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121
In the deep night, as the lights of taverns were going out one by one, Rohan and Arpel were still at the mercenary guild. To be precise, they were temporarily staying in a corner room on the second floor.
“Hmm…”
In that place, Rohan and Arpel had spread various papers on the floor. These were all materials related to the current incident, handed over by Dein just in case they might be needed.
Rohan, who had been silently examining them, let out a small sigh. White paper and black letters. It was understandable to feel fatigue after staring at documents for so long. Arpel, turning his head to look at Rohan, casually asked.
“Want to lean on me for a bit?”
“Is that okay?”
The immediate response was surprisingly quick. Not only that, the tiredness that had been etched on his face just moments ago had completely vanished, and his eyes, now meeting Arpel’s, were sparkling with anticipation.
Having received the invitation, he could have leaned in right away if he felt like it, but his gently curved eyes were seeking permission. It might have been an illusion, but such an illusion couldn’t help but be felt from that devoted gaze, if not emotion itself.
Though puzzled, Arpel couldn’t help but nod. Even now, the sense of fulfillment building up deep in his chest was constantly urging him to act.
At that, Rohan promptly rested his head on Arpel’s shoulder. The documents he had been holding onto were long since set aside. The papers fluttered to the floor, scattering once again.
“I don’t want to look anymore…”
“But we’re almost done.”
“Still.”
Arpel quietly looked down at Rohan, who was nuzzling his head against his shoulder. Every time a whimper escaped, his heart pounded heavily. For him, it was an undoubtedly welcome sensation.
With eyes closed, he could feel the warm body temperature and endless affection. He liked how it felt even more pronounced when he embraced Rohan.
“You’ve done well organizing everything. You were doing great.”
Arpel whispered as he slowly patted Rohan’s back. Several emotions were mixed in that brief whisper.
Beyond the seemingly gentle comfort, what was subtly present was none other than joy. It was always like this when he saw Rohan acting childish towards him occasionally. It made him feel like he was still relied upon, and memories of comforting a crying child in the past would vividly resurface.
However, this ‘childishness’ was brief. As they spent more time together, Rohan tended to act more maturely. So, normally…
“I wish it would all be over soon… Don’t you?”
By now, he would have stopped.
Arpel’s hand, which had been rhythmically patting Rohan’s back, suddenly stopped at the unexpected addition. His gaze then turned to the one resting his head on his shoulder. Though he couldn’t see his face, he could clearly feel the emotions being conveyed.
It might have been just a short mumble that some would overlook, but Arpel knew it was a sincere sentiment wrapped in the guise of childishness.
Soon, an outstretched hand gently caressed his cheek. It was a touch imbued with affection, thread by thread. But that wasn’t all.
“Yes. I wish it would be.”
Arpel answered slowly and moved his body. He twisted his head to kiss the tips of Rohan’s light brown hair. It was at that moment that Rohan, who had been burying his face, stiffened. His face lifted slightly.
“…Arpel, really.”
Beneath the disheveled bangs from all the nuzzling, narrowly opened eyes were revealed. Even at a glance, their intensity was not ordinary. The golden pupils rippled repeatedly, layered with various emotions.
It was late at night, in a space where only the two of them were present. Arpel was the first to let go of the reins he had been holding. So what reason was there to hesitate any longer?
Just for a moment. If it’s just for a very short moment…
As Rohan, thinking this, closed the distance with Arpel…
“I forgot to include this, I checked it personally but forgot to put it back…”
The door suddenly opened without warning, and Dein appeared holding a bundle of papers. As if embarrassed about bringing additional materials belatedly, his face was full of an awkward smile.
Of course, it didn’t take long for that to disappear. His eyes shook uncontrollably as he gazed at the two who were stuck together, emanating a strange atmosphere.
Silence descended all around. Dein felt suffocated by this silence. No, even attempting to breathe might be too much. His body trembled involuntarily.
“Ha… hahaha.”
What broke through the terribly quiet atmosphere was a small laugh. Even that sounded bizarre, as if being controlled by someone.
“Doors… doors aren’t there for nothing… right? I should have knocked, but I was too stupid to remember that…!”
With each word, his body moved further away from the room. One step, then two steps. He started to back away little by little.
Although his jerky movements were excessively unnatural, perhaps his effort was admirable. Dein finally managed to grasp the doorknob. His face, filled with hope, suddenly took on a solemn expression.
“I’ll make sure to knock next time. No, I won’t come at all! I’ll make sure no one else comes in either! I won’t disturb you!”
That shout was the last. With a thud, the door closed, and all that remained were the materials he had left on the floor.
Rohan, who had been staring at the closed door, silently clicked his tongue.
Should have locked the door from the start.
***
The next day, Dein visited the room again. This time, he knocked properly. After exactly three knocks and permission, he appeared, clearing his throat to change the atmosphere. The series of actions was awkwardly out of place.
Thus, the discussion about the previously received materials began a beat late.
The missing mercenaries had several other commonalities besides the ‘royal palace request’. Low skills, poor family circumstances, desire for skill improvement, and…
“Wanted to become knights but repeatedly failed due to lack of skill, reluctantly turned to mercenary work to earn money… That’s about it, right?”
“Yes. That’s the most notable part.”
Dein silently marveled at Rohan’s concise summary.
The fact that they all wanted to become knights was the most striking common denominator. So when the royal palace posted a request without any particular qualifications, they must have quickly applied.
“Not everyone who received the request went missing, and those who disappeared initially hid voluntarily, so on the surface, there doesn’t seem to be a big problem. But when you consider the tendencies of these individuals one by one, there’s a strong feeling that they’re connected to the royal family.”
The only link between these seemingly unrelated individuals is the royal palace. Yet, is the royal palace really not involved in these disappearances? Dein shook his head firmly.
“That’s why we’re currently expanding our investigation area centered on this village. This is where one of the missing mercenaries was last seen. Lady Leriana has also recently joined the investigation…”
His explanation continued from there. Rohan and Arpel just nodded along. They had already guessed that Leriana was involved in this investigation.
Given the royal family’s involvement, it was clear that she too would want to uncover the truth behind the incident. Just as the two listening to Dein’s words were doing so.
It wasn’t difficult to memorize the description of the last seen mercenary. Gray hair, darkly tanned skin, a large scar remaining on the corner of the mouth. Rohan, who had been reading the detailed description of various facial features for a moment, stood up. Arpel did the same.
“Oh, are you leaving?”
“Yes. The sooner we start, the better.”
“That’s… true.”
With that, the two brushed past the dazed Dein as they stood up. At that moment, Dein saw it. Something on Arpel’s neck that caught his attention so intensely that he wondered why he hadn’t noticed it until now.
“Huh…?”
A dumb sound escaped involuntarily. There wasn’t even time to feel bewildered at himself for not noticing anything strange despite facing them several times over two days. That’s how quickly the lightning-like realization struck his mind.
If it wasn’t a mistake, surely that-
“Neck…”
The words “It looks like a collar” circled in his mouth, but unfortunately, those words weren’t completed. Because he realized that Rohan, who had been facing forward until just now, was looking at him. Dein felt his words get stuck in his throat.
Years of accumulated instinct told him. Now that he had already started speaking, he needed to choose his next words carefully.
Gulp. The sound of swallowing saliva seemed as loud as thunder, and a moment stretched out like an eternity. His past of handling numerous tasks beside Lexia, who couldn’t even be called a good boss in empty words, flashed before his eyes.
Finally, Dein opened his quivering lips to finish the sentence,
“Neck… necklace. It really suits you well…”
His gambit had quite a surprising effect. Rohan, who had been raising his eyebrows for a moment, showed a gentle smile. His sparkling eyes even seemed to contain subtle satisfaction.
“Thank you.”
Even adding words of gratitude.
The two disappeared after that greeting. But even after they had completely vanished, Dein was still frozen in place. The scene he had witnessed the night before came to mind involuntarily. Eventually, Dein quietly raised his hand and began to vigorously pat his own body.
“Well done… Well done, Dein.”
Here’s the reward for not opening your mouth carelessly and not asking questions. He muttered in a voice filled with pride. It felt like he had finally found the reward for rolling in the mud for long years without proper welfare.
“…What are you doing?”
Although he did receive a strange look from a subordinate who arrived late.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
