World's Best Protagonist [BL]

"You’re telling me he lives in the royal palace?!" Lexie asked, her eyes wide, halfway between disbelief and fascination.

I know, Lexie. It’s hard to believe that sly, arrogant, annoying Noir, whose laugh can shake a room with gums showing, is someone who was raised in a palace where etiquette is always observed.

Lexie even slammed her thighs, failing to contain her shock. "As in—an actual palace? With kings and queens and—?"

"Yup, Lexie," I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "With velvet curtains, gold-plated hallways, and probably a throne or two. I don’t know. I couldn’t exactly picture how grand their kingdom’s palace was."

"Okay, but why?" Allen piped in next, seemingly doubtful.

Geez. What would I get from lying with this?

"Is he like, nobility? Or royalty? Or... a concubine?" Lexie asked, mischief danced in her eyes, but there was genuine curiosity.

I choked. Terrius almost spilled his water. He wiped his mouth with a napkin that I didn’t even know where he got.

Then, I replied with a sorry sigh, "He’s not a concubine."

Lexie grinned, completely unrepentant. I could already imagine her throwing jokes in Noir’s way once he returns to give Etienne back.

Terrius, ever the calm one, folded his arms. "You’re certain. If he’s not a concubine, he’s probably the royal consort."

I face-slapped myself. They’re having fun teasing someone who is not here. "He’s a prince."

Or should I have said princess? Nah. They’re just going to tease Noir once he returns with Etienne. It’s better that they don’t know that detail. Let’s save Noir’s dignity.

Allen, the first to close his jaw and regain composure, narrowed his eyes at me. "How long have you known this?"

"Ever since I found out about the library. I thought you guys knew about it," I answered. Given Noir’s personality, I thought he would at least brag that he was a prince to them.

The conversation was cut short when Allen narrowed his eyes in the direction where the captain went. He even shifted on his seat, lifting his head higher as if he was checking on something from afar.

"Someone’s coming," he warned after a minute.

We all turned, instinctively putting up our guards.

A figure emerged from the trees, stumbling awkwardly—arms bound, face bloodied and bruised. We all stood and waited for the stranger to approach, but then a second figure followed closely behind, and I immediately recognized the stride and the cold precision of his movement.

It was Claude.

His sword was unsheathed, the glint of it catching the sunlight, and the faint color of blood dried on its blade. He held it casually on his side like a basket, ready to strike the man before him if he ever tried to escape.

The stranger took another hesitant step, but Claude closed the distance in a flash and shoved him forward with a swift kick to the back of his knees.

The man landed face-first in the dirt near the fire pit, grunting.

"P—Please, don’t kill me!" the guy begged repeatedly, terrified and trembling.

Terrius stood first. His stoic face broke into bewilderment. "Captain, why did you bring a resident here? We shouldn’t mess with this world’s balance more than we already are."

I nodded at Terrius. I’m glad he understood what it meant when Etienne agreed to heal Noir’s mother after I explained everything to them. I couldn’t say no because Noir was desperate. But a fate woven by the gods should not be messed up by a human.

Nevertheless, I didn’t say anything or stop Etienne. I’m just hoping it’s a minor and unnoticeable detail that won’t affect the balance too much.

Claude sheathed his sword with a soft metallic rasp and answered, his voice hard as stone, "Noir and Etienne were captured."

A cold silence swept over the camp.

Claude added, nudging his head on the man kneeling on the ground. "He belongs to the group that took them."

"What?" Lexie whispered, eyes wide. She couldn’t believe that Noir, someone who can manipulate anything with his fingers, was captured.

I had doubts, too. But I have a hunch why.

"Noir and Etienne..." Allen’s face darkened. "They were taken? How?"

"It’s hard to believe that Noir would be overpowered by these ordinary people," Terrius commented.

Claude nodded once. "Something wrong must have happened. They were ambushed in the forest. Taken to a place these scums call the Red House. A holding zone before the captives are sold off to nobles or whoever’s buying."

My blood ran cold. That’s why they didn’t come back. And with their appearances, they are surely to be auctioned in an illegal den where immoral nobles with nothing to spend their money gather together.

"We have to go," Allen said, already stepping forward, rage visible in his eyes. "We should get them out. Now."

Claude’s eyes flicked toward him. "That’s the plan. But I didn’t come back to debate." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

He looked at each of us, calm and unreadable. "I came to inform you. And to bring one of you with me."

The four of us exchanged uncertain glances. The best choice will be Allen. Flying is more convenient and faster. They only need to watch out for arrows if someone decides to shoot them.

"I’ll stay," Terrius said. "We can’t leave the boss monster unguarded."

That’s true.

"I’ll stay too," Lexie chimed in, but she turned to me and added, "Jade should go."

"Me?" I blinked. "I think Allen should go. He’s more reliable than I."

"You know more about this world than we do," she reasoned. "You’re the best choice."

Claude didn’t object. Which was probably the same as agreement. I barely know about this world! All I know is about Noir’s childhood and some interesting yet useless details.

"We’ll try to hold out from using our powers too much, so you won’t have to worry about us," Terrius stated. "You should be more careful using your abilities in this world, too, Captain. We don’t know if magic exists here."

"If monsters exist, why not magic?" Lexie countered Terrius. "But I agree with the vice-captain. Move discreetly if possible."

Allen looked like he wanted to argue, but his jaw tensed and he eventually nodded. "She’s right. You should go instead of me. Be careful, Jade."

I stared at him for a few seconds before nodding my head. "I will."

Claude gave a nod to Terrius. "Keep the monster alive until we return. If the vortex closes before we get back—"

"We won’t let it, Captain," Terrius assured him. "Just bring them back."

Claude and I both nodded. I grabbed a few things and stashed them in the pockets of my coat.

The captain grabbed the rope binding the guy and yanked him to his feet like he was no more than a sack of rice. The man stumbled and groaned, but didn’t resist. He’d already seen what Claude could do if he tried.

And then, just like that, we set off—Claude and I, led by a cowardly, bruised man through the dense underbrush of Noir’s world.