Chapter 138: Capital (2)

After my walk with Arwin came to an end, we returned to find that a feast of drinks had erupted among the royal soldiers.

Was it because we were almost at the capital?

It could have been the moment the king acknowledged their hard work.

Of course, I found it curious.

Why throw a drinking party at this moment?

I held Arwin’s hand, slightly tipsy, and observed the scene.

Arwin spoke from beside me.

“...It’s probably because it’s difficult to have such a feast in the capital.”

She provided an explanation for the small question I had been pondering.

“Huh?”

“Given the ongoing war, resources aren’t exactly plentiful. But they can’t demoralize the soldiers, so they must have decided to have it here.”

“...”

I nodded at Arwin’s explanation.

Regardless, I wasn’t too concerned.

Looking around, I noticed my Head Hunter Unit mingling and drinking with the dragonian soldiers.

There was a subtle rivalry among the men, but they also shared laughter and camaraderie.

-Thud.

Suddenly, Arwin staggered and leaned on me.

Her cheeks were flushed.

I quickly realized why she hadn’t been drinking until now.

She didn’t seem to handle alcohol well.

“...I’m drunk, Berg.”

“Let’s go inside and rest.”

I said, taking care of her as we moved along.

I found myself mulling over the conversation I had shared with Arwin.

We had reconciled, and reaffirmed our affection for each other.

But that didn’t mean there were no issues left to consider.

Arwin’s words echoed in my mind.

‘If it weren’t for the lifespan issue...I would have fallen in love with you long ago.’

Under normal circumstances, I would have been overjoyed by such a statement.

It signified progress in our relationship.

...But perhaps due to the recent strains between us, it also sounded like an admission that she couldn’t love me to the fullest.

The issue of lifespan...wasn’t something that could be fixed.

“...”

I shook my head.

Perhaps it was a needless worry.

I decided to take her words in a positive light.

It must have been meant in a good way.

“...Berg?”

As Arwin and I walked, a familiar voice called out from behind.

“...”

It was Ner,

With drooping tail and ears.

Arwin and I exchanged glances before speaking.

“...I was looking for you.”

The rest of the sentence was swallowed, but the tone was unmistakably tinged with disappointment.

It made sense, given that only Arwin and I had gone for a walk.

In the midst of the growing laughter from the drinking party, I silently regarded Ner.

The decision didn’t take long.

I turned to Arwin.

“...Arwin, I’ll walk you back to the lodge. Rest there for now.”

“...And you?”

“I need to have a word with Ner.”

“...”

Perhaps it was because we had just reconciled.

Arwin nodded.

Ner, having heard me, also relaxed her expression at my decision.

She slowly approached and supported Arwin, who was leaning on me.

“You seem drunk, Arwin-nim.”

“...”

Arwin gave a brief nod.

“...But it’s alright, Ner. Berg is here to support me.”

With a subtle movement, she gently declined Ner’s offer of assistance.

We proceeded to walk, the lodging not far off.

-Swish.

I brought Arwin to the temporary tent and seated her on the bed.

“Arwin, rest here. I’ll have another drink and come back.”

The drink I had shared with Arwin had been light-hearted.

I also wanted to make amends with Ner.

Arwin nodded, then collapsed weakly onto the bed.

Her eyes, blinking sleepily, watched me.

Ensuring she was safe, I moved on, with Ner following behind.

****

Before a large fire that had sprung up at some point, Ner and Berg sat quietly.

With the fire blazing, Ner recalled the many memories she had shared with Berg.

They had danced together and watched the circus.

Such happy memories often brought a light smile to her face, regardless of the atmosphere.

It was inevitable when reminiscing about those times.

Perhaps today would be another day to create such memories.

Though they had made up, there was still an awkwardness between Berg and her.

She didn’t want that to continue, especially with their impending arrival at the capital.

There, undoubtedly, other women would vie for Berg’s attention.

She didn’t want to show any gap between them.

“...”

She knew all too well that the issue lay with her.

Berg had always prioritized her.

Yet, emotions don’t always follow commands.

The worry of someone more attractive than herself appearing persisted.

It might have been a matter of self-esteem.

For her, who had never been loved her whole life, it was unavoidable.

The fact that Berg cherished her felt miraculous.

Could she have ever imagined a day when she would find it miraculous that Berg, a commoner and human, loved her?

But it truly felt like a miracle.

In Ner’s eyes, there was no one more radiant than Berg.

Even now, her heart fluttered to the point of excitement.

Merely being by his side did this to her.

So much so, that his touch sent shivers down her spine, and being marked by his scent stirred a sticky desire within her.

“...”

Ner didn’t know how to start the conversation.

They had already made up.

There was no need to rekindle that conversation.

-...Swish.

Instead, Ner used her tail.

Her tail, twitching as it pushed towards him, eventually wrapped lightly around Berg’s waist.

At that gesture, Berg let out a chuckle.

Only then could Ner feel relieved by his smile.

“...Is it still not okay to touch?”

Berg asked, clearly referring to her tail.

“...”

Ner felt her heart tremble.

After much deliberation, she whispered.

“...Today...it’s okay.”

Upon hearing that, Berg didn’t hesitate to gently stroke her tail.

Ner’s fur bristled for a moment.

She sat there, feeling the goosebumps flow, as if Berg was petting her head, stroking her tail.

He cherished that tail, which she once considered grotesque, more than anyone else.

Thus, another silent reconciliation slowly unfolded.

While being caressed, Ner looked up at the sky.

The moon, still far from being full.

Yet, there was a sense of tightening in her body, as if desires were flickering and approaching.

Ner swallowed that peculiar sensation and looked ahead.

She observed the people mingling in front of the blazing fire.

The members of the Red Flames group were having their own kind of fun.

Whether they were women brought from nearby villages, courtesans accompanied by the royal soldiers, or female warriors with their armor loosened, it wasn’t clear.

Berg’s race soldiers were laughing and drinking with the women, bodies closely entwined, their gestures lewd.

There were even a few couples kissing.

It was a scene befitting mercenaries, true to their nature.

And if it seemed characteristic of their race, it was because it was typical.

Berg was the exception.

Watching this, Ner couldn’t help but steal glances at Berg.

With her tail being touched, it was hard for her to stay calm.

Berg, observing the same scene, said, “How about a bet, Ner?”

He was even smiling slightly.

Ner quickly understood it as part of their reconciliation.

“What kind of bet?”

Ner asked, driven by curiosity.

He pointed to a soldier who was kissing a dragonian woman on the cheek.

“...Without touching you, I’ll try to kiss like that.”

Was it because he was drunk, or perhaps it was the playful spark in his expression after so long, but the idea of a kiss sent Ner’s heart racing, though she pretended otherwise.

And yet, the proposal seemed nonsensical.

“How can you kiss on the cheek without touching?”

Berg just shrugged.

“...”

It was an odd bet, but Ner wasn’t inclined to back down.

She saw no way she could lose, regardless of the outcome.

“What are the stakes?”

Ner asked, joining in Berg’s playful mood with a smile.

Berg pondered for a moment before speaking.

“...I’ll grant you one wish.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Ner nodded repeatedly at his words.

She also unwrapped her tail from around Berg.

“Alright, let’s do it. But if you touch me, you lose, right?”

Berg nodded in agreement.

He then set down his drink and slowly approached.

Ner felt her heart beating faster.

Berg raised his hand, moving as if to gently pull Ner’s face closer, careful not to brush against her hair.

“Berg, remember, if you touch-”

-Whoosh.

In that instant, Berg placed his hand on the opposite cheek of Ner, ensuring she couldn’t escape.

-Pack.

Holding her in place, Berg kissed her.

“...........”

Ner was dumbstruck, unable to say a word.

Berg just chuckled as he pulled away.

Ner touched the cheek where Berg’s lips had been, blinking in disbelief.

Finally, she managed to speak.

“...Does...does this mean the bet...”

“I lost. I’ll grant your wish.”

Berg said cheerfully, almost looking relieved.

“............”

Ner was at a loss for words.

She could feel her face flushing red, realizing she had been tricked...yet feeling a sense of happiness.

The awkward tension dissipated like a mirage due to his playful act.

Was this his intention all along, to approach more boldly?

She entertained the thought that it might be true.

Afterwards, Ner remained silent, as if frozen.

Pretending to be unaffected was all she could manage.

Blinking, she simply watched the revelry unfold before her.

One by one, the soldiers and women, previously engaged in wanton displays of affection, began to disappear.

Holding hands tightly, they set down their cups of wine and left for elsewhere.

As someone who had spent a long time with the mercenary group, Ner knew all too well what these departures entailed.

The sequence was always the same.

Talk, touch, kiss, and then leave like that.

They were clearly heading off for more intimate conversations.

Ner swallowed hard.

“...Do you also...”

She didn’t know why she was curious enough to ask such a question.

Yet, before she knew it, she was asking Berg.

“...?”

“...Do you want to...do that?”

“...”

Berg looked at the departing soldiers upon hearing her question.

His eyes scanned them momentarily, as if piecing together the context.

Ner, despite the trembling in her voice, had to wait a long while for an answer.

The beating of her heart was almost audible.

As he watched them and took another sip of his drink, Berg extended his hand at that moment.

-Swish.

“...?”

Then, wiping away the earlier trace of a smile, he looked at Ner.

Berg’s scarred hand was laid out before Ner’s eyes, silently asking her to take it.

“...”

Ner hadn’t thought her heart could beat any faster.

But there Berg was, offering his hand with a steady gaze.

By taking his hand, she had some idea of what might unfold...

What breaths would be shared.

What ecstasy and warmth would be exchanged.

Arwin was already lost to the drunkenness.

Berg seemed to say he was always ready.

As if he was only waiting for Ner’s change.

Ner looked at his hand.

“...I was just asking.”

But in the end, she did not take his hand.

The reasons were countless.

It felt like skipping too many steps all at once.

Recently, due to constant traveling, there hadn’t been a chance for a proper wash.

Uncertain about how to act.

Unfamiliar with how to please a partner.

The embarrassment was overwhelming.

Worried about the slight belly that seemed more pronounced lately.

Having never exposed herself to someone else before, the concern was even greater.

Moreover, she didn’t want her first time to be in such a place.

She longed for it to happen in a more beautiful location, with a more relaxed heart.

She wanted it to follow endless whispers of love shared between them.

She was waiting for the perfect moment.

Considering the years ahead...there wouldn’t be a lack of opportunities.

She wondered if Berg, too, wasn’t in a rush at the moment.

Berg shrugged at Ner’s reaction, then withdrew his hand.

As if he had anticipated such a response from Ner.

“...Ner.”

Then Berg spoke.

“...I just need you to be ready.”

“...”

He whispered.

He seemed to have no intention of hiding his desires.

As if there was no reason to.

“...”

Ner envied Berg’s honesty.

She harbored a hope that maybe, someday, she could be like him.

...She just needed a bit more time.

Today, she had even offered her tail.

She was taking steps closer.

Moving forward like this, the right moment would come.

Ner, clutching her racing heart, thought so.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

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