A baron of Rafdonia. A hero among adventurers. The new chief of the barbarians. The captain of the Anabada Clan.
All of those titles belonged to one man: the great Bjorn Yandel.
«He... He was really alive...» Missha Karlstein clenched her fists. He arrived in town early in the morning to conduct his own investigation, but everything Baekho Lee had said was true. «All this time... What the hell have I been doing...?»
Countless emotions filled his mind. I was happy and sad, excited and overwhelmed, and, of course, angry. Why had Bjorn Yandel cheated on her? Why had he faked his death and left her in the dark for so long? If she hadn't, she wouldn't have been forced to spend all those years with those criminals.
«No, that's not right». She shook her head to free herself from the thoughts that tormented her. It didn't matter, he sure had his reasons. That was the kind of man Bjorn Yandel was.
In the end, he decided to put aside any doubts until he could hear his explanation in person. «Yes, that's what I have to do...»
She headed to Bjorn's house, determined to hear the truth from him. He had found out where he lived through word of mouth, but when he arrived, the house was empty. «Did you move...?» Why precisely now?
Thanks to that, he had to spend the night at a nearby inn. The next morning, he asked again and finally arrived at Bjorn's new residence.
«Kommelby...» A feeling he couldn't identify stirred beneath the waters of his mind. He had once told her that if she made a lot of money, one day she would move to a place like this.
So this is Bjorn's house...
Even after arriving, he did not dare knock on the front door. The moment he arrived, all kinds of thoughts ran through his head. How would Bjorn react when he saw her? What if he wasn't happy? He had even heard that he was living with that elf and a woman named Emily Raines...
Emily Raines... She's probably the same woman I met on Farune Island.
What was your relationship? How did they become comrades? The rumors that they had a secret relationship... They had to be false, right? He couldn't stop the anxious thoughts from turning into a snowball.
Therefore, Missha Karlstein simply returned to her inn after spending an entire day wandering outside her house and sometimes spying inside.
At least I managed to see him for a while...
He managed to see Bjorn when he returned home that night, but he didn't dare talk to him, not when he seemed so exhausted.
Yes, that's why. There's definitely no other reason I didn't talk to him...
I planned to come back tomorrow and really see him. However, the next day, the same thing happened again. Bjorn left early in the morning and did not return until late into the night, once again exhausted. She could have come up to talk to him at any moment, but her feet weren't moving.
«Hehe, come back safely, sir!»
«...It would be nice if we could all have dinner together».
Every morning, two sleepy-eyed women walked him to the door, and Bjorn scolded them for waking up so early to say goodbye. The vision was all the confirmation Missha needed.
Bjorn... He's doing well.
Even without her, his life hadn't changed much.
One day, two days, three days, four days...
The days flew by, but she only dared to prowl the perimeter of the house and occasionally even used her special skills to catch a glimpse of the residents. The two women were extremely vigilant and had very keen senses, so she was almost discovered several times, but since she never entered the property, they never bothered to chase her.
However, with each passing day he became bolder.
Soon, he was no longer watching them from afar, but from under the window. When looking out the window wasn't enough, he started hiding in a space behind the fence, and it was on one of those days that it finally happened.
Shaaaaaa!
A magic circle erupted, dragging Bjorn with it. The two women quickly ran towards him to welcome him home. He seemed confused, asking what had happened to the yard.
«Oh, this? Don't worry. It may seem a little strange, but... there was no other option».
«Since it would be unfair for a single person to have it to themselves, we decided to divide it in two».
Was it really the patio, or something else? Missha thought about it, but decided not to give it any more thought. Then they went to the kitchen and ate something prepared by a mysterious stranger that she didn't recognize.
«What do you think? Is it to your taste?»
«It's perfect. It tastes great, and there are also plenty of meat side dishes».
But he always said my cooking was bland...
«Since we never know when you will return, the mistresses always make me prepare a lot to eat».
Missha's body immediately turned to stone.
...Ladies?
Were those rumors true? She hadn't thought about it, but Bjorn didn't deny it.
Ba-dum.
He felt his heart plummet. When she lived with Bjorn, people always used to ask about their relationship, but Bjorn had made a point of denying it every time.
«Sir, you have no other plans today, do you?»
After lunch, they went out to the garden to have tea. On the vacant lot, now half garden and half training ground, there was a round table with three chairs.
...I'm too close.
Worried about the possibility of being discovered if she stayed here longer, she tried to carefully sneak off the fence without making a sound. His first step was silent, as was the second. As he cautiously walked away from them, listening to their laughter, a sudden thought struck him.
What if he had never accepted Baekho Lee's offer that day? What if she had stayed home, waiting for him to come back to her? Would she be sitting next to him with a smile on her face?
I did not know. However, one thing was clear.
«I was just wondering if this is what it feels like to have a family»...
There was no room for her in this house.
Crunch.
It was time to return to the inn for the day.
Run!
Suddenly, the two women who had been sipping their tea pounced on her, approaching from both sides. She was too distracted by the chaotic whirlwind of her own thoughts to realize what was happening, and when she finally did, it was too late to repel them.
«...Ehhh?!»
By the time she came to her senses, she was already kneeling in the garden with her arms immobilized behind her. She knew exactly what kind of image she must have made. A former partner... No, an ex-lover who had suddenly been caught hanging around her house...
What kind of excuse could I give?
«Ahaha...»
Not knowing what else to do, he smiled uncomfortably and decided to start with a simple hello.
«It's been a while... Bjorn-Ack!»
It was a horrible reunion.
***
In a room devoid of furniture, a woman was standing by the second-floor window overlooking the courtyard and was biting her nails nervously. «Why is he here? He abandoned him when he disappeared and now... he's back and... he's taking it from me again...».
His dark murmurs demonstrated how unstable his mental state was. Amelia stood at the door behind her, watching her to make sure nothing was happening.
«I can't hear anything because of that magic item. Is there a way to listen?».
«I won't deny it».
«Then tell me right now...!»
«But Bjorn would probably hate for you to do that, right?»
Erwen's jaw closed. He bit his nails again and looked out the window.
Amelia couldn't take it anymore and asked him: «If you're going to act like that, shouldn't you have approached him sooner?». The elf turned her head and glared at her with a look so cold it would give anyone chills. Amelia shrugged her shoulders, indifferent, and found herself face to face with those icy eyes. «That? I'm not wrong, am I?».
It was obvious. No matter how out of control Erwen might seem right now, she would never do anything that would make Bjorn hate her. Deep down, Erwen was a soft and innocent girl, but because of her essences, she was covered in thorny thorns that clouded her judgment.
Erwen knew it too, which is why she kept her mouth shut.
I'm not a fan of poking my nose into other people's affairs, but...
Amelia couldn't stand leaving things like that.
He approached the window where Erwen was and sat down. «Tersia, what kind of relationship do you want with Yandel?». Again, Erwen didn't answer. Normally, Amelia would have ended the conversation there, but this time she kept insisting. «Missha Karlstein coming back won't change your relationship. Or are you looking for something else? Do you want Yandel to see you in a romantic light?».
Finally, she responded. «There would be nothing wrong with that...». His response was meek. She spoke like a true coward.
«I never said there was».
«... What are you trying to say, then?» erwen demanded, apparently unable to bear to continue being cornered.
Amelia stepped forward, unwilling to back down. «I was just curious. If that's how you feel, why haven't you told him? You've realized it too, haven't you? Yandel is quick with reflexes, but since he has so many things on his hands, he will never take the first step».
There was no response. Amelia moved on.
«So tell me: do you want me to help you?».
Erwen sneered in utter disbelief. «Help me? Why don't you tell me what kind of... relationship do you want with him?».
Although it was an embarrassing conversation, Amelia did not refrain from answering honestly. «Well, this is enough for me. I'm happy with the way things are». He didn't hate arguing with Erwen every day or living all kinds of wild adventures with Yandel. The reason was simple. «As Yandel said, I think this must be what it feels like to have a family».
Erwen couldn't say anything in response to that. The anger and paranoia that filled his eyes had disappeared, and in its place only a myriad of complicated and embarrassing emotions remained.
There was a long moment of silence, finally broken by Erwen's wavering voice. «...Tell me. What do I have to do?»
It was finally opening. Amelia smiled sweetly at Erwen, like an older sister, and said: «Wait for the right moment».
«...Wait?»
«If you go after him now, Bjorn will only manage to escape». Any good hunter knew that the first rule of hunting was to make it impossible for his prey to escape. Amelia calmly explained this logic. «Knowing Bjorn Yandel, you're probably thinking something like 'she's not in the right state of mind to make decisions like that'. I wouldn't take your feelings seriously and would only consider them fleeting or temporary».
And besides that...
«He's also likely worried about ruining your current relationship.».
This elf and that barbarian were not that different. Although they both seemed confident on the outside, deep down they were filled with all kinds of fears and anxieties.
«That's why you have to wait for now. If you approach him now, it won't do you any good. It will only dismiss your feelings».
«So how long should I wait...?»
«Until you can erase some of your essences. Then you will have to accept that you are back to normal». If I then told him how he really felt, not even Yandel would be able to dismiss his feelings outright. «I'm not saying you should sit around doing nothing in the meantime, of course. You have to start transmitting those feelings».
«...How?»
«How about you ask me nicely?»
«...Could you give me an example?».
Amelia gave Erwen some advice about romantic relationships. Erwen listened with attentive ears. Those tips were amazing, especially since each one seemed reasonable.
«I can't believe it occurred to you to approach him while he was getting dressed and put his tie on him...». Once Amelia had finished imparting her wisdom, Erwen looked at her stunned. «Have you ever dated a guy?».
«...No.»
Erwen frowned as if her response discredited all the good advice she gave. «So how do you know all this?».
Amelia laughed shyly and resorted to that man's favorite excuse. «...I read it in a book».
Well, it wasn't an excuse if it was true.
***
A little over ten days had passed since my last meeting with Baekho Lee and, finally, the time had come for my long-awaited reunion.
However, I never imagined it would be like this.
Amelia and Erwen were sent inside while Missha and I talked. I also used a magic item to prevent any sound from being heard. I figured our conversation would only make Erwen nervous in her fragile state.
We both stared at each other, without saying a word. The tranquility we used to share had disappeared. Although I wasn't in combat, I could feel my muscles tense and my neck stiffen.
...Why is this so uncomfortable? I feel like I'm going to die.
I finally dared and broke the silence. «Your hair is long now».
«Oh... This... Yes...»
That didn't give me much to work with.
Before things got awkward again, I said, «I don't think I've ever seen you put your hair up like that».
«Really? But whenever I cooked for you... Oh, I mean... for you...»
Now he behaved like before. I couldn't help but laugh as I broke the tension. «Quiet. You don't have to worry about the way you speak. It's not like I ever care much about those things».
«But... I really fixed it... while you were gone...».
«...Did you fix it?»
«Yes, but sometimes... when I get nervous, it comes back. But I'm telling you, I really... really fixed it...»
So she was nervous too? I guess it wasn't just me.
«Anyway, since I said hello, I should go since I have a lot to...»
What was he saying? Didn't you understand what was happening here?
«Where are you going?» I took a step forward and grabbed her wrist.
...Why is she so thin?
Anyway, he couldn't run away now unless he had Flash.
...There's no way I've learned that skill, right?
However, he couldn't be sure of anything. We had been separated for a long time.
«Missha Karlstein.» Still, I looked into her eyes and spoke in a tone that allowed no argument. «You're not going anywhere.»