Chapter 237: Settlement (2)

The furniture had all been moved in, and the doors were all installed.

I brought my wives to the lake.

Our long stay at the inn was finally over.

It was the moment we were about to step into our new home.

“…Haa…”

Sien kept sighing beside me.

The way she kept swallowing nervously told me how tense she was.

Holding her rounded belly carefully, Sien walked forward, her eyes fixed ahead.

She looked like she wanted to take in every detail of our new house.

“You don’t have to be so nervous, Sien. It’s nothing extravagant.”

“No, but still…”

“…?”

“…This is the moment our dream comes true. Of course I’m nervous.”

I turned to look at Sien.

Come to think of it, this really was the moment my long-held dream—to live in a quiet, secluded place without worries—was finally coming true.

And Sien had always whispered to me how much she loved that dream of mine.

And now, after all this time, that dream… our dream… was becoming real.

I didn’t know what felt more miraculous.

The fact that the dream was coming true now—or that even after all this time, Sien was still here by my side.

“Berg worked so hard on this, I’m sure it’ll be fine,” said Ner, standing beside me.

“Try not to be too overwhelmed—it’s not good for the baby,” Arwin added with a calm voice.

Maybe it was a bit over the top, but the way the three of them had grown close lately made me feel that their concern was genuine.

…Though if there was still one thing they squabbled over—it was probably the bedroom.

That part… yeah, I think I need to do some managing there too.

The problem was, that managing still wasn’t going well. Which meant Ner and Arwin kept taking turns draining me dry.

And once Sien gave birth… I couldn’t even begin to imagine how much harder things would get.

…Sometimes, it honestly felt harder than taking down a boss monster.

“…We’re here.”

Just then, I parted the tall grass and revealed our house to them.

They hadn’t followed me here recently—they said they wanted to be surprised when it was all finished.

So this was the first time they were seeing the completed house, and I was honestly looking forward to their reactions.

“…Ah.”

Sien froze the moment she saw our house.

“…Woooow…”

Ner gasped in awe, her mouth hanging open.

“….”

Arwin didn’t say a word. She just smiled quietly and gave a slow, firm nod.

In the end, Ner was the first to burst into joy and turn to me.

“It’s perfect, Berg…! C’mon, c’mon! Let’s go inside!”

Arwin came over and wrapped her arms around my back.

“…So this is the place I’ll live with you for the rest of my life.”

Sien looked at me too.

“….”

She didn’t say anything.

She just nodded, eyes shimmering with tears.

.

.

.

What’s the most exciting thing about stepping into a new home?

Sure, checking out the layout is fun… but the real heat always comes when choosing rooms.

Me? I had the master bedroom, so there was nothing to decide.

But Sien, Ner, and Arwin were already exchanging subtle glances, a quiet battle of wills beginning to brew.

“…Can I have this room?” Sien said, showing a rare hint of possessiveness.

The room all three of them were eyeing was a small side room right next to the master bedroom.

I looked at them and said,

“…It’s kind of small though. I was thinking of using it as a storage room.”

Arwin shook her head.

“I don’t care, Berg. I still like this room. Sien, I can’t give it up either.”

Ner tiptoed quietly over to me and tried to win me over with a bit of sweetness.

She whispered so the others wouldn’t hear,

“…Darling, can I have this room…?”

Lately, Ner had been calling me all kinds of things.

Maybe it was a subtle jealousy over how Sien always called me Bell.

Anyway, she’d been using affectionate terms like darling, my love, my partner, honey… things like that.

Trying to settle the brewing storm, I stepped in.

“Let’s decide later. Look around the house first—you might find another room you like even more.”

Reluctantly, they nodded, pretending to be convinced.

Their eyes slowly peeled away from that tiny side room.

The next stop was the master bedroom.

They skipped the kitchen, the bathroom, and the pantry—and headed straight for it.

Their eyes sparkled as they checked out the largest room in the house.

I watched them quietly, feeling a swell of pride…

“…The walls are nice and thick,” Ner whispered.

“….”

Arwin pressed the bed a few times, silently checking its softness.

“….”

Sien gently fiddled with the latch on the bedroom door and gave a small nod.

I watched them… and forced a smile.

For some reason, I could tell exactly what was going through their minds.

…But whatever it was, at least they seemed satisfied.

****

“...Lord Reiker.”

Dressed sharply, Baran stood still, absentmindedly staring down at Stockpin.

“Lord Reiker.”

It wasn’t until the second call that Baran realized the title was referring to him.

“Ah.”

He turned his head toward the voice.

There stood Gale, approaching with a warm smile.

They shared a small, knowing chuckle before Baran spoke.

“…Still not used to being called that.”

“Well, it is your new title now.”

Baran had become the ruler of Stockpin.

Sure, Sien had requested it—but the real reason everything had worked out so smoothly was largely thanks to Gale.

As the strongest warrior of the Dragon Tribe, Gale had enough clout to speak directly and firmly even to the king.

So when he declared that fulfilling Berg’s final wish meant appointing Baran to lead Stockpin... the king had little choice but to nod in agreement.

Truthfully, there was no better way to reward the one who had helped defeat the Demon King’s right hand.

Berg, who had delivered the final blow, had passed away—and his wife, Sien, had vanished.

So naturally, the honor was bound to fall on Stockpin, or what remained of the disbanded Red Flames group… and when Gale spoke up about Berg’s wishes, it had to be fulfilled.

Baran looked ahead once more.

The farmlands of Stockpin were blanketed in lush green crops.

The plague no longer touched the land, and the village was filled with laughter, free from fear.

“…It’s beautiful,” Baran whispered.

Anyone who saw this scene would’ve said the same.

But even as he said it, Baran wore a bittersweet smile.

“…Captain Adam and Vice-Captain Berg would have loved to see this.”

Gale let out a hearty laugh at that.

Then, looking at Baran, he said,

“You’re still so full of gratitude, you can’t even enjoy happiness properly.”

“…”

“Adam is up in the heavens, watching happily. And Berg... well, I’m sure he’s found his own kind of peace too.”

“…”

“Baran, you don’t have to do anything else. Just be happy with what you’ve been given. That’s what those two would’ve wanted.”

“…”

Baran mulled over the words, then let out a soft chuckle.

Now that he thought about it… yeah, that sounded like them.

“…Has there been any word from Vice-Captain Berg, by any chance?”

The question slipped out before Baran realized it.

Gale let out an exaggerated scoff, feigning anger.

“…Berg is already dead—how could he send a message?”

Baran smiled as he replied.

“Still… it’s my wedding day. We spread the news so far it’s probably reached the entire kingdom…”

“You’re more greedy than you look, Baran. Haven’t you ever thought maybe all of this was your wedding gift?”

At that, Baran tilted his head back and laughed.

Now that he thought about it… maybe that was true.

Maybe he was being greedy.

Maybe all of Stockpin and even the noble title itself were gifts meant for him.

As he laughed for a while, tears welled in the corners of his eyes. Baran wiped them away gently.

Whether they were tears of joy—he couldn’t really tell.

In the end, Baran let out a sigh and said,

“…You’re right. Wanting more than this… maybe that is greed.”

“Exactly.”

“…But even so, the thought that just one letter… would make me happier than all these gifts—that hasn’t changed.”

Baran looked at Gale and smiled.

Then, with a playful grin, he added,

“Well, I suppose anyone would feel that way… but what could be more precious than a letter from the other side? Especially when it’s from someone you endlessly admired.”

“…”

Gale chuckled softly at the remark and replied,

“Then maybe you should cause some havoc here in Stockpin. Who knows? If you mess up the land badly enough, maybe that person will get so mad in the afterlife, they’ll come back.”

At that, Baran burst into laughter.

Then, with a bright smile, he responded,

“Maybe I will. Who knows… maybe I’ll actually get to see that face I miss so much.”

He took a deep breath.

Then, with a distant, longing gaze, he looked out over his land again and whispered,

“…But to be honest… I couldn’t do that. I have a duty to protect this land—because he believed in me.”

Gale gave a gentle smile.

Baran murmured,

“…Still… I miss him.”

Gale stood beside him for a long while in silence.

The two of them stood quietly, letting the wind wash over them—until Gale finally broke the silence.

“All right. Time for the groom to get moving. Your lovely bride is probably waiting.”

Baran gave a nod.

“Yes… I should go.”

– – The End of The Chapter ––

 

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