Chapter 263: Unexpected Day in the Capital

"...Viktor."

Warren’s expression returned to normal after his initial surprise, and he addressed Viktor directly. Viktor responded curtly, "What is it?"

"Did you eat something bad? Or did Nuoya say something to you? It’s creepy seeing you act so timid and hesitant, Viktor. Please stop."

"...What?"

This time, it was Viktor’s turn to stare at Warren in surprise.

"If you’re saying I have persistence, then about eighty percent of it comes from my determination not to lose to you, Viktor! When you suddenly start acting all timid like this, it throws me off. Honestly, it’s a nuisance."

"What!?"

"Still, thank you for the advice. I’m genuinely happy to hear a Rank A mage praise my control over magic. It gives me confidence that my fighting style isn’t wrong, so I’ll keep working hard to improve."

Hmm...?

Qiu Nuoya had hoped the two of them would become friends, but this seemed to be heading in a somewhat different direction from what he’d imagined.

Viktor wore a thoroughly displeased expression. Was this what people meant when they said that people who argued a lot could actually be close?

Warren, on the other hand, looked much more at ease than he had earlier, so perhaps things had worked out for the better after all.

Even so, Qiu Nuoya couldn’t quite make sense of it.

"Nuoya... I really do dislike this man."

"Viktor, don’t say things like that."

Being able to express one’s feelings honestly was a virtue in its own way, but relationships still required a balance between what one truly thought and what one chose to say aloud.

When Qiu Nuoya reprimanded Viktor for his behavior, Warren gave a wry smile.

"So Nuoya really was behind this, huh?"

"I don’t get angry or feel sad over every little thing Viktor says or does anymore. It’s true that I haven’t surpassed him in ability, and I’ve spent the past three years coming to understand what kind of person he is. So you don’t need to worry about me or go out of your way to make things easier for me, Nuoya. I’m fine."

Warren sounded surprisingly mature.

Had Qiu Nuoya been meddling where he wasn’t needed?

"Well, that doesn’t mean I never get discouraged, though... Wait, huh? Nuoya, what’s wrong with your wrist?"

"Huh? Oh..."

Qiu Nuoya instinctively hid the wrist Viktor had bitten earlier. The marks of Viktor’s teeth were still clearly visible on his skin. They were practically an injury, so he should have healed them with holy magic, but he’d been so flustered that he’d completely forgotten.

"It’s nothing!"

"But that’s an injury... Wait..."

Warren grabbed Qiu Nuoya’s arm and examined the bite marks. Then, without saying another word, he let go.

"Tch."

After clicking his tongue, Warren let out a long sigh.

"You know, disciplining your pet is the owner’s responsibility. Looks like you’ve done a poor job of training it," he muttered.

There was no way that wasn’t an insult.

What made it even more irritating was that Viktor, the one being called a pet, looked faintly smug about it.

Seriously, could they stop trying to one-up each other through him? Qiu Nuoya had told Viktor over and over again that he wasn’t his property!

If Qiu Nuoya didn’t properly train Viktor from now on, he dreaded to think what kind of trouble lay ahead.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, Xiao Tao timidly spoke up from beside him.

"Um, Nuoya... Do slimes actually bite people?"

Qiu Nuoya’s pet was a slime, so Xiao Tao’s assumption wasn’t exactly wrong.

But slimes didn’t even have teeth in the first place!

"Nuoya just has a pet that’s worse than a slime. Don’t worry, Xiao Tao’s slime won’t bite you."

"Oh... Is that so? What a relief."

Xiao Tao looked genuinely relieved. Warren couldn’t help bursting into laughter at how the boy never seemed to read between the lines. He ruffled Xiao Tao’s hair enthusiastically.

"Whoa! Warren, what are you doing!?"

"Haha, I was just thinking about how cute you are, Xiao Tao."

"I-I’m not cute at all!"

Despite his protests, Xiao Tao’s face had turned bright red, making him all the more adorable.

Somehow, watching them made Qiu Nuoya feel warm and fuzzy inside too. It was as though the bitterness in his heart had been purified away.

Two days had passed since they were invited to the royal castle, and after everything that had happened, Qiu Nuoya and Viktor were finally out and about in the capital’s downtown area.

Apparently, heated discussions were still taking place among the castle’s leading figures over how to deal with Warren, who had been revealed to be the Hero, and the Divine Sword Velikorya. Despite being directly involved, Qiu Nuoya and his companions had somehow been left completely out of the discussions.

After all, the Divine Sword Velikorya refused to leave Warren’s side, making it impossible to return the sword even if they wanted to. This had divided the officials into two factions: those who were unhappy with the situation, and those who argued that if things had come to this, they might as well have Warren serve as the Hero and fight for them.

Unable to reach an agreement, the castle had kept them confined for two days. However, Qiu Nuoya and the others couldn’t simply ignore their promise to meet up with Igor, so they had finally made their way into the capital.

That said, only Qiu Nuoya and Viktor had been granted permission to leave. Warren, Xiao Tao, and the Divine Sword Velikorya had all been ordered to remain inside the castle.

Well, the Hero and the Divine Sword had both gone missing once before. The royal family probably couldn’t risk letting them disappear again while the kingdom was facing a crisis.

Incidentally, Shangguan Wan’er currently visiting Elysium with Long.

Explaining how that situation had come about from the beginning would take far too long, so Qiu Nuoya would skip the details.

Shangguan Wan’er had desperately wanted to go on a date with Long, while Long had casually told her that she could simply come to Elysium if she wanted to. That little exchange had somehow escalated into a major incident involving both the royal family and the Tamer’s Guild.