Chapter 179: An Approaching Crisis (3)

I was wrapping things up.

A couple from the human race, who had received our help, approached us to express their gratitude.

“Lord Reiker...! Thank you so much...! We never imagined you would come in person to assist us...”

They were part of the Humans that had settled in our territory after I became a noble.

Shaking my head, I responded to them.

“No need to thank me. If any problems arise in the future, just let me know. Take care.”

Their gratitude made me somewhat uncomfortable.

We were merely lucky this time, and there was no guarantee we could help next time.

As the lord, the task of continually ensuring the lives under my care was a heavy burden.

Taking a deep breath, I turned to look at the captured bandits.

We had killed five and captured fourteen.

It was a rather large group of bandits.

I approached Burns, patting him on the shoulder for his hard work, and said,

“Burns, are you really okay?”

“I’m fine. Not a scratch on me.”

Nodding at his response, I then walked over to the man who seemed to be the leader of the bandits.

As soon as he saw my face, he bowed his head to the ground and pleaded.

“Lord... Lord Berg Reiker... Please, spare me.”

“....”

“I... I made a mistake. We had no way to survive, so we did this. I promise it won’t happen again.”

It was the same story I heard every time we caught bandits.

Clicking my tongue, I asked him,

“Where are you from?”

“Wh... what?”

Terrified, he belatedly answered my question.

“Ah... Th- the Torian region.”

“Why did a mercenary from the Torian region come all the way here?”

“I... I didn’t know this was Lord Reiker’s territory... We were just trying to find a way to survive...”

“....”

The Torian region was quite a distance to the northwest from here.

The fact that they had traveled all the way here was not good news.

If mercenaries from Torian could appear here, who else might show up?

I sighed and said to him,

“Do you know what happens if you’re caught banditry in Stockpin?”

“…Lord Reiker... please... please...”

“At least you didn’t commit murder or rape. If you had, you’d already be dead.”

I stood up and looked at Baran, then nodded.

The members of the Red Flames began moving in unison.

“Ah…! No!!”

The bandits started screaming.

There’s one thing I’ve learned while managing the territory.

In the past, I showed a lot of mercy and sometimes even allowed bandits into the territory.

But that always led to unforeseen problems.

They’d return to banditry… commit assaults… or even murders… or rapes.

Mercenary-turned-bandits were particularly notorious for this.

Since then, we have adhered strictly to the rules.

Bandits had their thumbs and index fingers cut off.

To ensure they could never wield a sword properly again.

If they truly reformed, they could still handle basic tools.

It was a principle we adopted to find a balance between not being too lenient and not being overly cruel.

“Lord… Lord Reiker!! Just this once!!”

I looked steadily at the bandit leader and said,

“There are no exceptions.”

****

We released the mercenaries with their fingers cut off and returned to the territory.

Applause erupted for us as we finished our task.

“Well done!”

“Baran! Are you okay?!”

I smiled as I saw Sien watching me, surrounded by several women.

When I dismounted and looked at her, Sien ran up and hugged me.

“I was worried, Bell.”

I chuckled at her words.

“What’s there to worry about?”

“…Catching bandits isn’t exactly a safe job.”

With that, Sien gave me a light kiss.

Even after the kiss, she kept smiling, making it clear she was in a particularly good mood today.

“Did something happen?”

I asked, noticing her expression, but Sien playfully shook her head.

“No~?”

I looked at Sien and then at the women smiling proudly in the distance.

Their faces were full of happiness.

The atmosphere felt oddly peculiar.

“…What’s going on?”

From a long time ago, I could always tell if Sien was lying.

She was hiding something right now.

But despite my questioning, Sien continued to deny it.

“Nothing happened. Just…”

“…Just?”

“I’m planning to cook something delicious today. Let’s play, Berg.”

Even as an adult, Sien often used the phrase “Let’s play.”

It seemed to be a habit she had from childhood.

That phrase felt like an affectionate term, almost like a nickname, which I also liked.

“…”

I was about to agree to “playing” together when I suddenly remembered there was still work to do.

I had to discuss the recent bandit incidents with Gale.

There was also some paperwork left to be done.

“…Bell?”

“…Well, Sien…”

“…Can’t you?”

“…”

But my resolve gradually crumbled under Sien’s pleading eyes.

There were two choices before me.

I could continue bearing the burdens and duties of nobility that didn’t suit me, or...

I could spend the rest of this beautiful day peacefully with Sien, who looked so happy.

I had to choose one.

“…”

As I continued to ponder, I finally shook my head.

Making decisions like this always troubled me.

But for the sake of our people, I had to do what was necessary.

“…Sorry, Sien. Today, I can’t-”

“-Captain.”

At that moment, Baran placed a hand on my shoulder from behind.

With a gentle smile, he spoke.

“…I will explain today’s events to Gale.”

“…”

“I’ll also prepare our response and summarize the remaining documents so you can continue tomorrow without any hassle.”

“You can’t read.”

“I’ll have Desmond read them to me.”

“…”

“Spend time with Madam.”

Baran’s insistence swayed my resolve.

Unable to even utter a polite refusal, I accepted his offer.

“Thank you, Baran.”

He just smiled in response.

“Then please make sure to attend my upcoming wedding.”

I laughed and replied to his comment.

“Confess first, then talk about weddings.”

After a brief exchange with Baran, I turned back to Sien.

Her face was filled with unmistakable joy.

“…So, we’re playing together today?”

I nodded and answered her.

“Yes, let’s do that.”

****

Sien put a lot of effort into preparing today’s meal.

It might seem odd for nobles like us to cook our own meals, but it felt more natural to me.

Besides, Sien always wanted to make the food herself.

The problem was, even after a year, her cooking skills were still lacking.

Sometimes, the bizarre dishes she made were a struggle to eat, but in hindsight, they all became endearing memories.

“What’s the occasion, Sien?”

I could tell she had worked especially hard today.

There were no musty or sour-smelling dishes. Everything looked fragrant and appetizing.

There were so many dishes, too.

More than enough for just the two of us.

“…Is something really going on today?”

Sien beamed and shook her head.

“It’s nothing.”

I gave her a skeptical look, but she just laughed and insisted.

“I just wanted to make something special for you.”

Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

I smiled, feeling warmth spread through me.

“Well, it all looks amazing.”

Sien blushed slightly, clearly pleased with my praise.

“Let’s eat then!”

We sat down together, the table laden with delicious food.

As we began to eat, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for this moment of peace and happiness.

For a while, the burdens of my responsibilities faded away, replaced by the simple joy of being with Sien.

Seeing Sien put so much effort into preparing, I asked her again, and this time, instead of denying it, she just gave a shy smile.

She changed the subject and said,

“Just try it, Bell. I’m confident today.”

“Alright, sit down. Let’s eat together.”

“Okay. Just a moment?”

Sien brought out a bottle of Bardi liquor.

It was a drink we had started to avoid recently due to being so busy with work.

She silently filled my glass and hers.

“Let’s eat.”

“…”

I had no idea why she was doing this.

It wasn’t a special occasion.

I looked at Sien intently.

Was she preparing a special gift?

Maybe she arranged this because she knew I was having a hard time.

There were times when Sien would create such days for us to share more intimate moments.

“…Cheers.”

Sien raised her glass towards me.

I looked deeply into her eyes, trying to figure out her intentions.

“…Pfft!”

She giggled and smiled at my gaze.

Then she whispered to me,

“Drink, Bell.”

“…”

I took a sip of the Bardi liquor for the first time in a while.

Sien only wetted her lips before putting her glass down.

“You’re not drinking?”

“…Just wanted to enjoy the mood today.”

She naturally served some food onto my plate.

I picked up my spoon and took a bite of the food.

“How is it?”

Tasting her food, I nodded and replied,

“It’s delicious. What’s gotten into you?”

“…Bell!”

Seeing Sien’s indignant reaction, I laughed.

I was hungry, so I started eating in big bites and said,

“…This is great, but it’s a bit much for just two people.”

Sien replied,

“That’s because it’s not just for two people.”

“…”

I pondered her words and asked,

“Did you invite Gale?”

“No, I didn’t invite anyone.”

“Then what do you mean it’s not just for two people…”

A possibility dawned on me, and I froze.

I stopped chewing, and my hand stilled.

“…”

I stared at Sien without blinking.

Realizing that I had caught on, Sien whispered,

“You’re so slow to realize, Bell.”

“…”

Over the past year and a half, there had been many moments like this.

Whenever her period was late, whenever she had sudden bouts of nausea, we always wondered if she might be pregnant.

But our hopes were dashed every time, and we had gradually pushed the thought of a child to the back of our minds.

-Screech!

I stood up and approached her.

Kneeling before her, I held her shoulders.

“…Is it true?”

Sien nodded.

“…Yes.”

“You’re not joking, right?”

“Why would I joke about something like this…”

Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at her.

“…We’re having a baby?”

Sien smiled softly, her eyes also filled with tears.

“Yes, Bell. We’re having a baby.”

I pulled her into a tight embrace, feeling a mix of overwhelming joy and relief.

This moment, more than anything else, filled me with a happiness I had never known.

“Thank you, Sien. Thank you so much. Thank You…”

We stayed like that for a long time, savoring the joy of our shared news and the promise of a new life together.

Sien smiled more brightly than ever, her eyes beginning to well up with tears.

“What should we name the baby?”

“..............”

I couldn’t find any words to say.

-Thump!

All I could do was hold her tightly in my arms.

Sien, feeling my joy, burst into laughter.

“Are you happy, Bell?”

I could barely speak, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over at the news of our new family member.

“…Is that even a question?”

****

“…Cough! Cough…!”

Burns felt heat rising to his head.

Was it because of the intense battle?

After capturing the bandits, he had felt an overwhelming fatigue and had taken a short nap.

But despite the rest, his condition only worsened.

“Burns, you need to eat and rest.”

His comrades approached him, concerned about his feverish state.

Burns, who hadn’t started a family yet, shared a room with other members of the Red Flames gruop.

He shook his head and pulled the blanket over his head.

“…I have no appetite right now. I’ll just rest a bit longer.”

“You’re not going to get better without eating. Come on, get up.”

The youngest in the squad, Burns shook his head at his seniors’ words.

His condition was truly terrible.

“…I’m sorry. Just… Cough! Cough! I’ll rest just for today.”

-Bang!

Someone entered the room.

Despite the heavy footsteps approaching, Burns couldn’t muster any reaction.

Soon, a strong hand shook him.

“…Burns.”

Slowly, Burns moved his increasingly heavy body.

He realized it was Baran.

Burns pulled the blanket down and looked up at Baran standing over him.

“…I’m sorry, Vice-Captain. I should get up to greet you…”

“…”

Baran said nothing about Burns’ condition.

He didn’t tell him to eat or rest.

“…Vice-Captain?”

The unusual silence prompted Burns to call out to him.

Finally, Baran, a bit late and with a hint of fear in his voice, asked,

“…Since when have you been like this?”

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

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