He went! He left without even looking back!
A dull silence fell. I quietly rolled my eyes and looked at the Marquis.
What on Earth do you think you have to talk to me about?
As I froze, unable to turn around, wondering if the conversation was related to something bad, a gentle voice tapped my eardrums from behind me.
"Are you mad because I acted like I did?"
"...?"
"You seem angry. However, it is polite to look at people's faces, whether in anger or conversation. Even if I feel like you might want to kill me if we make eye contact."
Is this a joke? You must be kidding?! Who's killing whom?!
There was no way I could kill a 'real hero' in the first place.
When I turned my head in surprise, the Marquis, who made eye contact, smiled calmly, as if he hadn't just spat out harsh words.
"Would you like to take a walk first? Or even a place you want to go?"
"... How about the outdoor banquet hall...?"
Even if things go wrong, they won't try to kill me in a crowded place. It doesn't seem like it, but people don't know what to do.
... My throat is so dry that I desperately need something to drink.
"It's a banquet hall... I like it. If you want it, junior."
Even though it may not be a very good place to have a personal conversation, he took the lead as if it didn't matter.
After a while of mindlessly following the soundless footsteps, I finally arrived at a brightly lit space.
The outdoor banquet hall. Yes, it's an outdoor banquet hall,
But...
'... Damn.'
Light wasn't the only thing that welcomed me there. I felt all the gazes pouring in on me and internally hit my head.
'I moved to avoid this...!'
Did I have a fish head?[1]
The nobles took note of the two heroes together. They glanced at each other and whispered to each other, and then quietly approached nearby, interested in seeing what they were talking about. It wasn't like they were openly interfering with the conversation, so it was also difficult to point out.
These actions were resolved when Stigma took action. He didn't say anything in particular.
He just rolled his eyes, glanced at me, and then took a step forward. He looked at the nobles without saying a word, with his head raised high and confident enough to be arrogant, but with a breathing look. The brown eyes exposed under the light had an incongruously cool glow.
Like the ebb and flow of the tide, the nobles moved away.
"Wow..."
"Why are you doing that?"
"No, nothing. You have brown eyes."
The last words came out without any thought.
Green hair and brown eyes. I didn't think much of it, thinking that it was a color that reminded me of a tree...
"Yes, it's a very common and vulgar color."
"...?"
"Would you like a glass of wine?"
Even as I unexpectedly accepted the glass that was offered to me, I could not hide my embarrassed expression.
Confusion came.
What? The way he spoke was so vulgar that I almost overlooked it, but was that it? A socialite's way of putting a sword in their words! It was a common and vulgar color. Was it because I mentioned brown eyes? Why... Ah.
It's over.
'Stigma Primero was an illegitimate child.'
I heard he came from a maid's womb. Did the brown eyes belong to his mother, a maid?
...Let's take care of it first. I don't know if it will be resolved, but I will try to resolve it.
"Marquis."
"Call me Stigma."
In the meantime, are you allowing me to call you by your name? Aren't you angry?
The liquid in the wine glass sloshed uneasily. As my eyes confirmed my unstable mind, I quietly set it down on a nearby table and faced him. The feelings of anxiety and agitation calmed down the moment I made eye contact with him, who was still smiling.
Confidence was gained.
'You're not angry.'
In the first place, I didn't have to worry about whether I should apologize for my mistake or pretend not to know and change the subject.
Because he had already sorted out the situation himself. All I had to do is pretend not to notice and ignore his intention when he asks if I would like a glass of wine. It was unexpected consideration.
I picked up the wine glass again. As if nothing had happened, I twirled the glass and opened my mouth indifferently.
"Then... Senior Stigma."
"..."
"...?"
Why was there no answer?
When I slightly raised my head, I made eye contact with Stigma, who was staring at me. Why why?
"I said I called you junior first, but I never thought you would really call me that..."
He tilted his head slightly as if he saw something he didn't understand and muttered softly. It felt like he was talking to myself, but I could hear it all.
... You said I was your junior first. I adjusted the rhythm to that, but is that right? This is ridiculous.
I looked at him with completely cold eyes, and as if he had just finished organizing something, he straightened his head and smiled pleasantly.
"... I guess it's okay to have at least one junior in your life."
"... ?"
"I thought he was a ruthless person, if not a murderer, but I never thought he would have such a naive side. After all, you can't trust rumors."
"I can hear everything."
"So why did you call me?"
I know it's not okay to abruptly change the topic... but since I was rude first, I'll just move on. This is why people should not spit out words without thinking.
Realizing once again that ignorance was also a sin, I spoke obediently.
"His Majesty declared the cessation of war today. When did you suggest the issue of the Barbai tribe to His Majesty?"
"My junior, after having a personal meeting with His Majesty, I came to see him and told him. Actually, it was closer to stubbornness... but anyway, the result was good, so it was okay. Isn't that right?"
"Stubborn..."
To the Emperor?
"... You are amazing."
The Emperor may say he cares about talented people, but knowing that and being stubborn is a completely different story. How is that possible?
Stigma let out a low laugh out of pure admiration.
"That's amazing. As you know, my junior, His Majesty especially cherishes those who resemble him. This is a level that His Majesty can accept."
"Yes...?"
"Why are you surprised? My junior, you belong to a special group among those 'cherished ones.' I'm guessing that he will tolerate a certain amount of arrogance from you as long as it doesn't cross the line."
"Yes?"
"... You sure you didn't know?"
"Yes?"
"Oh my... Then, should I explain it here? Just know. His Majesty especially cherishes those who resemble him among talented people."
The prerequisite of 'talented' was essential.
His muttering was ignored. I opened my eyes and looked at him.
So what he's saying is that I resemble the emperor! Where the hell are you going! If you do this wrong, won't you be dragged into charges of insulting the royal family?!
"I'm not blonde... and I also don't have golden eyes..."
"That's not the problem. To make it easier to understand, shall we talk about our heroes? His Majesty especially cherishes three of the four official heroes."
Three heroes... First of all, General Nemeseus and Stigma would be included, and the rest would be me according to his words... To be honest, I don't believe it. All I remember is being mentally harassed. Last time I saw him, he seemed to hate Cruel, so I know for sure that it's not Cruel... but didn't he just mistake the fact that he cared about two heroes for three heroes?
Stigma, who had no way of knowing that I was suspicious, held up three fingers. He explained it by folding them one by one.
"A person who came up from below with skill."
Was this the story of General Nemeseus?
"A person who does not recognize his or her own status and is obsessed with proving it."
I'm not sure, but given the circumstances, this seems like Stigma's own story.
But didn't the Emperor recognize himself as Emperor? Just as I was wondering, a voice continued.
"A person who killed his family with his own hands."
"..."
I swirled the wine glass in my hand.
As if I didn't want to miss the moment when his expression changed, I looked directly into his piercing brown eyes and raised the glass to my mouth.
"His Majesty cherishes you the most. What I like about my junior is the same thing he likes. How can you come up with such an idea?"
Alcohol was flowing down my throat.
"Would you like to talk to me about this?"
My memory was interrupted.
***
The Emperor raised his gloved hand and nervously pressed the corner of his eyes. He was currently suffering from extreme stress, as if making fun of the idea that everyday life was stressful and nothing new.
He called Deon Hardt first, so let's just say that. He even understood Stigma Primero. But now it's Stave Illuster. Even though it's been a while since he came back, wasn't this too much?
However, we cannot just ignore the situation that has come our way. He moved his hand, pressed his forehead, and said the name of the person he was annoyed with.
"So... why did you find your luggage, Duke Illuster?"
"I came to ask your Majesty something, but..."
The answer did not come right away.
The Duke glanced at the Emperor's gloves, trailed off, then quickly put on a natural smile and fixed his gaze on the Emperor's face again.
"Are your hands okay?"
For a moment, the Emperor's fingertips twitched slightly.
"... I assume you didn't come here to ask that."
"I'm just curious. I know that those who possess the fragments of a warrior also have above-average resilience."
"Duke."
Hearing the warning in his voice, the Duke shrugged his shoulders and took a step back.
"Okay then, let me get to the point."
"..."
"It's not a very serious question, so relax. It seems like you've been really hot lately, but aren't you tired?"
"If you keep saying useless things like that..."
"I think it's time for you to hand over that position."
He forgot how the Emperor growled at his blatantly revealed desire and looked at the Duke.
An indescribable face, as if it had forgotten how to express itself. The Duke laughed quietly as he looked into the Emperor's dumbfounded eyes.
"You've had enough fun eating, right? The war against the demon realm is different from the war within the human world. So, I hope that you will flexibly make concessions at this point before things become more difficult."
"... I guess this is what you were trying to say when you said you were particularly restless today."
From the way he talked, it looked like he had an assassin waiting nearby.
But the Duke couldn't do that. Even during this precarious conversation, the Emperor was confident that there was nothing around him that could harm him.
That's right, the Duke.
"I want to resolve things peacefully. Your Majesty knows."
Not once.
"The fact that I care about a lot of things."
Because he had never done anything to 'definitely' kill or bring down the Emperor. At best, it's just pressure and protests to give up the golden crown.
It's not that he can't do it. The Duke was certainly capable of many things. He was the head of the aristocratic faction, had an advantageous position in inciting the people of the Empire through the Salvation Church, and also had ties to the Revolutionary Army. It was a bonus to have one of the Empire's only four heroes under his command.
Nevertheless, the nobles' actions to attract the Crown Prince and Princess were suppressed so that they did not cross the line. Incitement against the people of the Empire only raised the image of the Duke and denigrates the image of the Emperor, and was prevented from going any further. He even tied up the Revolutionary Army's feet to prevent them from moving actively.
As an Emperor, he couldn't understand.
[1] Saying he has a really bad memory, because fish have bad memories.