PASP Chapter 7

His appearance had grown significantly, and his voice had deepened considerably. It was obvious at a glance that he had changed beyond recognition.

But there was only one person in the whole world with such lovely platinum blonde hair. Egru’s eyes reddened. All the hardships he had endured evaporated in an instant, leaving only intense longing.

Egru quickly rubbed his eyes. Regardless of whether the blood bottle was wobbling precariously, he dashed towards his brother, who wouldn’t even spare him a glance. His movements were faster than a Chihuahua welcoming its owner returning from a long journey.

“H-How have you been all this time?”

“……”

“Your armor is really cool. Remember when we were young, we used to watch the knights’ parade together? When I gave you a piggyback ride, you’d clap your hands and smile, do you remember?”

D’Élysée remained resolutely silent. He roughly tousled his disheveled platinum blonde hair and began removing his armor piece by piece. After taking off his gauntlets, he systematically removed his armaments from top to bottom.

Breastplate, backplate, cuisses, pauldrons, greaves. Finally, after removing even the chain gusset, a smart Holy Knight Order uniform was revealed. Egru’s eyes widened in awe.

“Amazing, D’Élysée! You have so many medals!”

Round ones, ones with ribbons, pointed ones. They all sparkled like giant stars.

“I told you to sit down.”

D’Élysée curtly spat out a short command. Then his healthy-looking brow furrowed slightly.

“But don’t sit on the carpet.”

“Okay.”

Egru quickly straightened his knees that he had started to bend, looking embarrassed. He looked around and then sat on a round stool a few steps away, placing the blood bottle on his knees. His amber eyes carefully looked up at his grown-up brother again.

Platinum blonde hair of moderate length with a lustrous sheen. Bright green eyes that shone as if they held emeralds.

In fact, except for these two vivid features in his memory, everything else had changed. His bone structure had thickened, and he had grown much taller. He had become a handsome young man, and above all, he looked very healthy. Completely different from when he lived with Egru. Just that alone gave Egru some consolation.

“Why are you staring so intently?”

“S-Sorry…”

Only then did Egru lower his head and blink his slightly dry eyes. He was reluctant to miss even a moment of seeing his brother after so long.

D’Élysée silently leaned against the heavy mahogany display cabinet. Dry firewood burned modestly in the fireplace on the side. Sparks scattered with crackling sounds.

“Aren’t you going to answer my question?”

“Huh?”

At the call that finally came, Egru quickly raised his head.

“Why did you come all the way here?”

“Ah.”

But he stiffened again immediately. The unfortunate purpose belatedly came to mind.

300,000 gold coins.

Cold sweat began to flow down his nape, and his fingertips started to tremble. Although they had just met, he wanted to run away somewhere, even out the window if possible.

“Con-Congratulations on becoming Commander, D’Élysée.”

Egru fumblingly took out the flower he had tucked into his back pocket. D’Élysée, raising one eyebrow as if surprised, approached with slow steps. The emblems on his crisp uniform reflected the light with each step. D’Élysée readily took the flower from Egru.

“A yellow lily of the valley. You’ve folded it nicely too.”

“S-Sorry…”

“Only now?”

D’Élysée twirled the lily of the valley stem. The broken stem precariously supported the flower.

“What about when I was selected as an apprentice knight? When I was promoted to Holy Knight, when I achieved military merits, even when I returned from the battlefield, you showed no interest, but now?”

A single yellow petal fell, fluttering. Egru couldn’t raise his ashamed face, and D’Élysée leisurely continued speaking.

“I thought you might only come if I died gloriously in battle. Did you know? The compensation for bereaved families is quite substantial. There are some people who aim for His Holiness the Pope’s generosity.”

Egru’s heart plummeted. It felt as if all the blood in his body was draining away.

“N-No, that’s not it, D’Élysée…”

“Well, I suppose not? Looking at the current situation, you seem like a bastard who’s come belatedly to ask for money.”

“……”

Egru, hit right on the mark, couldn’t say anything. His cracked and chapped hands began to tremble. Egru repeatedly clasped and unclasped his sweaty hands.

“I’m right, aren’t I?”

It didn’t take long to read the truth revealed in the undisguised anxiety. A sardonic smile played around D’Élysée’s lips.

“You should have said so from the start. It’s not me you need, but my money?”

“……”

Moisture gradually filled Egru’s eyes. The corners of D’Élysée’s eyes curved gently as he set down the yellow lily of the valley.

“The Commander’s position must be good indeed. I even get to see my brother’s face after so long.”

Egru lowered his head like a criminal being beaten in the square. D’Élysée suddenly showed a surprised expression.

“Are you crying? No, you’re not, right?”

“N-No, I’m not crying.”

“Good, you shouldn’t be.”

Though the tone was dry, it was laced with thorns. Egru barely swallowed down the feeling of a rock stuck in his throat.

“How much do you need?”

“……”

“Speak quickly. Before I change my mind.”

“Th-Three hundred thousand…”

Egru couldn’t bring himself to mention the unit. But D’Élysée didn’t seem inclined to wait even for that.

“‘Gold,’ I assume? Given how hard it is for you to say it.”

Egru’s head dropped a little closer to the floor.

“What have you been doing all this time? And where’s Levian, who you used to cling to? Isn’t he helping you?”

His lips wouldn’t part easily for the next question either. There was no way he could receive financial help from Levian. Wasn’t he the very person who needed to be repaid the debt? To make matters worse, Egru had also committed an unforgivable sin against him.

“Why are you dawdling so much? Anyone watching would think I’m the one asking for a favor.”

It was a reproach tinged with lukewarm discontent. Egru slowly raised his gaze from the blood bottle lid he had been staring at.

“I-I incurred a debt…”

“Where?”

“To a guild…”

“Which guild?”

“Mil…”

Egru suddenly closed his mouth. He needed time to organize his thoughts with his mind turning blank.

He couldn’t honestly reveal everything as it was. He might inadvertently end up blaming someone else for his own mistakes. He also had to filter out any elements that might hurt his brother.

“Tell me the truth.”

However, D’Élysée was not one to overlook even a moment’s hesitation.

“If I write a check in my name, they’ll eventually contact me anyway.”

“R-Really?”

“Or are you being threatened by someone?”

“No…”

D’Élysée, who had been quietly crossing his arms, took a few steps back. It was pressure to start explaining quickly. Egru moistened his rapidly drying lips once.

“I invested in a merchant ship on someone’s recommendation, but it… didn’t go well.”

“You invested in a commercial vessel?”

D’Élysée looked very surprised. The shipping industry is a business that traverses treacherous sea routes.

If a ship carrying rare cargo reaches the port, it’s a jackpot. Conversely, if it encounters a storm and sinks, it’s truly the end.

“It’s not something just anyone can do. Who introduced you? Where did you get the money?”

It was an extremely high-risk investment from the start. Because astronomical amounts of money are involved, most are done through personal introductions. Even nobles who are considered well-off are cautious about such ventures. D’Élysée’s straight eyebrows wrinkled slightly.

‘There’s no way someone would provide funds to a penniless magical race half-breed…’

Suddenly, the face of a man flashed through his mind.

Bright red hair. A body covered in scars, whether from injuries or tattoos. Although he usually hides his face behind a bronze mask, there must be plenty of black self-inflicted wounds underneath as well.

Milfia Guildmaster, Levian.

‘Ah.’

A bitter laugh escaped through his twisted lips. So that’s how it turned out after all that circling around? I guess you had no one else to cling to after being backstabbed?

A smile bloomed on D’Élysée’s face. Who would have thought such a windfall would come?

“I understand why you couldn’t speak properly earlier, brother. Even I would be too ashamed to complain anywhere.”

“……”

“It’s the guild where Levian is the leader. Only they would handle things without knowing their place. Tell him to give it to you.”

Despite the blatant mockery, Egru could only look down at his own feet. His already drooping shoulders seemed about to sink completely underground. D’Élysée, clicking his tongue inwardly, withdrew his gaze. The knight’s gait, honed over many years, moved towards the magic crystal ball on the desk.

“Where’s the contract? I’ll call someone to bring it.”

“Con-Contract…”

“You must have each kept a copy, right?”

Egru was perplexed. Le-Levian took them all…