Chapter 104: Interlude Before the War, the Suspicious Baby and the Hero Couple

Tanjelo had finally married the Hero and reached his happy ending.

He was a lucky man who, despite learning of his family’s darkness, getting entangled in the war against the Demon Lord’s army, and seeing his domain fall into ruin, had somehow survived thanks to Gara.

He had a dark elf maid, Noah, who remained loyal despite his past mistakes; a hero wife with genius-level talent; and even a child born of some unknown power. All that was left was for this war to end, and he could live a happy life without having to worry about what anyone thought. This marriage had even exposed the Hero’s kinks, allowing him to boldly make her his own, so his nights would no longer be lonely. He should have been happily engaging in some pure-love training sex—or so it should have been.

“Well then, to the women who have us in their strange grip!”

“And to our miserable futures!”

“”Cheers!””

Clink!

Having lost his home and now staying at the royal palace, he clinked glasses with someone before downing his drink without hesitation. It was late at night, a perfect time to be in bed with his wife, yet here he was. He had left that beautiful, sexy, blonde woman—a woman at the peak of her passion—to have dinner and drinks with a sly man who looked just like a fox.

Tanjelo, the Hero’s husband.

His companion was Alex, the contractor of the Erotic Dragon, Reina.

Alex hadn’t been at the wedding, nor was he the type of man to be in a place like this. But with the impending war and the recent assassination attempt… that idiot dragon, in her dragon form, had dragged him here to prevent him from being captured and used as a hostage. Yet somehow, from some point on, the two men had hit it off and started spending time like this.

“Yeah, it was great at first. I’m a man, you know? I get to act all high and mighty in front of everyone, right? So I said, ‘I’ll take all the blame for what happened to you’… hic… It’s so embarrassing to think about now… I even flashed my dick in front of everyone~! Hngh… sob… ugh…”

“I wasn’t there for that. But from what I’ve heard, what happened was no different from having your woman stolen from you. I’d say it was a perfectly reasonable thing to say. Besides, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime wedding, so I understand the desire to show off a little. I had my fair share of getting put in my place after acting tough in front of my father when I was young… You’re still young, Tanjelo. Everyone will just laugh it off as a youthful mistake.”

He was talking about the torture he’d suffered at the hands of his dead father, Lawrence, but Tanjelo had no way of knowing that. He simply burst into tears at Alex’s words of encouragement.

“That’s not it, my friend!! As soon as we got back, my idiot wife, without a shred of tact, demanded I torture her!”

“…Ah, so that’s the issue.”

“You might be used to torture, but it was my first time! I mean, seriously, what man in this world plucks out his own wife’s eyeballs right after their wedding! What I want is a sweet, sweet newlywed life, not a bloody gore honeymoon!”

“Tanjelo… you’re going through a lot.”

“Hngh… sob… ugh…”

After slamming his forehead on the table, he took another drink. Alex patted his shoulder comfortingly. Surrounded by people who were anything but normal, the gesture from Alex, a man of the same sex and an older brother figure, seemed to strike a chord, and Tanjelo’s pouting lips receded.

“It’s just that recently… I’ve finally paid her back for everything she went through… so I was just starting to feel relieved that I didn’t have to take the blame for anything anymore… That’s why I tried to ask her out on a date this morning, but she just said she was busy with war preparations, handed the baby over to me, and left… I can’t help but vent my frustration…”

“I know what you mean. It’s been a hassle for me, too… I have a mountain of work to do in my own domain, but because I’m tied to that stupid dragon, I’m told I need protection. I’ve had to exchange letters with a king I never thought I’d have any connection with in my life, and I even had an audience with him just recently. That damn bitch went and blabbed about everything, so I had no choice but to reveal all the secrets I’ve kept until now and ask for his cooperation. Thanks to that, things went smoothly, which I appreciate, but I can’t forgive her for acting on her own and calling it goodwill without asking for my opinion. One wrong move and it would have been my head.”

“You know, the women around us seem a bit… headstrong, don’t they?”

“Headstrong is an understatement. They’re far too impulsive. I know I shouldn’t be the one to talk since my life and country are being protected, but as a man who’s been dragged into all this, I feel like I have to say something.”

Gulp, gulp, gulp…

“Ahem. In that sense, the Hero is a good woman. I admit, that kind of torture is unsettling for me too, but once you get used to it, it’s no big deal. Think of it as a form of affection she only shows her husband, not others. If you recognize it as a marital act, couldn’t you accept it as love?”

“Plucking out eyeballs and grinding down her tongue doesn’t become an act of affection just because a married couple enjoys it.”

“That’s a problem you can keep within the family, isn’t it? Like you just said, you’re done taking the blame, so if you say you don’t want to do it anymore, she won’t force you.”

“Well, that’s true. I have a lot to say, but in the grand scheme of things, you’re right.”

“…Compared to that, I, on the other hand…”

Gulp, gulp, gulp! Gulp, gulp!

He wasn’t drinking as heavily as Tanjelo, but the fox-like man’s expressionless face was flushed with alcohol. He reached for a side dish to calm himself, then began to ramble as if it were his turn.

“No matter what I do, I can’t imagine ever being able to get a leash on that crazy bitch…”

“Ah… you mean Reina.”

“You’ve probably heard, but they say contracts don’t work on her. I, not knowing any better, once made her sign a contract and treated her as a slave. Thinking back on it now, it was an absurd farce. This, that, everything she’s ever done… it was all just a perverted dragon bitch who was dying to kill herself.”

“What happened with that contract you mentioned before, the one about tying her down for life or whatever? That’s why you were trying to turn your domain into a drug farm and a city of desire lined with brothels, right?”

“She seems to be taking it seriously, but who knows how long that will last… I can guarantee you, she might act tame and follow my plan at first, but it won’t last a lifetime. Besides, if I confessed my love for her now, she’d probably just scorn me, saying something like, ‘Don’t tell me you’re looking at me with love instead of lust?'”

“Logically, that would be a compliment, but for Reina, it’s an insult.”

“She’s the kind of ridiculous woman who would reject me if I confessed, but rejoice if I looked at her with lust-filled eyes. But if I just leave her alone, she’ll probably end up dead or imprisoned in some absurd way in a place I can’t even reach. What a troublesome woman…”

As he took another drink, a tipsy Tanjelo patted his shoulder, comforting him in return.

“You really fell for a strange woman, my friend!”

“You’re one to talk.”

“Like you said, the Hero still has her cute side! I mean, compared to Reina! Ahahahaha!”

Alex had no rebuttal.

As Tanjelo laughed boorishly and Alex hung his head in gloom, the door to the guest room they were using for their drinking session creaked open on its own.

“…!! Ah… what the, you scared me.”

Given the situation, there was no guarantee that even the inside of the royal castle was safe. Despite being steeped in alcohol, he had been about to react seriously, but then he let the tension drain from his shoulders. Mixed with Tanjelo’s light sigh was the sound of a baby’s soft breathing. The beautiful blonde woman who had brought the child glared at her husband, chiding him for not returning to their room.

“I was wondering why you weren’t coming back… The invasion is in two days. Is having drinks more important than leaving your wife all alone?”

“You’re the one who turned down a date this morning…”

“A man shouldn’t get pouty over something like that… Are you a child, Tanjelo?”

“Don’t say it like that! I’m still young, you know! Even if I am married!”

“That’s not what I meant… Ah, my husband is being a bother so late at night. I’m the Hero. You’re the one holding Reina’s leash, right?”

‘Leash… Is that the rumor going around about me…?’

The absurd title the Hero used for him made his head spin. He replied politely but with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. It was partly the alcohol, but he had no desire to speak with the woman who had just been the topic of their complaints. He merely exchanged greetings, avoiding any personal conversation, and his eyes fell upon the child she was carefully holding before he faded into the background once more.

“What are you doing here?”

“I just told you. I came looking for you because you didn’t come back. See, Brave was lonely because his daddy wasn’t back yet.”

“…Lonely?”

From any angle, the baby looked to be sleeping peacefully. His face was buried in his mother’s chest, and he was breathing soundly. Not only that, but unlike a normal child, his very aura was different.

“Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Brave cry. Not when the nannies were looking after him while you were busy with war preparations, not with Noah, and not with me… I know he’s the Hero’s child, but there’s something that doesn’t sit right with me.”

“Is that really something you should say about your own child?”

“It’s not that he’s weird, just… different from a normal baby… Wait, isn’t that the same thing? Thanks to that, I was able to get everything done that you asked of me, but that’s why I wonder if he’s not too convenient of a child…?”

“What’s with that tone! You’re not already jealous just because we had a boy, are you?!”

“Of course not… He’s my child, so I desperately want to love him, but…”

Tanjelo reached out his hand. He tried to touch his sleeping son Brave’s cheek, but the baby’s hand shot out in response.

Smack!

“…”

“…See? This is what I mean.”

He grimaced, rubbing the back of his hand where he’d been hit. The child was still asleep, held in his mother’s arms, not even having opened his eyes. Yet he had rejected his father’s touch, swatting his hand away… Tanjelo wasn’t the only one with a bad feeling about this.

“He’s inherited my bloodline strongly… That’s why he’s so strong, even at this age… So he’s definitely my child… Given the circumstances of this pregnancy, he might have been born with a rejection of men… At least, that’s what I want to think…”

“That’s just your guess, isn’t it?”

“Even if it’s a guess, it has to be true… Otherwise, I’d have to reach a much harsher conclusion…”

“…”

The Hero’s face fell as well. If she didn’t defend and protect him, she would be forced to kill or abandon the child she had worked so hard to save. Tanjelo knew this too, so he didn’t press the issue any further and just smiled bitterly, continuing to rub the back of his hand.

“You’re right. Maybe he just likes women, like you said. He smiles so happily when he’s in the arms of his nannies or Noah.”

“Tanjelo…”

“I’m sorry for staying out late. This drinking session is almost over. I’ll be back after a few more words, so go warm up the bed for me.”

“I’m sorry… The battle is so close, and you weren’t back, so I couldn’t help but meddle…”

“It’s fine. It’s my fault for not imagining how you must be feeling.”

Tanjelo leaned in and stole a kiss first, then the Hero came forward to steal one back. They shared a sweet parting of tongues before quickly separating.

“Come back soon…”

“I will.”

After they parted, that one phrase was enough. The Hero left with the child, and Tanjelo, sitting back down, grew somber. Alex, who had blended in with the background, returned like a chameleon, his face now clear of its drunken flush. He took another sip of his drink and spoke indifferently.

“He’s your child. Even if something you don’t want to happen, happens.”

“I know.”

“…You haven’t considered that something might have been done to that child?”

“You just saw it, didn’t you? Both the Hero and I are already prepared for it. Even if we’re condemned by others, even if that other person is you, sitting right in front of me, I will gladly accept it for the sake of my child and the Hero.”

Alex closed his eyes and nodded at Tanjelo’s words, then kicked him lightly on the instep.

“Ouch?!”

“I’ll throw your own words back at you. You really fell for a troublesome woman. The cowardly man I knew got involved with her, became stained by her colors, and gained the heart of a lion.”

“Still, I don’t think she’s as much trouble as Reina…”

“…Your situation is more troublesome. I’d rather date a straightforward, idiotic dragon than get involved with a woman who forces such a troublesome story on you.”

“Ugh… Even coming from you, that’s a bit much… I still think the Hero is better…”

“No, absolutely not. It’s Reina.”

“This is one thing I can’t back down on…”

Despite saying he would return soon, their conversation devolved into a battle of pride that lasted for quite some time. Their voices grew a little louder, but no fists were thrown; rather, their relationship had progressed to the point where they could point fingers at each other. When Tanjelo remembered the Hero and hastily stood up, Alex called out a warning to his back.

“I won’t speak a word about the child, so make sure no harm comes to me because of it.”

“I think it’s already too late for that. Besides, if anything happened to you, Reina would lose her mind.”

“…I absolutely do not think that idiot bitch would do anything for me if I were in trouble. That’s all a gross over-speculation.”

“Hearing you say that, it seems your relationship with Reina isn’t just straightforward, but almost devoid of any real affection… I get that she follows you, but the thought that she’d ditch you the second your dick wasn’t involved makes it seem like a bleak relationship, however good it looks on the surface…”

“…Are you jealous?”

“Not at all…”

Tanjelo wanted a family full of affection, while Alex flatly stated he couldn’t understand such a thing. For a pair who called each other brother and junior, they weren’t a great match. Nevertheless, as two men in similar situations, they parted on rather good terms. Left alone where Tanjelo had been, Alex sipped his drink and came to a single conclusion.

“Alright, let’s run away!”

A refreshing smile.

It was truly the smile of a fox.

Seeing Brave, the child born between the Hero and Tanjelo, had convinced Alex.

‘That thing is a bomb that will overturn the royal capital. If I were the enemy, I would absolutely use it. More importantly, there’s so much circumstantial evidence that even I, who only heard the story, can figure it out… My life is precious to me. I feel bad for Tanjelo, but maybe I’ll go take shelter somewhere else until the war is over.’

This man, convinced that the royal capital was no place for him, fled.

His self-preservation sensor shone brightly, and he would later learn that this had been the best possible choice.