Marquis Seldor sat within his main study, sipping his wine on his chair made of gold and dragon leather. It was a rather nice chair, and the wine was made from the Vineyards of Vesler, making it a rather incredibly pairing. And yet, despite the wonderfully magnificent fireplace in front of him, the troves of money in his vault, or the wonderful meal that he had put in his belly, he was still quite annoyed.

The reason was the person who had showed up at his front door a moment ago. The one he had to deal with a regular basis, someone he loathed and hated with a fiery passion.

Yuma Ruzzo, AKA Wynn, AKA a former member of the Hero's Party. The disgusting bratty old man who was very likely an immortal. Most refused to even realize he was the Guildmaster, or that person, after the first few times meeting him, they always wrote it off as a joke. But he was a real thorn in his side. If it wasn't for that Guildmaster, he would have completely seized control of the city and its criminal underworlds, and been able to gain full control of this city. He had many allies in nobility after all, and good standing with the king as he was made the Marquis of this place after the previous incidents "created a vacancy".

But the city was far more complex then one could imagine, and that brat had people everywhere. Between those gutterrat Sparrows, the Adventurer's Guild itself, and the guard that operated in a way that made it difficult to fill with people loyal only to him, it was an incredibly vexing situation. And every time he would take a position, someone would take his pawn. It was like some sort of demented game of chess, designed purely to make him writhe and suffer.

And the one behind it, he was sure that it was that brat Wynn. Not only that, but there was his inner circle as well, people who consisted of his top advisors and most trusted associates. S-Ranked Adventurer Serafyna, Sub-Guildmaster Owyl, "Celestial Breaker" Ciel, although in truth he was far more then that and a thorn in the side of an ally of his as well, The A-Ranked Adventurer Bastion, Vice Guildmaster Letharo Trusk, "Iron Maiden" Cecilia, the leader of the Sparrows, a brat known only as Zee, and Alto Weir, his grandson from his third adopted child, Caero. There were others as well, but those were the strongest of the inner ranks.

At least that he knew of.

The Sparrows are such a pain. They cant operate as openly in the Noble Districts, but their presence is still somehow felt at times. They are nothing but a group of gutterrats, and yet somehow they persist. Even if I was never able to form my own Mage Tower, that's just because others got in my way! I am an incredibly skilled mage after all, unlike that brat Ciel. Rumor has it he formed his Mage Tower already, but no way a brat like that could do it. Still, such rumors make me look bad, so I should eliminate him. I am sure she will be happy with that outcome as well.

He then turned his attention to the servant near him.

"Tell that detestable bratty guildmaster that I am far too busy right now, and don't have time to entertain his childish whims".

Its not like he can do anything to me anyways. I have gotten out of paying for all those insufferable projects for peasants, he has no authority to stop me, the highest ranking noble in this city and the owner of the territory.

Seldor thought that to himself, as he considered what assassins to hire next. He had quite a few contacts, and they owed him quite a bit. After all, they had failed again and again to assassinate that prepubescent brat that was the guildmaster.

As he was sipping his wine and waiting for dinner to finish, suddenly the door was kicked open quite forcibly. He turned and looked, and had a sour face when he saw who was there.

"Yo! Seldor! You know very well you cant ignore this meeting!"

Wynn said that as he walked into the study. As he did, Seldor felt a chill go through the air. He reflexively stood and looked at the boy, and his servants reflexively bowed their heads and treated him like a guest, not an invader. Nothing he did seemed that outwardly threatening, but there was a feeling in the air not to disobey him.

"You brat! Thinking you can come into a Noble estate without permission!"

"Oh, I have permission".

"I never gave you such!"

Hearing those words, Wynn produced a letter from his pocket. The insignia was something that immediately drew his eye. After all, it was the Royal Insignia of the Kingdom of Gracia.

"I got permission from the crown! It was really easy, we are old friends you know!"

"Well, its late, and dinner is already prepared, so you will have to wait!"

"Ah, good! I didn't eat yet, so I will join you!"

Hearing that, the man frowned. Considering the royal insignia, he couldn't just ignore him or throw him out. What bothered him the most though, was how he got it in such a short amount of time. It wasn't that long since last meeting, and it would have taken at least a week to get it here.

Still, it appeared he had come by himself, so Seldor wondered if perhaps this was his chance. His chance to finally be rid of that brat once and for all. Naturally, he would make no move that would expose himself. Seldor was far too much of a coward, the reason he could do all this and not be caught was because when it came to his own safety, he was incredibly competent and meticulous.

Unlike those plays that he had written about me! How dare he make me a laughing stock!

As he thought this, they headed over to the dining room. As they did, a sword suddenly fell from the sheath that was mounted on the wall, and almost skewed Wynn. However, he had not only avoided it, but he had caught it with a nearby blanket, tossing it back into the air and then adjusting the trajectory via the blanket to make it fly out and go back into its sheath, safe and secure.

"You should probably have that looked at".

"...I suppose so".

Tsk. There wasn't even magic in that, just calculations. Did he anticipate it somehow?! Not only that, but he even avoided touching it or using magic directly on it!

Seldor was annoyed that his plans regarding the sword did not go as planned. They proceeded to enter the dining room, and Wynn proceeded to start bringing up the various promises and agreements he needed to keep as per his role, and per the agreement he made with his majesty. Naturally he had always found a way to wiggle out of all of them, and Wynn looked at him in such a way that made him angry.

How dare he look at me like a piece of disgusting trash! He is the one who is the disgusting trash!

That said, Wynn did get a bit irritated, as one of the butlers brought him a high chair to sit in. That was because the seats and table were designed specifically for adults only, it was impossible for children to be able to sit at it without some sort of high chair. A deliberate design choice specifically to irritate Wynn, as he hated such a thing that normally only a small child would use.

Wynn seemed to catch on however, and proceeded to jump up and sit cross legged on the table. At some point he had even taken his shoes off, although it was clearly still a counter provocation. As the two eyed each other, they started to eat. Of course, that was only after Wynn picked out a few things.

"How strange, not only are there some foul tasting vegtables in here, but a number of these herbs are actually poisonous and just look like normal cooking herbs".

"Isn't that because your adventurers cant seem to tell the two apart for gathering quests?"

"That doesn't explain how your so called expert chef didn't pick them apart. And my adventurers are quite well educated. Speaking of which, its about time you start giving all the money you owe, isn't it?"

Seldor glared at Wynn.

"As you know, while getting adjusted, so many things came up and it couldn't be helped. Besides, the agreement with his majesty is up this year anyways, so I will be free to decide how things go from here completely".

Wynn let out a devilish grin at Seldor, making him stop in place.

"Actually, the agreement is that in order to get that freedom, you had to contribute to all previous projects and deals for five years. As you have not done that at all, you still sit at Zero Years, so that wont be happening".

As Wynn said that, Seldor paled a little.

What is with that look....wait, if that is the agreement...no, hold on!

"I dont think that is how it is supposed to be interpreted".

"No, I got confirmation from the Royal Family on this matter".

This shitty brat! So he continues to plan to stand in my way...no wait, could it be the reason he did not try to do anything regarding my lack of funding yet was not because he had no power, but to set me up for this situation?! This detestable brat...is he trying to one up me?!

Seldor found himself infuriated, while Wynn had a pleased and satisfied expression which made that infuriation feel even worse.

Part of him wanted to order his assassination right here and now, but he was not suicidal. Even if his people succeeded, it would expose him and cause him no end of issues. He could not kill Wynn here, at least not in such a blatant way. An 'accident' or 'food poisoning' was one thing, but if he tried something that obvious, and a fight broke out, the royal family would surely find out. Especially since he came here with papers from the Royal Family, there would be a large scale investigation.

As they finished eating, Wynn hopped down right into his shoes.

"Now, shall we go over the books and find that money?"

"Well, don't be surprised if it takes you a few months. There are a lot of expense reports after all".

"Oh good, I was worried I brought half a division of scribes that work under the king for nothing then".

"Half a division?!"

"Of course, we wouldn't want any delays in securing that money, right?"

This brat...he planned everything, down to the very last detail. He appeared alone, however...

Even Seldor wasn't so blind as to not notice.

"You can tell the ones in the shadows to stop hiding and help out as well then".

At his words, Serafyna and Owyl emerged from the shadows. But not only them, but there was one more. A boy in a black cloak, whose hood was up. He could not see the boy's face, but he was wearing a dark colored shirt. The cloak was a short sleeve one, and he had shorts and shoes as well. Nothing about what he had screamed of any wealth or value, but something about him made him flinch.

There was another boy who appeared behind him, which startled Seldor. He had a vague feeling about the rest of them, but that boy had gone totally unnoticed. He wore clothes similar to the other boy, but something about him seemed more bland and basic. He felt entirely unremarkable and unrememberable.

Could he be a Sparrow?

While thinking that, the Royal Scribes entered as well. But there was one more among them.

"Wynn, you here!"

Even Wynn was startled, as he looked over at the one calling him.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Taku-nii, what the hell are you doing here?!"

It was the Hero who defeated the Demon King 90 years ago, Takumi Hiyama. Wynn had neither called him or expected him. The Hero appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties most likely, although he had levels of handsomeness and majesty that would make it impossible for him to lose to those younger then him. Even though he should be 107 years old, he barely looked the part.

The reason why Wynn called him Taku-nii was because the hero insisted he call him that all the time. As a result, it was now an instinctive habit, and perhaps thanks to his curse, one he didn't seem able to break.

It was obvious however that unlike Wynn, he was still aging, since he no longer appeared as fifteen years old. As thanks for defeating the great evil, the five of them had been granted a great boon from the gods, as well as unique and rare items and opportunities from various nations. Part of this was their lifespans, they had all more or less been tripled. Of course, not having known his curse's full details at the time, Wynn had enjoyed the same. There were some who wondered if that bolstered his inability to age or not. Others wondered if it would even have an impact since he could no longer age.

Wynn was essentially already an Immortal, although he could still die from artificial means.

The Hero proceeded to pick Wynn up, placing him on his shoulder. Wynn's face went red with embarrassment.

"Idiot! I am not a kid! Put me down!"

"Hey now, at least I am not carrying like the way I did when we first met. Aren't you used to it by now?"

"I am one hundred and two years old! So put me down!"

"Nah, cause I want to get to the bar as soon as possible. Its been awhile since we had a drink together".

"You think you can bribe me with such a thing..."

"The bar recently imported 400 year old ale from Anthassia".

Wynn nervously gulped.

"...was it their whiskey or their scotch?"

"Whiskey".

"What are you waiting for, you idiotic hero! Start running! I will punish you later!"

"Lets go! Vroooooom!"

"Dont make those weird embarrassing noises!"

And like that, Wynn was somehow able to avoid paperwork duty.

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There was a bar in the city of Ruzzell. It wasn't easy to find, and it was even harder to enter. However, some considered it the best bar in the entire Kingdom. There was no age limit there, nor was there an ability to get in from a referral. In fact, what made it so difficult is that no one was quite sure how specifically one got accepted, even those already accepted. But if you could not find the bar on your own, it was impossible to enter. The only requirement that was known was that the person "had to be able to hold their liquor" and "had to be able to appreciate good booze".

Naturally, Wynn and Takumi both were able to enter it just fine.

Some sort of ancient magic at work here, I still cant figure it out no matter how many times I come here.

While thinking that, Wynn and Takumi gathered at their usual spot. The bartender, a young ten year old boy, came over to them.

"Yo Wynn".

"Hey Pera".

"You two are still as friendly as ever I see. I suppose misery loves company".

"Shut it, you good looking bastard" they both retorted. Indeed, the supposed ten year old boy was anything but.

"So, how is the former Demon King's son doing today?"

"Pretty good. The bar is holding up well as usual. And before you ask, I already saved you a bottle and kept it on standby".

Yes, in truth this boy was the former son of the Demon King, which supposedly made him a Demon Prince. He looked perfectly like a young human boy, but if one looked clearly enough, they could see a magic circle in his right eye.

"And your brothers?"

"My older triplet, Reza, has claimed he finally knows what store he wants to open after traveling the world. He has decided to open a cafe. As for Veya, my younger triplet, he decided to build yet another seal, so he is on break from teaching at Soranus Academy of Skillcrafting".

"No one has been bothering you three, right?"

"I heard a Demon General got close to locating Reza, but got led on a goose chase. Otherwise we are fine. Its a bit of a pain how we have to work so hard on staying hidden, but they have too many magical tools that can locate and search people. I hear their main target is me these days, so I cant even risk leaving this bar for fears that...what was that word you used, Lecherous Hero? Pinged?"

Hearing that nickname, Takumi furrowed his brow. "I wish you would stop with that nickname".

"Why, Harem Wanting Hero?"

"Geh!"

"I will just get your alcohol now, Wynn, Pervert Hero".

"...you guys".

Pera went off to get the alcohol, while Wynn and Takumi stared off at each other.

"You know, you wouldn't have gotten so many nicknames if you had acted a bit more decently when we first met. You legitimately called me a loli type, right? Before even confirming my gender?"

"Listen okay, I said I was sorry".

"And when we had to go through the forest of dreams, and somehow ended up in those various outfits. For some reason I was in a pure white summer dress, not even underwear or sleeves, very short to where the wind could expose me if not careful? Not that the others had much better".

"Yeah, but wasn't it your dream that turned me into a ten year old for two whole weeks?"

"You think given everything that occurred, those two are even remotely the same in terms of suffering?

"Guh".

"Oh, lets not forget all the times you made me actually crossdress as a girl to infiltrate a place for an investigation".

"C-come on..."

"You made me bathe with the female members!"

"Now hold on, that was because me and Evris had to have a discussion that you were not old enough yet to hear!"

"You are only five years older then me!"

"There is a big difference between ten and fifteen!"

As they said that, Pera brought back the booze and sat with them.

"I believe your exact words to me when we first met were 'isn't it supposed to be a princess for this event?'".

"I did apologize for that too!"

"Eh, whatever. Lets just drink away as we recount the tales of our pasts..."

The Hero looked up, glaring at Pera.

"If we are talking about embarrassing, what about your attempts to ambush us at the hot springs?"

Pera looked away, as if to escape reality.

"Did such a thing happen?"

"Yes! We all entered a hot springs to relax, and then you also entered the hot springs. Then part way through, you tried to ambush us in the springs! We ended up having to fight across town entirely naked!"

"Are you sure that was not one of my brothers?"

"All three of you were there and a part of it!"

"Listen okay, in my defense, that's when a lot of people are assassinated okay? I mean, that wasn't the only time you got targeted while naked? Weren't most ambush attempts like that? Its because its when you are the most exposed and vulnerable right?"

"...I suppose, but still. Its kind of...really something".

"Maybe we should move on to happy memories" Wynn said, as he downed a glass.

"Yeah...but before that...I really am sorry you know? About that time".

The air got a bit serious at those words.

"I was supposed to be the hero, I should have been the one to speak up first".

"Well, I was a rather cheeky brat back then. I mean, my original title is 'The One Who Stands Defiant'".

"Still, it should have been me. I was the Hero".

"Yeah, but at the same time, back then you still held out hope that you would be able to return home after all this" Wynn said. "The fear of losing that is what stopped you, right?"

"Yes, but in the end, I never did find a way to return home".

"Speaking of life here, how is your wife doing? Suzana come as well?"

"Nah, she stayed home with the kids. She is teaching them how to pick locks by now, surely".

"Yeah, that sounds like her".

Suzana Glaira was the party's rogue, and ended up falling in love with the Hero. Wynn had totally expected him to hook up with Rebeca, but as it turned out while friendly and super close to the hero, her interests ran a different direction when it came to romance. Considering she and the Hero had bathed together a few times, Wynn was not sure if that should have been a clue for that or not. She had showed no hesitation with bathing with Wynn either, but she had been sixteen and he was ten, so it seemed unlikely feelings would develop at all anyways. In the end, they treated him like a little brother.

"Still, to think the Demon Princes ended up being like you guys. Its kind of surreal, especially considering how many times we nearly killed each other".

"Well yeah, my dad had lied to us our whole lives. We only learned the truth at the end about his real goals, and how he made a bunch of things up and even caused issues only to blame it on the others. Seriously, he even tried to sacrifice us for his own power and immortality".

"Yeah, stopping that was really close. I still remember how teary eyed you guys got. We were all shocked when it turned out you lot were just a bunch of very dutiful loyal workers who were clueless about the truth. Although it did make sense why every time you tried to kill us, you would go with plans that wouldn't endanger any civilians nearby".

"I remember when before you rescued us from being sacrificed by our father, the Ancient Dragon started to wake up, and we all had to scramble together to defeat it before it kind of...wrecked everything".

"For an Ancient Dragon to awaken and go on a rampage before defeating the Demon King...that was quite scary".

"Honestly, I cant help but remember those hot springs encounters. At least twenty of them, but what struck me the most was that you guys seriously looked so happy and content enjoying a soak, that I had to wonder if you guys were serious about your jobs".

Pera laughed nervously.

"Well you know, a hot springs is a hot springs after all".

Wynn and Takumi nodded to those words.

They all enjoyed some more alcohol, and then Pera looked over to Wynn.

"By the way, are you sure it was okay leaving that one meeting? Weren't you enjoying roasting Seldor?"

"Yeah, I got a good amount of enjoyment, but I already delivered the thing that got me the shock response. At that point, it would have had diminishing returns and I would have had to tolerate being in the same room as him".

"Ah. By the way, I don't think its serious, just a bunch of idiots, but I hear the number of Demon King Pretenders is on the rise. Monsters, Demons, and others that now seek the title of Demon King. None of the current Demon Lords are participating to my knowledge, but I keep myself isolated from them for the most part so I dont get dragged in. Obviously, they wont reach the level of Demon King I would say, but...they might pop up from time to time and be a hassle, so I thought I should warn you".

"Thanks. More pretenders huh? That reminds me, there was that one pretender during the victory parade. He came and challenged the hero to a fight, charged forward...and then tripped and fell on his face".

"It was so sad and embarrassing, he had a nosebleed just from that right?"

"Yeah...you guys never actually fought him either. Even the Knights had some apprehension of spilling blood during the parade, especially against such a weak creature, so they actually threw it in jail!"

The trio laughed at the memory, finding the whole thing comical. A bit sad for that person, but comical none the less.

"By the way Pera, you ever find out more about the previous owner of this place?"

"No. I don't even know how new owners are selected. It became available after you defeated the Demon King though, so my current running theory is somehow he was the previous owner, but...I really don't see that being a thing".

"I never found anything either".

"Well, it makes for a nice place to meet up at. Plus, its one of the only bars that will actually serve me".

Wynn appeared far younger then his age, and due to his curse, most bartenders really could only see a small brat no matter how many times he visited. As such, with rare exceptions, his ability to enjoy booze was quite limited. Part of the reward the Hero party got included one that, much to the Hero's Surprise, came from the Elven Kingdom. It was some sort of permanent body enhancement mechanic, and while it was still possible for them to get drunk and get hangovers, it was harder, but they would never suffer any more negative effects from alcohol aside from those. They were completely immune to alcohol poisoning as well, so even Wynn could enjoy it.

After that, they ended up reminiscing about some of the moments after that, until it got late at night. Wynn was now passed out at the table, while the Hero was half holding on. Pera, who perhaps as a bar owner was the most used to alcohol, simply looked at them and sighed.

"I am glad the younger me did not know about how they could get like this. To think, all those murder attempts, and booze was the key to bringing them down and vulnerable all along. Well, I guess they only got like this because we are friends now".

Truly, meeting these two...that was the start of my happy days, wasn't it? Instead of being pawns, instead of being told what to do, Wynn taught me things, even when we were fighting he sometimes scolded me on a sloppy technique because it could harm bystanders. I think he meant to try and make me hesitate so I wouldn't hit my brothers at that time, but still...even as an enemy, he showed me more kindness then my father ever truly had.

"Hero, thanks again...for saving us that day. If only I could have been more help on that day...my brothers feel the same I am sure".

"You let us in through the secret passage, it helped us avoid a lot of big fights and preserved some of our strength".

"Yeah...but it was also because of that route that Wynn met that Devil".

"I guess we both still feel guilty about what happened at that time".

"In the end, we had no choice though. Especially when we realized that guy...had made a deal with that exact same devil".

"At least we have had such a nice peace".

"Yeah, peace is nice indeed".

And so, the night ended up coming to a close with that sort of note. Next morning, Takumi and Wynn woke up in bed together with Pera, who had them stay the night and even had their clothes and underwear washed and dried for them. Naturally, Pera also did this to tease them as well, if only just a little.

----------------------------------------

Back at the Guild, Takumi and Pera had come with him and were watching as the reports came in. Both had insisted on going to see the conclusion of what was actually supposed to be the main events for the night.

"And, how did it go?"

"His records did confirm getting the city sorted out had some financial hardship. All the books match up with other accounts from independent sources as well".

"So that bastard cooked the books that well huh? I was hoping to use this to hold over his head".

"The good news is that we have confirmed the financial matter now is fully capable of funding the projects he was supposed to, and that he will have to do this for the next five years".

"Wonderful. At least there is that going for us. Bet he never expected me to call Pey on this matter".

The scribe made a bit of a troubled expression when Wynn called the king so casually by a nickname, but let it go.

"Sorry, did that surprise you? I thought you knew?"

"No, I know...but its still shocking. How many people I wonder would ask for being able to talk with the royal family in a casual matter to be part of their reward".

"Well, I was only eleven at the time".

"To think it wasn't even a part of your reward for defeating the Demon King...truly, a member of the Hero's Party are just different from us normal people".

"Hey now, Mura, don't talk bad about yourself like that. Not many people could climb up to the top of the King's Intelligence Service and lead the Ravenroost".

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. I think he might have suspected some of us were spies, as expected. That guy is only decent at covering his own tracks".

"Yeah. But at least someone who might be an actual threat isn't there".

"Just keep us noted. We will have some people look around from the shadows to be safe".

"Make sure you work with the Sparrows. They are the most familiar with the city after all".

"Yes. I will take my leave now. Have a good day".

The scribe left, and then Wynn collapsed on the desk and kicked his feet in the air, while pounding his fist into the large desk.

"That bastard! I thought for sure I would have such a great card to hold over him, but he anticipated this possibility somehow?! Uhg! How irritating! I was so hoping to get something damning that I could use to enforce his compliance!"

He ended up throwing a tantrum, which resulted in Pera making note to give him an entire case to help soothe him.

And so the normal daily life of the Guildmaster would continue, with the only real change being that he got the proper funding they were supposed to have anyways to finally be given.