Chapter 307
On a boat docked by the riverside, Plauros and Buer are aboard.
Under the protection of the citizens who follow Schugenharz, the boat is sailing.
The wooden vessel, big enough for about twenty people, navigates through swift currents.
It’s still dark, and at any moment, it could crash into a hidden rock, but the experienced captain, having sailed for many years, skillfully steers the boat with just a bit of light.
‘We’ve made it this far; it should be fine. Finally, I can breathe a little easier.’
Plauros leans against a corner of the boat.
He exhales with a weary body, feeling a bit shaken.
Of all the times, it was when Ipos was chasing them that they found themselves here. Just when it seemed like they were meeting their end, a mysterious man saved them.
‘He introduced himself as Alron, but… someone with that kind of power couldn’t have just joined recently. If he had such talent, the rumors would have spread long ago.’
In other words, the man who called himself Alron was lying.
Plauros deeply engraved in his heart the fact that, no matter who that man was or why he helped them, they had received significant assistance.
‘I won’t forget your courage and strength that did not yield even to Ipos.’
A multitude of stars scattered across the night sky.
Below them, Plauros expressed his gratitude for the unnamed man and then looked at Buer, who was huddled in the corner.
“Buer…”
Buer seemed dazed.
Tears seemed poised to fall from those big round eyes at any moment.
‘Looks like you’re really heartbroken. Understandably so, given the circumstances.’
Even though she might have cursed him, Buer was viewed as a loving mother to the magician and Bael.
But the truth heard through Ipos this time was unbearably harsh.
‘Given that mother ordered her death, how much pain must she have felt in her young heart? I can’t even imagine.’
As if responding to Plauros’s concerns, Buer’s eyes and lips trembled, and she began to sob.
Soon, the floodgates opened.
A pitiful wail escaped from her badly contorted mouth.
Plauros couldn’t console her or wrap her in a hug.
With a pained look, he gazed at Buer and then turned away, closing his eyes in distress.
And then—
—Chomp!
“Oh dear!”
Suddenly, a gigantic mouth opened wide in the empty air.
A massive mouth suddenly opened in mid-air.
Startled, Plauros instinctively moved his mana to protect Buer.
He squinted, trying to identify the mouth’s origin.
Yet, somehow, the magic felt oddly familiar.
‘Is this…? The missing Beled from a year ago…’
Plauros’s thoughts were not mistaken.
Two figures began to emerge from within.
As expected, the emaciated woman was none other than the missing disciple, Beled, and the other was the man who had just saved them by grabbing Ipos’s arm.
“Though it’s for escape, this ship is really cramped.”
The man, with eyes that looked like they were torn open out of irritation, was Vargan. He scanned the surroundings.
Finally, looking at the vigilant Plauros, Vargan boldly declared.
His tone was completely different from the time he imitated Allen; he was the very definition of an arrogant noble.
“Our paths align, so we’ll be joining you.”
“Wha-what?”
“By the way, you don’t have the right to refuse. The moment you do, I’ll smash this ship to bits.”
Vargan threatened him by moving his mana, as if he were serious.
Startled, Plauros waved his hands to stop him, quickly calming his racing heart to speak.
“Bu-but how… how did you get here? What about Ipos?”
“As for that guy, you don’t need to worry. He’s fast asleep in the middle of the plains, and when dawn breaks, he’ll think it was all a dream.”
“What does that mean?”
“If I were to give a detailed explanation, it would take too long. But why is that girl crying so much?”
Vargan, looking annoyed, gestured toward Buer, who was hiding behind Plauros.
Instinctively, Plauros tried to hide Buer even more.
“She must have suffered a great wound to her heart.”
“…Hmm, I can guess the reason, but I can’t accept it. And besides, isn’t she just buzzing in my ear like a mosquito?”
“Hey! Watch your mouth! Aren’t you one of Buer’s disciples? Why are you speaking such blasphemy…!”
“Then stop that whimpering. I have no intention of traveling with a noisy bug.”
“…….”
With Vargan’s high-handed tone, Plauros had a lot he wanted to argue about, but for now, he kept his mouth shut and focused on comforting Buer.
Vargan stood by, observing how Plauros treated Buer.
He watched how much affection Plauros showered on her and how she reacted.
After about five minutes of Buer repeatedly shedding tears, Vargan finally made his move.
“Move aside.”
Vargan pushed Plauros aside.
Caught completely off guard, Plauros stumbled and fell.
Vargan then grabbed Buer by the scruff of her neck, lifting her up.
He dangled her precariously outside the ship as if he might throw her away.
“St-stop it! What are you doing!”
A startled Plauros instantly got back up, trying to grab Buer, but Vargan shouted.
“What the hell are you doing! How long are you going to keep treating her like a princess? That won’t solve the situation!”
“Well, this situation isn’t going to solve itself!”
Just moments ago, Buer was sobbing in sadness, but now she was terrified and couldn’t even scream.
She was like a persimmon about to fall from a tree, ready to plummet at the slightest gust of wind.
Vargan, who had stopped Plauros’ movements, gathered his exaggerated emotions and spoke to Buer in a cold tone.
“I can’t stand brats like you.”
“P-plea—please save me….”
“Shut up and keep your mouth closed. If you say another word, I’ll toss you right off.”
“…Ugh.”
Her words and actions seemed genuine, despite the situation.
As the terrified Buer covered her mouth with her tiny hands, a brief silence fell, and Vargan continued.
“Don’t get so worked up over being abandoned by your parents. Don’t expect others to empathize with your sadness, and stop pretending to be naïve. How long do you plan to live in this childlike body?”
Vargan did not just criticize her present actions but also judged her past.
Buer hadn’t allowed her body to mature, even though she had lived well beyond her physical age.
It was as if Vargan could see through her thoughts and experiences up to that point.
“Do you really think your parents will notice just because you’re stunting your growth? They’re the ones who planted the curse within you, calm down and stop whining like a parched ground begging for water.”
Vargan’s feelings toward Buer were more annoyance than anything else.
He condemned her for not properly assessing her situation, even while denying the truth she understood yet chose to overlook.
“Just accept it. They discarded you.”
“…Hic.”
“Not to mention, they’re dying to kill you. Let go of that tiny shred of hope you have. You’re just trash occupying space….”
“Waaaaah!”
As Vargan’s bitter words continued, Buer broke into loud sobs again.
The wound of being abandoned by her parents hurt far more than the fear of being thrown into a rapids, and tears flowed anew from her eyes.
“What an irritating little brat.”
With a scowl, Vargan began to use his mana to forcibly shut her mouth.
But just then, Beled, who had been silent until now, moved to grab Vargan’s hand.
She made a plea.
“Don’t do that…”
She had never spoken except in her delusions about her child, and her eyes looked incredibly sorrowful as she begged.
“What wrong has this girl done…?”
“…”
“Just let her go… I’ll talk to her properly.”
“…Ha. If we could talk like this, why didn’t you speak up sooner? I’ve wasted a whole year on this.”
Vargan let out a hollow laugh as he tossed Buer back inside.
Plauros caught her before she hit the ground.
Checking her for injuries, he found she was unharmed.
“I’ll give you exactly ten minutes. If it doesn’t quiet down within that time, I’ll seal that mouth of hers myself.”
“…Understood.”
Though Vargan still didn’t like Buer’s attitude, he decided to ignore it for now and left the area.
Bargan was just about to ignore this and make his escape.
Beled comforted Buer as if she were handling her own child, and before long, the commotion on the ship had subsided.
*
Sitting on a wooden box at the front of the ship, Bargan kept a watchful eye on the surrounding mana. Then he sensed Beled approaching.
“Looks like that bastard finally dozed off.”
“…Yeah.”
Beled, having lulled Buer into a deep sleep, nodded and stood beside him.
The two of them gazed in the same direction.
The sky had turned to dawn. The horizon in the distance was slowly brightening.
“Now that you finally opened your mouth, do you have something to say?”
“….”
“Just so you know, if you’re going to ask for a year’s worth of wages for working under me, I will refuse.”
“…That’s not it.”
“Then we’re good.”
Bargan’s reaction seemed prickly, as if thorns had sprouted.
He usually looked down on others, but today his emotions were particularly sharp.
A moment of silence passed, and Beled’s lips slowly parted.
“Portlet….”
“Portlet?”
“That’s the name of my child I lost during the war.”
“…It’s the first time I’ve heard the name.”
Bargan tried not to react too much.
Hearing the familiar name made him think of Erica’s family, but he quickly set that thought aside.
‘Unlike Schugenharz, the name Portlet is pretty common here. Even if that child survived the war, claiming they’re from my lineage would be a leap of logic.’
While the possibility wasn’t non-existent, it was extremely low.
Bargan, showing interest in Beled’s story, asked, “Why bring that name up now? What do you want to say?”
“…….”
With the wind on the river brushing against her, Beled looked out at the water.
Her face, as if it had lost its emotions, showed a strange change.
“…Portlet was a stubborn child. Once she liked something, she never let it go. Always grumpy… never showing her true feelings….”
“…….”
“But I knew. I knew what she liked and disliked. What she wanted to say and what she wanted to hide.”
As she reminisced, a small smile crept onto Beled’s lips.
However, her eyes were filled with tears that gently reflected the slowly brightening riverbank.
Beled turned her head and looked at Bargan.
“Children aren’t bad. They just didn’t know. And they were just scared.”
“…Are you trying to lecture me about Buer? How ridiculous. I was wondering what you wanted to say, and it’s that nonsense?”
“…….”
Beled didn’t take her eyes off Bargan.
Her gaze was completely filled with him.
“How deep is the wound you carry?”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“You resemble my child. Stubborn and unwilling to show your emotions. That’s why I can tell.”
“…….”
“As a child, you got hurt deeply. I want to look closely at that.”
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