Chapter 64: The Saint Who Hates God (3)

 

Even after the feast was over, Ner did not untangle her tail wrapped around Berg’s waist.

 

She didn’t know the exact reason why.

 

She just did.

 

Perhaps it was because she didn’t want to stumble and fall while tipsy. Or perhaps, as per Berg’s request, she wanted to express that they were a loving couple.

 

Or maybe the emotions she felt during the feast hadn’t fully settled yet.

 

“Let’s go back.”

 

At Berg’s words, Ner leaned into his arm.

 

It was a choice made while under the influence of alcohol.

 

Ner looked up at Berg. He, too, seemed unbothered by her actions.

 

“...”

 

Suddenly, the thought crossed Ner’s mind that Berg might have forgotten the significance of her tangled tail.

 

Of course, her action was impulsive due to her intoxicated state, and it held no special meaning.

 

Still, she couldn’t help but feel a bit spiteful as she observed Berg, who appeared to be oblivious.

 

.

.

.

 

“Goodnight, Arwin-nim.”

 

As soon as Ner stepped into the house, she greeted Arwin.

 

Following her, Arwin’s hazy expression lifted upon hearing her words.

 

A brief moment of silence followed between them.

 

“...Yeah, goodnight.”

 

Arwin eventually responded.

 

Then she looked at Berg and said,

 

“...Goodnight. I had fun today.”

 

“Yes, goodnight Arwin. See you tomorrow.”

 

“...”

 

Berg promptly guided Ner toward their bedroom.

 

Ner followed him listlessly, taking a moment to look back at Arwin.

 

Arwin was still standing where she had greeted them, looking at them intently.

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

For a brief moment, their eyes met. Arwin touched her forehead with her hand and gave Ner another nod as a farewell.

 

Ner blinked and responded to the greeting.

 

- Thump.

 

Upon entering their bedroom, it felt as if all the commotion from the feast had been washed away from her body.

 

Alone now in their room, the tension ebbed from her body, leaving her feeling weary and lax.

 

The laughter and cheers that had once filled her ears also quieted down, leaving her a little dazed.

 

And at that moment, she felt heat rising in her face.

 

“Ner, your tail.”

 

It was then that Berg spoke, looking at her.

 

“...”

 

Ner untangled her tail, belatedly following Berg’s words.

 

It was the first time she had gripped something so tightly with her tail, and the emptiness she felt upon letting go was unfamiliar.

 

Berg, upon seeing Ner’s tail became untangled, began to take off his top, preparing for bed.

 

“...”

 

It was the usual routine, but for some reason, Ner couldn’t take her eyes off Berg’s upper body.

 

She just couldn’t.

 

Even she didn’t know why this change had come over her.

 

Was it because of the alcohol?

 

Was it the atmosphere from the feast?

 

Was it because it had been a while since they had shared a bed?

 

Or was it something else entirely?

 

Even breathing seemed more difficult than usual.

 

“...? Ner, don’t just stand there. Get ready for bed.”

 

Upon hearing his words, Ner moved as if a spell had been lifted from her.

 

She walked behind the partition and began to remove her outdoor clothing piece by piece.

 

Afterward, she changed into her nightclothes.

 

By the time she emerged from behind the partition, Berg was already lying in bed, prepared to drift off to sleep.

 

This time too, for some reason, she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

 

It felt as though her tail was constantly restless.

 

Her eyes naturally moved towards the moon.

 

It was a habit she’d cultivated for a long time, naturally looking out the window.

 

“...Ah.”

 

And only then did she realize.

 

Why was her body reacting like this?

 

She understood it when she saw the full moon.

 

This full moon marked the time of her ‘heat period’.

 

“...”

 

Understanding why her body was acting this way made her feel somewhat at ease.

 

The reasons for these strange symptoms had all become clear.

 

Deciding to accept this, Ner swallowed hard and quietly moved toward Berg.

 

When she lay down on the bed, Berg snuffed out the candle.

 

-Snuff-

 

“Let’s sleep.”

 

He said.

 

Ner nodded and lay beside him.

 

However, she remained wide awake for quite a while.

 

She struggled to understand herself, feeling quite different from her previous heat cycles.

 

Until now, her heat cycles had always been manageable.

 

She had never felt any significant changes in her body, mind, or spirit.

 

That was why she had confidently answered Arwin’s previous question about her heat cycles or mating period by saying they were manageable urges.

 

But today was different.

 

Her eyes kept reopening even when she tried to close them.

 

They were always directed towards Berg.

 

Her tail couldn’t stay still either; it swished and struck Berg’s leg on its own.

 

“...Why?”

 

When Berg questioned the touch, Ner pretended to sleep by tightly closing her eyes.

 

Of course, she didn’t want him to find out she was in heat.

 

Berg didn’t react much, possibly thinking her actions were a result of her being tipsy.

 

After a while, Berg, possibly fueled by the alcohol, fell asleep.

 

Only then did Ner let herself closely observe Berg.

 

Her restless tail now clung to his leg.

 

She justified her strange feelings to herself as effects of the heat cycle and alcohol.

 

When in contact with him, her restless heart felt somewhat calmed.

 

After observing him for a long time, she closed her eyes to finally sleep.

 

But then, she was awakened by a subtle scent of Berg wafting into her nose.

 

As a werewolf, she had an excellent sense of smell; she could distinguish odors others couldn’t.

 

Even if others couldn’t smell anything, she could.

 

Among those smells was body odor.

 

Plus, her sense of smell was even more sharper because she was in her heat period.

 

‘...’

 

She shook her head vehemently, trying to escape the scent.

 

What would she do by smelling a friend’s scent?

 

‘...’

 

Then, overcome by a peculiar urge, she looked at Berg again.

 

He was her husband, even if just a friend, so she decided to familiarize herself with his scent.

 

She lightly sniffed as she brought her nose close to him.

 

‘…This is Berg’s smell.’

 

She thought to herself.

 

Having learned his scent, she turned her head away.

 

Now, she felt she could finally sleep.

 

...Then she told herself.

 

‘...I might forget.’

 

Once was not enough.

 

She went closer again and sniffed lightly.

 

She told herself that she didn’t particularly like the scent. But,

 

‘...I sniffed too lightly.’

 

She thought, again attempting to fall asleep.

 

Actions followed naturally, and this time she took a deep breath of his scent.

 

Exhaling a large breath, she looked at him in a daze.

 

“....Haah...”

 

Why did it get better each time she smelled it?

 

It felt like her heart was getting filled.

 

She closed her eyes once again.

 

However, her sense of satisfaction did not last long.

 

Taking a little break only made her feel inadequate.

 

With each blink, taking in his scent over and over again, Ner found herself gradually clinging to Berg without even realizing it.

 

“...Haa...”

 

She breathed in his scent, justifying it with various reasons.

 

By the time Ner snapped back to reality, her face was lightly resting on his bare upper body.

 

Even if her cheek slightly crinkled, she didn’t care.

 

“...Haa...”

 

Though she became aware of her unusual behavior, she didn’t correct it.

 

She didn’t want to distance herself from Berg’s scent.

 

The scentless air had already become too dull.

 

It was better to smell his scent like this.

 

It was all because of the heat period, She told herself.

 

***

 

A bird flew over to the hero party, who were taking a long-overdue break.

 

Sien silently observed the bird that landed on Sylphrien’s shoulder.

 

Most of Sylphrien’s animal friends brought news.

 

Their help was always valuable for the hero party, where information was of utmost importance.

 

“...What?! Really?”

 

Suddenly, Sylphrien sprang up from her seat, letting out a sigh of relief.

 

While everyone was startled by her sudden action, Sylphrien explained.

 

“Ah...! I heard the World Tree is safe again...!”

 

For a moment, everyone’s faces brightened.

 

Felix clapped with laughter, and Acran approached Sylphrien to pat her back.

 

“I told you it would work out!”

 

“Congratulations, Sylphrien.”

 

Sien also smiled at her and offered her congratulations.

 

After the news of hope brought a wave of joy, Felix asked,

 

“What happened? You said the situation was really bad.”

 

Sylphrien, wiping away her joyful tears, explained.

 

“A mercenary group has accepted the request.”

 

“A mercenary group? Weren’t we out of funds to hire a new one?”

 

The bird that had flown over continued to chirp while perched on Sylphrien’s shoulder.

 

Translating the bird’s chirps, Sylphrien continued.

 

“Yes. So they sold a child as compensation...what? Arwin was sold?”

 

Acran asked,

 

“Who’s Arwin?”

 

“Ah, she’s the elder’s daughter... She is a child born with a blessed lifespan. We call children like her the Chosen Ones... Ah, so that’s what happened...”

 

A bitter expression briefly flashed across Sylphrien’s face. However, it was washed away by the news that many elves had regained hope.

 

Centaur Acran stroked his chin as he spoke.

 

“Hmm... there was another mercenary group last time that took a noble as compensation...”

 

The hero party was well-informed about the world’s current situation.

 

Not only did they rely on Sylphrien’s information, but they inevitably heard news from regions that needed assistance.

 

In that process, they continuously had to make the best choices and had no choice but to neglect some areas.

 

Even the guilt of having to ignore certain places was a burden the hero party had to bear.

 

However, sometimes they forget some details amidst the overwhelming information.

 

Felix, the hero, answered Acran’s query.

 

“That’s true. It was during Blackwood, wasn’t it? The Red Flames, was that their name?”

 

Sylphrien interrupted her conversation with the chirping bird.

 

“Yes...! It’s the Red Flames. The mercenaries who saved Blackwood and Celebrien.”

 

Acran raised an eyebrow as he spoke.

 

“Felix, you have a remarkable memory. I had completely forgotten.”

 

“It was a peculiar case, so I didn’t forget. It was probably a mercenary group composed solely of humans.”

 

Everyone’s eyes momentarily shift to the human saintess.

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

A strange atmosphere circulated.

 

The term ‘mercenary group composed solely of humans’ seemed to add a layer of regret for the young noble ladies who were sold off.

 

Sylphrien especially seemed to be troubled.

 

“...Arwin...”

 

Her previously bright expression gradually darkened.

 

Soon after, the mage apologized to Sien.

 

“I’m sorry, Saintess. It’s not that... I do respect you, but every race has a diverse range of people, right? And if you add ‘mercenaries’ into the equation...”

 

Sien shook her head.

 

“I understand. I feel sorry too.”

 

“...”

 

“...Especially that they were sold to people they might not even like.”

 

Hero Felix lightened the suddenly tense atmosphere of the conversation.

 

“Anyway, I heard through a letter that Master Gale has taken an interest in the vice-captain there. That’s why it sticks out in my memory.”

 

Everyone had their own reactions to the news about their master, Gale.

 

“Master has?”

 

Acran inquired with interest, and,

 

“Gale is showing interest in someone?”

 

Sylphrien also commented, trying to calm her emotions.

 

“...”

 

Only Sien remained silent, not particularly interested in the conversation.

 

Perhaps it was her long-standing aversion to mercenaries, but she never paid much attention to such matters.

 

Felix nodded.

 

“I heard that the number of bosses defeated by the vice-captain is close to 200? Isn’t it surprising that even Master would take an interest?”

 

Acran expressed pure admiration.

 

“200, huh? That’s an unbelievable number.”

 

Felix shrugged.

 

“We’ll know when Master sees for himself. But given that they’ve liberated both Blackwood and Celebrien, it’s probably not entirely false. Sylphrien, does your bird know anything... Sylphrien?”

 

Felix cast a questioning look at Sylphrien, who seemed to be lost in thought.

 

Sylphrien then sighed as if snapping back to reality.

 

“Ah...!”

 

“...What’s going on?”

 

“...It’s just that Arwin has become the wife of that vice-captain. The young lady of Blackwood is in the same situation.”

 

“They both became the vice-captain’s wives?”

 

“...Yes. It’s a human cultural thing...”

 

Acran cautiously glanced at Sien.

 

Sien shook her head again, as if to say it was fine.

 

“...It’s okay. I also think polygamy is a bad practice.”

 

Collecting wives as if they were possessions.

 

Sien had no good thoughts about it.

 

Marriage was meaningful only when it was based on genuine love.

 

The atmosphere relaxed somewhat only after she spoke.

 

Given their different races, everyone was making an effort not to be rude to each other.

 

Sien soon lost interest in the conversation.

 

She was preoccupied with suppressing her surging emotions, fueled by her renewed longing for Berg since yesterday.

 

Felix continued to inquire.

 

“...Anyway, does your bird know the name of this vice-captain? Master is interested, so we might want to remember the name for future reference.”

 

Sylphrien’s bird chirped.

 

“Right, so... the captain’s name is... um, Adim? Ah, no, Adam? Adam, and the vice-captain is...”

 

As the conversation progressed, Sien gradually felt her focus waning.

 

Maybe it was the pleasant weather.

 

Or her mind was clouded by thoughts of Berg.

 

And in moments like this, her weary consciousness always seemed to drift back to memories of home.

 

The voices of her companions gradually grew fainter, while in contrast, the voice of the man who always melted her heart grew louder.

 

‘Sien!’

 

“...Berg?”

 

“.........................”

 

Sien’s movements stopped.

 

At the mention of that name, all eyes were drawn to her.

 

It was not as though any of them had been living behind harsh walls for the last seven years.

 

As comrades, they knew each other’s circumstances all too well.

 

Every time Sien mentioned her inner thoughts, the name Berg was inevitably brought up, leaving everyone momentarily at a loss for words.

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

In the silence that followed, Sien lowered her head and spoke.

 

“...No, it’s not him. I heard from the Church that Berg has become a farmer in the Glascal village.”

 

Sylphrien also exhaled deeply in response.

 

“...I see. That’s right, isn’t it?”

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –