World's Best Protagonist [BL]

"That was...nerve-wracking!"

I leaned on the brick wall, my knees bent and my arms on it, as I panted for air. We ran too far, so I believed we were safe now, at the moment, but there was no guarantee until when.

Claude rubbed my back gently. "With the bounty on our heads, looking for Etienne and Noir might be delayed. We need to inform the team about our current situation."

"How are we going to do that? Is there someone willing to deliver a letter beyond the forest? We can hire a mercenary, but we need to seek one in a guild."

Claude was at a loss for what to do as well. We couldn’t possibly ditch this mission, go back for now, and then just return again once our faces were forgotten, right? It’s been four days, and that’s already a stretch keeping the boss monster alive.

I massaged my temple to ease the headache.

"We can’t go back. We need to find Etienne now, or we have to abandon him here."

Saying it left a bitter taste in my mouth, with a pinch of guilt.

"We’ll bring him back." Claude turned away.

I sighed. I noticed that when it comes to Etienne, he sometimes softens and becomes lenient. Well, Etienne gave off an aura that makes everyone want to protect him, so I get it.

I also want to bring him back, not just because of my duty as a Keeper, or because he’s a big help in the team, but because returning to his world is what Etienne wants as well. So, I want to send him back too.

We continued walking in the alley, aimlessly. We were careful, glancing around cautiously like two handsome, wanted men do when there’s a price on their faces and the townsfolk all look like potential bounty hunters.

Claude had that uptight, noble air about him—chin high, posture straight, like the sketch on his wanted poster was a royal portrait.

I, meanwhile, was wondering how long it would take before someone recognized us from the jawline alone. We really need to get out of this town as soon as possible.

My eyes caught the crumpled paper in Claude’s clenched hand. He hadn’t thrown it out yet. I reached it. Claude flinched at my sudden touch.

"Let me just see it."

"What’s there to see?" He raised his hand and threw the crumpled paper in the opposite corner.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance as I followed the paper with my gaze. He snatched my portrait instead of his, and he seemed mad instead of being threatened. So, I just wanted to check what other things were included on my wanted poster.

But then, a familiar blonde locks fluttering in the air caught my eye, passing on that corner.

My feet moved in that direction. Slowly, then gradually became faster after I heard yelling. A familiar voice.

"You don’t need to see it!" Claude shouted from behind, thinking I was running to pick up the paper.

But I continued running until I reached the corner where Etienne disappeared. A few meters ahead, three figures were walking away. They were all wearing black cloaks, and the one in the middle was obviously being dragged by them.

At first, I thought it was my brain playing tricks on me, from hunger and sleep deprivation, or perhaps, because of the guilt of all the jam I wasted this morning.

But then, the middle man turned his head slightly to the right, which confirmed what I saw.

"Claude," I said, suddenly cold. "That’s Etienne."

Claude approached me, baffled, "What?"

"That’s Etienne!"

My voice echoed in the street like a siren while I ran toward the three people. They noticed me. Etienne recognized me, but one of the men clasped his mouth and dragged him elsewhere, while the other went the other way.

I bolted, adrenaline crackling through my veins like lightning in a bottle. I pushed past vendors, sidestepped drunks, and barely avoided knocking over a woman carrying a basket of fish.

"Watch where you’re going, lad!"

I shouted ’sorry’ back. Claude followed me without further questions.

The alley was narrow and dark, the kind of place that smelled like sweat and regret. Claude ran in the direction the other man went, while I followed Etienne and his kidnapper.

After several minutes of chasing, I finally found them again.

Etienne, thrown against a pile of old crates, limbs sprawled like a discarded rag doll.

The cloaked individual—burly, red-nosed, looked like he bathed once a season—had grabbed him by the collar and was dragging him toward what I recognized as the rear side of a brothel.

"Let go of me!" Etienne shouted, still unaware of my presence.

The man let go of his collar, just to roughly yank him by the hair instead. Etienne groaned from the pain.

My vision tunneled. Not in a poetic way. I mean, literal rage-tunnel. The kind you get when you’re this close to stabbing someone with a pencil.

However, before I did, Claude beat me to it.

What about the other guy? I was going to ask, until I saw his sword was already unsheathed and covered in blood.

He slammed into the first man like a vengeful angel and sent him crashing into the opposite wall. The man grunted loudly, and blood trickled down his broken forehead. Then, he dropped like a sack of lies on the cold ground.

"Fuck! Who the fuck are you?!" He shouted after setting himself upright once again.

The drawstring of the cloak he wore somehow loosened, and it revealed his clothes inside. It was unmistakably a noble’s uniform—

"A knight."

My eyes shot to Claude. That’s a fucking knight? Is he dragging Etienne here because he was caught as an intruder?!

The knight’s gaze darted to Claude’s sword. His face flashed with anger, but there was a hint of apprehension too.

"You! What did you do to my companion?! Where is he?!"

"Dead."

Claude’s dark voice brought a shiver down my spine. I followed his gaze, and he was looking at Etienne with worry, then his gaze shifted to the knight with anger.

I felt something pinch my chest, but there was no time to think about it. I strode to Etienne, my steps were hurried.

"Don’t move!"

The knight unsheathed his sword too and attacked, but Claude parried his blow. His strength and sword skills are way more overwhelming than the knight’s, so in an instant, the opponent was unarmed.

The knight tried to run after seeing that he had no chance of winning.

Claude caught him, slammed him again against the wall hard enough to shake dust loose from the bricks.

"Which knighthood do you belong to?" he growled, voice darker than I’d ever heard it.