His eyelids felt as heavy as lead weights.

Egru let out a pained groan as he shifted his legs. His feet bumped against something hard, but assuming it was just his pillow, he relaxed his furrowed brow.

His consciousness, which had been drifting hazily, began to sink once more.

“Ugh…”

Egru was having a nightmare. He desperately needed to urinate but couldn’t find a suitable bathroom. When he finally spotted a white toilet in the distance, his legs were already carrying him toward it.

“Hah, ah…”

Perhaps due to the intense movement, the sensation from below felt strange. It was as if a moist pump was sucking at his genitals. His lower abdomen tingled, feeling like he would wet himself at any moment.

Egru reached down with both hands to firmly grip his penis. Looking around, he found himself in the middle of the royal palace.

If I make a m-mess here, in what’s practically the miss’s home…

He couldn’t even imagine how embarrassing and shameful it would be. But no matter how much he ran, the distance to the privy never seemed to decrease. Even his running gradually slowed, as if someone were clinging to his ankles.

No, no…

Whimpering, Egru reached out toward the toilet. Despite his desperate state, the mirage-like space kept undulating and widening the distance.

It was then that he became entangled in the writhing red carpet and fell. Strangely, he fell backward rather than forward. The moment he found herself lying face-up toward the ceiling, without the pain of hitting his head—

“Ah, aah…”

Warm liquid began flowing from his erect tip.

Egru twisted his waist desperately. He gripped his own genitals painfully with both hands, trying his hardest to hold it in. But the sense of release had already begun, flowing unstoppably through his urethra.

Immediately, his face burned with the rush of shame. He thought he could hear someone laughing at him. As he continued crying and gasping for breath—

Cigarette smell…

Someone was wiping his lower body. The touch was so gentle it gave him goosebumps.

Something warm and moist like jelly gently stroked the tip of his sensitive area.

Thanks to this, the laughter subsided, and Egru was finally able to steady his ragged breathing.

Wondering who it was, he looked down to see red waves rippling between his thighs. Looking closer, it was bright red hair.

“Shit…”

A familiar voice pierced his eardrums. However, it echoed so loudly that the meaning was hard to make out.

“Got away. First time swallowing a dick.”

From the flushed face, they seemed quite angry at their mistake.

“Why should I hand this over to some other bastard…”

Egru finally fidgeted anxiously and made a tearful expression.

“S-sorry for causing trouble…”

Levian. The moment he opened his mouth to apologize, Egru jerked awake with a gasp.

Immediately after escaping the nightmare, he quickly pulled back his cotton blanket. Fortunately, there were no wet spots. His pajama pants were exactly as they had been before falling asleep.

Just to be sure, he felt around his bottom. There was a slightly uncomfortable sensation remaining, but it wasn’t urine.

J-judging by how sticky and slippery it feels, maybe it’s sweat?

The dampness in his lower pajamas suggested it must have been quite the nightmare.

Only then could Egru look around his own room. The door was still firmly closed as before. When he went outside in his pajamas just to check, he found unfamiliar soldiers standing guard.

“Oh? W-who are you?”

“Ah, you’re awake, sir Egru.”

“By order of Her Majesty the Queen, we’re to stand guard during the night. Our apologies for not informing you earlier, as you seemed to have retired early.”

“N-no, it’s fine. Um, did Her Majesty perhaps visit during the night?”

“If you’re asking about visitors, there were none.”

“We’ve been keeping strict guard tonight. Did something happen?”

“N-no! Nothing! Thank you!”

“Yes, we wish you a peaceful night.”

Egru returned to his room, closing the door. Just to be safe, he visited the bathroom to release any remaining water.

W-what was that…?

Egru decided to dismiss the strange experience of the night as simply a nightmare. His shoulders shuddered from the chill of a timely breeze.

It must have just been a dream…

Egru closed the wide-open window and tried to go back to sleep.

***

“Good morning, Egru.”

“Good morning, miss.”

The next day, lessons began immediately after breakfast.

Mayfield wrote two names on the blackboard with chalk. One was “D’Élysée Belered,” the other “Levian Eliger.”

Egru watched the chalk dust float down beneath the neatly written letters.

“D’Élysée Belered. Your brother, Egru.”

Mayfield tapped D’Élysée’s name sharply with the white chalk.

“Not by blood, but still. I hear he’s the Holy Knight Commander now.”

“Yes, miss.”

Egru grinned broadly, clearly happy just at the mention of his brother.

“As for Levian, well, he’s just a legendary bastard. Not worth mentioning further.”

Mayfield shrugged with her arms crossed. Egru couldn’t bring himself to agree and broke out in a cold sweat.

“Today I have one thing to teach you, Egru.”

“Y-yes!”

Seeing him snap to attention, Mayfield chuckled.

“Relax. But first, there’s something I need to ask.”

Mayfield pointed to the names on the blackboard.

“Are those two people precious to you?”

“O-of course!”

“More than anything?”

“Yes!”

“More than me?”

“Ye- ah…”

Egru’s lips went slack as he caught himself about to automatically answer ‘yes.’

“W-well…”

As he fidgeted and stammered for quite a while, Mayfield drew the conclusion for him.

“You love all three of us about the same?”

“Y-yes! Miss!”

Egru nodded vigorously.

“Then are you going to go meet those two? Do you miss them?”

“A-actually…”

Egru told Mayfield his next plan.

It was to check that D’Élysée was healthy and well, then leave to prevent the end of the world. Following yesterday’s advice, he had put aside the goal of becoming a Hero for now.

“Good. At least Levian isn’t an option. It’s not a perfect plan, but it’s somewhat acceptable.”

Mayfield muttered while tapping her chin with her index finger. Egru tilted his head in confusion.

Levian was naturally excluded from consideration. After all, he was well-off and popular, doing very well on his own. Besides, he hadn’t seen Levian die in the status window’s hallucination.

Egru could be certain. Levian must be living happily.

“Think about it. Who would want to keep someone like you around? I’m impressed I haven’t thrown you away yet. You know that?”

“…”

“I don’t need an idiot like you anymore.”

Since he had wanted to send him away even at the cost of clearing his enormous debt, he must finally be enjoying an unburdened life.

No matter what had happened, Levian was a benefactor who had been with him since childhood. He didn’t want to visit and upset him.

All Egru could do now was wish him joy in the future from afar.

“Egru, do you want to become a Hero?”

“M-maybe.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Mayfield picked up the chalk again and spoke.

“I’ll announce a new plan. There are three parts—any questions?”

Egru slowly raised his hand. But Mayfield immediately ignored it.

“Never mind. That was just for courtesy. You have to do exactly as I say, Egru.”

Egru slowly lowered his hand.

“First, you must continue to stay in the Demon Federation.”

“Is th-there a special reason?”

“Of course. The outside world is fierce and rough, while you’re surprisingly soft and weak.”

Egru’s eyes went wide. As round as if they could contain the armillary sphere beside Mayfield. Before those wounded amber eyes could tear up, Mayfield quickly corrected herself.

“Egru, I believe you can become a Hero. But your current abilities aren’t enough. You know that too.”

“Y-yes, miss…”

“I’m genuinely worried about you. You ended up in such trouble when left alone in the Empire. Until I acknowledge you as a Hero, you can’t take one step outside the palace.”

As Egru sniffled, Mayfield continued her announcement in a slightly softer voice.

“Second, you need to learn how to be indifferent to others. Simply put, think of yourself as the best. If you’re not sure how, at least pretend to appear that way.”

“B-but I’m worthless…”

Along with his pointed ears, Egru’s shoulders drooped. Around this time, Mayfield realized she should have announced the first and second points in reverse order.

“No, that’s not true! Egru! Do you think it’s easy to put others first like you do? It’s something I could never do even if I wanted to!”

“R-really?”

“Really.”

Mayfield smiled as she watched Egru perk up like a sprouting seedling.

“I’ll teach you specifically how to become indifferent. Don’t worry. You can even think of it as imitating how I used to be.”

“Y-yes! Miss!”

“Good, now then…”

Mayfield took a breath and opened her mouth.

To announce the most important third plan.