STGAAB Novel MTL - Chapter 774
Chapter 774: 13th Month (1)
The funeral, which felt both long yet short, was coming to an end. The bodies of the fallen warriors that could be recovered were laid to rest in the forest, following the traditions of the tribe. For those whose remains couldn’t be retrieved, their names were inscribed on a memorial stone. Ah, as for the humans, their burial followed human customs. The ground was dug deep, and after laying the bodies to rest, gravestones were erected……
“Are you sure you’re okay with this? For him to be buried here, in the land of the Barbarians……”
I had been a bit concerned about that, but surprisingly, James Calla’s family wanted him to be buried here. Apparently, there wasn’t any land left in Rafdonia to bury him. Only nobles could be buried in Gnome Tree while commoners are usually cremated and their ashes are kept at home in urns.
“Besides… I think he would prefer being with his comrades. He was always someone who only thought about work……”
“…That’s not true. Even when drinking, he would always say he couldn’t stay long because his family was waiting for him.”
“I… see. So that was… my brother……”
Watching James Calla’s sister weeping as she gazed at his grave, I thought to myself. Why is it that sincerity is always delivered too late? Is it simply human nature to only realize things after they’ve lost something? I didn’t know, but I slowly turned my head.
Versyl Gowland.
The grave made next to James Calla’s. On the gravestone were inscribed her date of birth and the date from just a few days ago.
Unlike James Calla, who had numerous relatives, there was no trace of her family around. And I knew the reason why. Because we were comrades.
[Why did I cut ties with my family? Oh, no particular reason. They just got in the way of my work as an explorer.]
That’s what she had said, but I knew there was another reason. The Gowlands weren’t her real family. It wasn’t that she was afraid of being discovered as an evil spirit, but because it must have been painful to pretend to be family when she had taken over that person’s body.
[So I cut ties with them, even using harsh words. Well, I did agree to cover their taxes in the process, but I don’t regret it. It wasn’t that much money anyway.]
…I should look into it once everything is settled. Make sure Versyl’s assets get to her surviving relatives. After all, the clan wasn’t short on funds, and legally her family should inherit her estate… As I stood staring at the grave, deep in thought, Sven Parav muttered quietly beside me.
“May they be guided to where they wished to go……”
It was a simple expression of wishing for the deceased’s peace, but knowing their true nature, I understood what he was really praying for. I shared the same sentiment.
Hwoooong-!
Is this guy really some kind of saint? He’s just talking, but his voice carries such gravitas, even beyond that, there’s an aura of divine energy. It didn’t seem like he was using a skill. Whenever he offered such sincere prayers, a soft white light would emanate from him.
“……”
Turning my gaze a bit further from Gowland’s grave, I now saw Rotmiller’s resting place. A dwarf was sitting in front of it, drinking, while Missha stood nearby, her fists clenched in frustration, tears streaming silently down her face.
And……
“……”
Shavin Emoor stood a little distance away, staring blankly at the gravestone.
Normally, I would have given her time to process her emotions alone, but remembering Rotmiller’s final words, I slowly approached her.
“……”
Even as I got closer, Shavin Emoor didn’t say a word, and so I just stood quietly by her side. It wasn’t until a long time had passed that she finally opened her mouth.
“Mr. Yandel… Would it be strange if I cried here?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It’s not like I had much of a relationship with Mr. Rotmiller.”
Ah, so that’s what she meant. Well, it’s true. Things ended before they could even start.
“I envy them… Ms. Karlstein and Mr. Hikurod… They were on the same team before, so they can just cry openly…… But in contrast, I—.”
“What does that matter?”
I cut Shavin off. Honestly, I had been debating whether to tell her what Rotmiller had said, but I had been hesitating until now. At this point, it was better to just say it.
“Rotmiller told me before he died. He asked me to look after you.”
“……Huh?”
“Not Missha, not that dwarf, not anyone else. He specifically asked me to take care of you.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Shavin bit her lip hard, as if she was trying to suppress her emotions from overflowing.
“But……”
But what? I sighed and put my hand on her shoulder.
“Does it really matter what kind of relationship you had?”
“……”
“Just cry if you’re sad and smile if you’re happy. You’re a part of our tribe now.”
“Can I… really… do that……?”
I nodded quietly at Shavin’s question, and finally, she began to sob a little. As time passed, her shoulders trembled more and more instead of calming down. I put my hands in my pockets and clenched my fists.
Clench—
No matter how many times I experience this, it never gets easier.
***
After the funeral, I visited the royal palace once again to talk with Astarota. It was to discuss the treatment of Ragna and Eltora, who were currently in a semi-confined state.
But……
“I can’t release either of them. Not yet.”
“Why not?”
“The matter of the Countess Peprok’s treatment is solely the decision of His Majesty.”
“Do you think I don’t know that? I’m just saying that until then, I want to keep them in my custody.”
“That’s not possible.”
“And why not?”
“Since when does the royal family need a reason for its decisions?”
Hah… He really can be sharp when it comes to things like this. Despite having a delicate side at times, in moments like these, she’s completely inflexible. So, it seems like I’ll have to delay getting Ragna out for the time being……
“Then why can’t Eltora be released?”
“He’s the son of a traitor. If we release him too soon, things could get messy. But don’t worry, he did prove his worth on the battlefield. I’ll make sure that, as promised, his life will be spared.”
I see……
‘At this point, I’ve done what I can, so the rest is up to him.’
To be honest, I wasn’t particularly interested in Eltora’s life or death, so I didn’t press the issue further.
“Then, can I at least visit Ragna before I go?”
“There’s no reason you can’t… but it won’t be very meaningful. She hasn’t woken up yet.”
“Still?”
“Yes, still. Do you want to see her anyway?”
“I’ll go after we finish talking.”
“Seems like you’ve got a lot to discuss.”
“Given the state of things, it can’t be helped.”
Astarota smirked at my response, then picked up the teapot and refilled the half-empty cups. It was a gesture to continue the conversation. However, knowing his personality, I figured he might abruptly end the meeting, so I decided to ask the most important question first.
“Will the Labyrinth… be reopened?”
“Why are you asking me that? That’s something the new Prime Minister will decide.”
“Don’t play word games.”
“I can’t tell you exactly when, but yes, the Labyrinth will reopen soon. We’ve gone nearly a year without a supply of mana stones and even we are reaching our limit.”
“Then the Noark bastards will crawl into the Labyrinth too, right? Do you have any alternatives?”
“A farmer doesn’t stop farming just because they’re afraid of pests.”
“So, you don’t have a solution.”
“Well, that’s a matter for the officials to handle, isn’t it? Well, they might impose restrictions like banning entry of those below a certain rank, or coordinating with the military. Actually, such measures are being discussed in royal council meetings.”
“I see……”
“By the way, why didn’t you come last time? If you were so curious, wouldn’t it have been better to join?”
“I had a few things to settle.”
While I gave a vague excuse, I couldn’t help but feel a bit baffled. He knew exactly where I was and what I was doing, so why ask such a question? She really has a strange personality—.
“Let me give you some advice, Bjorn Yandel.”
What, did he just read my mind? His expression suddenly became serious, and I tensed up. But, after hearing his next words, I was relieved to find out that he didn’t actually have mind-reading abilities. Still, that didn’t mean I understood what he was getting at.
“Very soon, it will be the 13th month. Ever since His Majesty ascended to the throne, there has always been a grand festival during the 13th month, and given the current situation, it will be even bigger this time.”
Oh, I see. That’s new information.
“So what?”
As I looked at him, wondering what his point was, Astarota gave me a strange look before setting down the tea he was sipping.
And……
“For now, you should take a break.”
What’s this about? Is he worried about me? If so, that’s quite unusual.
“I’ve been resting just fine already.”
“Running to the palace right after a funeral to dig up information from me counts as resting?”
“……”
“If anything happens regarding the Labyrinth or the war, I’ll inform you right away. So until then, at least……”
“……”
“You really need to rest, Bjorn Yandel.”
I had no response. It wasn’t that I couldn’t argue back, it was just that it felt so odd for him to be saying this all of a sudden. As I stayed silent, he seemed a bit embarrassed himself and downed the rest of his tea in one go.
“This conversation is over. You can go now. If you’re looking for Countess Peprok, just ask the guard outside. He’ll tell you where she is.”
Hah, I’m not sure if I should I call this meddling or something else?
“Alright.”
……He’s changed a bit since the first time I met him.
***
After finishing my conversation with Astarota, I visited the room where Ragna was staying. As I had heard, Ragna was still in a deep sleep, and after some casual talk with Hyeonbyeol, I left. Oh, and at some point, Eltora came in whining about how long he had to stay locked up, but that wasn’t important, so I’ll skip over it.
‘Rest, huh……’
Even as I left the palace and made my way back to the holy land, I kept thinking about it. Can I even afford something like that right now? With Baekho suddenly declaring himself the protagonist, the Noark army camping out in the neighboring region, and the king possibly waking up at any moment to punish me?
‘Like that’s going to happen…’
In reality, once I returned to the holy land, I didn’t have much time for rest. To summarize what I’ve been doing during that time……
I checked with ‘Melbeth’ non-human noble alliance for any new information. I participated in royal meetings to observe the political situation. Also, I met with influential nobles like Count Alminus to maintained connections and I met with Sven Parav to go over his newly acquired abilities. I even had a long-overdue drinking session with Mr. Bear.
Somehow, I made time to properly fulfill my duties as the barbarian tribe chieftain. Shavin Emoor had been handling things for a while, but I wanted her to take a break for now. I could handle the work on my own, after all.
‘My schedule is really packed……’
Despite managing my busy schedule, time flew by. Surprisingly though, I didn’t feel physically or mentally exhausted. My barbarian body was too strong to tire from this level of work……
‘If anything, it keeps me from overthinking, so it’s actually calming.’
Amelia, along with others around me, had urged me to take a break, much like Astarota had. I brushed them off with vague excuses or politely declined. But perhaps I had reached my limit?
“Yandel.”
While I was squeezing in some time to handle my tribal chief duties late at night, Amelia barged into my tent.
“You know the festival starts tomorrow morning, right?”
“Of course. I’m busy right now because of it. Our warriors worked hard, so they deserve to enjoy it.”
“……What about you?”
“Oh, my schedule tomorrow? After the festival preparations for the tribe are finished, I need to stop by the Royal Capital in the evening. Count Alminus is hosting some sort of event again, and he promised to provide significant support for our clan if I attend—.”
“Forget about that.”
Amelia cut me off and tossed something towards me. Looking down, I saw it was clothes.
“Tomorrow morning at 9. Wear that and come out here.”
“Huh? But as I said, I have plans tomorrow.”
“That’s your choice to make.”
“Oh, if that’s the case—.”
“If you don’t show up, I’m leaving the clan.”
Wait, didn’t she just say it was my choice?
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