Scheme

,”There aren’t any real bullies, right…?”

I sighed and nodded at Roel’s suspicious expression as he asked me again and again. Roel probably misunderstood that I was being bullied and couldn’t take it anymore, so I asked my brother for help.

Although there were days when I didn’t talk to anyone, and I ate alone in the cafeteria every day and skipped training to receive basic training. There was never any direct bullying.

Thinking about it like this, I wondered if I was being bullied. But for some reason, I didn’t want to admit it to Roel, so I got angry for no reason.

,”Why do you keep asking when I said no? Do you want me to be a real outcast?”

,”No, your expression looked serious…. If not, that’s a relief.”

Roel gave me an awkward smile and tapped me on the shoulder, so I reluctantly nodded and quickly brought up the main topic, before he asked again.

,”There’s a village I stopped by before coming to the academy, and I made a promise. So, since it’s the weekend tomorrow, I’m planning to go out. I was going to ask if you could come with me.”

,”Ah, I have a prior engagement with Flavia tomorrow, so it’s difficult….”

I was flustered by Roel’s troubled expression. Without Roel, I absolutely couldn’t beat the Variant Orc. For the sake of the plan, I had to get Roel to go to Destin Village no matter what. I quickly racked my brain to think of a way to persuade Roel.

I bit my lip and made an expression as if I was trying to hide my disappointment, then drooped my shoulders and muttered to myself.

,”I’m a little scared because of the village attacks these days…. I thought it would be safer if hyung was there. But if you’re busy, there’s nothing I can do. I guess I have to go alone, even if I’m scared….”

I wasn’t sure if this would work, but it was the only thing I could think of. I felt embarrassed for clinging to my brother, who has an inferiority complex.

Suppressing my twitching lips, I slightly raised my lowered gaze and met Roel’s blue eyes.

,”I didn’t know you relied on me this much…. Okay, let’s go together! I can go on a date with Flavia next time. Don’t be scared. Hyung will come with you.”

Roel looked touched and puffed out his chest, which made me wonder if he treated me not as a younger brother, but as a pet or child that he had to take care of. But I was satisfied that the plan was successful, so I nodded.

,”Thanks, hyung.”

At my answer, Roel made a strange expression, then wiped his nose and said.

,”Come to think of it, you’ve been calling me hyung every time since coming to the academy? Have you finally realized how great hyung is?”

It was a playful remark. But since I didn’t know Ross’s manner of speaking, it made me a little nervous.

,”Uhm, yeah. Well…. Since we’re outside. I have to admit that hyung is great now.”

,”Okay, a village escort mission that my younger brother asked me to do because he’s scared. This cool hyung will take it on without pay. When I think about it, you used to cry and ask me to go to the bathroom with you at night because you were scared-“

,”I’m going.”

I quickly left the cafeteria at Roel’s mention of old stories. Since I don’t have any of Roel and Ross’s old memories, it will be impossible to talk about this topic in the future.

,”Where are you going with Roel oppa?”

Just as I was leaving the cafeteria. I heard a voice that made me stop in my tracks. Ellie, who had been eavesdropping on my conversation with Roel, smiled with her obsidian-like eyes shining.

,”I’m just going somewhere tomorrow.”

,”Then can I come with you too?”

,”No.”

I immediately answered Ellie’s words. It’s a dangerous trip to a village being attacked by Variant Orcs. I can’t take Ellie to a dangerous place where I don’t know what dangers or variables might arise.

Knowing that she wouldn’t be persuaded by my firm voice. Ellie grumbled in a sulky voice.

,”I wanted to be with you on the weekend….”

Ellie was tempting me with sweet eyes. But if Ellie got hurt, Ross’s personality would definitely make him regret it for a long time.

,”Still, no.”

I was thinking that it would be difficult to get rid of Ellie, who is set as a stubborn character. But unexpectedly, Ellie nodded readily at my words and walked into the cafeteria with a sulky gait, which made me feel strange.

Did Ellie actually want me to cling to her? I felt uneasy about the strange sense of incongruity and scratched the back of my head.

*

When I returned to the dormitory. There was a small box wrapped with a ribbon on the bed. I checked the box, wondering if it was mistakenly delivered to someone else. But it clearly said ‘To Ross’.

If there was someone who would give me a gift…. Roel would be the only one at the academy. But looking at the bright pink color of the box, it didn’t seem like Roel sent it.

The Roel I set was an absolute heterosexual, so there was no need to suspect other possibilities.

When I untied the ribbon and opened the box, there was a handwritten letter folded inside. After seeing the potion bottle under the letter, I realized that the person who sent this was Rosalyn, the top student in the second-year alchemy department.

– To Ross

Hi, it’s me, Rosalyn. I said I would repay you for the advice you gave me last time, right? I’m a person who is clear about rewards and punishments. I hope you’ll secretly give me good information next time too.

I’ll keep the deal completely secret, so don’t feel burdened and let me know any information about Roel at any time.

-PS. The enclosed is a recovery potion I made myself!

The letter only talked about Roel, with the most important reward, the potion, mentioned in the postscript…. I smiled and checked the potion, thinking that it was just like Rosalyn.

Should I take this with me tomorrow, just in case? I thought that I should use it if there were any injured people from the Variant Orcs, and put the letter and the potion back in the box.

****

I was holding a spear that I received for training at the academy and waiting in front of the academy’s main gate. Before long, Roel, with a greatsword on his back, ran towards me from afar, calling my name.

I felt embarrassed by the attention of the people around me, and my face flushed. I bit my lip and desperately pretended not to know Roel, who was calling me.

Roel, who had approached me, looked disappointed and tapped my arm with his fist.

,”Hey, why aren’t you answering when hyung keeps greeting you?”

,”Please, don’t call my name and come up to me outside.”

,”You’re not a kid, why are you embarrassed about that?”

I was about to get annoyed at those words. But I realized that the person who just spoke wasn’t Roel, and turned around with a doubtful thought to look at the owner of the voice.

,”Ellie? Why are you here….”

,”Huh? Weren’t you going with Ellie too?”

Roel said that with a puzzled look. Only then did I understand the situation.

When I firmly refused, the quick-witted Ellie knew that persuasion wouldn’t work and targeted Roel, who didn’t know anything.

Ellie was looking at me, holding the bag on her back tightly and making an expression that she would definitely follow, which made my head ache.

,”We’re going to the village anyway, so it would be nice if I could go sightseeing with you~ I’ve already prepared the food in advance.”

I couldn’t help but sigh. She had already made all the preparations to be separated, and Roel, who only knew that she was simply going to the village, had already given permission. On the one hand, I also had the naive thought that it would be okay since Roel was there, even though it was dangerous.

,”Okay, if you’re going that far, there’s nothing I can do. By the way, did you bring your staff?”

,”We’re just going to the village, why would I need a staff~ I need to pack even one more jelly to eat while going….”

,”Because of that naive thinking, you can’t cope with a sudden situation and lose your life.”

I said with a serious face to Ellie, who was joking around. No matter how much Roel could beat the Variant Orc, I couldn’t help but think about the variable of the black magician’s intervention that might be nearby.

If I were to take Ellie, I wanted to guarantee her safety for sure.

I felt a little self-loathing that I didn’t have the power to protect Ellie from the black magician right now. But I had to accept reality.

Because right now, I was a useless piece of trash who didn’t have the power to protect even one precious person, just like Flavia said.

Roel nodded as if agreeing with my words, and pointed to the greatsword on his back with his hand.

,”Ross is right. It’s always the warrior’s attitude to prepare for any possible variables. Ross and I brought our weapons in advance.”

When even Roel said that. Ellie pouted her lips and put her bag down on the ground, then looked at me with suspicious eyes.

,”If you say that and leave me behind while I go to get my staff, I’ll be really disappointed.”

,”Okay. Go and come back.”

As Ellie moved to the dormitory to get her staff. I took out a drawing from my pocket that I had drawn after looking at a book in the library to tell her the location of the village we were going to, even if it was simple.

,”Hyung, this…?”

I was puzzled by Roel’s expression as if he was holding back a laugh, and turned around following his gaze. Ellie’s figure, hiding behind a tree and looking at us, caught my eye. Perhaps she was trying to see if we were trying to run away, leaving her behind.

I let out a hollow laugh and waved my hand to tell her to go quickly. Only then did Ellie jump out from behind the tree and head to the dormitory, but she kept looking back, which made the corners of my mouth rise without me realizing it.

,”Ellie is still cute.”

Was it an unintentional remark? I felt a strange displeasure at Roel’s words and coughed for no reason.

,”More than that, Ross. You’ve grown a lot. To think you already have the mindset of a warrior.”

Roel tapped me on the shoulder as if he was proud, which made me feel even more unpleasant. Not inferiority, but displeasure…. Still, is it getting better? I sighed and handed the paper to Roel.

,”This is the location of the village we’re going to.”

When I handed over the traced map. Roel received it, checked it, and nodded.

,”Should we see if we can borrow a carriage for free on the way?”

,”I don’t think they’ll give a free ride to three people.”

Even at my negative words, Roel shrugged and said, ‘It doesn’t hurt to ask’, and approached the carriage parked in front of the academy.

Time passed, and Roel returned with a smile, just in time for Ellie, who had brought her staff from the dormitory.

,”They said they’d give us a ride since they’re going that way!”

I had forgotten. The person who easily receives a good impression and is liked by anyone, a munchkin in terms of human relationships, is Roel.

Thanks to Roel’s innate ability, we were able to arrive at Destin Village comfortably.