fanmtl Chapter 225: Mixing Races (1)
Chapter 225: Mixing Races (1)
Chapter 225: Mixing Races (1)
We traveled westward for several days.
During that time, we didn’t entirely avoid tense moments.
In one of the villages we stopped by to purchase food and necessities, there were a few soldiers who tried to check the identities of those of us wearing hoods.
But every time, Flint used the name of his merchant guild, and each time, the soldiers clicked their tongues and turned a blind eye.
“That’s the kind of power a merchant guild has.”
And every time that happened, Flint would flash a proud smile and reassure me.
Eventually, after our journey, we reached our destination.
“We’re here.”
As soon as Flint’s carriage came to a stop, Arwin was the one to announce it.
It seemed as though she was revisiting a familiar sight, reliving old memories.
“If you walk just a little further from here, you’ll see the lake.”
Arwin, somehow unusually excited, went ahead while I gently took Sien’s hand and walked with her at a leisurely pace.
“Let’s go.”
“Okay.”
– Thud.
Just then, Ner grabbed me from behind. She clung to the opposite hand that I wasn’t holding Sien with.@@@@
“Let’s go, Berg.”
Her tail wrapped around my thigh. Lately, Ner had become increasingly clingy over the past few days.
No one said it out loud, but it was clear Ner’s mating season was approaching.
However, it felt different from the mating seasons I had seen her go through before.
It was as though the long-suppressed desires she had accumulated over time were slowly unraveling.
Perhaps it was because she no longer felt the need to hold back that she was acting this way.
“...”
I looked down at Ner for a moment.
I gave her a look, as if to say, “Can’t you hold back a little longer?”
“...”
But Ner met my gaze with steady, unwavering eyes and quietly sniffed the scent of my arm.
She softly inhaled and kept her eyes fixed on me, even pressing her chest lightly against my arm.
In the end, I simply resumed walking.
It seemed even she couldn’t fully control this part of herself at the moment.
And to begin with, it wasn’t strange for a married couple to show desire for each other.
.
.
.
“...Wow...”
After walking for some time, we finally arrived at the lake.
It was a massive lake, surrounded by trees, with snow-capped mountains visible in the distance.
The clear lake reflected the newly budding trees of spring.
The blue sky and scattered clouds were also mirrored in its surface.
A cool breeze blew past, and flowers just beginning to bloom could be seen here and there.
I had never seen a more beautiful sight.
“It’s so beautiful, Bell.”
Sien whispered softly beside me.
Even Ner seemed captivated by the scenery, her grip on my hand loosening as her eyes took everything in.
Her slightly parted lips conveyed her amazement.
Arwin, who had been walking ahead, came to a stop in the distance.
She neither spoke nor turned to look at me. She simply stood there, motionless.
“...”
Leaving Sien and Ner for a moment, I approached Arwin. I wanted to hear her thoughts on the view.
“...Arwin.”
Standing beside her, I called out softly.
Only then did Arwin turn to look at me in response to my voice.
Her previously stiff expression softened into a radiant smile.
For some reason, faint tears clung to the corners of her eyes.
“...The last time I was here... you weren’t with me.”
“...”
Arwin glanced down at the ground briefly, letting out a weak laugh.
Then, she slowly stepped forward and leaned into my embrace.
“...I didn’t realize it was such a beautiful place.”
Even her body began trembling slightly, as if she were holding back her tears.
I quietly made a decision as I held Arwin in my arms.
Even so, I asked her a question.
“...Should we live here?”
Arwin nodded.
“Yes. Let’s live here.”
****
After briefly surveying the area, we headed to a nearby village.
We would have to stay there for a while, at least until the house was completed. It would primarily serve as the living space for Sien, Ner, and Arwin in the meantime.
They could always come find me at the lake, but during the house-building process, there wasn’t much they could contribute.
Before entering the village, I observed it from a distance to gauge its atmosphere.
Having traveled through many villages, I had developed a knack for reading a village’s vibe from afar.
“...It seems fine,” Flint murmured next to me.
Perhaps thanks to his experience as a merchant, Flint came to the same conclusion as I did.
One soldier murmured, “...No, how could Lady Ner be here...”
“Hey,” the other soldier interrupted, lightly smacking his colleague on the head.
“There’s no way Lady Ner Blackwood would be here.”
“But... wasn’t she reported missing recently in Stockpin—”
“They announced that she was found and is staying at Blackwood Manor.”
At that, Ner’s head snapped up slightly.
I kept my mouth shut, carefully listening to the soldiers’ conversation.
“They said she’s in mourning over the death of Lord Berg Reiker.”
“Ah, that’s right. The two of them were married once, weren’t they?”
“Anyway, Blackwood withdrew all the wanted notices for her. There’s no way this is Lady Ner. Excuse me, miss, what’s your name?”
The soldier turned to Ner.
After hesitating for a moment, she replied, “Sa... Sara.”
The soldier turned to his companion.
“See? I told you it couldn’t be Lady Ner.”
Ner quickly added, “I get mistaken a lot. White fur isn’t exactly common, you know...”
At her quick thinking, the soldiers nodded in agreement and turned away.
I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Climbing back onto the carriage, I locked eyes with my wives.
Happiness gleamed in their gazes, a shared sense of relief washing over us.
“Move along. Be sure not to cause any trouble,” one of the soldiers finally said.
Flint, exhaling deeply, pulled a coin from his pouch and flicked it to the soldiers.
“You’re working hard. Have a drink on me later.”
“You didn’t have to... but we won’t say no.”
With smiles exchanged, we entered the village.
After going a bit further in, I exchanged a glance with Flint.
“That was close, Berg.”
I chuckled softly and replied, “You’re telling me.”
.
.
.
We entered the inn in the village and rented two rooms.
As we had discussed earlier, the arrangement was made so that my wives could take turns sharing a bed with me.
It seemed this would be our temporary home until the house by the lake was built.
Once we settled in, it was time to part ways with Flint for a while.
He didn’t need to remain in the village.
“Berg, I’ll go find some laborers to help you. I’ll also gather the materials you’ll need to build the house. You just focus on preparing the site properly.”
“Alright, thank you.”
Flint had already done more than enough to help me.
He had paid for several weeks’ worth of inn fees in advance, and on top of that, he had slipped a coin pouch into my hands.
I couldn’t even begin to imagine how much harder things would have been without his support.
As Flint extended his hand for a handshake, he added, “I’ll be back, so just wait until then.”
I grasped his hand firmly and expressed my gratitude once again.
“...Flint, thank you. Truly.”
“What are you thanking me for? I’m just paying back an old debt.”
“...A debt?”
Flint chuckled softly.
“Berg, if it weren’t for you, do you really think Max and I would’ve survived that slum?”
“...We all helped each other to survive—”
“No,” Flint interrupted, shaking his head. “You have no idea how much we relied on you.”
He smiled warmly, his tone growing serious.
“I’m proud to call you my friend. To think that the hero of the humans is my childhood friend...”
“...”
“So, helping you now makes me happy. Just take it easy and relax.”
With that, Flint released my hand and turned to leave.
As he started walking away, he suddenly stopped and looked back at me with a mischievous grin, as though struck by a playful thought.
“Oh, by the way, Berg.”
“...?”
“Make sure you’re still alive when I return, alright?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“...The full moon.”
He smirked.
“...Ah.”
It finally dawned on me what Flint was implying.
Come to think of it, Ner’s gaze over the past few days had indeed been rather... intense.
“The instincts running through Ner’s blood—”
“—It’s not just Lady Ner,” Flint interjected before I could finish my thought.
“...?”
Still laughing, Flint added, “You don’t realize, do you? You have no idea what kind of expressions your wives are making behind your back right now, do you?”
He burst into laughter, leaving me slightly baffled, as if he knew something I didn’t.
– – The End of The Chapter – –
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