episode_0108

As the sun sets and darkness descends on Cardishan,

Stores that had been closed during the day to start night trading began to open one by one. Shops selling different items during the day and night changed their signs and brought their daytime goods inside.

On the streets, creatures with bodies akin to monsters, wizards in deep robes, adventurers, and mercenaries were commonly seen.

Since most shops had just started opening, the streets were not bustling.

Among those hurrying to find their destination, a group of about ten people, clad in deep robes, quickened their pace.

Mercenary groups or dark wizards accompanied by slaves often formed such groups, so no one paid them any attention.

“…”

Leading the group at the front, Lily urged them forward with tightly pressed lips.

Tonight, the executives of Nest and some members would escape from Cardishan.

***

Nest had destroyed or absorbed large and small organizations in Cardishan. At this point, it was safe to say that Cardishan belonged entirely to Nest.

All the secluded paths and hole-like information within Cardishan were in Nest’s hands. Thanks to this, around 100 members could leave Cardishan without any disturbance.

Clad in robes, Noah casually scanned the gathered members and counted them. He confirmed that not a single person was missing but still asked Nero beside him, unsure if there might be a mistake.

“Everyone accounted for?”

“Yeah, I checked three times, so we can depart as is.”

“Alright. Let’s depart immediately then.”

As Noah finished speaking, the intimidating group of around 100 people began to move. Initially moving together, the group gradually split up over time.

The group of around 100 individuals divided into ten groups and started walking as if they were not companions, keeping a considerable distance between each other.

Having a large group could be risky in case of an accident. Therefore, Noah divided the group into ten and assigned at least two executives to each group.

“Lian, don’t hesitate to speak up if you’re struggling.”

Lian was at the back of the group with Noah. Since they had just left Cardishan, it was also the most dangerous group.

Noah, who saw Lian as fragile as glass, placed her in the most perilous group due to Lily’s insistence.

‘Unni should watch over me!’

Lily, who claimed that nowhere was safe except by Noah’s side, voiced her anger, echoing in Noah’s ears.

Not wanting to feel powerless again, Noah agreed with Lily’s opinion.

“Uh, yeah. If… if it gets tough, I’ll let you know.”

Noah clenched his lips straight in response to Lian’s avoiding gaze.

‘Why… does she keep avoiding me?’

Ever since the day Lian fainted several times and vomited blood, she subtly kept her distance from Noah.

Though she didn’t avoid conversations, she couldn’t meet his gaze like before and evaded him as if touching him would burn her.

‘Indeed… hiding my gender made her uncomfortable.’

Feeling subtly hurt by Lian’s avoidance, Noah wore a sullen expression. Lian glanced at him briefly and took out a candy from her bag, offering it to him.

“If you’re not feeling well, at least have this, Noah.”

…”

In Noah’s clouded mind, Lian’s consideration took on a different meaning.

Lian is kind, so… even if I don’t like it, he’ll take care of me.

When Noah was struggling in his heart, Lian swallowed dry saliva and stared at the dirt road intently.

“Ugh…. Please stop… Stop coming to mind..!”

With no experience with women and hindered by a comedy filter, Uni, who had never properly seen his mother’s body, found “that scene” with Noah too stimulating for Lian, who only thought of Noah as a male friend.

Moreover, “that scene” gave Lian, who had only considered Noah as a same-sex friend, a great shock. Because of that, “that scene” kept popping up in Lian’s mind, tormenting him incessantly.

Lian secretly glanced at Noah and let out a small groan inwardly.

“Ugh… How could I not have noticed something so obvious until now?”

Even if he maintained a masculine appearance using magic, Noah inadvertently displayed a feminine side countless times.

Whether habitually supporting below his chest or unknowingly tilting his head and making cute expressions, Noah exhibited traits that could be evidence of femininity, but Lian saw it as a reflection of his own thoughts. However, Lian failed to realize this.

Groaning inwardly, Lian soon thought seriously.

“No matter if Noah is a woman or a man, the fact that we are friends remains unchanged. So let’s focus on the fact that Noah is a woman.”

…Every time he muttered this inwardly, miniature versions of himself somewhere held up signs saying, “How can men and women be friends!” and protested.

No matter how hard he tried not to care, from the moment he started thinking of Noah as a “pretty and cute girl,” all efforts were in vain.

In the oddly uncomfortable atmosphere, the journey continued.

***

Contrary to worries before leaving, the journey went smoother than expected. There were instances of monster or thief attacks along the way, but they were handled by the leaders.

As it became more dangerous at night, the group, who had been traveling cautiously, gathered in a spacious clearing when it was time to rest.

The busiest ones were the leaders. They had to check for injuries or illnesses and report to Lily after ensuring no one had strayed from the group.

Noah, leading the group including Lian, immediately checked the group’s condition upon settling in the open field.

Soon, a large bonfire was lit in the center of the clearing. A huge pot taken out of the dimensional bag was filled with water, and soup preparation began.

Meals were served in the morning, evening, before sleep, and after waking up, requiring about 100 people to eat together.

With many mouths to feed, there was an abundance of food. As the savory aroma tickled his nose, Lian swallowed his saliva repeatedly.

Gurgle!

His stomach twisted with hunger as the smell of food hit him. A long line formed in front of the pot. Steaming soup was poured into wooden bowls.

Chunks of meat hunted on the way were generously added.

“I should go and line up quickly.”

As Lian was about to head to the end of the line, Noah approached him holding two bowls of soup.

“Noah, do you want to eat both bowls?”

Lian’s eyes widened in surprise.

With limited food supplies, it was necessary to divide the food as fairly as possible to sustain resources.

Not realizing this obvious fact, Noah, who emphasized it and used his authority, received two bowls of soup each, leaving Lian bewildered.

Handing Lian a bowl of soup, Noah said, “I got yours too. Let’s eat together.”

“Oh, okay.”

Seeing Noah smiling broadly, Lian nodded like a mesmerized person and followed behind Noah.

“…”

Iris, who was part of another group, narrowed her eyes and glared at Ryan and Noah, but did not take any further action.

To prepare for a sudden attack, meals had to be eaten together in groups. Iris spooned soup with a rough expression.

At that moment, Ryan and Noah sat where their group was gathering. Since others were still lining up, only Ryan and Noah were there.

As there was no need to start the meal together, Ryan and Noah began eating immediately. They drank the soup as if tilting a cup.

A big piece of meat entered their mouths, causing them to laugh involuntarily. When Ryan had almost finished half of his soup, Noah cautiously spoke up.

“Ryan.”

“Hmm? *gulp* What is it?”

Perhaps due to the warm soup melting pleasantly in his body, Ryan’s voice, which would have been stiff under normal circumstances, softened.

Relieved by Ryan’s voice, Noah looked at the remaining three minutes of soup in his bowl and said, “You’ve been walking all day today. Wasn’t it tough?”

“Well, even younger kids are walking without complaining, so why would it be tough for me?”

“That’s…”

Noah thought, ‘What does it matter if someone else isn’t struggling and you are?’

Human suffering is relative. What might be terrible pain for one person could be nothing to another.

That’s why humans need to set their own standards. Only then can they properly take care of themselves.

Of course, Ryan’s attitude is not bad either. To live in society, one must be aware of others’ opinions and learn to compromise with others.

But you can’t always just say everything is okay. No matter how old or experienced you are, you will eventually get tired.

So Noah felt bitter about Ryan’s words. He wanted to spit out the words swirling in his mouth right away, but he barely swallowed them down.

“I’m glad to hear that. If you ever feel tired, just let me know. Oh, if you need more soup, do you want mine?”

Without realizing it, Noah extended his soup bowl to Ryan, who was smiling back at him, and feeling relieved.

It was truly a word spoken without any intention.

“Huh…?”

It sounded shocking to Ryan.

‘Th-that indirect ki-ki-kiss…’

Ryan’s pupils shook as if an earthquake had struck, then quickly dropped to the ground.

“It’s okay! I’ll… oh! Yeah, the bowl! Let me return the empty bowl and come back!”

“What?”

Alone now, Noah soon ate the remaining soup with a gloomy face.