Incompatible Interspecies Wives

9 – Complement (1)

“Vice-captain Berg!”

I look back at the voice calling me as I lay flowers on the graves of the departed Red Flame Team members.

My aide, Baran, was walking.

When our eyes met, he said.

“Captain Adam has returned.”

“…”

I nodded and put down the last flower.

The time of remembrance ended here.

“Anything special?”

Rub your hands to shake off the dirt.

“No. Unless the captain is looking for the vice-captain.”

Adam had left our hideout for a while two weeks ago to accept a new request.

I only heard that the client this time was a nobleman.

I didn’t know who it was, what race it was, or how high a noble it was.

However, it felt like a fairly intense battle would take place in the near future.

In the first place, it was rare for Adam to go to meet a client.

The fact that I went to meet was in itself a testament to the level of this client.

And heavyweight clients never handed over easy requests.

As you enter the cemetery, Baran, the aide, hands you the sword you took off.

Naturally, he wrapped his sword around his waist and turned around.

I asked Baran, who started walking next to me.

“How about training the kids?”

“…”

Answers that don’t jump right out.

I looked at Baran sharply again and asked.

“What about training?”

“That’s…Not yet…”

“What?”

Instantaneous heat rises in the head.

Baran continued to make excuses without even meeting my eyes.

“…Vice-captain, you need to understand…”

“…”

“The members have yet to recover from yesterday’s intense training…And the families of the members are also very vocal…”

“Ignore it. Training comes first.”

“You should also think about the morale of the crew! Haven’t you trained too hard since Captain Adam left…!”

“…”

“Vice-captain, substitute-“

“If you neglect training and there are casualties, will you take responsibility?”

“…”

“Prepare. You know how to proceed.”

I left Baran, who had stopped, and headed for Adam.

It took a long time for Baran to follow me belatedly.

A cool wind blew.

I slowly took in the scenery around me and moved on.

It has been five years since the founding of the Red Flame Team.

We were situated on the wide plain of Stockpin.

It was a beautiful place with green meadows and tall trees all over the place.

It was a legitimate land that we borrowed from the lord who manages Stockpin in return for hunting nearby monsters.

It was too much for a mercenary troupe with hundreds of members like us to wander all the time.

Finding a place at Stockpin was also for us.

We made a shelter in this plain.

A house to rest, a stable, a warehouse, a tomb, etc…

As we increased the number of buildings one by one, our base became a small village before we knew it.

Something that was lacking was bought from a nearby village.

There were as many mercenaries as families with villages.

He brought a wife-to-be here to Stockpin and gave birth to a child.

This was possible because Adam hyung had a strong and stable mercenary corps with discipline.

But sometimes, like today, family members get in the way.

The members forgot their true nature as mercenaries and became indolent.

Of course, Adam hyung, who has a lot of affection, welcomed this kind of scenery, so I couldn’t openly vomit in front of people.

With a slight sense of frustration, I headed for Adam’s residence.

The closer you get to your brother’s residence, the more commotion you feel.

I saw the faces of the mercenaries who had left with Adam.

Every time everyone confirmed my presence, they bowed their heads and said hello.

“Vice-captain.”

“Vice-captain, long time no see.”

I accepted their greeting with a light nod.

The crowd Adam created was the scene of a family reunion.

The wives and children of the members who returned from escorting their brother were delighted to see their husbands or fathers.

Soon, I saw Adam hyung. He smiled broadly and spread his arms.

“Berg!”

“Brother.”

I shake hands with him lightly.

“How are you? Were there any problems?”

“No problem.”

“Yes. Let’s go in and talk. There are many stories to tell. Everyone, go back and rest.”

My brother grabbed his shoulder and led me to his residence. I gave him a moment’s strength to stop him.

“There is still training left.”

“…”

Adam looked at me and looked at Baran, who was standing behind me, wondering.

Baran and Adam share their eyes.

Soon, Adam laughed and patted my back.

“…Let’s skip today. We’re back after a long time, so let’s all have a drink and have fun together.”

“…”

“Come on, did you hear the wish? Ignore the training that Berg instructed, and you too go and rest. Let’s have a party.”

Baran briefly bowed his head instead of answering.

I was conscious of myself and didn’t answer clearly, but of course I seemed to accept Adam’s words.

.

.

.

I sighed and entered Adam’s house.

It was a small house considering Adam’s level, but it was a big house compared to a commoner’s house.

I hid my irritation until Adam closed the door.

No matter how much I spent 7 years with Adam, I showed respect for him where I could see him.

The door closes.

A brief silence descends.

Soon, I asked him with the feelings I had been holding back.

“…Isn’t this a difficult request?”

Leave yourself in a nearby chair and sit down.

Adam shrugged his shoulders and replied.

“Yes. It will be difficult to get through without casualties this time.”

“But why stop training?”

From noble mtl dot com

“…Hey, there are days like this-“

“Are you the leader or the chief?”

“…”

There is silence for a while.

Unlike the outside where the atmosphere gradually brightened, the inside of the house was quiet and cool.

Instead of answering, Adam picked up one of the bottles that were lying neatly on one side of the wall.

– Pong!

Takes off the cork and fills two glasses.

He handed me a glass, bursting out with a weak smile.

“…Why is the blade standing like this? Aren’t you happy with me?”

“…”

“Is it because of the kids who died on the last expedition? Wasn’t that your fault?”

“…”

I calmed down and broke the glass.

My throat, which had been dry, became wet with alcohol.

“Take it easy, Berg.”

“…”

“It was started in the first place to live happily. What can I do if I am strict with myself even now when I am on the road to success? When will you have fun?”

I closed my eyes and lightly touched my forehead.

I wonder if I got too excited about his reaction.

“…”

“I know, man. I’m afraid the kids will die. But let’s take a little more time, huh? Rest is also important.”

As we drank without answering, Adam smiled mischievously.

“Do you know why you are so sensitive?”

As soon as I saw his expression, I knew what he was going to say.

“That sound again-“

“-It’s because he doesn’t have a girlfriend. Kuk-kuk.”

“… Ha.”

Adam was delighted to see me getting tired of it.

It was a boring sound that I had heard hundreds of times.

But even I, who was dumbfounded, burst into laughter at the sound of my older brother’s endless laughter.

-Drreuk, tak!

Adam pulled out a chair and put it in front of me.

“That’s it, damn it..!”

He sits at a distance where your knees are about to touch.

“Why is this?”

When I asked, Adam also broke his glass and took a comfortable posture.

“Are you really thinking of quitting the boss, Joe?”

Adam asked.

Head Joe means a squad leading a group of monsters and killing the head.

A group of monsters is formed around a leader.

When a boss is born, animals with low intelligence nearby begin to erode and turn into monsters, and are attracted to them.

So, if only the boss hunts, the group of monsters will scatter.

Unsurprisingly, it is the most dangerous and has the most casualties.

It was like a spear that penetrated deeply, and the strength of the mercenaries was determined by the ability of the leader, Joe.

After the formation of the Red Flame Team, I took on the lead Joe as the assault leader every time.

“…Nothing.”

I said the same thing this time.

There must have been a complex reason.

The biggest reason for this must have been the pleasure you felt while hunting the boss.

The reason for feeling that pleasure must have been complex as well.

Another one was the sense of responsibility that I felt I had to lead.

I didn’t want to regret seeing the numerous casualties later.

Adam sighed and, as if giving up, asked how he was doing.

We had a comfortable conversation for a while.

“Ah. Right.”

As we continued our conversation, Adam raised his glass.

“Berg. This is an expensive drink.”

He suddenly uttered a squeak.

But it didn’t take long to figure out his intentions.

Sometimes, whenever he asked me for a difficult favor, he gave me such expensive alcohol.

“…Sir…”

I thought it was alcohol given to me to calm my irritation, but there was a trick hidden below.

I could only blame the alcohol that had already gone down my throat.

Somehow, I thought it tasted good.

“What else this time?”

Adam giggled and opened his mouth slowly.

“Before that, let’s talk about this negotiation. It was actually quite difficult.”

I licked my lips and looked at the glass, then changed the subject at his suggestion.

“Who was the client?”

“Do you know the Blackwood family?”

The Blackwoods couldn’t have known.

It was a famous family that even a mercenary like me would know.

“Isn’t that a werewolf noble family?”

Adam nodded his head.

“A prestigious branch.”

Personally, we were familiar with werewolves.

When I was in the mercenary corps, I met werewolves every single day.

In the first place, I also had a lot of personal experience fighting them in the slums.

Generally, werewolves hold honor and battle sacred.

As such, they were a race that was well versed in combat, and had highly developed medicine and magic to heal wounds.

So it was even more curious.

“The Werewolves asked for help?”

Werewolves with high self-esteem do not seek help from others.

The more dangerous the situation, the greater the honor that comes back when it is overturned, and they also see danger as an opportunity.

Because I know a lot of werewolves who died while trying to accumulate balls, this part was certain.

That means they asked for help…

“They seemed to have completely given up hope. After looking around for a while, it was serious.”

I broke my glass again at the shocking news.

The glass was quickly showing the bottom.

I got up from my seat with the thought of drinking expensive alcohol.

As I refilled my empty glass, I digested Adam’s words in my head.

There were questions rising up.

“Are there more requests from nobles in the fortress?”

Adam continued his explanation.

“There must be some things we are doing well, and there must be things where everyone is reaching their limits. It’s been almost 7 years since the monsters ran rampant. Blackwood’s overpowered first. Like werewolves, I wonder if I was stubborn and led the situation that far.”

“Did you check the size of the monster group?”

“Approximately. The scale seems substantial. This time, I plan to take all of the Red Flame Team.”

“How is Blackwood?”

“There were not enough soldiers to fight, and food was running out. I don’t think I can ask for much support. No money, of course.”

“…?”

I slightly frowned at his words. Danger aside, there was something to check first.

“Wait a minute, no food or money?”

“Yes.”

“How about our pay?”

If they couldn’t offer us anything, there was no reason for us to move either.

We weren’t doing charity work.

I was in the business of risking my life and getting paid for it.

Especially in a large-scale battle leading all of the red flames, a considerable price was required.

Adam didn’t make eye contact with me.

Turning the glass round and round, he spoke softly.

“I decided to take it.”

“With what.”

“…”

“Brother, with what.”

An answer I spit out while taking another sip.

“Ner Blackwood.”

“…What?”

Adam looked at me.

“I decided to take the youngest daughter of the Blackwood family.”