“Is, is that how it’s supposed to be done?”
At Egru’s question, D’Élysée brushed back his platinum blonde hair with an exasperated look. He seemed to have read the situation from Egru’s expression.
Egru’s throat tightened at the look of contempt in D’Élysée’s eyes. He firmly wiped his wet eyes with his worn sleeve. As always, he could only blame himself for his own foolishness. He thought he couldn’t sink any lower, but…
The ship Egru had invested in had reportedly sunk in some Mediterranean sea after a surprise attack by an underwater monster. He had heard it was the largest cargo ship coming from the Western Continent.
Exotic spices, jeweled ornaments, artifacts and amulets, even the precious spirit stones he had heard so much about. All these treasures he had never even seen disappeared with the brief notification that “the ship had sunk.” It was the moment he lost an enormous sum of money he didn’t even have in hand all at once.
“When, when you introduced it to me, you didn’t say anything like this. You said it was the safest, that I could make a fortune in one go…”
Egru grabbed Levian’s trouser cuffs with both hands as Levian bit on a cigar. His legs had given out, and he couldn’t even stand up.
“Shit, I don’t know what you want me to do.”
Levian was irritable, as if it were someone else’s problem. It was the complete opposite of his attitude when recommending the investment.
“What do you want me to do about it sinking? Huh? Do you want to go and salvage it yourself?”
“Can, can I do that?”
“Do you think you can?”
Laughter mixed with cigar smoke flowed from Levian’s mouth. The acrid breath settled over Egru’s head. Egru couldn’t even cough. As if mocking the person who was suffocating alone, the white clumps of smoke leisurely disappeared.
“Tell me, Egru. Who signed the contract?”
The now shortened cigar butt was crushed under Levian’s boot. Though it always had reddish-black stains, it was a well-maintained, glossy boot.
It was completely different from Egru’s, which leaked rainwater from the soles. An old leather boot he had luckily scavenged from a garbage dump. No matter how much he polished it, it no longer shone.
“I’m asking you. Who signed the contract?”
“I, I did…”
“Right. You did it. With your ugly hands.”
Egru couldn’t hold back the tears that were welling up.
“What, what should I do…”
“Geez, you cry over every little thing every day.”
Levian bent his knee in a slovenly posture. He consoled Egru, who was crying as if the sky had fallen, step by step.
“What can you do about something that’s already happened? It’s okay. If you keep working hard from now on, you can pay it back. Though we’ll have to get rid of anything that gets in the way.”
When Levian’s gaze, as he said this, fell on D’Élysée. Egru was gripped by an indescribable chill. At the same time, he felt a certain conviction.
‘That’s why…’
He had committed the most outrageous act of his entire life.
Tap, tap.
The sound of D’Élysée’s index finger tapping on the desk was heard. At the steady rhythm, Egru’s gaze lifted straight ahead. He could read no emotion on his brother’s face, which had already become expressionless.
“You can’t even explain. You don’t have the contract either. What should I believe to lend you money?”
“I, I understand if you don’t want to lend it. Even I wouldn’t to someone like me…”
Egru’s lips closed for a moment. It was because D’Élysée showed a displeased expression for some reason.
He could realize it clearly enough to make his heart ache. His brother would never be proud of him again. Egru’s back hunched down. He had nothing to say even if told never to come near again.
“I’m, I’m sorry. It’s because I’m so stupid…”
“You’re right.”
It was a monotonous affirmation without inflection. D’Élysée spoke while slowly looking around, holding a map.
“You don’t even glance at me when things are good, but now you come asking for favors. I find despicable opportunists the most unsightly.”
Egru could only silently endure the sharp, piercing verbal abuse.
“So what should you do from now on?”
“Huh?”
D’Élysée smiled subtly. Above the edge of the faded map, bright green eye-smiles appeared. Though his lower face hidden by the paper remained expressionless, it was enough for Egru to hold onto a glimmer of hope.
“You have to do well, right? Don’t you?”
“Y-Yes. I have to do well.”
“Yes, remember that.”
Egru felt a little happy. He’s meeting me again. Even though cursing me with all sorts of vulgar words wouldn’t be enough. As expected, D’Élysée was still as kind now as he was before.
“You know? I’m helping you because I’m soft-hearted.”
The thin map was neatly placed on the desk. As D’Élysée approached step by step, a black shadow was cast over Egru.
D’Élysée skillfully removed the needle with practiced hands. The blood bottle, which had been steadily filling with Egru’s blood, was placed on a round table.
“But on one condition…”
Crash―!
It was before D’Élysée could finish speaking. The barrier magic broke, and the office door burst open. A loud boom followed.
“!”
Egru instinctively jumped up. It was a danger signal. With his short arms, he quickly grabbed his bewildered brother and hid behind the sofa.
Suddenly, even D’Élysée’s large frame was crumpled. Bright green eyes looked down blankly at his brother’s back.
Though trembling with his small frame, he sent his brother behind him as if to protect him. The two hands gripping the sofa backrest like a shield were full of blisters and calluses. As always.
But D’Élysée’s attention was focused elsewhere.
The skin briefly visible inside the robe hood. The purple bruise on his nape.
It was a wound he had been eyeing since the moment he first saw it. Judging by the burst capillaries, it wasn’t very old.
“Yah! D’Élysée! Where are you!”
“……”
“What’s with the space separation magic? Are you avoiding me?”
A heavily drunk man entered the office. He wore the same uniform pants as D’Élysée, with a disheveled shirt. There were also grape wine stains around his chest buttons.
“Stay down.”
D’Élysée stanched the blood on Egru’s arm with a handkerchief and stood up. As his tall figure suddenly rose from behind the velvet sofa, the man’s gaze immediately fell on him.
“Hey, are you playing hide and seek by yourself?”
“What brings you here, Brother Gavin?”
D’Élysée approached the man with a bright smile.
“Wha-what, Brother? Are you drunk?”
The man called Gavin gaped. Goosebumps rose on his arms.
‘Did this guy snort the wine? Why is he calling me brother when we’re the same age?’
Gavin looked D’Élysée up and down.
“More importantly, why are you wearing those heavy medals again? You took them all off a while ago… hic.”
“I think you’re the drunk one, brother. You’re so careless, really.”
D’Élysée gently closed Gavin’s jaw. He even dusted off his wrinkled shirt with an affectionate touch. He seemed to hear someone behind the sofa becoming intimidated.
“You, you, crazy…”
Gavin’s words were quickly cut off. It was because D’Élysée’s expression had changed completely. His face, now overshadowed by a grim shade, held a silent warning. Gavin felt like he was suddenly sobering up.
“Right, this isn’t the time for this. Damn it, D’Élysée. Do you know what I just heard?”
“Yes, I’m curious how important it is. There must be a good reason for you to break through the magic barrier and barge in like this.”
“Fuck, doesn’t it look serious? All the kids on gate duty today got fired!”
Gavin slammed down the bottle he was holding.
“They got a level 4 disciplinary action for stopping some half-breed bastard who was causing a ruckus. How wronged must they have felt to come running to me? One of them even had his promotion canceled.”
“…Is that so?”
There was silence for a while. Gavin pounded his chest as if frustrated.
“Is that all? Our boys got into this mess trying to protect the Commander, don’t you feel sorry for them at all?”
“Protect me? Who?”
A bland smile spread across D’Élysée’s face. However, Gavin, who had flopped down on the sofa, didn’t see his expression.
“Some half-breed bastard was stubbornly insisting on meeting you. They said he looked like some petty thief, who knows if he might harm the new Commander? They were just about to teach him a lesson when His Holiness caught them red-handed.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“You know how much His Holiness dotes on you. Go and sort this out, will you?”
“Well, a level 4 disciplinary action is getting off lightly.”
“Hey, don’t you know they’re under my command? Who cares about some half-breed or whatever? Why are you acting like this?”
“Ah, I have someone to introduce you to.”
“What?”
D’Élysée pulled something out from behind the sofa. A lime-green leg wrapped in bandages dangled in the air.
“This is my brother.”
Egru could only stammer with a shocked face. He curled up in the air, unable to do anything. D’Élysée leisurely continued the introduction.
“Gavin sitting over there is my direct subordinate Vice Commander, and we lived together at the orphanage attached to the Papal Headquarters. Say hello. It’s your first time meeting each other, right?”
Gavin stopped dead in his tracks, as if he had completely sobered up.