A loud noise came from outside.

It seemed they had set explosives to break through the entrance.

Leaving Temar to examine the magic stones in the bunker, Geloman approached Luman. Powdery stone dust crunched heavily underfoot.

“Luman.”

Geloman came up to him.

Even from a distance, the people who had flinched at his rocklike, enormous body turned frightened when he drew near. But no commotion broke out. Most of them had fainted or fallen asleep, and those still awake were praying or quietly looking up at the sky. They seemed too exhausted to move even a finger. The ones asleep against one another did not wake easily, even at the impact from outside.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“You actually made it.”

Luman gave a faint laugh.

“Ren?”

“He’s fine. I have something to tell you later.”

“We’ll likely have to stay near here today. We can talk tomorrow. Rest today.”

“Temar?”

Geloman gestured with his eyes.

“It seems ‘that’ is here.”

“Ah. Is he looking for it?”

“He is.”

After exchanging a few more words, Geloman moved away.

He found this silence strange all over again.

There were bloodstains and corpses piled beneath the broken ceiling, and yet it was this quiet.

The peaceful faces of the exhausted sleepers made it even more startling.

Listening to the explosions drawing closer, Geloman lightly stamped his foot.

From beneath him, the ground shifted unevenly, creating a transparent barrier over the entire bunker.

Soon, along with a great explosion, voices could be heard from far away.

“Lord Geloman!”

“Young count!”

Support had arrived.

Luman tapped the tired-looking Peruan awake.

With Tom in tow, Peruan began helping with the cleanup, wearing quite a convincing expression.

*** 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Tents were quickly erected outside.

By the time the injured had been moved and given basic treatment, morning had come.

As soon as they got out, Luman and Ren lay down in a tent. Ren was sleeping soundly, without waking even once.

“Lord Luman! Ren!”

Running footsteps and a rough voice called for Luman and Ren.

The one who came running with a pale, gaunt face was Jepeto. Flailing his arms and legs in his rush, Jepeto staggered as if about to fall. Gasping for breath, he was panting hard enough to nearly choke, yet he still examined Luman and the sleeping Ren.

Luman’s assurance that he was fine was useless.

With serious eyes, Jepeto checked every inch of them, and only after confirming there were no major wounds did he let out a long sigh. His hands were rough and thorough as he lifted their clothes. His eyes were just as persistent and sharp.

“Jepeto. As you can see, I’m fine.”

“......You have no idea how frightened I was. Haaah.......”

Jepeto barely managed a groan, his face pale. Cold sweat stood out on his skin.

At that extreme concern, Luman smiled awkwardly.

Had Jepeto always been this energetic? He felt as though he were being overwhelmed by the man’s force.

Still, Luman was glad to see him too.

Luman quietly waited for him to gather his emotions.

The sky was terribly bright.

Only after a long while did Jepeto speak again.

“I truly am relieved you’re safe. I feel as if my heart is still pounding out of my chest.”

“That would be troublesome. There’s only one heart I’d like to take responsibility for.”

“.......”

Jepeto looked at him, dumbfounded.

Still not quite past the joy of reunion, he hid his awkward feelings and gently embraced Luman and Ren in his arms.

Letting the hands wrap around his back, Luman smiled.

“Jepeto, hugging me like that is a little much. I prefer women, you see.”

This time Jepeto was truly left without words. He let out a deep sigh and changed the subject.

“Have you met Lord Temar?”

After a brief conversation, Jepeto stepped away so the two of them could rest. He wanted to talk more, but Luman looked plainly exhausted, and Jepeto himself felt as heavy as lead after waiting for them so desperately.

Another long night passed, and the day broke.

With a sun brighter than ever.

And the shadow that had been standing in a tree, watching everything, disappeared.

***

“Uuuugh.......”

Why had he done that?

Ren was regretting it.

No, he really had been happy to see his brother! So happy! Then why had he acted so awkward?

Ah, was it because he had punched him in the stomach before they parted?!

Brother. He isn’t angry, right......?

No, but I’d never seen him make that face before, so it was just too awkward. I was startled, and I couldn’t understand the situation either....... Ugh, I don’t know. I’ll think about it later.

His body hurt, and his mind was a mess.

“Ren. Does it hurt very badly? What are we going to do with you?”

Jepeto frowned deeply as he held out thin rice porridge to Ren.

“Ah, I can eat it myself.......”

“Look at your arms trembling! What will we do if you spill the bowl?”

“Still, being fed is a little.......”

“Ren. If the doctor makes you uncomfortable, should I feed you?”

“Lord Luman. You are a patient too. I’ll feed you later, so stay still for now.”

“Doctor. You seem even sharper and stricter than the last time I saw you. It’s good to see. You seem healthy.”

“Anyone listening would think we’d been apart for a year!”

Jepeto’s nose stung.

He could hardly believe this moment.

That Ren, who had briefly left on his own, had been kidnapped by a slave caravan and nearly met disaster. That behind it had, in fact, been another conspiracy disguised as a slave auction.

More than anything, what was most fortunate and astonishing was that Ren was here before his eyes, safe.

Ren also found that fact hard to believe.

‘It’s so weird that everything suddenly feels peaceful!’

The warm porridge sliding softly down his throat, and Luman, who had been holding his hand since who knew when!

Groaning from muscle pain, Ren had no choice but to obediently open his mouth for Jepeto’s spoon.

“I should have tried the roasted sparrow back then! Do you know how much I regretted it?”

The whole time he fed him, Jepeto talked about his memories from Tempesto Village. Ren listened quietly, then slowly tugged at Jepeto’s collar with his free hand.

At Ren’s sudden action, Jepeto froze like ice.

Opening his mouth was harder than he had expected.

‘Still, I have # Nоvеlight # to say it!’

After mumbling for a moment, Ren barely managed to speak.

“That.......”

If he hesitated, Jepeto seemed like he might simply leave.

“Thank you. And.......”

Ren swallowed hard.

He was so embarrassed he thought he might die.

Red all the way up to his throat, Ren continued.

“I’m sorry. For leaving on my own without saying anything.......”

“.......”

“J-Jepeto...!”

Clack!

Jepeto set the porridge down hard and left the tent without looking back.

“Ah.......”

He had worked up the courage to apologize.

No, did you think he’d just accept it no matter what?! That’s way too arrogant!

Thump.

Something settled on top of Ren’s head.

It was warm, so he thought it was a hand, but it was Luman’s chin.

“Ren. Leave him alone for a moment, and he’ll come back. He’s just overcome.”

“Overcome?”

Ren rolled his eyes up to look at Luman. His hair poked at Ren’s eyes.

Luman swept his own hair back and held it out of the way with his hand, looking down at Ren.

“I’m overcome too.”

“Why?”

“Because it feels like... you’ve grown so much, Ren.”

“......What?”

Ren’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

Seeing that, Luman chuckled.

“Anyone listening would think you raised me.”

“I raised half of you, didn’t I?”

“Do you really think that?”

“Yes.”

He meant it, so he did not see why Ren had to look so shocked.

At times like this, Ren was unmistakably still a child. And Luman wanted him to be a child.

But children grew quickly, and as Luman had seen the day before, Ren was—

not a child.

To Luman, that fact was far too cruel.

And far too thrilling as well.

Ren. I want to ask you.

Whether I’m allowed to like you.

“What are you thinking about, staring at me like that?”

If even that grumbling voice sounded soft to him, what had happened to his ears?

Seeing Ren’s comfortable face, Luman felt the line of his mouth loosen without realizing it.

But the memory that suddenly came back terrified him enough to chill his whole body.

Ren, stealing Luman’s spear and driving it into the ground.

Luman, with empty eyes, had watched all of it. That entire flow, every single action Ren took. As if he had become the machine of a recording device, Luman’s brain had preserved it all vividly and in detail.

Should he ask about it?

Luman wanted to put that moment off, even if only for a little while.

“Ren. You went through a lot. You must have been very scared.”

“......I wasn’t scared at all.”

Ren raised his eyebrows and stuck out his lips, then looked into the amber eyes quietly watching him and sighed.

“Actually, that was a lie.”

“You had to be.”

Luman carefully stroked Ren’s hair.

“Ren. If you want to complain or whine, do it as much as you like. No, I’d like you to.”

“I don’t know. I forgot it all now.”

Ren closed his mouth, then continued in a small voice.

“It’s true. At first I was scared, and it felt unfair, and all that...... but I’m all right now.”

Ren’s voice rang out calmly. It was lower than expected, settling heavily in Luman’s chest.

“I’m not lying. I think it’s really strange too.”

“I believe you, Ren.”

It feels like my illness is all better too.

He had resented the reality of being sick, thinking, Why only me? He had flung words of blame at the sky and at himself, writhing in pain. The memory was still vivid enough that merely recalling it made his chest ache.

But strangely, truly strangely, that feeling had faded.

He had not said he was all right to reassure Luman.

He meant it.

And yet why did those composed words sound so painful to Luman?

The person himself had found peace, but Luman, watching him, felt as though he were burning up inside.

But he could not show it.

Suppressing his emotions, Luman swallowed a long silence, then spoke in a tone that was not too heavy.

“I’m sorry. For coming late.”

Despite his effort, Luman’s voice trembled faintly.

The trembling and warmth of the chest against Ren’s back, the emotions pressed into that voice—it was difficult not to notice them.

The feelings that leaked out because he could not hide them were richer than Ren had expected.

“Why are you apologizing?”

Ren, who had almost choked up, bit down hard on the inside of his mouth and forced the tears away.

I’m already grateful you came to save me.

Ren thought that, for the rest of his life, he would probably never see a light brighter than that.

That pouring golden radiance, and the amber eyes shining within it as they looked at him.

“Thank you—”

For some reason, his throat tightened. But he really was all right?

Ren blinked. Thankfully, no tears came.

“For coming.”

Ren softly curved his eyes and smiled.

His voice sounded as though it had been soaked in a gentle rain.