A Companion's Vow
And then came the next stage.
“Thankfully, the collapse wasn’t too severe. The fallen rocks weren’t that thick, so our mana-based search was effective… We’re still looking for any other potential missing persons just in case.”
“We got lucky in more ways than one. It helped that you moved so quickly. Thank you, Heinkel.”
“You honor me.”
Under a sun-drenched sky, at the entrance to the mine where the search operation was in full swing.
Hwian’s casual compliment made Heinkel bow at a razor-sharp angle, expressing his gratitude. Seeing the man’s unexpectedly humble demeanor—uncharacteristic for a noble—Hwian let out a small chuckle.
Good thing my prior instructions paid off.
The hole connecting the tunnel to the cave had remained sealed until Hwian had broken through it. That meant there had to be another passage the fanatics had been using to come and go before then.
Which was exactly why, before entering the tunnel, Hwian had ordered Heinkel to locate “another natural cave leading deeper into the mountain range.”
To secure an escape route in case of emergencies. And, while he was at it, to gather any evidence the fanatics might have left behind.
The result was the collapse. Hwian, who had been waiting relatively comfortably, was rescued without much trouble thanks to Heinkel’s swift response.
A collaboration between preparation and coincidence. The fruit of foresight.
Now then… how’s the body…
Hwian lightly rolled his shoulders, checking his condition.
Thanks to the pain-relief magic he’d received inside the mine, the discomfort wasn’t severe. A few ribs behind his spine were broken, but it wasn’t a life-threatening injury.
In fact, if he could just endure the pain, he was in good enough shape to move around right now.
“W-wait, Hero! Please don’t move…!”
And with Serena’s devoted healing added on top, he had absolutely nothing to worry about.
His upper body was bare, revealing the firm, muscular frame beneath. Serena’s small hands carefully stroked across his broad back.
With red and blue mana gently blooming at her fingertips, she continued in a soft voice.
“Bones are delicate, you know. They don’t heal well with magic. Honestly, you really should be getting advanced healing magic, but…”
“That glowing yellow one? But your mana’s running low, so it can’t be helped. Just patch me up enough and it’s fine.”
“…You really push your body to the limit, don’t you?”
Serena grumbled. Her hands, as they caressed his back, were filled with equal parts worry and care.
Feeling the faintly ticklish sensation of the healing, Hwian smiled faintly.
He turned his head toward Heinkel, who was still waiting, and asked.
“So… what about Ernest?”
“His Highness the Second Prince is still missing. We’re having a hard time locating him as well. He must be somewhere, but…”
Heinkel answered with an anxious expression. It was the response Hwian had expected, yet the discomfort it brought made him click his tongue—“Tsk”—for a reason entirely different from Heinkel’s unease.
The Second Prince’s body had not been found in the end.
He had simply gone missing due to the “cause unknown” collapse of the tunnel and cave.
Had he died without being discovered? Or had he somehow survived and secretly slipped out of the cave?
The former would be preferable. But…
The Ruinfall Ernest had cast at the end had been far weaker than what Hwian remembered. That was why both of them had managed to survive the deadly cave-in without fatal injuries.
Most likely because Ernest’s stamina had been depleted when he activated the spell.
That he had survived because of it was, of course, a good thing…
But at the same time, it also meant Ernest could still be alive for the exact same reason.
What a tenacious bastard. Truly.
Hwian rested his chin on his hand as he watched the workers desperately continuing the search.
—In the end, Ernest’s whereabouts remained undiscovered even until that night. It was an exceedingly uncomfortable stretch of time.
And then night fell.
On a bed bathed in moonlight.
Hwian sat heavily on the rough blanket, continuing to polish his blade, wiping it this way and that.
He angled the sword so light caught its edge, checking whether it had been cleaned properly. Just then, a knock sounded from beyond the door.
“Are you awake, Hero? It’s Serena.”
“Come in.”
At his light reply, the door creaked open. When he turned his head, Hwian raised an eyebrow slightly at the sight that greeted him.
Serena had changed into something close to sleepwear.
Her small frame. Her soft skin.
The pure white hair that flowed down her back caught the moonlight and glowed with a gentle luster. Her sparkling golden eyes looked up at him with the same goodwill as always.
Serena smiled faintly.
At the sight of her, a smile unconsciously spread across his own face.
“I came to check on your wounds. I was worried.”
“Because of my back? It’s not bad enough to worry over. It hurts a bit, but I can move just fine. It should heal in a few days.”
“Even so. If it hurts too much, tell me. I’ll cast the spell again.”
Serena walked over and quietly perched herself on the edge of the bed beside him.
The mattress dipped with a soft poof. From just two fists away, the small girl gazed up at his face.
Hwian savored that gaze, filled with goodwill, and continued polishing his sword.
Serena spoke to him.
“What will you do from now on, Hero?”
“Keep traveling, of course. We’ve gathered a decent amount of starting funds… It’s time to move in earnest.”
Hwian answered in a calm, steady voice.
Thanks to the countless Ments they had subjugated along the way, the military funds he had originally aimed for had already been exceeded.
On top of that, there were the personal rewards from the miners Serena had healed, the discovery bonus for the mithril, and more… The unexpectedly large sum had left his pockets nearly bursting.
“Have you decided where to go?”
“The artisans’ city of Nosvel. Heinkel said he’d share some of the mithril, so I’m planning to take it there and have a new sword made. The one I have now isn’t bad, but after swinging it so many times, the edge is already chipped…”
“Nosvel… That’s outside the kingdom. Quite far, too.”
“It’s quite far north from here. Just getting there will take over a month. The road is so rough that carriages barely travel it.”
Although they had failed to secure exclusive rights to the mithril as originally planned, this development wasn’t bad either.
Heinkel and the miners had shown him considerable goodwill. Originally, the mine owners could have claimed ownership of the mithril without question, but those who had watched Hwian and Serena’s efforts insisted that he be given a share.
The amount of mithril they had agreed to give him was roughly the size of a forearm.
It was more than enough to forge a sword. Whatever remained would likely be put to good use when Heinkel rebuilt the silver mine.
Good was good.
…
Beside the faintly smiling Hwian, Serena bit her lip with a complicated expression.
There were things she wanted to say. Things she wanted to hear.
“After you have the sword made in Nosvel… will you go looking for companions? The Wall, the Dawn, the Holy Sword, the Coordinator, the White One. There are so many talented people in this world.”
…
—If it’s all right with you, could I become one of those companions? She wanted to ask.
She wanted to ask, in a desperate voice, whether she could follow him even to that harsh next destination.
Serena was weak.
After spending the past few days with Hwian, she had grown sickeningly aware of just how weak she truly was.
When he had gone into the tunnel alone to sweep away the monsters, she had been unable to do anything. When she had clung to his back during the fight with the prince, all she could do was scatter her mana with everything she had.
She was weak. So very small, soft, and weak.
[…I won’t protect you.]
What flashed through her mind were the words Hwian had spoken before they left the royal palace.
[Even if I can protect you, I won’t. Consider yourself dead the moment you fall behind. No—if I see any sign of that happening, know that I will return you to the palace immediately.]
At the time, she had thought it was nothing more than a threat.
But now she understood. That had been Hwian’s own form of consideration.
If she had shown any signs of faltering during their journey, he really would have taken her back to the palace.
Because he knew how difficult it would be for someone as small and weak as her to adapt to the outside world, he had spoken those words out of genuine concern.
…Could I ever meet your standards?
And she also knew that if Hwian intended to send her back to the palace, now was the final chance.
Serena wanted to follow him.
But having only just come to understand how dangerous the outside world truly was, she didn’t want to throw a tantrum or make demands.
Had she appeared to him as someone worthy of traveling together? Had she not fallen behind? Had she not been a burden?
Emotions closer to anxious unease than self-loathing. Earnest longing. Hope.
“Oh, right. About what you said earlier—that you’d tell me later.”
In front of her, Hwian opened his mouth.
As he polished the blade, as if it were nothing at all, he said casually,
….……—Tears welled up in her eyes.
“I realized it while fighting today. Going alone really is tough. The road ahead will be harsh, but… I’ll support you. I’ll protect you.”
Her tightly clasped hands trembled faintly.
She knew she had to say something, but her lips kept quivering and the words wouldn’t come out properly.
“Let’s do this together. Of course, only if you want to—”
“…Really?”
“Hm?”
“Can I… really keep following you…?”
When Hwian turned to look at her, Serena’s figure was reflected in his eyes.
Her golden eyes were glistening with tears. The tip of her nose stung, and her shoulders shook ever so slightly.
Relief. Fulfillment. Joy at being acknowledged.
Had she truly understood his words correctly?
To the anxious girl before him, Hwian let out a small laugh and reached out.
“You don’t need to ask me for permission, Serena.”
Tap. He placed his large hand on her soft hair and said,
“Rather, I should be the one asking you. ‘Will you come with me?’”
“I… I…”
“You don’t want to?”
At his teasing tone, Serena shook her head so vigorously it seemed to make a whooshing sound.
Hwian chuckled at the sight and gently stroked her soft hair.
“Then it’s settled. Should I have said it sooner? I didn’t expect you to cry.”
“Uuu…”
“Looking at you like this, you really don’t seem like royalty… You’re just like any other girl.”
Where had the proud Serena gone—the one who healed people with the dignity of a saint? In her place sat this crybaby before him.
He saw her pressing her lips tightly together, eyes brimming with moisture. Then, as if refusing to let the tears fall, she vigorously wiped her eyes with her sleeve and spoke in a loud, clear voice.
“P-please take good care of me…!”
“Yeah. Let’s take good care of each other.”
His hand continued to stroke her hair.
On the bed where the night grew deeper, Serena looked up at Hwian and gave him a bright, bashful smile.