He is Hareve Lancelot. Apart from being handsome, he is also multipurpose.

“I won't allow that!!”

As soon as I blurted out, I became the center of everyone's attention.

After that, they all sigh and resume to pressure my father as if nothing happened. I know that it is because I am a 'child,' and they are 'adults'.

The voice of a child won't easily reach adults.

Hareve has me in a chokehold when I try to speak again. He looks at me with furrowed eyebrows before growling in displeasure. “What are you doing?!”

I glance down at his feet before lessening my impulse. Then I answer him softly. “They're going to do something to my brother!”

Which is not a good thing either.

Nigel, who's currently beside me, hesitantly looks at me before biting his own lip.

I don’t think that all the future dukes don’t know about this. They are all precocious. None of them are normal children.

“We can’t do anything, Gilbert.” Hareve lowers his voice. “This is not within our power to make the decision. It’s a…crucial matter. The power of darkness is too terrifying. You have already witnessed it, right? You even said that you’re scared.”

I was scared of you…to be honest, your hands, feet, face, and everything else are far scarier than my cute little brother!

“Just…let our fathers deal with this.” Nigel glances down at the floor. “Like what Hareve said, that power is too terrifying. It is too powerful, and that child is not even a year old yet…”

I become quiet.

In fact, if I don’t want to enter the yaoi paths like the immoral love route or the 3P route, the easiest way is to turn a blind eye to this situation. Then, Cass Bedivere, who initiates those routes, will be gone, and I’ll be able to live happily while flouting my fujoshi sister…

Just by closing my eyes.

Just by thinking that this is merely a 'game'.

Just by that, I don’t have to…be scared of anything anymore.

But…

“No!”

That child has already been born. He was already born to be my younger brother—Gilbert Bedivere's younger brother. We haven’t talked to each other or laughed with one another yet. But we have to say goodbye when he hasn’t even called my name yet?

I will not let it happen!

At one time, I used to have a younger sister. Although she was a fujoshi who always made me suffer, I never felt lonely. Even if she gave me a headache, what about it?

Being all alone is very lonely.

He was already born to be with me. I won’t let him go easily!

“Gil…” Nigel calls me with a soft voice like he wants to say something but doesn’t know how to put it. Hareve narrows his rainbow eyes, but I don’t care. I stare back at him.

Mister Popular Guy eventually sighs…

“Just do whatever you want…”

Hareve says that before grabbing my hand and taking me to where the adults are. “Idiot,” he mutters.

I grin.

At first, I just needed the courage.

But he decided to bring me along with him…

Now I'm starting to understand why Hareve’s route received so much popularity…

-----------

“Father.”

The tone of voice that Hareve used to call his father is not too high nor too low. The difference between others and a multitalented protagonist like Hareve is that when he speaks, everyone will pay attention and listen to what he has to say…I’m tearing up.

Duke Lancelot gazes at his own son. He seems to realize why his son is here after his gaze landed on me, thus his voice sounds cold. “We have already decided about this…this child…”

“If we have to get rid of this child…” Before Duke Lancelot can finish, Hareve speaks up. “Then what about the prince who has the power of darkness? Why didn’t we get rid of him too?”

Duke Lancelot frowns. The social gap between the royalties and the dukes is even wider than that between the dukes and the marquises.

“That…”

“You always taught me that the Knights of the Round Table should value justice…because apart from being the 'dukes', we are also the 'knights' too.” Hareve’s rainbow eyes are calm. “If the prince could survive, then why can’t a human who has the same power survive too? Is it only because he is not a prince? If so…

What exactly is the justice we are upholding?”

…

Nice…

Nice!

Nice!!!

I really want to give Mister Popular Guy a round of applause! I’m sorry that I used to severely criticize you for your violence and your sharp tongue.

The duke is lost for words after hearing that. He is unable to take back his words since he was the one who taught his own child in the first place. Before this, I heard that there are two people in our generation who hold the power of darkness, which are the prince and my younger brother.

I look at Hareve with sparkles in my eyes. When we were walking up here, I still couldn’t think of what to do. At first, I was thinking of sinking into the ground then starting to throw a tantrum.

I turn to look at the dukes again. My eyes land on my own father, who is also distressed. Those black eyes stare at me so solemnly that I need to raise eyebrows. The look in his eyes seems like he is deciding about something, but then it quickly disappears.

“Actually…” Duke Gawain steps forward. “The reason that the prince didn’t receive a death penalty even though he possesses the power of darkness is because that power was being sealed…”

“Then this time…”

Before I can finish, Duke Bors shakes his head. “Sealing a magical power is not that easy. The loss that entails is severe…it is too severe that the ducal families like us don’t dare to risk it, unlike the royal family.”

Then what is it?!

Although I have a body of a kid and a brain of an adult, spilling out information bit by bit like this also confuses me! If you have something to say, just say it. Stop teasing my curiosity with bits of information!

“A dangerous method?” Hareve, who’s beside me, furrows his brows. “How dangerous is it?”

Duke Lancelot frowns before looking at my father, who has been quiet all this time. Then he shifts his gaze back to me. “It may even alter the power of the ducal families…”

I don’t know if this is true or not because Cass Bedivere is able to make his appearance within the game. But when I turn to my father, who has been quiet for a while…this might be true.

“What method?” I ask and continue my question since I’m afraid that he may go on and on about it. “What should we do to seal my brother’s power, and what do we have to sacrifice?”

Duke Lancelot looks agitated. He glances at Duke Bedivere multiple times until my father, who has been staying silent this whole time, begins to speak. “The method that Queen Camellia used to seal Prince Salzaal’s power is by using all of the magical power from the youngest prince…”

My eyebrow twitches…normally, a mother should use her own power to seal the power of her own child.

Why did it turn out that a mother was using her youngest son to seal the power of her other son instead?

“What does this mean?” Hareve glances at me before looking at my father again. Having Hareve here is a plus since he is asking everything I want to know. Meanwhile, I can just stay there as a background!

My father’s eyes redden as he looks at me. He grits his teeth before continuing to explain. “The condition for sealing a magical power is having the same bloodline. A father is unable to do it because he doesn’t belong to the bloodline of the mother. Likewise, a mother is unable to do it as she doesn’t belong to the bloodline of the father…”

Basically, it has to be between siblings only. It seems like a long explanation is more magical.

“Second, it requires all of the magical power within a person’s body…” My father calmly stares at me. “Which means that after the ritual is completed…that person will have no magical ability left.”

Second, that person will become a loser.

“And…lastly,” The hands which are holding Cass Bedivere tremble. “…That person will not be able to have a child.”

Oh.......

…...

..

.

Lastly, that person will either become sexually inactive or…yeah.

“That’s…” Hareve’s eyes widen, then he glances at me and purses his lips. “…too much.”

…I want to tell him that I also have the same thought.

“Do you know what it means?” My father smiles bitterly before looking at me with many emotions in his eyes. “You will lose everything as a guy, even becoming a duke in the future…is impossible.”

“...”

“I don’t want to tell you because you are the future duke of Bedivere… We are able to lose Cass Bedivere, but we cannot lose Gilbert Bedivere.” My father turns his head down. Up until now, he still hasn’t shed a single tear.

Hareve doesn’t even dare to speak. I know he might also think the same thing as my father. Hareve is a person who often emphasizes that he is not a kid. He is always aware of the duties of the future duke.

Nobody says anything, not even me, myself, although the solution is right in front of us.

I was thinking, and once I had decided, I looked up at my father.

“For a duke…I also think that is correct.” I smile. “Aside from helping the king while being both a noble and a knight, another important duty of a duke is to maintain our bloodline. I understand why you didn’t say anything, but I want to ask you only one question…”

“...”

“As a 'father', do you want to lose Cass Bedivere?”

“...No...”

A single tear that rolls down makes me smile.

“As a father, you still don’t want to lose any child. So do you think an older brother like me will want to lose his younger brother?” I laugh. The answer is obvious!

“If my sacrifice means that my brother can stay alive, then…no matter how many times you ask me, I am willing to sacrifice them!”

Between a bride whose face I don’t even know yet and a cute little brother, I will never betray my little brother!