Chapter 162: Fated Partner (2)

Chapter 162: Fated Partner (2)

Ner and Arwin, followed by Gale, moved with me.

We approached the group that had been waiting for us.

The royal family. The key figures of the war. Numerous nobles.

It wasn’t just one or two who came out to greet the Red Flames group.

In a way, it was to be expected.

Given that we’ve blocked the right hand of the Demon King, the Red Flames too had become key figures in the war.

Only after many days had passed since the last battle did we gather like this.

And of course, even this gathering was hastily arranged.

After all, the Red Flames group also needed time to wrap things up.

The king nodded as he saw us, his face betraying a faint sense of regret.

Whether it was an act or genuine, I couldn’t tell... But it was clear he made that expression for Adam Hyung, who couldn’t be here.

Gale knelt down, and I followed suit, along with Ner and Arwin.

There was no resentment towards the king.

After all, it was Adam Hyung who had decided to go to war.

If anything, the person I resented was myself.

For it was in saving me that Hyung had met his death.

“...Rise, Berg,” the king commanded.

I obeyed his words and stood up.

“You’ve done well. We’ll discuss your reward later. And...”

The king paused briefly before continuing.

“...I’m sorry about what happened to Adam.”

“...”

It was a moment to revel in the joy of victory, yet a wave of mourning flowed instead.

Perhaps inevitably, his words offered me no solace.

With those words, the king turned away.

It seemed he had come out to meet us just to say this.

The royal family left us.

The remaining were the heroes, the Blackwood family, and members of the Celebrien family.

Gibson of the Blackwood family approached and placed his hand on my shoulder.

“You’ve worked hard, Berg. About Captain Adam... I truly regret it.”

“.........”

I looked down coldly at Gibson.

Could it have been him all along?

Was he planning to betray us from the start?

It couldn’t have been just Ner acting on her own. There must have been someone helping her, providing useful information about the Red Flames group.

Was his plan to overthrow us all along to save his daughter?

“...Father.”

Ner appeared behind me, struggling as she grasped Gibson’s arm.

Gibson, noticing her teary expression, glanced my way.

“...”

“...Ner.”

Worry etched itself across Gibson’s face, as if he believed I had been mistreating Ner all this time.

As if I had belittled her and used her like a mere pawn, despite having treated her with utmost care.

That was what made it all the more painful.

“Has it been hard?”

Gibson whispered to Ner, presumably so that only she could hear.

Ner swallowed hard and shook her head.

“No, it’s not that...”

“...?”

Gidon Blackwood, the eldest son of the Blackwood family, walked over and inserted himself between us.

Gidon, who had reconciled with Ner when leaving the Blackwood lands, spoke up.

“Captain Berg, you’ve worked hard.”

His voice rose like it did during our first meeting, buying time with his business-like demeanor.

“I’d like to have a word with Ner, if you don’t mind taking her away.”

“...”

He was seeking permission from me, her husband.

That smile, no matter how much time passed, remained familiar to me.

“...Bell.”

Tears welled up in Sien’s eyes.

I couldn’t tell how she saw me through her tears.

What expression I was making... I didn’t even know myself.

It felt as if everyone else had disappeared, leaving just the two of us.

As if all the facades surrounding us were being stripped away.

I couldn’t say anything.

There was nothing I could say.

“...You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you, Bell...?”

Sien asked, her concern for me cutting through her own endured hardships.

“...”

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

I didn’t know how to respond to her question.

Even pretending it wasn’t so, each time I stood before her, my emotions surged.

It seemed Sien was aware of this fact as well.

Frozen in place for a long moment... I finally moved.

Sien wiped her tears, steadying herself.

For now, putting this distance between us felt strangely natural to both of us.

****

“...Have you been well, Arwin?”

Ascal asked his daughter, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.

Ascal had sold Arwin to mercenaries... and there hadn’t been many peaceful days since.

Everything had been determined by Arwin’s choices, though Ascal clearly knew that she hadn’t truly wanted to be sold.

Arwin had chosen the lesser evil, exhausted by the pain of sharing her lifespan with the World Tree.

Ascal hadn’t received much news about Arwin, mainly just updates about the Red Flames group.

Especially, stories about Berg, Arwin’s husband, were frequently heard.

His incredible strength on the battlefield was a topic of widespread discussion.

At least, seeing the Red Flames group prosper gave Ascal some relief.

If it had been a decaying group, they couldn’t have grown so effectively by mistake.

Of course, this didn’t necessarily reflect how Arwin was treated, but Ascal felt more at ease knowing she was part of a rising mercenary group rather than a deteriorating one.

Moreover, having seen Berg risk his life for Arwin, even just once, he hoped everything would turn out well.

Yet, what troubled him as much was the fear that news of Berg’s death might reach him.

There was fear that Arwin might actually use the poison.

Although Ascal was confident that Arwin would not resort to poison, he couldn’t dismiss the possibility entirely.

After all, if that was the choice Arwin made, he had even provided her with Bardi liquor and poison to respect her decision.

Though he wished she wouldn’t use it, Ascal considered his daughter’s safety more important than the lives of the short-lived races.

Providing her with poison was the best he could do under the circumstances.

No father would want his daughter to become a murderer.

With such mixed emotions, time had passed.

Ascal turned to Arwin with a greeting.

“...Father.”

-Thud.

But at the same time, Arwin collapsed to the ground.

Ascal couldn’t help but be shocked.

He had never seen Arwin struggle so visibly.

No matter how much pain the World Tree inflicted, Arwin had always gotten back up.

She had endured, determined to fulfill her role to the end.

And now, given the chance, she had collapsed.

“Ah, Arwin.”

Uncharacteristically quick, Ascal rushed to her side and placed his hand on her shoulder.

Arwin murmured with a vacant expression.

“...Please help me.”

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

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