“……”
Edner, who had gone to Rowy’s carriage for a final check before departure, returned with a heavily crumpled face.
“What’s wrong?”
Edner’s aide, Dwyne Assel, approached and asked. However, even at Dwyne’s question, Edner still made no answer with a frown on his face.
“Did Rowy-nim say he needs something? Should I prepare it? …Don’t tell me, is he throwing a tantrum again? Really, even though it’s been years since I’ve seen him, he’s still the same. Just thinking about how I was called everywhere because of that young master!”
Though Edner said nothing, Dwyne suddenly began pouring out complaints about Rowy. It was a natural reaction for Dwyne, whose only memories of Rowy were running around cleaning up the accidents Rowy had caused. Edner, who had been just listening to Dwyne grumble for quite a while, suddenly brought up a completely irrelevant topic.
“Do kids these days normally, even before marriage, just… kiss and stuff?”
“What?”
Suddenly? Dwyne looked at Edner with a bewildered expression. Edner still had a serious expression.
“Wasn’t it supposed to be that you just hold hands and then get married?”
“Vice Commander, did you come from ancient times or something?”
Tsk, tsk. Edner, who had clicked his tongue at Dwyne’s words, turned around with a dissatisfied look.
“…What is it?”
Dwyne, still not understanding the situation, looked at Edner’s back with a bewildered expression. However, Edner had already walked away and mounted his horse.
“Now, let’s depart. We have a long way to go.”
“Yes!”
Dwyne, who had been tilting his head, also hurried to find his place at the sound of departure. From the center of that group, the carriage—which for some reason now had all its curtains drawn unlike before—also began to move.
* * *
While it took less than a day from Seraphila to Marzen, it would take a full week from Marzen to Velstra. This was because the notoriously treacherous Penter Mountains were situated between the two countries. The Penter Mountains, with their harsh terrain and frequent monster appearances, were the biggest obstacle for those traveling to Seraphila for vacation.
So these days, the method of going around this mountain range and traveling to Seraphila by sea was becoming popular… but it wasn’t a suitable method for the party that had to hurry back to the Empire. Still, because villas with protective barriers installed everywhere had been built, crossing the mountain range wasn’t as difficult as one might think. …As long as monsters didn’t constantly rush at them like now.
“Block them!”
“Kill them!”
Clang, crash! Shouts and monster screams echoed endlessly from all directions. Due to the fierce battle that had continued for quite a while, the area was filled with the foul smell of monster blood everywhere.
“Damn it, I thought we’d have it easy going with imperial knight lords!”
Rona, the commander of the Red Sun Mercenary Company, swung her sword to strike down goblins that kept rushing at her while showing her annoyance.
“Huff, Commander! Where on earth do they keep pouring out from?”
“I don’t know, fuck! Just hurry up and kill them!”
Rona, who had spat curses at her subordinate who came to talk, dove into the middle of the monster horde once more.
“Damn it!”
Even while cutting down the monster in front of her, Rona kept checking behind her to confirm the knights’ movements. They had already clashed with monsters several times, but each time, the knights left all combat to the mercenaries and didn’t move at all.
‘There are too many for us to handle alone…’
The first goblin horde they encountered could be easily handled by just the mercenary company, but… the number of monsters appearing was increasing. Rona glanced back once more. However, the knight order was still just standing quietly near the carriage. Seeing this, Rona gritted her teeth.
“Fuck, if only they’d paid us less!”
Uaaaah! Rona, who had let out a sound that could be either a scream or a battle cry, rushed at the monsters again.
“……”
And… between the mercenary company and the knight order, Van stood alone in an awkward spot with a serious expression, watching the battle.
‘Is it because they’re a mercenary company contracted with the ducal family? Their skills are definitely good.’
The mercenaries, who had hesitated due to the large number of monsters, soon regrouped and were defeating the monsters in an instant. It was impressive that even though this was the third battle, they showed no signs of disarray. What especially stood out was the mercenary commander Rona, whose monstrous strength to cut down large monsters with a single stroke despite her small frame was very impressive.
“Huu…”
Van, who had been watching this, let out a sigh. He’d wondered if he should jump in if it became dangerous, but it seemed sufficient to leave it to the mercenary company.
“……”
Van, whose tension had eased, returned to his gloomy face and looked back at the carriage Rowy was riding in. The reason Van was riding a horse alone, separated from Rowy like this, was… because Edner, who had witnessed the two kissing before departure, had been looking into the carriage constantly without notice since then.
‘You, get out.’
Rowy, who had become extremely sensitive because of Edner’s sudden appearances, eventually kicked Van out entirely.
“Ugh…”
I miss him… Van looked back at Rowy’s carriage repeatedly with longing eyes. It hadn’t even been half a day since they separated, but he was being very dramatic.
“Front! Goblin appearance!”
“Form ranks!”
It was while Van kept looking back at the carriage like that. Monsters appeared again. Seeing this, Van’s face became serious. They’d just been dealing with a goblin horde and now a new group appeared—they seemed to be encountering them too frequently.
‘At this rate, we won’t reach the villa until after sunset.’
Van’s face hardened. If their arrival was delayed like that…
‘The time I can’t see Rowy will be too long.’
…He really was being dramatic.
However, Van’s trivial thoughts didn’t last long. Because the atmosphere was gradually becoming unusual.
‘…There are an abnormally large number of goblins.’
Usually goblins traveled in groups, but their numbers didn’t exceed ten. Because male goblins that went hunting were usually around ten individuals. But now, goblins kept popping out from somewhere, and already over twenty goblins were clashing with the mercenaries.
‘Where did all these goblins come from?’
Did they accidentally disturb a goblin colony, or… were they being chased by other monsters? Van’s eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. However, his thoughts didn’t continue long. Because the reason soon revealed itself.
“Graaaah!”
“Ogre! Ogre appearance!”
“Damn it! Hold formation! Push the combat slaves to the front first!”
“Kieeeek!”
Ogres appeared from behind the goblin horde. And three ogres were chasing dozens of goblins.
‘Bad luck.’
They seemed to have gotten caught up in the ogres’ hunting path. Literally unlucky. Van shook his head.
The mercenary company was holding up well, but… there were too many enemies.
‘This won’t be easy for them alone.’
Van, who had gauged the mercenaries and combat slaves’ abilities, glanced at Edner, the one in charge. However, Edner still stood with his arms crossed, not moving.
‘…He has no intention of moving.’
Van, who had pondered for a moment, finally drew his sword. They had a long way to go to the Empire, and he couldn’t let people die here. And…
‘If we’re delayed here, Master’s mealtime will be too late.’
…For that reason, Van joined the battle.
When Van approached, the mercenaries maintaining formation quickly retreated. Taking this opportunity to dodge, it seemed they intended to push everything onto Van.
‘Well, that’s fine though.’
Van advanced with light steps to the front of the combat slaves who were blocking monsters with their bodies at the frontline. And… what followed was instantaneous. To Van, who had fought demons, such monsters were no match. Needless to say about the goblins that were swept away like fallen leaves all at once, even the ogres—three times the size of a human body—couldn’t exert their strength before Van. It was truly overwhelming martial prowess. Van, who had swept away numerous monsters in an instant, shook off the blood on his sword.
“……”
“……”
At the situation settled in an instant, a moment of silence flowed. And what broke that silence was Rowy.
“Van, come in here.”
At Rowy’s voice heard faintly from the carriage, Van strode toward the carriage. Edner was staring intently at such a Van from behind.
* * *
“……”
When he opened the carriage door and entered, Rowy with a sulky expression was waiting for Van.
“Did you call for me?”
“Yeah, I called you.”
…He’s really sulking. Van laughed awkwardly “haha” and sat next to Rowy. Rowy, who had glanced at such a Van once, spoke in a sullen voice.
“Don’t get involved for nothing. They’re tormenting you to make you step forward alone.”
“…Were you worried?”
“Hmph.”
Rowy turned his head away sharply. Van smiled broadly and sneakily sat close to such a Rowy.
“If that’s what tormenting means, it’s not even that hard.”
“You’ll get hurt badly if you keep that up.”
“Then you’ll save me again like this, Master.”
Van, with a pleased smile on his lips, sneakily pulled Rowy’s shoulder into an embrace. Though Rowy’s eyes narrowed sharply, seeing that he didn’t particularly stop it, Rowy didn’t seem to dislike it that much either. Van’s touch became increasingly bold.
“Hey, where are you touching?”
“Just a little.”
The hand that had sneakily dug into his waist pulled Rowy in.
“Hey!”
“Shh, at this rate that intruder will come looking again.”
“……”
…He’s really getting spoiled. Rowy’s eyes immediately sharpened. Even so, Rowy couldn’t coldly push Van away, because it seemed like the knights were tormenting Van. Feeling like Van was suffering because of him, Rowy bit his lips.
“You, really… just once?”
“Yes!”
Van, whose face brightened at the permission, lunged at Rowy without warning. Like that, their lips met in an instant, and his anxious tongue pushed into Rowy’s mouth unreasonably. The worry about being interrupted again kept making Van rush.
“Mmph! Mmmph!”
Slowly! Though Rowy was crying out something in dissatisfaction, those words couldn’t come out and were all swallowed into Van’s mouth. And that rough kiss… ended with a bang! along with a loud crash.
