Chapter 115: The Price of Resurrection (4)

[115] 17. The Price of Resurrection (4)

It took Rosalia a long time to stop crying. And it took even longer for her to explain everything that had happened.

By the time her explanation was over, the full moon that had been hanging in the window was gone, and dawn was breaking.

“So… to sum it up, I ended up dying because of that uneducated brat.”

*Nod, nod.*

Rosalia’s eyes welled up just by hearing him say the word “died”. It was a testament to the mental anguish she had been enduring.

“And you found a way to bring me back, and you revived me?”

…*Nod, nod.*

“And in the process…”

Rem placed his hand on his heart.

Instead of a familiar heartbeat, he felt a strange vibration beneath his palm. It felt as if he were placing his hand on a boiler.

“My heart was replaced with the Dragon King’s Essence?”

Rosalia hung her head. Tears dripped, drip, drip, from her drooping red hair.

“I-I’m so sorry… I, I really tried my best, but… It…”

“It’s fine, whatever.”

Rem embraced Rosalia, who looked like she was about to burst into tears again. Resting his chin on her head, he smiled wryly.

“You brought me back to life, so thank you.”

Perhaps those words were what broke the dam.

Rosalia started sobbing again, burying her face in his chest. Rem stroked her hair and thought to himself.

[Haven’t I done enough?]

[I’m just a beggar with a monstrous body.]

…But that was when he thought he was dead.

As long as he’s breathing, he has to keep living.

“Rosalia, I brought some firewood…”

An annoyingly familiar voice.

As the door opened, he met eyes that resembled ice.

It was the moment Rem’s face contorted.

“What is *she* doing here?”

His voice was colder and more irritable than ever before. Rosalia instinctively shivered and looked up.

“Rem?”

“Get out.”

Feya’s face was still covered with bandages and couldn’t be seen. However, her trembling hands clearly conveyed her emotions.

“Didn’t you hear me? I said get out.”

“Hold on, Rem.”

Rosalia grabbed Rem’s hand and pulled him. Cold, irritated eyes, like she’d never seen before, turned towards her.

“What.”

“She… She helped me. Actually, she’s the one who made all the preparations for your resurrection.”

Of course, Rosalia didn’t like Feya.

She was the woman who had not only cut off Rem’s legs, but also tried to exploit his amnesia. Rosalia couldn’t forgive her, nor did she want to.

But that didn’t mean that she didn’t feel grateful.

After all, it was Feya who had gathered the materials for the ritual in place of Rosalia, who couldn’t leave the outside world.

And there was something she wanted to entrust to Feya.

“So…”

“So what?”

Rosalia looked at Rem with disbelief. Rem glared at Feya with cold eyes.

“Did you think I’d feel sorry for you just because you’re covering your face with bandages?”

As if an arrow had struck her chest, Feya’s shoulders trembled.

“Did you think you could just make everything go away if you saved my life?”

“I, I…”

“Didn’t I tell you loud and clear? Get out of my sight.”

“’m sorry, I’m sorry. I was wrong…”

“So if you really are sorry, then get out. Or do you want compensation? For saving my life? How much do you want?”

Rosalia, surprised by Rem’s harsh words, cried out.

“Rem!”

“She told me to kill you!!”

But what came back was an even louder shout. He contorted his face and spat out as if vomiting.

“She told me to stab you with my own hands.”

Feya silently lowered her head. Then, she grabbed the doorknob and mumbled, as if sobbing.

“I’m… sorry… for everything.”

“Get lost.”

Feya left as if she was being chased away.

Rem and Rosalia, now alone in the room.

After a moment of silence, Rem sighed.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you like that.”

“It’s… fine. It’s okay…”

Rem took a deep breath and then rubbed his face. And then, his usual cheerfulness returned to his expression.

“Anyway, everything ended well one way or another, right? The crazed prince is dead, and since I died, the bounty on my head is probably gone too. Right?”

“…”

“…Rosalia?”

Rosalia, her face suddenly darkening, raised her head. She bit her lower lip a few times before finally speaking.

“Rem, I still want you to keep her by your side.”

Rem’s brow furrowed.

“…Rosalia, I’m sorry, but can we talk about this later?”

“…There is no ‘later’.”

There are smiles that make you feel uneasy just by looking at them. Smiles built on glass, as if they might shatter at any moment.

Rosalia took Rem’s hand and held it tightly.

“Rem, you asked me to live with you before, remember?”

In her red eyes, Rem’s dumbfounded face was reflected.

“I’m sorry, I think I have to refuse.”

Rem felt his breath catch in his throat. It felt as if someone had shoved a stick into his head and was stirring his thoughts into a mess.

But Rem tried to smile.

“…Right. Well, that can’t be helped. Still, at least keep in touch sometimes…”

“I’m planning to leave for another continent.”

Rem’s tongue froze.

Rosalia smiled with tears in her eyes.

“Thank you, Rem.”

***

There’s a reason why Rosalia took on the role of guarding Rem. There’s a reason why Dorn hasn’t been able to visit since that day.

—

“Why?”

“I just feel tired, I guess.”

—

Adolf was right.

Dorn, who had returned to the city first, was immediately arrested by the Central Knights’ 3rd Division. It was on Louis’s orders.

Of course, Dorn wasn’t imprisoned for long, but his release was merely to use him as bait. Dorn was certain of this because he had secretly sent a message.

Louis was looking for Rosalia.

Probably to kill her.

—

“What does that mean? Everything’s over now. You can forget about missions now and do what you want to do.”

“This *is* what I want to do.”

—

Only then did Rosalia realize that her bloodline was a curse.

Her hometown, burned to ashes in her place.

Her adopted family, annihilated.

Adolf, who had personally taken action because he saw her as a threat.

Rem, who lost his legs and his heart because of that.

And Louis, who was still searching for her.

Once, she heard about a flower that spits poison.

It was said to attract insects with its fragrance, but when they get close, it spews deadly poison and kills them. She heard it grows by using the corpses of the insects it kills as nutrients.

Was it a coincidence that the color of that flower was red?

—

“…Can’t you at least tell me where you’re going?”

“…I’m sorry.”

—

She didn’t want to lose anything else.

Especially not after having lost someone once already.

Her desire to protect him was greater than her reluctance to leave.

—

“…And, you might not like it, but Feya, that woman…”

“Let’s not talk about her. Just… let’s not.”

—

Actually, she didn’t want to give him up to a woman like that either. She still didn’t like her, even after she saved Rem’s life.

In fact, she wishes he would live thinking only of her for the rest of his life. She wishes he would live without knowing any other women from now on.

But Feya had protected Rem until the very end.

And she will continue to do so.

—

“…When?”

“I think it’s better if I leave now.”

—

Actually, she didn’t want to go.

This moment will probably remain as regret, sinking in her heart forever.

Still, it’s better than seeing him get hurt more.

And she knew that if she stayed any longer, she feels like she’ll never be able to leave.

—

“Goodbye, Rem.”

.

.

.

Rosalia looked back for a moment.

The cabin where she had stayed for half a year came into view. Bathed in the dawn light, the cabin shone crimson.

At that moment, Rosalia knew instinctively that the sight would be engraved in her heart.

No, it would be more accurate to say that it had been carefully folded and put away.

Like a small note tucked safely within her clothes.

She would be able to unfold this memory and read it again and again, until its color faded and everything became blurred with time.

“Ugh…!”

Rosalia swallowed the sob that welled up. After rubbing her eyes that were welling with tears, she turned her gaze forward again.

The world spread out before her eyes looked lonely as it was vast, but she still took a step forward.

Because she had already known, even if just for a little while, what happiness was.

“Hey!! Tin Can!!”

But why did he keep holding her back?

Rosalia couldn’t help but turn around. Rem, who had run over, stopped in front of Rosalia. He bent over, breathing heavily.

“Haa… Haa… Damn…! Even without a heart…! I still get winded…!”

She can feel her chest fluttering with expectation and hope. That’s why she deliberately spoke coldly.

“What, did you forget something…”

“Take responsibility.”

Rem caught his breath and straightened up. Looking at the bewildered Rosalia, he continued speaking.

“For my heart. Take responsibility for it.”

“What? What do you…”

“Let’s say the leg was my own fault, honestly. But you’re the one who blew away my heart. You can’t just leave like that.”

It was logic she never expected to come out of Rem’s mouth. At the same time, it was something that accurately poked at her guilty conscience.

Rosalia unconsciously lowered her head.

“That’s… I…”

“If you take someone else’s heart, shouldn’t you put it back.”

“…I’m sorry, I don’t have a way to…”

“Then, isn’t it right to at least try to find a way?”

Rosalia felt her heart being pricked. She felt like her legs would give out and tears would start flowing at any moment.

“I…”

“If you don’t know how, then find a way. Search the entire continent if you have to.”

“Rem, actually I…!”

“And until you find it, stay by my side.”

Rosalia looked at Rem with wide eyes.

He had been frowning since a while ago. It was an expression that seemed to say he knew he was being unreasonable.

“Just until then… just stay until then.”

At that moment, Rosalia felt as if her body was being torn in two.

One half of her body wanted to run to Rem right now and fall into his arms. She wanted to confess that it was all a lie, that she wanted to stay by his side too.

But the other half of her body wanted to run away from this place. It wanted to spit out harsh curses, to tear him away from herself.

It felt as if someone was pulling her in two opposite directions. Her wavering heart could only focus on her toes, which were curling in discomfort.

But in the end, conflict always gives way to compromise.

“Al…right.”

Maybe there really was a way to restore his heart somewhere out there.

And maybe there wasn’t.

Rosalia felt a wave of both disgust and relief as she nodded. At her words, relief also spread across Rem’s face.

“Haah… Alright, stop being dramatic now and let’s go back inside. I’m starving to dea…”

“But I have one condition.”

Rem turned to look at Rosalia with a puzzled face.

She knows he won’t like this proposal.

But this was the last safety measure she could leave behind.

Her last conscience.

“I’m not even asking you to forgive her. Just, that barbarian. Let her follow you around.”

“Didn’t we just agree not to talk about this…”

“…Please.”

That way, even if danger were to come again, Feya would be there to protect him.

“…”

Rem scratched his head irritably, then sighed and said,

“Fine, I got it.”

And so, their long journey finally came to an end.

***

The morning sunlight pries through my eyelids.

“Ugh…”

I sat up and stretched. Then, rubbing my face, I groaned.

“That dream… Why now of all times…”

The bitterness of those times is like an undissolved residue, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth every time I recall it.

In the end, Rosalia had given in to my stubbornness,

and I gave in to her stubbornness.

After a suitable period of recovery, we came back down to the city. It was to find a way to recover my heart.

But immediately, we ran into two problems.

One of them was that we didn’t have a single penny left in our hands.

To reiterate, my prosthetics didn’t work without magic stones, and magic stones are damn expensive.

Almost a year on the run, and countless magic tools used in the process.

Because of that, I had not only spent all the money I had saved up, but also exhausted Rosalia’s entire fortune.

We didn’t have enough money to gather information, let alone pay for our next meal.

And the other problem was that, officially, we were dead.

My corpse had been found, and Rosalia hadn’t come out of the Essier Mountains for half a year. According to official documents, we were both dead and buried.

In other words, we were stateless vagrants*.

Thankfully, there was one way to solve both problems at the same time in this world.

Become mercenaries.

Earn money and get a suitable identity.

There couldn’t have been a better alternative than this.

And so, ‘magic tool merchant’ Rem became ‘mercenary’ Rem.

‘Knight’ Rosalia became ‘mercenary’ Rose.

(For some reason, Rosalia even changed her face.)

And while we were starting mercenary work, we decided to just go ahead and form a mercenary group.

After all, the more people we had, the easier it would be to find a solution.

And to be honest, I thought that if we were surrounded by people, the Captain might change her mind.

…Of course, the captain beautifully betrayed such expectations of mine.

“Anyway, that’s how the Rose Rem Mercenary Group was founded…”

I muttered with a sigh as I got out of bed. Passing through unnecessarily lavish decorations, I open the door.

“Maybe a quick shower…”

“Rem, did you sleep well?”

I stopped in surprise and looked down. There, crouching down in front of the door, were ‘them’.

“…How long have you been waiting there?”

“Not long.”

‘They’ smiled brightly and stood up. And then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, they came into my arms.

A familiar coldness crept into my body.

Proof that they’d been outside for a long time.

I stroked ‘their’ heads and sighed.

“You could have just come in instead of waiting.”

“That’s not allowed. It’s dangerous.”

Dangerous? I looked at ‘her’ questioningly, but instead of answering, she just pulled away from me. Then, grabbing my arm and smiling brightly, she said.

“More importantly, let’s hurry. She’ll be here soon.”

“She?”

‘They’ grinned widely.

“Amy has returned to the Imperial Palace.”