My reunion with Ainar was exactly as I’d expected.
Because tearful reunions aren’t really a barbarian thing.
Yeah, if it were like this, maybe.
“Bjornnnnn!”
“Yeah, Ainar. It’s been a while—”
“Behel—laaaaaaaa!!”
No sooner had I stepped through the gate than Ainar shoved me back into the yard.
And then…
“You tricked meeeeeee!!”
Immediately, a brawl broke out.
He was furious about me faking my death for over two years and then pretending to be Richen Schweitz even after we met at the library.
Considering the hardships he must have endured, I couldn’t refuse to take a few hits.
However, that wasn’t what Ainar wanted.
“Behel—laaaaaaaaaaa!!”
He shouted the name of his ancestral god as he fought back.
Thwack-!
A fist slammed into my face.
“Aaaaargh!!”
A dogfight ensued, rolling around on the lawn like a wrestling match.
How long did that dogfight last?
Just as Ainar, overcome with emotion, picked up the greatsword he had thrown on the ground, and I called for Erwen to bring me my hammer.
“Both of you… stop it!!”
Erwen’s intervention brought the reunion fight to an end.
Erwen looked like she was about to cry, probably because the well-kept garden was now a mess, but I deliberately looked away.
Still, Ainar was the priority right now.
“Ptooey!”
Ainar spat the blood that had pooled in his mouth onto the grass and grinned.
“What, you really are Bjorn…”
Is this what a natural barbarian is like?
To just let it go so easily after all that.
If it were Misha, she would have cursed me for a long time and shoved cold damage into my abdomen.
“Ainar, you haven’t changed a bit.”
“Really? I think I’ve changed a lot.”
Ainar shrugged and approached me, then thumped my chest with his fist.
“I probably won’t understand even if you explain what happened to you. It’s always been like that. But still…”
“Still?”
“I’m glad you’re alive, Bjorn.”
“Ah…”
I was momentarily speechless.
His sincerity was evident in his calm voice.
But perhaps he was also awkward with this kind of atmosphere.
“But… what’s with that weak body?”
Ainar looked down at me, and I felt a strange sense of shame.
It was like my pride as a barbarian had been wounded.
For some reason, my mouth was opening more urgently than ever.
“It’s, it’s because of the essence! It’s like the Bone Knight’s essence you ate, but don’t worry! Now that I’ve regained my name, I’ll get rid of it soon!”
“Hmm, is that so? Do it as soon as possible. A Bjorn who’s shorter than me is kind of hard to look at.”
It felt like a dagger had flown and pierced my heart.
“And… I should refrain from taking you to the holy ground today. If our kin see you like that… they’ll surely be disappointed.”
…My heart aches.
I could have endured it if he had just said I was bad at games.
‘Sigh, I need to get rid of this gacha-born essence quickly.’
“So… is the reunion all over?”
Raven, who had been watching, intervened in the conversation, and Ainar also acknowledged Raven’s presence.
“Oh! Aruru! It’s been a while!”
“It’s only been half a year, is that all you have to say?”
“Hahaha! You worry about the strangest things! If you keep doing that, you won’t grow taller.”
“I won’t grow taller even if I don’t worry about it!”
“Don’t lose hope. Look at me!”
“That’s because of the essence!”
Raven shouted, flustered, and Ainar chuckled, scratching his ear.
Raven grabbed the back of his neck again.
It was a strangely heartwarming scene.
‘It’s been a while…’
This feeling, somewhere nostalgic.
It wasn’t just me who shared this feeling; Raven, who was also shouting irritably as he followed Ainar into the house, was smiling.
“…I’m glad.”
“Huh?”
“I’m glad you’re bright again, mister.”
“…What are you talking about? Let’s go inside quickly.”
“Yes.”
After finishing our reunion in the garden, we moved inside the house to continue our conversation.
Following Raven, Ainar awkwardly greeted Erwen, and then it was Amelia’s turn.
“Barbarian, it’s been a while—”
What are you trying to do, acting like you know him so casually?
I quickly interrupted, covering Amelia’s mouth.
“You two know each other?”
“Know each other…?”
Ainar tilted his head.
Honestly, it was absurd.
Back then, he was so depressed, saying his warrior’s honor had been trampled because of her.
Well, he didn’t recognize her right away when we met on Parune Island either.
“Ah, ah… I remember! That woman from Noark who stayed with Bjorn at the end!”
However, Ainar nodded, seemingly remembering the events on Parune Island.
“So, her name is…”
“Emily Raines.”
“Ah, that was definitely her name!”
What do you mean, that was definitely her name?
We didn’t even introduce ourselves back then.
At the time, everyone just called each other raiders or that woman, no one cared about their real names.
‘I guess it’s better to just pretend I don’t remember him having his honor trampled on the second floor…’
I was thinking that when.
“Did you say Emily Raines?”
“Yes?”
Ainar, who spoke to Amelia with a surprisingly friendly voice, said something truly unexpected.
“First, I want to thank you.”
“…Huh?”
“I don’t know much about you, but Bjorn must have kept you by his side because you were someone he could rely on.”
Ainar looked at Amelia and thanked her in an unusually serious voice.
“Thank you. For being by Bjorn’s side during his most difficult time.”
“…It’s not really something to be thanked for.”
“Haha! It’s something I should do! It’s a little disappointing that I wasn’t the one he relied on, but I guess that couldn’t be helped since I’m like this!”
“…”
“I’m not as smart as Aruru, nor am I as blindly devoted as that fairy to abandon my tribe.”
“…Hey, did you just insult me?”
After much deliberation, Erwen frowned and opened her mouth, and Ainar slipped away like an eel.
“Haha, did it sound like that?”
Wow, he’s not even denying it?
I don’t know what happened, but Ainar’s eloquence has improved a lot.
“Anyway, that’s enough of that, tell me what happened. I heard about you at the tavern and came right away, but what happened all this time?”
After that, we spent some time explaining what had happened to me.
Of course, it wasn’t a 100% true story, but a story that had been filtered to some extent…
“Oh!”
“Ah!”
“Uh!”
“I see.”
Ainar only repeated these four interjections as he listened to my story.
Unlike Erwen or Raven, the story that had begun was finished not long after. The fact that no conversation ever got too long was a unique advantage of the barbarian tribe.
However…
“…That’s all that happened during that time.”
“Oh!”
At the same time, this was also a problem when talking to barbarians. You can’t tell if they really understand or not.
Unless you ask directly like this.
“Did you understand?”
“Somewhat!”
“…Then that’s enough.”
This story ends here.
I moved on to the next topic as if I had been waiting for it.
“But, Ainar, you must have been very surprised too.”
“Huh?”
“The royal family announced that I was a wraith. It must have been a huge shock. Not just to you, but to your kin as well.”
“Ah, you mean that? It wasn’t a big deal, actually.”
“…It wasn’t a big deal?”
“Maybe for those stupid humans. But is it even possible for you to be a wraith? None of our tribe believed it. We just thought the royal family had made another mistake.”
Oh, I see…
It was a completely different answer than I had expected, but I should still do what I need to do.
“But, I’m just curious, without any other intentions, but really, what if…”
I cautiously probed Ainar.
“What if I were a wraith?”
This was a very important point in how I would treat Ainar in the future. Depending on his answer, I could retract all the stories I had told him earlier and tell him the truth.
So, what would Ainar’s answer be?
Not just me, but Erwen, Amelia, and Raven all swallowed hard, pretending to be calm.
And…
“Hahaha! Bjorn, you a wraith? That’s a funny joke!”
“Don’t just brush it off as a joke, think about it. I’m curious about your answer.”
In that strange atmosphere, Ainar, unable to resist my urging, opened his mouth.
“Hmm, Bjorn, you’re a wraith… Well, then there’s only one answer, isn’t there?”
“Only one answer…?”
“Does that mean you’ll accept him even if he’s a wraith? Because he’s a comrade you’ve shared time and affection with?”
Erwen and Raven asked, adding to the conversation, and Ainar tilted his head.
“What are you two talking about? Of course, I’d kill him!”
“K-kill…?”
“Because the chieftain said!! Wraiths are beings that must be killed!!”
Sigh, yeah…
He’s not going to be easy…
***
Raven and Ainar’s visit continued until that night. We talked for a long time over tea, and we had a simple drink with dinner.
After finishing the meal, a drinking party naturally ensued.
“It’s already… I should get going now.”
It was late at night when Raven finally got up to grab his coat, and Ainar, who had been drinking since the beginning, had already passed out and left the next morning after having a hangover cure.
“You said you had things to do starting today, right? Tell me when everything is settled. And visit the holy ground sometime. I said that yesterday, but everyone will be happy if you come.”
“Yeah…”
After seeing Ainar off, Erwen also prepared to go out. Given what had happened in the labyrinth, she said she had to show her face at the holy ground today.
“Then, please take care of the house.”
After Erwen left, I also left the house alone, entrusting it to Amelia. As I had told Ainar yesterday, I had a lot to do starting today.
“It’s the Vice-Baron Yandel…!!”
As Erwen had warned when she left through the fence, there was a large crowd gathered in front of the house. Well, my story must have spread throughout the city by now.
There were those who played a role similar to reporters in this world, and there were those who had come simply to see my face.
“Excuse me… Vice-Baron! Please say a word!”
“Waaaaaa!”
“Please just hold my hand!”
Wow, so Ainar got out of here alone?
Well, it wouldn’t have been too difficult for him.
“Behel—laaaaaaaaaaa!!”
Shouting the name of his ancestral god, I broke through the wall of the crowd and moved forward.
“Aaaah! H-he’s escaping!”
“Follow him!!”
Hey, escaping?
I’m just charging forward.
Thud thud thud-
With overwhelming strength, I quickly broke through the crowd and ran through the empty morning streets. There were a few who persistently followed me, but I was able to shake them all off soon.
‘Well then, shall we go…’
In an alleyway where the light was blocked, I put on a large robe and looked at the map, heading towards my destination.
So, the closest place is…
‘It’s here.’
A small, cozy house with an impressive red door.
After confirming the name on the nameplate, I took a deep breath and carefully knocked.
Knock knock.
After waiting for a moment, a woman with a haggard face opened the door.
“You are…!!”
She couldn’t hide her bewilderment when she saw my face.
Well, it was understandable.
“May I come in, Mrs. Ashd?”
At my question, she bit her lip and then turned her body to make way.
“I… I haven’t prepared anything, but would you like some tea…”
“It’s alright. I didn’t come to be treated. I came to return something.”
“To return something…”
Instead of answering, I took an item out of my subspace.
The woman carefully unwrapped the cloth and, upon seeing the gray ashes in the box, collapsed.
“Ah, ah, ah…”
“I’m sorry. That was the situation at the time. It would have been better if I could have brought it back in one piece.”
“Ah, ah…”
“Here, these are the items Ashd had. I’ve organized them well in my subspace, so please take a good look at them later. If you think something is missing, tell me anytime.”
“…”
“No, even if it’s not that, if you need anything or if a situation arises where you need my help, I’ve written down my address here, so please come anytime.”
“Ahhh…”
“If my presence is uncomfortable, I’ll leave now.”
There was no answer.
However, I took the silence as an affirmation and slowly stood up.
That’s when it happened.
“Wait a moment…”
“…?”
“Just a moment… please wait…”
With those words, she got up and headed to the kitchen, and eventually returned with a teacup filled with a deep aroma.
“It’s the tea that he… always served when guests came.”
“Is that so… I’m not an expert on tea, but it smells nice. It’s calm, just like him.”
“Please tell me. How was he…”
“I guess we’ll need more tea.”
After that, I started telling stories while sipping tea.
Most of them were trivial stories.
Because I couldn’t reveal the truth anyway.
Small happenings during the expedition.
The conversations I had with him in passing.
Subtle considerations and actions that even the dull-witted would have difficulty noticing.
“That’s why all the members liked him. You know, he wasn’t flashy, but when he was around, it was somehow comfortable and reassuring…”
“Yes… really.”
“He always listened to others well, but he was strangely quiet about his own stories. So when he first talked about his wife, everyone was so surprised…”
“Did he… did he talk about me…?”
“Yes.”
“What… what did he say?”
“He said you were a strong woman.”
“…”
“But he also said that you would surely cry if he was gone.”
“Sniff, sniff…”
The woman, who had been desperately holding back her tears since receiving the ashes, lowered her head.
I looked away without saying anything and waited for her to calm down.
And how much time had passed?
“Thank you… for coming… like this…”
“No need to thank me. Thanks to you, I’m learning about good tea.”
“…Are you going to other people?”
I nodded slightly.
“That’s all the survivors can do.”
After leaving Ashd’s house, I visited the homes of the other members one by one.
For the members whose ashes I could bring back, I delivered the ashes. If not, I gave them a few of his belongings, and if there was nothing, I bowed my head and apologized.
Their reactions were all different.
“Huh, isn’t that the great hero, Vice-Baron? What brings you to such a humble place?”
There were those who sneered.
There were those who just received the items indifferently and kicked me out.
There were those who doubted whether the expedition details the Marquis had spoken of were true, and there were those who were moved that a famous hero had not forgotten them.
However, one thing was clear.
“Come on, Maylin… say hello to your mom…”
“Is this… my mom? Why?”
No matter how they reacted, I was a sinner in front of them.
Perhaps until the day I can confidently tell the truth about what happened that day, I will have to continue moving forward with this burden on my heart.
One day, two days, three days…
Time flows.
Returning all the dead members to their homes was not enough even in a few days.
Four days, five days, six days…
Time flowed like that, and flowed again.
And…
「The character’s soul resonates and is drawn to a specific world.」
That day had arrived.