Mort is a land at the northeastern end of the Empire. It was vast enough to occupy one-sixth of the Empire, bordering the Wasteland to the north and touching part of the Eastern Kingdom to the side. It did not even share a border with the Kingdom, which lay somewhat to the west.
Therefore, the road from Mort to the Kingdom was naturally quite long. One had to head west across the Empire, cross the border, and then travel all the way to Amari. Combined, it was a long journey that would take at least a month.
However, since I had no time, I decided to use the method employed by mercenaries and northerners.
"We will cross the Wasteland."
I explained while chewing on jerky. Victor asked seriously.
"The Wasteland? Isn't that a dangerous land bordering the Black Mountains?"
"Yes. But that path is the fastest."
I gestured in the air as I explained.
"We'll get a ride on a mercenary company's carriage in Mort, sneak across the border, and then cross the Wasteland. Once we reach the northern region that way, I plan to enter the Kingdom."
Even to my own ears, it was a crazy plan.
Leaving aside the fact that we'd be illegally crossing the border twice, the Wasteland, which occupied a significant portion of the northern continent, was a land that couldn't ordinarily be traversed. It harbored the Black Mountains, teeming with monsters, and was a desert inexplicably sweltering for the north. Even ordinary mercenaries abhorred the Wasteland.
But there was no other way. I had no time.
Victor clamped his mouth shut. His face showed he had a great deal he wanted to say. However, he swallowed his words and asked only one thing.
"Have you done this sort of thing often?"
"Not directly, but I've heard stories from mercenaries and traveling merchants. They said if you come in that way, you don't get taxed at the gates."
"..."
Victor, who had been thinking quietly, nodded.
"It is a road I have never traveled, so I will follow your plan. But how will you get a carriage? I know you know many mercenaries, but it will be difficult to hastily find people willing to travel such a road."
Feeling somewhat guilty, I confessed.
"Actually, I've already secured one."
"What? Since when..."
"The day I heard the news from Katarina and Sir Kaltz, I sent a letter to the mercenaries who had visited the castle before. And I received a reply yesterday evening."
I stopped and took off the hood I had pulled down low.
To my letter expressing my desire to cross the Wasteland, the mercenaries responded far faster than I had imagined. The place I promised to meet them was right around here.
I gripped the reins tightly.
"I'm sorry for arranging this without telling you."
"..."
"But I felt I absolutely couldn't endure it without going to see for myself."
Victor looked at me quietly. A low voice spoke.
"I told you. I understand."
Still, I was sorry. By now, the castle would have awoken and returned to its daily routine like the day before. Yet Victor was out here on a rough dirt road, chewing on hard dry rations with me.
I looked at Victor with concern. Him coming along was a truly unexpected situation. Right now he had a relaxed attitude as if he were out on a trip, but a mercenary-style journey was actually...
I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them and pleaded with him.
"Victor, please make sure to follow my words during this trip."
Victor smiled softly and tilted his head.
"Have I ever not done so?"
"...You really, really have to?"
"I understand."
Victor answered readily. I entreated him.
"Then first of all, who we are is a secret. If others find out, things will get complicated."
"Yes, got it."
"That you're a noble, and your swordsmanship and skills to some extent, you must hide them too."
"Yes."
"And..."
At that moment, a woman in the distance shouted loudly.
"—Your Grace! Who's that guy next to you?! Already having an affair?"
Victor's smile instantly distorted. I mumbled the rest of my words.
"...You must not get angry, absolutely."
As soon as my words ended, two horses charged toward us with loud hoofbeats.
The tall woman who had shouted at us earlier gave a light salute.
"Wow, how long has it been! You've gotten paler since I last saw you, very much so!"
It was the mercenary who carried a spear, Longlegs. Beside her was the short, broad-shouldered man who always followed her around, Shorty. They were the ones who had previously visited Mort Castle to deliver the monster map.
I smiled faintly.
"Thank you for coming. It was a sudden message."
"What, between us."
She giggled and slapped my shoulder. I used my gaze with all my might to stop Victor's eyes from turning into glares.
They were truly grateful people. I had only contacted them hastily, remembering their words to call them if anything happened, yet they readily agreed to such a dangerous proposal. Of course, the Mercenary King's direct unit goes to the Wasteland around this time, so I contacted them expecting that, but...
Anyway, I was thankful that such expensive mercenaries came for me, who couldn't even pay them properly. I nodded in greeting. Shorty, who was watching us, stroked his shaggy beard.
"But really, why the companion? You said you were coming out alone in a hurry."
"Well... it was decided right before we departed..."
"Huh? How come? Did your cute lover say they couldn't live without you by their side?"
Eventually, an annoyed groan slipped out from under Victor's hood. He took off his hat somewhat roughly.
"Oh my."
Longlegs clapped a hand over her mouth. Then she asked Shorty.
"I'm really going to hang from the gallows for noble defamation someday, right?"
"You know it well enough."
Shorty sighed deeply.
The two mercenaries bowed their heads toward Victor.
"We greet the Grand Duke."
"Greetings are unnecessary. This isn't a situation for etiquette."
Victor waved off the greeting. Despite his less than cheerful tone, Longlegs quickly raised her head and giggled.
"Wow, as expected! Maybe because you're Lord Amarion's husband, you're very generous!"
"..."
Victor's eyes grew sharp. I hastily changed the subject.
"So, how do you plan to cross the border?"
"Well, about that, things have gotten troublesome."
Longlegs shook her head.
"As you know, Mort is all mountains, so just following the road and exiting through the official gate is the easiest. So originally, we planned to just bribe the guards a bit and leave, you see?"
Victor's expression became peculiar. The gate connecting the Empire and the Wasteland was guarded by Mort's soldiers. It couldn't be pleasant for him to know his own soldiers were secretly letting people through for pocket change.
But Longlegs continued speaking without caring.
"But recently, the knight in charge of the gate suddenly changed. And this one is a complete madman, apparently arresting any suspicious travelers on sight. As a knight, he'd know your faces too, so getting caught would be even more troublesome."
"Hmm..."
I fell into thought.
Still, if it's a knight, wouldn't it be someone I have some acquaintance with? Even his lord Victor is here. If so, it seems like I could try persuading them to let us through secretly...
But Victor's expression was highly skeptical.
"That guy would do that."
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"You'll know when you see him. Anyway, so what's the plan then?"
"What else can we do? We have to go over the mountain. There's a low mountain next to the gate, so we can climb over it."
I nodded. Victor still looked suspicious, but if they said so, this would be the best method. Weren't they the 'Troll's Right Calf' mercenary company, famous even among the Mercenary King's direct subordinates for their strategy?
When I accepted, Longlegs grinned once more.
"Then let's do that, and let me tell you a few precautions."
"Precautions?"
"If you're going to travel through a bunch of dark-hearted mercenaries to your destination, you should know what you need to know, right?"
Victor and I exchanged a brief glance and nodded.
Longlegs stroked her chin.
"First, only we know your identities. If others find out you're riding in our carriage, it'll get annoying."
"That's what I was hoping for too."
"So you two will have to act as mercenaries there too."
We nodded again. We were planning to hide our identities anyway. Fortunately, many mercenaries had done things that left them with enemies, so it was common for people to hide their names and pasts. If we gave fake names and acted like mercenaries, no one would pry.
Shorty advised.
"Just say you're a wandering third-rate mercenary. Or a knight who killed someone and ran away. There are plenty of those kinds around enough to trip over."
Victor's expression became very strange. But this time too, he said nothing.
Longlegs giggled.
"You'll have to hide your faces for the time being too."
"Our faces?"
"Right now, you two look like noble lords no matter how you look at it."
Is that so?
I touched my cheek. My skin, applied with scented ointment every day, was soft, and my tied-down white hair swayed. As for Victor, well, it went without saying. Even when covered in dust, he looked like a noble young lord from somewhere.
I awkwardly pulled my hood down further.
"...Understood. I'll be careful."
"Well, Lord Amarion will manage fine on their own!"
Longlegs said something that felt meaningful for some reason, then grinned.
"Our mercenary company has a lot of people coming and going, so if you just stay quiet, you won't stand out. Ah, make sure to come out for your watch on time!"
Having finished speaking, she turned her horse's head.
"Then let's go. To the den where our scoundrels are!"
We began to ride along the wide road.
❖ ❖ ❖
The mercenary company's camp was really not that far. It was in a location that would take less than half a day from the main castle.
Even if it was the season to enter the Wasteland, they normally wouldn't pass this kind of road.
I asked with suspicious eyes.
"Don't tell me you came all the way here because of me?"
"No. We happened to be nearby."
Longlegs said cheerfully.
"And no matter how far, if Lord Amarion calls, we must come. Isn't that the loyalty of those who do mercenary work?"
"...?"
"Anyway, come this way."
Victor and I tied our horses under their guidance and entered the camp.
The camp of the 'Troll's Right Calf Mercenary Company' was quite impressive, just like its name. Perhaps because it was the Mercenary King's direct company, its scale was large and it had quite a few wagons.
Above all, the people sitting around were not ordinary. Regardless of gender or age, warriors with perfectly trained bodies were resting and chatting noisily.
I secretly looked around and exclaimed in admiration several times. My heart raced, making my earlier thought of leaving the sword behind seem pointless.
They were probably very strong. I had never hired the Mercenary King's direct unit before, but I knew their fame was renowned across the continent. Of course, they could be weaker than their reputation, like the Mort Knight Order... But there could be someone as strong as Victor, couldn't there?
It would be nice if I could spar with them once in a while...
While I was secretly thinking, Longlegs tapped the shoulder of a passing mercenary.
"Hey. I brought some new recruits, so decide which tent they'll use."
"New recruits?"
"Not official recruits, they're just traveling with us until we reach where the Mercenary King is."
The young mercenary looked at us with suspicion.
I opened my eyes wide, thinking it was unexpected. Unlike the others, this man didn't look much like a mercenary. No, his lean body with wiry muscles, probably from traveling a lot, was certainly mercenary-like, but it was by no means the physique of someone who handled weapons. His impression also looked ordinary.
A person like this is in a mercenary company?
The mercenary also seemed to have the same thought looking at us.
"You don't look very strong. Are your skills reliable?"
"Ah, would I have brought unreliable guys?!"
Longlegs immediately got worked up and yelled.
Shorty, who had scrunched up his face, stood on his tiptoes and smacked the back of the woman's head.
"Ow!"
Longlegs, who screamed, spat out a terribly foul curse that was hard to even put in one's mouth.
Victor opened his eyes wide in surprise. Even when Raoul and Kaltz had vulgar conversations, they didn't use such crude language.
But the mercenaries paid no mind and started yelling at each other.
"Your temper is the problem! Last time you got kicked by the Mercenary King for picking a fight during a banquet, and you still haven't fixed that habit?"
"That time those guys were scratching at my nerves! They said that knight Jean was more handsome than Rodrigo of the capital troupe!"
"You drew your weapon over something like that?!"
"What do you mean 'something like that'?!"
Longlegs shouted as if he was talking nonsense.
"There is no man more handsome than Rodrigo!"
"This is why the Mercenary King doesn't keep you around."
"Even so, it's his loss."
The woman scoffed.
Shorty sighed deeply once more, then gestured to the mercenary who was watching the fight with an expression similar to ours.
"Sorry, this one is a bit... you know?"
"Yeah, I know. Very well."
The male mercenary shook his head, then looked at us.
"Anyway, welcome to 'Troll's Right Calf'. I am Mirage. We will not ask about your past or future, and we will share our lives only with the you of the present."
I answered in the same way to the mercenary-style welcome greeting.
"We will not ask of past or future, and we will live this living present without regret."
"Hmm."
'Mirage' nodded as if satisfied.
"You're not a complete novice, are you?"
"...Well, something like that."
"That saves me the trouble of teaching you."
He grinned, then left Longlegs and Shorty, who were still arguing, and guided us to one side of the camp.
Soon, a large tent appeared.
"Use this tent. It just so happens there are two empty spots."
I nodded. Mirage continued to explain.
"I'll write the watch schedule in front of here, so you can just come out on time. If you're uncomfortable or don't know something, ask me."
Mirage took out a wooden board from the pouch at his waist. It seemed he recorded the watch schedule there.
He stopped taking out the stylus and said.
"Ah, come to think of it, I didn't even ask your names."
"Huh?"
"What should I call you?"
I blinked in bewilderment. Come to think of it, I hadn't properly thought of fake names to use in the mercenary company.
To make such a mistake after deciding to hide our identities!
Looking back at Victor, he had already closed his mouth and was waiting for me to handle the situation. I racked my brain. Was there no suitable alias? Something like a nickname for me and him...
Before I could even finish thinking, words popped out.
"I'm... Lynx, and this one is..."
I gestured toward Victor and spoke ambiguously.
"...Dog...?"
Horror painted itself across Victor's face.
❖ ❖ ❖
"Did you really have to? Of all things?"
"I said I was sorry."
I mumbled as I walked.
We were out by the campfire in the camp to have a meal. I would have liked to lie down in the tent and sleep a bit, but knowing how important it was to catch meals on a journey, I couldn't not come out. In the mercenary company, if you missed mealtime, it was hard to even get a piece of bread.
As I had heard, the mercenaries had no interest in others, but a few came to greet us first and asked our names.
And Victor suffered every time he introduced his name.
"Even if I had been introduced as Flamberge, I wouldn't have been this embarrassed."
"But I really couldn't think of anything?"
At my protest, Victor pretended to be sad.
"Have I wronged you that much?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"It's true. If the first thing you thought of upon seeing me was a dog..."
I was startled and shook my head.
"It's not like that!"
"Then?"
I flushed bright red.
"The only nickname I've called you recently is, um, ...puppy. But that seemed too cute, so..."
Victor's gaze softened. He chuckled and whispered.
"Marion, you really are..."
"—Hey, aren't you getting your food?"
A mercenary who had approached us at some point slopped something thick into a wooden bowl.
Victor's smile vanished completely. I looked down at the food, having grown somewhat pale.
Whatever it was that looked vaguely like stew was definitely... not something fit for human consumption. It even had black bits in it, as if it had been burned.
Did this mercenary company seriously not even bring a cook?
Soon, complaints burst out from all around.
"Hey, what is this? How are we supposed to eat this crap?"
"I only scooped the less burnt parts! Shut up and eat it!"
The mercenary who had served all the stew swore righteously. I looked back at Victor with a worried face. He seemed to be using all the patience he had to hold back from saying it was disgusting.
The mercenaries grumbled.
"Tell the ones who can't cook to stop doing it, why do you keep putting them on duty? Hey, Mirage!"
"Why are you guys talking when you can't even cut a carrot? Just eat what you're given."
"What?!"
Curses were exchanged between Mirage and the mercenaries.
With no other choice, I sat in front of the campfire with the stew... or something similar. I was hungry, after all.
Victor followed and sat next to me, but didn't even touch his bowl.
"Aren't you going to eat?"
"...It's fine to skip a meal or two."
I thought so.
I looked at him with sorry eyes and ate the stew in the middle of the noisy camp. It was a bit bitter, but if I closed my eyes and ate it, it was tolerable.
Mirage came and sat across from me as I forced down the contents of the bowl.
"I'm sorry about the first day. It's not usually this bad."
He apologized awkwardly. I sighed and answered.
"It's fine, isn't not starving enough?"
"Then that's a relief. As you can see, we don't have any servants, so we take turns doing all the chores. No one wanted to do the treasurer's work, so I'm doing it."
Mirage sighed and took out that wooden board again.
"So I'm asking, is either of you able to cook or fletch arrows?"
Victor and I stared blankly at each other. Then we shook our heads simultaneously.
"We only know how to use swords."
"Damn it, again? These mercenaries are always..."
He cursed without hesitation and scribbled on the wooden board. I awkwardly swallowed the stew.
Actually, it was a bit fascinating. While there were mercenary companies run by the mercenaries' own autonomy, it was my first time seeing such a famous, large mercenary company taking turns with chores and assigning duties. Usually, high-ranking mercenary companies traveled with as many servants as a knightly order anywhere.
Wait, does that mean the mercenaries also do things like washing dishes and cleaning up horse manure?
Just thinking about it naturally made worry bloom.
...Victor, has he ever cleaned before?
As if reading my mind, Mirage asked abruptly.
"But are you guys really mercenaries?"
"...Why do you ask that?"
"Because no matter how I look, you don't seem like mercenaries. Especially you."
Mirage pointed at Victor with the wooden pen he had been writing on the board with.
"The amazing thing is, even though you're wearing a shabby cloak, you somehow look like a noble lord."
I clicked my tongue inwardly. Even with his face half-covered, the mercenaries' intuition was not to be ignored.
I recalled Shorty's advice and spoke vaguely.
"I was a knight until recently, but there was a reason I had to leave where I lived. So I became a mercenary."
"What happened that a knight leaves their territory? Did you rob the castle's treasury?"
"..."
I feigned ignorance. Mirage grinned.
"Ah, or maybe you messed with the lord's family? You know, the guard knight having an affair with the lady, and the lord throwing a fit..."
"It's not like that."
Victor cut in. His face was terribly distorted. I could confidently say he had probably never heard such a thing said to his face in his life.
Mirage retorted with a smile.
"If not, then never mind!"
It feels like some ridiculous misunderstanding has occurred...
With an ambiguous expression, I buried my face in my bowl and finished filling my stomach. Then I crawled into the tent, tossed and turned for a long time thinking of home, and fell asleep.
❖ ❖ ❖
Puuuu!
And the next day, I woke up to the sound of a loud horn.
"Wake up right now! Don't be lazy!"
I scrambled up from my spot in horror.
Sand and dust blew in wildly through the wide-open tent flaps. The mercenaries, dragging themselves up, lost their tempers. But Mirage, horn in hand, shouted without caring.
"We're eating breakfast in a bit, so pop out right now!"
Breakfast?
With the sole thought of eating, I opened my eyes and slipped out of the tent.
Looking around half-asleep, I saw the mercenaries all heading to the nearby water. I followed them.
My face reflected in the water was a sight. My hair was wildly tangled in just one day, and my eyes, which hadn't slept deeply, were puffy and swollen.
To think I have to see Victor looking like this!
Even if we were people who had seen everything, this was too much. I diligently splashed cold water under my hood. My ruined skin didn't soften at all... I tried to cover my eye area with my hood and returned to the camp.
The duty crew was already handing out meals at the camp. It was similar to yesterday: a soup made from boiled dried vegetables and bread. Fortunately, the meal was considerably better than yesterday. It was a bit bland, maybe because they skimped on salt, but that was nothing.
But Victor, who appeared a while later, again only took about two bites and set his bowl down.
"Aren't you hungry?"
"...I'll just eat jerky."
He sighed, took out the jerky Diederik had given him, and chewed on it.
I couldn't help but worry. He had a blessed body, so I knew skipping a few meals wouldn't be a problem, but if he kept this up from the start, his body wouldn't last.
I was about to urge him more, but Mirage popped his head out again.
"No way, Dog! You're not even eating this?"
Victor didn't answer. Mirage shook his head.
"Why are you so picky? You'll starve to death at this rate."
"I'm fine, so mind your own business."
"I'm telling you, you're really like some noble lord."
I flinched, then buried my nose in my soup bowl.
It was clear he had noticed something. It was awkward to step up and make excuses, so I couldn't say anything. It would be nice if Longlegs and Shorty said something, but strangely, neither of them had shown their faces since yesterday.
Fortunately, Mirage didn't pry further. He only kept saying I should try the bread, that it was bought and would taste good.
Is he trying to relieve the tension?
But having someone so sharp in front of me didn't reassure me at all. I barely finished my meal listening to the mercenaries' voices.
Mirage, who was drinking his soup, added as if he just remembered.
"Ah, you two are on dish duty today."
Victor's face crumpled as much as it possibly could.
❖ ❖ ❖
As soon as the meal ended, we were driven to the water along with a few other mercenaries. Along with a mountain of dishes.
Dipping the wooden bowls in the ice-cold water really made me think of Amari. A bitter smile slipped out.
In Amari's winter, firewood was scarce. This was because all the dry wood was used to set up stockades or start fires on the battlefield. There wasn't even enough firewood to cook with, so during that time, people gathered at the lord's castle to eat together.
My mother and father hated it and had their meals separately, but I always stayed on the first floor with the people. Because I wasn't lonely when I was there.
When the meal was over, the people would break the ice together and wash the dishes in the cold water, and I always followed them there. The villagers tried to stop me, but I silently pushed the cart with them and washed the bowls.
Anyway, that was why I knew more about this kind of work than ordinary nobles. I dipped the bowl in the water and scrubbed it with crumpled straw. Then, suddenly, I noticed Victor standing awkwardly.
"Victor?"
"I... this is my first time doing dishes."
He said awkwardly.
I couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Really?"
"Yeah... what's so funny?"
He asked, sounding somewhat sullen.
I struggled to hold back my laughter and answered.
"The fact that there's something you can't do is funny."
Victor clamped his mouth shut. Then he squatted next to me.
"I couldn't even sleep when you weren't around, did you forget?"
So help me this time too. At his words, I chuckled softly and handed him a wadded bunch of straw. Victor began awkwardly scrubbing the dishes with the straw. I firmly suppressed the laughter that kept bubbling up.
Seeing him do this kind of work was truly refreshing. The Grand Duke of Death washing dishes—who could have imagined that? Looking up from beside him, his messy hair and jaw were still elegant, but seeing him like this, he was just cute.
Having such thoughts made me forget some of my anxiety about Amari.
Was it a good idea to come out with him after all?
I had a strange thought as I diligently washed the dishes.
❖ ❖ ❖
The mercenary company soon departed toward the border. It was quite a fast pace, even with the wagons. It seemed the mercenaries here moved in groups to prepare for sudden battles. Victor and I also moved in a group of five or six, including Mirage.
Fortunately, no monsters appeared, so the atmosphere was peaceful. The mercenaries chatted leisurely.
"...So, in my opinion, the Mort Knight Order is the best on the continent. Welch or Barbarit can't even compare."
"Hey, how do you know that? They're all Imperials, so they've never even fought each other."
"Don't you remember the monster subjugation army we met a while ago? Only the Mort Knight Order could pull off such a brutal battle. That's why the Catalang trading guild uses the Mort Knight Order as escorts for that expensive mead trade."
I tilted my head.
I don't remember running into mercenaries during the subjugation? They probably met the western army, not the eastern army I was with.
At the same time, the hope I had harbored yesterday faded a little. For them to describe the Mort Knight Order as brutal, it made me wonder if these people were actually not that strong. Since they were the Mercenary King's direct subordinates, I thought they would definitely be stronger than Mort's knights...
Victor lowered his voice and asked me, who was disappointed for nothing.
"When did Lady Katarina start the mead trade?"
"I'm not sure. I think it was while we were out on the subjugation?"
"Mead is a specialty of Mort. To trade it, you'd need permission from the lord's castle..."
I answered after thinking.
"Probably Sir Kaltz permitted it? If even you don't know."
"That could be."
Victor nodded.
Hmm. I looked ahead. Surveying the packhorses trudging along and the talkative mercenaries, I suddenly asked my husband.
"About Sir Kaltz and Katarina."
"Yeah."
"They have feelings for each other, right?"
"Probably everyone knows except themselves."
Victor scoffed. I smirked.
"I thought I was the only one who thought so."
"No way. The whole castle thought so."
"Huh?"
"While you were out on the subjugation, rumors spread all over the castle that they were in some kind of relationship. The two of them used working together as an excuse to stick together almost all day."
No way!
I became intensely interested. Was there really something between them, as others saw?
"But why haven't they become lovers?"
At the question, Victor rubbed his chin under his hood.
"Well, Kaltz always did say he hated living in the south. He said he'd meet a woman who was dedicated to her work, living in the capital or the north, and marry her."
"Well, Katarina also said she had no intention of marrying right away. But she said if she did, she'd like a southern man who hates the south."
"..."
We fell silent, thinking the same thing.
"...They're smart people, so they'll figure it out."
"Right?"
I smiled ambiguously and looked ahead again.
The mercenary company was entering the forest. Perhaps because it was a place where I had encountered monsters several times during the subjugation, I felt tense for some reason.
Of course, since the subjugation was over, the monsters wouldn't swarm like they did then...
Then, a small cry was heard in the distance.
"!"
Victor and I drew the swords at our waists simultaneously. The people next to us looked at us in surprise.
"What, why are you suddenly drawing your swords?"
"A monster is coming. Probably a griffin."
"What?! How could you..."
As we spoke, the sound got much closer. It sounded like about five or six of them.
Victor and I exchanged glances quickly.
Slicing a griffin wouldn't be difficult at all, but I now knew that simultaneously cutting down five griffins would be strange by ordinary people's standards. If these people were similar to or weaker than the Mort Knight Order, doing such a thing would definitely stand out enormously.
But, it could be dangerous...
"Screech!"
As I was hesitating, griffins appeared with an ear-splitting noise. They flew in flapping their wings and hissed threateningly at the mercenaries who had just drawn their weapons. The wagons stopped in disarray, and the horses stamped their hooves in fright.
Victor whispered with a troubled expression.
"Marion, what do we do in this situation...?"
At that moment, Mirage stretched his arm out from behind.
It was a very mysterious sight. Something like a white light came out of his hand, and the movements of the griffins, which were fiercely swinging their claws, suddenly stopped. Squeak, creak, the griffins spun in place, making weak noises. In the meantime, the mercenaries joined forces and brought down the griffins one by one.
My mouth hung open at the sight I was seeing for the first time, and I asked Mirage.
"What was that just now?"
"Ah, the newbie doesn't know?"
The mercenary turned his gaze to me. He shrugged.
"I'm a mage."
Instantly, a sharp killing intent leaked from Victor.
Oh no.
I reflexively looked back at Victor.
Victor had no expression. But his eyes, which always shone with a golden light, were infinitely sunken. I knew what he was thinking.
Victor hated mages. Or perhaps he feared them. Either way, the root was the same. Magic was something even his sword couldn't contend with, and ultimately, it took away his entire family. Mages were the source of all his nightmares.
But this was not a battlefield. The revenge was over, and the mages who fought him were no longer in this world.
I calmed him with a whisper.
'It's okay.'
At my words, the tension in his body slowly released. However, his sunken expression remained unchanged.
Fortunately, Mirage didn't seem to notice Victor's change. He raised his eyebrows.
"You're not very surprised? People from other countries usually don't even believe in the existence of mages."
"...I've heard a few things."
I replied quietly and wiped the blood off my sword. I didn't want to have a long conversation, but Mirage had a face showing great interest.
"Really? You've heard about mages? About magic too?"
"Well. At least I know they can't summon earthquakes or drop fireballs."
"That's right. Only the great mage Gargantia could do that."
Victor's lips thinned.
Gargantia was the name of the former queen of the Eastern Kingdom. And from what I heard, she had a deep, dark connection with Victor. The blessing the queen bestowed was a curse to Victor.
Mirage added nonchalantly.
"Well, even that great King lost to the Walking Death."
"..."
"Anyway, my magic is showing illusions. It's a common trick among mages."
"Why is a mage outside the Eastern Kingdom?"
Victor spoke for the first time. It was a chillingly low voice.
But Mirage only smiled.
"Oh my, you really do know quite a bit about mages? Did you come from the Eastern Kingdom?"
Victor didn't answer.
Are mages not supposed to be outside the Eastern Kingdom? As I wondered, the mage explained.
"Mages are the property of the Eastern Kingdom. Each and every one is strictly managed, from their birth to where they live. Without a royal decree, they can't even leave the kingdom or reveal their identity."
"Then how did you...?"
"I ran away."
Mirage smiled.
"Because magic belongs to the nobles. If someone who is not a noble is discovered to have been born with magic..."
He made a cutting motion beside his own neck. I was startled and opened my eyes wide. Mirage finished his sentence calmly.
"So I crossed the border when I was young, and I've been making a living as a mercenary here."
"That must have been hard."
"Well, it suits my aptitude? And if I had stayed in the Eastern Kingdom, I would have had my head cut off by the Walking Death anyway. They say that guy rushes in crazily whenever he sees a mage."
I kept my mouth shut. Other mercenaries chimed in and giggled.
"That's why we told you to be careful when entering Mort."
"What, it's not like we have any reason to meet His Highness the Grand Duke."
"Still, who knows? What if he's hiding somewhere here and suddenly appears?"
I wonder if they know. I smiled bitterly, slipped out of the group, and headed toward Victor.
Victor was still as stiff as a plaster statue. He smiled bitterly at me.
"I'm sorry, I caused you worry."
"Don't apologize."
I secretly held his hand. He cast his golden eyes down.
After a long silence, he spoke quietly.
"I took a brutal revenge, one that deserved to be cursed."
"..."
"It was a war I was forced into, but I didn't hesitate to cut down the mages. Even though the ones who actually killed my older brother were all dead long ago."
He clenched his fist.
"But why my body still trembles..."
I said nothing.
His suffering was something I could never fully understand. I would be glad even if monsters burned for three days and nights, but Victor hated his fellow humans far more. Even though I could absolutely never harm a person.
But we had experienced different things and had different values. All my precious ones were killed by monsters, but all of Victor's precious people lost their lives at the hands of people. So, instead of trying to change or understand him, I chose to simply accept him.
"Everything will be okay."
At my words, Victor nodded quietly.
"Yeah. Don't worry. This is just a matter of my own heart. ...And you're by my side too."
"Yes."
I squeezed his hand one last time, let go, and got back on my horse.
❖ ❖ ❖
We crossed the wilderness and climbed over mountains. After the griffin, hardly any monsters appeared, so the night watches weren't difficult.
What was hard was actually the menial chores. In a mercenary company without servants, the mercenaries had a mountain of things to do. Victor sewed and tied arrowheads here for the first time in his life. Naturally, he was terribly clumsy at all of it.
But somehow, my heart felt tight. Was this how he felt when I was studying etiquette? Seeing Victor stay by my side, even doing things he didn't need to learn and wasn't familiar with, warmed my heart in a way I couldn't understand.
I spent my days helping him with his chores and my nights falling asleep by his side.
Naturally, I also grew closer to the mercenaries. Longlegs and Shorty were nowhere to be seen, but the mercenaries of 'Troll's Right Calf' were all as affable as them.
Among them, the one I became particularly close to was, oddly enough, Mirage. Honestly speaking, other than the fact that he was a mage, he was a pleasant and good person with nothing to hold back. This mage, who had been carefully looking after us newbies, even seemed to have a strange liking for me and Victor, who knew about magic. He frequently struck up conversations and took care of various things for us. Victor kept his distance the whole time, visibly uncomfortable, but I eventually reached the point where I could exchange short small talk with him.
After several days like that, a village finally appeared.
"Wow, it's been so long since we've seen a village!"
The mercenaries ran excitedly to the village entrance.
But I became troubled. This was the village I had visited before as part of the subjugation army.
"Wow, did the subjugation army pass through here too?"
Mirage admired the traces of battle still remaining on the wooden palisade. Then he said.
"I heard when entering Mort that the new wife the Mort Grand Duke took in is a great knight."
"...Really?"
"They say she's a woman from a foreign country, and whatever she did, the people of Mort all became fanatics."
He smiled and warned.
"You guys be careful too, if you say the wrong thing, you'll get beaten with a broom and chased out."
I didn't know how to react, so I just nodded awkwardly. Then I slowly looked around.
The village was quite bustling. When I came, only flies buzzed around, but now people filled the streets and the inn. They said it was originally a village near the border where many travelers stopped by. I was glad to see the village regain its vitality, even if it was just like this.
Soon, Mirage, who had taken the money pouch, found accommodation. Unlike the places the knight order used, it was the roughest inn in the village.
"Are we sleeping here?"
At Victor's question, Mirage replied.
"Yeah. This place is the cheapest. Plus, I heard the pork cutlets here are amazing."
Cutlets?
I gulped. During the journey of several days, I missed fried food more than the desserts I ate at the castle.
But Victor narrowed his eyes. His eyes slowly scanned the rickety sign and the moss-covered exterior walls.
Mirage patted Victor's shoulder with a grin.
"Come on, you know it's ridiculously dirty for our Dog! But please bear with it a bit."
"..."
Victor swayed from side to side with a very, very unhappy face.
Victor with such an expression!
I trembled my shoulders trying to hold back my laughter. Victor's clumsy appearance was always new. Because he acted so clumsily, some mercenaries, including Mirage, were already convinced he was some noble young lord.
Of course, they would never dream that he was the Grand Duke of Mort.
Still smiling, Mirage pushed the inn door open.
"Alright, let's get some good rest!"
We entered the inn.
❖ ❖ ❖
The inside of the inn was lively. The food must have been tasty, because even though the mercenary company rented out all the rooms, the first-floor dining area was full of strangers.
Of course, they were all shady-looking people, but that didn't matter. The mercenaries I came with were exactly like that.
I went up to my room, washed up, and came down to the dining area early. Victor and Mirage were already down there.
"Hey, over here!"
Mirage called me and immediately shoved a menu in my face.
I instinctively craned my neck forward and read the foods listed.
"Fried tomato and eggplant, fried mushrooms, smoked bacon pie, roast pigeon wings, lamb stew boiled in wine..."
"Everything sounds delicious. Can we order everything?"
"...I'd like that too, but do you have money?"
"Of course not. Lynx, check your pockets."
Mirage and I began rummaging through our pockets frantically.
Actually, Diederik had packed quite a few gold coins, but since we couldn't take out gold coins on a normal road like this, we had been living off copper coins. Even those had run out, so I was quite strapped these days.
It would be nice if there was a money changer.
While I was thinking, a scream suddenly erupted from next to us.
"This is ridiculous!"
I naturally turned to the side.
In front of large-built men, a boy who looked about Mary's age was on the verge of tears.
The men threatened.
"What do you mean ridiculous? You lost the bet, so losing money is natural."
"I brought the goblin teeth as promised! So why did I lose?"
"You should have brought them faster. I said by this morning!"
"When did you say that..."
As the boy stood there devastated, the men chuckled and counted their coins.
What is this?
Mirage frowned and muttered.
"Scammers."
"Scammers?"
"Yeah. They're bad guys."
He clicked his tongue.
"They put up the pot money on both sides, and seduce people by saying they'll give them money if they win the bet. Naturally, even if you do what they ask, they don't pay properly."
"Why would people fall for..."
"Because it's hard to make a living."
Mirage spat out sullenly. Victor, who had been quiet the whole time, suddenly had his eyes darken. The mage explained slowly.
"The northern part of Mort was tormented by monsters and has only just become barely livable, right? Everyone is short on money, so they fall for guys like that more easily. Those bastards openly target only poor people."
"..."
"Anyway, they're scum. I hate seeing guys like that wandering around calling themselves mercenaries."
Mirage shook his head and flipped the menu. It seemed he would act according to the mercenaries' unwritten rules.
Don't get involved in things that don't involve money. Don't do things that will cause losses.
Mercenaries had to act like that to avoid getting the mercenary company involved.
But as a knight, I absolutely couldn't do that.
"Hey."
I stood up. Victor raised his head, and Mirage opened his eyes wide in surprise. But ignoring them, I approached the men. The men looked at me.
"What?"
"Make a bet with me too."
"What?"
They burst into laughter.
Soon, a sharp gaze flew over.
"You look like a mercenary, but mind your own business and keep walking, yeah?"
"Why? I want to try too."
I smiled coldly. Then I tossed a pouch I took out from my bosom.
Without taking their eyes off me, the men opened the pouch. And they gasped in shock.
"Gold coins. With the Emperor's seal. If you win, it's all yours."
Their eyes gleamed with greed. It was obvious they wanted to just grab it and run, but since there were many watching eyes, they held back. The man asked in a noticeably lowered voice.
"...What's the bet?"
"You decide. Anything that uses swords is fine."
"Confident, aren't we!"
The men snickered.
"Then, what will you take if you win?"
I stared at them quietly before answering.
"I'll cut off two of your fingers each."
The inn fell silent as if cold water had been splashed.
❖ ❖ ❖
After a brief conversation, I finished the negotiation. Mirage cried out to me as I returned, as if he couldn't believe it.
"Lynx, are you really crazy?! Why would you start something like this!"
"I won't ask you to help, so don't worry."
"That's not the problem, ugh, you ignorant sword-swinging bastard!"
Mirage gaped. I just turned my head away.
I knew doing something like this would draw massive attention, but I absolutely couldn't hold back. This was Victor's land, and a village I had saved. And I had a duty to protect the weak.
Victor didn't say anything. Perhaps because of his promise to follow my words, or perhaps because he felt a similar sense of responsibility. He only said one thing.
"There shouldn't be many Urgs these days."
"Don't worry, I have a place I checked out before."
"Hey, what are you saying! Are you really going?"
Mirage yelled in panic. I nodded. The mage clutched his head in pain.
"This is crazy! How are you going to catch an Urg alone? Magic doesn't even work on those guys..."
"I told you, you don't need to help."
I sheathed my sword and stood up. Over there, the scammers were giggling, confident of their victory.
The bet they proposed was exactly that. To kill an Urg and come back alone.
This village had a lot of Urgs, so I had sliced quite a few when I came last time. So they used the story of the White Knight—that is, me—as an example and demanded that I kill an Urg alone.
The time limit was until midnight today. If I'm even a minute early, their fingers fly off; if I'm even a minute late, my gold flies away.
I gladly accepted the terms.
"Think about it, even that Grand Duchess or whatever actually caught them with the knight order, right? I'm saying this because I've seen a lot of guys who act tough like you and die!"
Mirage tried to stop me.
For some reason, I felt like laughing.
This mage, while pretending not to be, really was overly meddling. Should I say he wasn't mercenary-like?
The kind mage shouted as if dumbfounded.
"Why are you laughing, have you lost your mind?! Ugh, where is the captain at a time like this..."
"Don't worry, I'll be right back."
I gave a light bow and left the tavern.
❖ ❖ ❖
Victor Mort waited.
He was a man with little patience who always drew his sword first, but Amarion always made him wait. And waiting for her was always worth it. Even if he followed her to an unfamiliar land, went on a difficult journey, and faced mages again.
All his joy came entirely from Amarion. So he waited without a word. Like a quiet dog.
Mirage, who had been tearing his hair out, asked.
"Dog, aren't you worried either? Your lover just ran out like that?"
"...Lover?"
"Why are you acting surprised? I have that much perception too."
This mercenary was honestly a bit too perceptive, but Victor didn't point that fact out.
Mirage continued.
"You two are lovers, right?"
"..."
"Did you elope for love? You're the young master, and Lynx is your guard knight or something. Did you run away because your father opposed it?"
...How on earth does a guess flow that dramatically?
The Grand Duke thought he must definitely tell her about this interesting misunderstanding as he looked at the doorway.
It was about time she came. If it was her that he knew, definitely...
At that moment, the inn door slammed open.
"Ahhh!"
The server carrying dishes screamed.
With instantly softened eyes, Victor looked at the person who appeared at the door.
Amarion, who had returned, was still wearing her hood pulled low. Hiding her beloved snow-white hair tied within.
But blood dripped from the sword in her hand. Ignoring the stares around her, she walked steadily and tossed a blood-soaked pouch.
"It's the Urg's eyes. I won the bet."
The scammers turned pale and opened the bundle. Then they immediately started throwing a fit.
"H-How do we know you caught this alone!"
"That's right! There are still hunters trying to catch Urgs, so you might have caught it with them..."
"Yeah, we can't know. What's important is that I have the ability to kill an Urg and come back alive."
"..."
The scammers' mouths snapped shut. Amarion lowered her voice and asked.
"Now, do you want to cross swords with me?"
The men froze completely. The sight of the large-built thugs stiffening rigidly was almost comical.
She let out a deep sigh and sheathed her bloodied sword. Then she quietly admonished them.
"Never do this kind of thing again, and return all the money you swindled here."
"What? Who are you to—"
"Do you really want your fingers cut off?"
The scammers fell silent. But it didn't look like they were going to open the pouch. Even in that situation, they didn't want to part with the money. Amarion tilted her head in difficulty.
Then, a faint light flickered from across the room.
"Aaaagh! What is this, my hand!"
And soon, the scammers began to scream.
"My, my hand...! I'm sorry, please spare me just this once!"
"I'll return the money, aargh!"
Clutching their perfectly fine hands, they hastily pulled out the money pouch and ran away.
Amarion turned her head blankly. Mirage was pouting and retracting his hand.
"It looked like you were struggling, so I cut them off for you."
"...Thank you."
"For what."
The mage shrugged. Victor stared at him for a moment, then turned his head back to Amarion.
She was handing a bundle of money to the boy who had been crying earlier.
"Don't ever think of getting involved in things like this from now on. Money is never earned easily."
"Yes, thank you, thank you, my lord!"
"Other than you, is there anyone else who got scammed?"
"He'd be the first here."
The innkeeper, who had been observing the situation the whole time, chimed in. Clicking his tongue with his arms crossed, he said.
"I clearly told him it was a scam, but he rushed in saying he was desperate for money. If it weren't for that lady, you'd be starving from tomorrow, kid!"
"Is the village situation that bad?"
"Thanks to Her Grace, it's gotten much better, but there's still a long way to go before it returns to how it was before the monsters appeared."
Marion fell silent. Even though only her mouth was visible, she looked like a sullen cat.
She spoke earnestly.
"Everything will get better, I'm sure."
It was a statement that always came true.
Victor Mort greeted his wife, who returned with a bright smile.
❖ ❖ ❖
Dinner eventually ended in a drinking party. There were coins among the bundles the scammers left behind, so I exchanged them for some of my gold coins.
I planned to give all the money to the village chief to use for rebuilding the village. I bought drinks for Mirage and a few other mercenaries with the newly acquired change. It was a reward for helping me in many ways.
As the drinks went around, the atmosphere loosened up completely. Other mercenaries also set up drinking tables, making the whole dining area noisy.
Mirage, whose nose tip had turned red, asked.
"But did you really catch an Urg alone? There probably aren't many on the continent who can do that."
I rolled my eyes in panic.
Did I stand out too much...? Since they were people weaker than Mort knights, it was obvious they'd be very surprised to hear I caught an Urg alone. Saying there aren't many on the continent was definitely an exaggeration, though.
I mumbled a lie.
"I was lucky. I met some hunters."
"Right? Gosh, I almost thought you were really the Grand Duchess!"
*Cough.*
I desperately lowered my head so I wouldn't choke. Victor patted my back from beside me.
The other mercenaries giggled.
"As if! Hearing the rumors, that Grand Duchess is the incarnation of noble chivalry. Would she step up to cut off people's fingers?"
"...Was that a bit too much?"
"No, it's perfect. To go out into the Wasteland, you need that kind of temper."
Mirage giggled and encouraged me.
Victor, who had been quiet the whole time, suddenly asked.
"What kind of place is the Wasteland?"
"Ah, you don't know this side? Well, Dog is a young master, after all."
The mercenaries chuckled softly and refilled their empty cups. A sense of nostalgia lingered in their eyes.
"It's like a hometown to us."
"..."
"Knights make their lord's land their home, but mercenaries consider that barren desert their place to return to."
I languidly propped my chin and nodded.
Mercenaries had no hometown. They hid their birthplace and names, making a living by fighting others' battles. So at some point, they began to call that ownerless land, where there was nothing, their hometown in self-mockery.
"Originally it was just a metaphor, but Mercenary King Yazi unified the mercenary companies across the continent and built a village right in the middle of the Wasteland. That's how that place truly became the mercenaries' hometown."
"That's impressive."
Victor replied plainly.
Mirage said excitedly.
"Dog will definitely fall in love with it once he sees it, right? You said you were going there anyway."
"That's right."
"There's a tavern we frequent there..."
I hid my smile and tilted my cup.
Seeing Victor converse with Mirage put my mind at ease. He always kept his mouth shut when the mage was around, but oddly, it seemed he felt like talking today.
Were his bad memories slowly getting better now? Like how his illness was cured.
I quietly emptied my cup.
And not long after, Victor and the mercenaries were completely wasted. We had to leave early tomorrow, too. I supported Victor with worried feelings, bid the mercenaries goodnight, and headed to the second floor.
Victor, leaning his body against me, was hot and large. Stumbling up the stairs, my husband muttered.
"They... thought you were my guard knight."
"Huh?"
"They thought I was a noble young master who fell in love with you and eloped..."
I realized the meaning a beat late and flushed red. To elope after making eyes at the lady I serve—isn't that the highest dishonor for a knight?!
'Do I, do I look like that kind of person...?'
Seeing my trembling eyes, Victor laughed.
"My cute wife."
He leaned down and kissed me. His lips tasted of sweet wine. I pushed him away, my earlobes burning red.
"Not here."
Though the long-awaited kiss was sweet, we were still in the hallway. Victor blinked slowly and smiled.
"Yeah. I promised to listen to you."
He flopped against my shoulder. The large man rubbed his cheek like a puppy.
Really, how cute.
With a red face, I headed to the room with him. Kissing him as soon as the door closed.
❖ ❖ ❖
Even plagued by a hangover, morning came.
Victor and I were fine, but the mercenaries couldn't get up until late morning. During that time, I went to the village chief with the money pouch, then had breakfast accompanied by wine.
Only after the sun had fully risen did Mirage crawl down, and he gagged when he saw me.
"You drank that much yesterday and you want to drink again?"
"The innkeeper gave it to me for free."
"Is that the point?! How can a knight drink more recklessly than mercenaries?"
The young mage pressed his forehead. I awkwardly put down my cup.
In the north, when the weather is chilly, you drink alcohol anytime to warm your body, but it seemed Imperials didn't really like drinking the day after drinking.
Is this also a form of etiquette? Seeing as Victor refused too, maybe it was.
I secretly agonized over it and finished my meal.
It was only when the sun rose high in the sky that the mercenaries finally finished preparing to depart. They sobered up with hot soup and saddled their horses.
The innkeeper and staff who helped us prepare came over and packed a bunch of dried fruits and snacks for me. The fierce-looking owner said to me quietly.
"Have a safe trip. Your Grace."
I opened my eyes wide in surprise, but just smiled and nodded, then left with the mercenaries.
❖ ❖ ❖
The weather was now truly chilly. It felt like the approaching winter had suddenly leaped close. Caught off guard by the sudden cold, the mercenaries pulled out all the cloth they had and wrapped themselves up. Those who still weren't warm enough even took out long-haired beast hides to cover themselves. I just folded my cloak collar and looked out at the unfolded wilderness.
The border was right before us. At this speed, we would probably reach the gate area by this evening.
I was a bit scared to step into the Wasteland, infamous for being dangerous, but I now trusted these mercenaries a little. They were very experienced. Even if their swordsmanship was doubtful, crossing the border and getting to the Mercenary King's residence wouldn't be difficult.
Just like this, without any incidents.
But suddenly, dust rose from behind.
"What is that?"
The mercenaries buzzed. I exchanged a look with Victor and gripped my sword handle.
Amidst the dust, the sound of hoofbeats could be heard. They seemed to be soldiers, but I had a bad feeling.
As I was thinking, the fast-approaching group stopped the mercenary company. Then they shouted.
"It's them! Search them thoroughly!"
"What?!"
Mirage's voice of dismay was drowned out by the whinnying of the horses. The approaching soldiers surrounded the mercenary company and began rummaging wildly through the wagons.
The mercenaries protested fiercely.
"Hey, who are you?! By what right are you searching us?"
"We are the border guard."
The soldier said bluntly.
"A report came in yesterday. That you use strange magic and are likely to cross the border illegally."
Ah.
I bit my lip.
A story like that. It was definitely those scammers from yesterday. To think they would report to the guards right after running away; how could such despicable people exist? I thought they'd learn something after experiencing that.
'I should have just held back a bit...'
But regretting it was too late. An enormous amount of provisions for the Wasteland and documents to deliver to the Mercenary King were successively found in the overturned wagons. It was sufficient evidence.
Of course, since we weren't caught while crossing the border, we wouldn't be punished immediately... but we would definitely be locked up. Moreover, the knight in charge of the gate, who was said to be a madman who loved arresting anyone, was commanding them.
I looked earnestly at the knight standing among the soldiers. The knight wore a helmet, so I couldn't even see his face.
Is he really someone I don't know?
I looked back at Victor in hesitation, but he was staring at the knight with a somehow peculiar expression.
The knight ordered.
"Get off your horses and show your faces. We need to verify your identities."
I opened my eyes wide.
That really shouldn't happen.
But as mercenaries, there was no way we could rebel against the Grand Duke's direct guard. I got off my horse and took off the hood I even wore when eating or drinking. White hair cascaded over my shoulders. Mirage made a surprised sound beside me.
"Lynx, you were a northerner?"
I kept my mouth shut. I hid it even more diligently because northerners stand out just by their hair color.
When Victor took off his hat, the reaction wasn't much different. The mercenaries sighed and whispered to me from both sides.
"Where did you pick up such a handsome guy? Tell me where you met him."
"Now I understand why you eloped, Lynx."
I bit my lip hard.
At least they didn't seem to know we were the Grand Duke and Duchess of Mort, but this wasn't the time for comments like Longlegs would make!
I glared at the nameless knight with all my resentment. While they told us to take off our hats, the knight commanding the soldiers hadn't even taken off the helmet covering his own face. With this, I couldn't even tell if it was someone I knew. Still, he should know Victor's face, so maybe he'd let us go...?
The knight, who had been moving step by step, stopped in front of Victor.
"..."
Victor stared at the knight expressionlessly. That was, well, the 'angry Grand Duke' face. Anyone from the knight order would be terrified.
But surprisingly, the knight ignored it and walked past him.
'What is that?'
I looked at him in confusion. Whether it was my imagination or not, the knight seemed slightly amused. I couldn't see his expression because of the helmet, but the vibe was there.
What's so fun about making your lord angry?
Even amid my confusion, the knight, who had finished his check, ordered.
"Take them all to the gate. I will interrogate them personally."
Interrogation!
I was too flustered, but this too was something I couldn't rebel against.
In the end, dragged along with the others, I was filled with anxiety as we reached the gate.
❖ ❖ ❖
As soon as we arrived at the gate, we were split in half and locked in cells.
"Hey, this is too much! We're all in a position to turn a blind eye to each other..."
"Procedures have gotten stricter lately. Quiet down. We'll release you after the investigation."
At the jailer's words, Mirage spat out a harsh curse.
I squatted in the corner of the cell, feeling a bit terrified. The other mercenaries looked quite used to it, but this was my first time in a cell. The damp straw and the window that barely let in sunlight were absolutely terrible. It wasn't a place you'd normally get locked up in your whole life.
I thought I lived fairly well...
Mirage asked me as I was on the verge of crying.
"Lynx, do you know anyone here? That captain looked like a knight too."
"I don't know. I can't even see his face because of the helmet..."
"This is maddening. What a waste of time."
The mage grumbled.
Hearing that, the anxiety I thought had disappeared welled up again.
What if we're really late? To think he arrested us even after seeing Victor's face. What if that knight is so law-abiding that he reports his lord? No, what if someone in the capital finds out Victor is here?
Katarina always said the Emperor or capital nobles would use any excuse to keep the Mort Grand Ducal family in check. What if something like that happens on this journey I took because of me?
That couldn't happen. Really, even though I absolutely hated it, there was no other choice but to knock out all the guards here and run away with Victor...
As I was having these grim thoughts, someone entered the cell.
It was the knight who led the guards. Still wearing his helmet, he pointed at me.
"You, come out and follow me."
The knight used a unique western dialect. That dialect was only used by western natives in the Empire, so once you heard it, you couldn't forget it, but no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't remember who it was.
Could it be that he doesn't know who I am?
I anxiously followed him out of the cell. Even though I was only locked up for about an hour, I felt like I could breathe again once I stepped outside the cell.
Then suddenly, the knight whispered softly.
"I greet my lord and lady, the Duchess of Mort."
He did know!
I looked at him in horror.
But the knight seemed somewhat excited, just like when he met Victor earlier. Even though I couldn't see his expression because of the helmet, I could feel he was smiling.
What is he so happy about?
To me, who was on guard, he said in a teasing tone.
"I have looked forward to seeing you again, my lady."
"Have you met me before?"
"Only from a distance. I participated in the subjugation as part of the western army."
I see. I was in the eastern army during the subjugation, so it made sense we hadn't crossed paths. Well, if I had seen him even once properly, I wouldn't have failed to remember this unique helmet and accent.
What kind of person is he, really?
I became curious, but that wasn't the urgent matter right now. I asked hastily.
"By any chance, do the other soldiers know my and Victor's identities too?"
"No, how could we let our lord's whereabouts be known to others?"
"Thank you for that. Since we're hiding our identities."
"It seems so, which is why I brought you separately. Along with His Grace the Grand Duke."
"Victor too?"
I opened my eyes wide and looked at the other building. Victor was walking out from the opposite cell.
"Victor!"
I ran over in an instant.
"Are you okay? To think they put you in a place so dirty and crawling with bugs..."
"Marion, I wasn't in there even for an hour."
Victor pointed out. Though my face turned red, I stubbornly brushed off his cloak.
The helmeted knight laughed, "Haha."
"You look wonderful together, my lord."
"Shut up, Jean."
I opened my eyes wide.
Victor was not hiding his annoyance for once. Anyone who knew him would be intimidated, but the knight smiled nonchalantly.
"You're too harsh. To a knight who wears this heavy helmet and works all day for Your Grace."
"You wear that because you want to."
Victor said in a surprisingly fierce tone.
He wears a helmet on purpose, why? Did he experience something bad because of his looks? There are still many wicked people in the world who discriminate based on appearances.
Seeing my expression, Victor sighed and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
"That guy is not worth your worry, Marion."
"...?"
"Haven't you heard the name Jean?"
I tilted my head.
Now that he mentioned it, I felt like I had heard it before. Strangely, not from the knights, but from the noble ladies.
Frowning in bewilderment, I asked Jean.
"I don't understand how I would know you, sir. We've never even met."
"Hmm, isn't it probably because of 'this'?"
The knight chuckled and unfastened the helmet lock with a click. The solid iron helmet slid up.
And I, without realizing it, gaped.
"Allow me to properly introduce myself, my lady. I am Jean of Sheyveri."
It was the first time in my life I had seen a man so beautiful!
❖ ❖ ❖
I stared blankly at the knight.
His loosely tied hair was dark brown, and his eyes were pink like early summer flowers. His white jawline and downturned eyes gave the impression of a gentle noble young lord.
Truly, he was an incredibly handsome man.
So this is why the noble ladies talked about him so much. I nodded in understanding.
"I see, I understand. But why do you hide such a face?"
"Because when people see my face, they don't fight me seriously."
"Pardon? Fight..."
"This guy is crazy about duels."
Victor sighed.
"Before joining the knight order, he wandered around trying to defeat strong men across the continent, they say. He kept instigating real sword fights in the main castle, so I sent him here on purpose."
I see. I was purely surprised.
To think a man who looked so gentle was that combative. A duel, unlike a regular spar, was a dangerous match where injuries had to be accepted. I really felt that you couldn't judge a person by their face.
Victor frowned and asked the knight.
"Anyway, why did you bring us here? I heard you arrest travelers left and right out of boredom, but you should still choose your opponents."
His golden eyes flashed sharply. It was a stern face, different from his usual lax 'Dog' persona recently.
In turn, Jean's expression also changed. He bowed his head.
"Please take me with you, Your Grace."
"Jean, this is not a journey to satisfy your amusement."
"I know. But."
The knight raised his eyes.
"You were probably planning to use the mountain path, but due to the recent rain, it's difficult to pass. So instead, you can secretly pass through the gate at dawn, and I will make up a story that I pursued you two. Then no other pursuit teams will follow."
That was... an excellent scheme. An opportunity to move safely on a main road without getting caught.
But Victor still seemed displeased. He asked stiffly.
"Where is the guarantee that you'll behave quietly after following us? You're the guy who even points his sword at fellow knights."
But Jean smiled brightly.
"Do not worry, Your Grace. I just want to see your swords up close. I have no interest in other lacking swordsmanship."
"..."
"It would be nice if you could even duel me, but that would probably be difficult, right?"
Victor scowled even more.
Is this really okay? No matter how I look, he seems like a weird person...
But it was also true that there was no other way.
In the end, I nodded.
"...Alright. Then I'll leave it to you."
"Yes, my lady."
Jean kissed the back of my hand with an extremely joyful face.
❖ ❖ ❖
Night fell quickly at the border. The freezing wind cut through my flesh and seeped into my cloak.
I folded my cloak collar and waited quietly. Soon, the mercenaries poured out of the unlit cells in a swarm. Having heard the plan during the day, they quickly took out the horses and wagons and divided into them.
The guards were all dead drunk and passed out. Jean had distributed strong liquor, claiming it was a reward for capturing the mercenary company. After confirming that even the last mercenary had boarded, Victor and I drove our horses toward the gate.
The gate was already open. At this point, admiration escaped me.
"Jean is quite capable, isn't he?"
"That's why I keep him around."
Victor muttered softly. I stifled a laugh and watched the wagons and horses passing through the gate.
Just as we slipped out last, the massive gate closed with a creak of its iron hinges.
It was a truly splendid midnight escape, ending before the sun even rose.
❖ ❖ ❖
Jean joined us at the edge of the Wasteland, quite a distance from the gate. He had written a letter saying he was pursuing us and came straight out. He was perfectly prepared for travel, and above all, he wasn't wearing his helmet.
An uproar immediately broke out.
"What, who looks like that?"
"That's the Jean of Sheyveri. The really handsome but slightly crazy one..."
"Huh? So that helmeted lunatic was Jean?!"
The reaction was more intense than expected.
Flustered, I asked Mirage.
"Is Jean that famous?"
"Of course! He's a madman who constantly picks fights even with mercenaries if they seem a bit strong! They said he got thoroughly beaten by the Walking Death and is now in the Mort Knight Order..."
Um. So that's why he was in the knight order.
As I scratched my cheek, Mirage asked suspiciously.
"You said you knew him already? You didn't even know that?"
I vaguely averted my gaze.
Since I couldn't honestly say the reason he was helping us, I had made up a lie that Jean was someone I trained swordsmanship with before. It was a pathetic excuse, but thankfully the unwritten rule among mercenaries not to ask about the past in detail existed.
Anyway, the mercenaries accepted Jean.
"I don't feel great about bringing in a new recruit when the captain isn't here, but I won't object."
"Why?"
"Because he's handsome. And good with a sword. Exactly the captain's type."
The mercenaries giggled.
Um, it seemed the unseen captain was someone like Longlegs.
Anyway, it was a relief he could accompany us. It would be awkward for him to go straight back to the gate right now. With a sense of relief, I watched Jean being guided by Mirage. Just like us, he was assigned a tent and exchanged greetings with the other mercenaries. It was a leisurely scene.
How does he do that? I felt a bit tense.
I looked at the vast sandy desert revealed as the sun rose.
The Wasteland. A barren land with neither name nor life.
As if its vitality had been stolen by the Black Mountains, the land covered only in golden sand was, for some magical reason, blazingly hot despite being in the north. The sunlight was strong, making the days long, while the nights were short and cold. Special horseshoes had to be nailed to the horses so sand wouldn't get stuck in their hooves, and the skill to survive against powerful monsters descending from the Black Mountains was necessary.
I was now facing a land that was off-limits to most humans.
"...Have you ever been here before?"
Victor, who approached, asked softly. I shook my head.
"I've only heard stories."
"Same as me. Rumor has it fire-breathing dragons live there?"
At those words, a sudden laugh escaped me.
I had been entangled in countless rumors about dragons regarding Victor, and regarding Fidelburg. None of them were true, though.
As I giggled, Victor softly laughed along.
"Feeling a bit more relaxed now?"
"Yes."
"Don't worry. Everything will be fine."
He held my hand tightly.
I looked up at him with a red face.
How could this person be so gentle? People all said he was ruthless, but that was truly ignorance. I had never met anyone as gentle as Victor. Probably, for my entire life.
Then, Mirage shouted from afar.
"You two over there! Stop it and get on your horses! I'm sick of watching!"
Victor glared at him.
I said, holding back my laughter.
"You promised. Not to get angry."
"...Fine."
Grumbling, he got on his horse.
With a smile, I turned the horse's head toward the desert where heat haze was rising.
❖ ❖ ❖
The Wasteland journey was indeed arduous. The sandstorm constantly struck my skin, making it sting, and meals were reduced to two a day. Water was resolved at oases, but since there were no animals fit for human consumption, we had to strictly conserve food, they said. The night watches increased to be wary of monsters, and camping had to be done more cautiously.
But what was hardest for me was, as expected, the heat.
"I never get used to this place no matter how many times I come."
Mirage grumbled and fanned himself with his hand. He wore only a thin cloth shirt to avoid the heat rising from the sandy desert.
I slumped in a similar outfit and just nodded. It was so hot I couldn't think straight.
From the opposite side, Jean, who was driving his horse, nodded.
"I last came here a few years ago, and it's still the same."
"Why did you come here if you're not even a mercenary?"
"To meet the Mercenary King."
Mirage made a suspicious expression.
"...Don't tell me it's to duel him?"
"Of course, why else would I come all the way here?"
When Jean smiled broadly with that beautiful face, Mirage clamped his mouth shut. Then he asked me.
"Where and how did you live that you're close to a guy like that?"
"We're not close..."
"Don't lie, would he help you break out of prison if you weren't close?"
The young mage pointed out sharply. As I flinched, he grumbled fiercely.
"Well, I guess you might not consider him a friend. You didn't even tell me you were from the north. Right?"
"That's not it..."
I was troubled and shook my head vigorously. My platinum hair, tied up high, swayed from side to side.
Since the day we crossed the Mort border, Mirage had been grumbling about this issue from time to time. He said he was hurt that I didn't tell him such a story when he thought we had gotten close.
"Do you know how surprised I was when I saw your hair? Dog is ridiculously handsome too, but at least he's an Imperial, why would a northerner be in the Empire!"
"Is that so strange?"
"Of course. Northerners are all either fighting monsters or committing robbery, what reason would they have to come to the Empire?"
Mirage cut me off. I silently just drove my horse. It was true. I came here due to a very special connection.
Mirage let out an exaggerated sigh.
"Still, it was too much. I even told you I'm from the Eastern Kingdom."
"You're a mage. It's impossible not to know."
Jean smiled gently. Mirage looked at the knight with a very uncomfortable face. Ever since Jean dropped the bombshell a while ago,
'A mage, you say? It's been a while since I fought a mage.'
the young mage had been constantly on guard against this handsome new knight.
Victor also thoroughly ignored Jean, as if he fully agreed with Mirage's attitude.
Is this okay?
I worried and pulled the reins.
An oasis came into view.
❖ ❖ ❖
The Mercenary King had many achievements, but it was said his greatest was creating oases throughout the Wasteland. Digging waterways in a place where originally nothing existed was an accomplishment hard to believe was done by a single human. But the Mercenary King did it, and mercenaries became able to travel the Wasteland without being constrained by water.
Recalling the story I heard from Mirage ad nauseam, I splashed water on my face. The cold water cooled my heat-swollen skin. When I was in Mort, I bathed in cool, fragrant water every day. I realized anew what a luxury that was.
Still, I could see things here that I couldn't see before.
I glanced at my husband washing himself. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he asked me.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"It's nothing."
Between his half-wet shirt, his skin peeked through. It was a firm, warm body that made me feel good just holding it.
To think I was having such thoughts in broad daylight!
I hastily turned my red face away. A mischievous smile quickly appeared on Victor's lips.
He asked.
"Were you, perhaps..."
"No, I said it wasn't."
"Wasn't what?"
He chuckled and looked at me. His captivating golden eyes quietly scanned my shirt-clad figure. As if he knew exactly what I had been thinking.
My ears grew hot. I splashed water at him for no reason.
"Stop teasing me."
Victor laughed and sprinkled water droplets back at me.
Laughter naturally spilled out. Just as I was about to splash more water, someone suddenly popped their head out from behind.
"You two look like you're having fun."
It was Jean. Recognizing the opponent, Victor fiercely scowled.
"Get lost."
"Victor!"
No matter what, to treat his own knight like this! As I was about to scold him in surprise, Victor closed his mouth in displeasure. Jean grinned.
"Now I understand why they thought you two were a couple who eloped."
"Did they really say that?"
I looked at the mercenaries with resentment.
Jean became close to most of the mercenaries really quickly. It was natural since he knew the mercenary company rules well and always walked around smiling with that handsome face. So Jean found out everything before we could even say anything, from our fake names Lynx and Dog, to the fact that Victor was treated like a fussy young master. Because of that, Victor became even more sullen.
Jean said with a smile.
"I won't disturb you, so don't worry. I just came to deliver the watch schedule. They said half of the total personnel will stand watch starting today, so they told you to sleep in between."
"Half?"
I frowned.
Why are so many people standing watch? A watch was normally just for standing guard adequately, so having about a quarter of the party do it was the standard. What reason was there to force half of them to stay awake?
Seeing my expression, Jean tilted his head with a smiling face.
"It's your two's first time in the Wasteland, right?"
"Yes."
"Then you'll soon find out. There are things in the Wasteland more troublesome than monsters."
Jean looked around the wilderness, which only had rocks and dry thornbushes, and muttered.
"Seeing as no monsters are appearing, it'll be soon. See you in the evening."
Jean smiled at us once more and moved away.
What is it?
Frowning, we looked at each other and followed him to the camp.
The camp was set up in the ruins next to the oasis.
As soon as the sun set, the temperature dropped rapidly, and the mercenaries gathered around the campfire. The cooking duty crew baked bread while blocking the sandstorm with cloth. I sat by the fire and watched the thin bread baking.
Actually, the Wasteland journey wasn't as hard as I had expected. To be precise, it just felt exactly the same as the trips I had taken before. My first trip to the Empire, which was harder on the mind than the body; the journey to Mort where I worried about Victor's illness; the subjugation army where I fought monsters every day. Compared to those, this journey was almost like child's play. There were some quarrels, but our identities weren't discovered, and the heat and cold were somehow bearable.
Of course, there were many days I couldn't sleep because I was worried about Amari, but having Victor by my side helped me endure that too.
What is the knight worried about?
"Lynx, take it."
Mirage handed me some bread.
"Thank you."
I gave a small bow of thanks and put the bread in my mouth.
Unleavened bread that didn't puff up and didn't spoil for a long time was hard to eat on its own, but paired with boiled soup and cheese, it was quite palatable. Victor probably wouldn't agree, though.
Anyway, across from me, Mirage and Jean were sitting side by side eating.
Mirage was still glancing at Jean with a very uncomfortable face. Even though he freely called the actually more terrifying Victor whatever he wanted. Wouldn't he faint if he knew who he was?
As I was secretly laughing, a sharp wind sound rang out from afar.
—It wasn't just a simple wind sound.
'An arrow?!'
"Dodge!"
I shouted and ducked my head.
I saw Jean grabbing Mirage next to him and rolling to the ground. The mercenaries also threw down their bowls and grabbed their shields or went under the rock walls.
I immediately drew my sword and deflected all the arrows flying toward us.
When I raised my head, Victor had also already drawn his sword and was deflecting the arrows flying from the opposite side.
Soon, the sound of swords being drawn and a battle cry were heard from afar.
Mirage, who was still pinned under Jean, shouted.
"Ugh, why does it always happen when we're eating!"
"What, what is this?"
"Can't you see? Desert bandits!"
Bandits?
I blinked in sheer panic.
Jean explained.
"They are people who stay in the Wasteland and prey on travelers. Usually, they are guys who committed crimes in mercenary companies and were kicked out, so they attack other mercenaries to survive."
"Especially since we're King Yazi's direct subordinates, they hate us even more, damn it!"
Mirage rolled over and stood up. Jean also drew his sword and ran out.
But I couldn't easily move. It was my first time experiencing a situation where people attacked each other, even though I had risked my life fighting monsters every day.
People, telling me to cut people. Was I supposed to attack them? With the resolve to kill?
Victor urgently grabbed and released my wrist, which had gone rigid.
"Stay here."
He whispered and ran out, leaving us behind.
Soon, a flash of light gleamed.
It had been a while since I properly saw Victor's sword. Even though he was hiding his skills and mingling with the mercenaries, his sword was still on a different level. Especially the Mort knight swordsmanship, which was specialized for fighting humans, sliced through the bandits. It wasn't lethal, but it was definitely a critical wound.
Jean next to him was even more so. His skill itself was similar to Leonard, but his sword, frolicking as if having fun, terrifyingly targeted only vital points.
I watched that scene with a pale face. My heart kept pounding.
Then, the enemies rushed at me.
"Lynx, what are you doing! Snap out of it!"
Mirage reached out from beside me. At his magic, the bandits noticeably slowed down. I quickly came to my senses and knocked them out with the flat of my blade. Mirage complained looking at the rolling bandits.
"Why didn't you just cut them down, why spare them?"
"...I'm not used to cutting people."
"Really?"
The mage turned around immediately without asking more.
—Thus, the clashing of swords that continued for a long time only stopped when the moon emerged from behind the clouds.
The mercenaries shouted to each other checking on everyone.
"Hey! Is everyone safe? Anyone hurt?"
"Yeah! The soup spilled, though."
"Why did you spill that?! Do you want to die?"
It was a carefree tone, as if they were used to it.
I stood blankly without even fixing my tangled hair.
Fortunately, there were no severe injuries. The vigilance was strict, and the number of enemies who attacked was smaller than us to begin with.
But that wasn't the issue...
Victor ran over in a flash.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, what about you?"
"I'm fine. What I'm worried about is..."
Victor clamped his lips shut. I lowered my head.
He now knew about me. It was no exaggeration to say he was the person who knew me best in Mort, no, in the Empire. He couldn't possibly not know that I lived believing, like a religion, that one must never point a sword at a person.
I forced a smile at him.
"It's okay."
"...It's a relief if so, but."
"Is Sir Jean okay?"
"Yes."
Jean, who came with Victor, sheathed his sword. Unlike Victor and me, he really looked completely fine. He said.
"There are more of these kinds of people in the Wasteland than monsters. They are even more persistent than monsters. Last time I came, they kept chasing me until I eventually had to kill them."
"..."
"You'll get used to it."
The knight declared. I shut my mouth tightly and returned to the tent.
That night, I didn't sleep a wink.
❖ ❖ ❖
The next day, I got on my horse in extreme fatigue.
My sleep time had decreased since I set out on the journey, but this was the first time I couldn't sleep at all. The dilemma I faced for the first time, whether to swing my sword or not, wouldn't fade. Even though it was a sword that had never hesitated even once.
I dozed off on my horse, and after nearly falling off once, I was forcibly moved to the supply wagon by Victor. But proper sleep still didn't come.
"Get some sleep, Lynx."
"I'm fine."
"You always say you're fine."
Mirage grumbled. Next to him, Jean smiled benevolently.
"Are you two bored? Shall I tell you stories from when I used to travel?"
Mirage immediately looked at Jean warily.
"What kind of stories?"
"Stories about famous knights, swordsmen, or mages. Or stories about my duels..."
"Ugh... I guess so. Go ahead and try."
"Yes, understood."
Jean smiled and nodded.
Mirage already looked a bit exhausted, but I pricked up my ears, intrigued. Stories about strong swordsmen were always the most entertaining.
Jean slowly began his story.
"I wandered for years and had truly many duels. I crossed blades with the Mort knights, who are now my comrades, several times. Inflicting and receiving injuries."
Tsk.
I heard Victor click his tongue softly. I felt like I understood why he disliked Jean.
But Jean continued speaking nonchalantly.
"Out of all those many people, the first one I sought out was Amhel of Anheiser, who was famous as the greatest swordsman in the west."
"What? I've never heard of him?"
"You probably wouldn't know. He wasn't that famous, after all. And for good reason..."
"That bastard is a fraud."
Victor blurted out curtly. Jean chuckled.
"That's right. He was the son of a marquis, and he bragged about being a genius swordsman since he was young. But when I saw him in person, he wasn't at all. Even his stance was completely off."
"So you didn't even duel him?"
"No. I was going to refuse, but I did it anyway."
"Why?"
Jean smiled a dangerously bright smile.
"He said he would send someone to our house. He said he liked my face and wanted to make my sister his mistress."
"Ugh, nobles are all the same."
Mirage made an expression of undisguised contempt. Jean concluded with a smile.
"Because I won the duel then, that guy's honor fell to the ground, and I was chased out of the west and became a wanderer."
I see. I finally understood why Jean had wandered for years.
Actually, it wasn't common for a knight to leave their territory and wander. Knights were vital military force for a lord one by one, so they even had their families live on the territory. Knights who wandered around with their lord's permission, like 'Wandering Knight Doldophin,' were practically nonexistent.
But if he was chased out of his hometown, it all made sense. As Mirage nodded, he suddenly asked Victor.
"But how did Dog know that guy was a fraud?"
"Because I went hunting with him once. He was absurdly weak."
"He must have been a really high-ranking noble. Going hunting with a marquis's son."
"Well, yeah."
Victor admitted readily.
As it became certain the mercenaries couldn't recognize him, he was mingling with them more and more naturally. He seemed to be enjoying the situation where no one knew him and even took care of him.
To these mercenaries, Victor was just a fussy young master who could use a sword decently. So foolish that he eloped with his own knight. Because of that, even Mirage, who normally hated nobles, accepted him without resistance.
It was a strange thing. The two, who would normally never be able to get close, were gradually becoming friends.
The conversation continued for a while longer.
Jean told us about the people he met on his way down to the Southern Kingdom. The Empire's south that he described sounded incredibly beautiful.
Come to think of it, I wonder if Katarina returned safely? She told me to visit her territory sometime...
Are Leonard and Juliana's wedding preparations going well?
Having such idle thoughts calmed my mind a bit.
I spent the rest of the journey looking at Victor's profile.
❖ ❖ ❖
Fortunately, nothing happened until the next oasis.
There was still some time before sunset, but the mercenary company decided to rest early. Everyone was tired from yesterday's battle.
After the meal, the duty crew distributed a drink made by boiling dried fruits, salt, and ground sugarcane in cool oasis water. It felt like the sand scratching my throat was being washed away.
I leaned against Victor's shoulder without even minding the heat and fatigue. He stroked my hair with a satisfied look.
The mercenaries were still engrossed in Jean's stories.
"The strongest in the Southern Kingdom is, of course, the Holy Knight Snow White. The mage queen Gargantia of the Eastern Kingdom also lived up to her fame. She felt overwhelmingly intimidating just looking at her, right?"
"You're a weird guy too for seeking them out. I would just quietly avoid people like that."
The mercenaries guffawed.
Is that so? I'm actually a bit envious of Jean. Aren't knights originally people who train in martial arts to serve their lords and protect the weak? Isn't the desire to seek out and fight strong people natural?
Was there anyone among them as strong as Victor? Another mercenary immediately shattered my small curiosity.
"They both still lost to the Walking Death, didn't they?"
"Hey, if there was someone who could beat him, there would have been an uproar long ago!"
"There are still people who don't know because they haven't crossed paths yet, right? Like our King Yazi, or the Bandit King Kirgiz..."
"Stop it. We have to make sure you don't even get close to King Yazi. They say the Grand Duke of Death looks incredibly vicious? King Yazi would faint."
I tried my absolute hardest to hold back my laughter. Victor made a sullen face again and laid me on his lap. His firm hand covered my eyelids. As if telling me to just sleep quickly.
I asked quietly with a smile.
"Why are you trying to put me to sleep?"
"What's the point of listening to their nonsense?"
"But it's fun?"
Victor lightly pinched the tip of my nose.
Ouch. As I looked up at him reproachfully, he narrowed his eyes and flashed his signature smile.
"Sleep well."
It was a smile he made knowing full well I was weak to it.
How cheap. I glared at him once and closed my eyes.
Still, it felt like I could fall asleep like this. My worries, my thoughts of Amari, all chased away.
I closed my eyes and drifted into sleep.
❖ ❖ ❖
Even after Amarion fell asleep, the mercenaries' conversation continued.
Victor Mort didn't go into the tent but remained in his spot with the watch duty crew. Because Amarion was sleeping leaning against his lap.
Someone asked Jean.
"Speaking of strong people, have you ever met that famous Grand Duchess? That 'White Knight'."
The knight closed his mouth for a moment. He glanced at his lord once and nodded.
"Of course I have. She is the lady I serve."
"Really? Is she really that strong?"
"I'm sorry, I don't want to talk about my lady out in the open."
Jean skillfully evaded the question with his eyes curved beautifully. The mercenaries grumbled but didn't ask any more. Victor quietly stroked her hair, which shone almost silver.
Another mercenary said.
"Well, there are rumors she's from the Kingdom. If she's a Kingdom knight by any chance, it makes sense that she's that strong."
"That's true. Especially the ones living in the north, they're all monsters, right? They say kids there hunt direwolves from the age of five."
"Right, isn't the Bandit King Kirgiz from there too?"
"Yeah. And..."
Mirage added quietly.
"She is also a northerner. 'Amarion of Amari.'"
At the mage's words, the mercenaries fell silent for a moment.
The Grand Duke imperceptibly furrowed his brow. Why did her former name come up here?
But the mercenaries' expressions were hard to read. They had faces that seemed awed, sorrowful, and strangely lost in thought. Quiet voices were exchanged.
"...Right, she was there too."
"Isn't this a bit too vulgar a place to talk about her?"
"What, man? We talked about King Yazi just fine."
The mercenaries giggled.
Victor Mort couldn't hold back and asked.
"Who is that you're talking about?"
The mercenaries looked back at him. The answer was ambiguous.
"The Sword of the North, the Bulwark of Humanity, the Hero of Mercenaries."
"If you only explain it like that, how would Dog know? Look."
Mirage stepped in instead. The young mage drew a line on the sand with a stick.
"You know that every winter, 'Archetype' monsters come down from the Black Mountains in packs, right? That's called a Monster Wave."
"Yeah."
"If you leave that alone, not only the Northern and Eastern Kingdoms but the whole continent will be in ruins. So the Imperial Emperor made a pact with Mercenary King Yazi. To unconditionally send mercenaries to the north every winter. Well, the lord of that region pays for it, obviously. Anyway, there's no right to refuse."
Mirage let out a short sigh.
"But the northern monsters are truly on a different level, so even guys with decent skills had an eighty percent death rate if they went there. So only guys with really no money and no future went there to die."
"..."
"But when a new heir appeared in Amari, everything changed."
Victor fell silent.
In the desert without even insect sounds, the mercenary's words sounded exceptionally clear.
"Amarion is a knight. An impeccably strong and righteous knight. She never let a single person die. Even if it looked a little dangerous, she would jump in alone, and she always came back alive."
"Haven't you seen her in person?"
"Unfortunately, no. She isn't wealthy enough to hire our mercenary company."
Mirage smiled bitterly.
"Anyway, since she turned seventeen, every mercenary who went to Amari came back alive. Roughly counting, she saved hundreds, if not thousands of mercenaries. Never leaving her hometown, practically single-handedly holding back all those monsters sweeping across the continent."
"..."
"What else can you call a person who carries such a burden for their entire life? A hero."
Mirage gulped down the remaining cactus juice.
Victor quietly looked around. The mercenaries each held wooden cups, watching the sparks crackling in the campfire.
After a brief silence, someone spoke.
"...If she fought the Walking Death, who would win?"
"You, geez, do you have to say that in this atmosphere?!"
"I'm just curious!"
"Amarion doesn't fight people, you idiot!"
The area around the campfire quickly became noisy again.
Across from them, Jean kept his mouth shut. It was certain he knew this story too. It was only natural, since he was the one who told her that the strongest knight in the Kingdom was a woman.
Victor lowered his gaze.
Amarion was sleeping peacefully on his lap. As if having a good dream, drawing a faint arc with her soft lips. Her skin had roughened and her long hair was tangled, but she was a lovelier wife than anyone else. My own, whom I wanted to hide away from everyone without anyone knowing.
But the more he knew her, the more noble she was, and her greatness was impossible to hide. Her own actions, the very fact that she had come this far, proved that nobility.
But.
The Grand Duke stroked her hair and whispered.
"I need you too."
And once more, he repeated softly.
"I still need you too."
At that moment, the sound of a bowstring being drawn was heard.
❖ ❖ ❖
When I woke up, the camp was completely messed up.
"...What in the world?"
I hurriedly sat up. The blanket covering me slid off.
I frantically looked around. The sun was just rising, and Victor was sitting next to me with an exhausted face.
"You're awake?"
"Victor, what is all this?"
"There was another attack at dawn."
Jean answered instead. He also showed clear signs of fatigue. With his hair roughly tied back, he said.
"The desert bandits from yesterday swarmed in and shot arrows. They knew they were outnumbered, so they didn't charge in..."
"Even just attacking at night is exhausting for us on the receiving end. That's why they do it on purpose."
Mirage sighed. It was a malice that only humans could show, which monsters couldn't imitate. The mage, applying ointment to his bruised arm, said.
"No one was seriously hurt, but the watch crew had a hard time."
"You should have woken me up too."
"Don't even say that. Dog made such a huge fuss about not waking you up."
I tilted my eyebrows and looked at Victor.
To think he fought alone without even waking me when something like that happened.
But I felt like I understood his feelings, so I just bit my lip silently. I had slept deeply for the first time in a very long time yesterday.
Victor, who brushed the sand off his sleeve, asked Mirage.
"How do we resolve guys like that?"
"Usually, we hunt them down and crush them, but... I don't know. Right now, the captain's seat is empty. It's not a situation where we can rashly start anything."
The mage sighed.
I clenched my lips tight. I recalled Jean's story that the bandits following him only fell off after he killed them.
People fight and kill each other. It wasn't that I couldn't understand why wars happened. Didn't Victor and the many heroes we talked about during the day become heroes by cutting people down?
But being placed in such a situation myself felt completely different. I couldn't curse loudly and kill enemies like the other mercenaries. It was something that directly pierced my lifelong belief of protecting all people.
But seeing Victor look so exhausted like this.
"Marion."
Victor reached out his hand to me. Unable to decide anything, I just held his hand.
My fingertips were cold from the chilly sandstorm.
❖ ❖ ❖
Miserably, the midnight raids became a daily occurrence. These bandits were even more persistent than I thought, keeping their distance and following us while shooting arrows every night.
They seemed to use the supplies the mercenaries had stockpiled at the oases. It was even harder because they were former mercenaries with a grudge against the Mercenary King.
Naturally, the mercenaries grew tired over time. Still, at first, they laughed while listening to Jean and Mirage's conversations, but that gradually became harder too. Mirage lay down often because he used too much magic, and Jean was also selected for the patrol squad and went out to guard the perimeter.
Meanwhile, Victor never left my side for even a moment. It was because I kept suffering from insomnia.
An unidentifiable tension and worry about Amari alternately surfaced, so I couldn't fall into a deep sleep. Even if I did fall asleep for a bit, the bandits would attack soon after, and I'd wake up again. Even with Victor beside me, it was the same that I couldn't sleep. Difficult days passed by.
Then one day, Longlegs and Shorty returned.
"What's that! Who's that hottie?! Did you bring him for me?"
As soon as Longlegs arrived, she shouted. Her hand was pointing at Jean. Shorty kicked Longlegs's leg with a thud.
"Watch your mouth, you brainless idiot."
"What did I do!"
"Everyone's not in good shape, do you want to make it worse? There are even injured people now."
She said in a somewhat cold tone. Longlegs's eyes scanned the mercenaries seriously. Her sharp gaze slowly surveyed the torn tents and exhausted horses. Then she crossed her arms.
"It's more miraculous that it isn't sorted out yet. Why didn't you just find them and kill them all?"
Her gaze swept past here. As if speaking to me and Victor, who was currently out on patrol.
Jean asked in a hushed voice.
"Does she know your identities?"
"Yes. Those two are the ones who put us into this mercenary company."
"I see."
Jean nodded. The face that looked faint-inducingly beautiful when I first saw it now felt a bit more bearable to look at. Was it because I got used to it? Considering Victor still hasn't gotten used to him after over half a year, it was a strange thing.
Jean sat down next to me soon after. He said casually.
"It's understandable they'd think that way. If you two stepped up, it would have been over quickly."
"...Mercenaries don't initiate combat when the captain isn't around."
"But you two are guests. You didn't have to be bound by the mercenary company's rules."
The knight pointed out.
"Why do you hesitate?"
I silently turned my gaze away.
The golden desert was hot. On the endless horizon, heat haze boiled up, and the Black Mountains loomed threateningly.
Looking back at Jean, though it was a bit strange, the knight who loved swords more than anyone was seriously waiting for my answer.
So I honestly confessed.
"I don't want to cut people."
"Even if the opponent is evil?"
"Yes. ...To me, they are all just weak people."
I clenched my lips tightly.
I thought there would be mountains of strong knights when I came out to the continent. I was a country swordsman raised in the frontier, so I didn't even have the chance to cross swords with many strong people like Jean.
But.
"There are surprisingly many weak people in the world. Even the famous knights and mercenaries, and probably even that bandit gang, I suppose. And I learned that a knight must cherish and love those weaker than themselves. I fought my whole life for people."
"..."
"That's why I don't want to harm even people with malicious intent."
Jean didn't speak for a while. His pinkish eyes stared at me intently.
After a brief silence, he assessed without holding back.
"So there are people who live by chivalry to this extent."
"..."
"But my lady, human malice is almost always more dangerous than monsters. They will pass by you and get their hands on those weaker than you and crush them."
Jean looked down at his palm expressionlessly. It was strangely sad to see the expression wipe away from his dazzlingly beautiful face that always wore a smile. He slowly raised his head.
"My younger sister died because of that."
"Pardon?"
"The son of the marquis who ordered her to be his mistress felt humiliated that a commoner's daughter refused his advances after he lost the duel to me. So he accused her of being a witch and had her hanged."
I looked at Jean with wide eyes. Jean continued speaking slowly.
"So I sneaked into his bedroom and cut his throat. It's publicly known as the work of an unknown assailant, but the high-ranking nobles of the west all know I did it. His Grace the Grand Duke probably knows too."
"Jean..."
"Even so, he accepted me. Because he knows how terrifying human malice can be. Well, I do get scolded all the time for injuring his knights, though."
Jean smiled faintly. His twinkling eyes turned to me.
"Compromise sometimes, my lady. I'm afraid you might lose something precious."
I quietly lowered my head. I felt like I understood what his words meant.
I was a knight, and I had lived my whole life pitying all weak people. I always fought monsters, so that was fine.
But this place was different. It was a land where people harmed people. If I didn't swing my sword, those people would harm those around me. Victor too, would have to cross the desert constantly exhausted.
I closed my eyes tightly. I still really hated cutting people, but.
To properly protect what was mine, I had to learn to cut down the wicked even among the weak.
❖ ❖ ❖
Longlegs took all the veteran mercenaries into a meeting. Then they finally made a decision. That we should take the initiative and hunt down the bandits to wipe them out. Since the destination, the 'Nameless Village', was close, it was a plan to clean them up for the sake of other mercenaries passing through that place.
Everyone was tired, but taking the offensive side brought a bit more energy. Mirage lightly pulled the reins.
"It's for the best, I was getting annoyed at not being able to sleep because of those small fry."
"I'm a bit worried. If their numbers are larger than we thought, we'll have to fight a war in the middle of the desert, right?"
"You're the one who decided it, why are you backtracking now?"
When Mirage narrowed his eyes, Longlegs giggled. I still couldn't believe it and muttered softly.
"To think Longlegs was the captain..."
"Hey, why do you keep not believing me? Do I really not look like a captain?"
"It's not that I don't believe you, if you weren't the captain, we couldn't have started such a large-scale patrol operation in the first place. I just..."
If she was the captain of the Mercenary King's direct mercenary company, I thought she'd have a bit more presence of dignity.
I looked blankly at the giggling Longlegs. She was stronger than anyone else in this mercenary company at a glance, but she definitely gave off a light impression. Even now. Didn't she butt into our reconnaissance group just because Jean was in our party?
I scratched my cheek and drove my horse to scout the area behind the oasis.
Right now, we were scouting around nearby oases as part of 'catching bandits'. Since there weren't many places to camp in the Wasteland, it was calculated that they would definitely stay at a nearby oasis.
Our reconnaissance group consisted of about 10 people, including Longlegs, Mirage, me, Victor, and Jean. Because we had strong combat power clustered together, we moved separately at the very front.
We were enthusiastic, but honestly, we were extremely tired. It was only natural since our already insufficient sleep was being disrupted by the bandits every night.
Victor whispered with a worried face.
"If you're tired, go back first."
"I'm fine."
"I know you're not fine. Do you think I don't know how you feel when you can't sleep?"
He regretfully stroked my cheek. I squeezed my eyes shut.
I didn't want to be a burden to the others. I also didn't want to make someone else take risks for me.
I pulled his hand down and asked the mercenaries searching the oasis.
"Is there anything over there?"
Mirage answered.
"Nothing! It looks like these guys have already moved."
"Wow, they're really elusive."
"Still, seeing as there are no monsters at all, it seems like they are nearby."
Longlegs guessed.
Is that so? They moved?
I frowned and carefully surveyed the surroundings. The footprints had already been swept away by the desert sandstorm, but I kept feeling a presence. My ears and nose had become dulled from fatigue, so I wasn't certain, but.
It was then.
"!"
A rattling sound came from afar, and immediately after, arrows flew.
"Uwah!"
The mercenaries ducked in surprise.
Just as I quickly swung my scabbard to deflect the arrows, people in familiar outfits rushed over the sand dune. It was the desert bandit gang, the culprits who had tormented us for days.
The swarming bandits instantly surrounded us. They were fewer in number than the entire mercenary company, but clearly outnumbered our current group. Amidst the threatening stamping of hooves, the man who seemed to be the bandits' leader smirked.
"You walked right into it, idiots."
I suppressed my surging annoyance and looked at the large man and the bandits. It was even more annoying than when I saw thugs committing fraud in Mort.
To torment people in such a cowardly way. Weren't they cowards who didn't even have the courage to fight head-on? And to surround the smaller reconnaissance group and strut around proudly...
While I bit my lip in fatigue and distress, the other mercenaries also all drew their weapons. Longlegs grabbed her spear and asked with murderous intent.
"Did you mess with our kids?"
The leader asked back.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Longlegs, captain of 'Troll's Right Calf'."
"A kid like you is the captain?"
The leader burst into laughter. Longlegs snorted, then said in a thuggish tone.
"Stop while I'm saying it nicely, huh? If you don't want to get cut."
"What are you saying. Are you going to take us on with those numbers?"
The leader smiled viciously. Just when I thought he was moving slowly, he suddenly raised his right arm at a fast speed.
—What was attached to that arm was an iron crossbow.
Before I could even react, an arrow flew.
"No!"
Someone screamed.
Everything seemed to move slowly. My body, exhausted from fatigue, couldn't properly react to the crossbow, which was faster than a normal arrow, and the iron bolt flew right past me.
Then, it struck Mirage, who was next to me.
"...!"
"Sir Mirage!"
Jean rushed forward and barely caught Mirage as he fell off his horse. I looked at the scene with a pale face.
Fortunately, he didn't hit the ground, but the fallen Mirage let out a painful groan and trembled.
"It hurts... damn it..."
"Don't talk, you idiot!"
The mercenaries ran over and checked the wound. Blood poured out terrifyingly from the shoulder pierced by the bolt. I thought with a dazed head.
They deliberately shot the one who looked the weakest. If you get hit by an arrow in a place this hot, someone with low stamina would definitely die.
My chest suddenly turned cold. Jean's words, which I hadn't fully taken to heart yet, and Victor's hatred, became instantly understandable. Why he hated people so much too.
Monsters don't do things like that. I glared at the leader with bloodshot eyes. The leader snickered.
"What, are you going to do something about it?"
"Yeah."
I put my hand on my sword handle. In one step, I could take that life. Taking the life of someone who preys on the weak was definitely a knight's dishonor,
But still I.
At that moment, Victor blocked my path.
"Marion."
He approached and whispered softly.
"Let me do it."
"Victor, I."
"It's not your fault."
Victor spoke as if he had read my very soul. He quietly made me sheathe my sword. My husband looked at the enemies with the calm eyes of a Grand Duke on the battlefield.
"Humans are different from monsters; their actions can't be predicted. It's utterly impossible for someone as noble as you to deal with them."
"Victor."
"I understand your resolve, but you don't necessarily have to completely change your conviction."
I'll do this kind of thing.
Victor spat out and leaped off his horse. Then he calmly drew his sword.
In the desert where sand dust swirled, he approached the leader and said.
"I am Victor of Mort. I challenge you to a duel."
For a moment, the oasis fell into a thunderous silence. Both the mercenaries and the desert bandits seemed to be trying to comprehend what they had just heard.
And a moment later, a roar of laughter erupted from the bandits' side.
"What? Victor of Mort? Victor Mort?! This guy's completely crazy! If you're the Grand Duke of Death, then I'm the Emperor!"
The leader laughed, holding his stomach as if he had heard the greatest nonsense in the world.
But Victor had not the slightest disturbance. With an almost elegant posture, he stood holding his sword.
I watched the scene with wide eyes. As a knight, I couldn't hide my admiration.
Everything was different from before. An overwhelming atmosphere unlike when he stood loosely holding his sword, an endlessly perfect gaze. It was exactly the appearance of the Grand Duke of Mort that I knew.
I looked around at the mercenaries. Not only Jean, but even Longlegs and the other mercenaries were looking at him as if bewitched. It was a change that anyone who made a living from combat couldn't help but notice. The most shocked among them was the injured Mirage lying down. Even while pressing his shoulder with cloth to stop the bleeding, the mage had his eyes wide as saucers as he stared at Victor.
But the leader, busy despising his enemy, didn't notice the difference. The large man drew a massive kukri knife.
"Fine, whatever! Give it a try!"
He smiled creepily and stepped forward.
Victor brought his sword to his chest and took a knight's salute.
And the next moment,
"Huh?"
A dumbfounded sound slipped out.
I had talked about that with Victor before. Actually, the most difficult part of a spar is not cutting the opponent. To keep the opponent from getting hurt, the things you have to pay attention to increase by tens of times.
However, if it's a situation where you can cut, a knight's sword becomes a more terrifying凶术 than anything else.
"...!"
The situation I was seeing right now was exactly that. The duel, which wasn't a duel, ended in a single strike. With his abdomen slashed sharply. It was clearly a fatal wound to anyone.
The leader collapsed without even making a sound.
"U-uh?"
"Aaaagh!"
The bandits, who had been hesitating, belatedly screamed. Victor's expression wasn't visible from here, but whatever face he was making, it was bound to be terrifyingly scary to them.
Victor casually touched the tip of his sword to the ground. As a drop of blood splattered onto the sandy floor, they gasped even more. Ugh, uh. The ones making dumbfounded sounds hastily picked up their fallen leader and ran away as fast as they could.
Despite being so weak.
I waited for Victor with a mix of satisfaction and unpleasant regret.
My husband, who sheathed his sword, slowly walked back to me. I looked up at him and said only one thing.
"...Thank you."
"Yeah."
He smiled. It was a smile that was nothing but gentle, despite the blood splattered on his cheek. At that smile, the mercenaries flinched and shuddered.
Oh, no.
I blinked and looked back at them. Longlegs scratched the back of her head.
"You're totally busted. It seems you were hiding it well before I arrived."
"A-are you really... the Grand Duke of Mort...?"
One mercenary asked awkwardly. He was the same one who had been teasing Victor just a while ago, calling him a young master no matter what expression he made.
Victor shrugged.
"You heard it earlier."
Another mercenary, who had been nagging me about where we'd set up our newlywed home, said with a dumbfounded face.
"No... you could have told us..."
"Since when have you guys been polite to nobles?"
"Hey, he's not just some noble! Do you think we're as reckless as you?"
At Longlegs' words, the mercenaries grimaced and shouted. Jean laughed as if it had nothing to do with him. As he moved after applying the tourniquet, Mirage let out a groan of pain.
Oops. Only then did we come to our senses and hastily loaded Mirage onto the horse saddle. The bleeding stopped with the swift tourniquet, but his consciousness still looked hazy.
"Please hold on just a bit longer."
At my urgent words, the mage opened his swimming eyes, looked at Victor, and asked.
"...If you're the Grand Duke of Death... why didn't you kill me? Even though you hate mages that much."
Victor was silent for a moment before answering.
"For the same reason I cut that worthless bastard just now."
His gaze lingered on me for a moment before dropping.
We hurried out of the oasis.
❖ ❖ ❖
As soon as we returned, the mercenary company turned upside down.
While Longlegs explained the situation, the others moved Mirage to a tent. Fortunately, medical supplies were fully stocked. After washing the wound with water, they applied a hemostatic ointment to the spot where the arrow had been pulled out. When the bandage was wrapped tightly, Mirage's expression also eased considerably.
"Ugh, I think I'll live."
"You talk like you're walking into a bathhouse."
The mercenaries guarding the tent scolded the mage. Then they smiled brightly and slapped Victor's back one after another.
"Thanks for bringing him back anyway, Dog! You're reliable, huh?"
Victor swayed weakly. Mirage's face crumpled. It was an expression like he desperately wanted to say something but couldn't.
I smiled quietly.
The mercenaries who went out with us promised not to tell anyone about our identities. They knew all too well, as an intelligence unit, how it would look if it became widely known that the Grand Duke and Duchess of Mort had secretly crossed the border—though the mercenaries reacted as if they were scared to death at that part.
Since no one would believe the words of those thieves anyway, it was fine if they just kept their mouths shut. They also said they didn't want to put us, whom they had traveled with for a long time, in a difficult spot.
It was a grateful thing. Of course, their attitude became much more awkward compared to before, but at least until we left, no one would tell anyone, so it was fine.
Anyway, we hurriedly set off again. To get to the 'Nameless Village' as quickly as possible.
We laid the injured Mirage in the back of the supply wagon, and I, Victor, and Jean surrounded the wagon. Even though he wasn't hurt, Mirage, who was lying looking at the ceiling, kept prattling on.
"Thinking about it now, it all makes sense. A guy who was doing perfectly fine as a knight coming out to the Wasteland with prisoners, and Lynx and Dog constantly hiding their faces. ...No, then did you pretend not to know about the Grand Duchess on purpose that time?"
"Well, something like that."
"It was just all lies, huh?"
The mage tried to sit up in a huff, but groaned in pain and lay back down.
I tried to soothe him while sweating buckets. This mage, who was cheerful but secretly quite petty, was dozens of times harder to soothe than Mary.
Victor scoffed.
"Didn't you say you were scared of me before? You don't look like it at all."
"Everyone on the continent fears you."
Mirage added sullenly.
"If only you weren't so picky at meals, you would have looked a bit scarier."
Victor clamped his mouth shut.
I couldn't hold back my laughter and quickly turned my head away. Even out in the desert, Victor only ate what he wanted to eat, so Mirage had been desperate to feed him proper food.
The mage shook his head.
"But really, why are you so extremely picky? Weren't you on the battlefield for years?"
"Even then, the chefs suffered a lot to cook meals to suit His Grace's taste."
"Jean."
Victor glared at the knight. But the mage burst into laughter.
"Your subordinates must have spoiled you rotten."
"You could say that."
"Jean!"
Victor's voice became even more threatening. But the handsome knight just smiled cheerfully without caring.
How can he be so fearless, even Kaltz is intimidated by Victor.
'Is it because he's been through so many rough things?'
As I was thinking, Victor asked me.
"Aren't you tired?"
"I'm fine. You said we'll arrive at the village by this evening, right?"
Hearing that the Mercenary King's residence, the 'Nameless Village', was right before our noses, the mercenaries were highly excited, even with a patient on board. Even the injured Mirage looked quite buoyant.
Is it that great? Seeing me tilt my head, Mirage smiled brightly.
"That place is truly a fantastic place. A village that seems like it came right out of a dream."
"?"
"That's no lie. There's no place like it anywhere on the continent."
Jean smiled and added.
How great is it?
Driven by curiosity, I looked at the horizon and spurred my horse.
❖ ❖ ❖
And so, we arrived at the 'Nameless Village'. The mercenaries said noisily.
"Welcome to the hometown of mercenaries!"
I opened my eyes wide and looked at the village unfolding before me.
The Nameless Village was more of a city than a village. A dreamlike city built of sand-colored stone right in the middle of the desert.
Giant palm trees adorned the city everywhere, and mercenaries from various countries walked around noisily. At the oasis fountain in the middle of the square, wandering musicians performed, and dancers in colorful clothes danced. Merchants loudly sold things I couldn't even recognize. Clothes, languages, colorful fabrics, and buildings from all over the world were mixed together haphazardly.
I looked at the amazing scenery in a daze. Even for someone with narrow experience like me, I could feel that the city was incredible just by its existence.
How did they build a village like this? On a land where even life couldn't survive.
Longlegs said proudly.
"This is King Yazi's greatness. If he wishes, we all gather and make it happen."
I nodded, overwhelmed. It was a story I had heard like a legend from the mercenaries coming to Amari, but seeing it in person, I couldn't help but marvel. Even the Emperor wouldn't be able to gather such a diverse group of people in one place.
Victor asked.
"Where is the clinic?"
"Right, that's the most urgent priority."
We quickly crossed the street. Soon, a large clinic sign appeared before us. True to a village of mercenaries, it was quite a large building. We led the wagon Mirage was riding and entered the clinic.
The clinic was practically a marketplace. Injured mercenaries and healers were running around shouting at the top of their lungs. But their skills in administering first aid and giving medicine were all exceptionally experienced.
After explaining what happened and not long after, a healer came out.
"Huh, why did you bring him all the way here for something like this? You've already done the urgent first aid."
"At first, it was really serious!"
"Whatever, take him back to the inn and feed him well. Once his stamina recovers, he'll get up."
Mirage groaned as he lay down.
"I told you I'm fine."
"You were half-dead, what's with all the talk?"
Longlegs smacked Mirage's shoulder with a thud. It was a punch that was likely far more painful than the wound from the bandit. We took the angry Mirage and headed to our lodgings.
❖ ❖ ❖
The inn that the 'Troll's Right Calf Mercenary Company' always visited wasn't far from the clinic. I couldn't hide my admiration and said.
"This is bigger than I expected."
"Of course! Otherwise, how would all these mercenaries fit? How is it, cool, right?"
I opened my eyes wide and nodded.
The building, built in a unique architectural style I had never seen before, was circular, and a strangely large, black tree planted in the center served as a pillar. It was a circular structure with guest rooms on each floor surrounding the giant tree.
"That's a tree from the Eastern Kingdom."
Victor said with a face as surprised as I was.
"Its roots are deep, so it survives well even in the wilderness. Building the floors up around it in a circle is the Southern Empire style... It's amazing."
"This place is all like that. Everyone just builds buildings however they want."
Longlegs giggled.
I wanted to look around more, but the patient's presence still weighed on my mind. We took the mage to the guest room with the mercenaries. Shorty stayed to nurse him, and we went into our own guest rooms.
As soon as I entered the room, my tension completely melted away.
I had arrived, at the midpoint of the journey.
It was unbelievable that I had spent almost a week on a desert I had never even been to before. Even sleeping poorly on top of that. I shook off my sand-filled shoes and cloak, and took a short bath in the bathroom. It felt like I came back to life finally soaking my body and washing up.
Soon, Victor, who had washed and changed clothes, came into my room. I lay down and stretched my limbs out on the soft bed.
"I feel sleepy for some reason."
At my words, he smiled and sat beside me.
"It's probably because your tension eased."
"That's also true, but just, I feel like I can sleep now."
Victor looked down at me quietly.
I said with no eloquence whatsoever.
"I kept feeling suffocated thinking about what might have happened to Amari, but still, knowing that you will always be with me makes everything okay."
I looked up at the ceiling.
Was the worry I had always doing gone? If I said that, it wasn't true. The north was a land where even short news didn't leak out, so I hadn't heard any stories for as long as we traveled. So I was afraid. Afraid the rumors were true. Afraid my land had silently disappeared. Those thoughts had weighed me down throughout the journey.
But thinking that Victor would be by my side somehow reassured me.
It was reassuring because he was stronger than me, and having someone who could take my place in a duel, my only true companion being with me was good. Probably, for the rest of my life.
Victor quietly stroked my hair.
"Yeah. I'll stay with you. ...Because I don't want to give you back."
He said something incomprehensible and lay down next to me.
I mumbled softly, half-asleep.
"I think I know why you like me so much..."
Victor's hand carefully lifted my flowing hair. I continued speaking with half-closed eyes.
"Being able to put me to sleep is truly a precious skill..."
A small laugh sounded.
Victor kissed my forehead.
A deep slumber washed over me.
"Have good dreams."
With that whisper as the last thing I heard, I fell into a truly deep sleep for the first time since setting out on this journey.
❖ ❖ ❖
When I opened my eyes, it was already night. Outside the window where the sun had set, people were laughing and chatting, enthusiastically enjoying the desert night. I stared at Victor, who was sleeping beside me, for a long time.
He's handsome...
His firm shoulders, long eyelashes, and skin slightly tanned from being out in the desert were captivating. I quickly adapted even to Jean, who was devastatingly beautiful, so I didn't know why I couldn't get used to this face.
With a red face, I carefully touched his cheek. It was warm and soft.
"You're awake."
Then, Victor spat out with his eyes still closed.
I was startled and pulled my hand away. I thought he was sleeping.
My face turned red as if I had done something embarrassing secretly. He slowly opened one eye and smiled.
"Do you like my face that much?"
Annoyed by his cheekiness, I said stiffly.
"I guess the sandstorm made it worse than before."
"What?"
He opened both eyes wide with a shocked face.
I buried my face in the pillow and trembled. As I shook my shoulders from laughing, he urgently pulled me.
"Really, really worse than before? I thought it was the face you liked..."
"No, Victor. You are always the best. My heart still flutters every time I see you."
I smiled and reassured him.
At my words, he smiled brightly as if finally relieved.
"Me too, wife."
He kissed my lips.
My heart raced at the warmth. Just as I wrapped my arms around his thick neck and was about to continue the kiss, a sound rose from my stomach.
*Gurgle.*
"..."
"..."
My face flushed burning red. I endured the embarrassment, pushed him away, and asked.
"Shall we go have dinner?"
Victor smiled and nodded. We left the room together and went down to the first floor.
"Wow..."
And surprisingly, a literal banquet was taking place on the first floor of the inn.
Countless foods and wine glasses, musicians cheerfully beating tambourines and playing violins. Servers running around frantically with trays. Amidst them, the mercenaries claimed tables and downed their drinks. Mirage, who was far away, called out to us as we stood there in surprise.
"Hey, over here!"
The mage, wrapped in bandages around his shoulder, waved his hand.
I sat next to him and asked.
"Is it okay to come down like this?"
"It's free, why wouldn't I eat? Even if my head was split open, I'd come down."
Mirage grumbled.
This is all free?
Jean, who was sitting at the same table as the mage, sipped his wine and said.
"Since the long journey is over, they're throwing a banquet specially with the mercenary company's funds. It was Captain Longlegs' order."
"Yeah. I was against it, but."
Mirage spat out sullenly.
Definitely, for someone in charge of the finances, it was a banquet at a level that would make your eyes spin. True to a typical mercenary feast, food and drinks were brought out non-stop, and it felt like half of it would be thrown away. They said mercenaries couldn't save money, and I felt like I understood why.
"I took advantage of me being sick and paid for it all. This is why mercenary guys are..."
"Still, it's been a while since you've eaten like this. I heard mages accumulate mana by eating food."
Jean smiled gently.
"You have to eat well to get stronger. Then you'll recover, and even have a duel with me."
"Are all guys as handsome as you this crazy in the head?"
"I don't know since I've never seen anyone as handsome as me."
"What kind of guy is this..."
But it was such a joyous occasion.
I set aside my worries about Amari for a while, sat among the mercenaries, laughed, and ate a lot of delicious food. The foods from other countries I had never tried before were novel and tasty. The surroundings were all the same. Drunken mercenaries surrounded the giant tree, praising each other's hard work, clinking glasses, and recounting war stories. They even sang with terrible pitch.
It was a rough but familial sense of camaraderie. Enough to remind me of my hometown.
Along with the singing, the banquet reached its climax. Mirage, who downed his ale in one gulp, asked.
"By the way, then why did you guys come all the way out here?"
"..."
"It's not even an elopement... You must have a lot of work to do as a lord. They said the 'White Knight' returned from the subjugation not that long ago."
I put down the fried chicken I was eating.
I hesitated a bit, but I felt like it was okay to tell them.
"...I came to see my hometown. Because I heard the situation in the north isn't good."
"Ah, I did hear that rumor."
The mage stroked his chin.
"That the Kingdom's northern defense line collapsed and monsters came down. But the Wasteland looked perfectly fine, right? Usually, if the north collapses, the Wasteland turns into a mess first. Isn't it a false rumor?"
"I don't know either. I haven't heard proper northern news since I departed."
"Well, in that closed-off north... It seems even people from the north have a hard time hearing news."
I closed my eyes.
"That's why I plan to go directly and check."
"I see..."
The mage suddenly fell into thought.
I looked at the suddenly quiet Mirage in wonder, and asked Jean a question.
"What will you do, sir, after we leave?"
"I plan to stay here for a while."
The knight curved his beautiful eyes.
"Going back to Mort right now would only arouse suspicion, and this place is nice to stay in."
"Yees."
"I'd like to follow you two a bit more if I could, but if I did, His Grace would truly get angry."
Victor's eyes, who was drinking his ale, narrowed. It was a literally threatening glare.
Right. Jean isn't that bad of a person either. Though injuring his fellow knights for duels is a bit much. Still, he was a loyal knight who was genuinely grateful to Victor.
Of course, the road to the north would be truly dangerous, so I had no intention of bringing the fragile Jean along.
As I was thinking and chewing on the crispy, oily sausage, Longlegs and Shorty appeared from somewhere.
"Are you enjoying your meal?"
"Yeah."
"Why are you drinking when you're injured?"
Shorty scolded Mirage. Mirage flared up in anger.
"You're pouring all the money I saved into this drinking party, you think I'm not going to drink?"
"Mercenaries are supposed to live like this! Get used to it already, mage."
"Talking to you is..."
Mirage sighed. Longlegs, who was giggling, looked back at me and Victor.
"Sorry to interrupt, but you two need to come with us for a moment."
"What is it?"
Longlegs suddenly changed her expression and answered seriously.
"King Yazi wants to meet you two."
❖ ❖ ❖
We left the chaotic banquet and followed the two mercenaries. As soon as we stepped out of the inn, the beautiful night streets of the desert city unfolded. The scent of unique spices and the sound of laughter were cheerful.
But I felt nervous for some reason. Mercenary King Yazi, that was truly a name of legend. From the mercenaries who came to my territory when I was young to now, it was a name I had heard thousands of times from countless people.
The greatest axeman on the continent, the overwhelming power that unified all mercenary organizations.
I didn't know why he wanted to see us, but it felt like meeting a hero from an old tale. Victor looked at me strangely as I unnecessarily adjusted my clothes.
"Why are you caring so much about that? He doesn't seem like someone who would judge you by your clothes."
"But he's a king, right?"
"I'm also something like a king."
He said indifferently. It seemed he wasn't interested in Yazi.
How could that be? They said he was one of the strongest people on the continent.
I let Victor's words go in one ear and diligently tucked my ragged shirt into my pants. My few clothes had been worn out from the desert journey for a long time, so I felt like I'd have to buy new clothes first when I got to the Kingdom.
"This way."
Meanwhile, Longlegs guided us to a large building.
Mercenary King Yazi's residence was right in the middle of the village. It was a tall, conspicuous building as if not even considering being attacked. There wasn't even proper security.
"King Yazi doesn't need guards."
"Now he's old, so he's not like before, but!"
Longlegs giggled, and Shorty scolded her.
With anticipation and nervousness, I opened the door and entered.
The interior was more ordinary than I thought. I thought there would be piles of gold and silver treasures or statues. The building made of warm-colored wood looked like an ordinary mercenary company headquarters with wooden tables, weapons, and documents.
We followed the guide and went upstairs. Longlegs knocked on the door.
"We've brought them, King Yazi."
"Oh, come in."
Following the voice, the door opened.
"...!"
I opened my eyes wide and looked at the person sitting at the desk.
Yazi was a woman of massive build. Her body, which must have been trained her whole life, was perfectly muscular, and true to a veteran, her face and arms were covered in scars. Her short, white hair was tied back, sticking out like a ponytail.
I was immediately overwhelmed. Just like when I first saw Victor.
I could tell just by looking that she was a great person. Even without holding a weapon, her skill was palpable.
She looked at us and stood up from her seat. Then she grinned.
"Welcome to my village. Amarion of Amari, Victor Mort."
"It is an honor to meet you, Yazi."
I couldn't contain my pounding heart and bowed. Victor still had a somewhat indifferent attitude, but I could tell he was observing a strong opponent he hadn't met in a while with his eyes. Yazi scanned us up and down and said.
"You're certainly impressive. Both of you use swords, right?"
"That's right."
"In my sixty years of life, it's the first time I've seen guys like you. Wow..."
A mercenary's greed lingered in her seasoned eyes. The Mercenary King shook her head as if truly regretful.
"If only you weren't knights, I would have made you mercenary captains. Why did you have to be born nobles?"
"Let's skip the useless talk and get to the point, okay?"
Longlegs interjected. Despite her rather cheeky tone, Yazi smiled nonchalantly.
"Ah, right. It's nothing else, I called you because I have a message to deliver. Our kids brought some news from the north."
I opened my eyes wide.
The north? Did they go to the Kingdom while we were coming here?
Shorty explained.
"Mercenaries in the Wasteland tame fast wyverns to use as mounts. Only one person can ride one, and it takes a long time to learn how to ride."
"Since the two of us know how to ride, we dropped you guys off at the mercenary company and flew there and back."
Longlegs took over.
Yazi smiled.
"We don't work unless we get paid, but... Amarion, your reputation is high. These guys volunteered to go."
I looked at Longlegs and Shorty with surprised eyes.
It was truly surprising and also very grateful. I wondered why they were nowhere to be seen the whole journey, and it turns out they were gathering information for me.
Shorty said seriously.
"But unfortunately, we couldn't go all the way to Amari. Wyverns lose their strength in places that are too cold, so we couldn't enter the north. So we picked up rumors near the border and came back."
"Is Amari safe?"
At my urgent question, he nodded.
"The worst-case scenario was avoided. They said the territory is safe."
"Ah..."
Thank goodness.
I let out a relieved breath.
I was worried that the monsters might have completely wiped out the place, leaving not even a single person alive. Knowing the village was still there brought me peace of mind.
But then Shorty continued.
"It's true that the monsters have increased. For some reason, they didn't spill out into the Wasteland, but the rumor that the north is in danger spread all over the Kingdom."
"How could that be..."
"Ah, and Amari started building a wall on the outskirts of the village early this year, but the construction stopped at the end of summer. I don't know the exact reason."
My heart sank.
That wall was definitely the one started with the dowry I received when I came to the Grand Ducal house. Why did that suddenly stop? With that amount of money, there was no way they couldn't afford the construction costs. And...
Victor frowned.
"The Monster Wave will come soon, right?"
"That's right. That's why we're worried too. You can't block monsters with a shabby village and an unfinished wall."
I bit my lip tightly.
My heart was racing wildly. Roughly estimating, the Monster Wave would come from the Black Mountains in a few weeks, yet the wall wasn't even completed. Moreover, if the number of monsters increased enough for rumors to spread within the Kingdom...
"I have to go."
I said in a voice that even sounded unfamiliar to me.
"I need to go quickly. Right now..."
"Wait, you can't go right now."
Yazi frowned.
"Going out in this freezing cold and a sandstorm? You guys who can't even read the desert stars."
"But..."
"Leave at least when the sun rises tomorrow. You two are strong, so moving in daylight will be fine."
I looked at Yazi with trembling eyes. The Mercenary King's dignified expression softened for a moment.
"A leader acting hastily only ruins things."
"..."
"I'd like to attach even these useless guys to you, but... you refused that, right?"
"...That's right. I have my own planned way of moving after this."
"Is that so."
The Mercenary King spoke warmly.
"First, think about arriving safely. That is the way to protect you and your people."
I barely managed to nod.
Yazi smiled and patted my shoulder. It was a warm and large hand, befitting the leader who commanded thousands, if not tens of thousands, of mercenaries. She moved only her pupils and looked at Victor.
"Grand Duke of Mort, the 'Walking Death', was it?"
Victor nodded without a word. The Mercenary King stared at him with piercing eyes.
"They said you lost your mind from Gargantia's curse, but you look fine to me."
"It wasn't a curse. It was just an illness of my heart. And it's been cured for a long time."
"Is that why you brought Amarion out of the north?"
"That's right."
Yazi's eyes deepened. A voice as solid as an old tree asked.
"Do you know what kind of existence your wife has been in the north all this time?"
It was a question I couldn't understand. But Victor nodded.
"I know."
"Right, if you know, that's enough."
Yazi returned to being the gentle old woman like before.
"At least if you wear the mask of a knight, you'll know what the right answer is."
"..."
The Mercenary King, having finished speaking, waved her large hand dismissively. It was a signal that the conversation was over and we should go.
Though I couldn't understand everything, I quickly nodded and walked away following the others. Glancing back, Yazi was already looking at a parchment as if she had lost interest. I would have liked to stay a bit longer and hear some stories, but time was urgently chasing after me.
Victor and I quickly returned to the inn and packed our bags again. Originally, we planned to rest here for a day or so, but now that was impossible. Fortunately, they said the mercenary company would prepare everything else for us, so we only had to pack our few belongings.
I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes.
Downstairs, the banquet was still going on. I wanted to say goodbye to the mercenaries, but I couldn't. Originally, the mercenaries thought we came to the Nameless Village to run away and live. If we said we were leaving again, it would definitely arouse suspicion.
It was truly a shame, but.
I bit my lip hard and snuggled into Victor's arms. Victor hugged me without a word. Strangely, he seemed to have as many thoughts as I did.
Harboring our own worries, we spent the night in silence like that.
❖ ❖ ❖
We quietly slipped out of the inn around dawn.
Perhaps due to the aftermath of yesterday's banquet, the inn was quiet. It seemed the mercenaries were all passed out in their respective rooms. I smiled bitterly. No matter how I thought about it, it was still a shame. I wanted to look around this beautiful golden village a bit more, buy exotic swords, and have a brief chat with the mercenaries I'd grown close to.
But there was no use agonizing over something that couldn't be helped. Outside, there were two packed horses, Longlegs, and Shorty. They explained.
"We put in food, water, and an oasis map. We also packed a few extra swords."
"Thank you."
I nodded, grateful for their meticulous care.
Just as I was about to get on my horse, a familiar figure suddenly rushed out.
"Hey, why are you leaving already!"
It was Mirage, wearing a robe over his bandaged body. Jean followed right after him.
How did they know when we didn't even say anything? As I looked at them with surprised eyes, Jean smiled brightly.
"I asked Captain Longlegs. After you went to see the Mercenary King yesterday, you didn't come down from your room, so..."
"..."
Knowing full well I was trying to leave quietly.
At my reproachful gaze, Longlegs laughed, "Haha."
"With that face asking me, how could I lie! I told you he's seriously crazy handsome, right?"
"You said actor Rodrigo was the most handsome on the continent before."
"That was before I saw Jean."
Longlegs said firmly.
How can she be so consistent from the very beginning. I shook my head and looked at Jean.
The knight smiled gently.
"I came out to follow you to see your swordsmanship, but in the end, I only properly saw it once."
I scratched my cheek for no reason.
"I feel somehow apologetic."
"Not at all. There will be plenty of time from now on. My lady is the lady I serve, so it's fine to come seek instruction when you return, right?"
Jean's pink eyes curved into half-moons.
I hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"I can't duel you, but... I can spar with you."
"It's a shame, but it can't be helped. I wish you luck, my lady."
The knight smiled even deeper and kissed the back of my hand. And then, he bowed deeply to Victor as well. Victor accepted his knight's salute with a light nod.
As he stepped back, the mage came forward. He grumbled for no reason.
"It's a shame you're leaving so soon. You guys were just getting useful."
"Thank you for helping me a lot all this time."
"Well, you guys were okay for noble bastards."
The mage, who hated nobles, grinned. That was the highest praise he could give. I smiled back.
"Take care. Heal your wounds well."
"Yeah. Oh, before you go, I have something to give you..."
The mage scratched his forehead as if embarrassed and reached his hand out. As he mumbled something, a white light burst from his fingertips. Victor stiffened his body, but I stood still with only my eyes wide open. Because that light was warm.
As the light faded, the mage said.
"Is it done? Looks like it's done."
"What did you do?"
"A blessing spell. I hastily drew the magic formula yesterday, so the effect is just okay, but..."
A blessing, like the one Victor received from the former queen of the Eastern Kingdom?
To my surprised, wide eyes, Mirage said.
"It will at least prevent you from collapsing from a normal illness or starvation. Your body will feel a bit lighter when fighting too."
"That's... thank you."
"And Dog, no, Grand Duke."
The mage looked at Victor.
"You have a really amazing blessing on you from someone, you know? It's so powerful and great that I couldn't even touch it?"
"I suppose so."
Victor smiled bitterly.
Because the blessing he possessed was bestowed by the Archmage Gargantia. Moreover, it was a 'protection from all ordinary harm' blessing, so it was actually a tremendously good spell. Victor said it was agonizing because sleeping pills and poison didn't work on his body, though.
Mirage scratched his cheek for no reason.
"But adding to it is possible. My magic is specialized in illusions, so I added a little."
"What?"
"Don't worry, it's nothing much... You'll have 'good dreams' from now on."
"What?"
Victor opened his eyes wide. The mage continued in an embarrassed tone.
"It means your sleep will be pleasant. Not every day, but once every few days, even on days when you feel like you'll have a nightmare, you'll mostly have good dreams. Yeah, I know! It's a pathetic skill!"
Mirage flared up in anger. It seemed he was embarrassed because it was an ability completely useless in combat.
But.
"Victor."
I looked back at Victor with a bright smile.
Victor was looking at the mage as if he didn't know what to say. He asked Jean.
"Was this your doing?"
"I did give him a little inspiration."
The knight smiled. But Victor didn't get annoyed like usual. Instead, he bowed his head respectfully to the mage.
"Thank you."
Mirage's eyes went wide before he averted his gaze in embarrassment.
"For something like this... Anyway, be careful on your way. Even a strong knight can't fight a sandstorm."
Victor nodded and got on his horse.
I waved my hand to Mirage with a smile.
"I'm really thankful too. Come find Amarion of Mort Castle later. I'll treat you to a delicious meal."
The mage's eyes suddenly went wide.
"...Amarion? Don't tell me...?"
"Now, let's depart."
Longlegs giggled and pushed my horse's rump. From atop my horse, I waved my arms enthusiastically.
"Thank you, everyone! Please give my regards to the others too!"
Longlegs and Shorty bowed politely, and Jean raised one arm in a knight's salute. Only Mirage, for some reason, shouted angrily.
"Why did you hide something that important until the end! You scammer!"
Why is he acting like that?
Tilting my head in confusion, I galloped toward the Wasteland.
❖ ❖ ❖
Three days later,
"Victor... the next oasis is..."
"...Still far."
Right in the middle of the vast desert, we were literally starving.
"Haaa..."
I slumped on my horse. Perhaps because I hadn't eaten properly for days, I had no energy at all. I had been eating well for a while, but being this hungry for so long made my head spin.
I looked at the horizon through the scattering dust. Golden sand piled up in curves, forming undulations. But to my eyes,
"Doesn't that sand dune look like pudding? Like a bright yellow bread pudding."
"The chef at the capital mansion made really good pudding. The butter cream on top of the pudding was top-notch too..."
"I want to eat pudding..."
At my words, Victor sighed. His eyes also looked as haggard as mine.
The story went like this.
The day we left the Nameless Village, we ran blindly without knowing anything and immediately got caught in a sandstorm.
It wasn't a head-on hit, and we didn't experience it for very long, but after the storm passed, the supply bags tied to our horses were gone. All that was left was the oasis map I held in my arms, our swords, and a less than a handful of dried snacks I had brought.
Fortunately, we could solve water and sleeping arrangements at the oases, but there was nothing we could do about food. If we ate our horses, we'd be stranded right here, and oases didn't come often either, so filling our stomachs with water had its limits. Even though we ate the dried food sparingly, it quickly reached the bottom.
After a few days like that, even Victor, who always ate little, started showing signs of exhaustion.
"The jerky is."
"It's all gone. There's some dried fruit left, though."
We shook the tiny dried snack pouch and shared two small pieces of dried apple. Naturally, it didn't feel like we had eaten anything. If I hadn't received Mirage's blessing before leaving, I would have definitely collapsed.
I looked up at the blazing sun with resentment.
"I... thought if I suffered hardship in the Wasteland, it would definitely be because of monsters."
"I did too. But right now, I wish a monster would appear."
"No. The 'Archetypes' that come down from the Black Mountains are poisonous."
Victor said wistfully.
"If I'm going to die anyway, I want to die full..."
"I said no, not unless it's a griffin like the one you roasted."
At my words, Victor made an extremely pained expression.
I sadly leaned my forehead against my horse's neck. I thought it was a short distance and we'd be fine, but at this rate, we'd starve to death before even reaching the Kingdom. I let my horse walk on its own and looked back at Victor. Underneath the cloth he wore to avoid the sunlight, his roughened cheek was visible.
I said in a haggard voice.
"Victor, your skin has gotten a lot worse."
"I'm not falling for that anymore."
"No, really... I wonder if it's because you haven't been able to eat on time? It's different from before."
Victor also grew serious in turn. He rubbed his cheek with his hand. Seeing that, the sandstorm suddenly became several times more resentful. To damage such a precious face like that.
Seeing my expression, he asked pitifully.
"Will you leave me if my face gets ruined?"
"No, why do you ask that again?"
"You like handsome men."
My husband declared. I was so dumbfounded that I stared at him.
"You're making it sound like I only care about faces like Longlegs, dear."
"Of course you're not to that extent. But... you always said you liked my face."
Is he serious, this person?
But Victor seemed genuinely serious. With eyes looking even more like a puppy, perhaps because he was hungry, he stared at me. I felt truly unjustified, but since my husband asked, I thought about it seriously.
Honestly, it seemed impossible for Victor to ever become ugly in his lifetime. But answering like that didn't seem like a good answer...
After thinking, I answered.
"Other things besides the face are important too. If I only liked handsome faces... um... wouldn't I have fluttered when I saw Jean?"
"You didn't flutter when you saw Jean?"
"Why would I flutter?"
I shook my head firmly.
Of course, he was so truly beautiful that I was surprised every time I saw him for a while... but it definitely wasn't the same as Victor. The reason I fell for Victor like I was bewitched was because of the thrill he gave me.
Yes, to put it another way...
"I like strong people."
At my shy words, Victor fell silent. He thought deeply for a moment, then nodded.
"It's a relief Yazi is a woman."
I smiled faintly.
"Do you think she is stronger than you?"
"I don't know about that, but she wasn't a person who looked overwhelmingly strong at a glance."
I nodded in agreement. Victor was the first person in my life who looked that strong. No, actually there was one other person who was similar, but...
At the question that flew at me the moment I thought of that, I was startled.
"Come to think of it, isn't the Bandit King Kirgiz a man?"
"Huh? Ah, yes, he is. He's a young man."
"...How do you know that? Have you met him?"
Victor narrowed his eyes.
I scratched my cheek and turned my head away.
Just then, a welcome sight appeared in the distance. A small shelter made of stone, a few tall trees, and...
"Victor! It's an oasis!"
At my exclamation, Victor quickly turned his horse's head with a face of relief. We stopped our horses at the same time and galloped at full speed.
❖ ❖ ❖
Miraculously, there was food at this oasis.
However.
"Can you even call this food?"
"Of course. It's just... a bit old, that's all."
He looked disgustingly at the foul-smelling jerky. The lone piece of dried meat from some unknown animal sitting at the bottom of the box was so old that it was completely shriveled up.
Still, since it was salted and dried, wouldn't it be edible?
As I reached in and picked it up, something sticky smeared on my hand. Victor's face almost turned into one of someone about to throw up.
"Throw it away right now, Marion. It's obviously inedible food, right?"
"But food is food! Have you never starved on the battlefield?"
"The Empire's logistics aren't that poor."
Victor cut me off.
He really was raised gently.
I clicked my tongue and brought the jerky slightly to my mouth. Then a lightning-fast hand slapped the back of my hand.
"...!"
The slightly old jerky rolled across the sand. Feeling wronged, I shouted.
"Why are you throwing away perfectly good food! It's not like the food is rotting!"
"Are you really going to eat something that's actually rotten?!"
Victor shouted back. I looked at the jerky rolling on the floor with a very upset face.
If I pick it up, wouldn't it be edible?
Victor's expression, who had read my thoughts, instantly turned cold.
"Marion, don't even dream about it."
He firmly dragged me to the water. With no other choice, I drank the pond water with tears in my eyes. As I was filling my empty stomach with water, I noticed the grass growing by the water's edge. It was usually planted as horse feed, but seeing it in this situation gave me a different idea.
In Amari, in the dead of winter, we used to boil dried grass thoroughly and eat it...
Victor, following my gaze, was horrified.
"Marion, that's grass for horses. Humans can't eat... No, first of all, do you want to eat that?"
"You're weak, Victor. I even ate sprouting potatoes when I was hungry."
"My wife is truly like a stray dog..."
Victor sighed. He seemed to have recovered somewhat just from drinking some water, even though he was hungry with me until just now. I looked down at the grass with a feeling of injustice.
If I eat this grass... it definitely won't digest well and I'll get a fever. The Kingdom isn't as wealthy as the Empire, so getting an antidote would be much harder than getting food. And I have to go to my hometown quickly, so...
"As expected... I should give up on grass porridge."
At my words, Victor showed a visibly relieved expression. He patted my sand-covered shoulder gently.
"You thought well. The border is close, so let's hang in there just a bit more."
"Victor, you also stop saying you want to eat monsters."
"But I seriously think griffin meat is better than rotten jerky."
"Tell me honestly. The griffin was delicious, right? That's why you want to eat it again, right?"
We bickered again as we got on our horses. The blinding sun blazed high above our heads.