My blood holds the power of enchantment—it can make any woman fall for me... but in doing so, it robs them of their brilliance. - Chapter 1

“You’re dismissed,” declared Dolman, the party leader and the hero of the group.

“Wait… could you reconsider?” I pleaded.

Dolman wasn’t just my party leader; he was also my childhood friend. To me, he had always been someone I could rely on—a comrade who had fought alongside me as we supported one another to make it this far. I thought the others felt the same way.

Our party, the “Black Wing,” consisted of:
Elza, the Sword Saint
Cecilia, the Saintess
Isabelle, the Sage
And Dolman, the Hero.

Together, the five of us had earned the title of an S-rank party. Admittedly, the name was a bit cringeworthy, but with members like a hero, a Sword Saint, a Saintess, and a Sage, it wasn’t entirely inappropriate.

I knew I wasn’t on the same level as the others. My abilities paled in comparison, and the gap widened as their respective “jobs” allowed them to grow exponentially. I understood that from the beginning. Still, I was here because I was asked to be.
And because of that, I thought I wouldn’t mind if I was ever dismissed.

At least, I thought so…

Until I saw what I did.

Even as a member of an S-rank party, being cast out wasn’t the end of the world. There were plenty of other opportunities for someone like me. I could join a lower-ranking party, where my skills would still be more than sufficient, or even settle for B-rank parties, which would welcome me with open arms.

I had enough value to make it on my own, and I was ready to leave if necessary.

Or so I told myself.

But Dolman… This isn’t about skill, is it?

“You understand why you can’t keep up, don’t you, Fedra?” Dolman said, his tone almost pitying.

“Yeah, I get it. I can’t keep up with everyone,” I admitted.
It was true. But that wasn’t the real reason, was it, Dolman?
No, his goal wasn’t to improve the party. It was to get rid of me so he could cozy up to the women.

“As a hero, I need to achieve great things. Unfortunately, I can’t do that with you holding us back. You understand, don’t you? Even if you leave the party, you’ll always be my best friend.”

Like hell I will.

What kind of “best friend” does this? Who strips away someone’s place in the world? Who tramples on what little dignity they have left?

I looked at Isabelle, my ex-girlfriend, who avoided my gaze. Her once-gentle eyes were cold, and I knew she now belonged to Dolman.

“I agree with Dolman,” she said. “You can’t keep up with the party. If you stay, you’ll only get yourself killed or injured.

I’m saying this for your own good.”

Yeah, sure you are.

If she had just been honest with me, I could have accepted it.
“If you had just said, ‘I love Dolman now, so let’s end things and go back to being childhood friends,’ I’d have been fine with that. That’s all I wanted.”

But no, they didn’t even give me that courtesy. Instead, all four of them wore matching rings—a blatant symbol of their harem.

A harem party. That’s what it had come to. And there was no place for me in it.

I wasn’t asking to be part of their romantic circle. I didn’t care about their relationships. But did they really have to take away my place in the group? My friendships? My dignity?

“We’re friends, aren’t we? Childhood friends, even…” I muttered, my voice trembling with desperation.

But Isabelle only looked at me with cold indifference. “I don’t love you anymore,” she said flatly.

I already knew that. It wasn’t as her former lover that I was begging her—it was as her childhood friend.

“I know you and Dolman are together. I’ve known for a while. I don’t care. I’ve already accepted it. But can’t I at least stay in the circle as a childhood friend? Is that really too much to ask?”

“…I’m sorry,” she said, her tone devoid of any real regret.
And with that, I lost everything.

“Please, Dolman. Just let me stay for another month. No, even just two weeks,” I begged. “You guys are all I have left!”
Dolman sneered, clearly relishing the sight of my desperation. “If you really want to stay, then prove it. Show me how badly you want it.”

The others murmured their agreement.

“Fine,” I said. Then, with no other choice, I prostrated myself on the ground, performing a full-body kowtow—an act of utter submission.

Dolman chuckled cruelly. “A five-body prostration, huh? Alright, I’ll give you one week. You can stay until we leave this area.

But you’ll sign a formal resignation from the party.”

“One week… That’s enough,” I muttered.

“Consider it my last act of mercy,” he said, smirking.
The others said nothing. Isabelle looked away, avoiding my gaze entirely.

It wasn’t losing my lover that stung the most. It was losing my “friends” and “childhood companions.” That day, I realized that I had lost everyone who had ever mattered to me.

And for what?

I’ll never forget the way they looked down on me, the way they laughed.

Dolman, my “best friend,” had taken everything from me.