Incompatible Interspecies Wives

98 – No Favoritism (4)

Leaving the mercenary corps, Arwin and I rode horses.

We run at our own pace, not according to the procession.

Walking through grass no one has ever stepped on.

Getting off the set path gave me a sense of openness.

It seemed like I wasn’t the only one feeling that way.

Looking at Arwin next to her, her smile did not disappear.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been confined to one area for a long time.

She must have liked this kind of freedom.

I was aiming for that to some extent.

She loves to travel, and for her longing for freedom, nothing could be better than this.

Also, it was time to try out the archery that I had honed over the years.

I also tried to practice cutting my own life.

No matter what she is, in the distant future, she is the woman who will live in her world after I die.

There was nothing wrong with telling her such things.

In the first place, it could be seen as my duty as her husband.

Will Arwin be prepared to end her life?

At first, it is more repulsive than I imagined.

But again, if you said you couldn’t do it, there was no need to tell you today.

More than anything, it was more important to her to spend this time with her.

Whatever the reason, Arwin was offended by her for not giving her time to her, so she said.

“…”

I quietly looked at Arwin’s profile.

With that, he burst out laughing.

Teach the elves something.

There will be no other unique experience like this.

****

Tie our horse to the tree and get off the horse.

I put on my sword and put my bow on my back.

I also bring arrows and quivers.

Arwin had only his bow on his back.

“Let’s go.”

At my words, Arwin nodded her head.

I checked the situation.

The weather isn’t very clear, so the night seems to come early.

Maybe I should stop hunting a little earlier and return.

Anyway, we started into the woods.

We are welcomed by the sound of birds chirping here and there and the clean air of the forest.

Arwin was busy looking around, wondering if it was his first time entering such a large forest, or if he was unfamiliar with entering a new forest.

Then she asked me.

“Berg, what are you hunting?”

“As you can see. Let’s catch just one of them.”

“…Anything is anything, but there are certain things that are expected.”

In that question, there was an emotion like the impatience of a child who couldn’t stand the excitement of the future.

Actually, I wasn’t sure. Maybe it’s the tension about ending one’s life.

Anyway, it was clear that she was interested.

I shrugged.

She decides to leave that fun for her after her.

.

.

.

We wandered around the forest for a while.

He talks lightly about this and that, and enjoys a deviation.

Of course, it wasn’t just walking around like this.

Following various traces, we were gradually approaching the prey.

As expected, deer, rabbits, and wild boars were our opponents.

While talking with Arwin, I constantly looked around.

“Arwin. If the prey appears, can you catch it?”

“I practiced a lot during that time.”

“…Not that way.”

“Berg, look at this…!”

But Arwin wasn’t as focused on hunting as I was.

Occasionally, he stopped while walking and made a fuss as if whispering to a flower that bloomed randomly.

“It’s a morning glory…!”

I don’t know where I left that cold expression I always kept.

She was showing me more and more different expressions.

“Is this your first time?”

Nonetheless, when I matched the mood with my question, Arwin nodded her head.

“Yes. I didn’t grow up in the Celebrien estate… I only read it in books.”

“…”

“…It actually looks like this.”

Looking at the morning glory, Arwin whispered.

What does it feel like to see with your own eyes what you have only seen in books for 170 years?

I never knew.

It was only certain that she felt a vague pity for her.

Even when she sees her happy, she is not entirely happy.

Of course, there was a smile.

-Sseuk…!

At that moment, the sound of something breaking through the bushes was heard.

“Berg, this is the scent!”

I sat carefully in front of her morning glory and blocked Arwin’s mouth as he tried to smell her scent.

“…Shh.”

Then he whispered quietly.

As if surprised by the sudden action, Arwin trembled in her long ears, then nodded her head.

I pointed to Arwin where the sound came from.

A doe stood at the tip of her finger.

However, Arwin wandered for a long time, probably because the prey was not visible because it was covered by trees and bushes.

After a long time, when her deer raised its head, Arwin’s eyes widened.

So Arwin found her doe, and I slowly let her mouth shut.

“…Take out the bow.”

I whispered to Arwin.

Arwin hesitated for a moment, then took out his bow as I said.

I took an arrow from the quiver I had tied behind my waist and handed it to Arwin.

She took her arrow with her familiar hand… And stood still for a moment.

“…”

The deer was peacefully grazing and enjoying nature.

I watched Arwin staring at him.

Unsurprisingly, she also seemed a little hesitant.

“…Arwin.”

Call her name and give her a slight push on the back.

Arwyn trembled as if surprised by the call.

“…Take a deep breath.”

I said.

The bow was a weapon that could protect her body someday.

She had to remember this.

There was no point in learning archery if you couldn’t shoot arrows at creatures.

“I can do it.”

At that, Arwyn hardened her expression, put an arrow on the bowstring, and pulled the string.

A bow string that hangs more slowly than usual.

Still hesitating, she blinks her eyes.

She began to put any emotion into those eyes.

The tighter she pulled the bowstring, the more confused the expression on her face grew.

It was bizarre, if not strange, that the action itself did not stop.

Am I pushing too hard?

“…If you are afraid of killing something-“

“That is not true.”

– Tung!

With an instantaneous answer, arrows fly through the air.

The decision was much faster than expected.

-Squat!

But the arrow got stuck in a tree near the deer.

-Paba Park!

The deer, startled by the sound, immediately lowered its stance and ran away.

I was silent as I watched the target vanish in vain.

“…I missed it.”

Arwin muttered.

To be honest, I was quite surprised by Arwin’s behavior.

Contrary to the hesitant look on his face, his actions were too fast.

I didn’t know what to say to that awkward look.

…I wonder if it was meant to be a miss from the beginning.

Then it makes sense to act quickly.

Perhaps Arwin also noticed my feelings, he belatedly looked up at me and made an excuse.

“…I really missed it.”

I nodded.

“Yes.”

Actually, it didn’t matter.

It’s just a pity.

Soon, I started giving her advice without even realizing it.

Maybe it was the habit of training the crew.

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“…Still, don’t be upset next time.”

“…Was not shaken.”

“You have to have the experience of killing something, and stay calm even if an urgent situation comes later-“

“-Berg.”

Arwin called me resolutely.

“…I am an elf.”

I shrugged.

“I know.”

“…That’s not it.”

“…?”

“Do you think I would feel guilty for killing such an insignificant creature?”

“…”

Words I never thought would come out of her mouth.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been in this kind of atmosphere, so I forgot about it for a while.

I definitely felt this way when we first met.

…Perhaps the quick decision earlier was in that context.

Anyway, even though I was speaking so strongly, I felt like I didn’t have to preach anymore.

Actually, all of this is a story that stems from my regret.

I hoped that Arwin would come up with a way to protect herself.

So that’s all I had to do.

I said to ease the slightly frozen atmosphere.

“…What are you saying so bloody?”

“That’s not what you say when you have a chance to fight.”

Alwin jumped on the bandwagon of my mood and joked with me.

The atmosphere softens again.

I looked up at the sky and said.

“Arwin. Let’s go back now. It gets dark.”

“…”

Arwin was silent at those words.

“…Arwin?”

“Can’t we just chase that deer a little bit longer?”

“…”

“If that is difficult, you can walk around the forest a little longer…”

I shook my head.

“Next time.”

Then he turned and started to leave the forest.

Arwin, who was stubborn for a while, eventually followed me because of my resolute actions.

.

.

.

The moment we left the forest, raindrops started to fall.

It was a disaster.

The weather wasn’t great, but I didn’t expect it to rain so quickly.

I acted gradually and quickly.

Release the horse tied to the tree and load the bow.

Find a position while looking around in the direction.

And then, a sudden shower started pouring.

A rough stream of water gushes out.

“…”

I clicked my tongue and hurriedly searched for a shelter from the rain.

For now, as a temporary measure, they decide to head under a tree with large leaves spreading in layers.

If you feel like it, you can go to the small cave you saw in the forest.

I called Arwin.

“Arwin! Over there…”

However, I shut my mouth when I saw Arwin.

I find a dazed back figure.

Outside the forest, Arwin was looking up at the sky in the pouring rain.

Just looking at it, I couldn’t say anything.

A deep sense of freedom conveyed through just one action.

It was as if her feelings were contagious to me.

Arwin, who was accepting her rain, looked at me.

“…”

And she smiled brightly.

“…That’s cool.”

Her beauty seemed to be accentuated in the rain.

“Very nice, Berg.”

Maybe it was because of how happy he looked.

“I can’t go back like this.”

As much as she couldn’t escape her rain by herself, I accepted her rain as coolly as she did.

Even I feel relieved when I give up on avoiding her rain.

“Yes.”