Chapter 66: Formal Appearance (1)

 

I was sitting face-to-face with Adam Hyung.

 

He was reviewing some documents, and verifying information.

 

Yet, he seemed more at ease, perhaps the pain from the deaths of the former members was swept away during the feast.

 

“Berg, you mentioned something back then.”

 

“About smaller requests?”

 

Adam Hyung nodded.

 

“Yes, that.”

 

He spoke as he put down the documents.

 

“...I’ll let you go if you agree to a few conditions.”

 

I mumbled, feeling somehow that it would be troublesome.

 

“...Why the need for conditions.”

 

“Firstly, always have Head Hunter Unit with you.”

 

He said, ignoring my words.

 

“If you are going to move around with your two wives, you need that level of security. The future of Red Flames is at stake.”

 

“...”

 

I couldn’t respond easily.

 

If it included all members of the Head Hunter Unit, it meant the elite of the elite of the Red Flames.

 

Was it right for them to be depleted just to protect me and my two wives?

 

In reality, even if it wasn’t them, moving around with about 20 members wouldn’t involve much danger.

 

Even mindless bandits wouldn’t dare attack 20 well-armed strong men.

 

And if it was just a typical bandit group, it could be handled easily even without the elites of Red Flames.

 

Especially if most of these bandit groups were actually armed peasants.

 

After contemplating for a moment, I looked at Adam Hyung’s face.

 

His expression said he wouldn’t accept any other answer.

 

“...Fine.”

 

So I accepted his suggestion.

 

After accepting, I realized, in fact, it wasn’t so bad.

 

I didn’t know whether my Head Hunter Unit members also needed a break.

 

Traveling here and there with them would have been nice.

 

Moreover, as Hyung said, now that I was moving around with two noble wives, strict security was necessary.

 

I couldn’t neglect safety with my current status.

 

“Secondly, don’t stray too far from the task area.”

 

“Don’t worry about that one.”

 

“Thirdly. And this is the most important…”

 

“...?”

 

He frowned as he spoke.

 

“...Please, try to hold back your temperament.”

 

A silence flew throughout the room at his words.

 

I lightly scratched my forehead and spoke.

 

“...The standard is a bit ambiguous.”

 

“What’s ambiguous?”

 

“Nevermind. Got it. I’ll do so.”

 

Hyung sighed.

 

“...As I’ve said before, I don’t want to suddenly hear news of your death.”

 

“...”

 

I nodded my head.

 

Having said so much, he threw a few documents at me.

 

“Here. I’ve chosen some places worth going to. The tasks are reasonably good, and... I’ve heard the scenery is also beautiful.”

 

To hide the awkwardness I felt from his consideration, I spoke.

 

“I can’t read it even if you show it to me.”

 

“Just choose one. They’re all fine.”

 

This made me feel the need to learn the letters.

 

It seemed useful if I intended to continue traveling alone to different places.

 

I was thinking about seriously learning the letters from Arwin or Ner.

 

Soon, I picked up the document on the far left.

 

“...Alright. Let’s go with this one.”

 

He spoke without even looking at the document I chose.

 

****

 

Arwin was roaming the village with Ner.

 

Staying at home made her feel bored.

 

She didn’t volunteer to become Berg’s wife to just sit around like that.

 

Berg too had promised to take her to many places, but Arwin wanted to make every moment meaningful.

 

She had been profoundly moved by the last feast.

 

She never thought the world could contain such delights.

 

There was delicious food and beverages.

 

Dance and song resonated.

 

Laughter and cheers filled the air.

 

Finally, she even watched the circus sitting on Berg’s shoulders.

 

It was so much fun that seeing Berg return to his room with Ner made her feel a pang of longing.

 

So, she left Berg’s house with Ner and went to explore the village.

 

She took in the sights she couldn’t see during her first visit due to a lack of leisure.

 

She had to stop for a while in wonder every time things she had only seen in books appeared before her eyes.

 

Even so, she tried her best not to show her astonishment.

 

She couldn’t act like a country girl surprised by everything in front of many people watching.

 

She was a Celebrien and an elf. Among the elves, she was born with a blessed vessel of life.

 

When she would close her eyes a thousand years later, even the royal family might bow their heads to her.

 

Therefore, she had to maintain her dignity from now on.

 

“...”

 

Of course, she had already shown her surprised expression many times in front of Berg.

 

Her excited look anticipating the feast, her amazement at the circus…

 

But that was just in front of Berg.

 

Superficially, her husband... a friend.

 

Although reluctant, it was okay with Berg.

 

Moreover, wouldn’t he also leave in 60 years?

 

And it didn’t seem like Berg would spread rumors about her demeanor.

 

“It’s nice to come out like this, Arwin-nim.”

 

As Arwin was lost in such thoughts, Ner spoke beside her.

 

Arwin, receiving the greetings of the villagers with grace, looked at Ner.

 

“I couldn’t come out because I was unnecessarily scared when I was alone.”

 

“...”

 

After a moment of thought, she suddenly became curious and asked.

 

“...Didn’t you come out with Berg?”

 

“...Once?”

 

Arwin nodded, as she couldn’t understand why Ner had stayed confined to the house.

 

However, this was also Arwin’s perspective.

 

Having lived in the same territory for 170 years, her longing for new things was intense.

 

She judged that Ner, lacking such a desire, had just stayed at home.

 

Additionally, she knew that Ner didn’t particularly like Berg.

 

She wouldn’t want to spend time with someone she doesn’t like.

 

It might be because she was a werewolf. It was clear that Ner was waiting for her destined partner she spoke of.

 

“So, you’re also ignorant about this village?”

 

“No. Berg did introduce me to the village… I know most of it.”

 

Ner rolled her eyes and pointed at a tall building.

 

“Ah, do you know what that is, Arwin-nim?”

 

“…The Five Gods?”

 

“You know? I believe in the native gods, so I didn’t know well.”

 

“The Five Gods are also deities we believe in, Ner.”

 

Arwin spoke with a shallow smile.

 

Only then did Ner open her eyes wide as if realizing it for the first time.

 

“I see. I thought elves only worshipped the World Tree…”

 

“…We don’t worship the World Tree.”

 

Especially Arwin didn’t.

 

She had had enough of the World Tree.

 

Still, she pondered to give Ner an appropriate example.

 

“…The World Tree is like a parent.”

 

In that aspect, where some elves even detested it, Arwin thought it was a really suitable explanation.

 

“…I hate it, for your information.”

 

Arwin whispered, lowering her voice.

 

She inadvertently frowned. The pain she had received from the World Tree was still vivid.

 

Escaping that, the reality of the present still hadn’t fully sunk in.

 

“…”

 

Ner silently closed her mouth.

 

With the arrival of silence, Arwin’s thoughts deepened.

 

All the painful memories revived as if she was watching a revolving lantern.

 

“…”

 

Led by her father’s hand to the roots of the World Tree.

 

The moments afterward when she screamed and struggled.

 

The moments when she rebelled against everyone.

 

The moments when she indulged in her own ways.

 

And at the end of that, a man appeared.

 

The image of him, bleeding to protect her, surfaced in her mind.

 

Arwin closed her eyes to shake off the thoughts.

 

“…Ha.”

 

She shouldn’t harbor emotions towards Berg.

 

For her own sake, it was better that way.

 

Whether leaving him in the near future or after 60 years... emotions would become poison.

 

Arwin, changing the atmosphere, spoke.

 

“I’m sorry. I brought up something deep all of a sudden.”

 

“…No, it’s alright. Arwin-nim, would you like to visit the sanctuary once?”

 

“Let’s do that. I want to see how it’s different from ours.”

 

The two soon moved their steps to the sanctuary.

 

Entering the sanctuary, Arwin saw many people of different races already inside.

 

Unlike Celebrien, it was a frail sanctuary.

 

Instead of stone statues, cloth with patterns drawn on them was hung.

 

The gods were not even distinguished.

 

Naturally, there was bound to be a difference between the elves and the mercenary group living and establishing bases with them.

 

The two looked at the place.

 

Ner spoke.

 

“…It’s so fascinating that those gods really exist. Even choosing warrior…”

 

Ner wagged her tail and looked up at Arwin.

 

“Ah, Arwin-nim. Do you happen to know the names of the warriors?”

 

“I do.”

 

For Arwin, who was confined in the domain of Celebrien, her given amusement was diverse information from the outside world.

 

Naturally, she had memorized the names of the hero party.

 

“...Berg didn’t know.”

 

Ner said regretfully.

 

“Shall I tell you?”

 

“...Would you? It was an interesting story I heard last time.”

 

Upon Ner’s request, Arwin immediately pointed to the symbol on the far left and said,

 

“The God of Harmony, Nikal. The warrior is an elf, named...Sylphrien.”

 

Interest sparkled in Ner’s eyes.

 

Arwin continued,

 

“...I actually know Sylphrien.”

 

“You know her?”

 

“Yeah. I even learned a few spells from her…”

 

“You know how to use magic, Arwin-nim?”

 

“It’s just a few. Like, summoning…”

 

Ner quietly gasped in awe.

 

“I’ve wanted to see that magic…”

 

“I’ll show you later.”

 

Their eyes went back to the symbols.

 

“Next is the God of War, Dian. The warrior is a centaur, named, Acran.”

 

Ner nodded, focusing on her words.

 

“Next to him is the God of Courage, Mand. The warrior is that famous hero, his name is Felix.”

 

Arwin’s finger stopped at the last symbol.

 

“The God of Purity, Hea. The warrior is a human, and the name is...unknown to anyone.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

Ner looked at Arwin in surprise.

 

“People just call her the Saintess.”

 

Arwin answered succinctly.

 

Ner blinked her eyes, expressing her confusion.

 

“...Did you forget the name?”

 

Arwin shook her head.

 

“It’s not that I forgot, nobody knows the Saintess’ real name. The church has refused to disclose it, reasoning that even casually calling her by her name can be seen as blasphemy.”

 

Ner’s expression crumpled in confusion.

 

“…That can’t be.”

 

The elf, following her, was also submerged in doubt. Why was Ner like this, claiming it couldn’t be true?

 

But before Arwin could ask anything, Ner muttered.

 

“Berg… he knew just the name of the Saintess…”

 

“What?”

 

They both fell into a moment of silence, gazing at the disconnected end of the information.

 

Arwin had already sensed that Berg was not a person who would lie.

 

“What did he say the name was?”

 

“…Si… something. I actually heard it only once so I forgot.”

 

After contemplating, Arwin reached one conclusion.

 

“…Could Berg have been mistaken?”

 

“Could he?”

 

“Yes. Nobody knows it. If someone does, it must be very few people. He might have believed a baseless rumor to be true.”

 

Ner slowly nodded to her words.

 

Arwin looked back at the symbols.

 

She continued with the last explanation.

 

“And although there is no symbol for him, lastly, there is the God of Solitude, Lynn.”

 

“I heard his warrior is a Lizardman, is that correct?”

 

Arwin nodded at Ner.

 

And then, she gave information Ner didn’t know.

 

“That’s correct. But… I heard Lynn’s warrior died in battle two years ago.”