Siron + Kernax: "With This... It's the Last!!"
Siron dumped the cart full of an insane amount of debris right outside the city, shaking it clean.
"Fuck yeah, I'm free!!"
Having shaken off the last of the trash, Siron hoisted the empty cart with one hand and bolted back into the city with light steps.
Even the strict guards at the checkpoint couldn't—or wouldn't—stop the bulldozer that was Siron. No one stood out more or had a clearer identity than her, so she breezed through the north gate without any verification.
The first place Siron headed inside the city wasn't Kernax's house where I was waiting—it was the east gate guard post.
The overseer and all the craftsmen and pregnant women had already pulled out, so Siron raced down the road with the cart unobstructed straight to the guard post.
"Hey!! This thing was useful as hell!!"
Siron chucked the cart at some random guard who caught her eye and bolted toward the training grounds where Kernax would be.
"Put more power in your lower body!!"
"You there!! Your guard's down low!! If you show an opening, it's not you who gets hurt—it's the comrade behind you! Get that through your thick skull!!"
"You can't even endure this much?!"
Siron caught her breath for a bit and plopped down in the corner of the training grounds to watch Kernax chew out the soldiers.
"Here—"
"Hey!!"
"...Take a short break."
Kernax spotted Siron staring at her from the corner of the training grounds, ordered the soldiers to rest, and walked over.
"What are you doing here."
"Let's go somewhere quiet for a sec."
"...Follow me."
Kernax swept her damp bangs to the side and led the way.
"Hey. Isn't this place a bit too quiet?"
Siron glared at Kernax with a dumbfounded look—this "quiet place" she'd been brought to was the prison.
"The office is occupied by the admin officer, and everywhere else is swamped. This is the only spot without people right now. I'm busy too, so spit it out and get lost."
Siron's eyes twitched at Kernax's stone-cold attitude of "hurry up and fuck off."
"Fuck. You think I ran here just 'cause I like seeing your ass?"
"Good. Then turn around and go home right now."
Kernax snorted and pivoted away.
"No, hold up—you crazy bitch? You really think you're in a position to talk to me like that right now?"
"...What the hell is that supposed to mean."
Kernax half-turned, her face screaming "Did I just hear that right?" as she glared at Siron.
"You haven't noticed the total shitshow at home 'cause of you?"
"..."
"Guess you have. Fucking bitch. I've been eating my last couple meals on eggshells 'cause of you. You think I wanna live looking over my shoulder 'cause of you?"
"...That is my house to begin with. You're the one who should be on eggshells—it's only natural."
Kernax turned to leave the prison.
"Hey!! That's not the—goddamn it!! Sis gave the okay, so what the fuck's your problem throwing a fit?!"
"..."
Kernax, already halfway out, turned back and stepped right up to Siron.
"...What the hell makes you think it's okay to let Smith head out of the city? Now I'm curious."
"Huh? I'm going with him, and that crazy bow bitch is too?"
"Just the two of you?"
"Huh? 'Just'? You dissing silver-rank right now?"
"Silver-ranks who can't even take me down acting all high and mighty."
"...You really wanna go at it with me?"
"..."
Siron stepped forward, glaring at Kernax. Kernax stepped up too, shoving her face right into Siron's.
Their foreheads touched as they stared daggers at each other, ready to kill.
"Fine, whatever else—I'll buy that two silver-rank adventurers can handle bandits, monsters, whatever. But heretics?"
"Those bitches? Smith that moron'll—"
"You don't think heretics are just the Petmira cult, right?"
"No, fuck—Sis said we don't gotta worry about heretic bitches?"
"On what basis?"
"You don't trust Sis?"
"Don't be so sure about anything. If heretics ambush us even by some slim chance, it's not just Smith—we all take the hit up front. I won't let my soldiers get dragged into that shit."
"Fuck. Then we just leave a day later? Problem solved?"
"Do you even care about Smith at all?! Why am I the only one against this?!"
Veins bulged on their foreheads. Siron looked ready to sink her sharp teeth into Kernax's throat any second.
"You... You know Smith has basically been cooped up in this city for four years, right?"
"..."
Kernax's eyes twitched for a split second.
Siron pressed on. "...I only realized 'cause Sis told me, so I got no room to talk... but fuck. You think you could hole up in this shithole city for four goddamn years without losing your mind? Four years. Me or you, we get out for quests and missions all the time. But that guy's spent his entire four years stuck inside this city."
Kernax's eyes shook.
"And just when he finally gets to step out recently, he gets fucking kidnapped by human traffickers? Then right after, heretics snatch him."
Kernax's gaze dropped to the floor.
"That moron's finally psyched up enough to beg Sis for a chance to get out this time, and you're whining about what—your worries? Your complaints?"
"I..."
Under Siron's sharp questioning, Kernax's mouth flapped a few times before she clamped it shut, no answer forthcoming.
Confirming Kernax's momentum had utterly deflated, Siron sighed and took a step back.
"Be honest. You're trying to keep that moron from coming 'cause of some other reason, right?"
"..."
Kernax didn't reply. But both Siron and Kernax knew that silence was as good as a yes.
"I don't give a shit what that reason is. So I'm asking again... you still against it?"
"...Leaving at a safer time could work."
"Aaah, so yeah, you're against it? Fine, you bitch. Let's settle this like women—fair and square duel."
"Not in the mood to fight you right now."
"Huh? Why the fuck would I fight you? The two involved parties gotta duke it out."
One of Kernax's eyes twitched at Siron's words.
"...You telling me to duel Smith right now?"
"Duels come in all kinds, y'know?"
"...?"
Siron flashed a grin at Kernax's "What bullshit is this?" face.
"I guarantee you'll lose."
"...No chance in hell."
"Nah, you'll lose for sure. Wanna bet? If you win, I'll call you 'Sis' for life. Deal?"
"...Add one more."
Siron nodded.
"If I win... back me up."
"Aaah, of course—if you win."
"Fine. What do I have to do."
Siron kept her shit-eating grin as she eyed Kernax's sharp glare and murmured softly.
"First off... come home with me tonight."
*Boil boil.*
A rich, savory aroma wafted from the pot where meat—bones and all—was simmering tenderly. I gazed at the fading sunset and wrapped up dinner prep.
"She'll come for dinner, right?"
Today's the end of reconstruction. But Siron hadn't shown her face once. Meaning she skipped lunch here too.
"Maybe 'cause of me."
These past few days, I'd been a bit out of it over the Kernax issue—maybe that made her uncomfortable.
"Hmm..."
Not that my worries amounted to much; it was all about how to convince Kernax, and sadly, I still had no answers.
In three days, Kernax leads her soldiers out of the city. Can I really sway her before then? Honestly, doubtful.
Two days sounds like plenty, but factoring in time to hand over the finished stockings to the soldiers underground, tomorrow's my last shot at convincing her.
"Eh, if no good ideas, I'll just give up."
Thinking it over, there'd be plenty more chances ahead, and even without tagging along this time, like Kernax said, I could check the stockings' performance indirectly in other ways.
Stubbornly butting heads with her didn't feel right anymore.
Past Smith you bastard. If you're gonna think like that anyway, why not just roll over back then.
Past Smith bastard. Jerking off and reflecting for two hours.
I killed the fire stone under the pot and finished dinner prep.
With nothing left to do, I sat at the table. I'd made extra expecting Siron, but maybe tonight it'd just be me and old man Giena if she didn't show.
Click—
Lost in thought, my ears caught the front door opening.
"Hey!! You moron!!"
Siron's voice. Her energy was infectious; even I perked up hearing it.
I jumped up, ready to scoop her into a hug, and hustled toward the entryway.
But my steps halted just after leaving the kitchen.
"What the—say something if you're here!!"
"Uh, yeah. Sorry."
I froze at the unexpected sight: Kernax, the lady of the house, standing with Siron.
Our eyes met. Like we'd rehearsed it, we both looked away.
"No, goddamn, what're you two being all shy for? Whatever—get your ass upstairs!!"
"Eek!! S-Siron!!"
Siron, wearing a mischievous grin, grabbed my wrist and dragged Kernax along straight to the second-floor bedroom.
Once there, she released me and locked the door.
"Why the lock...?"
"Why? 'Cause it's that kinda thing."
Siron crept toward me with a sly chuckle.
"Shut up and strip first."