MTM 177

Whoosh!

Shortly after they reached Elquir’s territory, a torrential downpour began. Zed and Harto hurriedly took shelter inside the tunnel. Though the Rizos were repulsed by the fishy stench wafting from the pile of fish they had brought, they worked diligently without complaint, willing to endure anything if it was Lord Hartia’s will. The spirits carefully wrapped the fish in leaves to keep bugs away, then hung them from the ceiling of the tunnel.

“When do you think the rain will stop?”

Zed asked Elquir as he wiped Harto’s round body with dry moss woven as soft as a towel.

“Judging by how strong the wind is, it should die down by dawn. The tunnel is protected by spirits, so it won’t leak, don’t worry, Lord Hartia.”

Elquir smiled at Harto. Harto nodded, then took a handful of dry moss and pressed it against Zed’s wet hair to dry it. Elquir’s eyes burned with envy as he watched Zed and Harto taking care each other.

“Dawn….”

Zed murmured softly, then turned his gaze toward Harto.

“Once the rain stops, we’ll head east.”

“Yes, I know.”

Harto nodded vigorously, but even after hearing his reply, Zed stared at him in silence for a long moment before saying,

“…Harto, you stay here.”

Harto’s hand, which had been drying Zed’s hair, froze. He met Zed’s gaze with a look of confusion.

“Why…?”

“It’s dangerous. I think it’s better if I go alone.”

“I… I don’t hurt anymore. I’m really fine!”

Harto wriggled right in front of Zed’s face. The soot-black slime was brimming with vitality, but in Zed’s eyes, he could still only see the image of Harto blinded by pain.

“It’s only been half a day since you recovered. If you push yourself in this harsh weather, you might end up… ”

Smack!

“……!”

Just then, Harto raised a long tentacle from his body like a whip and hit Zed’s forearm. Perhaps because of his wet clothes, the sound echoed loudly. Startled by the unexpected blow, Zed’s eyes widened as he looked at Harto.

“Ha… Harto…?”

Harto inflated his soft body like a balloon and spoke firmly.

“Zed, I know my own body better than anyone. I appreciate you worrying about me, but I feel the same ​visit our site​way. I just don’t want to send you alone to such a dangerous place.”

“Harto….”

As he watched Harto clearly state his intentions without a trace of pain, Zed finally realized he had made a mistake. On one hand, he was relieved to see the vitality returning to Harto’s body. Though his worries hadn’t completely vanished, Zed ultimately decided to respect Harto’s wishes.

“…Ahem, if I accompany you, I can guarantee your safety.”

Elquir, who had been watching the affectionate back-and-forth between the two, interjected. At that, Zed’s gaze – which had been nothing but gentle toward Harto just moments ago – turned menacing towards Elquir.

“You’re saying you’ll come with us?”

Undeterred by Zed’s icy tone, Elquir stood tall and proud.

“Of course! Despite my appearance, I am Elquir, the river guardian. Not only have I already scouted the Eastern Kingdom several times to rebuild the Forest of Life, but having lived for thousands of years, I know the geography of this place like the back of my hand!”

“……”

Despite Elquir’s confident explanation, Zed still looked unconvinced. But when he thought about it rationally, it wasn’t such a bad idea. It was a journey that simply involved going to the Eastern Kingdom to check on the item the witch Cynthia had asked for. For him, whose top priority was Harto’s safety, having a guide who knew this treacherous terrain better than anyone else was actually something to be grateful for.

More importantly, Harto was subtly rubbing his side with his chubby tentacle. Zed’s heart melted at this cute signal begging for permission.

“Alright.”

Elquir’s eyes widened in surprise at the quick approval.

“But don’t even think about trying anything with Harto behind my back like you did on that bridge.”

“Th-that was a misunderstanding…!”

Elquir denied as he waved his hands with a flushed face. Then, with an expression that suggested he couldn’t bear his curiosity any longer, he glanced around cautiously and asked.

“By the way… you’ve been calling Lord Hartia ‘Harto’ this whole time… Is that a nickname?”

Elquir’s cautious gaze landed not on Harto, but on Zed. Zed silently turned his head to look at Harto.

“‘Harto is a name Harto chose for himself.”

“W-well… then… would it be alright if I called you by that name too?”

Elquir’s silver eyes, filled with anticipation, turned toward Harto.

“Um… well…”

Harto hesitated to answer and glanced at Zed. He was worried that allowing Elquir to use that name might offend Zed.

“Harto, you don’t need my permission.”

Zed placed a hand on Harto’s slender frame.

“I’d rather you be called ‘Harto,’ the name you chose for yourself, more often than the names the world has given you regardless of your wishes. Because that’s the real you.”

“Ah…”

Harto’s blue eyes trembled at Zed’s heartfelt words.

Not Yoon Yibin, the name given by his parents; not Hartiros, the symbol of destruction; nor Hartia, the name called by spirits and the guardian, but a name he had created solely for himself.

Harto.

Harto’s heart filled with warmth at Zed’s deep affection, which valued that name – perhaps insignificant to others – as something precious.

He struggled to steady his trembling voice and turned toward Elquir.

“Yes, that’s fine…. From now on, please call me Harto. Lord Elquir.”

“T-Thank you! Lord Harto!”

The moment Harto gave his permission, Elquir’s face lit up. His face was filled with nothing but pure joy. Finding his appearance endearing, Harto smiled back at him. Encouraged by this, Elquir called out in a confident voice.

“From now on, I’ll take full responsibility for guiding Lord Harto. Just leave it to me!”

***

Rumble-rumble-rumble-!

The deafening sound that tore through the pitch-black sky echoed within the cave. The relentless downpour brought a damp chill, and the shadows of the Royal Knights danced across the cave walls around the blazing campfire.

“Here, take this and warm yourself up a bit.”

A knight approached Leon, who was wrapped in a blanket, and handed him a bowl of steaming soup. Leon rubbed his slightly trembling hands together and carefully accepted the bowl.

“Thank you….”

“Don’t mention it. By the way, why don’t you take off your armor first? You’re soaked to the bone, so your body temperature will drop quickly… Fortunately, we have some spare clothes here.”

The knight suggested to Gerard, but instead of answering, Gerard simply stared at the flames. Steam rose from his wet silver armor, but he was like a statue. As an eerie silence fell over the cave, Leon quickly spoke up.

“Then I’ll take you up on that. He’s just… a bit of a grump… hahaha…”

Leon found his own words absurd, but the knight, unaware of Gerard’s true nature, took them at face value. As the knight walked away to fetch the clothes, murmurs drifted over from the far end of the cave.

“Why did a holy knight of Carseon come all the way out here?”

“Did he get lost or something? Those Holy Kingdom guys never leave their tiny little land unless the Empire issues a summons, you know.”

“Exactly. It’s not like he’s a guard dog.”

The mocking remarks, mingled with the sound of rain, brushed past Gerard’s ears. Even though he heard every insult, he didn’t look bothered.

“Leon!”

Just then, a familiar voice cut through the heavy rain and echoed inside the cave. The figure who emerged majestically was Isadora. As soon as she spotted Leon, she walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Lady Isadora…!”

Leon stood up, his face a mixture of joy and surprise. Isadora’s gaze immediately fixed on Gerard. Although he was covered by a cloak, she would never fail to recognize the armor crest unique to the commander of the knights of Carseon.

“Are you a knight of the Holy Kingdom of Carseon? I am Isadora Grenhardt, Commander of the Royal Knights.”

“I am Gerard.”

The two exchanged brief introductions and greeted each other with knightly courtesy. Isadora then proceeded to explain the current situation.

“Upon receiving reports of wild orcs appearing in the eastern valleys of the Regnovar Empire, I hastily assembled a unit and came here. But I never expected to meet you in a place like this. I assumed you’d have reached the Land of Abundance by now and that Ser would have completed his registration with the Verdan Guild.”

At Isadora’s words, Leon avoided her gaze. The incident in Carseon, Zed leaving for the Eastern Kingdom with Harto, and the current situation of being pursued, he had no idea where to even begin explaining.

“Well…”

Leon’s face was filled with distress. Sensing from his anxious expression that something serious had happened, Isadora frowned.