Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are Are So Dangerous! [BL]-Chapter 175: The Noble Council Begins

So, Rocco simply nodded his head along, deciding it wasn’t worth questioning.

He didn’t quite get why Sylas was apologizing, but there was no need for that.

The important thing is, he allowed Mr. Bunny to come along—so, thank you for that!

"...And why exactly are you here? Do not enter the room of a young, unmarried child, you degenerate. Get out."

"Aww, Sylas, you’re so stingy! Rocco and I have already sworn eternal devotion to each other, so what’s the problem?"

"Die."

The usual bickering between the two was starting to flow even more smoothly than before, as if they’d refined it into an art form.

Sylas effortlessly cut off the conversation with a single two-syllable remark and immediately fired a shot.

Argument over.

Smooth.

As expected, Laxus dodged the bullet with practiced ease and casually got back on his feet, walking away as if nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, the hole now decorating Rocco’s bedroom wall remained very much real.

Surely someone’s going to compensate me for that, right??

"Come now, Rocco. Let’s go show Father just how cool you are."

"...! Yes, Brother!"

Thus began the grand mission to rescue his father, as well as the crucial battle over his custody.

Rocco, the ever-dashing and impossibly cool villainous second son of the Di Malvento family, was fully prepared to handle both matters with absolute style.

With determination burning in his chest, he set off toward the battlefield alongside Sylas.

...

"Fweh... I wanna go home..."

"Rocco, come on! It hasn’t even started yet. You’ve got this!"

And so, they arrived.

The battlefield—otherwise known as the council chamber.

Rocco had puffed out his chest with confidence when they first entered, but that confidence was already on the verge of crumbling.

Why?

Because the weight of all the adult gazes bearing down on him was far more terrifying than he had anticipated.

The location of the council meeting?

None other than the royal castle itself.

For now, there was still some time before the proceedings began, so they were wandering through the halls.

Naturally, other nobles were present as well—many of whom were also heading toward the council chamber.

This meant that Rocco had been passing by a lot of high-ranking aristocrats, each one sizing him up as he walked.

It was suffocating.

It was painfully obvious that none of those gazes held any warmth.

Each time Rocco passed another noble, his confidence cracked a little more.

This... this is not looking good for us at all.

Are we even catching the right wave here?

Can we even ride it?

"...Indeed. So far, I haven’t spotted a single noble who seems willing to take our side."

"Fweh—!!"

"Hey, Sylas, don’t scare him like that. Poor Rocco is already imagining the worst and about to burst into tears."

So there really aren’t any nobles willing to support our cause, huh?!

At this rate, they were just going to be bombarded with insults from the opposition, and Sylas’s efforts would end in humiliation.

Rocco could handle that.

He’d survive.

But the idea of Sylas, the impossibly cool older brother he admired so much, being publicly shamed?

That was absolutely unacceptable.

Determined, Rocco rushed forward, stepping in front of Sylas and declaring with all the strength he could muster: "Brother! If things go wrong, push everything onto me! I’ll cry my eyes out if I have to—but I will protect your honor!"

His small frame trembled as he spoke, making him seem anything but reliable.

But that didn’t matter.

Rocco was serious.

His determination to protect Sylas was unmatched.

So even as his legs shook, he straightened his back and stood firm.

Sylas stared down at him, frozen for a few seconds.

Then, a small, rare smile softened his sharp features before he effortlessly pulled Rocco into an embrace.

"...Ah. And no matter what, I’ll protect you too—by any means necessary."

...

Even after crying out "Fweh—!" over and over, time continued to move forward.

The moment had finally arrived.

Trembling from head to toe, Rocco made his way toward the assembly hall.

At the entrance, he parted ways with Laxus.

Since only Sylas and Rocco would be speaking at the noble council today, Laxus would be attending as a mere observer.

His role?

To subtly sway the atmosphere in Sylas’s favor and pressure the nobles into compliance.

Rocco narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Can we really trust Laxus to do that, given his... history?

Laxus simply grinned and nodded, brimming with confidence.

...Alright.

I’ll believe in him.

For now.

Thus, the noble council finally began, its atmosphere heavy with tension.

The chamber was vast, domed, and filled with nobles no matter where one looked.

Only one section stood apart—the elevated platform directly ahead.

There, dressed in the most opulent attire in the room, sat a distinguished-looking man.

Who is that?

Rocco pondered for a moment, but before he could dwell on it too long, Sylas gently ruffled his hair, snapping him back to reality.

Right.

Now’s not the time to get distracted.

"We shall now commence the noble council to discuss the legal reforms proposed by Lord Sylas Di Malvento, as well as the custody dispute concerning Lord Rocco Di Malvento."

The moment the elderly noble, seemingly the presiding officer, made his announcement, the air in the chamber grew sharp with tension.

Rocco, who had no talent for grasping complex legal matters, did his best to maintain a solemn expression.

But within his mind?

Complete and utter confusion.

This is just... a mess of difficult words.

None of this makes any sense to me.

Several minutes had already passed since he was made to stand at what seemed like a witness podium.

There were no chairs to sit and rest on, either.

Ugh... I wanna go home...

Tears threatened to form at the corners of his eyes, but he fought them back.

No! It’s too soon for that!

Laxus had told him to save his tears as a trump card.

Unconsciously, Rocco’s gaze drifted in search of him.