[The Blackwood Territory]
The journey to the Blackwood territory was nothing short of boisterous. Every word spoken seemed to revolve entirely around me.
"Vice-captain! Congratulations!"
"Man... I still can't believe it. Our vice-captain is getting married..."
"I guess he accepted because she's pretty, right?"
"A noble wife... You've really made it, Vice-captain."
"Does that mean you'll become a noble too, Vice-captain?"
"No, you idiot. How would that even work? He doesn't have land to rule, and he's not taking the Blackwood name. The vice-captain stays the vice-captain."
I didn't respond to any of it, simply urging my horse forward. Adam, riding beside me, couldn't hold back his laughter. He was roaring with laughter, as if my discomfort were the most amusing thing in the world. At first, it had been grating and annoying, but as time passed, I found myself laughing too. Perhaps it was because I realized he was laughing half to ease my tension and half out of genuine celebration.
After laughing for a long while, Adam calmed himself and spoke.
"Anyway, Berg. You made a good choice, really."
"..."
"It's an interspecies marriage, but... hey, Berg. Do you know one of the defining traits of the Wolf-kin?"
I looked over at Adam. He paused for effect, then held up a single finger.
"They say Wolf-kin love only one person for their entire lives."
"..."
"Isn't that cool?"
For some reason, those words etched themselves deep into my chest. Adam continued his explanation.
"That's why the Wolf-kin refer to marriage as a Soul Binding. They say they stay together even after death."
I chewed on his words for a moment before replying.
"...That wasn't the case for the Wolf-kin I saw in my old mercenary group. They were bringing home harlots every other day."
"Hey, that's..."
Adam opened his mouth as if to refute it, then blinked and averted his gaze. He answered in a voice that lacked conviction.
"...Actually, the 'loving only one person' thing is just a rumor I heard."
"...."
I sighed and urged my horse to a faster pace. It felt like I was just wasting time talking to him. But as I pulled ahead, Adam quickly followed. The rest of the mercenary corps, trailing behind us, had to pick up their speed to keep up. Adam, persistent as ever, called out.
"Anyway. It means your Blackwood wife will be on your side. A man gains strength when he has the support of his wife."
"You talk as if you have a wife yourself."
"That's why I meet so many women."
"..."
He reached out from his horse and slapped my shoulder.
"And since it's come to this, stop hiding in the mercenary corps and make a name for yourself. The son-in-law of the Blackwoods can't live quietly anymore. We built this mercenary corps together, you and I—it makes no sense for people not to know who you are."
"...I'm not doing this to become famous. Forget it."
"Anyway, once you're married—"
"—Let's put off the marriage talk. Subjugating the monster horde is the priority."
I brought it up because it seemed like he had forgotten. It had been a long time since we led the entire corps in a large-scale battle. It was possible we were heading toward heavy casualties.
"Well... we'll do well, just like we always have. Trust the kids. Besides, everyone is fired up because they heard you're getting a wife out of this deal."
I glanced back at the mercenary corps. It had been a long time since the entire unit had gone on an expedition. But he was right; everyone was wearing a smile.
I shook my head and said, "...It's probably more because they're getting a connection to the nobility."
Many of the members felt a sense of pride just from having that connection. We were transforming from a group of commoners into a group backed by a noble family.
"Whatever the reason, don't worry about it."
"...."
Adam suddenly put on a mischievous expression.
"...If you're going to worry, worry about your wedding night—"
"—Ah, seriously."
"Hahahaha!"
Adam laughed so hard he was tearing up. Baran, who was riding behind me, couldn't hold back his laughter either. I tried my best to ignore them. As we traveled for a while longer, Baran asked a question.
"Vice-captain Berg. Are you prepared?"
"...?"
"I mean, you know... things like a ring."
Perhaps because I made it obvious I had no interest in such things, Baran was worrying about the smallest details. I nodded. It wasn't a decision I had made lightly in the first place. Even if I wasn't particularly thrilled about it, now that I had decided to marry, I was going to do it properly. I had no intention of treating my future wife carelessly. Whatever happened, she was someone who would be by my side until I died. Therefore, I needed to put in the effort befitting that. Someday, our existence would be a source of strength for each other. That’s what a married couple is.
"But do the Wolf-kin even have a ring culture?" Adam asked suddenly.
"I don't think they do..."
Baran smiled at his words and said, "Isn't it fine to mix good cultures together? Besides, is there any woman who would dislike being gifted a ring?"
"I suppose that's true?"
"I am worried, though. It won't be easy to align our cultures..."
"If it's Berg, he'll do fine."
Adam urged his horse forward again to stick by my side. He reached out and patted my shoulder. "Anyway. I'm glad you made the decision."
"..."
"...Berg. First love is always hard to forget. But time has passed, so let it go and move on."
Baran was startled by Adam’s words. "What? Vice-captain Berg, you had a first love?"
"..."
"Is that why you've been pushing women away all this time? Wow... you're more romantic than I thought."
"Hah. It's not like that."
I waved my hand and turned the reins of my horse. The constant attention made me want to escape this space. "I'm going to check on the back."
I spoke to Adam and headed toward the rear of the procession. But even as I rode against the flow, the congratulations from various members were just as overwhelming.
Evening approached quickly. The mercenary corps set up camp in a familiar, practiced manner. Campfires flickered here and there, and the scent of food drifted through the air. Sounds of laughter, sighs, and conversation echoed. However, I remained on my horse and stepped away from the camp for a moment. I needed time alone, away from the noise.
As we approached the Blackwood territory, the air became clearer. The trees grew thicker, and the grass became more rugged. Forests started appearing in the distance. It felt like we were entering deep into nature, to the point where I wondered if we were entering an elven territory instead. But at the same time, traces of monsters trampling through were visible here and there. As we advanced, the damage the territory had suffered began to appear.
I scouted the surroundings lightly, lost in thought. Marriage. It was a truly heavy word. I never imagined I would be getting married so suddenly, and to a stranger at that. I didn't show it, but being human, I was nervous. I knew how important this ceremony was. There was a time when I considered it the most important ritual in life. There was a time when I looked forward to marriage above all else. That tension I once felt seemed to be returning, however faintly.
Would I be able to make her happy? Would she get along with me? Would we fight? What kind of future should we paint? Because I didn't know her, I couldn't get a feel for anything. Perhaps the burden was heavy because of the problems inherent in this marriage. It could be a marriage that carried the fate of our mercenary corps. As Adam said, it could be our lifeline. In that regard, it was more important than anything else that I get along with Neir Blackwood. It meant there was definitely a part of this I had to work on. Of course, if we just happened to get along well, that effort would be easier, but still.
If I was going to do it, I hoped she would be a good match for me. I didn't want to spend my life bickering with the woman I would be with forever. There would certainly be difficulties. I expected that much. I knew that because our races were different, our cultures would be vastly different. I had already experienced this in my previous mercenary group. There were cases where the cultural gap never narrowed, leading to constant arguments. Back then, I could enforce my opinion with my fists, but not this time. As a married couple, consideration would be more important than anything else.
What kind of things would those be? I couldn't know, as I didn't know her culture.
"Vice-captain Berg!"
A voice called out from behind me. "Eat dinner! We'll take care of the scouting!"
I put my thoughts aside at my subordinates' words. I nodded and turned my horse around.
"Isn't it magnificent?"
"..."
As we entered the Blackwood fortress, Adam asked. The Blackwood territory was so vast that a response wasn't even necessary. I could feel the mercenary corps, who had been marching in formation, becoming restless as they looked around. But I understood. I had been to many other noble territories, but this was on a different level. Perhaps it was because they were the most prestigious of all the nobles we had dealt with so far. Maybe because the culture was different, the atmosphere conveyed was also different.
The castle, built along the sloped mountain, created a strange sensation. Many trees grew along the slope. Countless birds could be seen flying freely. There were houses that reminded me of cozy dens. Statues that looked like they might have been their heroes in the past held their heads high. And...
'Inside the Blackwood castle, there's a huge waterfall, Bell! You have to see it too!'
A single waterfall. I closed my eyes at the voice that suddenly echoed in my head.
"...."
It couldn't be like this, not even now. Really, no more.
"...Berg?"
Adam called out to me from the side.
"..."
"Why, are you surprised by the waterfall? It's pretty, isn't it?"
I looked at the waterfall and slowly let out my impression.
"...It's smaller than I expected."
"Huh? What, did you know there was a waterfall?"
There was no need to answer Adam's question.
-Ba-bam! Ba-bam!
-Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
A military band, perfectly in sync, welcomed us. Cheers erupted from countless Wolf-kin soldiers. The territory residents and children also sent applause our way. There wasn't a single person who didn't welcome us, as we had arrived bearing hope. The atmosphere was good.
"This is my first time seeing so many Wolf-kin at once!" Baran shouted, sticking close to my ear. I was thinking the same thing. Being surrounded by people like this made it painfully obvious that we were outsiders. Every single citizen had a tail. On their heads, two wolf ears were perched. The Red Flame Mercenary Corps walked slowly along the path they had cleared on both sides. And at the end of this path, I saw people waiting for us, looking more noble than anyone else.
The luster flowing from their tails was different. Just as nobility flowed from human aristocrats, these Wolf-kin were overflowing with an air of nobility. There were six people waiting for us. One middle-aged man who looked aged, three young men who looked like his sons, and two women who looked like his daughters. I lightly scanned them to see who Neir might be. They were all decent, but I realized that Adam's comment about 'never having seen such a beautiful woman' was an exaggeration. Whoever it was, they were just a little pretty. They weren't beauties of the century.
Adam and I dismounted at a reasonable distance. The other members who had been riding behind us also dismounted. Adam walked out first, and I followed behind him. The applause, cheers, and music died down. Whispered evaluations directed at us reached my ears.
"What's up with that human in the back? He's handsome..."
"Is that person Neir's partner?"
Adam burst into a smirk at the praise directed at me. And naturally continuing that smile, he showed a grin to the middle-aged man approaching us. A large build, and scars that seemed to symbolize honor. Grayish hair and a tail. Gibson Blackwood. He was the head of the Blackwood family. Adam reached out to shake his hand first.
"Lord Blackwood, we meet again."
"Adam. You didn't have any trouble on your journey, did you?"
They exchanged light greetings, and soon the focus of their attention shifted to me. "Is this the man who will be my son-in-law?"
I bowed my head slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Berg."
"Berg! A good name. You're as tall and handsome as Adam said. Ah, is it alright if I speak comfortably?"
"That's fine."
We shook hands. I could feel his strength in his grip.
"Good. We're going to be family, so let's be comfortable. Berg, drop the stiff titles and call me Father-in-law."
I nodded and shifted my gaze. For now, I wanted to be sure who Neir was. But as the attention shifted, Gibson Blackwood began to look back and forth between me and Adam. "That is..."
Adam also tilted his head in the same way. I could quickly realize what the question he was feeling was.
"...I don't see Neir Blackwood."
An awkward air flowed for a moment. Gibson Blackwood let out a long sigh and answered. "...This morning, she suddenly came down with a fever... so she couldn't come out."
"..."
"..."
I quietly glanced at Adam. He was still wearing a polite smile. But he probably felt what I felt. Gibson Blackwood was lying. I let out a long sigh through my nose, making sure not to make it obvious. It felt like the path to marriage wasn't going to be smooth from the very first step.