Chapter 53: Unexpected Feelings

After finally crying out all of the fear and anxiety he had been carrying inside, Qiu Nuoya felt strangely refreshed.

"I’m sorry," he said with an embarrassed smile. "I ended up relying on you far more than I meant to."

"It’s nothing at all," Viktor replied with a warm smile. "You’re welcome to rely on me whenever you need to."

Qiu Nuoya could not help smiling back.

Viktor really was incredibly kind to him.

At this rate, he might accidentally end up falling for him.

"Haha... I don’t think I could be that honest very often. I’m not exactly the lovable type." The moment those words left his mouth, Viktor frowned.

"What are you talking about? Of course you’re lovable."

"Huh?"

"More importantly, I think you’re underestimating just how long elves live. Let me tell you, forty years old is practically a hatchling among elves. Of course someone your age is adorable."

"I... see..."

So elves really did live that long.

For humans, forty years old was already around the midpoint of life. Yet to an elf, it was apparently little more than childhood.

"Even so," Viktor continued, "knowing your real age actually puts my mind at ease."

"It does? Is it because I don’t act like a child?"

"No, that’s not what I mean." Viktor shook his head. "I simply couldn’t accept the idea of developing romantic feelings for someone who was truly the age of a small child. It would go against everything I believe."

"...What?"

For a brief moment, Qiu Nuoya wondered if he had misheard.

"These past few days," Viktor admitted quietly, "I’ve been questioning whether something was wrong with me. I’ve been struggling desperately to keep my feelings under control."

He lowered his gaze before continuing. "Even while I was in the royal capital, you were constantly on my mind. And when I saw that Orc treating you however it pleased..."

His expression darkened.

"I cannot begin to describe how furious I was."

"Hm...?"

Qiu Nuoya blinked his eyes.

Something about this conversation suddenly felt very strange.

"But now I can finally court you without holding anything back."

Viktor smiled brightly.

His breathtakingly handsome face only made the smile more devastating.

The problem was not his expression.

It was what he had just said.

Court him?

Who was courting whom?

Wait...

Was Viktor seriously planning to court him?

"...Is this some kind of joke?"

"I’m completely serious."

"But... I’m a man. And mentally, I’m a middle aged man."

"And what exactly is the problem with that?"

Qiu Nuoya froze.

Wait.

That was not a problem?

No, it definitely was... wasn’t it?

At least, according to the common sense he had grown up with. Then again, this was not the world he had come from.

Perhaps the values here were different.

"You two are awfully energetic first thing in the morning. What time is it?"

With a huge yawn, Igor slowly sat up from his bed.

Right.

Of course he was here.

They were sharing the same room, after all.

"It would have been nice if you had slept a little longer," Viktor muttered quietly.

Although he was still smiling, there was no warmth in his eyes.

It was strangely intimidating.

Wasn’t Igor supposed to be Viktor’s friend?

Did he really have to treat him like such an inconvenience?

"Good morning, Igor!"

"Morning, Nuoya." Igor rubbed his eyes before grinning. "Feeling better now?"

"Yes. Thanks to all of you."

Igor got out of bed and casually ruffled Qiu Nuoya’s hair.

"Yeah, my shirt really is too big for you."

He tugged lightly on the oversized collar, peering down at Qiu Nuoya’s chest to check how it fit.

The moment Viktor saw that, he immediately pulled Qiu Nuoya closer to his own side.

"Igor, don’t do that!"

"Huh? Why not?" Igor looked puzzled. "I was just checking your injuries. Hmm? Nuoya, your eyes are red. Did you have a bad dream or something?"

As Igor reached toward Qiu Nuoya’s face again, this time to examine his eyes, Viktor immediately pulled him even closer.

Igor tilted his head in confusion.

"Ah, it’s nothing," Qiu Nuoya said hurriedly. "I’m just going to wash my face."

Igor was only worried about him. Yet Viktor’s behavior was becoming far too obvious.

Qiu Nuoya gently slipped free from Viktor’s arms, while Trying to avoid both of their gazes

Something was definitely wrong.

For some reason, a romance flag had appeared where it absolutely should not have.

His new life in another world had only just begun.

So why?

How had it turned out like this?

Sure, Viktor was incredibly handsome and yes, Qiu Nuoya had admitted to himself that Viktor’s kindness was enough to make anyone fall for him.

But Viktor was a man.

Yes, a man.

That point was important enough to think twice.

Just when Qiu Nuoya had begun to feel like he was finally adjusting to life in this new world, another unexpected problem had appeared.

At this rate, his life in another world was going to be far more eventful than he had ever imagined.

...

Both of Warren’s parents were adventurers.

Growing up while watching them, he had always assumed that he would become an adventurer himself one day.

However, becoming an adventurer required passing the guild’s qualification exam and he had never decided exactly when he would take it.

He had no objections to becoming an adventurer.

His father, however, often told him, "These days, even adventurers need an education."

Because of that, Warren had been sent to school.

His grades were above average.

He did not dislike studying, but neither did he particularly enjoy it.

Since people were considered adults at the age of fifteen, he had always believed he still had plenty of time to decide what path he wanted to follow.

The turning point came without warning.

One day, after returning from a job, Warren’s parents had barely stepped through the front door before his father asked him a serious question.

"Do you really intend to become an adventurer?"