Episode 61
Episode 61
After entering the castle and taking a brief rest, I immediately went to meet Todin.
It was a bit earlier than planned, but I had heard from the Knight that we needed to return to the Northern Region.
Following the attendant's guidance, I arrived at the room where we had previously drank alcohol.
When I opened the door, I saw the two of them already in conversation.
"I heard you met the Dragon Emperor this time?"
"I returned something I borrowed a long time ago since we met after so long. But she's a woman? Did you know?"
"I didn't know either. The last time I saw her was with you guys."
"Seems like she really doesn't come out much."
"By the way, was she pretty?"
A question that naturally comes from a man.
Aron nodded his head.
"She was pretty? She had a decadent beauty vibe."
I felt momentarily upset by those words but quickly felt fine again.
Should I really feel jealous of a woman who isn't even a rival?
Besides, there's nothing between them anyway.
'I should understand. Later on, I'll have to accept three other women too.'
I decided to start being more relaxed about it.
As a woman who has genuinely spent nights with Aron, I need to show that level of attitude and composure.
You could call it a kind of growth.
"What are you two talking about so interestingly?"
I spoke up naturally, as if I hadn't heard the conversation from earlier, and Aron reflexively looked at me.
His eyes were wide open, and I could see cold sweat dripping.
I approached him leisurely from beside him.
"Why did it get quiet as soon as I arrived? Did I interrupt something?"
As I crossed my arms, Aron laughed awkwardly.
Todin, standing in front, also swallowed his saliva very slowly.
"Eh, hey. No way. There's no way Mia-nim would be an interruption. We were just saying our goodbyes since today is the last day. Right?"
"That's right. Uh! Yeah, that's it. We weren't talking about anything special."
"By the way, Mia-nim will be leaving now too. Where are you going this time, back to the capital? Shouldn't you be going to the mercenary group soon?"
I shook my head vigorously.
While it's true I'd like to visit the mercenary group briefly, I'm not skilled enough to go there and feel embarrassed. It's clear they'll manage to become active again even without me.
"More than that, I want to return to the forest for a while. I need to treat my unni soon."
"Unni?"
At the word "unni," Todin frowned and glared at Aron.
"Aron. I don't care that you're a playboy, but if you're trash who takes family members hostage to threaten people..."
Aron urgently cut him off.
"I'm not that kind of trash! I just temporarily froze a woman who was nearly dead. I didn't have enough power to heal her, so I just took measures."
"Ah, that's what it was? Then you just need to heal her quickly."
Todin relaxed his expression as if relieved and looked at me.
"Don't worry too much. This guy is fine except for his weakness for women."
"That seems to be the biggest problem though."
"The one who's disappointed has to endure. What can you do? But he seems to have changed a lot, so please cut him some slack, Mia-nim."
"I'll try."
I'm already enduring in many ways.
It's me who's turning a blind eye to two companions, including a childhood friend I've had sex with but aren't officially dating.
Even Buddha would acknowledge this level of tolerance.
No, wouldn't he actually get angry and call me a pushover?
"We should probably head back soon and join up with the Northern delegation. I heard they'll be departing soon."
At Todin's words, I nodded lightly.
Aron also waved his hand as if saying it was the last time.
"Then I'll see you next time."
"Let's all meet together next time. That would be better."
Todin laughed heartily.
"Yeah. Let's meet after we've resolved this damn curse too. Then we'll drink until we drop like old times."
"Of course. See you then."
Left alone in the room after Aron and Mia departed, Todin let out a deep sigh.
As he slowly turned around, he emitted a heavy aura.
Just that power alone made the furniture inside scream. The air changed as everything creaked as if about to break.
Holding weapons in both hands, Todin spoke.
"Who are you?"
At his words, the shadows flickered.
A man who emerged from there spoke quietly.
"I was sent by that person."
*
As soon as I arrived at the Northern delegation, I cautiously approached the delegation's representative.
Since their purpose was escort, the representative was the Knight.
"Um, excuse me... could I ask you something?"
When I cautiously approached, the Knight who was preparing for departure glanced at me.
"Huh? Isn't this Mia-nim?"
Seeming slightly surprised, he told the knights and merchants he was commanding to handle things themselves and looked at me.
Whether it was consideration or not, he matched my eye level and asked.
"What is it? And please feel free to speak casually. Regardless of Mia-nim being an honored guest, your strength is famous even in the Northern Region."
I scratched the back of my neck at the sudden compliment.
"I'm glad to hear that. Actually, I was wondering if you've heard any news about Harmony Flame."
"Harmony Flame, huh."
He hummed thoughtfully for a moment as if pondering, then answered.
"They formed a union and are active. That's the last news I heard. I haven't heard anything about what happened to the union."
"Ah, thank you. Then, take care!"
The Knight gave a light nod and returned his focus to his work.
"So they're just normally active? Seems like it, given there's no particular news."
For mercenaries, no news is good news.
Usually when news about a mercenary group spreads across the continent, it's one of two things.
Either something really big happened like before, or they all died and disappeared - only then does news spread.
"I should visit when I get the chance later."
"Visit where?"
Aron suddenly appeared beside me from somewhere and lightly hugged me.
By now, I naturally leaned against his body and answered.
"The mercenary group. Since many of them survived and left, I should check on them at least once. I was the vice-leader after all."
"You're a 'former' vice-leader now?"
"I guess so. They can't just wait indefinitely for someone who disappeared."
Mercenaries deal with death frequently, so their response is quick.
They grieve, overcome it, and laugh again.
Those mercenaries who can't do that either retire or die.
"More importantly, how about we go to our forest first?"
"Weren't we going to the forest now?"
"No, not the Azure Forest. Let's go to the Forest of Temptation to help Karen unni soon. How long were you planning to keep her trapped in that ice?"
"Ah. Right. That's there too."
Clapping his hands, Aron nodded.
"Then let's go to the forest and then to the forest."
"The Forest of Temptation comes first, right?"
"Of course."
Aron playfully picked me up.
He held me up like a doll of appropriate size, and I glanced at him.
"Do you feel like hugging me especially today? But you're not going to act like this now and then go to the Northern Region and do that with the Duke again, are you?"
Aron flinched as memories came back to him.
Since we were pressed close together, I could feel his reaction more vividly.
"I won't do that. That's why I gave you the ring. Call me anytime if you're anxious."
"Fine. If you do that next time..."
I thought for a moment.
If I were in heat, I would have kissed him and said it, but unfortunately, I'm not at that level.
More embarrassment than courage right now.
Eventually, I gently rubbed my cheek against his and whispered in Aron's ear.
"Even I don't know what I'll do then."
At the cute yet deadly warning, Aron barely swallowed his saliva and nodded.
*
The most secret place in the Holy Kingdom.
There, a black shadow flickered and a man appeared.
The woman who had been sitting with her eyes closed quietly opened them and looked at him.
Eyes that seemed lifeless.
Though the room was filled with light, her eyes were so dark it seemed as if the light couldn't reach them.
"Saintess-nim, this is what I heard from Todin-nim."
The man took a paper from his pocket and handed it over.
The Saintess who received the paper filled with small writing slowly checked its contents.
"Ha."
Then came laughter.
It was both a satisfied reaction and simultaneously one of disbelief at the content itself.
Only then did light begin to return to her eyes.
"Did he finally get a real woman this time? And he's still keeping her around. Where did that fox bitch and that voluptuous fox-eared girl who was always by his side go? They said they loved him but they're not even with him."
The paper disappeared from her hand along with light.
The paper burned instantly with divine power, leaving not even ashes behind.
"I didn't get to see Aron-nim and the new woman directly."
"I know. Actually, it doesn't matter - what's important is the relationship. Couldn't you confirm what kind of relationship it is?"
"Todin-nim only said, 'Find out for yourself. That would be more fun.'"
"Tch. That damn Dwarf bastard. Getting in the way again like that. It's annoying - maybe I just shouldn't help with the curse."
"You're going to help anyway, so why do you say things like that?"
"Anyway, he's a comrade. The important thing is that he has a new woman..."
Sitting on the chair hugging her knees, the Saintess
bit her nails as the woman muttered.
"Is he betraying me and getting married to another woman? Or did they already have a baby? That can't be. To have Aron's baby, you need to be that strong - is there another woman like us? That's impossible. Then what exactly..."
Black liquid began to drip drop by drop from the muttering woman's body.
Finally unable to watch any longer, the man spoke up first.
"How about meeting them directly this time? I heard their next destination is the Forest of Temptation. You should start moving soon too, Saintess-nim."
At the man's words, the woman who had been thinking for a moment lifted her head and stared straight at him.
Only then did the black liquid transform into light and disappear.
"That's not a bad idea either. The prophecy has been strange for a long time anyway. The Goddess-nim isn't answering either. Now I really have no choice but to move according to my own will."
The woman suddenly stood up from her seat and looked at the man's leg for a moment.
"I'll heal your leg this time. It must be difficult living with one leg all the time. We'll head to the Forest of Temptation as soon as the healing is complete."
"Yes, understood."
The Saintess looked out the window and prayed.
'I hope she's a pretty woman this time too. Goddess-nim.'