16. The Day We Received the Letter from the Red Evil Mercenaries

On the very ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠day we received the letter from the Red Evil Mercenaries, we finished preparations to depart for the Durumil Kingdom before even a full day had passed. While waiting for Cheong-ah to return from accepting a guild commission, we handled a mountain of tasks.

Since this trip would take us all the way to the neighboring kingdom and drag on for a while, we rented a spacious carriage suited to the journey, stocked up on a hefty load of clothes, food, and essentials, and secured two sturdy horses. Of course, Cheong-ah was holding all our money, so we borrowed everything from Sierra on the promise to repay her once Cheong-ah got back.

Sierra looked so crestfallen at the news that we were heading to Durumil—even if just briefly—that it tugged at my heartstrings a bit. But after we explained that Karlson might be in real danger, she didn't try to hold us back. She'd mentioned being childhood friends with Bella, just like Princess Aria, so she seemed to grasp how much Bella cherished the man.

Still...

"Um, Ian? You'll come back here once everything's sorted, right?"

"Huh? Well... I'm not entirely sure."

"Please come back! Ever since you all arrived, the reports of incidents and accidents have dropped off a cliff. I'm begging you. I won't ask you to stay long—just one more month after you return. Please?"

She practically clung to my pant leg, pleading for us to return to Hildenheim once Durumil was behind us. Our party's main base was Leventen, sure, but adventurers weren't meant to hole up in one spot forever. Spending an extra month in Hildenheim after the trip didn't sound half bad, especially with the lord's manor being comfier than any inn.

"Alright. We can stick around for another month after we get back."

"Really? Yay...! Thank you, Ian!"

And so, we promised Sierra we'd linger in Hildenheim for a month post-return.

Next up was settling things with Princess Aria. You might wonder why a free agent like me, tied only to the guild, needed to hash this out with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a princess—but it boiled down to Bella. More precisely, to the deal Bella had struck with Aria over her past mistakes.

Sierra had guessed Aria still harbored some lingering feelings for Bella as the reason she'd forgiven her attempt on her life, but I wasn't about to poke that bear. From what Bella had told me, the conditions were straightforward: first, Bella had to leave the mercenary guild and join our party. Second, she couldn't leave the kingdom without Aria's permission.

There were a third and fourth condition too, but they weren't worth fretting over. The snag for our Durumil jaunt was that second one, so we had to reach out to the princess.

Running there on foot would take too long; magic teleportation was out of the question; and sending a messenger bird with a letter? Way too slow. Only one option: borrow access to the strategic communication crystal orb through Sierra.

"The communication orb?"

"Yeah. We need Princess Aria's permission for Bella to leave the kingdom with us for Durumil."

"Ah... right. Bella couldn't just wander off to another country. Got it."

Sierra nodded without hesitation. She led me to the office, where we met her father, Count Hildenheim. After her quick rundown, he handed over the key, and we headed to the orb's chamber.

With Sierra's help, I contacted Aria in the royal castle.

I quickly explained that Bella's old mercenary crew was active in Durumil, the neighboring kingdom, and Karlson had gotten tangled in the Soboro count's mess—possibly in grave danger.

We chatted a bit more before cutting the link. I soothed the anxious Bella while waiting for Cheong-ah. The moment she arrived at the manor—barely time to wash up—I sat her down and briefed her fast.

Once she'd heard it all, Cheong-ah tilted her head.

"My, that's awful. Bella, you must be heartbroken. So, we're off to the neighboring kingdom now?"

"Heartbroken? Nah, just pissed. And if you don't wanna go, don't. This idiot Ian's overreacting anyway—I was gonna handle it solo."

"Hey, when did I overreact...?"

After all, she'd thanked me earlier. I shot her a hurt look, and Bella just shrugged.

"You did. Look, it's my personal business—why drag you all into it?"

"Personal business?"

"Yeah. I'm grateful, sure. But you've done plenty prepping this far. I've been thinking... you guys rest here. I'll go alone."

"No, that's—"

"I said I thought it over. And this feels right."

Her words grated on me, heavy as a paperweight slamming down. She trailed off with a sigh.

Haa...

Something crushed the words in my throat, leaving me stifled. I could guess why: the Soboro county mess sounded urgent and dangerous. She was probably worried we'd get hurt on her account. She'd been fidgety while Dina and I prepped, like she wanted to speak up.

It was a territorial war—a battlefield. Risky, yeah.

"Fine, if that's how you see it..."

I forced understanding, swallowing my frustration—until Cheong-ah cocked her head, voicing my pent-up feelings.

"Why?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"No, it's just... Bella, what you're saying sounds off."

"What's off all of a sudden?"

"Aren't you Ian's woman too? You call him husband all the time."

"So?"

"Well... does that make us this disposable?"

"What're you getting at?"

Only then did it hit me—why I'd felt so choked up. Bella was treating me, us, like outsiders. And I'd slunk back to my old spineless self, pre-Cheong-ah, dithering like a fool instead of speaking up.

Yeah, I admit it. I was acting like that pathetic loser again.

I raked back my hair, eyes narrowing as I stepped toward Bella.

"Hey, Bella."

"What now?"

"Grab the wall and turn that ass this way, you bitch."

"Ha...?"

...Shit, that's not what I meant.