Chapter 193: Remaining Task (2)

Ner and Arwin rushed towards me upon my return.

Their eyes widened in shock at the sight of me, covered in blood.

It seemed they hadn’t been able to sleep since the moment I first left home.

The way they both ran towards me stirred up old memories.

“Are you... hurt...?”

Ner, who had hurried over, frantically searched my body for injuries, her hands trembling as she felt for wounds.

Perhaps because of the thoughts I had just been having, I couldn’t bring myself to stop her as she touched me so naturally, almost like a wife would.

“...Ah!”

She soon found a gash and gasped, her body trembling in shock.

Even with her shaking hands, she quickly bit into the edge of her clothes and tore off a strip.

There wasn’t even the slightest hesitation in her actions.

Despite being dressed in the fine, elegant garments befitting a noblewoman of the Blackwood family, she didn’t care.

Rip!

She began pressing the expensive fabric against my wound.

“Let’s just wrap it up like this for now. We’ll treat it inside. You need to wash up too, okay?”

“...”

The fur on her tail stood stiff, a clear sign of her tension.

I didn’t push her away and merely nodded.

Arwin approached from the side.

Smack!

With a frown, she hit me square in the chest.

Her gaze was a mixture of anger and relief as she looked at me and asked,

“Why do you always...”

“...”

“...act like you have a death wish?”

“...”

It wasn’t that I wanted to die. I just found it easier to accept the risks.

Arwin probably knew that too.

I could sense she was just upset, and that’s why she was saying this.

She wiped away the small tear that had gathered at the corner of her eye and said softly,

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s not because I have any special feelings for you. I’m just worried as a friend, that’s all.”

With a sigh, I continued walking.

From Gale to Ner and Arwin... Tomorrow, I’d probably get scolded by Sien and Baran as well.

“...I’m sorry.”

I said to Ner and Arwin, apologizing for making them worry.

“...”

“...”

They both paused briefly at my words, then silently followed after me.

****

The next day, Baran woke up at dawn and heard about what had happened the previous night.

The other members, who received the news alongside him, couldn’t help but be shocked.

“...Captain Berg... did what?”

Gale sighed and repeated the words.

“He attacked the bandits alone last night. It was late, so there wasn’t much we could do.”

“...”

Baran, trying to stay calm, asked again.

“...Is he alright?”

“He’s got a few injuries. Nothing too serious, thankfully.”

“...”

Baran wasn’t surprised. He was used to this side of Berg.

He was always someone who put his people first.

Adam, the former captain, once said it was a habit he picked up from the slums.

In the slums, you had to take care of your family.

“...I’ll go check the bandits' bodies,” Baran said, continuing his thoughts.

Gale nodded in agreement.

“...That’s probably best.”

Baran quickly assembled a small group of the remaining members.

Recently, it wasn’t easy to gather a team with so many injured. 

On top of that, with the recent death of Krian, some members were still hungover from drowning their sorrows the night before.

Baran sighed as he mounted his horse.

His heart still hadn’t calmed from the events.

He knew Berg was impulsive, but he thought that side of him had faded when he became a lord.

He assumed Berg had changed after gaining a family.

But Berg hadn’t changed, and he remained the same as always.

Perhaps that was Berg’s strength.

Baran rode through the crisp morning air.

“...Vice-captain Baran, over here.”

“...”

It wasn’t hard to follow the trail.

All they had to do was follow the blood Berg had left behind.

Baran’s mind flashed back to his last battle with Krian.

He vividly remembered the terror of facing over fifty bandits attacking at once.

Without Krian’s sacrifice, there could have been far more casualties.

As Baran followed the trail of blood, he wondered to himself.

How did he even think about fighting that battle alone?

Just like when he took down the Boss monsters, Berg made unbelievable decisions and somehow pushed through them.

“...There.”

Baran spotted faint smoke rising in the distance.

The blood trail led directly to the source.

That must have been where the battle took place at dawn.

Baran pulled his reins and urged his horse toward what looked like the bandit camp.

“...”

Everyone gasped at the scene before them.

“...What the hell...”

No one could believe what they were seeing.

At least twenty bandits lay dead on the ground.

It was hard to believe that all of them had been taken down by one man—Berg.

It looked as though an entire army had trampled through the camp.

“...”

The bandit who had delivered the fatal blow to Krian lay face down in the dirt.

Baran felt a mix of satisfaction from avenging his fallen comrade and awe at the sight before him.

One of the members who had followed Baran muttered quietly.

“...Sometimes we forget.”

“...”

“It’s incredible that Captain Berg has this kind of power.”

“...”

Baran nodded in agreement.

Come to think of it, there might not be anyone stronger than Berg anymore.

Even Gale, who had once been formidable, often mentioned how his body wasn’t what it used to be, and the hero had lost an arm. With Adam gone, it was possible that no one could match Berg’s strength as a swordsman.

It was more fitting to see him as a swordsman than the leader of a domain.

Perhaps that was the truth.

After all, Berg had stepped into the role left behind by Adam.

Looking at the bodies of the fallen bandits, Baran gave the order.

“...Burn them all.”

Leaving them like this could risk spreading another plague.

Suppressing his complicated thoughts, Baran and his men set about cleaning up the scene.

****

Arwin glanced over at Sien and Berg, who were sitting on the bedroom bed from the living room.

Berg, wrapped head to toe in the bandages Ner had applied, was comforting Sien, who sat on his lap, still upset.

She had been utterly shocked when she saw Berg return injured that night.

After crying for a long time, she had sulked, her face buried in his chest, giving him curt replies to everything he said.

Yet Berg didn’t seem to tire of it, continually soothing her with patience.

“I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”

“...Why did you do something you have to apologize for?”

“...”

No matter how much Sien scolded him, Berg just kept smiling.

It was clear that behind her nagging, she cared deeply for him, and Berg seemed to understand that too.

To him, everything she did was simply endearing.

“...”

Arwin, watching this scene, felt unsettled.

Technically, Sien and Berg were in the bedroom, so all she had to do was turn her head to avoid seeing it.

But for some reason, her eyes wouldn’t turn away, forcing her to endure the discomfort the sight caused.

She couldn’t help but remember the times when Berg had comforted her in the same way, patiently soothing her when she was upset.

No matter what she said, Berg would always laugh and playfully resolve their disagreements.

But now that someone else was in her place, jealousy welled up inside her.

“...”

Arwin could feel the anxiety bubbling up within her.

Maybe her plan had been a mistake.

She had lied, telling herself that she’d forgotten him, all in the hope of slowly growing closer to him.

But this was the price she had to pay.

Unable to express her feelings properly, she constantly had to suppress them, bottling up her emotions inside.

Even words of concern had to be carefully measured, never spoken freely.

...And now, Berg’s reckless actions had only stirred up her restlessness further.

She had forgotten that Berg was someone who always took risks.

...What if, while waiting for Sien’s life to come to an end, Berg died in an accident first?

...What would she do then?

Would she have to let him go without ever fully expressing her feelings, without ever experiencing the moment she’d longed for?

That was the most terrifying nightmare Arwin could imagine.

She stared at Berg, who was smiling happily.

“...”

Closing her eyes tightly, Arwin suppressed the growing desire within her.

****

A few days passed.

I was watching as the tools Arwin had brought, which were crafted from her designs, were put to use in the fields.

None of them broke as easily as before.

With work progressing smoothly, the members' faces were finally starting to show some smiles.

Although, part of those smiles seemed to be an attempt to shake off the gloom that lingered.

Besides Krian’s death, there had been a steady stream of fatalities within the domain.

Despite the tireless efforts of Ner and the Blackwood nursing staff, some deaths were inevitable.

With each loss, the heavy atmosphere only deepened, impossible to erase no matter what we did.

“...”

As I watched the ongoing work, I couldn’t shake one persistent thought from my mind.

...Gale’s suggestion about leaving this place.

The seed he had planted kept sprouting in my head.

If not for the lingering issues, I might have seriously considered that option.

The plague, the farming crisis, the bandits, and the demon lord’s right-hand man. And then there was Adam Hyung’s final wish.

I sighed, burdened by all that remained.

Especially the issue of Krund—it continued to gnaw at me.

Rumors about the monsters kept trickling into the village.

Though I tried to hide my feelings, the hatred I held for that creature still burned in my chest.

“...What’s on your mind?”

Suddenly, someone asked.

I turned to see Arwin standing beside me.

After a brief hesitation, I covered up my true thoughts and said,

“I’m worried about the harvest.”

“...”

“...If we don’t succeed again this year, next year is going to be tough.”

Arwin spoke to me reassuringly.

“It'll work out. Don’t worry.”

She slowly approached and placed her hand on the bandages wrapped around me.

“...Eventually, this too will pass.”

I looked at her and responded.

“...Let’s hope so.”

She nodded and withdrew her hand. As she gazed at the ongoing farming work, just like I was, she suddenly asked me a question.

“Berg?”

I turned to look at her.

“...Just a question.”

“...Go ahead.”

“If you could live for hundreds of years... how would you want to live?”

“...”

Arwin stared off into the distance, her expression indifferent.

It was such a purposeless and meaningless question that I froze for a moment.

“I’m just curious. You seem to have a lot on your mind, and sometimes it’s good to escape those thoughts with something like this.”

“...”

Was this her way of comforting me?

I took a deep breath.

Maybe it was something she was struggling with herself.

She was going to live for a thousand years, and she might always be thinking about what to do with all that time.

I blinked slowly and, without much thought, answered.

“...I’d like to spend it with the people I care about.”

“...”

Arwin stared at me for a moment before smiling, as if she liked my answer.

“...Me too.”

Sometimes I forget.

When Arwin is by my side, she seems so ordinary that I forget she’s someone who will live far beyond me.

She would continue living long after I was gone.

Was it because of the increasing deaths in Stockpin? Or maybe because of the reckless decisions I had been making recently?

Before I knew it, I was asking her for a favor.

“...Arwin?”

“Yes?”

It might have been the weight of responsibility on my shoulders, or perhaps thoughts of the child soon to be born.

Maybe it was Krund that had been on my mind lately.

I spoke to her as a friend once again.

“...If something sudden were to happen to me... could you take care of our people?”

“........”

The smile vanished from Arwin’s face at my request.

I added quickly.

“...Only if you can, when you have the time.”

Arwin didn’t answer for a long while.

She stared ahead, deep in thought, before whispering.

“......................What’s the price?”

“...”

Selfishly, I couldn’t answer right away.

I didn’t even know what she wanted anymore.

For the longest time, freedom had been her greatest wish.

Now that she had gained it, I had no idea what Arwin might desire.

“Is there something you need?”

I asked.

Her stern expression turned towards me, and after a moment of silence, she asked cautiously.

“...Would you grant it?”

Since I had no idea what she was hoping for, it wasn’t a question I could easily answer.

Seeing my hesitation, she moved closer, glancing around before gesturing for me to lean in.

“It’s nothing big. Just, for a moment... lend me your ear.”

“...?”

I leaned in slowly, confused.

Arwin drew closer, her familiar, pleasant scent filling the air.

She whispered.

“...There’s one thing I haven’t experienced since gaining my freedom.”

She took a deep breath and spoke so softly it was barely audible.

“...I want to experience having sex once.”

Whoosh.

At her words, I sat up straight.

Arwin shrugged nonchalantly as she replied.

"...It's not something I could do with just anyone, right? But with you, it feels... right. I'm not exactly uninterested in what it would be like with you."

"...Arwin."

"After all, you were once my husband. It wouldn’t have been strange if we had experienced this together. I also wouldn’t mind having a child with you—"

"—Stop."

"..."

Arwin immediately closed her mouth at my words.

An awkward silence fell between us.

Breaking that silence, Arwin flashed a bright smile.

"...I’m just joking. Why are you reacting so sensitively?"

"You—"

"—It’s not like you were ever going to say yes anyway."

"..."

I kept my mouth shut, knowing she was right.

Arwin continued, her tone light.

"If it were that simple, Ner wouldn’t be struggling so much either. I knew you’d never agree, so I just said it as a joke."

"..."

She laughed softly, as if amused by my frustration.

I looked at her for a moment before sighing and letting the tension dissolve.

There was plenty I could have said, but, as she pointed out, even if she had been serious, it wasn’t something I would’ve agreed to.

And from her demeanor, it didn’t seem like she was entirely serious anyway.

"...Ha."

I scratched at my itchy wounds and turned my gaze back to the fields.

"...Let’s have a drink together."

In the relaxed atmosphere that followed, Arwin suggested.

"...If we make a memory like that, maybe I won’t be able to forget your request."

Then, with a small "ah" and a sheepish smile, she added,

"Even if it’s not Bardi liquor, I’ll settle for anything."

"..."

I blinked at her last words.

Her voice still carried traces of regret over that mistake.

Once again, all I could do was sigh.

****

Sien sat alone at home, gently rubbing her belly.

Even though a few days had passed, she was still upset about Berg’s reckless actions.

She whispered to the growing life inside her, the result of her love with Berg.

"...He still doesn’t seem to realize he’s going to be your dad, does he?"

Though she was physically alone, she didn’t feel truly alone.

It felt as if this child was the reward for all the suffering she’d endured during the seven years of war.

As she spoke to the baby, the anger she harbored towards Berg began to melt away.

Even when she wanted to remain angry, the thought of the happy future their child would bring made it impossible.

"Will you be a girl or a boy?"

She continued her one-sided conversation, smiling softly as she imagined their future.

Sien could have easily discovered the baby’s gender using Sylphrien's magic, but for now, she didn’t feel the need to know. 

She wanted to save that joy for the moment of the child’s birth. Whether it was a boy or a girl, she was confident she’d love them just the same.

Smiling softly, she spoke.

“Just grow up healthy, like your father. Don’t take after me.”

It felt like a small miracle that this child had come into their lives, especially now when Berg was struggling. The thought of the baby giving him strength brought her relief.

Even though she was talking to herself, she didn’t feel lonely. In fact, she found this one-sided conversation more enjoyable than anything she’d experienced in a long time.

“What should I name you? I used to think of all sorts of good names... If it’s a boy... Adam—cough!”

Suddenly, a violent cough escaped her.

Fear washed over her as her body chilled, but she had to stop the coughing fit first.

“Cough, cough...!”

The symptoms came out of nowhere, leaving her blinking in confusion.

“...”

Sien froze for a long moment after the coughing subsided.

It felt different from her usual dry coughs. There was pain in her throat.

“...Huh?”

A wave of terror swept over her, and all she wanted was to see Berg’s face.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

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