Chapter 34: Human Village (7)

 

After the funeral, I returned home.

 

- Creak.

 

As I open the familiar door, a voice reached my ears.

 

“You’ve... come?”

 

“...”

 

I was momentarily surprised by Ner’s voice.

 

Although I knew she would be at home, the fact that someone was there to welcome me felt warmer than I had imagined.

 

The melancholy I felt while seeing off the members melted away, replaced by a feeling of comfort.

 

Perhaps it was the specialness of our relationship as a married couple.

 

Though she wasn’t entirely on my side yet, it felt like she was becoming an essential part of me.

 

Of course, Adam Hyung was there too. However, there were definitely things I couldn’t talk to him about.

 

Since Hyung was the captain, I had to hide the pain in order to lighten his burden.

 

Though I wasn’t sure if I could share those painful stories with Ner, I feel hopeful that someday we would be able to share them.

 

But even if we never talk about them, it was alright. Just having one more person on my side made me content.

 

With a cloth covering her mouth, Ner opened the windows of the house and swept away the dust with a broom.

 

The rolling bottles also disappeared.

 

It seemed she had been diligently cleaning while I was away.

 

“Yeah, I’m back.”

 

I gave a belated response.

 

Ner’s eyes briefly formed a crescent shape, and she continued cleaning.

 

I took a look around my home after a long time. There were many things that became visible only after Ner pointed them out. It was definitely a mess, with more than one or two things needing fixing.

 

I decided to put my effort into repairing while Ner cleaned and organized.

 

“Ner, wait for me. I’ll go get some tools and materials.”

 

“Yes, and you don’t need to tell me everything, it’s okay.”

 

“Alright, I’ll be back.”

 

.

.

.

 

-Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

 

After that, our house went through a renovation process for a while.

 

The broken furniture was thrown out without hesitation.

 

The cracked floor was repaired.

 

Decaying wood was torn out and replaced with new pieces.

 

At the same time, Ner cleaned up various trash.

 

She brushed away the accumulated dust, wiping away the dirt with a wet cloth.

 

She also caught and cleared out the bugs that were wandering around the house.

 

Our space was gradually finding a new light.

 

As I got absorbed in renovating the house, hunger began to kick in

 

I wiped off the sweat and set aside the wooden hammer I was holding.

 

Looking around, the overall work seemed to be nearing completion.

 

Perhaps it was time to take a short break and have lunch.

 

Just as I was about to call for Ner, a voice reached my ears.

 

“Huh!! Ahhhh! Berg!!”

 

A voice called me with a scream.

 

I immediately jumped up and headed toward Ner.

 

“What happened!”

 

I asked as I hurried down to the basement where she was.

 

There, Ner was jumping around, trying to escape from something.

 

“No, no...! Don’t come here!! Berg, help me!! Ahhhh!!”

 

A huge rat with a worm-like tail was wandering around the basement with Ner, and she was desperately trying to get it to leave the house.

 

I hurriedly went down the basement stairs and approached Ner.

 

In her panic, as soon as I got close, she rushed toward me and clung to me.

 

“Ahhhh! Kyaa!!”

 

I supported her body with both hands as she hugged my neck and continued to scream.

 

That huge rat was charging toward Ner.

 

I kicked the running rat in the same position.

 

-Thud!

 

-Squeak!

 

The rat that was hit by my foot flew and hit the wall, immediately stopping its movement.

 

“I don’t like it! Berg! Ahh!”

 

“It’s over! It’s over, Ner. Calm down. It’s over.”

 

I said to Ner, who was still unable to regain her senses.

 

“Haa... Haa... What?”

 

The strength that had entered Ner’s arms loosened, and she turned her head cautiously.

 

At that moment, she looked just like a genuine noble lady.

 

I had forgotten about it for a while because she had been working harder than any maid, cleaning throughout the day.

 

Goosebumps appeared on Ner’s body when she saw that dead mouse. Her tail fur stood on end and then settled down. She quickly averted her eyes and let out a long sigh.

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

Then, our eyes met.

 

-Tap!

 

Ner instantly pushed me away and stepped back from me.

 

Her lost pupils wandered here and there.

 

When the situation calmed down, I remembered how frightened she looked, and laughter burst out of me.

 

“....Hahaha...”

 

“...”

 

Chuckling, I shook my shoulders. Ner frowned, seeming even more annoyed as if my laughter was mocking.

 

“...Stop laughing.”

 

She said.

 

But I couldn’t stop the laughter that had erupted. I kept laughing for a while.

 

Ner, who seemed to be getting fed up, tried to pass me and go upstairs.

 

I held her wrist to prevent her from leaving.

 

“...”

 

The moment I held her, her movement stopped.

 

I composed myself, wiped away my tears, and said, “Let’s go eat. Aren’t you hungry?”

 

“...”

 

Ner nodded her head. I already knew she wasn’t really angry. She was just embarrassed and pretending to be mad.

 

Since she willingly hugged me, the embarrassment would have doubled.

 

“We can cook for ourselves, but there are restaurants in the village, so let’s go there. At the same time, I’ll show you around the village.”

 

Ner looked at me again and nodded her head.

 

I let go of her wrist and picked up the dead rat.

 

I could hear her taking a deep breath.

 

To make sure she didn’t get scared, I kept some distance from her, holding the rat, and left the basement.

 

After throwing the rat’s carcass outside the house, I washed my hands with the water I had brought.

 

Only then did Ner, who had widened her distance, approach slowly.

 

-Tap.

 

“...?”

 

She lightly touched my back.

 

She said, “Thank you.”

 

I smiled again and nodded my head.

 

****

 

We strolled around the village.

 

The members who saw our faces greeted us one by one.

 

Nevertheless, everyone seemed to sense the change in atmosphere, so there were no mischievous jokes or awkward banter.

 

As a result, Ner followed me more comfortably.

 

“There’s the stable over there,” I pointed to a large wooden building and said.

 

Ner listened to my words carefully.

 

“That’s the orphanage. If fallen members had children, we take care of them.”

 

“Ah...”

 

“That’s the restaurant, and if you follow this road, you’ll find the warehouse.”

 

“A warehouse?”

 

“The food warehouse.”

 

“...”

 

Ner froze for a moment.

 

I turned to face her.

 

“Is something wrong?”

 

“Oh, no it’s nothing.”

 

Then, she quickly followed me.

 

“We’ve looked around enough. Shall we go eat?”

 

“What’s that over there?”

 

Ner pointed to the tallest building in our village.

 

I remained silent for a moment before answering quietly.

 

“...It’s a place where they worship the gods. The werewolves... don’t believe in the Five Gods, right?”

 

It was a fact I learned when I was part of the previous mercenary group.

 

Unlike other races, the werewolves didn’t believe in the ‘Five Gods.’

 

Ner replied, “Yes. We have our own native gods. The power of witchcraft is also received from them”

 

As someone who wasn’t particularly fond of gods, I didn’t really feel like introducing her to that place.

 

I thought there would be no point in introducing her to a god she didn’t believe in.

 

“Come on. Let’s go.”

 

I turned back toward the restaurant.

 

“Can you show me that place just once?”

 

But Ner made a request to me.

 

“...”

 

Surprised by her unexpected request, I kept my mouth shut.

 

I thought for a moment.

 

I didn’t feel like it, but it wasn’t really a difficult request.

 

Nodding my head, I changed my direction.

 

Upon entering that tall building, Ner raised her voice as if she found it fascinating.

 

Inside the building, four different symbols were embroidered on a piece of cloth hanging from the ceiling.

 

Ner said, “The hero party was chosen by these gods, right?”

 

I nodded my head. Seven years ago, four pillars of light had descended from the sky, passing by my head.

 

“...That’s right. I’m not sure if it’s a believable story.”

 

Ner’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

 

“Actually, I was quite interested in this, but I never had a chance to ask anyone. Since we only believe in our native gods... it was hard to bring up such stories. I had no close friends either.”

 

“...”

 

After wandering inside for a while, Ner spoke.

 

“Could you tell me about the Five Gods...?”

 

It was a cautious request.

 

I took a deep breath inwardly, steadying my mind.

 

Then I began explaining.

 

“...The round symbol on the far left is Nikal, the God of Harmony.”

 

“Who is the chosen one?”

 

I recalled the information I had buried in my memory, one by one.

 

“I heard it was an elf. I can’t remember the name. Anyway, that person is said to be very skilled in magic.”

 

“...Magic... I want to see it once.”

 

Ner said with a curious glimmer in her eyes.

 

“There’s not much to see. It plays a supportive role in battles.”

 

“Have you seen magic before?”

 

“A couple of times.”

 

Ner’s tail started to wag gently. Though it was an awkward topic, I was relieved that it made her happy.

 

“What’s next?”

 

Ner pointed to the symbol next to Nikal.

 

A symbol depicting a sword, shield, and spear.

 

“It’s Dian, the God of War. The god our mercenary group believes in the most.”

 

“Ah. I think I’ve seen a few people with tattoos of that symbol on their bodies.”

 

“It’s quite common.”

 

“Do you believe in Dian too?”

 

“I don’t believe in gods.”

 

Ner glanced at me for a moment, then turned her head.

 

“I see. So who was chosen by Dian?”

 

“I heard it was a centaur. I can’t remember the name.”

 

Ner gazed at Dian’s symbol for a long time.

 

Just like the male werewolf members revered battles, Ner might also be showing respect for it.

 

“What’s the symbol next to that one, Berg?”

 

“It’s Mand, the God of Courage. The dragonian was chosen, the one people call a ’Hero.’”

 

Ner’s eyes widened.

 

“Oh! I think I’ve heard of that. So the chosen one was selected by that god. Do you know the name of the Hero?”

 

“I don’t know. Baran probably does. If you’re curious, you can ask him.”

 

Since the title of “Hero” was more widely known, I didn’t know the name.

 

Ner nodded and looked ahead.

 

She pointed to the last of the four symbols hanging.

 

“What about that one?”

 

A symbol resembling a flower.

 

I was silent. The mouth did not open easily.

 

I also looked at that symbol for a long time, just like Ner.

 

“...Berg?”

 

Only after Ner called me did I break the long silence.

 

“...It’s the God of Purity, Hea.”

 

Ner waited for my continued explanation.

 

“...”

 

But this time, too, I couldn’t open my mouth properly.

 

I took a deep breath and said, “...Shall we go back?”

 

“What? Berg, I was just getting interested...”

 

Ner looked noticeably disappointed. Eventually, my gaze returned to the symbol.

 

A few years ago, it was a symbol that appeared countless times in my nightmares.

 

“...Tell me who the chosen one is.”

 

At Ner’s urging, I forced myself to open my mouth and spit out the words.

 

“...The chosen one is a human. The name is...”

 

“...”

 

“...Sien.”

 

A bitter aftertaste lingered in the name.

 

“...Huh? You know the name this time?”

 

After struggling for a while, I replied.

 

“…Because we are the same race.”

 

Ner looked back at the symbols with interest.

 

Then she expressed her confusion.

 

“Berg, but there are five gods, right?”

 

“...Yes.”

 

“But why are there only four symbols?”

 

“The last god doesn’t have a symbol. They are not well served by others.”

 

“Who is it?”

 

“The God of Solitude, Lynn.”

 

“God of Solitude?”

 

“A god for those who don’t believe in the five gods. They say Lynn looks after those who don’t believe in gods... It’s essentially a policy of persuasion. If you say you don’t believe in the five gods, they’ll tell you that Lynn will look after you and nag you about it.”

 

“...I see.”

 

“You might hear about it more often too. Since you believe in the native gods, not the five gods.”

 

“Is there also Lynn worshipper among the hero party?”

 

“I heard of a lizardman who worships Lynn. I don’t know the name.”

 

Ner nodded her head.

 

She took a deep breath and looked at me.

 

“Now let’s go back, Berg. I’m getting hungry. It’s better to eat and tidy up the house quickly.”

 

“Sure, let’s do that.”

 

I accepted her suggestion.

 

Ner moved her feet first and left the place.

 

I followed Ner slowly and looked back.

 

The symbol of Hea, the God of Purity, caught my eye.

 

“...”

 

...Eventually, I turned my body around again.

 

– – – End of Chapter – – –