Incompatible Interspecies Wives chapter 192

192 – Remaining Tasks (1)

The evening was fading away.

I was recalling the events that happened with Nareu and Arwin earlier.

Even though Arwin was bleeding and falling, I didn’t help her up, and despite Nareu pleading, I didn’t even give her a gentle hug.

I wondered if those choices were truly right.

There is no way to change what has happened.

I had no intention of abandoning them for Sien.

The time I spent with Sien was happy, and I was looking forward to the birth of our child.

Even with everything staying the same, was it a wrong choice to leave them behind?

Sien and I were on a walk in the forest behind our house.

It was the same forest Nareu and I used to visit every day in the past.

I sat quietly with her, reminiscing about the events of the day.

Sien pressed her cheek against my shoulder and asked softly.

“…What do you think?”

“…”

Those were words I couldn’t answer.

Sien hugged my arm tighter in response to my silence.

“…You’ve been tired lately, Bell.”

She whispered.

I turned my head to ask her.

“Why?”

“…Because you’re going through a tough time.”

Si-en laughed lightly and spoke.

“…I hope you’re happy, Belle.”

“…”

“…But for some reason, it feels like the world only torments you.”

From No ble mt L dot c om

I stroked her head in response to Si-en’s words.

Just by saying this, I felt a great strength within me.

I also wanted to believe that I could endure difficult times.

At least, I would not be struggling like this for the rest of my life.

At that moment, a loud commotion could be heard from the direction of the village.

I didn’t know what was happening, but my heart sank at the sound.

On top of that, I wondered what other ominous event could occur.

“…”

“…”

I exchanged glances with Si-en and quickly hastened our steps.

…

The village was in chaos.

It was the group that had set out during the day to eradicate the bandits.

“What’s going on?”

Gael and I ran towards Baran and asked.

Baran, who had shed more blood than usual, looked at me with hollow eyes.

“…Captain.”

He blinked.

I knew those eyes well.

It was the gaze one shows when experiencing loss.

Blood ran even colder.

I didn’t want to make the distinction, but the deaths of comrades who experienced war with me were always more painful than those of unfamiliar villagers in the village.

Gritting my teeth, I asked Baran.

“Who is it?”

Baran whispered the name with great effort.

“…It’s Krian.”

Krian, a high-ranking member of the Hongyundan.

He had always been close to Theodore.

While biting my lip, Krian’s body was being dragged from behind.

I looked at him, covered in wounds, with my eyes closed.

Sien swallowed her breath beside me.

Ner and Arwin, who had rushed out amidst the chaos, couldn’t say anything.

“…”

I slowly kneeled beside Krian.

“…What happened?”

And quietly asked Baran.

“…There was an ambush. It was quite large in scale.”

“How many?”

“Roughly more than sixty people.”

“What happened to the enemy?”

“…We killed about half of them, then retreated. We thought Krian needed treatment first…”

Krian seemed to have run off while on his way back to Stockfin.

I lost another one of my people like this.

The pressure keeps building up. The suffocating frustration found me, as if my heart would burst.

I placed my hand on Krian’s chest and closed my eyes.

I suppressed my immediate anger.

There was no need to express the emotions while letting him go.

I stood up immediately.

Sien stuck close to me and hugged me.

“…”

I patted her hand and released the embrace.

Ner and Arwin watched me from afar.

“…”

“…”

They were standing there, with expressions of greater pain than my own.

Facing them, I took a step forward.

Something within me was changing, bit by bit.

****

In bed, I heard Cien’s endless words of comfort.

“… Belle, I know words won’t help much but…”

I comforted such Cien.

“It’s okay, Cien.”

“…”

“Go to sleep now. We have a lot to do tomorrow.”

I calmed her down with words and feigned sleep by closing my eyes.

After a while, Cien fell into a gentle slumber.

Making sure she was asleep…I slowly got out of bed.

I took the sword that was in the room.

This impulsive action felt the most natural.

I slowly walked out of the room.

Similarly, I stepped out of the house.

– Thud!

At the same time, two people who were following me ran out.

They were Ner and Arwin.

“… Where are you going?”

Ner asked first.

Looking at the sword in my hand, I realized I could not lie.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Arwin continued.

“… Berg, you can’t.”

They seemed to guess what I was about to do.

Perhaps they had seen me during my mercenary days.

“You… this is too dangerous. You are now the lord of this place. Don’t you know you should not do such reckless things…?”

I took a deep breath and swallowed my saliva.

Then, I lightly pressed my chest and spoke to them.

“…It’s frustrating.”

I turned my head to look at them.

I revealed my true feelings to them for the first time in a long time.

Siyeon couldn’t express her concerns because she knew it would be difficult for me.

“It’s so frustrating to constantly be restricted. This is how I’ve always lived… This has always been my way…”

They didn’t say anything.

“Whether it’s nobility or being a lord, it’s suffocating me.”

As a noble, I have more responsibilities and fewer risks to take.

Considering the entire territory, I had to live in the safest position.

However, the habits I learned from the slums and the moments I was active as the leader of the underworld constantly clashed with this reality.

If I had faced dangers alone and completely eradicated the gang, would Krian be alive today?

I didn’t know.

That assumption made me uneasy.

I took a step forward.

At the same time, two people rushed towards me and grabbed my arms.

“No, don’t.”

Arwin said.

“A… there’s a child too, Berg. Don’t do it.”

He even brought up the topic of Neldo’s child.

I turned around to look at them.

It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve faced them without any walls, as if a refreshing wind blows through my chest.

Strangely, when I let go of the feeling of rejecting them, I feel more at ease.

…Of course, things haven’t changed yet, but still.

“…You know me.”

They must have been the easiest people to convince in the world.

Even though things have gotten to this point, they know me as well as Siyeon does.

With just those simple words, Neldo and Arwin let go of my hands.

I turned my body around and headed towards the stable.

****

In Stockpin’s territory, with a fire burning in the fireplace, Rondeel was sharing laughter with his surviving comrades.

Today’s harvest was not bad.

Although half of the group, around 10 Hongyeomdan members, had met their deaths, the remaining 25 were still sufficient in strength.

Tomorrow, when the sun rises, they would leave for another territory to continue their thieving.

Today, all they had to do was enjoy the stolen food and alcohol.

“Bring more alcohol!”

Rondeel shouted to a comrade near the barrel of alcohol.

Through this act of plunder, he was even releasing a certain sense of dissatisfaction.

Just two years ago, he was living comfortably as a mercenary.

But then, in an instant, a hero subjugated a demon lord, resulting in all the mercenaries losing their jobs.

Rondeel still couldn’t understand that sudden change.

From living a life filled with stability and comfort, how did he end up living like a beggar in the blink of an eye?

He thought that the world with war was much better.

If he looked at it that way, the chosen warriors were his enemies.

The hero and his comrade, Arkran. The magician, Sylphrien. The holy maiden and the lone warrior, Berg Leiker, they were all his enemies.

If only they didn’t exist, he would have lived well.

Thinking that way, today’s harvest tasted even sweeter.

After causing a commotion in the territory of Berg Leiker and the holy maiden, there was also envy towards the Hongyeomdan whose fate turned out differently, even though they were part of the same mercenary group.

While the Hongyeomdan lived well with their territory, he was left on the streets.

Rondeel gulped down his drink and said.

“It’s a shame. We should’ve killed those bastards more. I told them to hide better. If Kraus had been a little slower…”

A comrade next to him replied.

“But Kraus died today. Let’s move on.”

“Move on my ass. If they hadn’t caused that mess, we could’ve survived today. Can’t believe only 10 of us killed 50.”

Rondeel expressed his regret as he recalled today’s fight.

But his companion beside him could only shiver, as if feeling a chill.

“…The Hongyeomdan members were all strong, but I heard that Berg was exceptional… How good is he?”

Rondil continued to think about Verg Liker.

He heard a rumor that the number of leaders to be subdued was approaching 200.

As a fellow mercenary, Rondil found it hard to believe.

“… These people are such liars. What should I believe?”

-Tok. Whoosh!

At that moment, something flew into the fire.

Everyone turned their heads to the fire where the firewood was suddenly thrown.

There was nothing but darkness there.

“… What is it?”

Rondil immediately raised his head to confirm what had flown into the fire.

“… Huh?”

Upon closer inspection, someone’s wrist was inside the fire.

-Tadak!

All the thieves who saw that wrist immediately jumped up and grabbed their weapons.

There were certainly comrades on guard duty, but they didn’t hear any warning from them.

Rondil looked around with heightened senses.

If an army had come to kill them, he would have surely known… But he didn’t hear any sound of an army appearing.

“… Come out. Don’t hide like a coward.”

-Jebuk… Jebuk…

As soon as those words ended, someone walked out with a bright torch, frighteningly.

“… It should have been like this from the beginning.”

He said.

Immediately, a clan revealed themselves.

Tall and handsome appearance. Arms covered in scars… And a large scar on the face.

Everything pointed to one existence.

“… Berg… Liker….”

Rondil whispered.

He couldn’t believe it.

He was a lord.

A war hero, and someone who had no reason to appear here.

“…Ho…did you come alone…?”

Rondeal mustered up the courage to ask.

From No ble mt L dot c om

Berg Liker looked at Rondeal, who had thrown the question.

Just as Rondeal was about to regret asking the question first…Berg seemed to suddenly raise his sword.

…And that was his last memory.

****

I calmed my rough breaths and spoke.

I didn’t bother removing the bodies of the thieves.

Wild beasts would take care of that task.

After torturing my body in an arduous manner, my mind became clearer.

Indeed, this was the way I preferred to act.

Even as a lord, hiding in the shadows and acting was not my style.

“…Fool.”

After muttering that, I turned back to Stakfin and saw someone standing with their back against the wooden wall, waiting for me.

“…”

It was Gael.

I wondered if Ner and Arwin, who had seen me off, had asked him for help.

“…”

I had nothing to say to Gael.

I know I was foolish.

But it has always been my way.

And Gael, too, has always disliked this way of mine.

Even from the moment we continued our mercenary life, Gael constantly nagged at me.

“What were you thinking, risking your life like that? Don’t you think of the child on Cien’s ship?”

“…What are you still up doing at this hour?”

I descended from my words at his appearance.

Gael approached slowly and had a worried expression.

“…Where are you injured…?”

“…I have several wounds on my veins.”

“…”

I moved to wash myself and lie down again.

“Wait a moment.”

Gael stopped me.

“…?”

When I turned to look at him, Gael spoke with a serious expression.

“…Before we enter the village, let’s have a conversation for a moment.”

“…”

It was a different atmosphere and a different expression than usual.

It seemed like he was going to bring up a much heavier topic than usual.

Blinking his eyes, Gael spoke.

“…Berg, do you know why I stayed here?”

I thought about what Gael had told me and answered.

“…Wasn’t it because of the emotional debt left to Adam?”

Gael nodded.

“Yeah, it was because of that. But there was another reason.”

“…”

Gael took a deep breath and looked at me.

“It was because of you.”

“…If you say it was because of me…”

“…It was obvious that you might lose your way when you lost Adam. You were like a well-abandoned sword, maybe even a tool.”

“…”

“…You don’t have the nature of a leader. A real leader must be able to abandon even the most precious people… You have too much affection. Your sense of responsibility is overwhelming, and you suffer too much from someone’s death. So, it would be easier for you to bear all the burdens alone.”

“…”

Thanks to Gael’s honest attitude, his words were always trustworthy.

I didn’t even feel that he was wrong in the first place.

It was already a story that Adam had mentioned before, and a story that I felt personally.

So I felt grateful and puzzled at the same time.

“…Why tell me this now?”

To that fundamental question, Gael placed his hand on my shoulder.

I couldn’t tell where Gael was heading with this topic.

“Now I fully understand. This kind of life doesn’t suit you. Living like this means being far from happiness.”

“…Yes?”

Gael said with a stern expression.

“…What do you think of leaving this place?”

He spoke up in a situation where only the two of them were left.

It didn’t seem like a joke.

His eyes reflected in the moonlight were filled with deep thoughts.

“…”

While unable to respond to the sudden question, he continued to explain.

“You carry all the burdens that a noble should bear, but you don’t enjoy any benefits that come with it. You’re only forcing yourself to stay here for Adam and for the members of the Crimson Flame. It’s all for their sake.”

“…”

“…But I’m only speaking for your happiness. If no one tells you, you won’t stop. You will live unhappily like this, Berg. It is right for you to leave before that happens.”

“…Are you telling me to run away?”

“Not to run away, but to go in search of happiness.”

Gael whispered a sweet tale that he could immediately release all the burdens on his shoulders.

Without realizing it, I found myself imagining it.

Leaving Sian and going somewhere far away, living a life with just the two of us.

From the beginning, I didn’t need the life of a noble.

Just living peacefully… with my family, that was enough.

“…Ah.”

At the same time, a long-forgotten dream of mine came to mind.

I had forgotten what it was, but as we spoke, it came back to me.

At that time, it was undoubtedly just a dream.

I wanted to live a life without tension.

I wanted to live quietly with the people I love.

It was my long-held thought that I could only be free from the war.

“…”

“…What do you think, Berg? I will take responsibility for this place. I promise with all my honor. I will take care of you and Adam’s people. If the opportunity arises, leave today. I will spread the word that you died due to this sudden action.”

“…”

I briefly considered Gael’s proposal and closed my eyes.

And then, he sighed and looked at him.

“…I can’t do it.”

“What…?”

“To do that, there are too many things I have to do.”

It was clearly a sweet proposal.

As he said, I once again realized that the life of a noble did not suit me.

But I still haven’t solved any farming or epidemic problems.

The bandits have not disappeared, and Adam’s dream has not been fulfilled.

Furthermore, Krund has appeared.

In a situation where the sparks of war can fly, it was not in my nature to run away alone.

He asked.

“…Adam’s dream might have been for you to live happily.”

“…”

I paused for a moment, lightly grasped Gael’s shoulder, and said.

“…Thank you very much. I’ll just take your heart.”

Gael frowned, as if he was sorry.

“…Sigh.”

He even let out a sigh.

After a while, he said.

“…If that’s your choice, I’ll help you to the end.”