Chapter 75: Old Friend (1)

 

Today, I gave my team members some freedom.

 

Whether they drank, embraced women, or enjoyed the scenery, it was their business.

 

Simultaneously, I, with my two wives, shifted our steps.

 

Through the path that Nox had shown, we headed toward the sea.

 

Ner seemed to inhale the increasingly pungent smell of salt beside me.

 

She took a deep breath and repeatedly sighed.

 

“Can you smell it?”

 

I asked her.

 

“Huh?!”

 

Ner, startled and flustered, curled her tail tightly.

 

Perplexed by her behavior, I spoke.

 

“...No. The smell of salt... why are you so surprised?”

 

I asked about the part that puzzled me before trying to question.

 

Ner spoke, shaking her head roughly.

 

“I, I was thinking of something else and was startled without realizing it. Yes. I, I can smell the salt.”

 

Arwin gently turned her head to the side and looked into the distance.

 

I could feel her eagerness to see the sea soon.

 

Seeing her like this got me excited as well.

 

What would it look like?

 

They said it was a space where saltwater spreads endlessly.

 

It had been a long time since I had been curious about the sea, ever since Sien told me about it

 

.

.

.

 

We ascend a small hill.

 

Faintly, the sound of water striking something and sloshing was heard.

 

Now, I too could detect the smell Ner had spoken of.

 

A distinct scent coming from fish wafted towards us.

 

The air also became fresher. Seagulls fly about.

 

We were approaching the sea.

 

Soon, I was the first to reach the top of the hill.

 

“........”

 

And for a moment, I was at a loss for words at the vast scenery.

 

The endlessly sprawling blue hue.

 

Far in the horizon, the sea and sky merge harmoniously.

 

Like numerous gems embedded, the water sparkled.

 

I even forget to breathe in this liberation.

 

Then, Arwin and Ner followed me up the hill.

 

“Wow....”

 

Ner exclaimed in awe, and Arwin slightly opened her mouth, frozen.

 

I too felt a sense of openness, but how would Arwin, who had been confined all her life, feel?

 

For quite a while, we silently gaze at the sea.

 

Waves collide and shatter amongst themselves, constantly changing their form.

 

‘We will watch the sunset from there, Bell. You will surely love the sea.’

 

Sien’s voice, which I had always resisted, became acceptable this time.

 

She was right.

 

It seemed I was going to like the sea.

 

“...Let’s go.”

 

I spoke to my stunned wives.

 

Ner snapped back to reality and hastily followed me.

 

“Be, Berg. This is the sea, right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

To Ner, who was not informed of our destination, it seemed she was even more astonished.

 

Looking at her, I felt a sense of pride.

 

“It’s really beautiful...”

 

Arwin approached the sea with a tense expression.

 

“Take off your shoes.”

 

I spoke as we stepped onto the beach, where soft sand was spread.

 

I’d heard from Nox that this was how to enjoy it.

 

Obediently, my wives removed their shoes, neatly placing them aside.

 

“...”

 

Arwin, feeling the sand with her feet, sported a gentle smile.

 

“...It’s ticklish.”

 

She whispered, looking up at me.

 

Thus, we gradually moved closer to the sea.

 

I was the first to step into the chilly waves.

 

The cool seawater soaked my feet.

 

Smiling, I spoke to my wives.

 

“Come on in.”

 

Ner gripped the hem of my clothing and cautiously placed her foot in the seawater.

 

Startled by the cold sensation, she withdrew her foot and gazed at me.

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

Only for a moment.

 

Our gazes met, and we both burst into laughter simultaneously.

 

Soon, using both hands, Ner grabbed my arm and slowly entered the sea.

 

Waves struck, occasionally wetting her calves.

 

Whenever a high wave rolled in, Ner lifted her legs, to avoid the cold touch.

 

Next, I looked at Arwin.

 

Already wetting her feet in the sea, she dipped her finger in the water and tasted it.

 

“...It’s really salty...”

 

She said, smiling.

 

Then, standing upright, she quietly gazed at the horizon.

 

The sea breeze rustled Arwin’s hair.

 

I couldn’t discern what thoughts might be racing through her mind.

 

Yet... I felt that just standing like this would be no fun.

 

I turned to look at Ner, who was clinging to my arm.

 

She was beaming up at me, a lively smile on her face.

 

“Look down, Berg! Little fish are swimming around!”

 

I chuckled, watching her wagging tail.

 

Her expression briefly clouded with confusion at my smile.

 

-Whoosh!

 

“Huh!”

 

Before she could react, I lifted Ner off her feet.

 

“Wh-what, Berg?”

 

-Throw!

 

Then I threw her far into the water.

 

-Splash!

 

Ner disappeared, momentarily submerged in the shallow water.

 

“Huh?”

 

Arwin’s surprise at the loud sound was fleeting.

 

-Whoosh!

 

In the same manner, I reached under Arwin’s back and picked her up into the air.

 

“Ha! Wh-what are you doing, Berg?”

 

Ner, emerging from the water, called out to me with a mock complaint.

 

Arwin’s eyes darted between Ner and me, unsure of what would happen next.

 

It seemed as if Arwin sensed the imminent future for herself, and she hurriedly hardened her expression and warned me.

 

“...Don’t do it.”

 

However, upon seeing my smiling face, she seemed to realize that it was futile.

 

Her response was more vehement.

 

She grabbed onto my forearm tightly, refusing to let go.

 

“...I said don’t.”

 

“Do you come all the way here and just soak your feet?”

 

“I...I was thinking that-”

 

-Whoosh!

 

I threw still-talking Arwin into the air.

 

Maintaining a dignified posture, she fell into the water without resistance.

 

-Splash!

 

She bounced back up from where she’d sunk.

 

“Berg!”

 

A passionate emotion emanated from her previously cold demeanor.

 

She flicked her hair back, scattering droplets of water.

 

She looked at me, her expression scowling.

 

I burst into laughter at the sight of the two of them, soaked to the skin.

 

Ner dashed straight towards me.

 

“Hmm..!”

 

She tried to knock me over.

 

Gently grasping her hands that tried to do so, I picked her up and, once again, threw her again.

 

-Splash!

 

Arwin, not wanting to be thrown like Ner again, started splashing water from a distance.

 

-Swish! Swish!

 

Watching her earnestly splashing while maintaining a serious face just kept making me smile.

 

Nonetheless, my clothes effectively got drenched.

 

I started skipping away, cackling, while Arwin chased after me, splashing water.

 

“Where do you think you’re going!”

 

Ner, tenacious as ever, got back up and charged at me again.

 

Once again, as our bodies intertwined, a bright smile lingered on Ner’s face.

 

“Fall over already!”

 

With ease, I tossed her back into the water.

 

Arwin, from a distance, was also splashing water with a smile.

 

Her plan to get my clothes wet worked.

 

So, there was no reason to run anymore.

 

I paused for a moment, then charged at Arwin again.

 

“Huh?”

 

Arwin was taken aback, but it was already too late.

 

She was helplessly hoisted into my arms.

 

“Ah!”

 

She waved her legs, trying to escape from me, but it was a futile struggle.

 

Simultaneously, I scrutinized Arwin’s expression closely.

 

The upward curve of her lips indicated that Arwin, too, seemed to be enjoying herself.

 

Seeing that smile, I threw Arwin back into the sea.

 

We played like that for quite a while.

 

.

.

.

 

Getting accustomed to the water play, I found myself teaching them things they hadn’t experienced before.

 

I took Ner’s hand and infused her with courage.

 

“I won’t let go, okay?”

 

“Really...? Truly?”

 

Firmly holding her hand, I led her.

 

As promised, I didn’t let go of her hand.

 

Ner entrusted her body to my hand and laid back on the water.

 

Crossing her legs and fluttering them, she learned how to swim.

 

Her tail swung vigorously from side to side, showing her earnestness.

 

Seeing this, I burst into laughter once again.

 

Then, I did the same for Arwin.

 

Initially, she refused, but eventually got swept up in the atmosphere and took my hand.

 

Arwin immersed her head into the water.

 

Gradually moving forward, she crossed her legs.

 

“Paha!”

 

After swimming for a while, she suddenly raised her upper body and stood up.

 

“Haa...Haa...”

 

I asked her, as she took deep breaths,

 

“Why? You were doing well.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Arwin looked at me, flipping her wet hair.

 

Drenched in seawater, her beauty shimmered just like Ner’s.

 

“Ah...my breath...”

 

“You should turn your head to the side to breathe.”

 

“...it’s hard, okay?”

 

In Arwin’s sassy reply, there was an inkling of interest.

 

I could sense she would practice for a long time.

 

Memories were being stacked, one by one.

 

****

 

Arwin sat on the sandy beach, gazing at the sunset as it dipped below the horizon.

 

She realized that such a breathtaking beauty could exist in the world.

 

The sunset reflected off the sea, illuminating it.

 

A sight so touching it might bring tears to one’s eyes.

 

The only thing holding back her tears was the sight of Ner, who, undaunted, still frolicked tirelessly in the sea.

 

Arwin looked at Berg, who sat beside her.

 

He too was deep in thought, quietly watching the sunset.

 

Somehow, his eyes seemed sad.

 

...Perhaps it was just her imagination.

 

“...”

 

Suddenly, she found herself wondering what he might be thinking about.

 

Her curiosity about Berg grew more and more profound.

 

Perhaps this burgeoning curiosity sprouted from her gratitude towards him.

 

For her, Berg had traveled to such a remote place to take on a request.

 

Everything was because he wanted to gift her this moment.

 

She hadn’t forgotten that.

 

And she knew that such a gift from Berg would be engraved in her long life forever.

 

It was peculiar.

 

Every moment with Berg felt both brief and eternal.

 

In the enriching day-to-day he gifted her, memories accumulated immeasurably.

 

A few days with Berg held more memories than several years in the meaningless Celebrien Territory.

 

In that regard, time seemed to flow slowly.

 

But then, she was surprised by the fact that she had only been with him for a few months.

 

When she was with the World Tree, every single day dragged so slowly.

 

But it felt like an age had already passed with Berg.

 

In that sense, time seemed to flow quickly.

 

Could she continue to live like this in the future?

 

“...”

 

For the first time, while with him, she experienced the emotion of looking forward to tomorrow.

 

Before she knew it, Arwin found herself unable to tear her eyes away from his face.

 

A race that was incomparably different from herself.

 

A person who would live in a different era.

 

She was captivated by him and couldn’t move.

 

“...Arwin.”

 

Suddenly, Berg turned his head.

 

Thinking that her gaze had been caught, Arwin hastily averted her eyes.

 

Her heart startled again.

 

“...Yes?”

 

Her responding voice trembled. She was embarrassed by her foolish sounding voice.

 

Berg fumbled something out of the luggage he brought.

 

“...Here.”

 

Arwin swallowed as she saw the ornament, which glittered, reflecting the sunset.

 

It was a ring.

 

Berg spoke.

 

“...Humans exchange rings with the person they’re engaged to. You’ve seen it through Ner, haven’t you?”

 

“...”

 

“I intended to give it as a gift if another wedding ceremony was held in Stockpin... but it naturally passed by, didn’t it? Given the circumstances.”

 

“...”

 

“Going through that complex process again from the beginning takes a long time. I thought it would be better for us to do it this way, just the two of us.”

 

Arwin, like she did with Berg, had her gaze stolen by the ring.

 

That round ring without any gemstone could not have looked so beautiful.

 

“...Is this for me?”

 

Arwin asked cautiously.

 

Berg laughed softly as he spoke.

 

“What if it is?”

 

“...”

 

Arwin looked up at Berg.

 

The atmosphere as the sunset settled was a flawless, beautiful spectacle.

 

Within it, Berg made a promise.

 

“...I’ll protect you from now on.”

 

Arwin’s heart beat strongly.

 

“...I’ll wait until the day you come to like me.”

 

He spoke evenly.

 

“So let’s live life enjoyably.”

 

Perhaps because it was Berg’s promise.

 

The sense of trust felt different.

 

She felt that his words could absolutely not be false.

 

And with that truth, Arwin’s heart beat even more wildly.

 

Her heart raced so fiercely, that she wondered if it had ever beat this fast before.

 

“...”

 

Soon after, Berg gently took her left hand.

 

Unable to take her eyes off Berg, Arwin felt something being slid onto her ring finger.

 

Then, Berg passed his ring to her.

 

Now, it was her turn to slip a ring onto his ring finger.

 

“...”

 

But on his sturdy hand, Ner’s ring was already fitted.

 

Perhaps because of that, Arwin inadvertently blurted out something she didn’t need to say.

 

“...There’s no place to put it.”

 

“There’s always the right hand.”

 

She wanted to argue, wasn’t the meaning different then, but Arwin stifled the words.

 

It felt like it would imply she was taking this ceremony seriously.

 

Arwin spoke.

 

“...I haven’t changed yet, you know?”

 

Berg laughed at her words.

 

He seemed to not be overly concerned with whatever she said.

 

“So. Are you not going to put it on?”

 

“...”

 

Arwin soon gazed at Berg’s necklace.

 

Her World Tree leaf touched Berg’s heart.

 

Seeing that eased her spirit.

 

Arwin cautiously picked up the other ring that Berg was offering.

 

“...I’m doing this because I’m thankful. Going forward, I still have to act.”

 

And so, with a fleeting excuse, she slipped the ring onto Berg’s finger.

 

Even as she put on the ring, her gaze kept straying to Ner’s ring.

 

In her head, she continuously compared which ring was more beautiful.

 

‘...Our ring seems prettier, somehow.’

 

She thought to herself.

 

“...Nice.”

 

Berg commented, looking at the newly donned ring.

 

Arwin said she still didn’t want to love Berg.

 

She could list dozens of reasons for that.

 

“...”

 

Nonetheless, she couldn’t deny one fact.

 

This day, even after a thousand years, would be unforgettable.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –