Episode 94. Great strength for great responsibility.
Around this time, a faint light came into the tent and the sound of birds chirping was heard.
After barely escaping from the two people who were fast asleep, I decided to sit down at the bonfire and take a moment to catch my breath.
Damn, even thinking about it again, it’s ridiculous.
It’s difficult to tolerate just one person, but two people ask to sleep together. Why on earth did I make that choice yesterday?
“Good morning, young man.”
As I sat alone at the campfire and calmed my mind, a shadow began to walk from the bush area beyond the hill.
I felt a little wary, but soon I realized that he was the one who was supposed to watch my training and I relaxed.
I had been on alert until now, but now the time to wake up has come to wake me up?
“It looks like the two children are still sleeping in the tent… …. “It must have been quite a burden to wake up early in the morning.”
“hahahaha… Yes, they are both too attractive to me.”
“Those attractive wives and children came on this ascetic journey to find you. “I thought you would hang out with them if the situation arose, but could it be that the old man was acting like a fool for no reason?”
“… No, I don’t blame you.”
I am grateful that they did it for me, but ironically, this was not a problem that could be done with such consideration.
The reason these two people fought over me is because their feelings for me are that serious.
And the sense of guilt I felt every time I watched it became even more weighty because I knew that the feelings and investment I had for someone could not be divided.
“It’s just because I’m indecisive. “If you have integrity in your heart, you will be able to make a decision with ease.”
“… “I guess your problem is that you can’t make a clear choice.”
“It’s something that can’t be helped. “Because that’s what human relationships are like.”
No matter how close the relationship is, there will be hesitation in narrowing the distance for the sake of each other’s circumstances.
Even if you want to repay the person who sacrificed a lot for you, the moment you remain faithful to that feeling, you will have to give up the other side.
And that means hurting the other party.
It was already impossible to even consider the idea of separating one of the two from my daily life, in order to hurt either of them.
“I can’t believe I had to hurt one of the two. “You can’t help but be scared, right?”
“I’m scared….”
At a time when he felt sorry for himself, Jean started a bonfire with kindling.
That insignificant action seemed as if he knew the answer to my serious concerns.
“It seems like young people find this too difficult.”
“What do you mean, you find it difficult?”
Yes, if you have lived a long time, there is something called age.
When I asked him again with such anticipation, he immediately answered with a faint smile.
“If it’s difficult to choose between the two, shouldn’t you just aim to be able to choose both from the beginning?”
“… Yes?”
“It’s nothing strange. “There are many cases where even the most sincere family head commits adultery.”
It’s an affair.
No matter how much I’m torn between the two, isn’t that something that would be said in a situation like this?
If it wasn’t a joke, you might feel uncomfortable, but there was actually composure and weight in his voice.
“It may be difficult for ordinary people to be in relationships with multiple people, but even among nobles, they enter into arranged marriages for political reasons and sometimes keep separate concubines. Even in groups of animals that live in the wild, the leader usually monopolizes the females within the group.”
“That… There are cases like that, isn’t the world we live in a very different story?”
“What does it matter if the world we live in is different while the world is falling apart? Rather, in order to adapt to this world, you may need to get used to breaking your common sense.”
As if he was not taking that feeling of difference as a big deal, he smiled brightly and began to glance at me.
Despite the wrinkles on his face, his sharp eyes seemed to pierce my retina.
“Young man. I also highly value your upright character. “That kind of mindset could easily be called a ‘quality’ in this chaotic world.”
The seriousness I felt from that taught me right away.
It is no exaggeration to say that what will continue from now on is a proverb created from the years he lived.
“But what you adhere to is ultimately nothing more than an ‘artificial concept.’ “It’s just a continuation of morals and concepts created for convenience, and it can be broken at any time depending on the situation.”
“… “Are you saying that the more confusing the world is, the less we should stick to common sense?”
“If it means harm to you, then so be it. In reality, there are many people who think that way and enter into extramarital affairs.”
It was a story I could understand.
Fallen warriors, murderers, etc…
The reason they are taking such reckless actions as if they are joining in this chaos is because they firmly believe that this is the way to live in this world.
“… It’s as if they’re pushing you to commit fraud. “That means.”
As he said, society maintains order through artificial concepts.
In a world where such concepts are gradually being destroyed, being stubborn and not ignoring common sense may actually be poisonous.
I felt that such a remark combined with my current indecisiveness was coming across as deep self-torture.
“It also means becoming a hero.”
In fact, the next words were a denial of my self-deprecation.
“…… Yes?”
“Young man.”
-Crash.
The bonfire is still burning.
I even forgot to put the firewood in for a moment, but Jang didn’t pay attention to that and just continued talking in a serious voice.
“I really think that even if humanity has no place to live, there will still be people who try to maintain the same attitude as you in this world. And if such a world truly comes, I believe that it will be rebuilt with people with the same character as you as the focus.”
“No. That’s too much praise. How can I…….”
“I’m sure everyone will miss the past.”
I felt confused by his attitude of not being able to understand his intentions.
When I actually looked back, I could see a hint of remorse in his face that I didn’t know why.
“Because they will want to go back to the past when common sense existed, and protect the traces to go back to that time.”
“…… “Young man.”
“And no matter how chaotic the world is, those who have something to protect will never hastily enter into an affair. Do you know what those who want to avoid entering into an affair have in common?”
The embers gradually died out, and soon only the residual fire remained, a pile of residual fire.
He looked away from the ashes that could no longer be burned, looked back at me and said quietly.
“It’s power.”
Better than the bonfire that was burning brighter before.
Without hesitation, intense gaze with a stronger presence.
“Power…… ?”
“Yes, if you gain stronger power, no matter what happens in the world, you will be able to take responsibility for actions that deviate from common sense.”
It’s very simple, but at the same time, it’s even vain…
But that is why it is no exaggeration to say that this advice is a truth that penetrates this world.
It was something that touched my heart even more because I had always felt helpless.
“So, if you have any concerns, no matter what, try focusing on building your strength first. If you do that, you will create a foundation that can handle what you want.”
-Tweet.
The sound of birds gradually becomes clearer.
With that, the rising sunlight fell on the scene as if replacing the bonfire that had gone out. Jean, seeing the light in his eyes, stood up and turned his back on me.
“It’s almost time, so I’ll grab some breakfast and come back. You, please wake up your wife and children.”
“Ah, yes. Please be careful.”
Taak, taak.
The moment the sound of tapping the cane gradually fades away.
As I was listening to him, I quietly looked down at my hands where he left and took the time to engrave the previous advice in my heart.
“I… ….”
If I gain power as he said.
“If I become a hero… ….”
If you really become strong enough to become a hero.
I felt the belief that I would not be restricted by all the worries I had at this moment gradually blooming in my heart.
*****
After completing the morning maintenance, the journey began again.
Of course, the luggage compartment was still cramped, but the subsequent journey was not as frustrating as the first.
Although the previous advice did not provide a clear solution, it did help ease some of the resistance towards the two people.
“Hey, Mr. Hyosung…? “I think this is too much of a burden for Hyosung…”
“It’s okay. “Compared to working as a porter, two people are relatively light.”
Airi asked as if she was worried, but I paid it no mind and sat down on my legs and pulled her body towards me as much as possible.
If you do this, both people will have some space and frustration will subside, and more importantly, if you intervene directly, there will be less fights between the two of you.
“Anyway, when I start practicing later, I will have to do things that are more difficult than this, so I need to get used to it from now on. “Marilyn, are you okay too?”
“… ….”
“… “Marilyn?”
“Yes, yes? “What did you just say?”
Marilyn looks back at me in surprise.
But the usual bright smile was barely visible there.
The only thing that replaced the characteristic smile was the blush that colored the frozen face.
“No, that…” . “I asked if it was okay to go like this.”
“Yes, yes. Are you okay.”
Mary Lynn answered passively and placed her hand on her arm, which was hugging my body.
The characteristic playfulness subsided at this moment, as if he had never expected me to come out like this.
Now that you think about it, was this generally the reaction when my side took an active role?
“That… ….”
As I was thinking about that, Mary Lynn, who had been watching me, carefully shifted her weight toward me and began to close the distance between her and me.
“If you don’t mind, can I come a little closer?”
“Oh, yes. If it’s okay with you, Marilyn… …. Mr. Airi?”
As soon as Marylin closed the distance between her and me, she immediately buried her head in my arms.
Afterwards, as she was wriggling her hands, she closed her eyes tightly and whispered quietly in my arms.
“This is okay, right?”
-Gulp.
He forced his saliva into her dry throat and quietly pulled her back even harder.
“Yes, yes. Are you okay.”
Yes, this is something you will have to get used to from now on.
If you gain strength in the future, you won’t have to give up on either of you, and then you will have the opportunity to become a more special relationship than this hug.
From Noble mtl dot com
So, in order to cultivate that mindset, you need to pay more active attention to your relationship with the two people from now on.
“Stop!”
The exciting journey was interrupted when someone’s shouting was heard from outside the carriage.
I got out of the carriage ahead of the two people, thinking that it was almost time to arrive. I looked at the people who got out of the carriage ahead of me and blocked the road to understand the situation.
A checkpoint located on the passage leading to the garrison area. Guarding the front of the place were heavily armed soldiers.
“This is a garrison area currently under the control of the imperial army, and entry is restricted to those whose identities are unknown. “If you have not received permission to enter this place, please leave quietly!”
The one standing at the head and shouting is an old man wearing red armor.
Despite his age, he clearly had a spirit that made his voice echo throughout the valley.
But in that majestic voice, I felt a sense of familiarity for some reason.
“Is that person…?”
It didn’t take long to figure out the reason.
The person who took his place at the checkpoint was Corps Commander Marcus Cradle.
He is one of the figures who leads the ‘Legion’, the core force of the imperial army. He was someone who had previously followed a warrior and seen his face on request.
At the time, I was just a porter and could only watch from afar, but on the other hand, I could say that he was one of the key figures of the empire that even a guy like me could not take lightly.
“hehehe, this is true. “In order to somehow get inside, I tried working as a delivery service that didn’t even fit the theme.”
Jean, who stood up from the coach seat, tried to casually approach a person who boasted of such status.
“If he had known that you would be stationed here, he wouldn’t have bothered to ask for luggage to be moved… …. “I wonder if this is why I need to contact my acquaintances often.”
“… Was it Jean?”
“Okay, it’s been a while, Marcus.”
Jean narrows the distance between himself and him by pointing at his cane.
The longing-filled greeting that followed revealed a name that even I, who was eavesdropping on, could not take lightly.
“Isn’t it enough to say that it’s been a long time? It’s already been over 10 years since I last saw you.”
“hehehe, it’s been half a century since we started following Tacia, but has it already passed that much? Time flies so fast. “
Tacciarani.
Could it be that the girl I knew followed her around half a century ago?
…Or is she the child?