"Are you awake?"

Barnes regained his senses and opened his eyes. His eyelids felt as heavy as lead, but that wasn't what mattered.

"Am I alive?"

"Surprisingly."

"The villagers...?"

"They're safe."

Barnes breathed a low sigh and lay back down. But then, he suddenly realized that things were noisy outside. He turned his gaze toward the window.

"Hurry up and move! This is the place you'll be staying for a long while."

"Yes!"

No matter how he looked, they had to be members of the Watch. And the one leading them was Frederick's voice. Watching this with a dazed expression, Barnes muttered,

"... I really am alive."

Yet Barnes's face was clouded. After all, even if he survived for now, he knew he didn't have much time left because of the side effects of the drugs.

But—

"Didn't I tell you before? You're really lucky."

"Excuse me?"

Erich spoke to him, puzzled.

"You met me, didn't you?"

"..."

"I'm not joking. I persuaded your brother to talk and, as long as you do what I tell you, I can keep you alive. If you don't believe me, I'll give you a preview."

Erich shook himself and stood up. As he did, piles of bread stacked like a mountain behind Erich's back came into Barnes's view.

"What is that...?"

"The villagers told us to bring it to you. It seems you've got yourself some fans, lucky you."

Barnes kept swallowing. It was because of something welling up from his throat. Watching him, Erich spoke.

"My name is Erich. Remember that."

"Yes, sir, Erich."

"And if you've come to your senses, get up quickly. We need to go."

"Where to?"

"To where Max is."

***

Erich, Frederick, and Barnes led the members toward where Max was.

Barnes still clutched his throbbing head. He was sorting out in his mind what he'd heard about what happened after the battle.

Erich and Frederick had wiped out the village chief and his followers, and fortunately, thanks to Barnes's desperate struggle, there were hardly any casualties among the villagers.

Afterward, Erich gathered the corpses of the dead and persuaded the Black Citadel of the emergence of a new enemy.

The Black Citadel responded by deciding to build a new outpost in Maurice Village, and the old smuggling routes were thoroughly blocked.

But the next important thing was Max's whereabouts. Since the village chief and all his men were dead, there were no longer any who knew Max's exact location.

Fortunately, when Max came to the village injured, there were enough witnesses. So now, with Erich and the others, they were headed deep into the dark forest, toward the village chief's mansion.

"By the way, for someone who doesn't look it, you're pretty tough, aren't you? Heh heh."

Frederick grinned at Barnes. But when Barnes just stared back expressionlessly, Frederick awkwardly clicked his tongue.

"No sense of humor, seriously."

With Frederick passing time with such silly remarks, they soon arrived at the chief's mansion. Frederick grumbled upon seeing the large mansion.

"What's with a backwoods village chief having this kind of mansion... Maybe I should quit the Watch and become a village chief instead."

"Let's stop the chatter and go in."

At that moment, Barnes, who had quietly been following at the rear, stepped forward.

"I'll go in first."

"... You?"

"Yes."

Erich stared intently at Barnes. Of course, his body wasn't healed, but it was a reasonable decision. Best to avoid a fight if possible.

"Go ahead."

–Creak.

When Barnes opened the door, a presence could be felt inside. But rather than the presence of someone alive, it was as if someone half dead.

"... What's with this smell. Ugh!"

Frederick immediately clasped his nose. Inside, Max, his entire body swollen and blue, was struggling to breathe.

"... Max."

Barnes approached Max. But Max, unable to even recognize his own younger brother, was hovering at the edge of death. Seeing his state, Barnes furrowed his brow.

"He's overdosed on Orca-roid..."

"If this continues, he'll probably die of natural causes within a week."

At that moment, Erich saw Barnes showing a truly human expression for the first time. Complex emotions flickered across his face.

"Sir Erich. You once asked me why I follow the rules so strictly."

Barnes sat next to Max, whose entire body was wrapped in bandages.

"We are beings born from breaking the rules. That's why no one has ever acknowledged us."

Erich and Frederick silently watched the two brothers.

"Perhaps some people thought it was okay to break the rules by this much. It all depends on perspective. Nicholas, the village chief, that unnamed mastermind... and even our unknown father. In the end, all those crooked moments accumulated and created beings like us."

Barnes quietly closed his eyes. It was as if this was not directed at Erich or Frederick, but rather to himself. His monologue continued.

"That's why, at least for myself, I wanted to keep the rules. In any way possible. So as not to create more people like us in the future."

At his words, even Frederick didn't talk back and just listened. Barnes's voice dwindled, as if exhaling his last breath.

"There's no more hope for Max. In this state, even waking up would be a miracle. I've seen countless such people..."

–Thunk.

Barnes and Frederick's eyes widened. Erich, who had silently approached, stuck a vial into Max's thigh.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"You were talking too much, not like yourself, so I cut you off. He'll wake up soon."

"... Excuse me? But for someone overdosed like this, saving them is impossible..."

At that moment, Max's hand twitched. Some color was returning to his completely swollen blue body.

"What on earth is that...?"

Erich hesitated for a moment. How should he explain this? That he knew the recipe for the Orca-roid antidote.

Originally, Erich could only make an antidote that suppressed the Orca-roid's side effects.

Even the Watch in later years never discovered the complete recipe for Orca-roid.

But Erich, based on the side effects Barnes had and the information that Orca-roid was made at the hands of Barbarians beyond the Great Wall, was able to discover the final ingredient of that potion.

'Beyond the Great Wall, in Barbarian lands, there's a grass that enhances regeneration.'

The finished Orca-roid had such weak regenerative power that no one had suspected that grass was an ingredient.

But now that he knew, making the antidote was not difficult.

'Well, even taking this antidote doesn't mean a broken body will instantly recover.'

The important thing was that an acute overdose could be treated.

'Disassembly is the reverse of assembly. That aside, what excuse should I make up?'

Erich quickly came up with an utterly ridiculous excuse.

"My family has been a grand ducal house for generations, and we also have imperial blood. Do you know what that means?"

"...??"

"It means we could be embroiled in intrigue and poisoned to death any time. I had to learn at least this much to survive."

Of course, neither the Krupp house nor the imperial family have anything like an Orca-roid antidote. But who cares? Erich was the only noble here.

That's why Barnes and Frederick said, "Ah!" in admiration.

Regrettably, neither of them had much education, so they couldn't tell how absurd Erich's excuse was.

But—

Regardless of the truth of Erich's words, Barnes's face brightened as Max's color gradually returned. That was enough, wasn't it? Erich wore a faint smile.

Then in the next moment—

–Grab!

Max, eyes bloodshot, grabbed his brother Barnes's forearm and said,

"... Barnes, why is that man here?"

"Watch your mouth. He's the one who saved your life."

When Frederick growled, Max glared at him.

But then, the next moment, Barnes grabbed Max's thick neck.

–Grab!

"Max, I am so angry I can barely contain myself. Even the fact that you assigned me here and made me a fool."

"I had no choice. For you and me to live... I am sorry."

"If you mean that, tell everything to this man. Think of it as your atonement."

Barnes, who looked like he might just strangle Max, stormed out of the room.

"What the, earlier he was practically crying, saying he was about to die."

"That's what brothers are like. Sometimes, they stab you in the back."

Frederick's eyes widened at Erich's words. Stabbing? he muttered, and shadows deepened under his eyes.

"Anyway, no matter what he said, he is worried about you."

"... I have nothing to say to you."

"You will. I have what you want."

At that, Max let out a faint laugh, as if incredulous.

"What I want? You don't know what I want."

"The antidote to Orca-roid. The only way to save your brother."

"... Antidote to Orca-roid?"

Max's eyes widened. After all, of all people most deeply involved with Orca-roid, it was him—and yet Erich knew something he didn't.

"Are you mocking me?"

"How do you think you woke up? Miraculously?"

Max looked at his own body. As Erich had said, his nearly destroyed body had almost returned to normal color.

"That's not possible. The only ones who know how Orca-roid is made are..."

"The Barbarians, right? Isn't that so?"

An even stronger cloud of suspicion darkened Max's face. Just how did this man know all this?

"You have only two choices. Help me and receive the antidote regularly to get better, or take your brother's hand and head for the afterlife together."

"Even so, I can't betray Sir Nicholas. He..."

"He let you live like a human. But do you think your brother feels the same? Even as his body rotted away in daily agony?"

"Sir Nicholas was alleviating the side effects. He cared for us..."

"No. Nicholas knew how to eliminate the side effects completely—not just ease them. The antidote I gave you proves it."

Max's gaze wavered. If that was true, why had he never known?

Erich quickly pressed on, to amplify the seed of doubt in Max's mind.

"Nicholas only wanted to have a hold over you and your brother. That way, he could control you as he wished."

"Enough!"

Max bellowed. His bloodshot face reflected his inner torment.

"Tsk, stop being so stubborn."

While Frederick grew annoyed, Erich felt a twinge of sympathy for Max.

To think the person who gave him a new identity and treated him kindly had just been using him all along.

Max simply lay back and placed a hand over his forehead, then spoke in a weak voice—much gentler now.

"... If I tell you everything, will you save us all?"

But Erich shook his head.

"I won't lie. Maybe not your brother, but your own chances of survival are close to zero."

Even if Erich could give the antidote to erase the side effects, the crimes Max committed while in the Watch wouldn't disappear.

"In return, I guarantee not a hair of your brother will be harmed. I stake my name and my house on it."

"... Heh."

Slowly, Max lifted his bloodied body, a strange smile on his lips.

"What good would that be to a penniless orphan with no house...?"

"Is that a refusal?"

"I didn't say that."

Max shook his head and let himself relax, signaling that they could do as they wished.

Erich nodded, signaling Frederick with his eyes. Frederick then supported Max and helped him up.

'... He must feel conflicted.'

While talking in the room, Erich could sense movement outside.

Barnes, acting cold as if nothing concerned him, was waiting anxiously outside for his brother's decision.

Barnes, too, must have already known his brother would not escape death. But hearing Erich say it directly must have disquieted him further.

'He'll need time.'

However, this incident was not over yet.

Once this matter was sorted out, Erich would take Max and Barnes to the Black Citadel—to settle everything caused by this Orca-roid uproar once and for all.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=Nice, Barnes is alive...【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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