Chapter 109: The Master of Heroes (4)

Before stepping into the space where Ner and Arwin were waiting for me, I paused to sort out my emotions.

It was not as easy as it sounds.

My breathing hadn’t calmed down yet.

I closed my eyes, clenched and unclenched my fists.

Relaxing the tension in my neck, I rolled my shoulders lightly.

-Thump!

Then, I found myself punching a nearby tree.

My emotions wouldn’t settle.

Frustration boiled over inside me.

Usually, I would push my body to the limit at times like this.

Training until I could no longer draw breath into my chest.

So fatigue would keep other distracting thoughts at bay.

But now, I couldn’t do that.

Ner and Arwin were waiting for me.

“...”

Ner, and Arwin.

Thinking of them, my breathing eased.

My stiff shoulders relaxed.

I closed my eyes again.

And thought of my wives as they were now.

Focusing on their smiling faces, the memories we had built.

Remembering moments when their actions made me smile.

I tried to recall the warmth I felt when we touched.

Like the time we played in the sea.

Holding hands...

Even the trivial memories of laughing together.

“...”

As I did this, my emotions gradually settled.

I took a deep breath.

Exhaling slowly, I blinked my eyes.

...It seemed I had come to find a lot of stability in them.

Maybe Hyung was right.

Maybe I did need someone to lean on.

This was the first time I calmed my emotions without intense training.

...Of course, there had been some not-so-good stories recently, but when I thought of the distant future that lies ahead for us, they seemed trivial.

I pressed my brow, adjusting my expression.

Then, I resumed my walk.

****

I approached Ner and Arwin, who had been waiting for me.

“Sorry for the wait. Let’s go, now.”

“Is the discussion over, Berg?”

Arwin asked, and I nodded.

But she looked past me, puzzled.

“...Why isn’t Gale came with you?”

“...”

Instead of answering, I took Arwin’s hand.

“Ah!”

And then, I gently moved forward.

“It was a pointless conversation. So let’s go.”

Arwin hesitated for a moment... but soon followed my lead.

“...Okay.”

Ner trailed behind us.

“Baran! Get ready to depart!”

As we walked, I called out to Baran, who was resting in the distance.

Baran nodded and then signaled to the surrounding members, indicating it was time to leave.

Simultaneously, Arwin’s fingers intertwined with mine.

When I looked at her, she still wore a stern expression.

With a composed expression, she displayed a hint of coquettish charm.

Our fingers interlocked.

Receiving a small comfort from this, I let out a wry smile.

Suddenly, Ner left us and dashed off somewhere with quick steps.

Curious, I watched her, and soon a woman hurried towards Ner.

“Ner-nim, I’ve prepared these for you, though it’s not much.”

She handed over a small basin filled with tiny berries.

Ner, taking the berries, wagged her tail briskly.

“I appreciate it, especially on such short notice.”

Ner examined the basin, brought it close to her nose to smell, and then smiled even more brightly.

The wagging of her tail grew more vigorous.

As we walked, I naturally drew closer to her.

I asked Ner, “Did you prepare some snacks?”

“Yes.”

She replied, looking at me with an adorable smile.

In moments like these, one could almost forget she was nobility.

She radiated only approachability.

Ner casually linked her arm in mine.

“We’ll eat these on the way.”

Following suit, she walked alongside me.

We returned to where we had left our horses.

I unlinked my fingers from Arwin and disentangled my arm from Ner, ready to set off again.

Looking back, I noticed Gale had quietly joined us.

“...”

I clicked my tongue lightly and looked ahead.

I had no desire to pay attention to Gale.

One by one, we started to mount our horses.

Baran, Shawn, Jackson, Burns, Arwin...

“...Ner?”

Ner was the only one left. She stood beside my horse, offering me a basket of fruits.

“Here, hold this for me, Berg.”

“...?”

It was an easy task, so I took the basket of fruits from her.

At the same time, Ner grabbed the reins of my horse, intending to ride with me.

In a flash, I withdrew my foot from the stirrup, and Ner stepped up onto the horse.

“Oops.”

Suddenly, Ner lost her balance and wobbled.

I quickly wrapped my free arm around her waist.

“Ah.”

Stabilizing herself with my help, Ner gave me a bright smile.

“Thanks, Berg.”

“What are you doing?”

As I asked with a hint of amusement, Ner turned and sat on the horse.

Her legs swung over to the left side of the horse.

Then she took the basket of fruits and said to me, “Let’s go like this, Berg. I can’t eat all these fruits alone.”

-Swish.

Her tail wrapped around my waist.

Ner pressed her body against mine.

Then, she took my still arm and wrapped it around her for safety.

Frozen in surprise at her actions, Ner finally blinked shyly and loosened her neck, lightening the mood.

Baran, Shawn, Jackson, Burns, and even Arwin watched Ner’s actions quietly.

Although Ner usually disliked being the center of attention...why?

She seemed a bit bolder now, proudly showing off her white tail.

“Ah.”

She then picked a fruit from the basket on her thigh and pushed it towards my mouth.

Her mouth opened as if suggesting, ‘Ah,’ revealing sharp fangs and a soft tongue.

Ner, surprisingly initiated such an intimate gesture.

But then again, perhaps the time she left a bite mark on my neck was even more embarrassing.

I opened my mouth slightly and accepted the fruit Ner offered.

Ner, with crescent-shaped eyes, laughed and then popped a fruit into her own mouth.

“...”

Looking to the side, I saw Baran smiling.

Pretending not to notice, I kept my gaze forward and said,

“Let’s go.”

****

King Rex Draigo was once again grappling with a mountain of paperwork.

The recent problems had made him particularly edgy.

News that the Hero party was completely tied up in the city run by the Jackson family.

The territory was in utter chaos due to a succession struggle.

Despite having forces, they were unable to assist the Hero party.

“...Those damn human bastards,” Rex muttered under his breath.

Every moment the Hero party remained stuck there was a loss for the kingdom.

He couldn’t believe the strongest forces were immobilized in one place.

Rex wished he could annihilate the Jackson family, but the current situation offered neither the justification nor the opportunity for such drastic action.

All he could do was send a letter hoping for a quick end to the succession battle.

Rex asked his aide, Gendry,

“...Any replies to the letters sent?”

Gendry replied with a bitter tone,

“All four sons involved in the succession fight have sent replies. They say they’ll try their best.”

At this almost comical situation, Rex let out a hollow laugh.

He couldn’t help but be sarcastic.

“If these humans were so full of lust, why can’t he settle the succession properly before leaving? Why do we have to suffer because of their culture?”

Gendry didn’t respond.

Rex sighed, tired of repeating the same complaints hundreds of times, to the point of numbness.

With weary eyes, he asked,

“...What about the letter to the mercenaries?”

There had been a request from Felix, the Hero who was also troubled by the situation.

It seemed better to resolve the issue quickly with the help of the mercenaries.

Although Rex was reluctant in these tight circumstances, he had no other choice.

He had calculated that the cost of hiring mercenaries was less than the losses incurred by having the Hero party stuck in one place.

So, Rex sent a letter to the mercenary groups for the first time.

It was an unusual sight for a king to request assistance from mercenaries, but he was willing to set aside his pride for the sake of the kingdom.

Even so, Rex hadn’t forgotten one crucial detail.

Berg of the Red Flame group had a deep connection with the Saintess.

Thus, he had no choice but to send letters to all other mercenary groups, excluding the Red Flames.

Gendry responded,

“The replies came back quickly.”

“Good. Which mercenary group seems most suitable?”

Rex Draigo assumed that any mercenary group would accept a request from a king.

It would be foolish to ignore a royal request, after all.

But an unexpected answer came back.

“...All three mercenary groups declined.”

“What?”

Rex’s expression soured.

Gendry quickly explained,

“Th-they all gave the same reason. They would like to accept, but... there’s a new rule among the mercenary groups.”

Gendry continued, under Rex’s intense gaze,

“...Priority for requests from high-ranking nobles or higher is given to the Red Flames group. Only if they decline, can others accept.”

“Hmph.”

Rex scoffed at the news.

The rise of the Red Flames was astonishing.

Their ascent had been swift since the nearing end of the war.

Recently, he learned that the captain of the Red Flame group was a former disciple of Gale.

The captain and the vice-captain began gaining prominence together.

Moreover, Gale had suggested that one of these two might be a warrior of Lynn.

Gale had even said he would visit the Red Flames to confirm this.

Rex’s next decision could very well be fated.

He had no desire to forcibly reject this course of action.

“...Then send a letter to the Red Flames,” Rex instructed, breaking a past promise he had made with the archbishop of the Hea Church.

“Ask them to assist the Hero party.”

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

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