Incompatible Interspecies Wives chapter 210

210 – The Final Battle (2)

An unusual vigor permeated the village.

The members who had been carrying farming tools for so long now enjoyed the sensation of holding their weapons once more.

My previous doubts seemed foolish in comparison.

Each of the members was loosening up in their own way.

I, too, was watching them, gathering my resolve.

Once the decision was made, I was determined to act swiftly.

I had no intention of waiting for Krund.

The deeper he penetrated Stockpin’s territory, the greater the inevitable damage.

So, I was planning to confront him directly.

“…In the end, you’ve made a decision.”

As I looked around at the members, Gaell approached me.

Confusion filled his expression.

“…I’m sorry.”

I said to Gale.

But all Gale did was chuckle.

“Even if you say it with such a relieved expression, I don’t believe you.”

“…”

He spoke bitterly.

“…I really don’t understand, really.”

“…”

“Is this something special about you, or is the Red Lotus Clan just an eccentric group…or, is this just how all humans are?”

“…”

“I can’t know.”

Gale scratched his own horn.

I stood still for a moment, looking at him.

For some reason, he seemed to wear an apologetic expression.

“Berg. Here’s an apple.”

Sure enough, Gale extended an apple to me.

“…Are you talking about an apple?”

“Yes. In fact… it’s a funny story, but for some reason, I knew you would eventually make this choice.”

I expressed my doubt.

“You knew?”

“Of course, I knew.”

“…”

“…Because Adam would have made the same choice.”

“…”

“…Because Adam was not afraid of something like being the right hand of the Devil. He didn’t struggle for this long last time.”

Thinking about it, that was one of the reasons Gale said that made me feel relieved.

Although I realized it late, he was right.

Adam, my elder brother, would have made the same choice as me.

Gale continued.

“…I was just scared. Scared that you’d meet the same fate as Adam. That’s why I kept trying to dissuade you. But it seems that this only made you more conflicted.”

He smiled and said, “You look good, Berg. This was the right decision, wasn’t it?”

I remained silent.

Every story Gael told seemed sincere, yet at the same time, it felt like an attempt to ease the burden on my heart. But he didn’t need to make such an effort.

I had already made all the preparations.

“Gael.”

“Yes?”

“Is that proposal still valid?”

Doubt appeared in Gael’s expression.

“What…proposal are you talking about?”

“Why, the one where I said I’d take responsibility for the village even if I were to disappear.”

Gael’s eyebrows trembled.

“Berg, are you…”

I smiled at his reaction.

“Who said anything about dying? We’re just discussing a contingency.”

“…”

“So, is the promise still valid?”

Gael looked at me and, after a delay, replied, “…Yes.”

He nodded firmly.

“Whether it’s valid or not.”

I placed my hand on his shoulder.

I felt a great sense of relief.

Maybe I was starting to believe Arwin’s story, at least partly.

Maybe I was considering the possibility of dying in this upcoming battle.

…But that fact couldn’t stop me.

There were countless things I had to protect on my shoulders.

If this was my destiny, I could accept it.

After a long time, I found myself believing in the concept of destiny.

“I trust you,”

I told Gale.

He nodded his head once again.

****

Entering Sien’s room, she was quietly gazing out the window.

Seemingly aware of the chaos erupted in Stockholm.

Feeling guilty for some reason, I silently stared at her back.

“… Why?”

“…”

After a long silence, she asked.

“… Why are you doing this, Bell?”

“…”

“We agreed to live happily, didn’t we? Why are you rushing back into battle…?”

“…”

There was no need to answer that question.

Because Sien surely knew the reason.

She was just throwing out those words, wishing to stop me.

From her perspective, Arwin’s words were giving me great strength.

She wouldn’t realize how much I needed his words, telling me to do as I wish.

I realized how much courage and trust is needed to say such thing.

I confronted Sien with the courage I received from Arwin.

Sien, rubbing her swollen belly, said,

“… What about our child?”

“…”

“… If you don’t come back… what will happen to our child…?”

I replied to Sien,

“I will come back.”

– Huh!

Sien turned her head quickly to look at me.

Her face was already soaked in tears.

“From the beginning, you didn’t have to go.”

“…Sien.”

“From the beginning…! You didn’t have to leave!!”

It was a situation entirely opposite to our parting a long time ago.

I was trying to stop her from leaving, and she insisted that I had to go.

If there was one difference… it was that I was sincerely making a promise to her.

I had prepared for the worst and the unexpected moments with Gael, but I had confessed my true feelings to Sien.

“I will come back, Sien.”

“Sniff…. sob…”

“I’ll definitely come back.”

Sien rushed into my arms for a moment.

“Let’s run away, just the two of us.”

“…”

“We didn’t need all this… We just needed each other, like in your dream from the past… Let’s escape far away and live quietly, okay?”

“…”

I held Sien without saying a word.

It seemed like she already knew that I wouldn’t change my commitment.

“Stay strong, Sien.”

Ignoring all those words, I told Sien.

“Now, you’re my mother.”

“…”

Sien trembled in my arms.

“I can’t be strong without you…”

“…”

“The world is too… scary…”

The more she said that, the tighter I held Sien.

After shedding tears in my arms for a long time, Sien eventually regained her composure.

“… What will we name the child?”

And just as I had requested, she asked me, as if she had finally made up her mind to let me go.

I had been thinking about the child’s name for a long time. I kept imagining what would be a good name.

“… If it’s a girl, then Hanna,” I said.

The name of Adam’s younger sister.

It should be a name that could receive blessings from her brother if she were born.

“And if it’s a boy…”

“… Adam,” Sien whispered in my place.

Could there be any other name?

There’s no other name for a boy I could love more than that, I thought.

I smiled softly.

“… Yes.”

“Ugh… Sob…”

“Don’t worry, Sien. I will be the first one to call my child’s name.”

Sien nodded.

I gathered my resolve once again.

***

When I returned home, Nerdo was already awake, waiting for me.

She couldn’t get up to greet me like Sien because she had been running a fever lately.

Lying in bed, she looked at me with weary eyelids.

The people who had been taking care of her left the room.

We were suddenly left alone.

“Don’t… go,” Nerdo whispered to me as if pleading when she saw me.

It seems she had already heard the news.

“Don’t… go… Berg…”

“…”

She continued weakly.

“Is it… because of… me? That you… are collapsing like this…”

“…”

There was no way to deny it.

Neru’s condition was not suited for a journey of such length.

My decision, it certainly played a large role.

However, that’s not to say she needed to feel guilty.

From the beginning, this was my share.

Protecting the one you cherish was always an obligation.

I jokingly reassured her.

“It will be fine.”

However, she simply kept shaking her head.

Slow tears dripped down from her eyes.

“Finally…”

“…?”

“…Finally…I’ve made amends with you…”

“…”

“…Please. Not again. Please.”

I paced myself and sat next to Neru.

I stroked her cheeks.

Then, with my head bow a little, I whispered in her ear.

“I will come back.”

-Clasp!

Neru stretched her fingers to hold my hand.

She continually shook her head.

“Please…Please don’t go…”

“Neru, it’s a promise. I will return-“

“-I dreamt you died.”

“…”

At Neru’s words, I sealed my lips.

Could it be? Given her proficiency in magic, it was another conversation I couldn’t easily ignore.

“Please…Please…”

Looking back now, Ner was using all of her strength to hold onto me.

Her unwavering desire not to let me go, even if it meant her death, was clear.

I took a deep breath in and out.

Then, I looked at Ner and smiled.

Ner blinked at my smile.

She clearly didn’t understand why I was smiling at that moment.

“Ner.”

“…”

I asked with a vague confidence.

“Have you ever seen me lose a fight?”

“………..”

Ner couldn’t dispute my words.

“I’ve crossed endless battle lines up to this point. At this moment, there probably isn’t a swordsman stronger than me in the world.”

I reassured Ner, exaggerating slightly.

At my words, her expression started to relax.

“…And when I have something to protect, I become even stronger. This land, the graves of my comrades, their families.”

“…”

“…And Sienna, my child, Arwin… and you.”

“…”

“I will never lose, Ner. Trust me.”

The force on my hand from Ner’s nails started to soften.

I could feel her starting to believe in me.

I pressed my lips to her forehead.

“…”

Still, Ner didn’t relax her expression.

– Puck.

Next, I pressed my lips to hers as well.

…Snap.

Only then did she close her eyes and finally let go of my hand.

Tears streamed down from her closed eyes.

“…You… You must come back.”

Ner whispered.

I nodded my head, offering her another proposal.

“I’ll come back, so you should also regain your health.”

“…Okay.”

“We should also consider having a child together.”

I also extended a light-hearted joke.

Upon hearing that, Ner gave a weak laugh.

Her laughter and tears mixed together, trickling from her mouth.

I comforted her one last time.

Then, I got up and turned my body around.

“…Definitely.”

To me, Ner spoke while containing her sobs.

“…You’ve promised to come back…”

“Yes.”

“If you don’t… I’ll follow you…”

“…”

I looked back at Ner.

I then gave her a smile and took my steps.