Incompatible Interspecies Wives chapter 193

193 – Remaining Tasks (2)

Nerva and Arwin came running to my return.

They were wide-eyed at my bloody appearance.

It seemed like they hadn’t been able to sleep since I first left home.

Their running towards me was enough to evoke old memories.

“Ar… are you hurt…?”

Neva rushed over and hurriedly felt my wounds.

Perhaps because of the thought that crossed my mind just now, I couldn’t stop her from touching my body like a wife.

“….Ah!”

Neva, who had just noticed the wounds, trembled in surprise.

Trembling, she quickly moved and bit off a corner of her clothes.

There was no hesitation in her actions.

It was a noble outfit, befitting the Blackwood family, with an air of elegance.

-Jiik…!

She began to press the luxurious fabric against my wound.

“For now… let’s leave it like this and go inside for treatment. And… we need to wash up. Right?”

…

Her tail stood up straight, indicating her tension.

Rather than pushing her away, I nodded slightly.

Arwin approached next to me.

-Smack!

She lightly hit my chest with a grimace.

She looked at me with a gaze mixed with resentment and relief.

“Why do you…?”

…

“…Is it because I can’t die?”

…

I didn’t want to act like this because I wanted to die. I just found it easier to bear the risks.

Perhaps Arwin knew that fact.

It just felt like she was angry and saying these words.

Arwin wiped away the tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes and spoke.

“…Don’t misunderstand. This reaction is not because of any feelings, but because of the concern of a friend.”

I sighed and continued walking.

From Gael to Ner, and now Arwin… maybe tomorrow, I would have to listen to Sienn and Baran scolding me as well.

“…I’m sorry.”

With that thought, I apologized to Ner and Arwin.

It was an apology for causing them worry.

…

…

The two stopped briefly at my words and followed me in step.

The next day, Baran woke up early in the morning and heard about what happened yesterday morning.

The other members who heard the news couldn’t help but be shocked by the fact.

“…What did Captain Berg do?”

Gail repeated the same words with a sigh.

“He attacked the bandit group alone yesterday. It was too late in the dawn, so there was nothing we could do.”

…

Baran maintained his composure and asked.

“…Are you alright?”

“I got injured a bit. Fortunately, it’s not a serious injury.”

…

Baran was somewhat familiar with this side of Berg.

He was always someone who considered his comrades as the top priority.

It was a habit of the slums, as former Captain Adam once said.

Because you have to take care of your family in the slums.

“…I’ll confirm the bodies of the thieves and come back.”

Baran continued his thoughts and spoke.

Gail nodded in agreement with Baran’s opinion.

“…That would be good.”

Baran quickly formed a group with a few members.

Recently, it was not easy to deal with the fallen members.

Furthermore, due to the issue of Krian, who died yesterday, there were still members who couldn’t recover from their hangover.

Baran sighed as he got on his horse.

His still trembling heart had not calmed down yet.

He knew that Berg was impulsive, but he thought that side of him would disappear when he became a lord.

He thought that he would change with the family.

However, Berg did not change and always showed the same side.

Perhaps that was the strength of Berg as a person.

Facing the chill of the morning dawn, Baran rode on and focused on his thoughts.

“…Vice Captain Baran, here.”

“It wasn’t difficult to follow the trail.

All he had to do was follow the blood that Berg presumably spilled.

Baran still vividly remembered the last battle he fought alongside Krian.

He also remembered the thrill when over 50 thieves attacked all at once.

If it weren’t for Krian’s sacrifice, there may have been even more casualties.

From No ble mt L dot c om

As Baran followed the trail of blood, he wondered.

How does one even go about facing such a fight alone?

Just like when he captured the leader, Berg sometimes made difficult decisions and broke through.

“…There.”

From afar, Baran saw faint smoke rising.

The trail of blood led all the way to the source of the smoke.

Perhaps that was where the battle took place at dawn.

Baran tightened the reins and rode towards what he presumed to be the thieves’ camp.

“……….”

Everyone collectively gasped at the sight they discovered.

“…This… is insane.”

No one could believe what they saw before their eyes.

There were over 20 thieves lying defeated in that place.

It was hard to believe that all of them were taken down by just Berg alone.

It was like an entire army had trampled over them.

“…”

The thief who delivered the fatal blow to Krian yesterday had his face buried in the ground as well.

As Baran’s heart lightened with a sense of revenge fulfilled, he also felt a sense of awe at the sight.

A member who had followed Baran spoke beside him.

“…Sometimes, we forget.”

“…”

“It’s astonishing to think that Berg possesses this kind of ability.”

“…”

Baran nodded in agreement.

If you look closely, it could be that now there is no stronger presence than Verge.

Even the fierce Gale now often exclaimed that her body was not the same as before, and the heroic warrior lost one arm. In the absence of Adam, who had also left, it could be that there was no investigator stronger than Verge.

It was more appropriate to see him as an investigator rather than a leader of a territory.

In fact, that statement may be true.

Because he was in a position to replace the departed leader, Adam.

Baran looked at the remaining corpses and said,

“…Burn them all.”

If left alone, it could spread some kind of plague.

Baran suppressed complicated thoughts and began to conclude with his members.

****

Arwin glanced at Sian and Verge sitting on the bed in the bedroom from the living room.

Verge, who had bandages wrapped all over him that Nerga had taken care of, sat Sian on his knees and comforted her, who was angry.

She was extremely surprised to see Verge, who had been injured all night.

She cried for a long time and then sulked for a long time.

She buried her face in Verge’s chest and responded abruptly to his words.

Verge continuously urged her without getting tired.

“Sorry. Just let go of the anger.”

“Why did you do something to be sorry about?”

“…”

No matter how angry Sian got, Verge only smiled.

It seemed like he knew that behind her nagging, there was a heart that cared for him.

He only found Sian’s actions cute.

“…”

Arwin, who was watching that scene, felt uneasy.

In fact, Sian and Verge were sitting in the bedroom, so it was a scene that could be easily ignored if he turned his gaze away.

But strangely enough, his eyes didn’t look away, and he kept feeling the sense of rejection that came from it.

Arwin recalled Verge’s appearance, as he had comforted him when he was sulking.

Even then, he hadn’t gotten tired of comforting him with a smile and reconciling through jokes.

But now that the subject had changed, he couldn’t help but feel so jealous.

Arwin could feel impatience growing within him.

Perhaps he had misjudged his plan.

In his determination to slowly become closer to Berg, he had lied and said he had forgotten about him.

But this was the price he had to pay.

Unable to properly express his emotions, he always had to suppress his feelings.

He couldn’t casually express his worries without any excuses.

…Furthermore, Berg’s reckless actions became a trigger for her impatience.

She had forgotten that Berg was that kind of person.

Always willing to take risks.

…What if, instead of waiting for Sian’s lifespan to end, Berg were to die in an accident first?

…What would happen then?

Without ever expressing his true feelings, without ever experiencing the long-awaited moment, would he have to let him go?

To Arwin, that was a reality more terrifying than any nightmare.

Arwin looked at Berg, who was smiling happily.

“…”

She closed her eyes tightly, suppressing her trembling desires.

****

Several days had passed.

I was watching as the tools made using the blueprints Arwin had brought were being used on the farmland.

Not a single one easily broke like before.

With things progressing smoothly, the soldiers’ faces were filled with smiles.

But it also seemed like forced smiles to chase away the gloomy thoughts.

Besides Krian’s death, there were still deaths occurring in the territory.

Even though the nurses from Ner and Blackwood were working hard, there were still deaths that they couldn’t prevent.

The dark atmosphere, with each person falling one by one, was something that couldn’t be erased no matter what.

“…”

On the other hand, as I watched the work progressing, I couldn’t get one thought out of my mind.

Gael’s suggestion of leaving this place.

The seed he had planted was continuously sprouting.

If all these problems hadn’t remained, I might have chosen that option.

Plagues, farming issues. Thieves and the devil’s right arm. Adam’s will.

I sighed at the tasks left to be done.

Especially, the issue of Krund constantly irritated me, hanging in the back of my head.

Rumors about the devils kept flowing into the village.

Despite hiding it, the hatred for their existence was still flowing in my heart.

“…What are you thinking so deeply about?”

Someone asked me during this time.

Looking to my side, I saw Arwin standing there.

After a moment of hesitation, I responded evasively.

“I’m worried about the farming.”

“…”

“…If we don’t succeed properly this time, it will be truly difficult next year.”

Arwin reassured me.

“It will work out. Don’t worry.”

Arwin slowly approached and placed her hand on my bandage.

“…after all, this is just a problem that will pass someday.”

I looked at her, and then replied.

“…I hope so.”

Arwin nodded, lifting her hand.

She was looking at the farming, the same as me, when she suddenly threw a question at me.

“Bergh?”

I looked at Arwin.

“…just a question.”

“…Speak.”

“If you could live for hundreds of years… what do you want to do?”

“…”

Arwin was blankly staring ahead.

I was frozen for a moment at that question, which seemed so purposeless, meaningless.

“Just curious. You seem to have a lot of worries… It would be good to breathe through thoughts like these.”

“…”

Was it her way of comforting herself?

I took a deep breath.

I didn’t know if Arwyn was having her own worries right now.

As someone who has lived for a thousand years, it was possible that she always had something to worry about.

I blinked silently and answered without thinking.

“…I wish I could be with my loved ones.”

“…”

Arwyn looked at me quietly, as if she liked that answer, and smiled.

“…Me too.”

Sometimes, I forget.

As ordinary as it may seem when Arwyn is by my side, I forget that she is a being who can live for a long time.

In one way or another, she was someone who could live long after I died.

Could it be because there have been more deaths among the Storkfen? Or could it be because of some impulsive act I did recently?

Unknowingly, I was asking her for a favor.

“…Arwyn?”

“Yes?”

It could be because of the weight of responsibility on her shoulders. It could be because of the thought of the child that will soon be born.

It could be because of the worries caused by Crund.

I spoke to her, who had become my friend again.

“…If I were to face a sudden problem…could you take care of our people?”

“……..”

A smile disappeared from Arwyn’s face at that request.

I added,

“…Only when you have the time.”

From No ble mt L dot c om

Arwyn didn’t answer for a long time.

As she continued to contemplate, looking ahead, she whispered,

“………………….What will be the cost?”

“…”

Selfishly, I couldn’t give an easy answer.

From the start, I no longer knew what she wanted.

Freedom had always been her greatest wish.

I had no idea what Aruin, who had achieved this, might desire.

“Do you need something?”

I asked.

Aruin’s stern face glanced at me.

Deeply serious, she cautiously asked,

“…Will you listen?”

I didn’t know what she would want, so it was not something I could easily respond to.

Seeing my ambiguous reaction, she slowly approached.

She, who was looking around, carefully gestured with her hand.

“Actually, it’s nothing big. So, could you lend me your ear for a bit…”

“…?”

I slowly inclined my ear towards her.

Aruin pressed her head close to mine.

Her fragrant body scent wafted into my nose.

Aruin whispered.

“…Actually, there’s one thing I haven’t been able to do even after gaining freedom.”

Taking a deep breath, she spoke in a voice that seemed almost too quiet to hear.

“…I want to experience s*xual intimacy once.”

-Swish.

At her words, I sat up straight.

Aruin casually shrugged her shoulders in response.

“…I can’t just do it with anyone, can I? But I think it would be nice with you. I’m not uncurious about an experience with you.”

“…Aruin.”

“We used to be married, and it wouldn’t have been strange if we had shared such an experience at that time. I, too, wouldn’t have minded having a child with you-”

“-Stop.”

“…”

Aruin immediately closed her mouth at my words.

An awkward silence flowed between us.

Arwyn broke the silence and smiled brightly.

“… It was just a joke. Why do you react so sensitively?”

“You-“

“-You weren’t going to listen to me anyway.”

…”

I closed my mouth at her remark.

Arwyn continued lightly.

“If it had been so easy, Nerga wouldn’t have struggled so hard. Knowing that you wouldn’t listen, it was just a joke.”

…”

Arwyn chuckled as if finding my anger amusing.

I looked at her and sighed, easing the atmosphere.

There were endless things I could have said, but as she said, even if I had earnestly asked, she wouldn’t have listened.

Judging by her attitude, it didn’t seem like she would have taken such a request seriously.

“…”

I lightly scratched the hidden scars and looked back at the farmland.

“… Let’s have a drink together.”

Arwyn said in a relieved atmosphere.

“… If there’s one memory left, you probably won’t forget your favor.”

She also let out a small sigh, slightly bowing her head.

“It’s okay if it’s not alcohol.”

…”

I blinked at her last words.

A voice that still held regrets for his mistakes.

Once again, I could only let out a sigh.

****

Sien sat alone at home, holding her belly.

Despite several days passing, her anger towards Berg’s impulsive actions still hadn’t dissipated.

She whispered to herself, about the fruit of her love with Berg that she had yet to fully realize.

“… It seems like he still hasn’t realized that he’s your dad, right?”

The feeling of being alone but not really alone.

It felt like a compensation for the pain experienced during the 7 years of war.

The anger toward Berg, which I had been holding back, melts away easily.

Even if I wanted to be angry about the happy future that would unfold when the child is born, I couldn’t.

“Are you a girl or a boy?”

I continue the one-sided conversation without receiving an answer.

I could find out the gender through Sifrien’s magic, but Sien didn’t feel the need to know right away.

She wanted to leave even that as a joy from when the child is born. She had confidence that she would love either way.

Sien smiled and said,

“Just grow up to be healthy. Like Berg. Don’t take after your mom.”

This miracle was fortunate to finally come.

It was fortunate that this child could give strength to Berg when she was struggling.

Sien felt that she wasn’t bored even while having a conversation alone.

Rather, this conversation without any answers was more interesting than ever.

“What should I name you? I used to think of a lot of good names. If it’s a boy… Adam—cough!”

At that moment, Sien couldn’t hold back the cough that came out.

At the same time, a chilling fear ran through her body, but Sien had to get rid of the remaining cough first.

“Cough! Cough…”

After the coughing fit, she stayed frozen for a while.

A different feeling from her usual dry cough.

Pain felt in her throat.

“…Huh?”

With the overwhelming fear, Sien wanted to see Berg’s face.