Chapter 106: The Master of Heroes (1)

 

“...Arwin-nim wished for your death, Berg.”

 

“...”

 

My breath momentarily stopped at those words.

 

My heart ached.

 

Surprisingly, I was shaken by that statement.

 

Yet Ner continued to speak, incessantly whispering to me.

 

Her fragrant breath moistened my cheek.

 

“If you died... she said she’d be free. She said why would she care if that human dies?’”

 

“...”

 

“That’s Arwin-nim for you. Why are you worried...? I don’t really understand, Berg.”

 

“...”

 

“...Hah.”

 

I let out a short sigh.

 

A bitter aftertaste followed.

 

Despite not wanting to, I faintly felt it was something Arwin would say.

 

During the last hunt, Arwin had asked if I thought she would feel guilty for killing a small creature.

 

“...”

 

I let out a deeper sigh without realizing it.

 

Ner moved closer, offering me her shoulder.

 

“...Are you okay?”

 

She asked, gently patting my back.

 

“...I didn’t want to say it. But it’s better to know now than hear it later.”

 

“...”

 

Gradually, Ner’s embrace tightened, deepening the comfort.

 

“...Berg. Just like you did... I’ll always offer my shoulder. If it gets tough—”

 

“—It’s okay.”

 

I finally lifted my forehead from Ner’s shoulder and straightened up.

 

I just needed a moment to catch my breath.

 

I said to Ner.

 

“...It’s all in the past.”

 

“...Huh?”

 

“It makes sense to think that way then. After enduring cruel torture for 160 years... Wishing for my death seems reasonable.”

 

“...”

 

I told Ner.

 

“...What matters to me is that she doesn’t think about that now.”

 

Regardless of the past, the present was more important.

 

Ner opened her mouth to speak again, but then swallowed her words.

 

I told her.

 

“...Let’s pretend this conversation never happened.”

 

I had to keep striving.

 

For the marriage I desired, as a husband, I had to make an effort.

 

It was the same for everyone, but Ner and Arwin particularly disliked this union.

 

I couldn’t forget this fact.

 

After all, which noble would want to marry a commoner?

 

“...”

 

I caught Ner’s attention with my lukewarm response.

 

“Ner.”

 

“...”

 

“...Let’s pretend it never happened.”

 

Finally, Ner nodded in agreement.

 

“...Okay.”

 

****

 

Deep into the night,

 

Ner sat awake alone on the bed, her eyes wide open.

 

In the past, she always found solace in sleeping alone, but at some point, she began to detest these moments.

 

Being alone meant not falling asleep with Berg.

 

The empty space beside her felt hollow.

 

It was almost puzzling how empty it seemed now.

 

Was it impossible to resist instinct?

 

Feeling uneasy when not sleeping beside someone who was on her side.

 

Lately, it seemed to intensify.

 

She felt anxious when apart from Berg.

 

Worried about what he might be doing with Arwin, or if some other woman was casting longing glances at him.

 

This led to an increase in unnecessary questions lately.

 

Questions a typical werewolf would never ask, she found herself endlessly asking Berg.

 

Fortunately, being a human, he seemed to take it without resistance.

 

But perhaps this was also because he was a human.

 

The cultural norm of having many people around caused anxiety.

 

Would there be another competitor? Was he getting closer to Arwin? Ner was constantly on edge.

 

“...Hoo.”

 

Ner sighed out loud.

 

It felt like these feelings accelerated after she became aware of her true feelings.

 

Unnecessarily looking at him more, trying harder to get closer.

 

She watched for his reactions to her teases, hoping he would play along.

 

Her heart raced when they touched hands, and her tail wagged uncontrollably when he called her name.

 

Still, it was hard to believe.

 

This was a new experience for Ner.

 

...If only Arwin wasn’t there, it would have been perfect.

 

As Ner’s feelings for Berg deepened, her annoyance with Arwin grew.

 

Jealousy surged, and she began to despise Arwin’s very existence.

 

Ner couldn’t stand Arwin, who always hovered around Berg, the only one who had been on her side.

 

Once again, tonight, it was because of her that she couldn’t enjoy a peaceful sleep with Berg.

 

Ner couldn’t forget this simple fact.

 

“...”

 

Of course, it was Ner who had consented to accept Arwin as a wife.

 

Now, she regretted that decision.

 

It was a choice made when she didn’t have feelings for Berg.

 

A decision made thoughtlessly, not knowing she would come to like him.

 

Had she ever imagined things would turn out this way?

 

Ner’s yellow eyes gazed out the window.

 

The crescent moon was waning.

 

Suddenly, she thought of her destined partner, a thought that always came to her while looking at the moon.

 

She recalled her grandmother’s prophecy after a long time.

 

Her grandmother had said she would regret it if she let that partner go.

 

“...”

 

The discomfort in Ner’s heart was nothing else but this.

 

The words about regret kept bothering her.

 

It wasn’t that she wanted someone other than Berg.

 

No one else but Berg came to her mind.

 

She hadn’t even considered anyone else before.

 

And the more she thought about it, the clearer it became.

 

She couldn’t imagine a reality without Berg by her side.

 

Just the thought seemed to take her breath away.

 

So, eventually, it seemed there was only one path left for her to take.

 

What would her grandmother say if she saw her now?

 

Would she call her foolish?

 

Even if that were the case, Ner had no other path.

 

“...”

 

At the same time, her eyes shifted to her diary.

 

It was a diary that clearly needed to be disposed of.

 

But maybe because she hadn’t accepted these feelings for long, it wasn’t easy to just trust Berg and lay all her cards down.

 

Yet, it seemed necessary to get rid of it.

 

How deep her feelings for Berg were, she couldn’t be sure, but the direction was clear.

 

And, of course, she couldn’t just carelessly dispose of the diary.

 

If she just threw it away, someone might discover it.

 

Concerned about the diary falling into someone else’s hands, Ner didn’t dare entrust it to another for disposal.

 

Burning it seemed the best option.

 

But that was impossible at the moment.

 

There was no hearth in the house, and it wasn’t feasible to start a fire in the backyard, especially since she didn’t know how to.

 

The mercenary group’s kitchen, where they cooked their meals, would have already extinguished their fires for the night.

 

And it would certainly seem odd if she went out now to snatch a flame torch from the mercenary group’s guard.

 

She wished to dispose of it quietly.

 

“...”

 

There was nothing she could do immediately.

 

To make matters worse, an expedition was scheduled for tomorrow.

 

For now, the diary would have to stay a bit longer in the box.

 

After all, Berg couldn’t read, so there was no need to act hastily.

 

With these thoughts, Ner lay down in bed.

 

Her hand, outstretched in habit, cut through the empty air.

 

It was a night when she longed for Berg’s embrace.

 

****

 

“...Berg, aren’t we studying tonight?”

 

Arwin asked as she put down the notebook she had brought.

 

The notebook was filled with new words she planned to teach, like ‘pretty’ and ‘cute’.

 

“...”

 

Berg silently took off his top.

 

Arwin’s World Tree leaf quivered, revealing itself.

 

Now she could see he truly treated her with sincerity, still cherishing the symbol of their union.

 

Sometimes, Arwin felt grateful for this.

 

“...I’m a bit tired today.”

 

Berg spoke.

 

“...Is that so.”

 

Arwin replied, hiding her disappointment.

 

Lately, she found herself looking forward to these moments more.

 

Their late-night conversations had become unexpectedly enjoyable.

 

“We have to leave early tomorrow. Let’s rest tonight.”

 

Saying this, Berg lay down in bed.

 

Arwin slowly tidied up the spot with reluctant hands.

 

Then, she lay down beside Berg.

 

Somehow, she felt a sense of loss that the night was ending this way.

 

She wanted to do more, perhaps influenced by the deeply impactful moment they shared under the tree, sharing warmth.

 

“...Berg.”

 

“...Hmm?”

 

“...Can you tell me an interesting story?”

 

So, Arwin asked, almost pleadingly.

 

For her, it was an attempt at a kind of coquetry she had never tried before.

 

“...”

 

Berg let out a small chuckle at her words.

 

- Swooosh. Swooosh.

 

But then, he simply stroked his hair lightly and said cleanly,

 

“Sorry. Let’s rest tonight.”

 

“...”

 

“Next time. Okay?”

 

Arwin found herself unable to reply to that.

 

Her mouth sealed shut as he patted her again.

 

She just nodded and closed her eyes.

 

****

 

The next day, we mounted our horses.

 

The Head Hunter unit members also expressed their anticipation for this mission.

 

“I heard that this reward is new weapons, right?”

 

Shawn said with a laugh.

 

“Finally trying out Dwarf-made weapons.”

 

Jackson spoke to Shawn.

 

“Improve your skills first. The problem isn’t the sword when it’s wielded by someone like you.”

 

“Still bitter about your defeat in the last duel?”

 

Shawn teased Jackson with a chuckle, while Jackson could only groan in response.

 

Soon, Adam Hyung approached us.

 

“Berg. Make sure to get a good weapon. I like this reward.”

 

I nodded.

 

Then he let out a long sigh.

 

“...After this mission, you might have to stay in Stockpin.”

 

“...?”

 

As I looked puzzled, he explained.

 

“...The situation is getting serious. Looks like we’ll all have to mobilize soon.”

 

“...”

 

His words made my chest tighten slightly. Maybe because it made me think of someone who might be deeply involved in that battlefield again.

 

I shook my head.

 

Lately, it had been getting a bit easier to put those worries aside.

 

I had enough of my own problems to deal with.

 

Besides, that relationship was over.

 

Knowing that, I was finally letting her go.

 

Then, I turned to Ner.

 

“Ready?”

 

Ner nodded her head.

 

Next, I looked at Arwin.

 

“Ready?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Alright. Then let’s go.”

 

As I spoke, the Head Hunter unit started leading their horses.

 

I exchanged a final glance with Adam Hyung.

 

After a brief nod, we spurred our horses forward.

 

“...?”

 

As we approached the village’s main gate, a strange man suddenly appeared in our path.

 

“Oops, am I a bit late?” he asked.

 

He stood upright, with a sturdy build, straight horns, sharp pupils, deep wrinkles on his face, hair starting to turn white, shabby clothes, and a cloth covering half of his face.

 

He was a middle-aged dragonian man.

 

“...”

 

I noticed the sword he wore at his waist.

 

He seemed a confident swordsman, coming alone to a mercenary group armed like this.

 

Baran spoke to him.

 

“Please step aside. We’re in a hurry.”

 

“...Huh?”

 

Arwin looked at the man, puzzled.

 

The man admired Baran’s response.

 

“Hmm. Even mercenaries speak formally. Well-organized structure, as expected of Adam.”

 

At that, I stopped my Head Hunter unit.

 

His tone suggested familiarity with Adam Hyung.

 

This was the first time someone talked about Hyung like that.

 

Though Adam Hyung and I had been together for a long time, we never delved into each other’s pasts.

 

But, having crawled up from the bottom of the mercenary world together, we vaguely guessed that we both had painful pasts.

 

Without such pasts, we couldn’t have made it this far.

 

So, this man had a connection with Adam Hyung.

 

Did he know a side of Adam Hyung that I didn’t?

 

“...Do you know our leader?”

 

I looked intently at the man.

 

He didn’t avoid my gaze.

 

“I do.”

 

His strong aura was palpable.

 

“You know, Berg. You’re handsome, just like I heard.”

 

“...”

 

“Don’t be on guard. These days, there aren’t many who don’t know you.”

 

He slowly unraveled the cloth around his face.

 

Arwin gasped.

 

“...Lord Gale.”

 

The man, called Gale, bowed his head to Arwin.

 

“Didn’t expect to see you here, Arwin-nim.”

 

I looked at Arwin and the man known as Gale.

 

A somone acquaintance of Adam Hyung, and now Arwin too.

 

My wariness intensified.

 

He didn’t seem like an ordinary man.

 

Yet, despite my caution, he smiled and said,

 

“Berg. Why don’t you pause your journey for a moment and have a talk?”

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

 

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