Chapter 70: Dems Village (1)
When we entered the inn, the members were already in the middle of their meal.
“Vice-captain, you’ve arrived?”
As we made our entrance, some began to rise from their seats to greet us, but I raised my hand to stop them.
“Sit down. Eat.”
At the same time, they were gauging each other’s reactions to the unexpected change.
They looked curiously at Ner, who was clinging to my side.
Some smirked, some had playful expressions, and some were genuinely surprised.
Yet, Ner, seemingly unfazed, did not let go of my arm.
She did mention she’d help, but I didn’t expect her to be this devoted.
Even after finding a suitable seat, she still didn’t release my arm.
It was as if she held onto my arm like it was her lifeline.
Confusion was evident in Arwin’s eyes.
Her gaze was directed at the arm Ner firmly held.
She seemed to be silently asking me why Ner still hadn’t let go.
Feeling the awkwardness from Ner’s actions, I leaned in and whispered,
“...It’s okay now.”
“...”
Despite my words, Ner didn’t let go immediately.
It was as if she didn’t hear or was frozen in place. Slowly, she turned her head.
“...”
“...”
Her eyes met with Kayla’s.
Kayla flinched under Ner’s gaze and then bowed her head deeply.
Having finished her guidance, she turned to head back to her home.
“...Haa...”
Finally, Ner let out a sigh and released my arm.
Our eyes met, and after a moment’s evaluation, she spoke.
“...I’ve been watching, you know...”
“...”
I was momentarily at a loss for words, taken aback by her flawless performance.
But soon, I brushed those thoughts aside.
All I needed to feel was gratitude towards her for making the effort for me.
“Thank you.”
I gently pushed Ner’s back as I said it.
“...”
Ner nodded her head slightly after a beat.
****
After finishing our meal, we exchanged light greetings with the members.
Having roughly set the schedule for the next day, we began to head back to the village chief’s house.
All that filled my head were the thoughts about tomorrow’s request.
I heard that some animal-like monsters were in the vicinity and were causing harm.
There seemed to be roughly about 20 of them.
If we didn’t let our guards down, it appeared to be a task that could be easily wrapped up.
Lost in such thought, I noticed Arwin walking ahead of me.
True to her inquisitive nature, she seemed to be taking in every detail of the scenery, looking around curiously.
She let out a short sigh.
“Why the sigh?”
“...”
Arwin turned to look at me, with a peculiar disappointed look on her face.
For some reason, I felt like I could guess what was on her mind.
“...There’s not much to see, is there?”
Arwin mumbled.
I had to agree with her on that.
There wasn’t much to see within the village.
At best, it seemed slightly more developed than Stockpin.
I followed Arwin’s lead, looking around at the surroundings.
Rather than the scenery, it was the people that caught my eye first.
Everyone was staring at Ner’s tail or Arwin’s long ears.
Their noble status certainly garnered a different kind of attention.
“...”
I moved closer to the disappointed Arwin, taking her hand in mine.
I gently pushed in a small gem.
“...Huh.”
At first, Arwin’s hand was stiff, but as she gradually understood my intention, it relaxed.
This was our agreement.
Just as we had discussed back at our lodgings, she had followed my request diligently.
I had only planned to act like this for the instances when everyone was watching.
“Ah.”
From behind, Ner let out a surprised exclamation.
“...?”
Looking at her, Ner shook her head as if it was nothing.
My relationship with Ner had already been revealed en route to the inn.
Now was the moment to act with Arwin.
“There’s nothing of interest here.”
I said, guiding Arwin’s hand.
Her long ears fluttered up and down in response.
“But I’ve heard there’s a beautiful place nearby. Let’s go after we complete our task.”
“...A beautiful place?”
She had once told me that traveling the world was her dream.
“Ever heard of Dems Village?”
I had intended to hide the identity of the village, but I spoke up out of consideration for Arwin’s feelings.
“...”
Arwin stopped in disbelief, our interlocked hands stretching out between us.
“...This is Dems Village?”
“...”
As I shrugged my shoulders, Arwin followed me with a resigned expression, looking down and blinking.
“...This is...Dems Village...”
Arwin paused, biting her lip.
“...Then the-”
-Tap.
I covered Arwin’s mouth as she tried to continue speaking.
Though I had revealed the location to the seemingly disappointed Arwin, I still wanted to keep it hidden from Ner.
Following us, Ner asked from behind,
“...Where is this Dems Village?”
With a smile, I replied to her,
“You don’t need to know.”
“...Seriously?”
-Whack.
Ner slapped my back with annoyance.
She glared at me with a slight pout.
“You’ll find out.”
I said, confident she wouldn’t be too upset.
****
“Go on in and rest, Ner.”
“...”
Ner watched as Arwin and Berg, holding hands, entered their room.
Behind them, the village chief and Kayla kept a close eye on the duo.
Ner had already noticed they hadn’t let go of each other’s hands. It couldn’t be helped that it weighed on her heart a little.
Ner speculated whether it might be due to memories from the past, being reminded of being ostracized by her siblings.
“...”
However, Ner soon collected herself.
This was a different situation from back then.
A very different context.
It wouldn’t make sense for the three of them to share a room.
“...Alright. Rest up, Berg.”
And so, with a simple farewell, Ner headed to her own room.
She entered and closed the door as if everything was normal.
-Thud.
...And as the watchful eyes on her faded, her face relaxed, a crease forming on her forehead.
“...”
But she shook off even that fleeting emotion.
Ner fluidly changed into the clothes she had prepared earlier and lay down on her bed.
Beside her bed was a window.
Through that window, she gazed at the familiar moon, wrapping up her day.
“...Today, I linked arms with Berg.”
She started a conversation with a listless tone.
“...That strange Catwoman kept hovering around him...”
Ner paused for a moment, reconsidering her words.
“...No, I mean, Berg asked for it. He’s my friend, so I should be able to do that much, right?”
She recalled the moment when she’d become angry.
She felt her temper rise as she watched Kayla touch Berg’s arm.
It wasn’t simply being upset about someone making an obvious move on Berg, but it felt like her own existence was being ignored, which was infuriating.
She had been overlooked by her siblings; did she now have to be overlooked by a commoner too?
That couldn’t be.
She was mad because she felt overlooked, not because someone approached Berg.
“...”
But that didn’t explain the discomfort she felt when Berg held Arwin’s hand.
As her mind spiraled into confusion, Ner sighed and tried to clear her thoughts.
A spontaneous thought slipped from her lips.
“...Why do some humans practice polygamy?”
Blinking, Ner digested her own spontaneous remark.
“...”
As if trying to justify her musing to herself, she continued while looking at the moon.
“...I don’t get it. How can you love two people at the same time...”
Never had Ner felt such a tumult of emotions and thoughts.
Being alone only amplified those feelings.
Overwhelmed by the weight of her thoughts, she ultimately surrendered.
She decided not to think any further and to just fall asleep.
Ner curled up.
Once again, her bed felt overwhelmingly vast.
****
“...No.”
Arwin muttered.
An unwavering hand approached and gripped her wrist.
Arwin tried to pry away the heavy grip, but her body, which had somehow diminished in size, lacked the strength to resist.
Before she knew it, she found herself traversing a familiar cave.
A cave she had walked through thousands of times.
A cave that had tormented her thousands of times more.
At the end of this cave, akin to home, she knew all too well what awaited her.
“...I don’t want to...”
Cold sweat dripped down as Arwin lowered her head.
She screamed with all her might, but no sound emerged.
Only frail whimpers continued to spill out.
Her arms and legs felt as if they had turned to liquid, unresponsive.
Soon, the roots of the World Tree began to manifest.
A dread so intense it felt as if breathing was forbidden gripped her.
A pain she had never become accustomed to returned.
“Please...! No...! Help-”
“-Arwin!”
In an instant, her eyes shot open.
Her panting body was drenched in cold sweat.
Her vision swirled, unable to grasp the situation.
Having regained her strength, she flailed about.
“I don’t want this...! Stop-”
-Grab!
“-Arwin!”
Something pinned her head in place.
In front of her confused eyes, a face emerged.
A human male with a deep scar on his cheek.
He spoke with a firm voice.
“...Arwin, calm down. You’re safe.”
“...Ha...ha...”
Catching her breath, Arwin recognized the man before her.
“...Berg?”
“...There’s nothing around. It’s just us.”
Only then did Arwin’s gaze scan the surroundings.
While the space was equally dark, the scenery was different.
It wasn’t damp, and there was no musty smell.
A soft bed lay beneath her.
A warm hand was holding her cheek.
Only then did Arwin come to realize.
That she had been having a nightmare.
The pain that had haunted her all her life did not fade so easily.
“...Ha...ha...”
Though the World Tree was a thing of the past, the weight of its memories dragged down her spirits.
She didn’t feel grateful that it was over; she cursed its resurgence.
Those were moments she wished to never relive.
At that moment, something glided across her forehead.
Berg was wiping the sweat off her brow with his hand.
“...You had a nightmare.”
He said.
Soothed by his calm tone, Arwin gradually calmed down.
Her racing heart found its pace.
“...Don’t worry. You won’t ever have to go through that ritual again.”
He seemed to already know the nature of her dream.
Blushing from the feeling of being exposed and muddied by the emotions of her dream, Arwin’s feelings sparked.
“...How do you know that?”
“What?”
“...Do you know how easily the elders change their words? They might tell me to come back again.”
“Go back where? You’re my wife.”
“...”
Arwin hid the peculiar comfort she felt from his light-hearted words.
Her gaze once again landed on Berg’s scar.
A scar that stood as evidence of his saving her.
Yet Berg, with an unfazed expression, continued to hold her head and wipe her forehead.
...Being treated preciously by someone she only thought of as a short-lived species didn’t feel all that bad.
But she swallowed, once again grasping her rationality.
-Tap.
She pushed away Berg’s hand.
Just like earlier in the day, she wasn’t in the mood to follow his lead.
“...Even if that’s the case now, what happens after you die? Did you forget I still have a thousand years left?”
“...”
“A mere 60 years of stability can’t give me relief.”
Berg lightly replied.
“We’ll talk about that in 60 years.”
Arwin was at a loss for words.
“If you’re really worried, I’ll teach you the skills to survive on your own, even after I’m gone.”
Berg said teasingly.
“...You did see me defeat Gallias, didn’t you?”
Arwin, who had remained silent, finally let out a hollow laugh at his words.
“...Ha.”
He often appeared stern and intimidating to others, yet frequently showed his foolish side to her alone.
Her trembling heart had greatly calmed down.
This was the first time she had shaken off a nightmare with someone.
Before this, she had always had to overcome them alone.
In that regard, Arwin knew that Berg’s words were providing immense comfort.
She just didn’t want to show him how she felt.
Berg stood up and opened the window.
A cool breeze swept through the room.
With the quiet of the night, it seemed as if the sound of distant waves reached them.
“This isn’t the domain of Celebrien, but Dems Village. We’ll be seeing the sea soon, so don’t hold onto those needless memories.”
That night’s air made Arwin feel oddly liberated.
“...The sea...”
One of the places she had dreamed of was now just a step away.
Berg said,
“...First, change into your nightclothes. You won’t be able to sleep again in that state.”
It was only then that Arwin looked down at herself.
Her clothes, soaked in sweat, clung tightly to her body.
Pretending not to be flustered, she promptly stood up to change into fresh nightwear.
But she could feel her own face turning red.
On the other hand, Berg was nonchalantly gazing out of the window.
Once she had changed, Berg climbed back onto the bed.
Arwin slowly followed him onto the bed.
“Let’s sleep now. Calm down.”
Arwin nodded.
However, as she tried to close her eyes, lying down on the bed brought back the fear of revisiting the nightmare she had earlier.
As she swallowed audibly, Berg once again spoke from beside her.
“...Can’t sleep?”
Arwin didn’t want to appear weak.
She had lived her whole life that way.
Thinking of the days ahead, she felt she had to maintain her dignity.
“...”
But, as before, maybe it was okay if it was with Berg.
She had already revealed many of her vulnerable moments to him.
...In that nightmare, her emotions had been a complete mess.
Perhaps she had been slightly swayed by Berg’s comforting words.
In the end, she impulsively acknowledged the fact that she needed help.
“...Yes.”
“...?”
“I can’t sleep. I’m afraid I might have another nightmare.”
Though she tried to hide it, her voice trembled.
“I fear returning to that unbearable moment. That maybe the present, having escaped from there, is just a dream...”
Arwin clenched her fists.
She did not want to shed tears.
She was certain that she would regret this situation come tomorrow.
She took a deep breath, swallowing back her tears.
“It’s not a dream, and you won’t go back.”
Berg said to her.
“I promise.”
Arwin looked at Berg.
“...”
His promise made her heart feel heavy, as if it was choked with emotions.
‘Because we’re married.’
It was Berg who had risked his life due to the vow they took as a couple.
Such a promise from him inspired deep trust.
“...I can’t understand you.”
But Arwin whispered.
She consciously took a step back.
Her inability to understand was no empty statement.
Elves and humans were too different.
She couldn’t fathom why he was being like this.
Upon hearing her words, Berg sighed and then redirected the conversation.
“There’s no need to understand. If you can’t sleep... let’s chat until you do.”
“...Chat?”
“You said you wanted to travel the world. Anywhere else you want to visit besides here?”
“......”
Arwin reminisced about her long-held dreams.
She recalled the countless books she had read when she was so exhausted that she couldn’t even lift a finger.
“...”
“Anywhere is fine.”
She decided to take up Berg’s suggestion.
After all, such thoughts were better than thinking about the World Tree.
But suddenly, she remembered something she had longed to see as much as the sea.
“...I’ve heard of a place in the far north where snow falls endlessly.”
“...I’ve heard of it too. That place...”
Their conversation, which began like that, continued late into the night.
Arwin conversed with him in a relaxed atmosphere.
Their discussion flowed without awkwardness.
Arwin never thought there would come a day when she would exchange her dreams with someone.
As she gradually relaxed, the sleep she had been evading returned.
Talking about dreams, her eyelids grew heavy.
Unbeknownst to herself, Arwin drifted back into sleep.
Soon, she dreamt of frolicking in snow-covered fields.
The World Tree was nowhere in sight.
In that beautiful landscape, a bright laugh erupted, and Arwin looked around.
Twirling and playing in the snow, she spotted a human man looking at her.
“...”
Arwin gazed at the man with a scar on his cheek for a long while.
Eventually, the two exchanged natural smiles.
In this dream, where she should’ve felt the cold, she felt warmth.
– – – The End of The Chapter – – –
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