In the game Hero's Party, there are five human nations.
The Alitia Kingdom, famous for its entertainment and crime.
The Prona Kingdom, known for its vast breadbaskets and peace.
The Carta Kingdom, home to a great number of upright knightly families.
The Policia Duchy, where a princess known as the Ice Witch resides.
And finally, the Empire, called the heart of the continent.
Located in the center of the continent, the Empire is the hub of all continental trade.
Thanks to this, it is the most developed of the five nations, possessing the most expansive territory and a national power so formidable that it remains unshaken even when checked by the other three kingdoms.
That was the gist of the setting, I think...
"Seeing it in person is something else."
A wide expanse of houses with white walls and red roofs, looking like something out of the Renaissance, stretched before me. The well-paved brick streets swarmed with people, bustling like a marketplace.
The game mentioned a cultural gap between the kingdoms... but this is on a whole other level.
Judging by the cultural standard, you'd almost expect the guards to be carrying old-fashioned rifles.
Of course, the swords hanging at their waists told me that wasn't the case.
"Sir Hero, what are you doing? We should get going."
Ophelia asked, as if wondering what the hold-up was.
She and the other two women seemed unimpressed by the sight of the Imperial Capital.
Well, they've probably been here a few times, so they must be used to it.
I followed behind the three heroines.
As we passed through the crowded streets and headed toward the city center, the number of people began to dwindle.
In their place, more and more well-armed guards patrolled the area, and the surrounding buildings were far more elegant than the ones I had seen so far.
So this is the rich district.
Just as we were about to enter the elegant street, a young guard stepped forward to block our path.
"Halt. Who are you? I don't recognize your faces. No one without clear identification may enter here."
"We are—"
"You stupid fool!"
Before Neria could finish, a thick fist slammed into the head of the guard who had stopped us.
The guard, wincing in pain, turned around. His eyes widened in shock when he saw who had hit him, and he immediately snapped to a salute.
"Ca-Captain of the Guard! What brings you here, sir?"
However, the man called the Captain of the Guard paid the young guard no mind and bowed his head toward us.
"Sir Hero and company. It has been a while."
"It's been a long time, Hex. Are the children well?"
"These days, they've gotten big for their britches and are talking back all the time. It's been a real headache."
"That's how all children are. And that side of them is cute, too."
"Indeed. Ah, my apologies for this one. He's new to the guard and doesn't know anything."
"Even if he doesn't know anything, he should know this much. There's a social gathering at the Imperial Palace today. Shouldn't he at least recognize the Hero and his party members?"
"You are absolutely right, Lady Eri. I will be sure to educate this man properly later!"
At the words "educate properly," the young guard's face turned deathly pale.
It seemed his superior was a very strict man.
He must be terrified, thinking about the chewing out he'll get after we leave.
I remember when I was like that.
When I was first summoned to this world and put through hellish training, I used to put on a show to get on the instructor's good side.
Not that it ever changed the intensity of the training.
"By the way, why did you come on foot instead of by carriage? Shall I arrange one for you now?"
"It's just been a while, so I wanted to look around. Don't worry about it and get back to your duties."
"Yes, sir. In that case..."
The Captain of the Guard bowed his head once more and stepped back.
With the face of a demon, he dragged away the guard who had blocked our path.
We walked down the elegant street toward the Imperial Palace.
Social gatherings are one of the most important functions for the nobility.
For low-ranking nobles, it is their only chance to catch the eye of those of higher station. For high-ranking nobles, it is an opportunity to reaffirm friendships and ensure the security of their domains.
In that sense, the Imperial social gathering held in the capital was nothing short of a dream for the aristocracy.
Not only would the Five Ducal Families—the five pillars of the Empire—be in attendance, but there was even a chance for an audience with His Majesty the Emperor himself.
As such, those who could attend the Imperial social gathering were extremely limited.
High-ranking Imperial nobles, the great merchants of the continent, and at most, the royalty of the kingdoms.
Even the nobles of the other kingdoms couldn't dream of attending.
Yet, in such a place, there were a few individuals of common birth.
The Heroes, Gis and Cloud. And a few others, members of the Hero's party.
These lowly bloodlines, who normally wouldn't even be permitted to look upon them, were now in the same venue, eating, drinking, and laughing.
For the haughty nobles, it was utterly unacceptable... but what could they do?
The Hero was chosen by the Holy Sword, and the Holy Sword was forged by the one true god, Iries, herself.
The choice of the Holy Sword was the choice of the heavens, something mere mortals could not defy.
However, they could not erase the deep-seated displeasure welling up from within their hearts, and that unpleasant emotion was directed toward the weak.
And among the commoners attending this social gathering, the weakest was Cloud.
"How vulgarly he eats. It seems you can't wash away low birth."
A young man in a pristine suit clicked his tongue. His voice was too loud to be a mumble, yet too soft to be a direct statement. But it was clearly meant to be heard.
The woman beside the young man replied.
"I know, right? Really, a man's looks aren't everything."
Cloud was handsome. Though he was thin and looked a bit frail, in terms of appearance alone, you could count the number of men more handsome than him on one hand across the entire continent.
But to a woman, especially a high-ranking noblewoman, a man's looks were not everything.
His origin, personality, abilities, wealth.
Everything was a factor to be weighed.
And aside from his handsome face and the title of Hero, Cloud had nothing to his name.
His origins were humble, his personality indecisive, and his abilities as a Hero were a little... no, severely lacking compared to the other Heroes.
That was precisely why, even with Gis—a Hero from the slums of the Alitia Kingdom—present, the nobles' gossip was aimed solely at Cloud.
Because Gis was strong, and Cloud was weak.
Because Gis had notable achievements, and Cloud had none.
Some even whispered that the other three Heroes could defeat the Demon King without someone like Cloud, so it was only natural that he became the nobles' emotional punching bag.
"Those bastards...!"
Beside Cloud, Neria bit her lip hard. Her fist, hidden beneath the table, was trembling with restrained force.
She had experienced this insult several times before.
Yet she could never get used to it. If she had her way, she would slam their heads into the floor right now, but she had to endure it.
She was a commoner, too.
And if she caused a scene, Cloud would be the one to deal with the aftermath.
"Oh my, is that lowly wench glaring at us? Are the commoners sticking together? Covering a rag with another rag still just leaves you with a rag."
This was a woman's vile jealousy.
The first thing the human species notices in another is their appearance.
Even if one wrapped themselves in the shield of being a noble, of having noble blood, they were still human in the end.
It was natural for a woman to be attracted to a handsome man, and just as natural to be jealous of the woman by his side.
And the higher one's own standing, the easier it was to act on that jealousy.
However, this time, her timing was poor.
"Whoa there, missy. It's not nice to badmouth people so openly. If you did that in my kingdom, you never know when you might get a knife in your back."
A handsome man with blond hair and tanned skin casually draped his arm over the woman's shoulder. Startled, she tried to shrug it off, but froze solid when she realized who it was.
"S-Sir Hero Gis..."
"Hello, missy. You're looking as beautiful as ever today."
"Um, this is the first time we've met..."
"That's not important. What's important is that we've met like this."
Gis gently caressed the woman's cheek. The simple touch was enough to make her blush.
"What do you think you're doing to my fiancée—!"
A sword suddenly appeared, blocking the path of the enraged young man as he lunged forward.
"Wh-what?! Who dares draw a sword on me... Lorian!?"
The one who blocked the young man was a handsome man with brown hair.
The First Prince of the Carta Kingdom and a Hero, Lorian.
A man not to be trifled with, even if one was the son of an Imperial noble.
"Do not be alarmed. This is a ceremonial sword; its blade is not sharpened."
"Wh-who said I was alarmed! And why did you stop me! Can't you see what that bastard is doing to my fiancée?!"
"There seems to be a misunderstanding. I stopped you because I was worried you would get hurt."
"What?"
At the young man's confused voice, Lorian sighed.
"Do you believe you could win in a fight against Gis?"
"Hrk...!"
The young man fell silent. Having been raised in comfort and luxury, his chances of defeating Gis, a Hero, were next to none.
"I wasn't going to fight in the first place! This is an Imperial social gathering. There's no way a fight could break out here, not even for a Hero!"
"Hmm, setting aside whether that's true, if I had let you move, you would have earned his enmity."
"So what? You may not know, but my father is—"
"I know. Count Cortel. The wine from his estate is famous throughout the continent. I hear the income from it is quite substantial."
"So you know. In that case—"
"Your family must have many people to protect you. However, do you truly believe they can protect you?"
"What...?"
"Gis is a master of ambushes. Despite being a Hero, he doesn't shy away from using all sorts of despicable tricks. If he truly set his mind to it, do you think he couldn't handle a single person like you?"
"..."
Speechless, the young man's gaze fell to the floor. His clenched fists radiated frustration.
The rage of a male who had been defeated!
"Idiot~"
Gis sneered at him and moved to kiss the woman. Between their lips, a ceremonial sword intervened.
"You should exercise some restraint as well. This is not a market street. This is a gathering of the great figures who lead the continent. Such behavior is unseemly."
"Tch, you stiff. Fine, fine. I wasn't serious anyway. Well, see you around, ugly missy. Hope we don't see each other again."
Gis removed his arm from the woman.
She was bewildered by Gis's sudden change in attitude, but was soon dragged away by the young man's rough grip.
"I wonder what will happen to those two~ I'm quite curious."
"You really never change, do you? You're so crass."
"So what? This is just how people live. And you? You think you're so high and mighty?"
"I believe I am far better than you, at the very least."
"Really? Then why did you come over here? Didn't you come for the same reason I did?"
Lorian remained silent at Gis's taunt. He was right; their purpose was the same. Gis grinned and approached Cloud's side.
Until that moment, Cloud had been eating smoked pork.
"Yo, Sir Hero! What's on your mind?"
Gis slung an arm around Cloud's shoulders as if they were old friends. Of course, they were not. It was a gesture Gis could make only because he looked down on Cloud.
And right now, Cloud was in no state to care about such things.
"Salty."
"Huh?"
"It's salty."
Cloud tossed his fork down with an annoyed expression.
Clang, clang, clang. The fork clattered against the plate, making an unpleasant noise.
At his action, not only Gis but also Lorian and Cloud's own party members stared at him blankly.
Amidst the silence, Cloud looked at Gis and spoke.
"Hey, let me ask you something."
"Yeah?"
"An Imperial Palace chef has to be one of the best on the continent, right?"
"Uh... well, yeah, I guess?"
"Then why is the food so damn salty? No, it's not just salty. This is... fuck, it's like they didn't think at all and just dumped pepper on it. Not one shaker, but at least two. Wow, I'm seriously going to lose my mind. Does the concept of 'moderation' not exist in this world? Food from commoners' houses is bland, and food from the palace is salty. Where the hell am I supposed to eat then? Do I have to buy ingredients and cook for myself?!"
Gis had spent years scraping by in the slums. He could read most people's emotions, and he could tell that Cloud's anger right now was genuine.
Which was why he couldn't help but feel bewildered.
"Hey, my friend. It's only natural for palace food to be salty."
"Why is that natural?"
"It's all because of the vanity of the higher-ups, isn't it? 'We are so wealthy we can afford to waste this many spices!' It's their way of showing off."
"Ah, extravagance?"
He hadn't thought of that.
In the world where Cloud had been summoned before, even royalty couldn't afford such luxuries.
"Right, so just calm down for a—"
"So you're telling me in this world, they serve this salty crap to their guests while they eat the good stuff themselves? Then where! The hell! Am I! Supposed! To eat!"
Cloud buried his face in his hands and screamed.
It wasn't just Gis; everyone else could tell that his scream was filled with genuine despair. They all stared at him, half bewildered, half surprised.
The despair Cloud was experiencing was something that those born and raised here could never understand.
Just a month ago, he could have delicious, MSG-filled food with a few taps of his fingers. Now, he was forced to eat food that even a beggar on the street would spit on...
If Cloud could ever meet the real Cloud who had summoned him, he would have torn him in half.
"Haa... fuck..."
If his soul had still been around, I would've captured it and thrown it to a lich.
But by the time I possessed this body, the real Cloud's soul was long gone.
Sighing heavily, he finally calmed down and turned his head.
"So? Who are you to have your arm around my shoulder this whole time?"
"...You're only asking that now?"
"You try eating this smoked pork. See if you can think about anything else."
"Ah, right. I'll try it next time."
Gis, not wanting to waste any more time on smoked pork, brushed off Cloud's words.
"You asked why I came? Hear it from them directly."
Gis grinned and jerked a thumb behind him. Standing in a line behind him were Eri, Neria, and Ophelia, who had stood up at some point.
Neria was fidgeting like a puppy that needed to pee, Ophelia was staring at the floor with a guilty expression, and Eri was looking away entirely.
"What are you doing? You have to tell him."
"Cloud, it's just that..."
"Well, you see..."
"..."
The three women hesitated, unable to speak properly.
Gis watched them with an amused expression, while Lorian waited silently for them to speak.
Cloud, on the other hand, couldn't even be bothered to wait and spat out the words bluntly.
"You want to join another party?"
"""...!!!"""
A variety of emotions filled the three women's faces.
Surprise. Bewilderment. Guilt.
None of them were good feelings.
Seeing this, Gis laughed cheerfully and slapped the table.
"Hahaha! What? You already knew? I thought you were an idiot, but I guess not. So? Your women want to leave. What are you gonna—"
"If you want to go, then go."
A light, airy answer, completely devoid of any weight.
The three women's expressions froze.
That was not the reaction they had expected from him. They thought he would hold onto them in some way—whether by crying and begging desperately or by screaming and expressing his anger.
After all, they had spent time traveling together. They had faced dangers, eaten meals, slept, and saved people side by side.
It was impossible not to form an attachment.
Besides, wasn't Cloud naturally kind and affectionate?
They thought he would try to keep them somehow, never imagining he would answer so casually, as if casting off a worn-out shoe.
"Ha... hahaha!"
Gis hadn't expected this situation either.
Born in the slums and having seen all sorts of things in his life, he had a twisted personality. Taking what belonged to others and watching their despair was his greatest entertainment.
And the situation of stealing a fellow Hero's companions was bound to be the most enjoyable amusement he had ever had.
...It should have been.
"Are you pretending to be calm on purpose? You think that's for their sake? Hehehe, how cool. What a wonderfully cool Hero you are."
Squeeze. The arm on Cloud's shoulder tightened. He pulled Cloud in, resting Cloud's head on his own shoulder.
Gis whispered into Cloud's ear.
"But you know what? I've already fucked your women. That one, Ophelia. She kept going on about protecting her purity, but she loved getting fucked in the ass. And do you know how many times your childhood friend sucked my dick? Ah, you two haven't even kissed yet, right? Sorry about that. Even if you kiss her now, you'll just be kissing the lips that sucked my cock."
"..."
"What? Nothing to say? Yeah, you wouldn't. You're a fucking loser who can't even protect his own women. So stop pretending to be calm, you pathetic fucker."
All traces of laughter had vanished from Gis's face.
Cloud looked at him with a pathetic expression, then said,
"You should go suck on this some more."
He made a gesture, tucking his thumb between his index and middle fingers.
Gis frowned.
"What's that?"
Cloud whispered in Gis's ear.
"Your mom's nipple."