Brian was the first to recover, unable to resist speaking up.
“Alright, alright, Tos, just say what you want to say. Do you have to imitate?”
“Seriously….”
Red clutched his vaguely aching stomach.
“I almost threw up my dinner from last night.”
Even Mason, who was a Prince, looked deathly pale at this moment.
It was as if he had seen a ghost.
No, actually, he’d rather be seeing a ghost.
“You bunch of… damn it.”
Tos couldn’t help but flip them off with his middle finger.
“Back to the point—don’t you think this is the most wonderful and enviable kind of life?”
“If you put aside both sides’ identities… it’s true.”
Red nodded.
“But as for Litt’s identity, even if she’s never said it, you all must know, right? Her status in the White Church is anything but simple. She’s definitely not just an ordinary sister. There’s no way anything could happen between us.”
At Red’s words, the three exchanged glances.
After a moment, Brian was the first to speak.
“I think, Red, you’re being at least a little self-conscious.”
“It’s not really about being self-conscious,” Red denied, “It’s more about matching status—you all get that, don’t you?”
“That’s true.”
Before anyone else could answer, Mason responded affirmatively.
“Commoners and Nobles grow up in different environments, so their worldviews are different. Even if they get together for looks, it’s hard to keep things going. No matter whether it’s a male Noble keeping a female Commoner, in the end, it’s just keeping. And if it’s a female Noble with a male Commoner, unless he brings capital, her family would never agree.”
“Exactly, exactly.”
Red echoed in agreement, but Mason pushed up his glasses, a sly smile of satisfaction appearing on his face.
“That’s why I think you and Letia are more suited for each other.”
“Pfft!!”
Red couldn’t hold back anymore when he heard that.
“What? How on earth do you all think I’d suit Letia?”
“Yeah, yeah!”
Someone immediately objected, and Tos’s voice rose in volume, laced with a hint of dissatisfaction.
“Letia is great! She’s loyal, reliable, and dependable in a pinch! Absolutely top-tier brother material! As for being a wife though…”
He scratched his head, an awkward expression flickering across his face, “Honestly… just feels kind of… off, you know? A little weird.”
“Heh~”
Mason let out a meaningful chuckle, slowly raised his right hand, and gracefully wagged a slender forefinger before everyone’s eyes.
“No, no, no… Gentlemen, your perspectives… are still too narrow.”
“Compared to that so-called ‘husband and wife’ title,” Mason’s voice was calm and clear, yet possessed an inexplicable allure that instantly captured everyone’s attention, “in this world, there’s a kind of relationship even purer, even closer.”
Everyone’s curiosity was piqued, and Tos protested, unconvinced.
“Then tell us, I want to hear it—what relationship could be closer than husband and wife?”
“The answer…”
His powerful voice rang out in the somewhat noisy riverside tavern, loud and clear in everyone’s ears, “is right before your eyes—Heroic Companions!”
“Huh?”
Everyone was dumbfounded, even Red couldn’t follow Mason’s train of thought.
“That’s right—Heroic Companions! Husbands and wives might share a bed and their secrets, but only Heroic Companions! Only those who have fought shoulder to shoulder on the brink of death, entrusting their backs to each other without reservation, can truly understand that bond and trust which words cannot describe.”
As he spoke, his gaze swept over the group.
“So your thinking is still too limited. Those comrades who know you inside and out—Heroic Companions—are truly the closest people in this world… What the hell, why are you all backing away?”
“N-nothing…”
Tos and Red looked a bit tense, watching Mason warily.
Even Brian couldn’t help but say, “Mason, your conviction is admirable. Heroic Companions are important, but… the way you say it, it just sounds kinda g.a.y.”
“I’m obviously talking about female Heroic Companions! Female!”
Mason clutched his forehead in pain.
“You idiots, I’m not from Nantong, alright?”
Finally, after clearing up the misunderstanding, Mason continued.
“All that ‘husband and wife’ stuff—it’s often just a piece of paper. Most couples only have a relationship of interest, with no real foundation of affection.”
Mason’s experiences far exceeded those of the other three, so he continued with emotion.
“I came from the Imperial Capital, I’ve seen countless Political Marriages. You’ve all heard the saying, right? ‘Husband and wife are birds sharing the same forest, but when disaster strikes, they fly their separate ways.'”
“Of course, we’ve heard it.”
Everyone nodded.
“Now think about it—would the closest Heroic Companions really abandon each other in a crisis?”
At this, Mason slammed his hand on the table, “So, am I wrong?”
“That’s certainly reasonable.”
Brian seemed convinced.
After all, his relationship with Hera wasn’t really like husband and wife, so he could relate.
“See? Mason looked to Red, almost as if entrusting something important to him, “So Red, you have to cherish it. Think about when you go to draw the Monster Tide’s attention—if it were some other girl, would she stand up and face the crisis with you?”
“Uh…”
Although Mason and Tos had said a lot, Red still wanted to say one thing.
“Actually, Letia wasn’t always like she is now.”
“That was in the past. People change, you know? And although Letia’s personality isn’t exactly feminine, how should I put it? That kind of temperament is actually comfortable to be around. Like with you guys, there’s no need to tiptoe or second-guess what someone’s thinking.”
Mason came over to Red’s side, gently patted his shoulder, and said.
“The title of husband and wife is just that—a title. You really don’t have to overthink it. As long as you can live comfortably, with peace of mind and ease, isn’t that what’s most important?”
“We’ll talk about it later,” Red replied with a wry smile, shaking his head.
“To be honest, if we’re putting status aside, I still feel Litt is a little better.”
Maybe it was because he’d spent so much time with Letia.
Although he really liked her white stockings, he never felt that heart-pounding excitement toward her as a person.
Just like before—as soon as he saw her face, he’d enter that sage state.
“Exactly, girls should be sweet, fragrant, and soft. If a girl can carry you and run five kilometers without breaking a sweat, is she really a girl at all?”
Tos grumbled again.
“Even if you and Letia did end up together, honestly, I think… you’d probably be the one getting pinned to the ground. As men, we can’t really accept such humiliation, can we?”
“But…!”
Mason piped up again at that moment.
“To be honest, our ultimate dream is just to take it easy, isn’t it?”