* * *
I hastily dodged backward, the cold blade slicing through the air just inches from me.
Wow, I figured he looked dangerous, but I didn’t think he’d actually go through with it.
Was this why Aimone tried to stop me before I left?
“Why someone like you!”
Heros screamed, his eyes deranged.
The bustling market erupted into chaos as people screamed and scattered away from the sudden appearance of a weapon.
Well, of course they would.
Even in Swindlin, a city known for adventurers, not everyone here is one.
Especially in the marketplace, most are just regular people.
This could get bad.
Heros’s crazed state and wild attacks might end up hurting innocent bystanders.
“Hey, look, I get that you’re mad at me, but isn’t this a bit much?”
“Why, why, why does it have to be you! You never even cared about Lord Zerbin! Everyone knows it!”
So he calls him “Lord Zerbin” now… Not that it’s the point.
“Why are you so angry, though?”
“I saw it.”
Heros muttered ominously.
“Saw what?”
“Die, you filthy homo bastard!”
With another crazed yell, he lunged at me again.
Fortunately, his loud screaming gave me plenty of time to dodge, but the surrounding area wasn’t so lucky.
Wooden crates toppled over, and goods spilled onto the ground.
People tripped as they ran, bumping into each other in the chaos.
This is bad.
Really bad.
Getting into a fight with a lunatic like this in the middle of the market?
I’ll end up being lumped in as some unruly troublemaker who caused a scene.
There were adventurers in the market, too, but most of them were standing back, watching with amusement.
Even the ones I knew weren’t stepping in—either because they trusted I could handle it or just didn’t care.
Sure, I wouldn’t get hurt by something as clumsy as this, but still!
At least try to intervene!
You’re making the reputation of adventurers worse by the second!
I guess I have no choice but to deal with this myself.
“What exactly did you see?”
I tilted my head as I dodged another attack, this time leisurely enough that a strand of my hair got sliced.
It was just hair, but it annoyed me to lose it because of someone like him.
Zerbin liked to play with my hair, too.
“You and Zerbin… coming out of the same inn together!”
“What?!”
This time, I was genuinely shocked.
I let out a scream, more startled than when he’d swung his axe at me.
“That’s not it! Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not that!”
No, no, I can’t let him see me flustered!
I jumped back, narrowly dodging his axe aimed suspiciously at my face.
I didn’t want to disturb the merchants, so I landed in an open spot.
Still, the impact made a nearby stall wobble, causing a piece of fruit to fall.
I picked up the yellow fruit and placed it back on the stall, only to find Heros right in front of me again.
The surrounding screams pierced my ears.
It was chaos, but I had to say this.
“Do you have any idea how many rooms are in that inn? Just because we came out of the same place doesn’t mean anything! What kind of twisted logic is that?!”
Sure, Zerbin had carried me into the inn earlier, so if Heros had seen that, the misunderstanding would have been unavoidable.
We really did just sleep, though!
Well, not at the inn.
If you’re asking whether anything happened later at my house… fine, maybe something did.
But still!
Jumping to conclusions based on so little evidence is ridiculous!
I’m rooting for Zerbin’s new romance, and I don’t want any rumors about us spreading around.
Unlike me, whose reputation for being easygoing is well-known, Zerbin doesn’t usually act that way.
People might actually think he’s in a serious relationship because of this.
“Apologize to Zerbin, damn it!”
I yelled, dodging another axe swing aimed at my head.
This time, I had to draw my dagger to block the blade.
“You, you…”
Heros’s hands trembled as he gripped his axe.
His face was flushed bright red, and his eyes had lost focus.
The guy looked like a legitimate threat, and the fact that none of his attacks landed seemed to frustrate him even more.
Who turned this man into such a mess?
“Lewd, shameless bastard! Because of you, Lord Zerbin…!”
Ah, so it’s me.
Well, from Heros’ perspective, I get it.
It must feel like I’ve taken the person he likes away from him—twice, no less.
I’d be mad too.
Though, no matter how angry I got, I wouldn’t cause such a commotion in a place full of civilians.
I slowed down just a little more.
“Urgh.”
The price for that was a long scratch across my cheek. It stung.
“Hahaha!”
Heros, who’d been fuming just moments ago, burst into laughter.
I guess hitting his target after obsessively aiming for my face was satisfying enough to be funny.
It should be a crime to scar a handsome face, though.
Still…
“You’ve corrupted Lord Zerbin! With that flashy face of yours, you…!”
Corrupted? What the hell did I do?
Does he really think I turned Zerbin gay or something?
Even I, who am pretty confident in my looks, wouldn’t give myself that much credit.
Getting such an over-the-top evaluation from someone furious at me is kind of flattering, though.
I feel a bit embarrassed.
“Am I really that good-looking? Thanks.”
“Die!”
That was a sincere thank-you, but all I got in return was a death threat.
The ominous sound of an axe cutting through the air was loud, but it also meant it hit nothing.
We’d almost made it out of the crowded area.
Just a little further now.
“Zerbin doesn’t like noisy things, you know.”
We were at the market’s entrance.
“Doing this will only make him dislike you more.”
“Shut up!”
Wow, look at that murderous energy.
“Oh, right. Then again, he probably didn’t like you to begin with.”
“…Your very existence is a stain on Lord Zerbin’s honor!”
Well, that might be true.
Just being associated with someone as reckless as me could tarnish Zerbin’s reputation.
It’s funny how humans judge others by the company they keep.
But…
“Sooner or later, everyone will look up to Zerbin.”
Because Battista Zerbin will become a hero.
The moment Heros stepped out of the market, I kicked his wrist.
Before he could even scream, I snatched the axe from his hand.
It had been hanging loosely from his grip after the blow, so it was easy to grab.
“You…you piece of trash!”
“The real trash is the one swinging a weapon recklessly in a crowded place.”
I brought the blunt side of the axe down on his back.
His body buckled with a cry of pain. I twisted his arm and pinned him to the ground.
Heros was strong enough to swing an axe, but his frame wasn’t particularly large.
Pressing him down with my body weight was enough to keep him from putting up much of a fight.
If it was going to be this easy, I should’ve handled him back in the market instead of luring him out here.
Such a waste—I even got a scratch on my face.
Well, they say a bit of blood makes adventurers sexier.
Let’s think of it positively.
“L-let me go!”
Heros squirmed under me.
It was almost laughable how non-threatening he was.
“With skills like this, you thought you could wave an axe around?”
Blinded by love, unable to gauge his own abilities.
He doesn’t even realize what love is.
Idiot.
* * *
