Chapter 33: Human Village (6)

 

The festive atmosphere intensified as the feast unfolded.

 

Oak barrels brimming with alcohol were gradually emptied, one after another.

 

The subordinates of Theodore were sweating profusely as they continuously roasted meat, and everyone absorbed the meat as much as there was available.

 

Some were talking with prostitutes, some were gambling with money, some were singing, some were enjoying a peaceful time with their families, and others were dancing with their lovers.

 

Everyone enjoyed the feast in various ways.

 

Looking beside me, Ner also seemed to be enjoying the feast with interest. She rolled her eyes here and there as she chewed the meat.

 

Her tail was also slightly wagging. It was good to see her having a good time too.

 

“Let’s go!!” exclaimed a group, their voices rising in unison.

 

Simultaneously, the sounds of clapping hands, footsteps, and percussion instruments blended, creating a rhythm.

 

-Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

 

Then, a man and a woman stepped forward and began dancing around a blazing bonfire.

 

Everyone burst into laughter at their sight. I, too, couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

 

Especially, the member dancing and his woman seemed so joyful, was heartwarming to see.

 

“Ahahaha...”

 

Ner, next to me, also burst into laughter as she watched them from the side.

 

It was a gratifying sight to see her gradually opening up and showing her laughter. This was far better than her sitting solemnly next to me; it was much better to see her smiling.

 

I felt that my decision to bring her here was indeed the right one.

 

In no time, more people gathered around the bonfire, moving to the lively beat and the vibrant atmosphere.

 

Men and women gathered in groups of three or five, dancing and enjoying their own rhythms.

 

Watching them, I also started to move my feet, and Ner’s tail also tapped the ground with the beat.

 

“Ohhh!”

 

“Captain!”

 

Then, Adam Hyung appeared out of nowhere and joined the dancers.

 

Accompanying him was a woman I hadn’t seen before.

 

The members were even more surprised and delighted at Adam Hyung’s appearance.

 

While enjoying himself, he also took care of his comrades during the process.

 

Adam Hyung then started looking around.

 

I immediately noticed what was coming.

 

I glanced at Ner.

 

She was happily wagging her tail in rhythm, seemingly oblivious to the future that lay ahead.

 

“Hmm... Hmm... Hmm...”

 

Seeing the interest in Ner’s eyes as she hummed, I thought that perhaps, she might want to join in too.

 

“Hey, Berg!”

 

Adam Hyung spotted me.

 

“Come and dance too!”

 

The more hesitant we look in situations like this, the more out of place we would seem.

 

With Ner around, I stood up from my seat.

 

“....Huh?”

 

Then, I grabbed her wrist.

 

Ner put down the plate she was holding in her other hand and followed me.

 

“B-Berg, right now...”

 

“Let’s go. Let’s finish quickly and come back.”

 

Ner’s tail stopped wagging. It seemed like she hadn’t expected this chance to participate.

 

It wouldn’t hurt to take this opportunity to introduce Ner to the residents of Stockpin.

 

I thought it would be nice to let them know that she was just another person who knew how to have fun just like us.

 

That way, she wouldn’t have a hard time settling down in our village.

 

“Vice-captain!”

 

As we approached the bonfire, I gently held her hand instead of her wrist.

 

Ner’s ears twitched.

 

Adam Hyung looked at us like this and giggled.

 

I raised Ner’s hand upwards.

 

In response, Ner spun around with a slightly bewildered expression.

 

Her tail swayed prettily, drawing a large circle.

 

Cheers erupted from all around.

 

Ner’s stiff expression gradually relaxed.

 

She was also being influenced by the laughter and applause from all around.

 

“Ner-nim, you look beautiful!”

 

“Come on and dance, you guys too! You’re the vice-captain, after all!”

 

Ner’s smiles grew more frequent and radiant.

 

I led her to dance, and she gradually loosened up, entrusting herself to my lead.

 

As we continued dancing, her smile grew wider.

 

“Isn’t it fun?”

 

In response to my words, she immediately burst into a bright laugh.

 

It was a lovely, graceful laughter that felt beautiful to hear.

 

“It’s much more fun than I expected, Berg.”

 

She said excitedly.

 

“I told you the feast would be fun.”

 

I played along with her words.

 

The members who had been concerned about us, watching us have fun, returned to dancing with their partners.

 

The attention directed at us gradually diminished.

 

Ner and I continued dancing, never letting go of each other’s hands.

 

Occasionally, we exchanged a few words.

 

“You dance well, Ner.”

 

“Hehe, so do you, Berg. I’m surprised.”

 

I saw this moment as an opportunity to continue the positive atmosphere, so I spoke to her.

 

“So, when will you let go of formal tone?”

 

With a radiant smile already on her face, Ner playfully responded to my question.

 

“To be honest, I haven’t thought about it...”

 

“Then let’s do it now. When everyone’s watching.”

 

Her eyes widened in a crescent shape. I thought her eye smile was cute.

 

“...”

 

“Come on.”

 

Ner nudged me lightly.

 

“...Should I...?”

 

She hesitated for a moment, then smiled. It seemed like a good decision to speak up in this mood.

 

At that sight, a smile also appeared on my face.

 

It felt like the sensations I had forgotten awakened.

 

A warm feeling filled my heart.

 

The void in my heart was gradually filling.

 

“Yes. It feels like I’d be more comfortable that way too.”

 

The cheers grew louder.

 

The flames danced even more vigorously.

 

The sounds of clapping and musical instruments filled my ears.

 

But as we held hands, our voices resonated louder than anything else.

 

As if we were the only ones having a conversation.

 

Ner smiled for a long time and looked up at me.

 

Her answer seemed to be a decision she had finally made after much contemplation.

 

“...Alright, Berg.”

 

We both smiled at each other simultaneously.

 

Ner continued speaking.

 

“It might be awkward, but... I’ll give it a try.”

 

****

 

The next day, I woke up at home.

 

Seeing the familiar ceiling brought back a sense of comfort.

 

It finally felt like I had returned home.

 

“...Ummm...”

 

Of course, there was one difference this time.

 

The soft moaning sound coming from beside me.

 

When I looked to the side, Ner was curled up and asleep.

 

There was still a significant gap between us.

 

Perhaps it visually represented the psychological distance between us.

 

On the positive side, there was no longer a pillow between us.

 

Yesterday had been truly memorable, filled with many precious memories.

 

Eating, playing, and dancing...

 

Ner decided to let go of formality.

 

Of course, it could be because she got swept up in the atmosphere last night, but the Ner from before would never have agreed to it.

 

I tried to satisfy myself with the fact that she said she understood, even if it was just that much.

 

I slowly got up from the bed.

 

Another busy day awaited me.

 

First, we needed to arrange a proper funeral, then we had to address the pending requests we hadn’t confirmed yet due to being in Blackwood’s territory.

 

Ah, and I also need to tidy up the house.

 

Since it was a house shared with Ner, I couldn’t just mess it up as I pleased.

 

As I prepared to put on my upper garments and leave, Ner opened her eyes with a rustle.

 

“…Berg?”

 

I spoke to her as I looked at her.

 

“I’ll be going to see Adam Hyung for a bit. You can sleep a little more.”

 

Ner gazed at me with half-opened eyes and replied.

 

“You do not need to inform me of your whereabouts. Feel free to come and go as you wish...”

 

Her tone sounded a bit drowsy.

 

Certainly, the werewolves value the freedom of their partners the most.

 

Perhaps this consideration stems from their culture.

 

Maybe they trust each other without the need for words.

 

Of course, there was no love between us yet.

 

Anyway, I felt at ease thinking that this was her way of showing consideration.

 

Starting as friends was a good decision.

 

“Okay. I’ll be back.”

 

“...Yes.”

 

As I was about to take a step, I suddenly became curious.

 

“...Didn’t we agree not to use formality?”

 

Ner’s body stiffened.

 

She rolled her half-opened eyes around and then closed them, feigning ignorance.

 

I smiled and turned away.

 

“...Come back soon.”

 

Then, from behind me, a faint voice sounded.

 

Ner had turned her body as light as a feather and hid her expression.

 

I chuckled again and headed outside.

 

****

 

- Knock, knock.

 

- Click.

 

“Hyung.”

 

“Did you sleep well?”

 

Adam Hyung scratched his messy hair and opened the door to his house.

 

At the same time, a woman passed by him and exited the house.

 

“Captain, see you next time. I had fun.”

 

The woman kissed Adam Hyung on the cheek and left.

 

Hyung waved his hand casually as he saw the woman off.

 

While watching her back as she moved further away, I spoke when she was gone.

 

“You look good, Hyung.”

 

“Of course, it was enjoyable, after all. Aren’t you the same?”

 

In response to our playful banter with each other, we both laughed lightly.

 

Soon, I passed Adam Hyung and entered his house.

 

I took a seat on the chair that I always sit on in his house.

 

And since there was a nice-looking bottle of alcohol nearby, I grabbed it and took a sip.

 

“Drinking in the morning?”

 

“At times like this, we can relax and enjoy ourselves. Work is done anyway.”

 

Adam Hyung looked at me for a moment and said, “You seem to have more leisure time.”

 

“What?”

 

He smiled.

 

“Hey, I was right. You needed a woman in your life. Until a few weeks ago, you were questioning if you should be the captain or not...”

 

As Adam pointed that out, I found nothing to say in response.

 

It seemed he was right.

 

Perhaps he was right this time as well.

 

...Of course, it was not like my married life with Ner was going perfectly.

 

Anyway, I did feel more at ease, a sense of having more leisure time.

 

Maybe it was because of Ner’s informal speech in the morning.

 

“...I’m sorry about that time.”

 

I also accepted his words and apologized to him.

 

I was definitely sensitive back then.

 

If Shawn had died this time, I might have been similar.

 

Adam Hyung, however, responded with a smile.

 

“You sincerely apologize. I accept it.”

 

While drinking, I asked Adam Hyung, “So, do we have any requests that came in while we were away?”

 

Hyung scratched his messy hair and approached the wooden table in the living room.

 

There was already a pile of documents on top of it.

 

He lifted the documents and showed them to me.

 

“Plenty.”

 

I felt a bit surprised.

 

I expected some requests to come in, but... there were way more than I imagined.

 

“...Why are there so many?”

 

“The news probably spread quickly. We saved Blackwood this time. Many people must have been closely watching the situation in Blackwood.”

 

However, Adam Hyung sighed deeply.

 

“But there aren’t many requests we can accept. Everyone seems to be struggling. The rewards are all the same...”

 

“...The same?”

 

“...Meager.”

 

Adam Hyung flipped through the documents one by one.

 

Some of the documents were gazed at a little longer.

 

Adam put down a document for a moment and said, “Anyway, let’s worry about this later. Let’s prepare for the funeral.”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“I’ll take a quick shower and go out, so get some preparations done outside.”

 

I nodded and got up from my seat.

 

After taking one more sip of alcohol, I put the bottle down.

 

As I was about to leave, he grabbed me.

 

“Oh, Berg.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“What are you going to do after the funeral?”

 

I recalled the promise with Ner.

 

“I decided to clean the house.”

 

Hyung nodded.

 

“After you finish your work, bring your wife and introduce her to the village.”

 

“Got it.”

 

“Yes, see you later.”

 

As Adam Hyung said, there seemed to be quite a lot to introduce to Ner.

 

In the first place, just looking at Blackwood, there were many things that were different from us.

 

Moreover, Ner now had to live here, so the introductions might be necessary.

 

I took a deep breath and organized my thoughts.

 

I had to prepare the funeral for the departed members.

 

****

 

After Berg left, Adam reviewed the documents left on the table again.

 

He had anticipated that this could happen.

 

But undoubtedly, more requests had come in than he expected.

 

Saving Blackwood might be the Red Flames’ greatest achievement.

 

And on top of that, Berg’s appearance.

 

The one who used to hide so tightly had now decided to reveal his name.

 

The results of that choice were already showing.

 

Adam examined the rewards for the requests one by one.

 

There were many requests offering goods and provisions, but...

 

...There were even more requests proposing their daughters.

 

Various nobles from different races presented proposals.

 

Berg’s name was frequently mentioned in the requests. His hunting of four boss monsters and his march in front of the werewolves seemed to be widely publicized, showcasing his abilities.

 

Adam smiled as he thought.

 

‘Yes, this is right.’

 

Adam had a great affection for Berg. He even thought of him like his own younger brother.

 

So now he was glad that Berg was finally finding the fame he deserved.

 

Until recently, Berg only enjoyed drinking and didn’t indulge in extravagant pleasures like building a grand house, enjoying s*x, or buying jewels... He hadn’t enjoyed any entertainment.

 

It was Adam who had been feeling guilty because he seemed to be enjoying himself alone after succeeding together.

 

Of course, arranging Berg’s marriage with Ner was also driven by thoughts for the Red Flames.

 

However, it was equally important for Adam to take care of Berg.

 

Seeing Berg pursuing happiness made Adam feel at ease.

 

Sometimes, Adam had to force Berg to do something.

 

He had to push Berg, even if it required making excuses.

 

This time was no different. Seeing Berg becoming more relaxed, Adam felt that his thoughts were right.

 

He went through the documents again.

 

Perhaps finding another suitable woman for Berg would be a good idea.

 

Having two rather than one would secure the future of the Red Flames as well.

 

Two people would make Berg even happier than one.

 

“...”

 

Of course, he knew it would be difficult for Berg to accept the process.

 

Berg would probably make a fuss, saying that he himself just needed to get married.

 

…However, Adam could not even dream of marrying a different race.

 

“Haaa...”

 

Adam sighed deeply.

 

He put down the documents.

 

Then, he prepared to take a shower.

 

– – – End of Chapter – – –