Chapter 49: The Second Wife (1)

 

As Baran severed the neck of Saengdium, the horde of monsters seemed to freeze for a moment, as if the strings controlling them had been cut.

 

Those monsters closely tied to the boss perished, while the rest regained their senses and fled.

 

We took a brief moment to catch our breath. Before going to Adam Hyung, we had to assess our situation.

 

“Baran, you’ve done it,”

 

Shawn and Jackson exclaimed, pushing their way through the crowd.

 

One by one, others began to gather near Saengdium’s corpse.

 

“Baran, well done.”

 

Breathing a sigh of relief for overcoming the first hurdle, I spoke to Baran.

 

Baran smiled and replied,

 

“That makes it 59 now, thanks to you, vice-captain.”

 

Surveying the scene, I was relieved to find even Burns, the newest recruit, had survived and regrouped.

 

He seemed to have been hit by something; his forehead was bleeding, but other than that, he didn’t seem to have any problems.

 

“Casualties?”

 

When I asked that, no one responded.

 

It seemed no one was critically injured or dead.

 

“Good. Catch your breath, everyone. We’re heading straight to Adam Hyung now.” I nodded and said.

 

Then, I turned my head and looked at the battlefield.

 

We had drifted quite far from the main unit while subduing Saengdium.

 

Sounds of intense fighting were echoing from a distance, but... there were too many unknowns.

 

Were they alright?

 

What has changed in the plan?

 

Did they manage to subdue the enemy without us?

 

And most critically...

 

...Is Adam Hyung safe?

 

I pretended to be strong earlier as we had to continue fighting Saengdium, but of course, I was worried about Adam Hyung.

 

When plans go wrong, that’s when lives are most at risk.

 

Turning my head, I gazed at the walls that surrounded the Celebrien territory.

 

“...”

 

And there I saw numerous elves atop the walls.

 

They all seemed to be watching our battle situation intently.

 

Baran, who was catching his breath, must have seen the same thing as he said, “...Looks like we’ve become quite the spectacle.”

 

“They must be eager to see how this plays out,” I responded briefly, then turned my head.

 

“Let’s move now.”

 

I pulled the reins, and my team followed suit.

 

Once again, I headed toward the most perilous battleground.

 

****

 

-Boo-whoo... Boo-whoo...

 

As Baran blew the horn, a response came back from Adam Hyung’s location.

 

-Boo-whoo-whoo...! Boo-whoo-whoo...!

 

Of course, it was still uncertain whether Adam Hyung was safe or not.

 

Someone supporting Hyung on the other side could also be the one blowing the horn.

 

However, as we approached, my concerns gradually lessened.

 

The mountain of corpses that Adam Hyung had left behind was the reason.

 

Burns, who had also been worried about Hyung, gasped from behind.

 

“...What on earth!...”

 

To me, this spectacle wasn’t surprising.

 

After all, my Hyung had always chosen the safest route for the Red Flames—not because he lacked prowess in battle but because he prioritized our well-being.

 

Soon enough, the corpses of Dabrak became visible. Even the boss monster that had suddenly appeared was dead.

 

I felt like I could see the battle Hyung had to go through right before my eyes.

 

Judging by the gouged-out left eye of Dabrak, it was clear Adam Hyung had killed him.

 

The traces of  Hyung were etched on Dabrak’s body.

 

The more signs I saw, the faster I spurred my horse.

 

There was only one battlefield left, and I could see the rampaging boss monster from here.

 

I hoped that Adam Hyung was still holding out there.

 

Just before rejoining the main unit, Baran blew the horn again without waiting for orders.

 

Then, the main unit ahead of us noticed our presence and parted to either side, clearing a path.

 

Our Head Hunter Unit surged through the open path, galloping straight toward the boss monster.

 

I set my eyes on the boss crawling on all fours.

 

At that moment, a spear attached to a rope flew out of nowhere and stuck in the boss monster’s face.

 

-Thwack!

 

Simultaneously, the rope was tugged taut, making the boss monster shake its head and move its entire body.

 

And at the end of that rope stood a familiar figure.

 

A person who had lost his usual calm demeanor, replaced only by an intense, battle-hardened gaze.

 

Soaked in red blood, he was displaying an image of the ferocious beast he had once been.

 

With such an appearance, it was clear that he had engaged in an intense battle more than anyone else.

 

Hyung was in a fierce tug-of-war with the boss monster, pulling aggressively on the rope.

 

I saw other crew members also pulling on the rope to assist him.

 

Hyung shouted out an order in a loud voice.

 

“Krian! Lead the rest and advance! Clear a path on the left!”

 

I had sometimes missed this side of him, but facing it now, my feelings were anything but comfortable.

 

He was so engrossed in battle that he didn’t even notice my arrival.

 

I gritted my teeth and pulled my feet out of the stirrups.

 

“Vice-captain…!”

 

Both Baran and Shawn seemed shocked, but I didn’t care.

 

I cautiously stepped both feet into the saddle and stood up.

 

I rode for a while in that unstable position.

 

Then, turning the reins, I drew my horse closer to the body of the boss.

 

-Thud…! Thud…!

 

One wrong step from the boss, and I could be crushed...

 

But risking such dangers had always been part and parcel of this life.

 

To begin with, the boss monster’s attention was fully on Hyung.

 

Taking a deep breath, I tapped the neck of my horse and gave the signal.

 

Immediately, my horse threw me into the air by lifting its hindquarters powerfully.

 

In sync, I straightened my legs and leaped, plunging a sharp dagger into the boss monster’s leg just before hitting the ground.

 

-Thwack!

 

Blood spurted out, and the boss let out a scream. Undeterred, I pulled out a second dagger from my coat and did the same.

 

Using the two embedded daggers as leverage, I climbed up onto the boss monster’s body.

 

It was only then that Adam Hyung seemed to realize I was there and looked at me.

 

His intense expression softened, and that familiar slight smile crossed his face.

 

“You’re late!” he shouted.

 

“Everyone, fall back!” I shouted back at him.

 

At that, he let go of the rope he’d been pulling and distanced himself.

 

The sound of the horn once again echoed across the battlefield.

 

The Red Flames members who had been clustered around the boss monster quickly scattered.

 

Now, it was up to me to finish this.

 

It was just me and the boss.

 

I threw away all the daggers I had been carrying and drew the sword from my waist.

 

Freed from the encirclement of Red Flames, the boss began to thrash wildly, twisting its trajectory.

 

“Hyah!”

 

Balancing myself on the boss’ back, I made my move towards its head.

 

Aware of my presence on its back, that monster shook its head and body, trying to throw me off. But I clung on tenaciously.

 

In the distance, I saw Ner, Ascal, and Arwin.

 

The boss was charging straight towards them.

 

Gripping my sword with both hands, I stared down at the boss’ neck.

 

Wasting no time, as soon as I was stable, I plunged my sword deep into it.

 

I felt the blade cutting through its thick skin, muscle, and something tough and sinewy underneath.

 

The monster let out a guttural death rattle.

 

Leaving the sword embedded, I pulled it sideways.

 

“Haaa!”

 

I gritted my teeth and put force into it.

 

Veins popped out on my wrists.

 

At first, the sword resisted movement, but gradually it began to slide sideways.

 

-Thud... Thud...

 

“Ha!”

 

With one last surge of effort, the sword traced a large arc, freeing itself from the side of the beast’s neck.

 

-Splash!

 

Blood sprayed everywhere, and the boss lost its strength.

 

The subjugation was over.

 

The massive body began to collapse.

 

I jumped down, following the direction in which the monster was falling.

 

-Thump!

 

A cloud of dust kicked up, and then silence descended.

 

My horse was the first to reach me, followed by the members of my squad, and then Adam Hyung.

 

“Vice-captain!”

 

“Berg.”

 

Adam Hyung, breathing heavily, looked at me and smiled.

 

“…Is your body okay?”

 

He asked.

 

I nodded.

 

“Yes.”

 

“And what about your squad?”

 

“They’re safe. What about you?”

 

“I’m fine. But...”

 

Hyung paused and shut his mouth, a bitter look crossed his face.

 

“...We lost three men in my squad alone.”

 

“...”

 

“We’ll probably have more casualties.”

 

I paused for a moment at his words...then slowly nodded.

 

It was damage we had to endure due to unexpected circumstances.

 

Even this would have been difficult if Adam Hyung hadn’t been there.

 

-Thump thump thump...

 

A horde of horses flooded our vicinity.

 

As my conversation with Hyung concluded, everyone exhaled a sigh of relief, as if they had finally accomplished something monumental.

 

Some elevated the mood with cheers of celebration, while others maintained stern faces, thinking of their fallen comrades.

 

At that time, a path was made between the Red Flames members.

 

Ascal and his elf escort approached us.

 

Ascal quickly dismounted and walked up to Adam Hyung.

 

“Are you alright, Captain...?”

 

“Yes, the task is complete.”

 

“Sigh...You’ve done really well. You’re bleeding so much that it’s—”

 

As Ascal was about to lay his hand on Adam Hyung’s shoulder...

 

“—It’s not my blood.”

 

....Hyung naturally dodged the touch, moving his shoulder away.

 

“...”

 

An awkward silence hung in the air before Adam Hyung contained.

 

“Oh, and because of the blood, it’s dirty. Don’t touch it.”

 

“Ah, right. I momentarily forgot.” Ascal said as if recalling something. Then he turned to look at me.

 

“Vice-captain, you’ve done well. I’ve never seen anyone do what you did—climbing the boss monster like that. I heard you were skilled... Seems like it wasn’t just talk.”

 

I nodded briefly in response to his praise.

 

Then I caught the eyes of Arwin, who was still on her horse behind him.

 

“...”

 

Her gaze remained as cold as ever. Once again, she looked away from me.

 

Her eyes, devoid of even a sliver of joy, were undeniably strange—especially given that the boss had been vanquished.

 

Then there was Ner.

 

Struggling a bit, she dismounted and hurried over to me. Her eyes scanned me from head to toe.

 

“Are you... injured?” She asked.

 

Her expression was fearful.

 

Her tail was curled, and the ears were pinned back.

 

The familiar expression took on a new meaning this time, and I was happy about it.

 

Previously, she wore that look because of my very presence. Now, she wore it out of concern that I might be hurt.

 

“...”

 

But suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

 

Was she genuinely concerned for me, or was this all an act because I had asked her to act?

 

Wouldn’t it be better to believe she was concerned for me as we were getting closer?

 

“Were you worried about me?”

 

As I grinned and asked, some of the team members teasingly whistled at me.

 

At that, Ascal and the elves looked confusingly between me and the team, possibly thinking the whistles of these members crossed the line.

 

It might have felt too light-hearted, given the circumstances.

 

Ner glanced around.

 

Rather than being annoyed by those jests, she seemed to only now become aware of their presence.

 

Though she normally wouldn’t have answered such a question, Ner clenched her teeth and replied,

 

“I was... worried!”

 

I smiled at her words, offering no resistance.

 

Whatever the reason, it was good to hear such things.

 

I couldn’t remember the last time someone said they were worried about me after a battle.

 

Maybe this was the first time.

 

“It was thanks to you,” I said.

 

“...”

 

“Your spells really gave me strength.”

 

Ner blinked anxiously, rolling her eyes before whispering in a voice that only I could hear, “I’ll continue to do so.”

 

“...”

 

If we were a loving couple, perhaps this was the moment for an embrace.

 

As if my excitement from the battle hadn’t calmed, impulsive thoughts flooded my head.

 

If it were just the two of us, I would have definitely hugged her.

 

If she wanted to reject me, she could have.

 

But now, we were in front of the mercenaries, and she wouldn’t be able to push me away.

 

After all, I was the one who had asked her to act in front of them.

 

However, taking advantage of Ner’s goodwill wasn’t something I wanted to do.

 

Moreover, Arwin was here too.

 

Given that we were soon to be married, perhaps it was time to put some distance between Ner and myself.

 

So, I suppressed those emotions.

 

I wiped away the blood trickling down my forehead and scanned the area.

 

“We should head back,” suggested Ascal.

 

The gates of Celebrien were opening in the distance.

 

It was time to enter their territory.

 

A chance to see the World Tree up close...

 

The elf elder looked at Arwin and said, “We should also set a date for the wedding.”

 

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –