Chapter 30: Human Village (3)

 

Ner handled the horse skillfully.

 

At first, she kept losing her balance and wobbling, but soon she found a comfortable posture.

 

She looked around and even touched the low-hanging branches of the trees.

 

Occasionally, I muttered some comforting words and smiled.

 

I was relieved that going to Stokpin didn’t seem that bad after all.

 

We didn’t exchange many words.

 

Though we agreed to be friends, there was still some awkwardness between us.

 

I believed that time would resolve our issues, so I didn’t rush and kept quiet.

 

.

.

.

 

We traveled all day, and eventually, the sun set.

 

Following Adam Hyung’s orders, we stopped and set up our camp.

 

Ner and I sat on pieces of scattered wood, watching our fellow members prepare for the night.

 

“Is there anything uncomfortable?”

 

That was the first thing I said after a long time.

 

Ner turned to me and was about to nod... but then she massaged her thigh.

 

“Actually, my thigh feels a bit sore.”

 

I smiled, remembering my first time riding a horse.

 

“It can be painful when you ride for the first time. But you are holding up pretty well though. Do you also have some muscle pain?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

At that time, Baran approached from afar.

 

In his hand was the drink I asked for.

 

He smiled at Ner and said.

 

“Good evening, Ner-nim.”

 

“Yes, good evening.”

 

Following our agreement, Ner continued with her act.

 

Since the march where we subdued the boss monsters in the Blackwood estate, she had been putting on a certain persona in front of the mercenaries.

 

As for me, I was just grateful for her effort.

 

If I had met a much meaner woman, she wouldn’t have done even this much.

 

“Vice-captain, here’s your drink.”

 

“Thanks, Baran.”

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

Baran handed me the drink and left without saying a word. It seemed like he had something to attend to.

 

I took a sip of the drink Baran gave me, and it felt like the liquid was soothing my tired throat, blowing away the fatigue of the day.

 

“…You seem to like alcohol quite a bit,” Ner remarked from beside me.

 

I rolled my eyes at her and nodded

 

“It’s a feeling of exhaustion flying away.”

 

“What kind of alcohol is that?”

 

“Rum. Would you like to try it?”

 

I handed the glass over to Ner.

 

She looked at the drink curiously and took a whiff of it.

 

Immediately, her face scrunched up, and she leaned back.

 

“It’s too strong.”

 

I chuckled and took back the drink.

 

I thought it would be fun to drink together with her someday.

 

Suddenly, there was a commotion.

 

Someone was raising their voice, and the heads of the members turned one by one.

 

Ner and I also turned our heads in the same way.

 

The noise was coming from the side of the wagon where the injured were.

 

“…Oh no.”

 

I immediately felt the seriousness of the situation and stood up.

 

Ner stood up as well, following my lead.

 

We hurriedly ran towards the commotion, pushing through the gathering members to reach the center of the disturbance.

 

Ner stuck close to my back as she followed me.

 

In the center, Adam Hyung was already there.

 

Jackson was there too.

 

“Hey, wake up, dammit!!”

 

Theodore, who was in charge of managing the injured, was also present, and they were all raising their voices with a fallen member in between them.

 

It was Shawn, the head of our other unit.

 

“Shawn…!”

 

I raised my voice in surprise.

 

I felt a rush of blood to my face for a moment.

 

The person who had only slightly injured his arm this morning was now lying unconscious, shaking uncontrollably.

 

He was the one who was fine until this morning...

 

But now he had already lost consciousness, and red spots were coming up on his body.

 

Looking at it, it seemed serious.

 

“Shawn…! Snap out of it...! Come to your senses…!”

 

Theodore slapped his cheek and shook him, but Shawn didn’t come to his senses.

 

“Theodore…!  Can’t we do anything?”

 

Adam Hyung also shouted, but Theodore seemed lost and confused, not knowing what to do.

 

“I don’t know why...! Why all of a sudden...!”

 

Sometimes, there were cases like this.

 

Even when we had thoroughly treated the wounds, some members still succumbed to their injuries.

 

In such moments, we could do nothing but watch them die in agony.

 

I was confused.

 

Did Shawn’s injury have a complication?

 

I approached Theodore and spoke.

 

First of all, we had to take action.

 

“Theodore, get some water. Unwrap the bandages on his arm. First-”

 

And then, Ner appeared next to me.

 

“Be…Berg, wait a moment...”

 

Then she slightly passed by my side and knelt beside Shawn as well.

 

Everyone was stunned by Ner’s sudden action.

 

Since there was nothing we could do, and Ner was skilled in medicine as a werewolf, They wondered what a noble heiress could really do... But they had no choice but to bet on her race.

 

Of course, considering the fact that the injury had already worsened to the point of losing consciousness, I didn’t think there was much we could do.

 

Ner examined the rash closely and then looked at me.

 

“Berg, I can save him.”

 

Her response was filled with confidence, yet her shoulders still seemed tense.

 

She seemed burdened by the gazes of many members. So she only looked at me.

 

“...It’s not because of the injury. He was bitten by the ‘Heirun Spider.’ It’s a spider that only resides near the Blackwood estate.”

 

However, even if she said that, we were all ignorant about such insect venom.

 

We knew how to treat injuries and wounds on the battlefield, but when it came to bug venom, we were clueless.

 

“What do you need?”

 

I asked Ner.

 

“Water and… Calix leaves. They... they are in my belongings.”

 

“Theodore, did you hear that?”

 

Theodore was also in charge of managing supplies.

 

When I called him, Theodore called one of his subordinates.

 

“Get Ner-nim’s belongings! Hurry! And you! Bring the water!”

 

.

.

.

 

After that, Ner told me the things she needed step by step.

 

She needed a change of Shawn’s posture, required space, and asked for clothes to be removed to find the bite marks on him.

 

And according to her instructions, Theodore and I treated Shawn.

 

The leaves the members brought were prepared by Ner, and we searched for the bite marks as she had instructed.

 

Soon after, as Ner said, when we found a mark that looked like something had bitten him, everyone burst into admiration saying she was right.

 

We squeezed the wound and drew out the venom, wiping away the dark red blood that flowed.

 

She gave us orders over and over again, and we never questioned her.

 

Finally, when she made Shawn take the medicine she prepared, his trembling gradually subsided, and his rough breathing calmed down.

 

His condition became stable.

 

“...Is it working?”

 

Theodore whispered.

 

“I think so.”

 

Adam Hyung said.

 

A long breath of relief escapes from my mouth.

 

I had only known Shawn for four years, apart from Adam Hyung and Baran; he was one of the people I had known the longest.

 

Did I ever think that I could lose him so absurdly?

 

Just a few days ago, we were teasing and laughing together as usual.

 

It was a moment when I once again felt how ephemeral life can be.

 

Having Ner by my side was more than a stroke of luck.

 

Losing a fellow member like this was not the first time.

 

Watching Shawn return from the brink of death, everyone’s eyes began to fill with awe.

 

There were no people who value medics as much as the mercenaries.

 

Everyone tried to put themselves in Shawn’s position.

 

If Ner hadn’t been here, he might have died too.

 

Starting as friends with Ner was definitely the right choice.

 

If our relationship had been worse, would Ner have stepped forward to treat Shawn?

 

Ner, still unaware of the changing atmosphere, looked down at Shawn peacefully breathing, and sighed.

 

“...I think he’s going to be okay, Berg.”

 

She even managed to have a small smile.

 

“...It’s my first time saving someone like this. Quite-”

 

Then Ner turned her head to look at me, realizing she was at the center of everyone’s attention...

 

“…Ah.”

 

She tried to put on a mask belatedly, but it was already too late after the burp escaped her mouth.

 

Ner blushed in embarrassment. She tightly closed her mouth and her tail curled up.

 

Compliments directed at Ner came from all around.

 

“You are not only beautiful but also intelligent.”

 

“Thank goodness you’re here, really... Shawn...”

 

“Vice-captain, you made a great choice marrying her.”

 

Upon hearing those words, Ner drew closer to me. She still seemed awkward with this kind of attention.

 

In the first place, hearing such things from humans must have felt strange too.

 

Although she didn’t quite like me yet, among all these people, it seemed I was the one she naturally relied on.

 

For some reason, this obvious and trivial fact brought me a little joy.

 

She brought her face close to my chest, using my body to hide herself.

 

She was almost inside my embrace.

 

I read her feelings and spoke.

 

“...Seems like Shawn is getting better. Everyone can leave now. Go and finish your tasks. We’ll be done soon.”

 

Everyone started to disperse as per my order.

 

Even Adam Hyung nodded and gave me a sigh.

 

Slowly, I turned to look at Ner with a sly smile.

 

Her status would inevitably rise in the future.

 

In preparation for any potential mishaps, everyone would take good care of her.

 

They might offer bribes if something bad happens.

 

In the first place, proper knowledge of healing and medicine came at a price.

 

Already, it felt like Ner was becoming part of our mercenary group.

 

As the mercenaries gradually dispersed, I held onto Ner’s wrist and led her back to where we had been sitting earlier.

 

****

 

Ner composed herself from her surprise.

 

She felt proud, but at the same time, surprised.

 

None of the mercenaries had looked at her like that before.

 

The eyes filled with wonder and admiration...

 

She was unfamiliar with those kinds of gazes.

 

Her heart was still pounding.

 

Not as strongly as before, but she could still feel its intensity.

 

“…”

 

She looked at Berg who was leading her.

 

Occasionally, he led her this way.

 

Contrary to her expectation, she didn’t dislike it as much as she thought she would.

 

She couldn’t quite understand why she felt this way herself.

 

…Could the unstoppable heartbeat have something to do with it?

 

Just a moment ago, when everyone’s scrutinizing gazes made her uncomfortable, she instinctively sought refuge in Berg’s embrace.

 

She didn’t ponder the reason. Her body reacted first.

 

And she didn’t forget the sense of peace she felt in his arms.

 

... Only now did Ner realize that in this mercenary group, Berg was the only one she could truly rely on.

 

A strange feeling washed over her upon realizing this fact.

 

“…Berg?”

 

Suddenly, Ner became curious about where they were going.

 

Since Berg didn’t say anything, she couldn’t help but wonder.

 

But the answer soon revealed itself.

 

She saw the spot where they had been sitting before.

 

Berg’s wine glass was overturned, and the people around had disappeared.

 

It seemed like everyone had left to catch up on their delayed tasks.

 

Also, Berg seemed to have read her own mind and brought her to a secluded place.

 

She was thankful for this too.

 

Although she didn’t hate the admiring gazes from earlier, it didn’t make her feel completely at ease either.

 

And finally, Berg let go of her hand.

 

She turned her body to face him, and she didn’t know what to say.

 

“…Everything, I’m glad…But the symptoms I know are-“

 

-Snap.

 

While she was speaking, Berg pulled her into his embrace.

 

Ner took a deep breath. She forgot to exhale.

 

Her eyes widened, and her tail stiffened.

 

She belatedly realized that he had hugged her.

 

“Thank you.”

 

He whispered.

 

The sincerity came through. And she could feel that emotion from his arms.

 

It was the most emotionally vulnerable side of him that Ner had ever seen.

 

Ner couldn’t figure out what to say.

 

Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly.

 

Surprisingly, she didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.

 

Was it because of his words about, starting as friends?

 

His expressions of affection felt like that of a friend.

 

“…That…Ah…Of course…”

 

Ner stammered fragmented words.

 

This was the first time she had stepped forward and accomplished something this significant.

 

And it was the first time she received praise for it.

 

“Ner, thank you so much.”

 

He pulled her into his embrace once again, speaking.

 

Ner couldn’t help but fill her heart with joy.

 

“Ah...”

 

And in a brief moment of losing focus, her tail started wagging.

 

Ner pulled her hand back and grabbed her tail.

 

Was it because she kept spitting out the words to push him away?

 

It was always embarrassing when her true feelings were revealed.

 

She didn’t like showing happiness with her body.

 

Contradicting her own words makes her look like a fool.

 

However, Berg chuckled as he watched her tail.

 

His laughter seemed to convey that he was glad she didn’t feel uncomfortable in the embrace.

 

Ner slowly released her grip on her tail as she heard his comforting laughter.

 

Her tail swayed freely.

 

In the first place, there was no reason not to feel happy right now.

 

There was no need to hide this emotion.

 

This moment was a reason to feel happy no matter who brought her here.

 

So she continued to wag her tail until Berg let her go.

 

With a smile hidden in his embrace.

 

Perhaps a friend was a much better companion than she had imagined.

 

– – – End of Chapter – – –