20 – Marriage (4)

From noble mtl dot com

Ner and I sat at the table of honor at the banquet, watching the humans and werewolves eating and having fun.

Laughs and blessings continue to pour down on us.

Ner and I responded to all those cries without much reaction.

I felt strange when I got married.

I still can’t believe it.

That Ner Blackwood sitting next to me is my lifelong companion.

That he is someone who should be treated more preciously than anyone else.

…It’s so awkward right now, but I guess we’ll get closer later.

I wasn’t sure either.

Ner sat on his tail, his hands resting on his thighs.

This beautiful werewolf woman was cowering even in her chair.

“…”

I had various thoughts about her while looking at her.

Ner and I haven’t talked about anything else since we got married.

They were in a state of silence.

The fact that I don’t speak well also played a role. Ner Blackwood seemed frightened.

I didn’t dare to try to get closer.

We still have decades left.

But obviously, it seemed that some kind of response would be needed before that.

Within a short feast if it is short, a long feast if it is long.

As much as we couldn’t throw a big party, the food ran out quickly.

Since a battle with monsters is scheduled soon, everyone seems to be abstaining from alcohol.

Gibson came to us as if he had the same idea.

“Berg, Ner.”

Ner trembled at Gibson’s call. When you’re right next to him, every little action and every gesture catches your eye.

Gibson told us that.

“…Let’s go to the soul binding.”

We were approaching the final stages before the first night.

****

A group of people led us to a grove within the Blackwood estate.

Brothers of Gibson and Nere. Werewolf soldiers. Adam and Baran. Chief Joe’s soldiers surround and escort us.

I walked one step ahead of Ner, and Ner slowly followed behind me.

When she turned her head slightly, her tail was even stepped on in the snow.

I didn’t know all the emotions the tail meant, but I think I heard that it meant depressed when it was down.

“…”

Now she seemed depressed.

“I think so.”

Gidin led us to the entrance of a forest.

It was after I solved everything through yesterday’s nerve conduction with Gidin and today’s marriage.

Since I accepted his warning in the first place, there was no reason to fight anymore.

The entrance to the forest that Gidin guided us to was pitch black, as the night progressed.

Baran naturally handed me the sword.

I also put my sword on my waist and finish my preparations.

“In the forest, you never know what will appear or what problems will arise. However, the two of you can resolve the situation through dialogue, kneel in front of the tree you have decided on together, and make another vow while looking at the moon.”

Gibson slowly explained to us about the Werewolf’s Soulbind once again.

While listening to his explanation, I looked at Ner beside me.

Is it because she is my wife? I keep focusing on her feelings.

“…If you have any doubts, Ner will explain it to you.”

That’s how Gibson’s explanation ends.

I nodded and turned to Ner.

“…”

Then she gave her hand and said,

“…Let’s go.”

Ner looked back and forth between my hand and face, then slowly reached out his hand.

The girl holding my fingertips very lightly.

But that was enough.

I took her steps toward the woods, and she followed me.

.

.

.

We moved inward step by step.

The year that began to set accelerated and quickly disappeared, hiding its traces.

The moon takes its place.

Soon, the surroundings became dark enough to see nothing.

– Took.

“…Uh.”

Something gets caught in my leg, and I lose my balance for a moment.

I miss Ner Blackwood’s hand.

“Okay…”

She looked back at her, her yellow eyes glowing in the darkness.

Accordingly, the beauty of the eyes is highlighted.

I forgot for a moment that werewolves are not greatly affected by darkness.

Even though it was quite difficult to fight the werewolves in the slum because of that feature.

“…That’s fine.”

For the first time, I spoke to her casually.

Ner quietly nodded her head.

I looked around, seeing nothing, and sat down for a while.

Ner was no longer getting closer to the place where he let go of his hand.

How should I solve this situation?

She knew that her marriage was not very reluctant.

“…Come here.”

I told her to have a conversation with her.

But in the distance, Ner shook her head.

“…”

Maybe it’s because it’s in the dark. Is it because it is deep in the forest?

Is it because there is no one around?

She was more afraid of me than at any moment before.

Personally, I did not understand well.

I didn’t do anything.

…But also, I knew that the shortcomings of the human race that other races focus on are well known.

You don’t know me very well, so maybe she’s like that.

Maybe he has a prejudice just because he’s a mercenary.

In the first place, an aristocrat connected with a commoner from a slum like me, but it’s more fun to accept it right away.

“…”

I sighed quietly.

As much as others do not look at it, this culture of soul bonding may proceed more closely, but it could also proceed in an awkward manner like ours.

I thought about it for a while and said.

“…Miss Blackwood.”

Ner gazed at me for a long time, nodding slowly. I could tell by watching the yellow eyes go up and down.

“…I want you to find a tree to kneel down with. To be honest, maybe it’s because I’m a human, I can’t see very well in this darkness.”

Ner blinked for a moment, then started walking somewhere.

I followed her, trying not to fall in the dark.

Soon she stops.

I didn’t even travel far to find the tree.

It just seemed to stop in front of the largest tree among the trees around.

“…Can I do it here?”

“…Yes.”

I approached the tree Ner had guided me to and touched her hand.

It was a zelkova tree. It’s not particularly big, and it doesn’t look particularly healthy either.

“…What does the zelkova tree symbolize?”

I asked Ner.

Ner is silent for a long time, quietly whispering.

“…The love of destiny.”

“…”

I nodded and looked back at the tree.

It’s destiny.

Do you think our marriage is one of the fates we have to accept?

I tapped on wood.

I don’t know about werewolf culture, but I wonder if this is correct.

Still, it’s a ceremony called soul binding, so I wonder if it’s okay to pick the tree roughly like this.

If you want a zelkova tree, wouldn’t it be better to choose a slightly stronger and straighter one?

“…”

But I didn’t even worry about it for long.

In the end, things like rituals don’t matter at all. It’s not that God is watching.

It would be even more important to understand and be considerate of each other in the future marriage life.

From that point of view, I didn’t put a toe on the tree Ner chose.

Her emotions are so complex right now, if they were expressed in this way, even this was one of the things I had to accept.

“…Let’s start.”

I first knelt down in front of the tree Ner chose and sat down on her knees.

Nerdo knelt on her right hand side at a single footpath.

It was said that the tree should be used as a witness to the moon, but fortunately the moon was visible. It was so bright that there was no misunderstanding.

The next step was to… Tie the tail.

Of course, I didn’t have a tail like that.

“The tail is…”

“…”

After asking Ner for a moment, something touches my calf.

When I turned around, Ner’s tail, shining silver in the moonlight, rested on my calf.

It seemed to be the most important thing to reach somehow.

“…What next?”

“…Looking at the moon, I swear a promise for the future. Inside.”

A beautiful voice. The longer she speaks, the easier it is to grasp the fact.

I nodded.

As much as consciousness is consciousness, I copy her actions.

As she does, I hold my hands together and close my eyes.

Then, he repeated his promise for the future and made an oath.

****

Ner felt fortunate to be able to alleviate the situation to some extent with lies.

During this soul binding ceremony, there are things we have to say to each other.

You must confess your love and swear to be loyal to each other.

But Berg, the human mercenary, did not know such a culture of werewolves, so he was able to skip all the procedures.

Since I jumped over, I couldn’t even bind my soul.

Ner was feeling complex emotions.

I was still afraid of Berg, but he never did anything to be afraid of.

I have yet to see him being cruel, strict, or disrespecting women.

He politely raised his words.

Of course, the situation in which he would go on a rampage hadn’t happened in the first place.

If she became her husband and herself now, she would immediately reveal her true nature like flipping her palms and start taking her as she pleases and playing with her… That would break her red flames and the big cracks in the black woods. It was clear that I would bring it.

It is said that even in a long-term relationship, you discover things you don’t know.

It was unknown how well she was hiding what she really was.

So I didn’t foolishly let go of my guard against him already.

…There were still difficulties.

Once this soul binding ceremony is over, the first night awaits.

The moment comes when you must offer your virginity to him.

Berg already knew that fact, so he didn’t even know he was this calm.

“….”

-Koo Woo-wook…

When Ner thinks about his first night, tears already come to his eyes.

You never know how much you will scream or how much you will cry.

I’m afraid to see what Berg is hiding.

I don’t like to give myself to a strange man like this, not my destiny.

Nevertheless, there was a glimmer of hope.

When they had to share a kiss, he saw Berg’s hesitation.

He was the one who pretended to kiss everyone and only kissed his nose.

I don’t know if there is such an expression of affection in human culture, but for Ner, it was much more tolerable than a kiss.

But, by any chance, he’s pretending not to be nice to you.

If there were no nose-to-nose expressions of affection, and even that was an act of being considerate of oneself.

…A chance to somehow get past the first night arose.

Ner had to inject hope into that possibility.

Ner opened his eyes for a moment and looked away.

Berg was clasping his hands with his eyes closed, as if he was swearing something.

Ner didn’t believe that serious look.

I already heard something.

There was no way I would live with this person for the rest of my life.

From noble mtl dot com

Ner turned his eyes to the sky again.

She saw her friend, the bright moon.

She pondered for a moment about what she could promise or hope for in the future.

It didn’t take long.

Ner wished for what he wanted the most right now.

‘I hope I can come back here again.’

.

.

.

When the ceremony was over, Berg stood up.

Ner also stands up after him.

Her head was all over the next step.

First night.

Her heavy stuffiness weighs down on her.

The ring on her left ring finger was uncomfortable.

“…Let’s go back.”

But it was something that could not be postponed. Ner said that and turned her body around.

“For a moment.”

And at that moment, Berg pulled out his sword.

Ner was momentarily startled and collapsed into place.

“…Are you okay?”

Berg looked at her curiously.

Ner looked at the sword and Berg alternately for a moment.

It was terrifying to see a large, terrifying human mercenary holding a sword.

“…Ah.”

As if Berg understood her behavior, she slowly shut her mouth.

Then, without much explanation, he approached the tree where he had just prayed.

-Quack! Kkack!

Then he swung his sword and left a mark on the tree.

Berg then put the sword into the scabbard without hesitation.

“…This is how you know what kind of tree you knelt in front of.”

It was a reason Ner could not even think of.

She looked at the tree where Berg had left a mark.

There was a big trace that seemed difficult to heal easily.

Did Berg want to commemorate what she was trying to do roughly?

Ner looked at Berg again.

“…Let’s go. Wake up.”

He says.

Ner nodded her head with difficulty.

The time has come.

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