Episode 26

As the sun set and the royal capital’s streets became lit by streetlamps, Aaron and Zeke were in the commoners’ district.

Being guided through the commoners’ streets by a noble like Aaron was an unexpected experience, and since they had been talking about dinner right up until moments ago, Zeke had assumed Aaron was taking him to some hidden old establishment.

“You really are an idiot. What business do you have with an ordinary house?”

What Aaron had led him to was a residence with the standard design seen throughout the royal capital. Light leaked from the windows, suggesting someone was inside.

“There’s no need to worry. I was invited to a meal here before.”

“…When was that?”

“Two years ago!”

Aaron answered loudly. A dog in the neighborhood yelped as if startled.

“Oh? So you’re saying you came here without even making plans in advance?”

“There’s no need to be shy. We will surely understand each other.”

Where did that confidence come from?

In short, Aaron had taken a polite social courtesy from two years ago seriously and, for some reason, shown up—two years later—at the “invited” dinner table. Without an appointment. Dragging along Zeke, who had nothing to do with it.

“If you want to barge into a shack, do it alone.”

“It’s not a shack. It’s a compact warehouse, isn’t it?”

Aaron and Zeke kept talking in front of the house. To an onlooker, it looked like two men hurling insults at someone else’s home. Worse, Aaron had no malice—making it even more troublesome.

“Knowing the eating habits of commoners is also a noble tradition.”

“Are you stupid? How could there be a tradition like that?”

Perhaps noticing the commotion, nearby residents were looking at them from their windows.

At this rate, someone might actually report them. Zeke tried to move away—but mercilessly, Aaron took the initiative first. Shouting “Attack!” he rang the door knocker.

“Hello! I’m here!”

“……”

There was a presence inside, but no one came out. Naturally, they were being fully guarded against.

“How strange… did you get intimidated by me?”

“They’re probably stunned by how deranged you are.”

Both of them believed they were blameless, but both were suspicious figures.

As their pointless exchange continued, the resident inside finally lost patience and opened the door.

“…You two. What are you doing in front of someone’s house?”

A man with a vicious face that didn’t look law-abiding appeared, and Zeke’s wariness swelled instantly. A large frame, a head neatly shaved, and a huge scar running from his forehead to his left eye.

It wouldn’t have been strange to mistake this place for a prison in the commoners’ district. Yet Aaron didn’t look flustered at all. If anything, he acted friendly, like reuniting with an old friend.

“Ciao! Mr. Bart. You look well.”

“…Aaron Izosaar. And…”

Two-year-old memories resurfaced.

A member of the Maria Church he had met while gathered as escort for the Lords’ Council. During a fight held under the name of a “mock battle,” Zeke had beaten down adventurers and earned their glares. Thinking back, Aaron had been among them too.

“Zeke Lagias, huh… You’ve grown taller.”

“Hmph. You still have the face of a villain.”

Bart Pinas. A genuine priest despite his looks. Zeke found himself reunited with Bart of the Maria Church through a strange thread of fate.

“Invitation? What are you talking about?”

“No need to be so formal. You told me, ‘If anything happens, rely on me,’ didn’t you?”

“…‘Me’ meant the church. And it wasn’t ‘if anything happens.’ I said I’d treat you if you got injured.”

“Mmm, you’re shy, Mr. Bart. But that humility is surely your charm.”

Aaron interpreted things however he pleased and nodded in satisfaction. Zeke watched Aaron with cold eyes.

Bart pitied Zeke, assuming he had simply been dragged into Aaron’s runaway behavior.

“I’ll speak to my family. Wait a moment… and be quiet.”

Bart went back inside. Voices could be heard, as if his family was nearby. Then the door flew open and a woman of mature years appeared.

“Well, well! You two are my husband’s friends! And you’re so young!”

She beamed at them. From her words, she was likely Bart’s wife. Bart tried to calm her down.

“Calm down, Karen. These two are—”

“Friends? —Yes! We are comrades-in-arms who protect the royal capital together!”

“Just as I thought! …Oh dear, pardon me. My husband is always in your care.”

“It’s nothing. I’ve been helped too.”

Aaron and Karen carried the conversation forward on their own, leaving Zeke and Bart behind.

“We were in the middle of dinner. I made too much today, so this is perfect!”

“I see. Then we’ll gratefully partake.”

“Please, please,” she invited, and Aaron entered the house. The speed of the flow was absurd.

“…Hey. Why didn’t you stop her?”

“Once she’s like that, my wife doesn’t stop.”

Bart sighed. With no choice, the two of them followed.

Invited? —Aaron and Zeke sat at the dining table with Bart, Karen, and the couple’s daughter, Philia.

“Delicious! A very intriguing dish.”

“Oh my, thank you. My husband never brings friends home, so I’m happy.”

Karen smiled, Aaron reacted grandly, and Philia stared at Aaron as if puzzled. A peculiar atmosphere filled the room.

Zeke ate quietly without joining the conversation. Not as loudly as Aaron, but he was surprised inside.

The food served at the Lagias house was always lavish and packed with expensive ingredients. Since arriving in this world, he had taken that as normal, and when away from home he had mostly gotten by on light meals. Food was simply a way to fill his stomach—taste didn’t matter.

“Papa? This big brother is weird.”

“…Don’t judge people by appearances, Philia.”

“Exactly! Everyone is special!”

Was this what they called home cooking? The food carried a nostalgic warmth, and the family’s togetherness felt warm.

It was unimaginable in the Lagias household. There was conversation, but it wasn’t communication—mostly formal exchanges or calculating content.

“Is it to your taste?”

“……”

“Yes, he seems to be saying it’s trés bien.”

His goal had been survival, and what he needed was only power. The only one he could trust was himself. He had never even considered bonds with others.

“Really? You’re growing, so don’t hold back, okay?”

To the world, Zeke (Hiroto) was an alien thing, and to Zeke (Hiroto), this world was temporary. It didn’t matter what happened to these surface-level fakes.

“Truly splendid cooking. Miss Karen is the equal of a palace chef.”

“Oh my, how flattering. I’d like my husband to learn from you.”

“…You want me to do that?”

The people in front of him were alive too. He understood that logically, but deep down, he denied it. He watched from one step removed. That was… easier.

“Excuse me. I’ll use the lavatory.”

“…Down that way.”

Just by existing, he had been shunned. No matter what he did—or didn’t do—he was rejected. So he had thought they should all disappear.

“…Big brother, what’s wrong? Does your stomach hurt?”

Malice for malice. He had no intention of pretending to be righteous. Not before, not after.

“—Hey. How long are you going to keep up this farce? Why don’t you tell them already? That I am Lagias.”

He didn’t know why he had possessed Zeke. But now, in the world’s eyes, he was Lagias—the lowest, worst villain.

Then even if he stained those innocent eyes with hatred soaked in malice, they would forgive it. They would dismiss it with one reason: because he was Lagias.

“? What’s Lagias?”

“Hah. You don’t know history? Contact with me will be a stain on your life. Lagias is the nation’s number one scoundrel.”

Maybe it couldn’t be helped for a child of around five. But instinctively, she should understand. People in this world were made that way.

“…? Big brother isn’t a bad person. You’re kind, and you’re a crybaby big brother.”

“…What are you saying? Are you broken at that age? Pathetic.”

Zeke stood, as if he’d wasted his time. There were many other things he needed to do. He had to become stronger—strong enough to reject every injustice.

“Yes, Philia. This big brother is a kind person.”

Karen spoke gently, cherishing her daughter, then turned warm eyes toward Zeke.

“…Are you stupid? I’m from the Lagias house.”

“I know. You’re Zeke Lagias. A battered, slightly lonely hero.”

Either his words weren’t getting through, or the conversation itself wasn’t connecting.

“The Lagias you’re so fixated on—was it really that special?”

“Fixated? Are you insane too?”

“A person is that person from the moment they’re born. House and upbringing don’t matter. —You are you.”

“…………”

He didn’t understand. What was the person in front of him saying?

“…Boy. It’s fine if you don’t understand now. Someday, that time will come.”

As Zeke lost his words, Aaron returned, stepping as he walked.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, gentlemen. Now, let us continue our meal!”

Zeke sat down again.

An abandoned village far from the royal capital. Their figures were in the church of a deserted village with no sign of human life.

“Roger~ leader. You do your thing over there. I’ll keep watch just in case.”

One person left the church.

“How ironic… truly…”

“Is it? It’s like a comedy—fun, isn’t it?”

“…There’s no one more vile than you.”

“Well, yeah? …So Rovinz is gone too.”

Dex and Pariaach looked at their comrade’s corpse. Rovinz’s arms had been severed, and his entire body was discolored as if scorched.

“Originally we planned to bring down two cities. But just pinning down where the ‘key’ is—pretty good, right?”

“He pissed me off, but he did his job at the end. That’s all I need to say…”

Wrapped in Dex’s miasma, Rovinz gradually vanished. In the end, he disappeared without leaving a trace.

“So this is the ‘key’s’ power. It’s hard for my power to get through. Just like the Silver Saintess, it’s a pain.”

“In essence, it’s kind of the same as us. Ugh, just thinking about it irritates me.”

Pariaach kicked a small stone at his feet, looking like a sulking child.

“So? Your side’s fine, right?”

“Of course! The setup’s perfect. Now it’s just a question of when it sprouts.”

“Good… but there’s a chance he’s in the royal capital.”

“Is he? I think he’ll avoid it, since he’d draw too much resentment…”

“…I won’t fight him again. You handle it.”

Dex fixed Pariaach with a suspicious gaze.