I was Reincarnated as the Villainess's Older Brother, but it seems My Sister is Obsessed With Me. And for Some Reason, the Male Love Interests are also Doting On Me.(BL) - Chapter 16

“Louis, you’re late!”

“Haha, my apologies. I came across some adventurers in distress and stopped to lend them a hand.”

The moment I saw Louis, I nearly burst into tears—tears of pure relief. I finally understood the feeling of Villager A when the hero squad arrives just in time to save the day.

“More importantly, we need to deal with that first.”

His usual carefree expression disappeared, replaced by a sharp, serious look. This wasn’t the time to be thinking about it, but damn, he really did have a good-looking face…

“Sir Stefan, may I ask for your assistance?”

“Of course. What do you need me to do?”

Louis turned to Stefan Raveles, who, despite his usual confidence, had a tense expression.

“I need you to create a large, solid water barrier, five meters around the Dullahan. Can you manage that?”

“…I see what you’re planning. It’s no problem. Leave it to me.”

“Thank you. Now, let’s begin.”

Louis drew his sword—and flames ignited around the blade.

Wait. Louis is a fire user?!

His timing was too perfect. Could it be that he was actually the protagonist of this story?

Without hesitation, Louis dashed forward, slipping into the Dullahan’s range. At the same time, Stefan conjured a towering water barrier, enclosing them both.

From outside, we could only see their silhouettes. Every time metal clashed, bursts of fire and explosions flared behind the water’s surface.

I held my breath as I watched. Up until now, I hadn’t even had time to think, but this moment made me realize the terrifying reality of battle.

Life or death—every fight could be the last.

One day, I might have to fight for Fiona’s sake, and I could die in the process.

I had always accepted that. From the first day I picked up a sword, I had resolved myself to die protecting her.

But I had never considered what it would mean for the ones left behind. The fear, the helplessness, the pain of watching someone you care about fight for their life…

I never wanted Fiona to feel this way.

And I hated the fact that I was relying on someone stronger than me.

I had to become stronger than anyone else. Not just to protect—but to survive.

For now, though, all I could do was watch.

Then—

BOOOOOM!

A massive explosion erupted from within the water barrier. Thanks to Stefan’s magic, the blast was contained, and the shockwave barely reached us.

“Louis?! Is Louis safe?!”

The water barrier dissolved, revealing a single figure emerging from the smoke.

Who was it?

Who won?

“—!”

I ran forward without thinking and threw myself at Louis.

“Haha, this is a bit embarrassing.”

“I thought you were dead…!”

“I would never. I am, after all, Master Clive’s butler.”

Louis smiled his usual carefree smile and gently patted my back.

“I’m relieved. If you hadn’t arrived, we wouldn’t have stood a chance. Thank you.”

“No, it was only possible because the two of you weakened it beforehand. If not, even I would have struggled.”

Always so damn humble. He really was a butler through and through.

“But how are you still so clean? You literally exploded just now. You look like some kind of action hero.”

I ruined the serious mood with my stupid question—bad habit of mine.

But seriously. He just walked out of an inferno, and his uniform wasn’t even singed.

“Haha, it’s simple. Fire users like myself cast a protective shield against our own flames whenever we use magic.”

“Huh. Makes sense.”

“Of course, in the past, I failed a few times and ended up naked in public.”

“…Well.”

If the noble ladies had seen that, I was sure they would have loved it. If it were me, though, it would have been a public nuisance. But Louis had the face of a damn prince, so…

“Most fire users pair up with a water mage to prevent accidental disasters.”

Ah. That explained why the world wasn’t constantly on fire. In RPGs, fire magic always looked cool, but in reality, there were practical considerations.

As I pondered this, Finn suddenly peeked out from behind a tree and hopped toward me.

“Finn! You’re safe too!”

I let go of Louis and scooped up Finn, burying my face in his fluffy fur.

“A monster becoming attached to a human? That’s rare.”

“Truly unusual.”

Stefan and Louis both observed me with curious expressions.

◇◇◇◇

Meanwhile, in a dimly lit room—

“Who are those guys? Taking down an advanced monster so easily…”

“They ruined our plan.”

Hooded figures gathered around a table, their faces obscured by the shadows.

“That knight is dangerous. Wielding fire in combat like that…”

“No, the real threat is the one with two attributes.”

“If he gains more power, he will become a serious problem.”

“I have an idea.”

The voices fell silent as one of the men spoke.

“Oh?”

“What is it?”

“We simply bring him to our side.”

A sinister grin spread across his face.

“Can that be done?”

“Do you doubt me?”

From beneath his hood, golden eyes gleamed ominously as his smirk deepened.