Incompatible Interspecies Wives

40 – It’s Your Choice (3)

Adam never imagined this would come in his life.

He said he expected it when the letter arrived, but he didn’t expect to actually sit face to face with the elf elder and have a conversation.

Especially after sending them a letter rejecting their offer.

“…The vice-captain is not coming.”

The head of Celebrien. Their elder, Ascal Celebrien, licks his lips.

The low voice contained the power to dominate the atmosphere.

But it wasn’t the elf elder that Adam’s eyes focused on.

He looked at another guest at the table.

Beautiful looks. Big stature. Long ears. Sharp eyes. Long green hair tucked all back.

Arwin Celebrien.

As for Adam, I wasn’t stupid enough to not know why Ascal brought her second daughter.

I was just surprised that it came out so blatantly.

Did he mean to say no based on appearance?

Seeing the elf elder aggressively trying to negotiate despite his refusal, Adam felt how urgent the opponent was.

He looked at Arwin, who was sitting like a doll, and said to the elder.

“…It doesn’t matter who comes. I understand that the story has already ended.”

“While the conversation continues, it is not over. Didn’t I come here like this?”

“Nothing will change. My brother is already married.”

“Isn’t the human race capable of polygamy?”

“They said they don’t like new marriages. My brother.”

“Then you are there too.”

“………”

Adam lowered his gaze and grabbed the glass that was lying on the table.

Gently lifting one corner of his mouth, he let out his snort naturally.

“… Ha.”

As if he hadn’t heard anything funnier than that.

Adam looked at Ascal again.

Then he broke the glass without answering the elder’s gaze.

Adam’s atmosphere is turned upside down in an instant at the elder’s suggestion.

“…Ah, sorry. It’s my problem.”

And with formal courtesy, apologize for the ridicule.

Then Ascal nodded her head slowly.

“…Yes. I guess you can’t.”

He quickly figured out whether he hadn’t wasted a lot of time and who was more difficult to convince.

“Anyway. It’s not too late to meet the vice-captain and make a choice. It might change your mind when you see Arwin.”

“…Maybe.”

But Adam thought that the possibility was slim.

It wasn’t like Berg didn’t like her pretty face, but he wasn’t swayed by it either.

– Smart smart.

Everyone’s attention is drawn to the sound of knocking.

He was the person everyone had been waiting for.

‘This is Berg. I’ll go in.’

****

When I opened the door and entered, there were three people inside.

Adam hyung.

A noble elf male who appears to be in his mid-thirties by human standards.

And she’s a beautiful but childish elf woman who looks like she’s only 18 or 19 years old.

As soon as I saw it, I was able to grasp the situation.

I thought it was a story that I had obviously rejected.

Before I could even look at Adam, an elf man walked up to me and offered to shake my hand.

“Are you Berg? I’ve heard a lot about it. He said he had a high ball in Blackwood.”

“…Who are you?”

“Ascal Celebrien. I am the head of the Celebrien family.”

I lightly held his hand with him.

Then he looked at the elf woman who met his eyes.

For a while, we exchange glances.

“…”

“…”

Soon she laid her eyes first.

Although it is a feeling, the awkwardness that she felt for Ner has been transmitted to this woman as well.

A political marriage is unavoidable after all.

Especially if it is a heterogeneous marriage.

…I heard that elves, who are long-lived species in particular, have a stronger tendency to regard other races as taboo.

As a rare race, it was the first time I met an elf, so I wasn’t sure.

“Brother, how did this happen?”

Adam hyung explained to me.

“I declined, Berg. I didn’t push through while ignoring your opinion.”

“Then why are these elves here?”

“Looks like I came here to convince you.”

Ascal makes eye contact with me for a moment, then speaks to the elf woman.

“Daughter, go out for a while.”

“….”

The elf woman did as he said and stood up cautiously.

It’s only after she wakes up that she gets a sense of how tall she is.

It was smaller than me, but it came up to the eyebrows.

Thanks to her long legs, her proportions were also good. Rumors about the beauty of elves seemed to be true.

With straight steps, the elf woman left her seat.

After she left, Ascal spoke again.

“Berg, can I call you that?”

With a slight nod of her head, the elf elder brought up the main subject.

“…I’m sure you already know the rough story. Berg, how could you not accept our offer?”

Ascal quickly threw the subject.

I sighed again.

The burden on my heart is indescribable whenever a choice containing someone’s fate is given to me.

Regardless of how I want to do it, it’s hard to know that people will die no matter what choice I make.

Because of this fact, the training of the members must have been pushed to the limit.

I was in agony.

If you agree to help, there will be casualties from the Red Flame Team.

If you refuse to help, there will be elven casualties.

Of course, the lives of the Red Flame Team members were important to me…But that didn’t mean I didn’t care about the lives of the elves.

I put an imaginary scale in my head.

Naturally, the scale tilts a lot with prominence.

In order to balance this scale, proper compensation was needed.

Also, as long as Ner was there, the existence of nobles was no longer so important.

It was a cold word to say to Ascal, who is struggling to save his own people, but I also make a choice in the end.

I shook my head.

“Sorry.”

“…Can I ask why?”

“Is there any reason to receive the opposite?”

Ascal responds in one stroke.

“The opportunity to connect with the Celebrien family doesn’t come often.”

A word that could sound arrogant.

But I didn’t know the Celebrien family very well.

As arrogant as they are, they might be a family with a reputation to match.

I looked sideways at Adam.

Adam raised his eyebrows and nodded his head.

Actually, it was an offer he would have accepted even if I hadn’t turned it down.

“I want to carry the power of Blackwood and Celebrien at the same time. I know why you accepted Lady Blackwood. But with Celebrien on your back, no one can touch you.”

“…”

Obviously, there were words I heard from the mouths of the members who went on a recent expedition.

Since Ner and I got married, it seems that our Red Salt Team has become even more famous.

Being a member of the Red Flame Team became a title, and people’s attitudes changed.

This was the extent of what happened when I carried one Ner on my back.

It didn’t take long, but it was like this.

…If even an elf was carried on his back, there would have been many things that would have changed.

But is it important enough to increase the number of victims?

If you think about Ner, wouldn’t it be natural to refuse?

“I have already been married.”

“I know what you are saying. Don’t the Humans have multiple wives?”

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“Not everyone is like that.”

“There is no law telling you not to do that.”

I let out a long sigh.

Then he points outside and asks.

“A while ago…she is the woman’s name…”

“Arwin. Arwin Celebrien.”

“Is Miss Arwin accepting to marry me?”

A problem I’ve felt since Ner’s days.

But Ascal shook his head and said.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Important.”

“It doesn’t matter. If you are also going to marry Arwin, it is for the future of this mercenary group, not for your own happiness. Wouldn’t her first wife accept it thinking of happiness too?”

“Her first wife is like that, but there is no reason for her second wife to be either.”

“…”

I immediately shook my head.

My head started to tingle.

Everything was mixed and shaken and confused.

I’m looking for Adam again.

“…Brother.”

“Yes.”

“If you think about the future of the Red Flame Team, what is right?”

“It is right to get married.”

Adam-hyung answered without any worries.

“Elf…Lives a long time. At least as long as we’re alive, the alliance won’t be broken. The elder who owes us will live a long time. No matter what, two are better than one.”

“…Then why did you reject it in the first place?”

Hyung laughed as if he was dumbfounded.

“Hey, you said you didn’t like it.”

“Because of that one?”

“That is enough.”

“…”

There were only two things I was worried about.

One is the damage that will be inflicted on the Red Flame Team.

However, my older brother is telling me that accepting this marriage would be more profitable.

In fact, no matter what you are trying to achieve, there is no choice but to sacrifice.

There must be more than one member of the crew who died just to get a keg of sake.

That’s what mercenaries are like.

Because you trade your life for resources.

So maybe there is more to gain than to lose in this exchange.

If that’s the case, then my next concern is… Ner.

As a werewolf, I thought about how Ner would accept this reality.

Of course, she might consider that I am a human.

Still, if you think about it in terms of her culture, it must have been very humiliating.

I was trying to get along, but obstacles kept popping up.

I couldn’t decide again, so I sighed.

****

Ner looked at Arwyn as he walked out and calmed her startled heart.

“Arwin-nim…!”

An opponent you never thought you would face here.

Arwin looked for Nere, who called her with her eyes, one might say she was cold.

“…Ner.”

As if the elf woman hadn’t forgotten Ner, she called her name.

Ner thought he was lucky with that fact alone.

Elves have a long lifespan, so they tend to forget things that are not important.

So she couldn’t help but be more pleased with Ner that she wasn’t forgotten.

The two of them shared a light hug in the center of the crowd of red flames.

“It’s been a while. How much?”

“…Six years… About, yes. That would have been enough.”

“You’ve grown a lot. I almost didn’t know.”

“Yes.”

“The white tail is still there.”

“…Yes.”

Ner had visited Arwin’s hometown several years ago.

As much as the connection she had with her at that time was peculiar to her Ner, she could not forget her Arwin.

At the time, Arwin was feeding the World Tree.

Young elves must feed the World Tree for 200 years.

They have a long tradition of serving the World Tree at all costs.

With that unusual appearance, Ner approached Arwin, and the two formed a light relationship that could not be described as strong.

Of course, even that casual relationship was special to Ner.

There was one fact that suddenly made Ner wonder.

“Arwin, your current age…”

“…170 Years old.”

Considering that the average lifespan of an elf was 10 times that of other races, Arwyn hadn’t even reached the age of majority yet.

A question that comes to mind at the same time.

“…How did you get out of the territory?”

Elves who have not reached the age of majority cannot leave the Celebrien domain. There would still be 30 years left.

“…The other elders also gave permission.”

“The reason is…”

Arwin spat out dryly with his cold expression.

“Same reason as you.”

“…Yes?”

“A political marriage.”

“…………”

Ner froze at the unexpected answer.

In the meantime, Arwin explains.

“The world tree is in danger of being attacked. Being nourished by the World Tree… It doesn’t matter anymore. Your survival is in jeopardy.”

However, for some reason, Nere didn’t hear the explanation after that.

My eyes keep blinking at the word political marriage.

“…Ah, the opponent is the captain-“

“-No, vice-captain. Her name is…Berg.”

Ner felt something very light pass through his heart.

“…Ah.”

Another question felt at the same time.

Why is it Berg again when there is Adam?

Then he nodded as if nothing had happened.

There was nothing she could do for her anyway.

At the same time, she tried to figure out why the area around her chest felt sore for a moment.

It was expected that Berg would have multiple wives since he was a Human, and he wouldn’t even like him. What is this feeling?

Why were you a little surprised?

Is it because I didn’t expect Berg to accept this marriage story at all?

Meanwhile, Arwin spoke quietly.

“…Sorry, Ner.”

“Yes?”

Ner was surprised by her apology and her body trembled.

“…Why?”

“In your culture… One person only has one mate. Even I would hate it if I became a wife.”

Alwin seemed to already know that Berg’s wife was Nere.

“…”

Ner immediately nodded her head weakly at those words.

That must have been the reason. Apparently it was.

So she must have felt stiff for a while.

Culturally, it’s such an absurd situation.

At the same time, Ner put his feelings aside for a while.

As much as Yeongji knows how it feels to be attacked by monsters, he gives comfort.

“…Arwin, you must be having a hard time. If the estate is under attack…”

Arwin nodded.

“I am a little afraid. I just want things to work out.”

At the same time, she let out a long sigh.

“…Don’t be too nervous, Ner.”

“Yes?”

“We haven’t even decided to get married yet. Originally, your husband rejected me.”

“Ah.”

And for some reason, she immediately understands what she heard.

She thought that if it was the Berg she knew, she would have been.

“…Are you being loved?”

Arwin broke her cold expression and said it like a joke.

Ner felt the heat rise in her face for an instant.

She shook her head at the unfamiliar feeling.

“No, no.”

“…”

Arwin smiled.

She then whispers.

“…Don’t worry. Even if I get married, I won’t interfere.”

“…Yes?”

With those words, the door burst open.

Ner and Arwyn’s eyes were all on the door.

Berg was at the forefront, walking out with a serious face.

He let out a long sigh at the same time and came straight towards Ner.

“Let’s go.”

“Bee, Berg?”

Berg grabs his wrist.

Then the elder of the elves, Ascal, stepped out.

Ner was dragged away by Berg before he could even bow to him.

The elder exclaimed.

“Let me think about it!”

“…”

Berg didn’t answer.

I just led Ner all the way with a hard face.

****

Berg has been drinking since he got home.

Rather than drinking because he was mentally exhausted, he seemed to be taking a sigh of relief with alcohol as a snack for his troubles.

In the first place, Berg liked to drink.

Today was about drinking a little faster than on a normal day.

Ner kept refilling Berg’s glass by his side.

And every time she refilled her glass, Berg smiled.

“Thank you.”

Berg opens the window and admires the backyard.

He murmurs.

“Certainly I can’t see the moon.”

Before the Celebrien family came, it was Berg and Ner who had been arguing over a walk.

But Ner had long since forgotten the previous quarrel.

Ner stayed silent like that, and finally mustered up his courage.

“…Berg?”

“…”

“What happened?”

Berg scratched his head.

With an apologetic expression, he glanced at Ner for a moment before explaining.

“Adam-hyung suggested another wedding talk not too long ago.”

“…”

“I refused at the time… But the elf elder came to persuade me one more time.”

This was a story that even Ner already knew.

Ner waited for Berg to speak.

Rather than that, what was the outcome was more important.

“…”

But Berg was silent.

Ner couldn’t wait and asked again.

“…Berg?”

“…”

“What next?”

“…”

Berg was silent again.

The fact that he was troubled was notable.

“Are you in trouble…?”

When Ner asked, Berg closed his eyes and opened them.

“…I hate it.”

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I already got a sense for what reason he was trying to refuse.

He’s probably saying no because of himself.

His constant attention was part of the evidence.

Ner sighed inwardly, pondering over this marriage talk.

I’m sure he was in a bad mood at first.

And the reason must have been a surprise because the culture was so different.

But since then, Ner has been thinking rationally.

I calculated what was right.

First of all…If Berg refuses to marry here, many elves will die.

Even elves have nothing to do with it. Elves like Arwyn, who have one-sided relationships, will die.

It was a story that countless lives depend on one person’s decision.

Is it right to turn away from them because of the discomfort you feel?

Secondly…

“…”

Ner secretly checked Berg’s profile.

A person who was going to leave someday.

Wouldn’t it be easier to leave if you had another wife?

Wouldn’t it be easier to accept when negotiating the ransom later?

There seemed to be more advantages to having Arwin than not having him.

In the first place, having another friend named Arwin by your side will be a lot of strength.

Ner had no reason to push Arwin out of common sense.

If you think about it rationally, it was.

So she bit her lip and said.

“…I think accepting is okay.”

Then Berg asked, putting down his glass.

“What?”

His voice got a little louder.

But Ner calmly expressed his opinion.

“If it’s because of me…Then I’m fine.”

“…”

“I don’t know if there is another reason…if I am the reason…”

“…”

“If you say you don’t like me, won’t a lot of elves die? Besides, Arwin-nim and I know each other…”

“…Did you know each other?”

“…Yes.”

Berg sighed as if he was deeply troubled by Ner’s words.

Ner’s heart was pounding for some reason.

Maybe it’s because I didn’t know how to make such a suggestion myself.

“…Ner.”

Berg whispered quietly.

Berg carefully held Ner’s hand again.

It was Berg’s behavior that he had become accustomed to lately.

Ner doesn’t reject Berg and looks him in the eyes.

“…Again…I hate it.”

“…”

“No matter what choice you make, people will die. Of course…If the marriage talks are not accepted, the elves will die dozens of times over.”

“…”

“So if either way is tough, I want to put my feelings first. I want to choose a path that is more beneficial to me.”

“…”

“From that point of view, I know that marriage talks are definitely not a culture that suits you. So I am asking.”

Ner averted his eyes for a moment at those words.

But whether you do or not, Berg asks the same question.

“…Are you really okay?”

Ner suppressed his trembling heart and spoke cautiously.

When I think about it rationally, this was the right path.

“…Yes.”

At those words, Berg’s expression became even more calm.

Berg drank one more glass without saying anything.

He said after looking out the window for a while.

“…Yes.”

****

Deep in the night.

Berg, who drank more than usual, had already lost his temper.

But Ner still couldn’t calm his trembling heart, and his eyes were wide open.

I don’t know why the choice I made earlier keeps lingering in my mind.

No matter how you think about it, it was the right choice.

But she reiterated her own choices over and over again.

Ner thought to himself.

‘…You’re leaving anyway. What’s the problem.’

She wasn’t vicious enough to turn away from her family because she didn’t want to lose her friends.

If she had been a loving husband, she might have hated her.

I don’t know the feeling of love yet, so I don’t know how deep it is.

So Berg had to yield to Arwin, and she would have to leave sometime in the future.

Ner closed his eyes again. She wanted to annoy her heart to stop beating.

– Took.

And at that moment, Berg turned over and wrapped one of his arms in front of Nere.

“….”

Ner is crushed by his arm.

A bed where you can feel the warmth of a married couple.

If it was like before, I would have pushed it away in surprise, but today, for some reason, I couldn’t.

Ner had to wrestle under it for a long time to find the cause of the mysterious throbbing feeling in his heart.