Del Belkerman’s Persistent Request
“……Why is that?”
Did you call me to say that? Who doesn’t know that?
“I’ll handle it myself.”
“Ah. Really?”
Temarr was perfect as a leader who made decisions and firmly led the team, but he definitely lacked communication skills, Ruman thought.
If you say you’ll handle it yourself, why make your younger brother scream?
Ruman found himself about to be sarcastic and deflected it with laughter.
“Yeah, brothers should work it out well between themselves. I had no intention of getting tiringly involved anyway, so rest assured, Temarr. But I’m a bit hurt? I readily agreed to your request and am taking Ren along. We would have already arrived by now, you know?”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not that Ren threw a tantrum to come, but that you, Temarr, brought him along.”
Ruman, unable to find words to wrap up, barely continued while wondering why he was saying this.
“Handle it yourself.”
Well. For the eloquent Ruman, it was a poor choice of words, but Temarr’s face became serious.
Goodness. Being taciturn might be a disadvantage after all?
Ruman thought it must be tough as he looked at Ren sleeping with a flushed red face, wheezing.
Though he turned away and immediately forgot, calculating the appropriate compensation to extract from that Duke’s daughter Ganien Coco.
***
Ruman, Temarr, and Del took turns on night watch and dawn broke quickly.
The cold dawn air tapped his cheeks.
Just two more days forward and they’d reach a village. If they got some medicine there and let Ren rest… Ruman frowned as he calculated the time.
Still, it was a long way to the capital.
Because Heroes had outstanding physical abilities and needed almost no rest, they could reach the capital in a few days if they just changed tired horses. Therefore, unless it was a special combat situation or leading troops on a campaign, there was no need to travel while camping like this. He’d briefly forgotten that traveling like an ordinary person was such a laborious and troublesome thing.
It wasn’t entirely bad, unexpectedly.
But it was also true there was no profit.
‘Should I leave them behind? Anyway, delivering the letter and bringing him back was the end of it. If it hadn’t been for Temarr’s stubbornness, we would have already arrived at the capital and then some, and in that case my mission would already be over. Since I just need to report my retirement within a month, I could go take care of my business now, couldn’t I?’
Watching the two frustrating brothers made him frustrated too.
In many ways, wouldn’t this be more suitable?
“Uhhh…”
Ren made a groaning sound and curled up his body.
Was it because of Ren that his feet wouldn’t readily move?
The white face flushed red stirred up strange emotions in many ways. There were many beauties, but Ren had something specially pretty about him.
With that fierce expression and shabby appearance it was this much, but if he were a small-town person unused to seeing beauties, he’d be worth kidnapping and then some. It was fortunate he was a Hero’s younger brother at least.
Because kids cause trouble the moment you take your eyes off them.
Wasn’t it like that yesterday too? He sighed remembering Ren who had reached out his hand blankly, not knowing fire was scary.
“Mmm… Uh…”
“……”
“The fever is severe.”
If this person had taken attentive care, he would have left without looking back.
Looking at Temarr’s behavior, if they were left alone, Ren would definitely run away. What conversation could you have with such a brick wall?
Ruman checked Ren’s forehead. It was worse than yesterday.
“Whether the medicine is effective or not.”
“Ruman.”
“I know, I know. But it’s true. He’s groaning even more.”
“What can we do about normal person stamina being like this?”
“Hmm.”
Ren seemed particularly weak, but it might just look weak because of his appearance. Ruman rarely mingled with non-Heroes and usually only saw those working in the military, so there’s no way he’d know normal person stamina.
Ruman glanced at the Duke’s daughter.
That Duke’s daughter is perfectly fine though.
Coco must be quite diligent because she’d already finished getting ready. In the midst of it all, she must have had a change of clothes because it was a different, more practical dress than yesterday. The width was wide and the fabric light, so it looked good for running too.
She took off the jeweled shoes too.
Instead of the jeweled shoes, sturdy leather shoes were on her feet.
Did she keep Ren’s words in mind?
Coco, who had been glaring at Ren with a disgruntled face, turned her head sharply when her eyes met Ruman’s. Her purple hair seemed to flutter.
Del, who was watching that Coco, smiled.
“Miss. Please be patient. In just a few days we’ll be able to reach the capital.”
“It’s fine. No need to placate me. You think I don’t know it takes forever to get from this countryside to the capital? If we just had the artifact, we could at least get nearby. How did you manage it!”
“I’m sorry. I should have paid more attention. It’s my fault.”
“Of course it is!! I really can’t understand it. A journey that should take days… It’s also strange that they chased us all the way here. Where did Hugh go? He’s not dead, is he…”
The Duke’s daughter stomped her foot as if irritated.
Hugh? Another knight perhaps?
Because she was chattering without lowering her voice, the entire conversation was audible.
“Hugh will be fine. My lady, please calm down.”
“Can’t we stop by the villa? It won’t be as good as the capital but still…”
“We don’t know how much manpower remains. Rather, we could be isolated there, so going to the capital as we are now is the best… the road is rough… don’t you know?”
“We could borrow a Crystal Orb…”
“Heroes don’t share communication devices with others…”
The rest was too quiet to hear well.
“Let’s wake him.”
As if Temarr’s words ‘He’s my younger brother’ had been effective, Ruman called Temarr instead of waking him himself.
“Ren. Ren. You need to wake up.”
Temarr shook Ren with a reluctant hand.
“Mmmm…”
Ren smacked his lips and curled his body into a ball. He buried his face in Temarr’s cloak and nuzzled! while deeply inhaling the scent.
“……”
Temarr’s hand that was waking Ren stopped.
“Let’s let him sleep a bit more.”
“…It would be better to give him medicine. Even if Ren is sick, we have to depart.”
“Should I have brought a physician?”
Temarr recalled the apothecary old man who had exchanged an affectionate farewell with Ren.
“Hmm.”
Those were unusual eyes. He didn’t seem like someone who would be an apothecary in the countryside. Why was he in that village? Why does Temarr find that apothecary old man unfamiliar? He knew of his existence, but didn’t know he was that close to Ren. Temarr looked down at sleeping Ren’s face.
Looking closely, something came to mind.
Didn’t the apothecary old man give Ren a bundle before leaving?
“Ah.”
“Why?”
“There might be medicine in the luggage.”
“Then we should look for it quickly.”
“Not my luggage. Ren’s luggage.”
“Mm? Ah~”
Ruman also seemed to recall the apothecary old man, nodding as if that could be.
“I’ll look for it. Stay with Ren.”
Ruman readily stood up.
“Do you charge compensation for errands too?”
At Temarr’s serious question, Ruman laughed as if dumbfounded.
As if asking what kind of unfunny joke that was.
“It goes without saying.”
When Temarr flicked his finger, something came spinning through the air. Ruman lightly caught it and frowned.
“What era gold coin is this?”
“Appropriate?”
“Giving me a farewell gift in advance?”
“Something like that.”
Temarr, who had paused briefly, opened his mouth again.
“You worked hard.”
“Well.”
A single word from a heavy mouth couldn’t be light. He was momentarily taken aback by Temarr’s sincerity.
Ruman flipped the gold coin into the air and caught it, then nodded.
Comrades who shared life and death. The days they deliberately kept distant because they never knew who would die when had accumulated, and affection had grown, so even without knowing much about each other, they could feel something like firm camaraderie solidly stacked at their feet.
The regrettable part was only realizing it when it was time to part. Still, it was fortunate. How much had everyone writhed in loss when ‘he’ died? Temarr, who was full of affection, might have broken around that time. Thoughts that would profit nothing to recall now. Ruman shook his head and brushed off the thoughts.
Let’s just look for the medicine.
“You seem to be retiring.”
Coco suddenly interjected.
“Kingdom National Coin Number 1. If you sell it, you could buy a small nation, what was it, imbued with Dragon’s energy? They say it’s a symbol of good fortune, but where did a Hero get such a precious thing? Did His Majesty give it to you?”
“You know well, Miss Coco.”
“If there’s a noble who doesn’t know that, they probably bought their title.”
Hmph. Coco sneered as she spoke.
“His Majesty wouldn’t give it out easily, would he?”
Coco’s purple eyes turned to Temarr. As if extremely curious, she seemed ready to grab and question him. Temarr ignored that gaze and shook Ren.
“Ren. Wake up, you need to take medicine.”
To have no evasion skills like that. Tsk.
Ruman exaggeratedly put the coin in his inner pocket.
“My lady. Prying into secrets becomes dangerous, you know?”
“As if there’s some great story. I wasn’t even curious!”
Coco whirled her body around and stomped toward her carriage, then whirled around again.
“More than that, why is that kid wheezing like that?”
“It’s his first time traveling… that’s probably why.”
Does he look frail even to the Duke’s daughter’s eyes?
“Why is he like that when he took medicine?”
“…Mm.”
Even Ruman couldn’t answer that question. Because he was curious too!
“Wheezing and just delaying departure time, there’s no baggage like it! I was right.”
“Miss Coco.”
Coco wrinkled her face and snorted.
Even so, it was a pretty face though. Her aristocratic nose bridge and big, vivid eyes seemed to prove they had never bowed to another person.
Ruman, who was about to tell her to stop treating Ren like baggage, noticed the faint worry in those eyes and shut his mouth.
Not being honest was similar to Ren.
“If you called me, say something.”
“Never mind.”
The Duke’s daughter who walked briskly got on the carriage.
“Ruman-nim.”
Del, who had erased yesterday’s traces, gave Ruman a pleasant smile.
“Are you leaving?”
“Yes. We need to hurry after all. Thank you so much for last night.”
“Not at all.”
While Ruman declined the praise, he didn’t refuse the compensation Del had promised. Seeing how quite heavy the pouch was, he must have put in a lot.
When he opened the mouth of the pouch without hesitation, it was full of sparkling gold coins.
“More than that… I’m sorry but could I ask one more favor?”
“Please speak.”
When the compensation is this generous, I can listen. Ruman nodded with an open mind (thanks to the gold coins). Del, seeing his smile, grabbed Ruman’s hand with a relieved expression.
“I don’t particularly like men’s hands.”
“……Could you accompany us for just one or two more days?”
Even when he tried to pull his hand away because it was uncomfortable, his grip strength was so good it wouldn’t budge. Of course, if Ruman used his strength, he could pull it out right away, but then Del’s wrist would fly off.
Was he expressing how desperate he was? Tsk.
“Please let go of my hand.”
“Ah! I’m sorry.”
Del let go of Ruman’s hand and smiled with narrowed eyes, apologizing.
Del’s handprint was clearly stamped on Ruman’s hand.
Ruman’s eyes sharpened, but a gentle smile swallowed that expression.
“I’ll speak honestly. Our situation is dangerous.”
“What do you mean dangerous? Did you deceive us?”
Ruman let out an angry voice.
Actually, he’d already guessed their identity and the situation with assassins attached, but Ruman reacted as if he’d just realized it.
“I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry… I have no excuse.”
Del bowed his head deeply.
“To protect the young lady… I was afraid if you knew we were in danger, you’d turn us away…”
“To endanger others for your own sake, how despicable.”
“I’m sorry. Please, just one or two more days, won’t you?”
“No.”
“Temarr?”
What stopped Del, who was practically begging, was Temarr’s voice.
Temarr, who had given up shaking the half-asleep Ren awake, had come right up close to Del and Ruman.
Being as large as he was, having him nearby created considerable pressure.
Temarr looked down at Del with a pressing gaze while using quite a gentle voice.
“I have a young brother, so it’s difficult to take risks.”
Though he was the immortal, undying Hero Temarr, called the Beast of the Battlefield, slaughtering others while protecting himself and protecting someone were worlds apart.
Unless Ren could protect himself… there was no way Ren, who had only lived in a small village, could protect himself from someone.
And wheezing like that… it was unclear how long even Ruman would accompany them. Because showing camaraderie and extending kindness were different things. Ruman would clearly withdraw from this companionship whenever the time came. Unless Temarr gave him great profit.
On the verge of retirement, there’s no way Ruman would extend such kindness.
It was truly a sorry matter, but he had to refuse this time.
“Moreover, Heroes cannot intervene in private matters during missions.”
He should have said that first. What was he doing? Was he swept up in emotions? That was unacceptable. He was a Hero. He recalled his orders. Swift return to the royal capital.
Temarr firmly shut his mouth in a straight line.
“Hero-nim…”
It was a word that stabbed his heart.
Ruman observed Temarr with an interested attitude, and surprisingly, Del skillfully brought up the words that made Temarr weakest.
“Hero-nim… Please help us, won’t you somehow?”
“……”
