Rune stared at the pile of ashes gathered together.
Weeping sounds rang out here and there. The people of Emur village were in shock and confusion.
Rune, with her back to the ashes, gestured to Zenon.
"The damage to the village."
"Luckily there is not."
"Are there any Injuries?"
"One crew member suffered minor injuries, but everyone is safe. The lord ordered those who were directly attacked by the corpse to be quarantined, but there were none."
Rune's eyes narrowed when she heard that Drial had given direct orders.
"What was the specific order?"
"He said that if they are bitten or scratched by a corpse, I will be able to recognize it because the wound will turn black. He also said to Isolate such people immediately and not think about helping them, but did not explain why they should be quarantined. I was in a state of panic, so I couldn't ask why."
Zenon, who reported everything without exception, hesitated.
"My lord, for some reason... It seemed like he knew it well. I also confirmed that he was the only one who could fight the reanimated corpse."
Rune didn't answer but agreed with that opinion.
When they arrived at Emur Village, Drial jumped to the ground alone, leaving Rune on the dragon's back.
At first, she was angry at the attitude of excluding her, but thanks to that, she was able to see how Drial was coping.
Drial skillfully battled the reanimated corpse. He also seemed to know that corpses regenerate endlessly.
She also saw him talking to a strange corpse with a red eye on its forehead. She couldn't hear their voices, so she didn't know what they were talking about, but Drial's attitude toward the corpse was unusual.
Rune instinctively convinced herself that she had to get rid of the body that confronted Drial. So she boldly jumped off the dragon's back.
She thought about what she heard before hitting the corpse's head.
"No matter how many times you kill your wife, the nightmare will never end."
What did that mean?
Because they spent their childhood together, she was confident that she knew Drial's people well. No one he had ever known had a voice like that.
Rune, lost in thought, lowered her gaze. Coincidentally, there was one thing Rune did not know about Drial.
Frost Giant War.
Rune didn't know what kind of battle Drial had fought there.
"By the way, Ma'am. There's one thing I'd like to ask. The Lord said that there were no incidents of this kind in Arhon, but...."
"Has a corpse ever come back to life?"
Cookie's question flew like a boomerang and awakened Rune's confidence.
She thought the war was over, but it wasn't. Drial was still fighting.
Rune managed her expression by chewing and releasing her lip.
"I need to call a priest and ask for prayers and blessings. Let's tell the villagers that it is believed to be the work of a new monster."
After giving instructions, Rune left Zenon. At that moment, Drial entered the wooden fence.
Rune climbed on the horse led by the guardian. As she rode toward the main castle, the sound of another horse's hooves followed from behind.
Drial deliberately rode alongside Rune. The atmosphere was strangely awkward.
Rune opened her mouth first.
"Don't you have anything to say?"
"What should I say?"
Although he knew what the other person was talking about, Drial cleverly pretended not to know.
"If I had to say anything. Um, the way you fought was really cool, and you were also incredibly pretty while doing it?"
Rune raised his eyes.
"Don't joke."
"It's not a joke. You are pretty every day and you were really cool last night. You know I can't lie."
"Stop giving meaningless compliments."
Rune responded coldly and nervously pulled the reins.
"Tell me what happened on the battlefield."
"All wars are the same."
"Did you fight the reanimated corpse there?"
Rune didn't ask again.
In response to the explicit question, Drial smiled awkwardly and turned his gaze from Rune. The silence shook for a long time.
"The one I fought was a frost giant. It's not a corpse like that."
The voice was the same as usual, but Drial did not see Rune. Rune laughed coldly at the lie she had expected.
"If you're going to lie, do it with sincerity."
Rune was about to ask why he was keeping it a secret, but she quit.
The two were married and had a child at one time, but they were close to strangers. There were no happy memories or beautiful feelings.
Rune knew that her existence meant nothing to Drael. If she divorced, he was a stranger. Someone she will never meet again.
She forced herself to swallow many questions.
It was funny to worry about what happened on the battlefield while they were deciding to break up. She didn't want to pry if Drial didn't feel the need to tell her.
Her heart cooled as she realized once again that it was a light relationship that wouldn't be strange if it broke up at any time.
Drial's words of being together, together, seemed meaningless.
"Yes. Quit everything."
Rune muttered dryly and swung the reins. The horse carrying Rune went ahead.
Drial didn't catch Rune.
He just looked at her back as it was moving away.
***
As soon as she returned to her hometown, Rune went into her office. The atmosphere was so cold that even Lares noticed it.
The servants were puzzled. Last night, they thought that the lord and his wife's relationship had improved since they went for a walk on the dragon, but the atmosphere was worse than when Drial came back from the battlefield.
Lares, who had been listening to the whispers, warned the servants.
"Everyone, it would be best not to talk nonsense today."
Lares took the meal and went to the office.
Rune was so busy handling the work that had piled up for half a day that she didn't even pay attention to Lares.
Showing a blank expression and cold attitude whenever she was emotionally distressed was Rune's way of protecting herself ever since she was young.
It seemed like she decided that was better than crying and being in pain.
"I'll leave your meal here."
On the plate were two sandwiches, much smaller than the size of the palm of one's hand, covered in a thin layer of fruit jam.
Rune always ate only that much at a meal. She didn't like meat, fish, desserts, or spices.
When she was pregnant, she ate a lot of meat for her child, but now she doesn't even have that anymore.
Still, if Lares gave her meat, she ate it without saying anything. It seemed like he was worried about her position since she was such a picky eater.
Lares also knew Rune's tastes, so he only recommended meat to the extent that it would not ruin her health. Perhaps that delicate aspect was why Rune chose the old man, Lares, as the castle manager.
"Has the Emur village issue been resolved successfully?"
"First of all, it's over.'
This meant that it was not completely resolved.
Lares nodded and took the signed document.
"Is there anything I can help you with?"
"I need to send an invitation to an alliance territory."
"Are you planning to hold a formal banquet?"
"We must officially announce the return of the Lord of Arhon."
"I will prepare right away."
Lares left the office thinking he was going to get busy but looked back with an expression on his face that he had forgotten.
"By the way, which one, the knight corps or the guardian corps, will go to subdue the monsters this time?"
"Guardian. It's shameless to entrust the subjugation to those who have returned from the battlefield."
"Then I will tell this to the commander of the guard."
"I also tell Captain Eop to stop by the office for a moment."
"All right."
Rune put down the quill long after Lares had left the office.
The summer sun pouring down on her back was hot.
She looked at the pile of documents blankly and then stared at the plate placed nearby. She had to empty her plate to see Lares' hard work, but she didn't want to eat anything.
When she thought about eating when she was hungry, she remembered that she couldn't stop by the garden because she was returning from Emur Village.
Surprised, Rune quickly stood up. She headed towards the garden like a person being chased.
Her eyes welled up when she saw the tall tree standing at the end of the garden. Rune ran to the tombstone buried among the tree roots.
She knelt down and swept the leaves from the tombstone. The hand caressing the tombstone was affectionate.
"Sorry. Because your mom was busy with work, I couldn't come to say good morning. I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Rune apologized repeatedly in a tired voice and then sighed. She didn't bring flowers for the tombstone.
Her face was contorted as if she was crying. She wanted to pick any flower and offer it, but there were no flowers in the main garden.
She was instructed not to plant flowers on purpose. She felt like crying when she saw the flowers blooming and falling each season.
Rune knelt down and stared at Arhon spread out at the bottom of the hill.
This is the place with the best scenery in the castle, so trees were planted there. Dozens of earth spiritists were hired to turn trees into dead trees in just one day.
The tree was planted as an oak tree for a reason. This is because of a legend that came down to where Rune lived.
It is said that if a child who left without a coming-of-age ceremony is buried under an oak tree, the Spirit King of Wind will take pity on the child and send the child's soul flying into a small bird.
But Rune's child will not become a bird.
Comments
Post a Comment