Chapter 140: Capital (4)

As Hero Felix moved, he found himself continually looking back.

And it wasn’t just Felix.

Acran and Sylphrien did the same.

They found themselves keeping an eye on the Saintess, who was falling behind.

“...”

“...”

In a matter of days, the Saintess had become gaunt.

She had said she would head to the next battlefield, but... it was like watching a fragile vine about to snap.

With nowhere to lean on, she seemed ready to collapse from weakness.

It appeared there was nothing that could be done by sheer willpower.

Though the Saintess continued to walk, the shocks given to her seemed too overwhelming to bear.

She often staggered and fell, and there were times when she cried silently.

Her skin became dry, and her eyes were always red.

It was to the point where no one could say anything if she collapsed at any moment.

“....Let’s take a break.”

So, Felix made a decision.

He spoke as if suggesting to his companions other than the Saintess, with a natural tone.

It was his way of being considerate.

If he made it clear they were resting for the Saintess, she would surely insist on moving forward.

“Let’s do that.”

Acran nodded in agreement,

“Yes.”

Sylphrien did not rebel against the suggestion either.

Before the Saintess could object, they had already found their spots and sat down.

“...”

Seeing her companions offering their silent support, the Saintess managed a weary smile and took her seat as well.

She chose a slightly secluded spot to rest.

None of the companions rushed to offer consolation.

Their attempts to help had already been made, to no avail.

There was only one person who could have offered solace to the Saintess... and he had left her side.

Felix scratched his head as he looked at her, sighing deeply with the weight of his thoughts.

Wasn’t it said that the most dangerous crises are those you fail to recognize?

Felix tried to assess their situation more objectively than anyone else.

...They were significantly outmatched.

Just as the Hero party had settled in with the Jackson family, several other families who had desperately needed their help suffered great losses.

The war was dragging on like a war of attrition.

They might be winning battles frequently, but as the war continued, defeat seemed inevitable for the kingdom.

The situation was dire, with each day proving to be tougher than the last, and the kingdom was gradually being eroded by the monsters.

In such times, Felix was trying to grasp the gravity of their predicament.

Perhaps the strongest moment wasn’t now, especially seeing the Saintess deteriorate like this.

If the Saintess couldn’t stand properly... if she were to collapse.

Could they move forward then?

So maybe this was their golden hour?

Felix tried not to forget the teachings of Gale.

That the perfect moment never comes.

That sometimes, one must act with courage even when the moment seems unfavorable.

That then is the most appropriate time.

“....Should we... defeat the Demon King?”

Felix murmured to himself, looking at the Saintess struggling with her head bowed to her knees.

“...What?”

Sylphrien asked in surprise at his words.

“Oh, no...”

Felix tried to retract his spontaneous remark, but...

“...”

The more he thought about it, the more it seemed like a reasonably good decision.

The kingdom was groaning under the weight of the war.

The number of crumbling families continues to grow.

Amidst this, families unable to even ask for help have begun selling their people.

As a result, Berg ended up with two wives.

Can this situation continue?

Perhaps they are failing to recognize their own limits.

The perfect moment never comes.

The plan to kill the Demon King’s right-hand man before going after the Demon King himself might have been too arrogant.

They might not last until then.

That was why Felix suddenly asked,

“....What do you think about changing our next target from the Demon King’s right-hand man to... the Demon King himself?”

He asks, making sure only Acran and Sylphrien could hear.

Both were momentarily lost for words at the suggestion.

Felix looked at Acran and said,

“...It’s about ending the war, Acran.”

A tremor of emotion crossed Acran’s face, who despised war more than anyone.

“...And ending the conflict, moving towards a peaceful life.”

Sylphrien didn’t dismiss the idea as foolish either.

Chewing over his words, Felix then says, looking at the Saintess,

“...We might not have much time left.”

“...”

“Waiting for the Warrior of Solitude might be too late.”

No one could easily respond.

Silence lingered for a while.

Yet, one thing was clear... the plan wasn’t so foolish that everyone opposed it.

“Let’s think about it a bit more,”

Sylphrien whispered.

She, too, seemed to need time to make her own judgment.

“Just a bit more.”

Sylphrien’s gaze shifted to the Saintess.

****

A few days passed in the capital.

As the king had said, I felt the rumors about me gradually spreading.

I tried not to pay much attention to them.

Training with Gale was helpful in that regard.

-Clang!

“Beyond imagination, Berg! Facing you in person, the pressure is definitely different!”

Gale interspersed advice between moments of the duel.

With every clash of our swords, a different vibration resonated through my hand.

Each strike was heavy, laden with force.

Though his swings seemed light, they carried an unexpected destructive power.

After several exchanges, Gale suddenly spun, sweeping his sword up from below.

Blocking his attack, I kicked dirt towards Gale, who was positioned lower.

-Swish!

Dirt flew precisely into his eyes.

Though it might be considered dirty play, it was my way of fighting.

“...!”

But Gale didn’t close his eyes even as the dirt hit them.

Instead, he flashed a smile, showing a demonic intensity I hadn’t seen in our previous encounters.

“That won’t do, Berg...! That won’t obstruct your opponent’s vision!”

Simultaneously, Gale twisted his sword.

The sunlight reflected off the blade, dazzling my eyes.

Even with my eyes open, I could see nothing.

-Thump!

Gale’s kick landed in the center of my stomach.

I realized where Adam Hyung had learned his kicks.

“Ugh!”

I couldn’t breathe, but I forced myself to endure.

Bending over would mean breaking under Gale.

“That’s the spirit.”

Gale commented as he swung his sword again.

His attacks evolved to another level.

Flashes of light reflected into my eyes between his sword strikes.

Strangely twisting his sword, he continued his assault.

I was astounded by the precision with which he directed the light into my eyes.

Gale was nowhere to be seen.

Instinctively, I managed a few more exchanges.

“Enough!”

Gale called out.

As the dazzling sunlight vanished, I found his sword blade at my throat.

“...”

I couldn’t help but let out a wry smile.

I understood why he was hailed as the greatest warrior among the Dragonian people.

“I’ve lost.”

I conceded, lowering my sword.

Only then did the monstrous intensity fade from Gale’s face.

“Well done, Berg. It was an entertaining fight.”

I wiped the sweat from my robe as I spoke.

“Then I’m relieved.”

“Sharing a duel, don’t you think it brings a deeper understanding of the opponent? I’ve learned about you too. Of course, I’ve heard stories... but you’ve indeed lived a fierce life.”

“...”

“You must have had your share of hardships, much like Adam. Though it seems your skills surpass his.”

I paused at the mention of Adam Hyung.

I wasn’t entirely uninterested in his past.

I just hadn’t bothered to ask.

Yet, I found myself inquiring.

“...Do you know about Adam Hyung’s past?”

Gale nodded.

“Of course. Would you like to hear about it?”

“...”

I shook my head.

I didn’t want to learn about it this way.

If I were to hear it, I wanted it to be from Hyung himself.

“What about the members?”

Gale abruptly asked.

I smirked.

“They’re having the time of their lives. Roaming around the capital, indulging in various pleasures.”

The mercenaries were never short on funds.

Adam Hyung always ensured they were generously rewarded.

Lately, I hadn’t been pushing them as hard in training.

Perhaps it was a sign of my growing inner peace.

It seemed everyone was enjoying their lives.

The members, gathering each evening to report, were all smiles and well-fed.

Life in the capital was more comfortable than expected.

“...?”

I felt a gaze and looked up.

Someone was observing us from the outskirts of the training ground.

“...”

I cautiously asked Gale, still watching her.

“...Did you say it’s best to avoid entanglements with nobility?”

Gale nodded.

“That’s right.”

“...What if it involves royalty?”

“...”

Gale followed my gaze upwards.

Seeing Lia Draigo, he bowed his head.

Gale, usually sparing with his words, offered no specific advice.

“...Be careful, Berg.”

Instead, he spoke,

“I shouldn’t say this, but... the princess likes her toys.”

“...”

“It might be best not to draw any more interest.”

“...”

I sighed.

Hoping the situation wouldn’t escalate further.

****

Berg had gone out for training.

Arwin mentioned she was stopping by the library.

Ner was left sitting alone in their quarters.

She wasn’t particularly fond of going out or meeting people.

Thanks to Berg, she had grown to like her own white tail, but that didn’t change her timid nature.

Yet, she wasn’t bored either.

She spent her time gazing at the splendid view from the window.

“...”

In such moments of zoning out, her thoughts would often drift back to the events of a few days ago.

She could vividly recall Berg reaching out his hand to her.

Among the soldiers mingling with women, Berg had extended his hand to her as they were leaving.

If only she had taken his hand...

Ner shook her head to dispel the thoughts.

She sighed.

It was a sigh tinged with a slightly strange sensation.

“...”

Lately, she couldn’t understand why she felt this way.

It wasn’t her mating season, yet her body kept heating up.

Her mind was dominated by bizarre thoughts.

In her imagination, Ner could always become a bit more daring.

Though she had always pretended to be demure and innocent... Ner knew herself well.

At night, she would secretly imbue her scent onto Berg’s belongings.

Without anyone to judge, she could be bolder and more courageous than anyone else.

Swallowing hard, Ner looked around the room.

Was it because she was alone?

Those strange impulses surged like a tide.

In her mind, she knew how to quell these urges.

She swallowed again and moved behind the cubicle to change her clothes.

Soon, Ner had taken off her upper garment.

-Swish, swish.

The cozy air brushed against her bare skin.

She slowly picked up one of Berg’s clothes she had set aside.

“...”

Despite knowing it was wrong, the urge kept intensifying.

Ignoring the buzzing in her head, she allowed herself a moment of honesty with her desires.

She clumsily put on Berg’s clothes over her bare body.

Then, crouching behind the screen, she closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of the clothing.

It felt as if she was being embraced by Berg.

“...Haa...”

Her thoughts drifted back to that day.

She kept wondering what would have happened if she had taken Berg’s hand.

It seemed like they were not far from that reality now.

Embracing each other a bit more often.

Kissing each other on the cheek more frequently.

And if they were to kiss on the lips...

What would be wrong with taking it further?

Once accustomed to the current level of intimacy, perhaps they could withstand the next.

After all, this was a future bound to come at some point.

Delaying it for a more ‘appropriate’ moment wouldn’t change anything.

She waited for the perfect moment, clad in Berg’s oversized clothes.

-Flutter, flutter, flutter.

Her tail began to wag uncontrollably.

It wagged so fiercely that her hips started to sway slightly.

She felt happy.

Perhaps it was because she knew that despite occasional conflicts, their relationship could only move in a positive direction.

-Knock, knock, knock.

Then came a knock at the door.

Ner froze in shock.

‘I’m coming in, Ner.’

Following the voice, Ner scrambled and called out.

“Just a moment! I, I’m changing clothes!”

She shouted.

Then, she hastily took off Berg’s clothes.

After changing back into her own clothes, she started fanning her cheeks.

Her face felt flushed even to herself.

After a while, she managed to compose herself and said,

“You can... come in.”

-Creak...

Only then did the door open, and Berg entered.

He seemed to carry a stronger scent, likely from sweating during his training.

Ner swallowed again involuntarily, hiding her wagging tail under her before Berg could notice.

“What were you up to?”

Berg asked innocently.

Feeling unnecessarily guilty, Ner propped her chin and looked out the window, stuttering,

“Just... just sitting here.”

Berg sighed and said,

“Ner. It’s today.”

“What’s today?”

“The banquet. Looks like we need to get ready.”

“Ah.”

Berg started to casually strip off his clothes.

Ner could hear the sound of his clothes hitting the floor with a soft thud.

She sneakily glanced at his body, swallowing hard at the sight of him drenched in sweat.

It seemed her earlier excitement hadn’t fully subsided.

“I’m just going to make an appearance and leave. Gale said it’s best not to get too involved with the nobles.”

It wasn’t polite to leave a banquet hastily, but Ner didn’t object since she also preferred Berg not to get entangled with the nobility.

Instead, she offered,

“I’ll take care of cleaning up. You go ahead, then.”

Berg nodded.

“I’m going to take a shower. Rest a bit more. And Arwin?”

“Arwin-nim is still in the library.”

“Today too?”

“Yes.”

With that, Berg nodded and moved to leave.

But then, he paused, turning back to look at Ner intently.

“Why are your cheeks so red?”

“What!? No, they’re not!”

“...”

“It’s just... hot.”

“What’s there to be hot about?”

In a rush to find an excuse, Ner blurted out,

“I was... doing some exercise...”

“Really?”

Seemingly convinced by her answer, Berg resumed walking.

“Anyway, I’ll be back after my shower.”

-Creak... Thud.

And with that, he left.

Ner took a deep breath, calming her racing heart.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

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