Confession of Regret and Tears
The main gate of the Black Mane Mountain Stronghold lay shrouded in pitch-black darkness. A chilling tension now hung over the once-quiet place. Beneath the flickering torchlight stood Veronica, the Empire's Third Princess. Her complexion was still pale from having only recently risen from her sickbed. Yet her eyes gleamed with a razor-sharp edge, as if ready to pierce straight through an opponent's heart. At her feet lay a heavy leather pouch and two sturdy chests.
"......What is the meaning of this, Your Highness?"
Rosa, leader of the Red Rose Mercenary Company, asked with a bewildered expression. The mercenaries behind her murmured among themselves, clearly confused.
Instead of answering, Veronica jerked her chin toward the chests.
"Dagan. Open them."
Dagan swallowed hard and unlatched the first chest. With a heavy creeeak, the lid swung open, unleashing a dazzling golden glow bright enough to push back the midnight darkness. Inside were neatly forged gold bars and platinum coins stamped with the imperial seal.
"This is double the penalty fee. Or you could say triple, if you prefer."
Veronica's voice was as cold as ice.
"Pack your things and leave this mountain immediately. If you delay even one minute, I will consider it an insult to the Empire and execute you myself."
Rosa's brow furrowed.
"We signed a formal contract. I can tolerate insults about our skill, but this—"
"Skill? That doesn't matter at all."
Veronica took one step forward. The innate imperial pressure radiating from her made even the battle-hardened mercenaries instinctively retreat.
"The mere fact that you set foot on this mountain, swung your blades, and breathed the air here...... is causing him pain."
"Whoa, Sister-in-law! Hold on a second!"
Dagan, who had been watching from the side, let out a horrified scream.
"With that much money we could buy fertilizer for the entire cabbage field! How many platinum coins are even in there? If the boss sees this he'll grab the back of his neck!"
"Shut up, Dagan."
Veronica turned and shot him a glare. The sheer intensity of it left Dagan frozen with his mouth hanging open.
"We can always earn more money. I'll sell the mines if I have to. But his peace, the rest his soul needs... that can't be bought with coin. I've only just realized that."
Veronica turned back to Rosa and declared,
"Disappear. From my sight, and from Rodin's world."
Rosa stared into Veronica's resolute eyes for a long moment before finally letting out a deep sigh and closing the chest.
"......Understood. When the employer is this firm, there's nothing more to say. But you'll regret this. You'll see what kind of consequences come from casting away this much fighting power."
"I'm already full of regret. Regret for my arrogance in summoning you here in the first place."
At Veronica's words, the mercenary company began moving with swift efficiency. Only after she confirmed they had vanished into the darkness with their boxes of gold did Veronica finally release the ragged breath she'd been holding.
The mercenaries in their fluttering red cloaks disappeared completely down the mountain. Only then did the taut string of Veronica's mind finally snap. Her knees buckled, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.
"Sister-in-law! Are you okay?"
Gil reached out in a hurry to support her. But Veronica violently shook off his hand. Her gaze was already fixed on the building deep within the stronghold where Rodin's room lay.
"Move... I have to go. I have to go to him."
"But Your Highness, your complexion is terrible! At least rest for a moment—"
"I was killing him."
Veronica's voice trembled. Tears that had pooled in her eyes spilled down her cheeks.
"The stench of war he hated so much, the bloody reek of mercenaries—I brought it straight into his sanctuary. Because of my greed, because of my own safety, I tore open his wounds again!"
She staggered forward and broke into a run. The hem of her elegant dress grew filthy with dirt and tore on branches, but she didn't care. In her mind there was only one image: Rodin, alone in that dark room, flailing in the swamp of nightmares.
"Sister-in-law, calm down! The boss is drunk right now, it's dangerous! Just getting close might get your body torn apart by his aura!"
Dagan shouted from behind, but nothing reached Veronica's ears.
"I don't care if it's dangerous. I'd rather die by the blade he swings. No, that would be better. I'll beg him to let me stay by his side. I'll beg for his forgiveness."
"Man, why is the mood in our stronghold like this lately... I'm scared, I'm just gonna go tend the fields. Pulling weeds is the safest thing around here."
Dagan trembled and backed away, but Veronica had already cut through the darkness and reached the door to Rodin's quarters.
Rodin... wait for me. Please... don't abandon me.
Desperation ruled her entire being.
The moment she stood before Rodin's door, Veronica felt a crushing pressure that stole her breath. The energy leaking through the crack was so cold and sharp it was hard to believe it came from a human. This wasn't mere mana. It was the real killing intent unconsciously emitted by the legendary Mercenary King who had slaughtered tens of thousands.
The air pressed down on her shoulders with physical weight, and every inch of her skin stung as if pierced by thousands of needles.
CRASH—!
The sound of some heavy piece of furniture shattering came from inside the room. Then a ragged, beast-like growl echoed down the quiet hallway.
With trembling hands, Veronica gripped the door handle. The cold metal sent a chill through her palm, yet her heart burned hot enough to burst.
"Rodin... It's me. Veronica."
There was no answer. Only the sound of tearing wind pressure hammering against the door from within.
Any ordinary person would have fainted from the pressure alone, but Veronica did not retreat.
"I sent them all away. The mercenaries—there isn't a single one left on this mountain. It was all my fault. I won't ever do anything you hate again. So please... just open the door."
Her voice grew wet with tears. But the killing intent inside only grew fiercer. Rodin wasn't perceiving the real Veronica right now. He was trapped ten years in the past, in the middle of that blood-soaked battlefield where his comrades had been massacred.
"......If you won't open it, I'll break it down."
A fierce light burned in Veronica's eyes.
"Even if you mistake me for an enemy and cut me down, I won't leave you alone. If I die, I'll die in your arms!"
Veronica shoved the door with all her strength. BANG! The hinges screamed as they tore free, and she threw herself into the heart of the raging storm of aura.
Rodin's room was utter chaos. The sturdy oak desk had already been reduced to powder floating in the air, and the walls were covered in deep cracks as if sliced by invisible blades. At the center of that destructive aura sat Rodin.
He was perched on the edge of the bed, clutching his head. His eyes were open, but they held no focus. Only a crimson glow flickered like fog, threatening everything around him.
"I'll kill you all... bastards like you... not a single one left..."
A curse-like mutter slipped from between Rodin's lips. When he unconsciously swung his hand, a sharp gust of wind sliced past Veronica's cheek with a whistle. A decorative cabinet embedded in the wall was cleaved cleanly in two.
Swallowing her fear, Veronica approached him. Rodin's senses detected her. His hand shot forward like the claw of a starving beast, aiming for her slender throat.
Whoosh—!
Death was right before her eyes, yet Veronica did not close them. Instead, she ignored his savage hand entirely and dove straight into his chest.
"No! It's me, Veronica! Open your eyes, you idiot!"
She wrapped her arms around his neck with crushing force. Rodin's body, muscles taut like a wild animal's, flinched and froze.
"Get away... it smells like blood... they're coming... Barman, Sands... they're all dead!"
Rodin tried to shove her away in a seizure-like frenzy. His overwhelming strength made Veronica's bones scream as if they might shatter. But she clung to him even tighter, as if her heart were bleeding.
"No one's coming! This is our home! It's the cabbage field you made and the stronghold where I am! Look out the window! The cabbages you cherished are growing right there!"
Veronica's hot tears soaked Rodin's shoulder. That warmth, the sensation of those wet drops, finally touched the cold, frozen reason inside him.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I didn't even know about your wounds, I only tried to use you for my own purposes... I'm sorry for only thinking about myself, Rodin."
Her anguished sobs slowly began to quell the killing intent filling the room. The beast-like, ragged breathing that had roared from Rodin gradually calmed. The aura that had raged like a storm melted away like snow, leaving only the desperate cries of one woman echoing in the room.
For a long time, Rodin's body, buried in Veronica's warmth, slowly lost its strength. The unfocused eyes gradually regained their light. He looked down at the woman sobbing with shaking shoulders in his arms. His head felt like it would split from the alcohol and the remnants of the nightmare, but the warmth against his chest was vividly clear.
"......You really don't listen, do you."
A low, sunken voice—much rougher than usual—flowed out. Rodin clicked his tongue as if annoyed.
"I told you it was dangerous. You really could have died."
"Hic... You... You were crying all alone like that, how could I not come... you stupid jerk...!"
Veronica weakly pounded her fists against his chest. Rodin stared blankly at the crown of her head for a moment, then lifted one large hand and wrapped it around her waist. He pulled her deep into his embrace—casual, yet as if he would never let go.
"Who said I was crying. My eyes are just stinging from the alcohol."
"Liar. Your hands are shaking like this..."
Veronica clasped his rough hand tightly. That big, calloused hand was still trembling faintly.
"I won't let go anymore. No matter how much you complain that it's bothersome and push me away, I'll stick to your side like the cabbages I planted. Every time you have a nightmare, I'll wake you up."
"......At least cabbages are quiet. You're too loud."
Rodin grumbled, resting his chin on top of her head. Deep in his chest, an unknown ticklish feeling stirred. More comforting than any pleasure he'd felt rolling across battlefields his entire life was the warmth this noisy woman gave him.
"Still... it is warm. Stay like this a little longer. Just until the alcohol wears off."
Veronica buried her face in Rodin's chest and smiled softly. The two heartbeats were slowly beginning to match the same rhythm.