Chapter 129: Harmful Tradition (1)

 

“Wouldn’t that make you happier?”

 

“...”

 

“I feel like neither Arwin-nim’s words nor Silphrien-nim’s are wrong…”

 

Arwin stiffened at the words of the saintess.

 

It was a concern she had cautiously revealed, seeking some strength, but she was disconcerted by the simple, negative conclusion drawn so easily.

 

Moreover, the person conveying these words was the saintess of purity.

 

Was the answer to such a matter so predetermined that such a being would speak of it so?

 

“...”

 

But when someone spoke of leaving, Arwin’s emotions instead became clearer.

 

It wasn’t out of a contrarian spirit.

 

Every time someone talked about a concrete separation, she would imagine such a separation, and then a specific aversion would arise anew.

 

“.....”

 

However, the saintess added.

 

“If you can’t even resolve to love, what’s the point in loving someone? How genuine can that affection be?”

 

Those words strangely hurt Arwin.

 

It was as if she was saying that she and Berg could never deeply love each other.

 

The saintess continued.

 

“...After a divorce, meeting someone else might change your mind. You might even look back and think that what you’re worrying about now was nothing.”

 

As the story continued, Arwin realized something.

 

The words of the saintess were wrong.

 

Her heart was telling her so.

 

Eventually, Arwin responded.

 

She beat around the bush, not wanting to embarrass her.

 

“...It’s not like I can just say I want a divorce.”

 

“You should at least try. Are you planning to continue a marriage with someone you don’t love?”

 

“...?”

 

Arwin sensed a hint of Berg in the saintess’ tone.

 

She recalled his words about not wanting to spend his life awkwardly with his wife.

 

Was it because they were both of the same race? Arwin couldn’t tell.

 

Instead, she changed the subject, eager to steer away from the uncomfortable topic.

 

“...Berg won’t let me go,” she said.

 

The saintess turned her head and asked in a whisper.

 

“...Berg said that?”

 

Arwin’s expression soured at her words.

 

“...Berg?”

 

No matter if she was a saintess, she didn’t like her casually using her husband’s name.

 

Even if he was just a commoner and a mercenary, he didn’t deserve such disrespect.

 

But the saintess did not apologize.

 

It was as if she refused to retract her words.

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

Eventually, Arwin swallowed her strange discomfort and spoke.

 

“Thank you for your words. But...a conversation about divorce doesn’t seem appropriate to have with you, Saintess.”

 

She then cut off the conversation.

 

She didn’t want to continue discussing the same topic.

 

...Arwin already felt like a conclusion had been reached within her own heart.

 

“...”

 

The saintess fell silent and turned her head.

 

For a while, they both sat there, letting time pass.

 

The weather was beautiful.

 

Bright sunlight and cool air.

 

Perhaps because they were hidden in the garden, conversing, the fragrance of flowers wafted over.

 

In the midst of their shared rest, the saintess spoke again.

 

“...Such weather reminds me of him.”

 

“...”

 

She seemed to be recalling her own happy memories, trying to erase the pain.

 

Arwin understood. There was a power in happy memories.

 

Lately, for Arwin, those memories were of Berg.

 

Arwin might, in the future, find herself continually thinking of Berg, much like the saintess with her countless memories.

 

The saintess continued.

 

“On days like this... he used to lay me on his lap and play the pan flute for me.”

 

“...Is that so.”

 

“He played it so well, I wonder where he learned it. It was all for me. Then he would stroke my hair... smile at me... and whisper ‘I love you’.”

 

Arwin’s heart also raced at the mention of being whispered ‘I love you.’

 

It felt like indirectly experiencing a future with Berg.

 

“That’s why, for a while, days with nice weather like this were the hardest. They reminded me of him...”

 

With that, the saintess carefully got up from her seat.

 

Arwin, already feeling uncomfortable in her seat, thought it wasn’t a bad idea.

 

The saintess started to walk away.

 

“...Arwin-nim. Let me give you a piece of advice.”

 

Then she said,

 

Arwin remained seated, motionless.

 

The saintess turned around with a smile.

 

And said,

 

“Don’t make a choice you’ll regret.”

 

“...”

 

The saintess, with a faint chuckle, added,

 

“One mistake can change your entire life.”

 

Then she turned away and left without any hesitation.

 

Arwin pondered over the saintess’ words.

 

What did she mean by a choice she would regret?

 

Was she referring to the choice of staying with Berg, or the choice of drifting apart from him?

 

Arwin didn’t know.

 

All she could taste was the lingering discomfort from earlier.

 

****

 

I had been traveling around the lands of the Jackson family with Hyung to explain the recent battle.

 

“Here?”

 

“Yeah. Because someone like the captain of the guard blocked our way.”

 

“That’s good.”

 

It might not have been significant, but it was Hyung’s way of gathering as much information as possible.

 

Even the tasks I found tedious and wanted to skip, Hyung meticulously took care of them.

 

Always saying you never know when and where you might need some information.

 

Saying it’s good to be prepared.

 

It’s not that I disliked Hyung for it.

 

Whenever it was a request from him, I always followed.

 

I found it hard to understand his intentions on my own.

 

After our battle debrief, he and I looked out onto the street.

 

Soldiers poured into the street, which looked like a ruin, busy cleaning up.

 

Bodies had been taken care of, debris cleared, and blood washed away.

 

It was a precaution against disease.

 

“...This is something to remember,”  Hyung murmured, watching the soldiers clean.

 

“Huh?”

 

As I asked back, he smiled slyly and said,

 

“...Remember what I told you, Berg.”

 

“What?”

 

“About why I want our own land.”

 

I pondered, trying to recall.

 

It did seem like he had mentioned something like that back in Blackwood.

 

“That thing about wanting to be a noble?”

 

“Yeah. I’ve made a promise with the king this time.”

 

“...”

 

“...He said he’d grant us titles and lands for our valor in battle.”

 

My eyes widened at his words, and slowly, a smile formed.

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah. It feels like we’ve finally found our path.”

 

His words left me momentarily speechless.

 

Amazement and a smile came simultaneously.

 

My cluttered mind briefly cleared.

 

For the moment, I felt a genuine joy.

 

“That’s great.”

 

“Right? You’ve been getting tired of the mercenary life too.”

 

“...”

 

I took a deep breath at his words.

 

After a moment of thought, I said,

 

“...I just hated seeing the members die.”

 

“That’s just it. How can mercenaries not die?”

 

“...”

 

Finding no retort, I clicked my tongue and said,

 

“Anyway, it’s good news.”

 

Hyung smiled at my reaction.

 

“...Berg. Just hang in there a little longer. The end is near.”

 

“...”

 

His words strangely comforted me.

 

And at the same time, I realized something.

 

The same words Gale and Adam Hyung had said to me.

 

...Maybe I really was tired of fighting by now.

 

Although I had started as a mercenary with Adam Hyung, my heart had changed a lot since then.

 

Initially, it was a job started with a death wish, but as that desire subsided, a different pain emerged.

 

I grew to hate losing people I cared about.

 

The desire not to lose any more of my people continued to persist.

 

Perhaps that was why I was putting more effort into getting along well with my wives now.

 

I was determined to protect them at all costs and prioritized the promises I made to them.

 

Amidst this, Hyung chuckled.

 

“Isn’t it strange?”

 

“...?”

 

“The fact that you and I are candidates for Lynn’s warriors, while we need to earn our laurels.”

 

“...”

 

“...Sometimes, I feel like we’ve been caught up in an irresistible current.”

 

I followed Hyung’s train of thought for a moment, then shook it off.

 

And said to him,

 

“You know I don’t believe in that stuff.”

 

Hyung just smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

 

“Human Hero Berg!!”

 

Suddenly, someone in the street shouted my name.

 

Looking in that direction, I saw a man of our race cheering me on.

 

He seemed to be a resident of the Jackson territory.

 

Hyung watched the scene with interest.

 

“It seems your name has really spread.”

 

Starting with that man, cheers for me began pouring in from all around.

 

“...”

 

I just found them curious.

 

Even being in a city of our people didn’t change that.

 

Hyung burst into laughter at their voices.

 

After a long laugh, he said,

 

“It seems you should be the noble, Berg. Everyone seems to follow you.”

 

I shook my head and replied,

 

“That’s too bothersome for me. Besides, you’re the leader, Hyung, you should do it.”

 

Even in response to my serious words, Hyung just kept chuckling.

 

I then turned around.

 

This kind of attention was unfamiliar to me.

 

“Let’s go back, now.”

 

Hyung nodded in agreement.

 

As we were leaving, someone else shouted,

 

“You’re the pride of our race, Berg! Your number of subjugations is next to the heroes!”

 

“Along with the saintess, you’re the hero of our people!”

 

With these cheering voices, two words became associated.

 

‘The saintess’, and ‘Berg’.

 

The people all began to chant in unison.

 

“...........”

 

I found myself frozen in place without realizing it.

 

Hyung, observing me, said,

 

Until now, I had taken their voices as mere jest, but now I respond to them more seriously.

 

“...Perhaps through you, the people of our race are trying to show that, despite the Jackson family’s blunder with the hero party, we’re not all bad. Making sure the king hears it.”

 

“...”

 

“The Draigo family even came looking for us. Their family might be on the verge of being wiped out and losing their lands. The people must be more worried.”

 

I nodded and moved on.

 

Then, quite effortlessly, I catch a glimpse of Sien.

 

As if she had been searching for me, she was watching me from a distance.

 

She was watching me with that poignant expression, hearing the two words everyone was chanting.

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

Despite our names being called together, the feeling was strangely full.

 

...Had we ever imagined a moment like this would come?

 

The memories of being with her in the slums now feel so distant.

 

Sien was looking at me from afar, her eyes brimming with tears.

 

To her, the memories with me still seemed as fresh as yesterday.

 

I looked at Sien and then asked Hyung, my fist clenched.

 

“...When are we leaving?”

 

“...”

 

Hyung, who had also noticed Sien, replied,

 

“Tomorrow or the day after. We need to have a meeting with the king before we leave.”

 

I nodded at his response.

 

Then, with difficulty, I tore my gaze away from Sien and moved on.

 

****

 

The meeting Hyung mentioned was held the next day.

 

A meeting attended by all relevant parties.

 

The lizardman nobles of the Pantora family, the dwarf nobles of the Dom family.

 

The hero party, the king, and Gale.

 

Prin from the Jackson family.

 

And Hyung and I.

 

Everyone gathered around a large round table.

 

I watched people take their seats, then sat next to Adam Hyung.

 

-Tok.

 

As soon as I settled in my seat, Sien sat down next to me.

 

“...”

 

I glanced at her for a moment, but Sien, as if refusing to consider my opinion, didn’t even look my way.

 

Her eyes were red, probably from crying a lot lately.

 

Finding it difficult to look at her for long, I turned my attention forward.

 

In the still unsettled space, Sien suddenly whispered.

 

It was a voice meant only for me.

 

“...I know.”

 

I remained silent to her words.

 

“...If you really hated me... you wouldn’t have gotten so angry. It’s because you still have feelings for me that you reacted that way.”

 

“...”

 

“...You like me more than those arranged in a political marriage...”

 

“...”

 

“Do you really think those women you’ve been with for just a few months mean more to you than I do, after over six years? More precious than me, who has been with you since we had nothing? I... don’t believe it.”

 

Mentioning my wives stirred a sense of defiance in me.

 

I replied to her coldly.

 

“...I don’t understand what you mean, Saintess.”

 

-Tuk.

 

Sien collapsed on the desk at my indifferent words.

 

I noticed her shoulders trembling, tears flowing again.

 

She didn’t care that the king was in front of us.

 

She whispered again.

 

“Please... can’t you call me by my name...?”

 

“...”

 

“...What was my name…I can’t even remember...?”

 

I let out a heavy sigh through clenched teeth.

 

I didn’t understand why she kept doing this.

 

Hadn’t we ended things?

 

Wasn’t she supposed to live as a saintess?

 

What difference would it make to act like this now?

 

I couldn’t fathom why she was causing me this pain.

 

She was still the same untouchable saintess.

 

Eventually, I asked.

 

“...What changes by doing this?”

 

Dropping the formalities I had maintained to avoid suspicion from my wives, I asked,

 

“...Why are you doing this now, after all this time...”

 

In front of us, Gale and the king were having a conversation.

 

Our secret exchange drew no attention.

 

That was when Sien whispered.

 

“...I always planned to finish my duties and return to you.”

 

“...What?”

 

“...I never intended to live as a saintess.”

 

“...”

 

“...I told you, I was only scared of you dying...”

 

“...”

 

“...So please... let go of your anger now... I too... want to be with you...”

 

She didn’t finish her sentence, but it seemed like she wanted to express her desire for a future with me.

 

Unknowingly, my face had twisted in emotion.

 

“...I promised my wives not to bring in any new ones.”

 

I found myself whispering.

 

“Don’t... bring up the past with me anymore.”

 

“...”

 

If the promise and determination were so easily broken, I wouldn’t have made them in the first place.

 

If my feelings were that simple, I would have forgotten Sien and embraced many new women since seven years ago.

 

I knew what I needed to prioritize right now.

 

It was Ner and Arwin, my wives... not Sien, who was once everything to me.

 

At my words, Sien let out a short breath, almost like a laugh.

 

“...Ha...”

 

“...”

 

As if talking to herself, she murmured,

 

“...What have I been doing these past seven years...?”

 

“.............”

 

As the tumultuous atmosphere settled, everyone took their seats.

 

Silence descended.

 

King Rex Draigo scanned the room with his sharp gaze.

 

His eyes briefly rested on Sien, who lay slumped over.

 

Then, his gaze shifted to me before he started the meeting as if he hadn’t seen Sien at all.

 

The meeting mainly focused on how to lead the war, with the hero party present.

 

Topics included the next destination, sightings of the demons, any spreading rumors, and so on.

 

Gale and Felix, the king, and his advisor led most of the conversation.

 

Occasionally, the king asked Adam Hyung, who was also present, for his opinion.

 

Hyung, unfazed, provided his responses confidently.

 

As the conversation continued, Sien also carefully wiped away her tears and straightened up.

 

Again, she whispers to me.

 

“...I never.”

 

I looked at Sien.

 

Sien also looked at me.

 

Our eyes met.

 

I felt it again... she had changed a lot too.

 

She had become more mature, and more resilient.

 

Above her reddened eyes, a renewed strength shone in her gaze.

 

Not the tearful Sien who used to lean on me, but the hero who had overcome everything.

 

“....Never.”

 

She gritted her teeth.

 

And then she declared firmly.

 

“I will never give up on you.”

 

My breath momentarily stilled.

 

“...Because you’re mine. No one loves you more than I do.”

 

She said.

 

I couldn’t respond to her words.

 

For a moment, I was just struck by how deep our relationship had been.

 

...In a way, she was the only one who had loved me this much.

 

During this, King Rex raised his voice.

 

“Let’s change the subject now.”

 

At that, I looked forward.

 

Sien also looked ahead.

 

Attention shifted to the king.

 

Tapping the desk, he spoke in a serious tone.

 

“There’s something I’ve realized recently... I’d like to hear your thoughts, especially now that we have representatives of the human race gathered.”

 

The king looked at Adam Hyung.

 

Then at me.

 

Next, at Sien.

 

And finally, at Prin.

 

Taking a breath, the king asked everyone.

 

“The practice of polygamy among the human race.”

 

“...”

 

His words caused a stir of expressions.

 

But he didn’t stop, continuing to speak.

 

He controlled the atmosphere with his characteristic commanding presence.

 

“...I consider it a harmful tradition. What are your thoughts on it?”

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

 

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