(EP.370) Rip # 4
370 – Unwrapped Paper #4
I said, “Ira.” when she called her name. She came to me and became a nim. Correcting the name to be used in front of people.
“Ira-sama.”
“okay.”
I blushed at the slight embarrassment.
If it hadn’t been for bandages all over my face, my face would have been exposed as red as a red tomato. Maybe everyone has already noticed.
They didn’t talk to each other, but an awkward atmosphere filled the barracks in an instant. They look at each other and don’t know what to do.
Anyway, it was a useful conversation. I could just tell from the conversation that Aira didn’t want to close the distance with me. To me, Ira was “Ira-sama,” and to her, I was “Tae-oh.”
To be honest, I was expecting a little.
Why, because she and I were married, at least on paper. Also, because we went through a lot of things and shared quite a few stories in our hearts.
Even if it’s not a shameful title like ‘Honey’ or ‘Baby’, I thought it might be possible to be a little more friendly, but Ira was like hitting an iron wall with me!
Ira said.
“Let me sit down. Because we were talking about something important. In some cases, the wisdom of two people may be necessary. Erganes is the commander of the field. Tae-oh is a court wizard.”
Are you a court wizard?
Yes, I was also serving as a court wizard in a public position.
I think there were quite a few people complaining about whether it was stuck like a parachute. As of now, no one has commented on my position like that.
Maybe it’s because I showed my skills.
Even though the flukes were mixed, I had a body that defeated Aira. Now, there seems to be no one who can tell me about my qualifications.
Shh.
I pulled out a chair and sat down and looked around.
Inside Aira’s barracks, quite a few people were sitting at round round desks. There were about ten in total, and each was clearly an expert with military knowledge.
They were strangers, but there were also faces I knew. For example, there is a blonde woman over there in the left corner with her arms crossed and a dissatisfied expression on her face.
“Erganes.”
“Aslan.”
Two women who look alike make eye contact lightly. It’s probably not just an illusion to see something clinging and sparking.
I don’t know.
We could infer that there was something we didn’t know existed between the two women who were relatives. At that time, it was Elgar’s side that showed her leeway first.
“So, what were you talking about?”
Aslan, who was called the ‘Princess Knight’ in the western city of Orléans, smirked.
“Can’t you see? You were talking about the attack on Gargatha tomorrow. If you look at the layout of the troops spread out on the map, you should know that much.”
Aslan was a pretty disgusting woman. Was it like this the last time we met? No, I thought she was a model of a knight who shouts for justice and cause.
“I don’t know if my senses have become dull after I retreated from the front line and rested in the royal capital or the Ark, Erganes.”
Perhaps something like a counter-consciousness towards Elgar is on fire.
Of course, Elgar responded lightly.
“The layout was so bad, I didn’t even think that we would be talking about a strategy. Why are there so many cavalry? It’s a layout that someone who only thinks about cavalry charge would have designed it.”
“Ki, don’t ignore the cavalry!”
“It’s not ignoring. Is it really that effective in this terrain full of trees and vines? If it were me, here, I would deploy adventurers who are familiar with this kind of terrain forward and make them scouts… .”
swish.
Elgar reached out and moved the boards on the map on the desk. It looked like he was playing chess, but his expression seemed to be quite interesting.
You must have liked the smell of the battlefield from a long time ago. Since then, people have been discussing various strategies and techniques for a while.
Of course, I am completely ignorant in this kind of work, so I just open my eyes and look at this conversation and the scene like a child who came to the field trip study.
Then someone got lucky.
“What do you think, Sir Tae-oh? As a court mage, I would like you to give me your opinion.”
I don’t know who spoke. But no one was surprised. Court wizards are the king’s advisors, and at the same time they are used as tactical weapons in wartime.
However, for me, who had not been able to keep up with the conversation until now, I was like, “Um… .” and just sighed. Aslan received the story and talked to him.
“You were amazing. In one way or another, you’ve won the queen. And the grandson of Solomon? Then there must be at least one magic that can break through the gates of Gargatha.”
“that… .”
Before I could answer, Elgar spoke first.
“Well, you can break the fortress gate. But now Tae-oh can’t. I’m not feeling well. If I set fire to a cannon that has not been maintained for nothing, would it be worse than a breakdown?”
“Erganes, you’re making all sorts of weak sounds that aren’t like you. You have to endure something like that with persistence. It’s an exhibition now. it’s at war Why do you think they’re giving the Archmage a tax cut… .”
raise each other’s voices
Originally, it was common for great people to come together like this.
Because these are people who have lived like the main characters in their own lives, they must be people who have the thought of “I am right” in their heads.
match.
Then Aira clapped her hands.
“Take a break for an hour or so.”
* * *
The people all ran out of the barracks. As the noisy people left, the barracks became so quiet that it felt like another world.
Tick, tick.
It was so quiet that you could hear the burning bonfire. Thanks to you, I was the first to know if there was a bonfire in this barracks.
silkygoat was the goat. cry
Not only the bonfire, but also the extra bed placed over there, it seems that this place was also used as Aira’s bed.
“… … .”
“… … .”
Aira and I were silent, not talking to each other.
Originally, Ira wasn’t the type to gossip, so there were times when conversations were cut off like this. But today I felt a little strange.
I have to say it’s very awkward.
I feel like it would be good to say something.
Do you feel exactly like this when a man and a woman who came out to see the line for the first time sat facing each other? I’ve never seen the line so I don’t know.
In the first place, a line is an act where a man and a woman meet and have a conversation or have a meal on the pretext of marriage. Me and Ira were already married without having to go through that process.
but.
I kept doubting whether it was the right thing to do as a real couple, and it became awkward.
So I moved my anxious eyes around and looked at Aira. Lightweight and armor that contrasted with the clothes you normally wear. On its head lies the crown that I had previously held in my hand.
Then Ira said.
“I will take off my armor, help me.”
It was neither high nor low, neither cold nor warm, but with the right sense of tone. It’s rather admirable how you can get through such an exquisite middle ground.
I approached her and untied the knot tied around her waist or the shoulder girdle. It’s a lot heavier than I thought.
suddenly.
In the barracks with only the two of them, I felt a strangely strange feeling that Ira was taking off her armor one by one. Did the new grooms who took off their bridesmaids on the first day of their newlyweds feel exactly like this?
Of course, I just took off the armor that was on Aira’s clothes and hung it on the wall. With that, I stood awkwardly with my hands off Aira’s body.
Ira said.
“You can sit anywhere.”
Those words seemed to give me courage, so I could open my mouth to tell the story I had been holding back.
“I. I heard that I was married to Aira-sama. Even though there was no wedding, I heard that the paperwork was written that way.”
“right.”
palak.
Ira just turned the book in front of her. I took a peek at what was written in the book, and it was a map with the geography of the area drawn in detail.
Looking at the colorful picture, I ask again.
“So, Aira-sama and I are now family?”
“for now.”
To my words, Ira answered flatly, without shaking or shaking. As a human being, there is a possibility that there is agitation of the heart, but there is no sign of that at all.
As for Aira, being married to me felt like one of the natural things, like having breakfast in the morning and having lunch at lunchtime.
It’s natural for me to feel strange emotions even when I think it’s like her.
After all, just being a married couple on paper doesn’t mean you can live like a family overnight. It was a time when I was trying to convince myself that way.
suddenly.
That thought flashed through my mind like lightning.
Am I good with that?
Did you suffer that day, risking your life for such a relationship like a show-window couple and even receiving help from other girls? No, it wasn’t.
So I slowly got up from my chair and walked towards Ira. It may sound funny, but it was a more tense moment than when I participated in the untitled event and tried to win.
“… … .”
Ira sat still and looked at the map in front of her. It was as if he didn’t care what I did when I got up.
I asked.
“Ira-sama, may I touch your lips?”
“why?”
Why?
“Yeah, we are a family. Family members can even touch their lips. Because the couple is not only the lips… .”
Even as I said it, it sounded like gibberish. I feel like I have a mouse in my head. What kind of analogy would you like to give? Memories of my childhood would be good enough to explain this.
One Christmas day when I was still a kid.
When I woke up in the morning, there was a time when I was surprised by a gift that was so big I couldn’t even imagine. A fairly generous sponsor gave the boys the assembly robots that were popular at the time.
At the time, I couldn’t believe the fact that it was a gift I received.
It’s like someone’s hidden camera. The moment I opened the gift wrapper, I said, “Actually, this is not yours. Yours is crayons here.” There was even a feeling of anxiety as if it would take away my gift.
So I couldn’t open the packaging for a few days.
I was just like that now.
Aira, who is rumored to be the most beautiful in Angmar, became my wife.
It didn’t feel real, so it was as if someone came out and said, “Wow, it was all a play,” and the stage and props seemed to be removed.
Then Elgar, Mirnarmi, and Stella will all say “You worked hard” and leave work, leaving only me on the stage.
It was much easier for me to imagine myself being left alone in the stillness of reality than it was for me to be hugged full of gifts and looking happy.
“… … .”
With that thought, I had no choice but to stop the hand that was reaching for Aira’s lips.
If Aira that touched me disappears like soap bubbles, it is better to leave the wrapping paper unopened. Shh. Then Aira made eye contact with me.
I cover the map I’ve just been reading and look at me alone.
“Now I know. Tae-oh, you are a child.”
“… Excuse me, but even if I look like this, I am older than you.”
“I’m not saying that. A child who was given a large gift, but couldn’t open it because what was inside was a shabby lie. That’s you.”
“… … .”
“Rather than open it and be disappointed. I just choose to imagine beyond the pavement alone. You think that way is better.”
Shh.
Ira’s finger touched my hand.
“But you don’t get it until you open it up and check it out. what is its shape See for yourself how soft and warm it is.”
At last, my fingertips, guided by Aira’s hand, touched those soft lips.
“How are you? How do you feel when you open the wrapping paper?”
It’s so soft and warmer than I thought.
“It doesn’t feel real.”
Finally