Chapter 105: The Direction Where The Heart Rests (4)

I left Arwin and, after checking the training grounds, went in search of Adam Hyung’s house.

Today, as always, he looked up at me from a mountain of paperwork.

He blinked his eyes, which seemed dry, for quite a while before asking,

“What happened?”

“Why?”

“...”

He let out an ambiguous grunt and quickly dismissed the matter.

I didn’t press the topic either.

Instead, I sat down in a chair and said,

“Now that the meeting is over, give me the next request.”

“I was actually sifting through a few.”

He handed me several documents.

“Choose.”

I looked over the papers that he handed me.

I couldn’t read them properly, but there were some characters I had become familiar with.

“...Sa...ran...”

While I muttered to myself, recalling what Arwin had taught me, Adam Hyung asked,

“What’s this, Berg? Are you studying letters lately?”

“...”

It was embarrassingly evident how insufficient my knowledge still was.

Since there were few characters I could read, I put down the papers.

Then I replied to him,

“I’m trying.”

Adam Hyung smiled and asked,

“What brought this on? You never bothered when I told you to learn before.”

“..”

Explaining everything that happened with Arwin seemed too bothersome, so I changed the subject.

“Anyway, I’ll head here.”

“Sarik Village.”

“A Dwarf Village?”

As I asked, he nodded. Scratching his nose, Adam Hyung said,

“But why the rush? You could rest a bit before leaving.”

I couldn’t give him a clear answer either.

I might have been acting this way because I wanted to mend the awkward relationship with Ner.

Of course, last night’s drinking session had eased the atmosphere a bit... I had built many memories in the last time in the Dems Village.

I was hoping for such a break again.

Hyung watched me in silence and then nodded.

“Yeah, go ahead. Last time, it seemed like you got along better with your wives, which was nice to see.”

“...”

I sighed softly, unbeknownst to Hyung.

I thought that was the case too.

But having heard that Ner might have someone else... it felt like I was facing a new obstacle.

She had no intention of giving her heart to me.

She even mentioned having a predestined partner.

Of course, marrying me had put an end to that issue.

I would have normally not bothered about it.

But perhaps because the person involved was my wife, it made me think again.

Maybe I was worried because I had harbored feelings for someone.

“...”

Come to think of it, Arwin too, being of a long-lived species, said she couldn’t love me.

We had become closer, but it wasn’t love.

Even though I expected it... why?

Was it because I felt an exchange of hearts?

Unlike in the past, this topic didn’t feel light anymore.

Maybe that was why I wanted to take on the next request quickly.

I sighed.

Then I said to Hyung,

“...I’ll leave tomorrow.”

“...”

At my words,  Hyung frowned again.

“...Do you really have something going on?”

“...Sort of.”

I dodged the question.

“...”

“I’ll go.”

****

As I was returning home, I spotted Ner bustling around in the center of the village.

Her white tail and perky ears, along with her stunning beauty, were striking.

Usually shy about her tail and not one to wander outdoors, it was curious to see her alone there, doing something.

As I approached her, Ner noticed me.

Her face brightened beautifully. Her tail began to wag.

“Berg!”

Her voice sounded happy.

“...”

I couldn’t help but smile slightly. Lately, just seeing her face made me react this way.

She bounced over to me from a distance, coming right up to me.

The closer she got, the more beautiful her smile became.

“What are you doing here?”

I asked, smiling gently.

Ner replied,

“I was looking for you!”

“Me?”

Was it because of the awkwardness from yesterday? It seemed like she was making an effort too.

I happily accepted her effort and said,

“What’s up?”

“We agreed to go for a walk yesterday, remember? So, let’s go for that walk.”

I scratched my head.

I didn’t remember promising to take a walk with her.

“Did I say that?”

Ner looked at me, then averted her gaze.

She suddenly seemed timid.

Then she mumbled in a barely audible voice,

“...Why, you... you were talking about how to make up with your wife, remember?”

“Ah.”

I stroked my chin.

“So that’s why we drank yesterday.”

Ner exhaled a disgruntled sigh.

Then she muttered gruffly,

“...Shall we not go?”

She asked.

“...”

Seeing her like this brought out another slight chuckle from me.

There was no reason to refuse when she was making such an effort.

“No, it’s fine. I’d like that. Let’s go.”

Then, I reached out and casually took her wrist.

“...”

I hesitated for a moment.

Like a vivid scar, the words of the prophecy she had received kept coming back to me.

It was tormenting to have these thoughts emerge even when I didn’t want to.

I hated that even my natural movements were now filled with hesitation.

-Swish.

“...”

But at that moment, Ner lightly loosened my grip and intertwined her fingers with mine.

Frozen in her light gesture, I looked down at her as she looked up at me.

“...Didn’t you do this with Arwin?”

Her teasing expression was a bonus.

At her words, I smiled again.

“Yeah, I did.”

I responded.

.

.

.

“Is the dwarf village next then?”

As Ner and I walked hand in hand through the small forest within the village, we exchanged conversation.

In truth, it wouldn’t have mattered if we had let go of each other’s hands by now, but wanting to thoroughly resolve yesterday’s incident, I didn’t let go.

She didn’t seem to mind my insistence and didn’t bring it up.

“Yes, the dwarf village.”

I answered her question as we walked.

“...I heard that elves and dwarves don’t get along well, do they...”

Ner muttered worriedly, clearly referring to Arwin.

I responded to her concern.

“Arwin will have to travel alone in the distant future, so it might be better for her to get some experience with me first.”

There was a brief silence from Ner, then she spoke.

“Ah, Berg.”

“Go ahead.”

“What did you do that time?”

“...?”

“When you and Arwin-nim disappeared together. What did you do?”

“Hunting.”

“And after that? Didn’t your plans get ruined by the rain? Where did you rest?”

I wondered if Ner had always been this curious, but I recalled the situation at the time.

Then I looked at her.

Even if Ner claimed she had no feelings for me, she didn’t understand polygamy.

It was a trait ingrained in her race.

Would it be right to tell her what I did with my other wife?

“...”

But at the same time, I thought, what was the point in hiding it?

It probably wouldn’t affect her much anyway.

“We took shelter from the sudden rain in a small gap at the base of a tree.”

“What?”

“...”

“...So, you’re saying you rested close together? That’s what you mean?”

“We had to. I didn’t want Arwin to catch a cold.”

“...You’ve been really concerned about Arwin-nim lately.”

Ner, mulling over something, then changed the topic and said.

Ner’s steps gradually slowed, and then she came to a halt.

Our interlocked hands stretched out, creating a long shadow.

“She’s my wife.”

“...”

“Ner?”

As I asked, Ner looked up at me.

Her pupils seemed a bit sharper.

“...Berg.”

“Hmm?”

“...”

She parted her lips. The atmosphere turned heavy in an instant.

“...Haa.”

Then Ner let out a sigh.

“...It’s nothing.”

After swallowing her words, she resumed walking with a stiff expression.

“...What is it?”

But I stopped her.

I pulled on our joined hands to turn her towards me.

This was not a moment I wanted to gloss over uncomfortably.

“Sometimes I feel like you forget.”

As I halted Ner, she seemed unable to hold back anymore, as if she had been waiting to be asked this.

“Forget what?”

“That Arwin-nim is of a long-lived race.”

I replied in confusion.

“I haven’t forgotten. That’s why I was just talking about the dwarf village with me-”

“-It’s not about that, Berg.”

Ner stepped closer to me.

She pulled out the World Tree leaf that hung around my neck from inside of my top and started fiddling with it.

As she observed the leaf, Ner spoke.

“...Are you really thinking of getting close to Arwin-nim?”

“...What?”

“...The criteria for life are different for them. They are beings we can never fully understand no matter how hard we try.”

She looked at me with those sharp eyes, devoid of any smile, and said,

“...Do we, the short-lived, seem like mere flies to them? That’s why you don’t need to worry so much. Even if she’s your wife. Arwin-nim doesn’t worry about you, so why do you worry about her so much?”

“...”

I was taken aback by Ner’s aggressive words.

I hadn’t expected her to say something like this.

It made me wonder if their relationship wasn’t as good as I thought.

And even though Arwin was an elf, she was now my wife and friend.

The claim that she didn’t worry about me at all seemed flawed.

So, I made it clear to Ner.

“...I don’t know why you’re saying this suddenly, but don’t box Arwin into stereotypes. Even if other elves are like that, Arwin is-”

“-Arwin-nim is a Celebrien, right? From the most elf-like lineage?”

“...”

“She has a much longer lifespan than other elves, I heard. She boasts about living over a thousand years after parting with you. Don’t you see the possibility that she values short life less than any other elf?”

Following Ner, now Arwin too.

I couldn’t understand why suddenly there were these unpleasant stories emerging about each other.

The more I tried, the more it felt like sinking deeper into quicksand.

“...I’m worried that you don’t understand elves enough.”

I wanted to dismiss Ner’s words.

“...That’s okay. Stop it. I don’t want to hear baseless slander about Arwin all of a sudden.”

“.....Not.”

“What?”

“...It’s not without basis.”

While I was frozen, Ner quietly approached.

She moved closer to me.

She tugged at the World Tree leaf hanging around my neck.

I naturally bowed my head.

“...It’s a story I intended to keep hidden.”

Ner looked at me from a distance no more than an arm’s length.

Gone was the fearful look she used to have when our eyes met.

Ner spoke to me.

“...I still remember, Berg. The day you were hunting the boss monster outside Celebrien’s territory.”

“...”

“Arwin-nim and I were together then. While I stayed quiet... Arwin-nim...”

I had a bad feeling.

Frowning, I tried to lift my upper body in rejection.

But the more I tried, the tighter Ner held onto Arwin’s World Tree leaf.

If I pulled too hard, the necklace might break.

Her tail was also wrapped around my waist.

“...Arwin-nim...”

Was it a defense mechanism?

I remembered what Arwin said to me that day, sheltering under the tree from the rain.

‘I like you... as a friend.’

And at the same time, Ner whispered.

Just loud enough for only me to hear.

“...Arwin-nim wished for your death, Berg.”

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

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