The Price of Reckless Courage

Erika's face lit up with a bright smile as she grilled meat over the stone-built outdoor hearth. "You took off the helmet?"

"Yeah... does it look weird?"

Kang Daeun twirled a lock of her now-long hair around her index finger. Her face struggled to maintain a calm expression, but the dark circles beneath her eyes refused to fade.

"Not at all. Long hair suits you too. Hold on..."

She dusted the ash from her hands and pulled a string from her pocket as she approached.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to tie your hair for you."

"Eh, it's fine like this..."

"Tying it back will make it much more comfortable."

With gentle hands, she gathered the hair at the back of Daeun's head and secured it with a knot at the top. A faint hint of color returned to the once gloomy face.

"H-how does it look?"

"I think it looks good. It seems a little brighter, too."

"Hmm..."

A brief silence fell, filled only by the crackling of burning firewood. Crack. Snap.

"Well, why don't you go ask Sirke for her opinion? Have her give you an honest evaluation."

"I do want an objective assessment..."

"At the very least, you look much better now than when you were hiding yourself behind all that heavy armor."

She had shed her heavy plate and now wore a lace-trimmed nightgown. The armored knight from before was gone, replaced by a beautiful woman with flowing black hair.

"So it's okay to have a little confidence, don't you think?"

Daeun bit her lower lip for a moment before her expression softened. "Alright. Thank you, Erika."

Just as Erika had said, staying gloomy forever wouldn't earn her any favors.

"Then I need to get back to grilling the meat."

"What are you serving us today, Chef?"

"Wild boar slowly roasted over the hearth."

"Hehe... that sounds delicious."

"I was thinking... maybe it's time to start hunting again."

"H-hunting?"

It was true that the forest surrounding this cabin made encountering wild animals almost inevitable. Of course, the creatures looked nothing like those on Earth, yet for some reason the System translated their names using Earth's equivalents, and their taste was remarkably similar.

But hunting? The image of Erika hurling her bow and frantically snapping arrows flashed through Daeun's mind.

"Kyaaaaah!!"

A loud crash echoed from her room.

"I... I did it...!"

When she had rushed inside, she found Erika's hands covered in blood and countless broken arrows scattered everywhere. The room was in complete chaos—shattered pottery, a window smeared with blood and smashed to pieces. And there was Erika, trying to break the very bow that had once been her pride, the one she had aimed at the Demon King's vital points time and time again.

What would she do if she went out to hunt? Pick up a bow again?

"...If you need a bow, I can—"

"I won't use it."

"..."

Erika turned her head away, her answer firm. Her tightly clenched fist spoke volumes about what she was feeling.

"...I-I'll just set traps and slit their throats with a dagger."

"Ah, right."

She must have already thought this through carefully. Daeun felt a pang of guilt for asking so carelessly.

"...Then I'll go check on him and take care of his needs."

"Yeah, please do."

The sound of footsteps faded into the distance. Erika picked up an axe and skillfully split the firewood, then tossed a piece into the dwindling fire.

"Cough, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cough."

Maybe she had thrown it too carelessly. Ash tickled her eyes and throat.

"I hope you enjoy it again today."

After finishing the meal, she would have to write another letter to deliver to him tomorrow morning. What should she write? What story would bring a smile to his face?

Even though she could no longer see it, or even properly remember it... Ah. That sleepy smile of his... The way the corners of his eyes and lips curved upward. Simply thinking of him was enough to paint a face so beautiful it could enchant anyone.

*

Should I... not take the medicine?

The glass of water and the pills sat before him. He had already read all the letters. He could write his own reply once evening arrived.

But soon they would enter the room to check on his condition.

...He wanted to see them just once.

Maybe it was okay to be a little brave.

He carefully slipped the pills into the inner pocket of his clothes, then removed the garment, folded it neatly, and placed it under the bed. After drinking all the water, he set the glass on the desk.

His body lay down on the bed. His eyelids closed.

The only difference was that his mind remained perfectly clear.

He barely managed to suppress his wildly pounding ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠heart.

It's okay. It's okay. They're faces I miss... They must want to see me too.

They were faces he would have to meet eventually. So he had to try, little by little.

They would never approach first, so he had to be the one to reach out.

The one who needed courage was none other than himself.

And so, his little adventure began.

How much time had passed?

The door creaked open.

"...He's probably asleep, right?"

"The water in the cup is gone... and there are no pills on the desk. Yeah."

...This was bad. It was different from Erika's time. Why?

Cold sweat trickled down his back. He needed the medicine. The sleeping pills. Please.

No. No. Woojin, get a hold of yourself.

These were faces he had to face. Voices he had to hear.

It wouldn't hurt at all.

He desperately tried to push those feelings down.

If he could just endure a little longer, if he could strengthen his will just a bit more, then someday he would surely restore their relationship to how it once was. He believed he could heal their wounds once again.

"He's already taken off his top..."

"...Has he really become this thin?"

"Yes. For now, let's continue this conversation outside... Shall we stop holding back our words? Could you support his back?"

"Yeah. Just a moment..."

And then the fear he had barely suppressed—the anxiety that made his arms and hands twitch, the cold sweat that began to pour down his face right as Sirke noticed something was off with his condition—all of it shattered with a single touch.

"H-huaaak—!"

It took only an instant for everything to return to its rightful place.

*

"No, no, Woojin, no..."

"G-get away! Why, why..."

"Mister Woojin, you don't mean..."

"You—why did you come here too... I told you I didn't want to see you! You, you—"

"Woojin, no, please, just listen to us..."

Woojin was trembling. Curled up tightly in the corner of the room. His body shook uncontrollably like a leaf in the wind. His eyes couldn't bear to look at them.

"G-get awaaaay..."

When he recoiled from the approaching Daeun as if he had seen something he should never witness, her face filled with shock. The bright expression vanished as she tried to flee the room in a panic.

"You can't."

Sirke grabbed her arm. There was strength in her voice.

"Are you crazy? Woojin can't see us. I have no idea what he was thinking when he did this, but maybe those letters were all—"

The thought made her feel like she was going to vomit.

What if. What if all his letters had been fake?

What if, filled with hatred and resentment, fully aware of their feelings, he had orchestrated all of this just to screw them over...?

"I... I can't endure this..."

Her eyes began to cloud over. Until she had entered the room to care for him, they had been full of life. Two shining orbs filled with the hope of helping his body recover and giving him the peace to spend time with them again.

Now... she needed a dagger. She wanted to see bright red blood flow. She wanted this agony inside her body to leave. Please.

"Please... help me."

Her voice carried strength, but her eyes were desperate. Sirke intended to put him back to sleep.

"I'll bring some water. Just a moment..."

With those words, she hurried to fill the cup and returned with a fresh sleeping pill.

"Mister Woojin?"

"Stop pretending to be kind. You'll just..."

"I won't say anything. I just..."

She knelt gracefully before him and offered the pill.

"...Are you telling me to die? Offering me poison?"

"It's a sleeping pill."

He reached for it, then quickly pulled his hand back to his chest.

"S-so you're just telling me to sleep like I'm dead?"

"I thought the world of dreams would be better than this one."

Sirke smiled gently.

"..."

Her bright smile made his eyes waver.

"So please take the pill in bed. Once you fall into a deep sleep, you won't have to look at us. Okay?"

Sirke carefully handed him the pill and the cup of water. He accepted them and swallowed it in one gulp. Then Sirke left the room with trembling steps, tightly holding onto Daeun's arm as she shook even harder.

*

Once again, silence descended upon the living room.

Erika, who had rushed over after hearing the screams, could barely stand at the horrific sight.

Blood had spilled across the floor. Daeun was frantically staining her clothes red, and Sirke simply watched.

Erika quickly snatched the dagger away and demanded an explanation, but...

"In the end, there is no forgiveness... Not for any of us. Probably never."

That was the only answer she received—an incomprehensible, utterly despairing reply from Sirke's seemingly deranged face.

Erika forcibly dragged Daeun into the bathtub, washed her, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and put her to bed. Fortunately, because she had expended too much power healing the wounds, Daeun fell asleep almost immediately.

She searched the room thoroughly and confiscated no less than five bladed weapons, all of which she buried in the ground.

"Haa..."

The roast had already turned into charcoal. She tossed it from the plate into the pile of firewood and returned inside.

She helped Sirke, who was still kneeling in a daze, up from the floor and sat her down on a chair in the living room.

"Tell me. What happened?"

When Sirke still couldn't regain her senses even while seated, Erika slapped her cheek hard. Slap—

"Tell me. What did you two do?"

"...Mister Woojin didn't take the sleeping pill."

Sirke quietly pulled out his clothes and a single pill.

"It was tucked neatly in his inner pocket."

"What... did you say to him?"

"Nothing. I don't understand him anymore. It's only natural that he resents us. From the beginning, hope was never something we were allowed to have..."

"Why... why..."

"He screamed when he saw us. The moment Daeun touched him. He must have been awake. Those eyes filled with terror are still so vivid. Throwing himself into the corner, cowering and looking at us with pure fear... Erika, what... what should we do?"

"W-why... he said it was delicious... he said thank you, so why, whyyy..."

"E-Erika..."

"Why, whyyyy...!"

Soon, the living room was filled only with the sound of heartbreaking sobs.

In the pitch-black darkness that had settled, not even the moonlight showed its face.

*

After that, Daeun never smiled again.

Though she kept her hair neatly tied, whenever she was given a task she would simply nod and carry it out like a machine.

The faint sounds of weeping that could be heard every night were the only thin proof that she hadn't completely closed her heart.

Sirke refused to enter the room any longer. She declared that even her hands were dirty to him, that someone ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠who had lost his trust had no right to heal him, and she withdrew from everything related to him.

She carefully folded her nun's habit and left it deep in the storage shed... and lived on as an ordinary woman.

Erika was the only one who somehow kept her sanity.

Every day she comforted the others, who had even given up eating and drinking. She gave Sirke, who had lost her purpose, a new goal.

Each day she carefully placed a sincere meal and drinking water in the room.

...And after reading the letter he had written once more, three days after that day, she sent one final reply and stopped giving him any more letter paper.