Episode 175. Resolution (4)

“I’m off.” #175. Resolution (4)

It seems like things are resolved with Winnie, but Vera-nuna is the problem. Haa… I have no idea how to resolve this.

I had no idea how to resolve things with Winnie either, but in her case, I was lucky. Monica gave me an opportunity more easily than I thought, and Winnie seized it well, which eased Monica’s heart. But will such luck follow me with Vera-nuna…? It’s a bit much to call someone’s heart luck, though. Fickleness?

However, there was no point in worrying about it now. Because of the news of the expedition I heard this morning, I was busy giving instructions and preparing things below. I was bothered by the fact that I had to leave without properly resolving the problems at home, but if I didn’t go, that place could literally ‘explode,’ so I had no choice.

“I’ll have to do something about it somehow….”

I spent the whole morning and afternoon running around, nagging at the underlings, and getting them ready. After I did everything I had to do, Vera-nuna came out to see me off. Originally, all three women would come out to see me off if they weren’t busy. Hmm… two of them are missing.

“Anyway, I’m off, Nuna.”

“You have so much work, and you can’t even rest properly this time….”

“Haha….”

There were some mentally tiring things, but… still, my body rested, so that’s enough. It’s hard to even think about baths or beds on the battlefield.

“But is she really not coming out?”

“…Well, it’s okay. It’s my fault.”

It’s a bit sad, but what can I do since it’s all my karma? If I try to coax Monica to let go of her anger, she’ll just get more annoyed. It might be better that I have to leave because of this work. I hope Monica’s anger will subside a bit when I get back. She liked maple syrup last time, so maybe she’ll like it if I buy her something sweet.

“Monica is one thing, but Winnie….”

“We’re here…. Haa, haa. Ah, we’re not late….”

Winnie appeared holding Monica’s hand tightly. No, rather than holding it tightly… it feels like Winnie dragged Monica here. I wonder how she would have dragged her if she hadn’t willingly given her hand… Even now, Monica glanced at me once and then turned her head away.

“Ahem, I’m off, Yeobo.”

“….”

I can’t really urge her to answer. It’s hard to wait because she’s not even looking this way. But I feel like I have to hear at least one word before I leave, so I kept waiting for Monica.

Poke- Poke-

“Ah, what.”

Winnie kept poking Monica’s side, but Monica refused stubbornly. So Winnie changed her strategy and took Vera-nuna beyond that corner. Only Monica and I were left in the spacious hallway, which could be called the entrance of the castle, where people were greeted and sent off.

“Yeobo.”

“…What.”

She crossed her arms and answered curtly, still standing sideways. At least she answers when it’s just the two of us. I turned around to meet her eyes, but she kept avoiding my gaze, so I grabbed both her hands and spoke right in front of her.

“I’m off.”

“…What words are you hoping for.”

“Aww, you know.”

Monica tried to shake off my touch, but I couldn’t let go easily. Of course, I held her with a grip that wouldn’t hurt Monica, but also wouldn’t let her escape easily, and waited for her answer. She avoided me here and there, but Monica, who eventually gave up on letting go of my hand, said.

“To come back safely? Mom would have already said that.”

“Still, it’s different hearing it from you, Yeobo, than from my mother-in-law.”

“Mother-in-law, my ass. You like my mom more than me….”

…No, I don’t rank them…. I did like Vera-nuna first. But now I think I like all three of you, so there’s no one I like more or less. Really.

“That’s not true….”

“Really? Then do you like me more?”

Hmm, but it’s a bit hard to say that in front of Monica, who’s meeting my eyes after a long time. To confidently say, ‘I love your mother and you equally!’ in front of those eyes… uh, um…. Vera-nuna will understand if I say this for a moment. Yeah.

“I do.”

“Really? Then can you promise not to see my mom anymore if I tell you not to?”

“…Uh? Th, tha….”

Tak-

“Uheok.”

“Your answer is too slow.”

Why is her hand so spicy? While my thoughts were briefly stopped by an unexpected question, I got hit on the head by Monica, who quickly pulled her arm away.

“And what’s the point of me telling you not to get hurt anyway. You got hurt like that again this time.”

“This much, I can just put some ointment on it and it’ll heal….”

Is she talking about my shoulder injury? Aish, seriously. I couldn’t avoid it. I keep getting nagged because of the wounds left by those insignificant things. Because they were making a fuss about trying to scratch me once before they died. Geez.

“Don’t be a show-off. Well, it’s all because you’re mean to your wives that you’re getting punished by heaven.”

If this is what heavenly punishment is like, it’s worth getting. Then how many more should I… ahem, ahem. No. Still, Monica, whose attitude had softened compared to before, gave me a send-off in her own way.

“Okay, whatever. Go and come back. And meet another woman while you’re at it.”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“Even if you suddenly bring back a barbarian woman, I wouldn’t be too surprised.”

“No, really….”

Even if I don’t have any women, there’s no way I’d do something like that with a barbarian. No way.

“Anyway, don’t do anything weird and come back. Every day you’re later than expected… you know what I’ll be thinking, right?”

“Aww, there’s absolutely no way that’ll happen.”

Unless something else suddenly happens, I’ve never been late. I finish early if I finish early, I’m not the type to postpone things.

“…Just be quiet and go.”

“If you promise to let me into the bedroom when I get back. Then I’ll go.”

“…We’ll see how you do.”

“Okay. I’ll buy you something delicious when I come back.”

I could hear Monica grumbling behind me about how I was treating her like a child, but I ran out of the castle as if escaping. I took Johnson, who was waiting for me in front of the gate and dozing off, and quickly headed to the assembly point. What kind of sweets are there in the north.

I quickly arrived at my destination. I looked at the bastards who had set up camp on the castle walls.

“This damn weather just won’t let up.”

Winter has passed quite a bit and spring is approaching, but the wind is still piercingly cold. Johnson, who had been listening to me quietly, added a word.

“That’s what I’m saying. I wonder if there will really be soldiers who freeze to death….”

“The barbarian bastards probably have quite a few.”

We’re on the defending side, so even if we get frostbite, we won’t leave them until they freeze to death, but those bastards who are camping outside… well. I don’t think there will be fewer of them than the ones who die from getting stabbed by a sword. Even if they’re used to living in the cold, it’s a different story to be exposed to the winter wind raw.

So originally, when dealing with those bastards, the best thing to do is to lock the castle gates and wait for them to get tired and fall out on their own. But there are so many places that are so weak that I’m more urgent than those bastards, which is the problem.

Still, here, the Daniel territory was in pretty good condition… it was in good condition. If I hadn’t destroyed it. Every time I see the flimsy and thin castle gate and the collapsed part of the castle wall, I regret not controlling my strength a bit when I came to catch Baron Enicson.

“Um… but, you know.”

“Yeah?”

Suddenly, that Johnson bastard approached me with a serious face, as if he was going to whisper in my ear. Why? What’s wrong?

“Saying ‘damn weather’ is a bit… unbecoming of a knight….”

“Aish, you son of a bitch.”

Peok-

“Why, why are you doing this.”

“Am I the same as you? You’re out of your mind….”

Such a petty bastard. He remembered that and used it on me? I don’t know if I should say he has no manners. This habit is innate, and hasn’t changed much from the past. Aish, I was thinking of beating the shit out of this bastard, but when I think about Johnson dying, I think I should treat him well, but when I see things like this, those thoughts disappear again….

“If you don’t like it, you become a knight.”

“…No, thank you.”

After nagging Johnson once like that, there was no reason to stay up here any longer. I swept through here simply this morning, and it doesn’t seem like those bastards are going to move. This time, there’s no news from other places, and they’ve come in droves with the will to destroy only this place….

“Ayu, then I’m going in first.”

“Yes, please rest first.”

No matter how many of them there are, they’re not moving all at once. I don’t know what their scheme is. I don’t know what they’re waiting for, but until then, I was saving my strength with the thought of reducing their numbers without overdoing it.