Chapter 153: Winds of Change (2)

There was nothing Ner could do for Berg.

It felt as though a lifetime of waiting had ended, yet lying beside him in bed felt just the same.

Berg slept deeply, his eyes closed, without uttering a word.

He neither stole away to cry nor sighed.

Ner could only be there for him, that was all she could do.

She held his hand tightly, sharing in his pain.

The funeral that followed the next day.

The departed comrades were laid to rest atop neatly stacked logs.

Ner watched Berg, who endured it all silently, her throat tight with emotion.

She couldn’t understand why tears kept coming on his behalf.

It was hard to look at Berg’s expressionless face.

She wanted to comfort him, to be someone he could rely on... yet she felt she was failing.

Berg had always been a pillar of strength during tough times.

Fighting alongside her, enhancing her reputation in the territory, praising her tail, defending against those who slandered her, being told she was beautiful...

Through Berg, Ner had healed all her pain.

Now was the time to reciprocate, but Berg showed no weaknesses.

In the end, Berg lifted up Captain Adam, placing him on the funeral pyre.

“...”

Berg stared at the laid-out Adam for a long time.

Ner felt she could hardly grasp what was going through Berg’s mind.

How much pain and difficulty must he be feeling?

How painful must it be to lose someone you depended on?

She wiped her tears away again, steeling her expression for Berg’s sake.

If she showed her tears, it would only make it harder for Berg.

Thus, Ner stayed close by Berg’s side during the funeral service, along with Arwin.

Berg watched the fiercely burning cremation altar in silence.

Even as endless mourning surrounded him, Berg alone stood still.

It wasn’t that he didn’t appear to be in pain.

It just seemed like he was postponing it, enduring it.

Ner planned to hug him tightly and pat his back if Berg began to cry.

She knew she wouldn’t be able to hold back her tears from that moment on... but still, she wanted to be strong for Berg.

“...”

Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, Berg’s eyes reddened. Tears welled up on his expressionless face, and he let out a long sigh.

For hours, he watched the great fire like that.

****

I buried Adam Hyung’s ashes in the ground.

I covered his grave with the last of the dirt.

The comrades had brought a tombstone and placed it beside it.

Yet the epitaph was still blank.

Only the simple words, “Here lies Adam,” were inscribed.

Had I not learned from Arwin, perhaps I wouldn’t have been able to read even this.

I stood silently in front of Adam Hyung’s tombstone.

Baran approached and asked,

“…the epitaph is…”

“…………”

I couldn’t respond.

Nothing came to mind.

I still couldn’t accept this farewell.

Had I ever imagined that Adam Hyung, stronger than I, would depart like this?

“…You decide.”

I told Baran that, but then Ner grabbed me from behind.

“.....”

Her eyes still brimming with tears.

Ner swallowed hard and then said to me,

“…no, Berg. You… you must suggest the epitaph….”

I shook my head in response.

“I can’t think of anything.”

Arwin chimed in beside me.

“It might take time, but you must do it. It will… it will make Captain Adam happy.”

“……”

Baran also spoke up.

“I agree, Vice-Captain. Even if it remains empty for a while... it should be you who decides.”

I looked down at Adam Hyung’s tombstone.

‘Here lies Adam.’

I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes.

Then, I nodded.

****

From that moment, Ner worked tirelessly for the Red Flames group.

There were endless casualties and injuries.

It was natural for her, with the most medical knowledge in Stockpin, to be running around.

In this process, a book of medical knowledge given by the saintess proved to be very helpful.

A book containing diverse knowledge from various races.

Combined with Ner’s knowledge, it was proving to be extremely useful.

Ner had initially been uncomfortable with the book after learning about Berg and the saintess’ relationship, but right now, there was no more useful book than this.

Probably, several comrades were spared severe complications thanks to this book.

Ner worked even harder, hoping Berg wouldn’t suffer more pain.

If he were to lose more people here, it was obvious he would be devastated.

Berg was pushed to his limits.

Even from the side, it was clear.

She was the only one who could support him now.

“Aaaahhhhh!!!”

As she calmed the screaming comrades, Ner shouted,

“Just... hold on a little longer…!”

As she excised the decaying flesh, Ner steeled her heart.

Under normal circumstances, the sight alone would have made her gag.

But thinking of Berg, she found the strength to endure even this.

After tending to the wounded for a long while, she returned home.

The busy day had passed, and it was already evening.

After washing off the blood-soaked grime, she found Berg silently resting in the living room.

“...”

Ner looked at him and said,

“I’m going to take a walk.”

With that, she left the house.

There was no ulterior motive.

It was done to coax Berg outside.

She hoped that being outside would help him catch his breath.

Ner took a spot outside, away from Berg’s sight, and sighed deeply.

“....Haa...”

She had worked all day for Berg’s sake, but she felt it wasn’t enough to truly support him.

She looked at her hands and wondered,

What could she do to truly be his strength?

“...”

It wasn’t that she had no ideas at all.

Before Berg left, they had discussed having a child.

Maybe starting a family could give him strength.

Ner placed her hand on her lower abdomen and let out a short sigh.

Right now, that was a ridiculous thought.

To suggest such a thing to Berg, who was drowning in grief over Captain Adam’s loss, would be insulting.

Rather, her role was to help smooth this process as much as possible.

So, Ner opened the book she had brought.

The book of medical knowledge given by the saintess.

Right now, it was right to manage the injuries of the Red Flames group members.

This meant it was time to study.

She pushed her troubled thoughts aside and filled her mind with new knowledge.

Dwarven healing techniques. Methods of disinfection.

Lizardman surgical techniques. Anesthesia methods.

Elven extrusion techniques. Medicine, poisons, and more...

As she flipped through the book, Ner’s eyes locked on a particular entry.

“....................?”

Ner blinked as she processed the information.

“....huh?”

She read it over a few times, hardly believing her eyes.

Information marked in a different handwriting.

She read the information internally.

‘Tears of Mel.’

A potent poison used by elven trackers.

Extremely rare to obtain, and not well-known among many beings.

“...”

Ner’s thoughts froze for a moment.

She couldn’t understand why, at this moment, she remembered the vial of medicine hidden by Arwin.

But the more she continued reading, the more all the information seemed eerily similar.

The poison was said to be colorless and odorless.

Ner remembered opening a vial and smelling it—there was no scent and no color.

Tears of Mel, on its own, had no effect... but when mixed with Bardi liquor, it became a poison from which death was inevitable.

Days later, it would lead to a silent, evidence-free death.

Bardi liquor.

It was the first liquor Arwin had given to Berg.

It remained the liquor Arwin brought to Berg to this day.

Ner recalled the sight of Arwin pouring Bardi liquor for Berg.

It had since become Berg’s favorite drink.

“................”

All the conversations Arwin had had from their first meeting spun in Ner’s head.

-Thud...

Unaware, Ner dropped the book, frozen in place.

-Snap!

She suddenly sprang up and ran out.

She sprinted home with all her might.

“Haah...haah...”

She burst through the door as if to break it down, rushing inside.

Berg, startled by her appearance, asked,

“What’s wrong, Ner?”

“...”

Seeing Berg struggling, she said,

“...It’s nothing.”

She shook her head and moved on.

She couldn’t say anything just yet.

Ensuring Arwin was not around, she headed to the storage.

Swallowing hard, she searched for the hidden vial.

Her hands quickly found the vial.

It wasn’t difficult.

The vial in her grasp still sparkled clear and bright.

“..............”

Could it be? Could it not?

But the circumstances pointed unmistakably.

It could only be Mel’s Tears.

It was Arwin who wished for Berg’s death.

It was she who longed for freedom from Berg.

A poison only elves possessed.

Being a noble, Arwin could have easily obtained it.

Only a natural death for Berg would grant Arwin his freedom, she had heard.

Mel’s Tears promised a death more natural than any other.

Mel’s Tears had to be mixed with Bardi liquor... and Berg now drank only Bardi liquor.

“......haah...haah...ah...”

Ner’s breath shook violently as it left her.

A chill ran through her body.

The thought that Arwin was targeting Berg’s life shook her heart more than anything else.

It might not just be a funeral for the comrades—it could be Berg’s funeral anytime.

It was too sudden, too hard to accept.

In such turmoil, another piece of information added to the confusion.

At the same time, she felt a fury so intense it seemed her head might ignite.

Berg, who had been her only ally.

Berg, her hero, her love.

The man she planned to spend her life with... the father of her future children.

The idea that she almost lost Berg to this elf was unbearable.

She had known that the long-lived races took the short-lived ones lightly, but never imagined it to this extent.

Unable to contain her exploding anger, Ner gripped the vial and headed outside.

She tried to stop her scattered thoughts.

-Tap...tap..tap tap...

Her stomach churned as she walked.

She dreads the uncomfortable conversation they may have to endure.

But it was a necessary thing, something that had to happen.

She hoped that what was in this vial was not Mel’s Tears.

She wished it was all just a misunderstanding.

...But if this isn’t Mel’s Tears, what could it be?

Why would Arwin have hidden it secretly in a luggage box?

“Berg.”

With a trembling heart, Ner called out to Berg.

“.........”

Berg turned his head.

“...Ner?”

“........................”

Seeing Berg’s eyes... Ner froze in place.

Berg looked so worn out.

The once strong man was clearly in pain.

Despite this, Berg managed a weary smile and asked,

“...What’s wrong, Ner? You’ve seemed unusually anxious.”

Ner gripped the poison vial, pondering.

How much would this hurt him?

Ner knew Berg had feelings for Arwin.

Even after she had spoken ill of Arwin, Berg had embraced her.

Ner continued to think.

What would be best for Berg?

Should she reveal this cruel truth to him... or should she just let it go?

..............Now, polygamy might even be abolished.

If only Berg would stop drinking Bardi liquor, he wouldn’t be in danger.

Arwin had longed only for freedom all her life.

Soon to leave, maybe it was best not to bring up such matters.

Maybe it was better to let Berg part ways with Arwin unknowingly.

Her decision was swift.

Ner hid the vial behind her back and whispered,

“...Let’s go for a walk, Berg.”

“...”

“The weather looked so nice earlier.”

At her words, Berg struggled to smile.

“...Shall we?”

Seeing his smile, Ner forced a laugh as well.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

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