Élysée…”
Egru bowed. With trembling hands, he respectfully handed over the check.
“P-please take care of him. In-instead of me…”
“I was planning to do that anyway.”
Gavin snatched the check before Egru could finish speaking. It was somewhat fortunate. There was still some guilt left to be provoked.
“I hope we never meet again. Unless you want to exploit that guy who’s finally found his own life…”
“There you are, Egru! I’ve been looking all over for you!”
“?”
It was then that someone suddenly interrupted. While Gavin turned to look at the source of the voice, Egru’s face turned a sickly pale.
“How could you just leave when I was waiting for you? And with the pride of the order, the vice commander, no less!”
Seeing the subtle flattery, the approaching man’s purpose was clear. Having grasped his cunning intentions, Gavin prepared to leave.
The check worth 300,000 gold coins was safely tucked into the inner pocket of his armor. He planned to explain everything to D’Élysée when he regained some semblance of sanity and return it. Just as he was about to leave the main street without delay, someone suddenly grabbed between the plates of Gavin’s armor.
“?”
“I-I know this is shameless, but…”
The mongrel pleaded, his teeth chattering.
“C-could you please s-stay with me for a bit?”
Gavin looked down at Egru blankly. He looked thoroughly frightened.
“P-please…”
Sighing in displeasure, Gavin turned to face the man.
“Who are you?”
“Ah! Pardon my late introduction! I’m Chevery Randall, the eldest son of Count Randall.”
“That’s not what I’m asking.”
“Huh? Oh.”
The self-proclaimed Randall cleared his throat and laughed it off.
“Haha, this is embarrassing. I’m, well, an old acquaintance of Egru’s.”
Randall smiled amiably and put his arm around Egru’s shoulders.
“Say something too, Egru. You’re making me look bad in front of the vice commander.”
“Ah, w-well, that’s…”
Gavin stared at Randall’s hand on the mongrel’s shoulder. He was gripping it tightly, as if about to crush the bony shoulder. It was a silent warning.
“I see…”
Despite clearly noticing the situation, Gavin ignored it.
‘Not just D’Élysée, but other nobles too…’
He must have tried to cozy up to them. Those who tried to leech off others for their own gain were often treated like toys. Seeing the type of people he associated with, it was clear what level he was on.
“Well, if you’re acquaintances, I’ll leave him in your care and be on my way.”
“Ah, but…!”
“Yes, take care.”
Randall stopped Egru as he tried to step forward.
“Please contact us anytime. If you ever need any personal assistance, the Randall house is always open to you.”
Gavin nodded halfheartedly and hurried his steps towards the Papal Headquarters.
***
“Are all the people around you so rude?”
Randall said. It was after Gavin had gone far enough to be out of sight.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
“Ah, aah…”
“Um, um. You’re not mute, are you?”
Randall suddenly grabbed Egru by the nape of his neck.
“I told you to come to the main gate.”
Egru’s stiffened lips once again failed to utter proper words. That wasn’t all. He couldn’t move a single step from where he stood. His legs trembled as if he might wet himself at any moment.
“Do you think my words are a joke too?”
With those final words, Egru’s left cheek crumpled. To be precise, it was crushed by Randall’s fist.
“Ugh…!”
In an instant, his light body was thrown to the ground. His vision flashed. It was like someone was setting off flash bombs right in front of his eyes.
Egru tried to get up staggering but fell again. His skin, scraped against the dirt, burned. He felt terrible pain as if his facial bones had been shattered.
Randall cracked his knuckles and laughed.
“What are you going to do now that there’s no lady to save you?”
***
“We’ll seal off the site at midnight sharp and begin suppression, Commander. What should we do about the guild’s resistant personnel?”
“Skip identity verification. Ignore protocol and arrest everyone.”
“Understood.”
As the light on the communication device disappeared, D’Élysée approached the safe. Inside the double-secured steel door was a yellow chocolate box.
The box was light. Of course it was, since the inside was completely empty. A faint humming sound, barely audible, echoed in the quiet office. Unusually, he seemed quite elated.
After handling the box, D’Élysée picked up a single yellow bellflower. The outline of the flower, under a preservation spell, was surrounded by a soft glow. It stood upright, its shape perfectly maintained, even its fragrance sealed off. D’Élysée gently held the bright yellow bellflower to his ear.
“Brother, my ears hurt.”
“It-it’s because you’re cold. Come here.”
It was a winter day. His brother cupped his hands, the younger one’s, in his own. He blew on them repeatedly to warm them up, then pressed them against his ears that felt like they might fall off.
“H-how is it? Better now? We should get a bit closer to the stove too.”
“I’m scared. What if my back burns all night?”
“I’ll watch over you all night! Don’t worry!”
“Okay!”
His brother always slept on the side farther from the stove. To keep his younger sibling, himself, warmer. The cheap stove was too small, and the heat concentrated only on one side.
When drowsily falling asleep, he would occasionally hear rustling sounds. Soon after, he would feel a gentle hand stroking his back.
Worried that his little brother’s back might burn, his older brother really stayed up all night checking. He did this every night throughout the winter. Not missing a single day. Even though his own hands and feet were blue from the cold at work.
“……”
D’Élysée placed the yellow bellflower back into the equally yellow box. The box was then returned to the safe. Carefully wrapped in a wool cover to prevent any damage.
The thick steel door closed, and the lock automatically engaged.
“?”
It was then that D’Élysée checked the location tracking map.
‘Why isn’t he moving from that spot?’
His brother’s location was fixed in some alley.