Chapter 57
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Ariete (13)
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One day, Ariete shyly told Richer that she thought a baby had taken root in her belly.
Richer quietly sized her up. It had been quite some time since her last period, and if he looked closely, her lower abdomen did seem a little swollen. Whether it was just his imagination, he couldn't say.
The child he couldn't hold with Mila, now carried by Ariete. It stirred complicated feelings, but Richer smiled brightly. He thought it was the right thing to do, and truthfully, it didn't feel bad at all.
After that, Richer took Ariete with him wherever he went. It was impossible to tell who was following whom.
Whether it was even possible for them to follow each other at the same time, he didn't know, but that was the best way to describe it.
Every time Richer looked at Ariete, his heart ached. She gazed at him as if the whole world was filled only with beautiful love.
There was no trace of darkness in her eyes, no anxiety about the future, no pain from the war, no horrific memories of rape. With a single word of "I love you" and a kiss, Ariete forgave everything about Richer.
Ariete often wore an expression like Richer had pulled her out of hell.
But Richer defined the situation clearly.
It was Ariete who had pulled him out of the pit of sin.
The disciple he had pushed into hell had finally crawled back up and extended a hand to him.
That was why Richer couldn't help but love her.
How could he possibly blame a disciple who hadn't lost her light even after such long darkness?
*
Richer clutched his head and spoke.
"They say it's dangerous to do it in the early stages of pregnancy."
"What can we do? It's not a situation where we can hold back. Don't worry too much. The baby will pull through fine—it takes after its mom and dad."
"Yeah. It has to."
Richer's mania hadn't improved. After massacring people on the battlefield, he'd black out, and without fail, he'd rape Ariete all night long. Every few days, Richer would wake up in Ariete's bed as if it were the most natural thing.
But unlike before, Ariete no longer hid from him. Instead, she would wake up holding him tightly in bed.
Considering that all he'd given her was a brief confession of love, it was far too generous a price.
Richer whispered words of love to Ariete more and more often, kissing her even more frequently.
Enough to show affection openly in front of others.
But as their love deepened, the war's progress accelerated just as much.
The front lines pushed deeper, and supply lines grew increasingly unstable.
Supplies that came every three days stretched to every five, then every seven.
For now, the forward positions had no food shortages, but it wouldn't take much for problems to arise.
The supply lines had stretched too thin. The Empire wasn't some hasty nation pushing to the end in such conditions. It was steadfast, conquering what it wanted whether slowly or swiftly.
High command ordered a halt to the advance, consolidation of the front, and withdrawal.
The unit Richer belonged to was no exception. Three days after stopping the push and preparing to fall back.
And as the winter when they whispered their love drew to a close, supplies arrived after ten long days.
*
Of course, it was a day without battle.
Ariete's belly had swelled a bit from the pregnancy, but she demanded Richer all the same.
In the end, Richer gave her a leisurely, gentle, and endlessly drawn-out affair. Ariete writhed in pleasure before drifting off exhausted.
Richer didn't want to oblige out of worry for the baby, but whenever he resisted, Ariete's eyes would well up with tears as if she'd burst into sobs right then.
Truthfully, one or two more times wouldn't make much difference. They were already going at it fiercely every few days—unintentionally, but still.
Richer decided to think positively. Yeah, it couldn't be helped. At least this way, Ariete's heart would be at ease. And since he'd been gentle, it shouldn't have shocked the baby.
Richer straightened his back and stepped out of the tent.
He took a deep breath of the forest air, and the cold winter chill filled every nook of his lungs. Even that freezing twinge felt pretty good.
He didn't know anymore. What was happening, or where it was all going.
He didn't know the past or the future.
He couldn't even define his relationship with Ariete clearly. Disciple? Lover? Wife?
But one thing was certain. Right now, he was pretty happy.
He was loving and loved, and the battlefield had become somewhat bearable.
Yeah. After rolling through battlefields since his youth and enduring so much pain, maybe this was his belated reward.
But to receive that reward on a battlefield of all places. The absurdity made Richer burst out laughing. Wasn't this just proof that his fate was inescapably tied to war?
'Still, it's not bad, so that's fine.'
With supplies arriving after so long, soldiers wandered the camp munching on snacks.
Then a soldier came looking for Richer.
"Sir Richer. You've got mail."
It had to be from Mila. The only ones who wrote to him were Hilario and Mila, and Hilario wasn't the type to send letters.
A sharp pang stabbed at a corner of Richer's chest. Yeah, he needed to sort out this tangled relationship somehow. Whatever the outcome.
"Thanks."
Maybe because supply runs had stretched out, two letters had arrived at once.
But the envelopes weren't the cute, illustrated ones Mila used.
Just plain white ones.
What? Not from Mila?
Richer tore open the first envelope.
[From Seiyol Capital Hospital. To War Mage Richer. Mila's condition has worsened critically, so we are contacting her guardian, Richer. This morning, Mila at her residence—]
Richer's blood ran cold. Yeah, Mila's health had been poor. She was barely holding on with medicine, and he'd known she wouldn't live long. But this was too sudden. The doctor had said she might have another year and a half.
But the most frightening thing wasn't Mila's critical condition.
It was that there was another identical envelope.
The hospital wouldn't send two identical letters about her being critical.
No, maybe. It could be confirmation of her admission.
Richer hastily tore open the second letter. He never imagined how ominous it would feel that this envelope was slightly cleaner than the first.
[From Seiyol Capital Hospital. To War Mage Richer. Mila passed away this dawn, so we are contacting her guardian, Richer. Mila was under hospital care this dawn—]
His breathing quickened. His heart pounded twice its normal speed, breaths coming short. Hoo. Hoo. Hoo.
A massive shock, frantic gasps, trembling fingertips, lungs filled with icy air. It felt like ice shards rolling in his chest.
They say a huge shock leaves you unable to think. It's true, of course.
But in that moment, Richer realized something. A massive shock could blow away the fog in your mind.
In a brief instant, the false love and guilt clouding his vision lifted.
His hazy brain spun wildly.
Instinctive intuition. Ariete. Ariete was tangled up in this somehow.
No. That's speculation. But it's possible. No, Ariete had been at the front since early winter. She never went back alone.
But it gnawed at him. His instincts screamed. Do you really believe Ariete has nothing to do with it? Probably not. But the opposite possibility shouted louder. Those who survive battlefields don't ignore gut feelings easily.
Yeah. Let's think. Assume Ariete is involved. Did she directly affect Mila? No, not certain. Too much time gap. So, am I being manipulated by Ariete now? Is this what she intended?
Hmm. Don't know. Need judgment. Clear-headed judgment.
Feeling fog creeping back, Richer cast Shock on his right thigh, sending a jolt of current. His vision flashed, thigh muscles clenched, gray matter went berserk.
What had turned a soft-hearted man with slightly above-average mana sensitivity into a War Mage was one thing: a sharp mind.
Yeah. Right now, all he could trust was his head. Richer took a huge breath. Tiny ice grains rolled between his lung tissues.
His mind spun desperately.
Stepping back as a third party, retreating three or four steps to scrutinize every detail. His right hand still zapped his thigh with short shocks. Zap, zap, crackle.
Yeah. Begone, fog clouding my mind.
Sorting clues. Pinpointing doubts and spearing them.
Ariete suddenly becoming docile. Why? Could a girl swept in passion just turn meek like a fairy tale?
Had he accepted it too readily because it was the image he'd hoped for? Yeah, no matter how you look at it, it's unnatural.
Whether she's involved in all this, who knows. Maybe not at all. But consider every possibility.
Assumption she's uninvolved with me and Mila. Assumption she is. Exclude nothing.
Shift premises. Replace foundations. Rebuild judgments assuming all scenarios. Track every branch point, analyze each path.
The trigger for Ariete's docility. When? Clear. Last leave. Specifically, between the day she left without pie and when they reunited. Sometime in there, Ariete changed. No branches here.
When did I half-madly rape her? Early winter. At least forty or fifty days after returning to the front. Certain. No branches.
Reason? Stress from battle and killing? Yeah, most likely. But most likely isn't certain.
Consider alternatives. After killing thousands without snapping, why now? And specifically toward raping Ariete?
Unnatural. Not impossible, but unnatural.
Branches into two here.
Common denominator. Something to shake both at once. What? Hold judgment. No, link bases. Her docility timing. Capital. Empire. Leave.
Capital. Links my state and Mila's death. Drugs.
Richer shook his head. Speculation. Instincts matter, but can't solve everything on them alone. That's as absurd as deducing on imagination.
Yeah. Not certain. How would she get drugs? Ever give clues about them? About some nameless back-alley shop?
Richer sent currents through both thighs. Not direct skin, faint smoke rose from his pant cuffs. Short lightning burned distractions, pain cleared his vision.
Yeah, there was. A clue.
When Ariete writhed in pain, the medicine box I gave her had a pattern. And when I visited her room, I found the box I'd discarded in her drawer. That's blatantly odd.
No, could be obsession. Keep both possibilities open.
Yeah. Can't judge on that alone. Can't predict drug-pattern link from one box motif. Speculation.
Did she get more clues linking to Ariete? Linking me and the box is obvious. But Mila's separate.
Mila. Mila. Did Ariete ever see a clue linking Mila and drugs?
Recall. Reconstruct that day. Open door. Light hug with Mila. Restrain Ariete's outburst, send her out.
Backtrack slower.
Mila in kitchen finishing pie. Drugs. Mila taking medicine.
Yeah. That day, did Mila feel dizziness or seize in front of Ariete?
Yes. Not a seizure, but she seemed dizzy and staggered. Old memory, not crystal clear. But he remembered Ariete seeing Mila stumble.
Yeah. Not certain. Knows that. But possibility Ariete connected floral pattern and Mila is wide open.
Her powder boxes have the pattern, envelopes folded like letters stamped with floral seal.
Drugs. My sudden mania. Coincidentally toward Ariete, sexually.
Drugs. Mila's sudden death. Mila, potential obstacle to Ariete. Mila's death notice only after sexual urges peaked.
Richer sent weak currents through both forearms.
The fog in his mind blew away again.
Not certainty, but awfully close. Need confirmation.
Confirmation for what?
Don't know. But this thought. Need to put a period on it.
Richer bolted toward Ariete's tent like a madman.