Chapter 2: Logout (Part 2)

“Did you enjoy it?”

As I drank the bottled alcohol, gulping it down while using the stars densely packed in the sky as a snack, enjoying

the cool dawn breeze, Leo suddenly asked.

Pause.

The hand that was gulping down the alcohol stopped in mid-air. Damian, who had put down the bottle weakly,

remained silent for a moment, then opened his mouth, glancing at Leo with a slightly uncomfortable look.

“Do you want to get hit?”

“You enjoyed it, but you’re changing the subject… Hey, can’t friends joke around?”

“Sexual harassment is a crime, you bastard.”

“Who said otherwise?”

Leo expressed disgust as he watched Damian clench his fist with a smile. He looked completely fed up. Regardless,

Damian’s eyes, looking at the hero who made sexual jokes at every opportunity, were cold.

“Ah, I want to have s*x.”

Damian stumbled at the mindless sexual joke, just like always. Damian, with a bewildered expression, soon looked at Leo with a fed-up face.

It’s extra absurd because it’s coming from someone who can actually do it.

“Stop being a tease and go do it. You’re really something, you know.”

“I’m just relieving stress in front of you sometimes, what’s the big deal?”

“…My friend. Even if you’ve changed jobs from hero to duke, I think we should maintain some dignity.”

“Changed jobs? I don’t understand your world’s words. And this is my mansion, my terrace, where there’s no one else but you, so who cares?”

There are no eavesdropping rats. Leo declared.

“There’s no way there would be listening ears at this late hour.”

If there were, they would be ignorant fools who dared to hide and try to assassinate the hero and his comrade. Leo

maintained an uninterested expression.

Perhaps because of the alcohol, Leo’s words and actions were more unrestrained than usual. Damian stared intently

at Leo’s face. His face was flushed, and he seemed to be already drunk.

That’s a talent in itself. Damian clicked his tongue.

Did he develop some kind of mental illness where he has to make sexual jokes every moment while rolling around as

a hero for three years? It was to the point where he was genuinely concerned.

The Empire’s renowned physician clearly said there was nothing wrong with his head. Maybe it wasn’t his head that

was the problem.

At first, he thought he was just a lively, quirky, and righteous friend, but he became stranger as time went on.

To the point where he wondered if he had been cursed by an apostle or the Demon King.

Come to think of it, he suddenly remembered that when he only knew him as a 2D character, the character

description stated that he was a steadfast and honest person.

Isn’t this a complete scam? His personality is completely different. He’s honest, that’s true, but steadfast, my a**. Is a

brain dominated by s*x steadfast?

…Wait a minute. Isn’t that technically correct?

That said, he’s foolish, that’s true, but he’s definitely not stubborn. Rather, his mindset was too open, which was the problem.

Honestly, he didn’t even know why he was acting like this only to him, when he acted all proper in front of his lovers,

the saintess and the elf, and others.

‘He says he can only say these things in front of a friend.’

It’s too much.

Damian let out a short sigh and said with an expression that was half-joking, half-serious.

“How about giving up your title of duke and going to a mental hospital for treatment?”

“……Hey. I was just joking, come on. Was that too much?”

“Was that too much? I’m sorry. Then just listen and let it go.”

Damian immediately apologized.

“But.”

There’s a proper line for jokes, my friend. Damian added, frowning.

“This is a hero?”

“Please just say that in your heart.”

“If you were moderate, I wouldn’t have to say these things out loud.”

“You think it’s that easy? Heroes are human too, you know. It’s okay to make a few sexual jokes in front of a friend.”

“…All the noble heroes are dead.”

Leaning his elbow on the railing, Leo sipped the homemade dwarven beer, then gulped it down, and suddenly smiled

faintly, as if it tasted quite good.

“It’s strangely easy to drink. It goes down much smoother than other beers.”

He then filled the empty glass with beer, took a shot, and smiled like a fool with slightly unfocused eyes.

Damian blinked.

A princess he had seen in the Western Kingdom once said. The smiles of beautiful men and women are treasures. It

wasn’t wrong. Leticia’s smile was indeed a treasure.

However, this guy is an exception.

How can it be anything but disgusting when a guy who’s practically your brother gives you the kind of refreshing

smile a male protagonist in a romance fantasy would give the female lead? He rubbed his eyes as if he had seen

something he shouldn’t have, his expression rotten.

“I’m buying eyes that haven’t seen that, dammit. I have less than 10 minutes left, do you have to be like this until the end?”

At that reproachful remark, Leo snorted.

“Are you being petty about a smile between us? I’m completely serious right now. My only friend is going back to his world!”

“……You idiot. I can tell you’re drunk from the way you’re slurring your words. Stop drinking, man.”

You have a low tolerance, and you’re drinking strong dwarven alcohol, how annoying. Frowning with one eyebrow,

Damian tried to take the beer from Leo’s hand, but Leo, who had been grinning, stiffened his expression and gently

refused.

“I don’t want to. I’m about to become a loner with no friends, there’s no way I can send you off sober.”

“…Sigh. Do whatever you want, you loner bastard.”

“Yeah, I’ll just be a loner bastard. Sigh. My only friend can’t even comfort me, he just curses, I can’t live with this sorrow.”

“You’re really drunk, aren’t you?”

Damian was startled by Leo’s actions, even uttering words that would normally make him cringe.

He’s too drunk. He was a little strange when he took a shot of the strongest, highest-proof dwarven alcohol in the

world, even though he can’t drink well, but he’s completely lost it.

I thought it was strange when he suggested drinking first, but he’s still just as bad at drinking.

What should I do with him?

It’s funny, but is it okay to leave him like this?

His flushed face, which clearly showed that he was drunk, and his slightly unfocused eyes, he’s too obvious when he’s drunk.

“Here, cheers! You don’t have many minutes left, do you? Let’s drink it up until you go.”

While he was briefly distracted, Leo filled the empty glass with beer, clinked it against the glass Damian was holding,

and then began to gulp it down.

“Hey, hey, stop drinking. You’re drunk.”

“What are you talking about? I’m not drunk. The strongest drinker in the hero’s party is me, there’s no way I’d be drunk!”

“What the f**k are you talking about, you can’t even handle alcohol. Stop drinking, stop. You’re drunk enough already.”

Damian stopped him in a panic.

“I’m not drunk. Ah, I’m feeling good because I’m dizzy, so be quiet. Cheers, I’m getting drunk. Dwarven alcohol is really good.”

It’s not good at all.

You’re wasted, what’s so good about it?

He’s never seen a guy who says he’s not drunk who’s actually not drunk.

Therefore, this guy is definitely drunk.

“Go inside and sleep.”

“I have to see you off.”

“It’s creepy for guys to see each other off. I don’t need you to see me off, and we’ve already reminisced, so go sleep

next to your lover.”

“What do you mean we reminisced? We didn’t reminisce at all.”

Damian bit his lip hard. A little blood flowed from between his lips.

Leticia, and this guy too, is their sensitivity exploding just before parting?

Perhaps because of the large amount of alcohol, Leo’s actions were different from usual.

“We won’t be able to see each other ever again. Damian Radius, you’re not coming back to this world, are you?”

“…I don’t know. I might come back.”

He uttered words he didn’t mean. Damian was vaguely aware. That he would never be able to return to this world

after today.

“See, you’re not coming back.”

Leo’s words pierced his heart like a cold dagger.

“And since I’m a hero and my party member is leaving, it’s okay for guys to see each other off as a sign of friendship.”

The guy who naturally put his arm around his shoulder chuckled.

“It would have been better if it was Leticia seeing you off instead of a guy like me. You didn’t even tell Leticia you

were leaving, did you?”

“…If I told her I was leaving, both I and Leticia would waver, and then… Why am I even telling you this?”

“Even if you don’t tell her, Leticia will be more hurt, won’t she? You won’t be able to handle the aftermath.”

“What’s there to do? I can’t even come back.”

It might sound cold. Damian, speaking in a stiff tone, looked at Leo.

“It’s not good to lie. Look at me. Now I’m openly dating both Chloe and Irina at the same time.”

Leo was talking about something he should be a little embarrassed about with confidence.

“…Are you bragging?”

“I am bragging.”

Looking at the confident Leo, Damian sighed with a troubled face.

He must have forgotten that the saintess and the elf had fought so loudly that the heavens and the earth shook

because of that, each claiming to be his main wife. It was the first time since the battle with the Demon King that he

had seen her, a healer specializing in treatment, fight so fiercely.

Still, well.

“That’s good.”

Certainly, the Empire allowed polygamy, but nobles and royalty usually only looked at one main wife and rarely kept concubines.

To the extent that nobles who kept concubines were labeled as corrupt and unfaithful to their wives, the perception was so bad.

This world is a strange setting for a medieval era.

“It’s only because you’re a special case, a hero, that they don’t say anything about you having a harem.”

“It’s not a harem, okay? I’m a one-woman kind of guy, though. You never know what might happen.”

“Where did you even hear that… Never mind. Let’s not talk about it.”

It’s just a waste of breath to talk to a drunk guy. Damian saved his words and checked the remaining time.

[Time remaining until forced logout: 00:00:30]

[Time remaining until forced logout: 00:00:29]

[Time remaining until forced logout: 00:00:28]

[Time remaining until forced logout: 00:00:27]

Less than 30 seconds left. Time flies.

Damian, who checked the remaining time displayed in front of him, gulped down the alcohol he was holding.

Compared to the clean, bitter, and sweet alcohol going down his throat, his heart was in turmoil.

Leo’s words kept bothering him.

Should he have said goodbye to Leticia? He hadn’t because he thought it would only leave more regrets. It was then

that Damian was conflicted.

“Damian!”

“Wait a minute, wait. Leticia…?!”

“…Oh, uh? Leo was here too.”

In order, Leticia, Chloe, and the elf… I mean, Irina, came in through the door. It was the worst timing.

[Time remaining until forced logout: 00:00:01]

[Time remaining until forced logout: 00:00:00]

Time’s up.

[Initiating forced logout of the player. We hope that the time you spent in this world was a pleasant one.]

“…A pleasant time.”

Damian chuckled dryly. It’s not even funny. The first meeting was whatever, but the farewell was the worst.

“Damian! Wait a minute, wait a minute! I still have something to say…!”

With the last glimpse of Leticia reaching out urgently with a tear-stained face, Damian instinctively reached out, but

his body turned into particles and disappeared, and soon his vision was darkened.

[Congratulations on clearing the game.]

Before his vision was submerged, the inorganic voice of the system declared.

And the system called this world, the game, from beginning to end, as if to prevent him from wavering. As if to tell

him not to confuse it with reality.

“Hey! It’s already past 8 o’clock. Get up!”

“…Mom?”

Damian muttered blankly. Damian Radius, no, Ryu Raon, logged out of the game world after three years.