Chapter 106
-Ah~ So you're the protagonist.
The day Polo first met Mars. He could never forget the words Mars had muttered right in front of him.
'Protagonist... Me?'
The dream of all swordsmen, a realm nearly impossible to reach no matter how hard one trained in a lifetime: Aura Lord. And his father, a transcendent figure who had attained that realm, one day introduced him to the child of a dear friend.
His exotic appearance seemed like a mix of people from the distant eastern continent he'd once read about in books. Yet it suited the boy perfectly, giving off a refined and lively vibe. The house was already familiar to Polo after living there for several years, but to the boy, everything must have seemed wondrous—he watched, fascinated, as the child looked around for a long time.
There was no tension or fear in the boy led forward by Viscount Noctus, his father's dear friend. Only pure curiosity and interest filled his eyes. Until then, everyone who visited their estate was either a scoundrel trying to leech off his father's fame or a coward trembling under the weight of the lofty title "Lord." In that crowd, this was the first child with such innocent, clear curiosity, so Polo found himself drawn even more to the boy named Mars.
"Mars. This is my longtime friend and Aura Lord, Helios Count. Say hello."
"Ah. Hello."
Even with the chance to greet a Lord—the object of every swordsman's envy and an unattainable dream—Mars's eyes wandered not to Polo's father, but to the gardens around the estate. It seemed the flower beds, tended meticulously on his father's orders because his mother had loved them, and made even more beautiful than those in the imperial palace, had caught the child's attention.
Yet Polo felt something odd about Mars focusing on the flowers over a Lord, but he couldn't stop his gaze from lingering on the boy.
"And this is Helios Count's son, Polo Helios. You're the same age as Mars, perfect."
Polo Helios. The moment the boy heard his full name, his eyes changed. They widened in shock and admiration, as if he'd seen something that shouldn't exist, making Polo instinctively step back a little.
Soon, the adults left to discuss matters children couldn't hear. Left alone, Polo hesitated about speaking first to this new boy his age, when Mars muttered softly.
"Ah~ So you're the protagonist."
"Pro...tagonist?"
Polo faltered under the boy's intense gaze, which seemed to pierce right through him, but Mars just mumbled to himself, lost in thought. Words like "game," "visual novel," "affection meter" spilled out—nonsense Polo couldn't understand—but more than that, one phrase kept echoing in his mind.
'Protagonist... Me?'
Polo couldn't fathom why such a distant word from his own life would come from a stranger's mouth. From birth, many had pinned huge expectations on him as the son of a Lord, but Polo had only ordinary talent, far from being Lord material. People expected wildly and despaired just as wildly. Even his father, though he never said it, seemed quietly disappointed that Polo lacked the gift to succeed him.
If his mother were alive, she'd have told him not to worry about such things, but with no one left to say that, Polo spent his days feeling utterly pathetic.
Then this stranger boldly called him the protagonist, sparking an inexplicable flutter in Polo's chest.
"Why am I... the protagonist?"
"Huh? Just? In my eyes, you're definitely the protagonist."
"...!"
Mars stated it so matter-of-factly, fueling Polo's fluttering heart even more. He didn't know if it was mere happiness or something closer to budding affection, but one thing was clear: from that day, Mars firmly rooted himself in Polo's heart.
Afterward, growing close and playing together constantly, Polo realized Mars was no ordinary kid. Mature in subtle ways yet full of mischief, his kindness to everyone without discrimination even ignited crushes from village girls. Polo wasn't surprised when even his father acknowledged Mars's sword talent and set him on the path to becoming a Lord.
Far from jealousy, Polo only liked this Mars more. For the first time, someone had accepted him fully as he was. Polo harbored admiration, respect, and a fuzzy something more for Mars.
"Did you hear? The Noctus viscount's kid is into guys."
"No way. With that face, unmarried and no women in sight—I guess that's his taste?"
One day, overhearing maids gossiping, Polo caught something off in their words.
'A man liking another man... is that weird?'
He liked Mars too—what was wrong with that? Always wanting to be together, feeling happy just being near. A tender bond. But realizing his feelings were hard for society to accept, and impossible to confess to Mars himself, Polo felt his heart crack.
"Mars... If I'm really that different from others... would you be disappointed?"
The fear that Mars might reject him for stepping outside society's "normal" circle gnawed at Polo. Subtly, he'd once confided his worries.
"To me? Why?"
"You called me the protagonist. But I'm not... the kind of person you think I am. If you knew the real me, you might be disappointed."
"Did you... maybe kill someone?"
"No..."
"Or bully someone into suicide?"
"No! Why are your examples so extreme?!"
"What? Then it's fine."
Mars brushed it off so lightly that Polo felt his worries had been utterly foolish.
"Then... what did you mean calling me protagonist? Why'd you have such expectations for me?"
"I called you that 'cause... well, I'd never seen a kid as handsome as you. Figured with looks like that, you'd be the protagonist anywhere~ something like that?"
"...What the hell."
Polo smiled faintly at Mars's rambling excuses, letting out a hollow chuckle.
"Anyway. Protagonist of the world or not, whatever you're like, I'll never be disappointed in you. To me, you're the one true protagonist of this world."
"Mars..."
"If it's too hard, we can do it just the two of us. That'd be easier, right?"
"It was the first time. Someone said that to me. I never had faith in myself. Your words lifted me up."
"Uh... yeah."
Listening to Polo recount the past, I felt my face heating up.
'Ugh... I said all that, huh.'
I remembered being like an excited colt back then—freshly reincarnated, full of curiosity, no real knowledge before meeting Polo.
Black history now, but seeing Polo's smiling face as he spoke fondly, I couldn't argue.
"Don't worry. Not anymore. I did like you once, but now it's just friendship—nothing more, nothing less. Plus, you have people who truly care now. I can't get in their way, right?"
"Hey, 'in the way'—"
"You were the first I could lean on, but you've always been that for everyone. I can stand on my own now, so I gotta yield your side to others."
Polo stood from the bench, dusting off his pants. Stretching with a groan, his face looked somehow lighter.
"Don't feel too bad. It was never gonna happen anyway—just a childish flame that flared up briefly. Better to let it go than burden you with it."
"Polo..."
I stared blankly at Polo's back as he spoke in a bright voice.
"You always called me the protagonist... but to me, the real protagonist is you, Mars."
"..."
"So, Mr. Protagonist? Act like one—follow your heart?"
Polo tossed the question over his shoulder, as if he already knew my feelings.
"Are we... still friends?"
His back trembled slightly. That big-headed timid streak hadn't changed a bit, drawing a smile from me.
"Yeah. Forever."
"Heh."
On the way back to the dormitory, the moon overhead shone brighter than usual, lighting the night.
"How is it?"
"..."
Kwaaaah—!
Grrrrowl—
Dozens of monsters, crude hybrids of lizard and human, roamed the hollow underground arena, sniffing for something. Their human selves long gone, they jerked their heads like beasts, wandering in search.
"Combat power is laughable compared to a real dragon, but their physical abilities far exceed human limits. Durability's a weak point... but mass production covers that nicely."
The Sub-Cult Leader, silently observing the chimeras, responded to Mist's report.
"Can we control the timing of the chimera transformation?"
"Not for too long, but... one or two months is feasible."
"Good. Set it for two months. Then distribute the products through smugglers into the empire."
"Yes, sir."
A few days later, an awakening drug called Drak began circulating in the empire's back alleys.