Bright blue eyes. A towering body that overwhelmed anyone standing across from it.
A narrow, straight forehead. Thick dark brows that looked stubborn as hell. A huge, high nose jutting up bluntly. A square, manly jaw and short-cropped hair.
He looked like a man sketched in rough strokes of charcoal.
The noise in the bustling inn cut off all at once.
“Temar.”
He finally spoke after a long moment.
His voice was a deep, heavy bass that seemed to resonate low in the air.
One of the attendants Temar knew well bowed from behind him.
Geloman looked around the inn. Everyone’s attention was fixed on him.
“It’s been a while. Is that your younger brother?”
Geloman took in Ren, who was staring at him with frightened eyes while clutching Temar’s arm tight.
“Ren, say hello. He’s one of my brother’s companions.”
“...Don’t want to.”
Ren answered in a tiny voice and hid behind Temar’s back. But there was no way speaking quietly would keep them from hearing him. Geloman simply nodded, unbothered.
“Shall we talk outside?”
“...Yeah.”
The moment he heard Temar answer, Geloman turned around. His red cloak shifted, revealing the gold crest embroidered inside it. The mark of Geloman, the King’s Second Star. Ren recognized him instantly.
The attendant bowed once more before leaving. His curious eyes rested briefly on Ren and Jepeto.
Ren glared at them as they walked out, then tightened his grip on Temar’s arm.
“Brother.”
“Yeah, Ren.”
Jepeto stayed quiet, only watching the mood carefully.
“...Never mind. Go.”
Ren bit down hard on his lip. Even while telling him to go, he still didn’t let go of Temar’s arm.
“Go look around the festival with the doctor. I’ll be back soon.”
“No! I’m waiting here.”
“Ren.”
“Just go and come back fast.”
Ren grabbed Jepeto by the sleeve and went to sit in an empty corner. Dragged along before he knew it, Jepeto looked between the two of them with an awkward face.
Temar let out a deep sigh, lowered his head # Nоvеlight # for a second, then finally stepped out of the inn. Ren’s eyes followed him stubbornly the whole way.
***
“Here.”
Geloman was standing a little ways off near the stables. The attendants and knights who had come with him were lined up in formation behind him. The second they saw Temar, they saluted. Clack. Clack. Boots struck in unison, and armor knocked softly together. It got swallowed up by the festival noise, but people still turned to look now and then.
“...I’m sorry.”
Temar apologized before Geloman even said anything.
A wave of guilt hit him. He had delayed the king’s orders far past the appointed date and escaped reality by doing something as frivolous as enjoying a festival. He still believed it had been the right decision, and he didn’t regret it, but now that he was facing his own neglect head-on, Temar felt deeply ashamed. Even so, if he were sent back to that moment again, he would still delay the mission. Traveling all the way here with Ren had made him realize it. Time with his younger brother mattered just as much as any mission.
“You should apologize to the king. Not me.”
Geloman answered plainly and pulled out a bottle.
After taking a drink himself, he held it out and asked if Temar wanted some. The harsh liquor burned all the way down his throat. But not even a drink this strong could ease the ache in Temar’s chest.
“So you even enjoyed the festival.”
“......”
The words hit dead center, and Temar couldn’t answer.
“What? No way! There’s no way Lord Temar would do that, right? I mean, if he’d been late because he was helping people, sure, maybe~”
Charles, who had been quietly keeping his place in the back, finally couldn’t help but jump in. His eyes went wide as he turned to Temar, asking again and again as if this absolutely could not be true.
“Really?! Lord Temar?!”
Even as Charles asked in obvious shock, Temar only kept his mouth shut.
Geloman shoved Charles back with one huge hand.
“Wah—ugh! Lord Geloman, if you shove me like that, I’m gonna fall over!”
Charles stumbled backward without resisting, missed his footing, and had to stagger several steps back.
“Well, that’s unusual.”
Geloman actually looked mildly surprised.
“...The king must have been angry.”
“If this gets delayed any longer, then sure.”
Geloman answered like Temar had asked something obvious.
“Did Luman leave?”
“He left at dawn.”
Geloman nodded.
“That’s good.”
He answered simply, the blunt line of his mouth tugging just slightly. It was basically the same expressionless face, the kind of smile nobody would catch unless they’d known him a long time.
“But the ones left behind still have work to do.”
Geloman briefly explained why he had come down himself, then brought up Dell Belkerman.
“I heard just before arriving. That model student really held out a long time.”
Temar gave a bitter smile at Geloman’s flat joke.
Dell Belkerman had destroyed their crystal orb, so Lady Coco had given them one of the highest-ranked crystal orbs instead, a Serten-grade one. But unless a crystal orb had been personally registered, messages took a long time to go through. And the king had placed a prohibition on sending messages through unregistered orbs at all. The king was sensitive and suspicious, and Giselle—the King’s Fourth Star, who stayed by his side—liked double-checking everything.
That was why Geloman had come to find Temar himself. Temar had expected a situation like this to happen sooner or later.
He had just prayed it wouldn’t be today.
He had known the report would reach them far too late.
Even when he first set out from the shack with Ren, Temar had never received the king’s permission to bring Ren along.
The message returned to him had actually been: <Return at once.>
So from the very beginning, the entire journey had been Temar’s own stubbornness. This time, at least, he might get some measure of pardon for disobeying orders because they had gained useful information regarding Dell Belkerman and anti-Hero weapons—but that wasn’t something he had carefully calculated before acting. Which meant Temar was fully prepared to face severe punishment.
“I didn’t know I’d be like this either.”
“Didn’t you.”
Geloman nodded, then added,
“You did well.”
“A little relieved to see you enjoyed yourself, at least.”
“What do you mean?”
“I saw enough.”
That was all Geloman said.
Which meant they had not gone looking for Temar the instant they arrived in Tempesto. They had given him a little grace period first. Judging by Charles’s reaction, that had probably been Geloman’s own decision too. In other words, from here on out, there was no more time left to wait.
So he should stop dragging his feet, accept it, and obey the order.
But Temar’s heart twisted.
He wanted something. He wanted, selfishly, to watch the fireworks with Ren at least. Ren, who had kept emphasizing it over and over, kept pulling at him in his mind.
“...When do we have to leave?”
“Temar.”
Geloman’s eyes flashed. His deep blue gaze studied Temar like he was someone unfamiliar. It was almost as if he were judging whether or not he ought to draw the massive sword on his back. His swollen muscles shifted under the strain.
“I never thought I’d hear you say that.”
“What do you mean?”
“You shouldn’t be asking when. If you were acting like yourself, you’d be saying you’ll leave immediately.”
Temar fell silent at Geloman’s words.
He was right. This wasn’t something he should be asking questions about. He should have left at once.
“Still, we should eat first. It’s around dinnertime.”
Geloman said it while looking up at the sky.
Temar couldn’t bring himself to ask directly about Ren. Because he knew taking him along made no sense.
But leaving him behind made even less sense.
“Giselle gave the order. She told me to bring your brother back safely.”
As if he had guessed Temar’s concern, Geloman jerked his chin over his shoulder. Only then did Temar understand why he had brought attendants and knights with him. If he had only intended to take Temar, he wouldn’t have come with that many people.
“The king even had a high-grade carriage prepared.”
“......”
“Temar. You’ve already been shown consideration.”
“I know. I know.”
Geloman was someone he could trust. Temar hated the thought of leaving Ren in someone else’s hands, but there was no other choice. Right now, the best possible option was for Geloman to accompany Ren all the way to the capital. It was more consideration than Temar deserved.
He knew that.
Even so, the thought of having to leave Ren behind and go alone again...
Temar pressed his lips shut. Pathetic.
Geloman pulled out a new crystal orb from inside his coat and tossed it to Temar. Temar caught it and poured his energy into it. The orb lit up with a soft, trembling blue glow.
“Then let’s eat too.”
Geloman turned, leading his men with him—and noticed someone hiding in the brush. The rustling had been so faint he’d assumed it was an animal. But now that he looked properly, it was Temar’s little brother.
Eyes full of fury were glaring straight at Geloman. Geloman, who had been about to head into the inn, stopped and quietly watched those eyes.
Is it because of his brother? Is that why Temar’s acting strange?
“Brother.”
Ren and Jepeto came out from behind the brush. Jepeto brushed leaves off both their clothes and looked around.
“Ren. Why are you out here?”
“Hahaha. Hello. I’m Physician Jepeto...”
Jepeto gave an awkward smile and introduced himself in a voice that almost shrank into itself. He looked overwhelmed by the crowd of knights. None of them reacted to his greeting.
“Oh! So you’re a physician!”
Charles rushed over and grabbed Jepeto’s hand to greet him. The warm, enthusiastic response brought actual tears of emotion to Jepeto’s eyes.
But Ren was cold.
“Brother, what does that mean? You’re saying you’re going ahead to the capital first?”
He asked calmly, without getting angry. But all the emotion he was forcing down could still be heard plain as day. Still talking with Charles, Jepeto looked over at Ren and clenched his fist tight.
That’s it! Good! You can do this without getting mad, Ren!
“...Ren.”
Temar, words blocked in his throat, managed only to say Ren’s name.
Ren just looked up at Temar, who was so much bigger than him. Moisture welled in his clear pale-green eyes. When Temar reached out, Ren turned his head and avoided his hand. He glared at him as if demanding an answer.
“......”
“......”
This was unfamiliar.
Explaining himself and asking for understanding before leaving.
Had this been wrong too? Would it have been better to just slip away without a word after all? The more joy there had been, the more the pain came crashing in doubled.
Temar bit the inside of his mouth hard.
“Ren. Your brother...”
He couldn’t explain everything in his head. There wasn’t enough time.
All Temar had been about to say was, “I have to go now.”
But in that moment, he remembered the advice Luman had given him before leaving.
“When you talk, don’t just blurt out exactly what’s in your head. Explain it in a way the other person can understand. If you cut off all the context—what you were thinking, what came before and after—nobody’s going to understand a damn thing you say. Don’t chop the head and tail off what you mean. Say it properly. Got it?”
Temar swallowed his words and slowly opened his mouth again.
