Chapter 67: When the Walk ends.

However, the walk that felt like a tranquil stroll ended quickly.

“Oh damn it, this wretched world!”

When someone’s roar resonated, burying the sound of our footsteps, I began to feel regret.

“Shouldn’t they at least let us make a living!”

It was a voice heavily tinged with intoxication. As if they kicked piled-up trash, a clattering sound of something spilling was heard. Also, the sound of a dog barking, startled by the loud noise.

The deeper we went into the residential area of Betas, the more frequent such noises became. Even for me, hearing these sounds after a long time aroused a sense of rejection.

“Are you okay?”

Breaking the tranquility of silence, I ended up asking. The low breath returned as an answer unexpectedly contained self-mockery.

“Most of them must be mercenaries who returned from the New Continent.”

“That might be true.”

I wondered if I was taking those noises more sensitively because my nerves were on edge for no reason, but looking back, the frequency definitely seemed to have increased compared to before.

“Mercenaries certainly don’t live upright lives. They look for alcohol at the drop of a hat, make a scene when drunk, and are not people who can endure the peaceful life most people desire.”

Yelp! A short cry of a dog, as if kicked, was heard. Soon, “f*ck!” curse words without a target covered the pitiful scream. Thump. Thump. Sounds of open doors closing urgently followed.

“It’s true they are a headache for this society.”

“Am I dirty? f*ck, why are you all avoiding me and making a fuss, why!”

The anger-filled roar contrasted completely with the King’s Brother’s cold voice assessing him.

Staggering footsteps followed. A figure popping out of an alley was caught by eyes accustomed to the dark.

Matching me stopping my steps, the King’s Brother also stopped in place. Even though there was still quite a distance, the smell of alcohol leaking from the stranger’s mouth was carried by the wind. The figure, who seemed to go his own way even while staggering, suddenly turned his body.

“What, you bastards! What are you staring at!”

There was no need to worry about being harmed by him. Even if I were alone, not with the King’s Brother like now. A liquor bottle held in the hand of a man so drunk he couldn’t even control his own body, which could be broken and used as a weapon anytime, posed no threat. Because no trace of magic was visible from him.

Just as the man tried to take one more step toward us. He froze in the posture with one leg lifted.

“However, it is also true that they, who spent time ranging from one year at the shortest to over three years at the longest on the battlefield, are not receiving proper compensation. As they claim, they have become unable to make a living. They were the ones driven to the forefront.”

Seeking alcohol and making a scene even in a bleak situation deserves criticism. It was clearly causing harm to someone. But perhaps, they might be in a state where they can’t endure without drinking alcohol.

“This country broke the promise first. Punishing them should come after returning at least part of the price for the promise inflated like a bluff.”

The King’s Brother’s voice was still cold. It seemed to say he was taking the mercenaries’ side not out of pity for them, but just because it was the right thing to do.

We walked past him frozen stiff.

“Uh, uh…?”

Only after moving our steps quite a bit could we hear the man’s voice again. Although he made a flustered voice, he seemed to regain balance quickly as no sound of rolling on the ground was heard.

“Damn, I really should quit drinking…”

He seemed to sober up a little. The sound of the man muttering in a much weaker voice was carried by the wind.

Entering the alley, the man’s voice was no longer heard. After walking a few more steps, I stopped again.

“We’ve arrived.”

The somewhat noisy stroll ended. Turning my body, I looked at the King’s Brother.

“Thank you, for walking me home.”

“Thank you too. For letting me walk you home.”

Even after the greeting ended, the King’s Brother didn’t move from his spot. I was the same. Even knowing that if I turned and went inside first, he would leave soon too.

Is it because of regret that the tranquility was broken?

From afar, the howling of a stray dog barking at the moon was heard. At the sound where loneliness was felt, I ended up giving a bitter smile.

I also felt reluctant about the empty house. After sending him away, I didn’t know how to spend the remaining time, which felt longer today.

Although it’s a very shabby house to show him, who is beautiful like a picture, looking down at me quietly.

“May I brew you a cup of tea?”

So I invited him.

The house left abandoned for weeks smelled strongly of dust. Even opening the windows and blowing away the dust with wind magic didn’t completely remove the acrid smell.

“As you already know, since I returned after a long time too, the house is a mess.”

My awkward excuse made the King’s Brother looking around the house smile. As I said, that expression as if knowing everything made me feel more embarrassed, so I escaped into the kitchen.

Still, fortunately, the tea leaves were stored intact. The few food ingredients brought into the house were all capable of long-term preservation, but I had taken all measures to prevent spoilage.

Experiencing a terrible smell at home when coming in to change clothes after a few days was enough once. Considering the current situation where I brought the King’s Brother into my house without any plan, I even thought it was fortunate I got a vaccination shot.

After washing the teacup and pot covered with dust and drying them with hot wind, when I went out to the living room again, the King’s Brother was still standing and waiting for me in the narrow space.

“…Please sit.”

When I belatedly offered a seat, he nodded with a bright smile.

【Movere.】

Strong magical power arose for a moment and then subsided soon.

“I can’t manifest movement magic without an incantation yet.”

Only then did I realize. The fact that there was only one chair in my narrow living room. The chair placed next to me before I knew it was originally in the kitchen.

I became a little ashamed. Not because my house was shabby, but because the fact that there was no one I interacted with deeply enough to come to my house routinely was revealed. My house wasn’t a place where someone living a so-called ‘normal’ life would stay. Only now did my messy state start to catch my eye.

Before my shame was discovered, I sat down before the King’s Brother and started brewing tea. Only then did he sit in the seat I offered.

Fortunately, he didn’t ask about the state of my house. Thinking about it, he was always like that. He didn’t pry into what I didn’t want to talk about.

Even when I first received magic lessons from him, instead of telling me, who looked suspicious, to reveal what I hid, he told me to hide it. Thoroughly.

I am still full of suspicious things. I designed watches suddenly one day, and now craft gems skillfully with fast hands.

Even seeing all that, the King’s Brother, Philius, always looked at me with the same eyes. Eyes trusting me. That trust never wavered even once. Even before we harbored the same feelings in our hearts.

Even if I tell the unbelievable truth that I remember a past life, which doesn’t fit the religious doctrine here either, he seemed likely to believe me.

At this moment, a phone that doesn’t exist in this world rang in my head. Lyrics with immature content telling everyone to get lost and not interfere because I am the best seemed to ring loudly. That singing voice I never heard that night.

“Are you tired?”

“…No.”

The scent of chamomile rose. Leaving the King’s Brother’s worried gaze behind, I poured tea into mismatched cups.

From beyond the wall with terrible soundproofing, someone’s curse was heard again. I was rather relieved. Having something to talk about to him.

“Do you feel responsibility towards the mercenaries?”

He opened his mouth with a bitter smile.

“Because I definitely have responsibility too. The reason combat allowances aren’t being paid to mercenaries is because the share relationship of the mines hasn’t been sorted out yet.”

“Isn’t it rather the fault of those who issued empty promises without measures? The King or the Prime Minister must have already known post-war processing wouldn’t be easy. Isn’t it too naive to believe their shares would be maintained as is?”

“That is true too.”

The King’s Brother looked across at me without erasing the bitter smile.

“But Jay, what I’m agonizing over most at this moment isn’t a plan regarding the improvement of mercenaries’ treatment. I am thinking of you.”

“Me?”

“Although I spoke correct words that they should be paid the promised price properly before punishing the mercenaries’ behavior, still, Jay, I disapprove of you staying here. I’m anxious. You are a sufficiently excellent mage, but still, I can’t be relieved. I want you to stay in a completely safe place.”

A safe place. What came to mind simultaneously with those words was the scenery of his mansion.

The garden seen first after passing the heavy iron gate, well-organized but giving a somewhat lonely feeling, was drawn in my mind. A place where large trees stood on a wide lawn. Ornamental flowers couldn’t be found in that garden.

The spacious mansion was also always well-organized, but it was like a museum with few visitors rather than a place where people lived. Because the space actually utilized was extremely limited.

But that place definitely gave me a sense of stability. For reasons not just because it’s where my space, given to me for the first time in this world, is.

Will a day come when I return there again?

Does a completely safe place exist for me?

“Tomorrow I will go to Mare.”

The King’s Brother declared as if looking into my mind.

“If my cousin makes a proposal satisfying me, no, she will have no choice but to make a proposal advantageous to me eventually.”

He seemed calm all along, but it seems that wasn’t true.

His blue eyes looking at me at this moment seemed to burn with desire. Even more fiercely than the red eyes turned like Pigeon Blood rubies due to uncontrolled pheromones.

His face began to distort. As if emotions he couldn’t endure were finally pouring out.

“I will survive, Jay. By any means necessary.”

Those were the words I gave him. Even if he, fastidious as he is, ends up in a situation seized by guilt, words spoken wanting him to return alive without fail.

“With you.”

He was someone who occasionally showed an appearance of suppressing something firmly. He wanted to say those words to me all along. Drawing a picture of himself and me being together.