A Wife's Gentle Embrace
As soon as he realized Ashytara was there, the cozy fragrance that had been wafting until just moments ago intensified, swirling around his nose.
“……Tara?”
“Yeah.”
However, the Ashytara before his eyes was slightly different from the one he saw every day. It was as if, should the current Ashytara age just a bit more, this was what she would look like. Ludenberg found it hard to tear his gaze away from her more mature form.
His attention momentarily captivated by Ashytara, he arrived at one pressing thought. Why on earth was Ashytara sharing the same bedroom as him?
He glanced discreetly at Ashytara, covered by the blanket. She was unmistakably wearing thin nightclothes, the sort one donned before bed. Flustered by the situation, Ludenberg's expression hardened.
“What's wrong? Rud.”
Ashytara gazed at him worriedly, seeing him frozen in place.
……What's going on? Why is Tara……
That thought led him to recall Raha's words.
Raha said that when experiencing Liberatus's past, people from my surroundings would appear. And in the trial world, I am Liberatus. Which means……
He masked his bewilderment and sorted through his thoughts carefully.
I'm Liberatus, and Tara is……Amora. And I heard those two were husband and wife.
In other words, in this trial world, Ludenberg was Ashytara's husband. His mind blanked for a moment.
I'm……married to Tara?
“Rud?”
“Ah.”
“You're acting weird today. You feeling okay?”
Feeling her concerned gaze upon him, Ludenberg forced himself to snap out of it.
“No, I'm fine.”
“Liar.”
With that, Ashytara placed her hand on his forehead.
“No fever……”
“Just haven't woken up fully.”
Ludenberg had no idea what to say, so he brushed it off vaguely.
“Haha, alright then. Guess we should get up soon.”
Her bright smile was so dazzling. He stared at her, entranced.
“Rud.”
“Yeah.”
“What're you planning today? It's been a while since we got a holiday.”
In that instant, Liberatus's memories flooded into Ludenberg's mind. Just as Ashytara said, this seemed to be a moment of rest during a hard-earned vacation.
“Holiday……right.”
“Yeah. You're the knight commander, after all.”
Apparently, his current status was commander of the empire's knights. The people might have changed, but the position and circumstances mirrored Liberatus's past exactly.
“Dunno. Just wanna rest……”
“Sleep in some more?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I'll sleep a bit longer too.”
“……You can do that?”
“What? Forgot? I'm off today too.”
“Oh, right.”
“It's rare downtime—let's rest up proper.”
With those words, Ashytara snuggled into Ludenberg's arms. He hesitated briefly before wrapping his arms around her in return. It wasn't as if she had never hugged him before, but the act still felt profoundly awkward to Ludenberg. He couldn't help but show it like a clumsy child.
He even wondered if this could truly be a trial.
The ordeals he had faced so far were mostly life-or-death battles. The most leisurely time in the trial world had been teaching those three heroes, at best.
But this second trial—at least so far—didn't seem to fit the word ordeal at all.
Yet as Raha had said, the second trial contained Liberatus's past. And the life he had glimpsed in the first trial was one of utter misery.
If the turning point where his life turned tragic was this second trial, then this current peace felt unnervingly uncomfortable.
Wasn't the reason Liberatus left the empire to hunt erosion beasts because his wife had been killed by one?
Wait. Does that mean……Tara dies?
The mere thought sent chills racing across Ludenberg's skin, cold sweat breaking out.
Of course, this was just the trial world. Not reality.
But even imagining the Ashytara alive before him now dying in this illusory realm made sweat pour from him. If he had to witness it firsthand, could he endure?
It was entirely thanks to Ashytara that Ludenberg had dismantled the walls around his heart. Because of her, he had learned to trust people and form bonds.
To see the very person who enabled that perish……
Fear gripped him, and he tightened his hold on her.
“……Rud?”
Feeling the sudden strength in his arms, Ashytara pulled back slightly and lifted her face to his. Perhaps seeing the fear in his expression, she looked at him with worry.
“What's wrong? You're not yourself today.”
Realizing he was worrying her, he softened his face and shook his head. Even if it was inevitable, he didn't want to burden her with needless concern—not even this illusory Ashytara.
“No, it's nothing. Just a bad dream.”
“Then let's sleep more. You'll have a good one this time for sure.”
As if to chase away his fear, Ashytara tightened her embrace too. Soft warmth enveloped him, soothing his mind. The cozy fragrance bloomed once more, and before he knew it, Ludenberg drifted back to sleep.
“Ah.”
Awakening, Ludenberg realized he had exited the trial world. Like emerging from a sweet dream, his mind lingered in haze.
Then came the snap of fingers, and clarity returned.
“Getting all dreamy already—what am I gonna do with you.”
A voice scolded him playfully, laced with amusement. It was Raha.
“……Raha?”
“Yeah. How was the second trial?”
“……”
Ludenberg fell silent, at a loss for words.
“I can tell from your face. Happy, but scared, right?”
He nodded at her words.
“Told you to steel yourself. Knowing it in your head is different from living it. Even if the trial world's an illusion, you in there faces the real Ashytara.”
“I know that.”
“No, you don't. The fear you're feeling now is just the start. It'll get brutal—your mind worn to the bone.”
“……”
Ludenberg's expression hardened.
“But you have to endure, Ludenberg. Fail to conquer this mental torment, and you won't stand against the fate ahead.”
“I'll……try.”
“Good. It'll be tough, but when it hits, go see the real Ashytara. She'll soothe the pain from the trial world.”
“Got it.”
“That's all for today. Good luck with the rest of the friendly matches.”
“Yeah.”
The space shattered, his vision going black. Opening his eyes again, he found himself not in that bedroom, but his own.
“Ugh.”
Emptiness washed over him, for reasons he couldn't quite grasp.
Get it together.
Even as he thought that, the warmth of holding Ashytara lingered in his arms, delaying his full recovery for quite some time.
Today was another day for the friendly matches. Ludenberg and Ashytara had gone on the first day, so this was another group's turn.
Still, he couldn't just sit idle. He needed to study their opponents' styles.
No one knew who they'd face next. But it would surely be strong.
He couldn't afford to relax.
Today, he'd observe purely as a spectator, scrutinizing the competition. He needed utmost focus—more than ever.
This wasn't some half-hearted commitment. Like any tournament, their goal was victory.
Participating meant aiming for the top—it was only natural.
As a bonus, clashing with these powerhouses would hone their skills.
Raha had said Prisper targeted him. He had to grow stronger.
Complacency would sweep him into that fate.
He didn't know exactly why Prisper wanted him—only that his body must be desirable enough.
He had zero intention of handing it over easily, of course.
Anyway, preparations done, Ludenberg headed to Ashytara's dorm to pick her up. Meeting her daily since their reconciliation had become routine.
“Rud!”
Unlike in the trial world, Ashytara called him in her youthful voice.
Hearing it, Ludenberg waved.
“Hey, Tara.”
“Sleep well?”
“……Yeah.”
“Who're today's matchups?”
“Eden and Mion versus……Nadan and Gawin, I think.”
“Sounds exciting.”
“Right?”
It was still early, so the arena wasn't crowded. They found seats and settled in.
No matches for them today, so they could watch leisurely and prepare.
Or so Ludenberg thought.
“Nadan and Gawin……hmm. Not gonna be a walkover,” Mion said, troubled. Eden nodded.
“You know Gawin's skill. Word is he's been training hard lately, no more fooling around.”
“Who said?”
“Leb and Marvin.”
“Makes sense. Most of his antics were our orders anyway.”
“True.”
“Gawin's one thing, but Nadan……that's the problem.”
“Theology department? Doesn't look our age at all.”
“Surprisingly, he is. Nah the professor's little brother.”
“Big age gap between siblings.”
“Checked right after the brackets dropped. Theology kid, but trains as hard as knight faculty.”
“That build says it all. Nothing says theology means skipping physical training.”
“Saw it in his last fight—deep martial arts knowledge. No clue the style's origin, but high level. Don't underestimate him, Mion.”
“Should I take Gawin then?”
“Yeah. You know his style. Better if I handle Nadan, you Gawin.”
“Let's do that.”
“Good. Now, about his saint law……”
“Oh, I saw it. Weird. Looked stationary, then bam—insane speed takedown.”
“That's the wildcard. No idea how it works, so hard to counter. That's why I'll take him—I'm better at adapting to variables.”
“Right.”
“Anyway……even though you beat Gawin before, he's grown. Stay sharp, Mion.”
“I know that much. Don't worry.”
As they talked, their names were called.
“Let's go.”
“Yeah.”
The two left the waiting area, heading to the arena's center.