Chapter 181: Request for Support (1)

 

“…You know better than anyone the families and races skilled in medicine.”

 

Gale’s words made my jaw muscles twitch.

 

“...”

 

I exhaled a long sigh through my nose instead of responding.

 

Though I knew Gale’s words were right in my head, my emotions kept clouding my judgment.

 

Was there really no other way?

 

Was there no alternative?

 

Seeing me hesitate, Gale raised his voice as if to scold me.

 

“Berg. This isn’t a matter where you can prioritize your feelings.”

 

“...I know.”

 

“Then what are you worrying about?”

 

“It’s not so much a worry as...”

 

I didn’t know how to express my current emotions.

 

It seemed I could only act this way after all that had happened.

 

My parting with Ner was far from clean, even to say it in jest.

 

She couldn’t accept my words of divorce.

 

Every day, she clung to me, crying at the mention of separation.

 

She used to wait for me till dawn, going on our nightly walks as usual.

 

‘Berg... Please...!’

 

Her pleas still echoed in my mind.

 

In the end, she fainted at my final words in the capital.

 

Even after we were apart, she kept sending me letters.

 

But no matter how pitifully she behaved, back then, I couldn’t act any differently.

 

Losing Adam Hyung shook me to my core, and the betrayal of my wives was a tremendous shock.

 

I had tried so hard to win their hearts, so the backlash was equally severe.

 

I traveled for them, fought for them.

 

I suppressed my desires so they could live comfortably by my side.

 

In the midst of all that, Ner had put my most precious family in danger.

 

Arwin tried to kill me.

 

It hurt even more because I trusted them the most.

 

Eventually, time passed, and we drifted apart.

 

Contact with Ner was completely cut off.

 

Especially after marrying Sien, I hadn’t heard anything about Ner.

 

I didn’t even know what she thought of me.

 

I didn’t know how she reacted to my marriage.

 

With polygamy now abolished, our past connection was severed.

 

We could never go back to the way things were.

 

In this situation, what would Ner think of me?

 

I had rejected Ner and Arwin’s pleas and ultimately chose Sien.

 

Does she still harbor feelings for me?

 

Or has she forgotten me by now?

 

Or does she resent me for pushing her away so coldly?

 

Questions I had no answers to.

 

But regardless of the answer, it wouldn’t benefit Stockpin.

 

If she had forgotten me...

 

...she wouldn’t want to help me now.

 

If she hated me...

 

...she wouldn’t want to set foot in our village.

 

And finally, if she still thought of me.

 

...then seeing me with Sien and a child would only cause her more pain.

 

Requesting help from Blackwood in this situation was easier said than done.

 

“...Berg.”

 

But I knew the choice was clear.

 

I sighed and spoke to him.

 

“...I understand.”

 

As Gale said, there was no room for my emotions here.

 

This decision could potentially affect countless lives.

 

I didn’t want to regret anything after losing so many people.

 

The more I hesitated, the more I would have to pay the price for it.

 

When I thought about it, Blackwood still owed me a debt.

 

For returning Ner unscathed and for not revealing her betrayal to anyone.

 

I hadn’t yet collected on that debt.

 

If I excluded my emotions from the equation...we had a valid reason.

 

I pulled out a blank sheet of paper from the desk.

 

With Gale watching, I sighed.

 

Ultimately, I only needed Blackwood’s help. There was no need to meet Ner.

 

I stood frozen for a while, thinking about my comrades in the Red Flames group, the villagers, Sien, and...our child. Then I dipped my quill into the ink.

 

And I began to write the letter.

 

****

 

“Hey! It’s time to pay for your drinks!”

 

A bard turned his head at the innkeeper’s request while drinking at the tavern.

 

The bustling tavern fell silent as everyone turned to look.

 

The moment everyone had been waiting for.

 

The bard shrugged at the innkeeper’s words, playing it off lightly.

 

“Can’t I drink a little more? The atmosphere is just getting good.”

 

“The atmosphere is good, so it’s time for you to work...! What good is it if you just enjoy it?”

 

The bard sniffled and set his glass down.

 

“...You’ve got a point there.”

 

He then picked up his small harp and stood up.

 

Under the gaze of the crowd, the bard spoke to the innkeeper, who was frowning in discontent.

 

“Don’t be so angry. I was just distracted because the drink was so good.”

 

Laughter rippled through the tavern.

 

The innkeeper, too, couldn’t help but smile at the bard’s unexpected compliment.

 

As the bard walked up to the stage, cheers erupted from the patrons who had come to see him.

 

“Play something good! We’ve been waiting a long time for this!”

 

“My daughter hums your songs...let’s hear how the real thing sounds.”

 

“This is my second time hearing you! I hope it’s as good as last time!”

 

“Ah...! I get to hear you again today...”

 

The bard smiled at the anticipation on the patrons’ faces and took a sip of water.

 

He had wandered as a bard for many years, but the song he was about to perform was the one that shone the brightest among his works.

 

‘Solitude and Purity.’

 

It was a song based on the love between two people.

 

It depicted the story of childhood friends who, despite long hardships, loved only each other. The fact that a race, seemingly the farthest from pure love, was at the center of this story added to its charm.

 

The male protagonist in the story had other connections but ultimately overcame all obstacles for his first love.

 

Even the bard himself thought it was a wonderful story.

 

Sometimes, a few people seemed to realize whose story it was.

 

It was the story of Berg Reiker and the former Saintess.

 

The fact that it was based on a true story stirred people’s hearts.

 

Women, in particular, loved this story.

 

The bard, holding his harp and warming up his voice, looked at a woman he had his eye on.

 

-Wink.

 

Then he gave a light wink and began playing the harp softly, starting the song.

 

.

.

.

 

After the performance ended successfully, the bard was pleasantly drunk.

 

“...Well done. Please perform again next time.”

 

The innkeeper smiled at the bard, pleased with the unusually good business.

 

The bard waved his hand nonchalantly and returned to his lodging.

 

Since he hadn’t managed to seduce the woman he had his eye on...he decided to just go to bed.

 

-Squeak...

 

He opened the door to his dark room and stepped inside.

 

“...Phew...that was fun—”

 

-Thud!

 

But as soon as he entered the room, someone struck his abdomen with a thick blunt object.

 

The bard collapsed, unable to breathe.

 

He tried to scream in shock, but no sound came out.

 

He had to catch his breath first.

 

He turned his head with difficulty to see his assailant.

 

-Thud!

 

But with a sharp pain in his head, he lost consciousness.

 

.

.

.

 

He awoke much later.

 

He was being dragged somewhere with a hood over his head.

 

He screamed and begged to be released, but all he got in return was more beatings.

 

He couldn’t understand who was subjecting him to such unreasonable violence.

 

Was it his competitor, Ronto? He didn’t know.

 

He remained silent, having been beaten until there wasn’t a spot on his body that didn’t ache.

 

Considering they were dragging him somewhere...he wouldn’t die.

 

An opportunity would surely come.

 

The bard felt like he had been moving for days before arriving somewhere.

 

-Swoosh!

 

After several days, the hood covering his face was removed, and his eyes slowly opened.

 

The place he arrived at was a dark, spacious...and luxurious room.

 

The floor was made of marble, and the pillars supporting the ceiling were intricately carved.

 

The bard had to swallow hard.

 

Even he could tell...this was a noble’s space.

 

And not just any noble.

 

It had to be one of the great noble families.

 

“He’s here.”

 

The voice of the man who had beaten him for days spoke beside him.

 

The bard couldn’t lift his head.

 

Kneeling, he trembled uncontrollably.

 

Why was this happening to him?

 

He had done nothing to incur the wrath of a noble.

 

Yet, he didn’t dare express his frustration.

 

For now, he could only keep his posture low and pray to the five gods for safety.

 

As he waited, a voice echoed.

 

“...Are you the bard who composed the song ‘Solitude and Purity’?”

 

The voice was melodious, even to his ears.

 

Enchanted by the beautiful voice, the bard slowly raised his head.

 

He couldn’t see his interlocutor well in the dark.

 

But one thing was clear...the noble’s hair and tail glistened white under the moonlight.

 

White tail and white hair.

 

The bard recognized these features.

 

Ner Blackwood.

 

This was Blackwood’s territory.

 

“...”

 

Trembling, the bard slowly nodded.

 

He wasn’t bold enough to lie.

 

Besides, the soldier standing next to him had probably seen him singing.

 

Ner Blackwood whispered slowly in response to his affirmation.

 

In this vast room, even a whisper echoed loudly.

 

“...Do you know why you were brought here?”

 

“...”

 

The bard shook his head, trembling.

 

He knew Ner Blackwood was Berg Reiker’s ex-wife.

 

But in his story, everyone was happy.

 

Initially, Ner Blackwood had been sold off when Berg was a mercenary.

 

Everyone pitied her, but it was later revealed that Berg Reiker hadn’t laid a hand on her.

 

Moreover, when Berg Reiker became a noble and brought safety to his mercenary group, he had safely returned Ner Blackwood to her territory.

 

A perfectly happy ending.

 

He couldn’t understand why Ner Blackwood was doing this.

 

-Thud!

 

At the same time, a punishment fell upon the bard for failing to answer.

 

“Argh!”

 

The soldier next to him kicked him in the stomach again.

 

The bard groaned in pain...then adjusted his posture and crawled on the floor.

 

“I...I’m sorry...”

 

“...”

 

“If...if you tell me the reason, I’ll make sure it never happens again...”

 

“...”

 

Ner Blackwood remained silent for a long while, then spoke in an even quieter voice.

 

“...It wasn’t hardship...”

 

The bard raised his head again at the continuing voice.

 

Ner’s voice had a compelling power to draw attention.

 

“...Pardon?”

 

At the same time, the bard could hardly believe his eyes.

 

In the shadows, he saw something glistening like tears in the moonlight on Ner’s face.

 

Ner Blackwood spoke.

 

“...The time Berg spent with me...was not a hardship.”

 

A subtle yet intense anger radiated, pressing down on the bard.

 

“...Berg...was happy with me too...”

 

A noble was sitting before him, forcing her subjective truth.

 

“...I was...so loved...”

 

The bard was beginning to understand why she was doing this.

 

He saw the emotions Ner Blackwood harbored for Berg Reiker.

 

She seemed unable to let go of Berg, who had already found another partner.

 

“....”

 

Ner nodded.

 

-Crack!

 

The harp the bard had cherished broke before his eyes.

 

“No...! It can’t be...”

 

The bard whispered, holding his breath at the sight.

 

But Ner’s lofty voice continued to resonate.

 

“If you get caught spreading that song any further...”

 

“...”

 

“...you’d better be prepared.”

 

With those words, the bard was pulled to his feet by the soldiers.

 

He was dragged out, staring blankly at the scene he had just witnessed.

 

.

.

.

 

As the bard was led away, Gidon, who had watched everything, stepped forward.

 

“...Ner.”

 

“...”

 

Ner remained seated, staring up at the high moon in the sky.

 

As if to say, don’t disturb me while I miss Berg.

 

But Gidon had to speak.

 

He didn’t know what consequences this would bring, but it was a necessary fact to convey.

 

“...A letter has arrived from Stockpin.”

 

“............”

 

Ner’s rigid head slowly turned.

 

“...”

 

Seeing Ner’s face, Gidon was surprised.

 

For the past year and a half, her expression had been dead, but now it showed signs of agitation.

 

“...What...did you say?”

 

Ner asked in a trembling voice.

 

She was breathing heavily.

 

Gidon spoke, looking at her.

 

“...It’s a letter from Berg Reiker.”

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

 

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