“Luman. Do you really think blindly taking his side is a good thing? Like I said, Ren is my—”

“Mr. Jenox, could you say something? This one’s a bit too strict with his little brother.” 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Luman asked with an easy, disarming smile, and Jenox hurried to speak.

He didn’t particularly want to keep receiving apologies from a boy that much younger than him anyway. Maybe it was because he’d caught a glimpse of the hurt lingering on that pale face.

Why the hell did I even correct him in the first place!

Jenox was starting to feel genuinely sorry toward Ren.

With everyone already staring like it was a show, it felt like he’d only made things worse by stepping in. The thought came too late.

“He apologized very politely. The boy did. Twice, even. It wouldn’t be right for an adult to keep accepting apologies like that. Really.”

Jenox cleared his throat.

“...Is that so.”

Temar shot Luman a look, but Luman just shrugged.

“Then the misunderstanding’s cleared up now, right?!”

Delshu popped in out of nowhere.

“That seems to be the case, young lady.”

Luman smiled kindly, and Delshu lit up with delight.

“Hey! You actually like guys who look like that!? His eyes are all sharp and scary—”

“Ah, that hurts. To hear my eyes are frightening.”

“Hey! Bashua! Can’t you keep your mouth shut?! You look like a lump of dough ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ yourself—”

“Dough!? Just because you’re a little pretty you think you can run your mouth?!”

Delshu and Bashua instantly started bickering.

“Ohhh, they’re fighting!”

“Fight! Fight!”

While a shadow crossed Jenox’s face, the village kids were having the time of their lives.

“Mr. Jenox. Even so, since the misunderstanding started with us, let us treat you to a meal.”

“Oh now, that really isn’t necessary...”

Jenox hesitated, then nodded.

“Well, I suppose it’s a kind of fate meeting like this. Let’s have some drinks and meat together.”

“Yes. Please come to the inn where we’re staying.”

“Where are you lodged?”

“The Blue Dragon Inn.”

“They’ve got excellent beer there.”

“If you’d like, the rest of you are welcome to come as well.”

“Would that be alright? We tend to eat quite a lot...”

“Hey, Jenox! Trying to hog something good all to yourself!?”

“If someone’s offering, how can we refuse! Look at them—they’re clearly well-off. Feeding a few of us won’t even make a dent!”

“Come along.”

“Haha, well then. I’ll accept your generosity.”

“I want to go too!”

“Me too!”

Even Delshu and Bashua, who’d been snapping at each other moments ago, raised their hands together like nothing had happened.

Ren’s expression had gone sour.

Where the hell is all this money supposed to come from, treating everyone like this? You don’t even listen to me, but you make me apologize—and now I’m getting pushed aside again. If it’s going to be like this, don’t come running over calling my name! I thought you’d changed—I thought you were paying more attention to me—but nothing’s changed at all!

Still, Ren had changed.

Instead of snapping and lashing out at his brother, he swallowed it down, seething quietly.

The only reason that was even possible...

“Ren.”

“......”

“Come here.”

...was probably because Luman had been on his side.

Ren stood there staring at the ground when Luman called him softly. When Ren looked up, Luman beckoned. He waved off the kids trying to talk to him, focusing only on Ren.

Come here.

Ren’s lips twisted. His eyes grew damp, and he scrunched his face in irritation.

The wounded pride was obvious, but Luman chose to pretend not to notice.

“Hurry.”

When he coaxed him again, Ren stomped over, clearly reluctant. Luman reached out and patted his head.

“I was worried.”

“What was there to worry about.”

If even his sulking sounded cute, was that a problem?

Luman had already forgotten why he’d stormed out of the inn earlier. He just smiled. Meanwhile, Temar was fully occupied talking with Jenox and the villagers, even letting the village kids cling to his arms while he played with them.

Temar, you idiot.

Luman clicked his tongue inwardly and went on,

“I was worried Mr. Jenox might get hurt.”

“What!?”

“Haha! I was worried you might bite him, Ren.”

His tone was so serious it was hard to tell if he was joking. Ren couldn’t exactly deny it. If things had escalated, he really might have bitten him.

“...So annoying.”

“Ren, are you sulking?”

“I’m not. Why would I be? Why would I sulk at you? What are you to me, anyway??”

Ouch. That last one stung.

He’d tried to tease him and got hit twice as hard in return. Swallowing the sting, Luman quickly tried to soothe him. A warm smile, like a spring breeze, touched his lips—and naturally, it was directed at Ren.

In this brief moment, Luman decided to be satisfied with the expression only he got to see.

Temar, you fool. Kids grow up fast. You might not have much time left to see him like this. If you keep dealing only with adults, you’ll miss everything.

If he’d still felt the way he did when they first met in that shack, Luman might have told Temar that.

Unfortunately, he had no intention of saying anything now.

Just because you’re the older brother doesn’t mean you have to know everything about him.

Luman wanted to know Ren—including the parts Temar didn’t.

Temar’s gaze brushed over the two of them. A flicker of displeasure passed over his face, then vanished.

***

The village suddenly turned festive.

Most of the people who’d gathered in the marketplace followed Temar to the Blue Dragon Inn.

The innkeeper, an old woman, snapped at the sudden flood of customers.

“What’s with all of you barging in! Don’t you people have work?!”

“That handsome young man says he’s paying for everything today!”

“Whooo! Applause!”

The inn roared with men’s voices. With the clapping layered on top, it felt like thunder crashing in their ears.

“Roast pork over here!”

“I’ll have the same!”

“Bring beer!”

“Tommy!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming!”

Everyone started shouting for food and drink, and the atmosphere heated up in an instant. The villagers chatted among themselves, but every so often, their eyes flicked toward Ren’s group.

Ren tried to head upstairs, but Temar caught him.

“Brother, I don’t need to be here, do I? I’m uncomfortable.”

...What the hell. How did I just say that so calmly?

Ren was stunned at himself for saying it outright.

Temar was stunned. Luman was stunned. Even Jepeto—who’d been hovering nervously outside the inn before getting swept in—was stunned.

Ren saying he was uncomfortable to Temar? How was that even possible!?

“Um... did the two of you fight?”

Jepeto asked carefully.

“Temar did something worth getting mad at.”

Luman placed a hand on Jepeto’s shoulder and nodded, quietly taking Ren’s side.

“It’s a chance for everyone to be together. You should experience things like this too.”

“...No, I don’t—”

“Wouldn’t it be better to try it while I’m here?”

“...Okay.”

“Oh...”

Both Luman and Jepeto groaned at the same time.

Just when it looked like Ren might rebel, he folded again into the obedient younger brother. Pouting, he still let himself be guided by Temar’s hand and sat quietly.

Temar’s gentle voice—and the word brother—had melted him.

Look at those flushed cheeks...

“Temar, how about a proper drinking bout today?”

“That’s unexpected, coming from you.”

Temar raised an eyebrow.

For someone who rarely showed emotion, that was a big reaction. Ren stared at him, surprised.

“Still, I should drink with you before we leave. Don’t you think, comrade?”

Luman slung an arm over Temar’s shoulder.

Temar was so big that neither Ren nor Jepeto had realized just how tall Luman was—but standing like this, they were nearly the same height. Both of them blinked in surprise.

“Hah. Don’t back out, Luman.”

“Of course not.”

You annoying bastard.

Before leaving, Luman was fully intending to gift him a brutal hangover. He usually only drank expensive liquor, but today, he’d play along. That weak beer that only fills your stomach without getting you drunk—he’d spike it with something strong.

He’d suffer for it too, sure, but that was a problem for later.

A dangerous, beautiful smile spread across Luman’s face—the kind he wore when he had something planned. Temar just laughed, incredulous.

Scrape.

Luman pulled out the chair across from Ren and sat. Jepeto quickly took a seat as well.

“Jepeto, once Ren finishes eating, please take him upstairs. If we pass out, just leave us.”

“What? I can’t just— I’ll at least... well. I can’t carry you, so I’ll cover you with a blanket.”

Jepeto corrected himself mid-sentence. With bodies that size, how was he supposed to carry them upstairs? Even four or five grown men would struggle.

Leaving the food orders to Temar and Jepeto, Luman winked at Ren. Ren scrunched his nose in response, but Luman didn’t care.

“Here you go—roast pork and beer! Enjoy!”

“Thank you.”

“Whew.”

Tommy, who had just set down the food, hesitated before approaching Ren. There was still a faint smear of blood under his nose. Ren, who generally didn’t care about other people, was busy fumbling awkwardly with a knife.

“Ah—if you hold it like this and cut—”

“I said I’m fine!”

“Ren.”

“Ah! Sorry for interrupting! Um—this is really popular with the kids. I-I’m giving it to you specially, so... later, if you’re okay with it, maybe you could—”

“Tommy—!”

“Coming!!”

Tommy wasn’t the type to get discouraged. Even when Ren slapped his hand away, he didn’t seem bothered at all.

If anything, Ren was the one who got flustered.

He hadn’t meant to snap. It was just that people suddenly coming up to him made him uncomfortable. Now that the other boy was apologizing, he felt embarrassingly guilty.

Ren stared at the toy Tommy had left on the table.

What am I, a kid?

...but he’d never seen anything like it before.

Curiosity flickered in his eyes.

“Hey, Temar. Let’s not get involved in kids’ business. Didn’t you hear earlier? They called us old men.”

“......”

Temar didn’t answer. He just drank his beer in long gulps.

His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, and before long, the mug that had been brimming with beer was nothing but foam.

“Tommy! Another beer over here!”

Luman pulled out a bottle of strong liquor. There was a warning mark on the glass, marking it as hazardous. Jepeto’s eyes lit up the moment he saw it.

“Let’s mix it. Beer alone is boring. Don’t you think, Temar?”

“There’s that bad habit of yours again.”

Temar clicked his tongue—but he didn’t stop him.