ragginovel Chapter 30: Human Village (3)
Chapter 30: Human Village (3)
Chapter 30: Human Village (3)
Ner handled the horse skillfully.
At first, she kept losing her balance and wobbling, but soon she found a comfortable posture.
She looked around and even touched the low-hanging branches of the trees.
Occasionally, I muttered some comforting words and smiled.
I was relieved that going to Stokpin didnt seem that bad after all.
We didnt exchange many words.
Though we agreed to be friends, there was still some awkwardness between us.
I believed that time would resolve our issues, so I didnt rush and kept quiet.
.
.
.
We traveled all day, and eventually, the sun set.
Following Adam Hyungs orders, we stopped and set up our camp.
Ner and I sat on pieces of scattered wood, watching our fellow members prepare for the night.
Is there anything uncomfortable?
That was the first thing I said after a long time.
Ner turned to me and was about to nod... but then she massaged her thigh.
Actually, my thigh feels a bit sore.
I smiled, remembering my first time riding a horse.
It can be painful when you ride for the first time. But you are holding up pretty well though. Do you also have some muscle pain?
Yes.
At that time, Baran approached from afar.
In his hand was the drink I asked for.
He smiled at Ner and said.
Good evening, Ner-nim.
Yes, good evening.
Following our agreement, Ner continued with her act.
Since the march where we subdued the monster leaders in the Blackwood estate, she had been putting on a certain persona in front of the mercenaries.
As for me, I was just grateful for her effort.
If I had met a much meaner woman, she wouldnt have done even this much.
Vice-captain, heres your drink.
Thanks, Baran.
Youre welcome.
Baran handed me the drink and left without saying a word. It seemed like he had something to attend to.
I took a sip of the drink Baran gave me, and it felt like the liquid was soothing my tired throat, blowing away the fatigue of the day.
You seem to like alcohol quite a bit, Ner remarked from beside me.
I rolled my eyes at her and nodded
Its a feeling of exhaustion flying away.
What kind of alcohol is that?
Rum. Would you like to try it?
I handed the glass over to Ner.
She looked at the drink curiously and took a whiff of it.
Immediately, her face scrunched up, and she leaned back.
Its too strong.
I chuckled and took back the drink.
I thought it would be fun to drink together with her someday.
Suddenly, there was a commotion.
Someone was raising their voice, and the heads of the members turned one by one.
Ner and I also turned our heads in the same way.
The noise was coming from the side of the wagon where the injured were.
Oh no.
I immediately felt the seriousness of the situation and stood up.
Ner stood up as well, following my lead.
We hurriedly ran towards the commotion, pushing through the gathering members to reach the center of the disturbance.
Ner stuck close to my back as she followed me.
In the center, Adam Hyung was already there.
Jackson was there too.
Hey, wake up, dammit!!
Theodore, who was in charge of managing the injured, was also present, and they were all raising their voices with a fallen member in between them.
It was Shawn, the head of our other unit.
Shawn!
I raised my voice in surprise.
I felt a rush of blood to my face for a moment.
The person who had only slightly injured his arm this morning was now lying unconscious, shaking uncontrollably.
He was the one who was fine until this morning...
But now he had already lost consciousness, and red spots were coming up on his body.
Looking at it, it seemed serious.
Shawn! Snap out of it...! Come to your senses!
Theodore slapped his cheek and shook him, but Shawn didnt come to his senses.
Theodore! Cant we do anything?
Adam Hyung also shouted, but Theodore seemed lost and confused, not knowing what to do.
I dont know why...! Why all of a sudden...!
Sometimes, there were cases like this.
Even when we had thoroughly treated the wounds, some members still succumbed to their injuries.
In such moments, we could do nothing but watch them die in agony.
I was confused.
Did Shawns injury have a complication?
They might offer bribes if something bad happens.
In the first place, proper knowledge of healing and medicine came at a price.
Already, it felt like Ner was becoming part of our mercenary group.
As the mercenaries gradually dispersed, I held onto Ners wrist and led her back to where we had been sitting earlier.
****
Ner composed herself from her surprise.
She felt proud, but at the same time, surprised.
None of the mercenaries had looked at her like that before.
The eyes filled with wonder and admiration...
She was unfamiliar with those kinds of gazes.
Her heart was still pounding.
Not as strongly as before, but she could still feel its intensity.
She looked at Berg who was leading her.
Occasionally, he led her this way.
Contrary to her expectation, she didnt dislike it as much as she thought she would.
She couldnt quite understand why she felt this way herself.
Could the unstoppable heartbeat have something to do with it?
Just a moment ago, when everyones scrutinizing gazes made her uncomfortable, she instinctively sought refuge in Bergs embrace.
She didnt ponder the reason. Her body reacted first.
And she didnt forget the sense of peace she felt in his arms.
... Only now did Ner realize that in this mercenary group, Berg was the only one she could truly rely on.
A strange feeling washed over her upon realizing this fact.
Berg?
Suddenly, Ner became curious about where they were going.
Since Berg didnt say anything, she couldnt help but wonder.
But the answer soon revealed itself.
She saw the spot where they had been sitting before.
Bergs wine glass was overturned, and the people around had disappeared.
It seemed like everyone had left to catch up on their delayed tasks.
Also, Berg seemed to have read her own mind and brought her to a secluded place.
She was thankful for this too.
Although she didnt hate the admiring gazes from earlier, it didnt make her feel completely at ease either.
And finally, Berg let go of her hand.
She turned her body to face him, and she didnt know what to say.
Everything, Im gladBut the symptoms I know are-
-Snap.
While she was speaking, Berg pulled her into his embrace.
Ner took a deep breath. She forgot to exhale.
Her eyes widened, and her tail stiffened.
She belatedly realized that he had hugged her.
Thank you.
He whispered.
The sincerity came through. And she could feel that emotion from his arms.
It was the most emotionally vulnerable side of him that Ner had ever seen.
Ner couldnt figure out what to say.
Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly.
Surprisingly, she didnt feel uncomfortable at all.
Was it because of his words about, starting as friends?
His expressions of affection felt like that of a friend.
ThatAhOf course
Ner stammered fragmented words.
This was the first time she had stepped forward and accomplished something this significant.
And it was the first time she received praise for it.
Ner, thank you so much.
He pulled her into his embrace once again, speaking.
Ner couldnt help but fill her heart with joy.
Ah...
And in a brief moment of losing focus, her tail started wagging.
Ner pulled her hand back and grabbed her tail.
Was it because she kept spitting out the words to push him away?
It was always embarrassing when her true feelings were revealed.
She didnt like showing happiness with her body.
Contradicting her own words makes her look like a fool.
However, Berg chuckled as he watched her tail.
His laughter seemed to convey that he was glad she didnt feel uncomfortable in the embrace.
Ner slowly released her grip on her tail as she heard his comforting laughter.
Her tail swayed freely.
In the first place, there was no reason not to feel happy right now.
There was no need to hide this emotion.
This moment was a reason to feel happy no matter who brought her here.
So she continued to wag her tail until Berg let her go.
With a smile hidden in his embrace.
Perhaps a friend was a much better companion than she had imagined.
End of Chapter
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