Chapter 31 : It Wasn’t Your Fault
Chapter 31: It Wasn’t Your Fault
“Stop! We will halt here for today.”
The commander of the Blue Wing Mercenary Band, Ralph, shouted loudly.
The long, stretched-out procession stopped and began preparing to camp.
It had been the fourth day since they departed from Vermilion.
They had passed halfway through their planned route.
They had stepped into Baron Tefir’s territory and were on the road toward Regiville, where the baron resided.
“In just three more days of walking, we’ll reach Regiville.”
“Robin, what are you planning to do once you meet Baron Tefir?”
Felix asked Robin carefully.
The others were tying up the horses and bustling around preparing the camp.
“I want to ask why he was looking for my friend Jeremy. Whether he’s truly the child of a noble, why he was abandoned, whether he really was eight years old… I have a lot I want to ask.”
“I see.”
When Robin stepped forward to help Torgen, Felix grabbed him by the wrist.
“Even if you meet Baron Tefir, you might not get the answers you want. You might even end up facing something nasty.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not unusual for nobles to seek out their illegitimate children.”
Robin froze at the explanation that followed.
“It’s usually for political purposes. To arrange a marriage and strengthen alliances with other nobles and such.”
It wasn’t something Robin hadn’t considered.
He couldn’t know why Baron Tefir had asked Calimacos to find his illegitimate child.
But Robin had an obligation.
To inform him of Jeremy’s final moments.
Even if Jeremy had been a bastard, if Baron Tefir was his biological father, Robin wanted to tell him how Jeremy’s end had been.
“If he learns that a boy named Jeremy died saving you… how do you think Baron Tefir will react?”
“He might get angry at me.”
“You could even die.”
Felix’s expression was serious.
Robin lowered his head as he struggled to choose his words.
“I still have to go.”
“You really don’t know how scary nobles can be.”
Robin had never seen a noble in his life.
He only knew that they sat high and wielded power, but he didn’t know anything about their world.
Felix bent down as if to tie his shoelaces and whispered into Robin’s ear.
“Mirian already packed your things. Tonight is your chance.”
“What? What does that—…”
“I wanted to see you more, but it’s a shame. I’m sure we’ll meet again someday.”
Felix patted Robin hard on the back.
Robin was shoved forward before he even understood what was happening.
When he turned back, Felix was raising his eyebrows with a regretful smile.
“There’s a valley nearby, so I’ll go wash the dishes. Please hand me the tableware.”
“No, we can do it—…”
“I’ll do it.”
Paul brought over the tableware from the merchants.
With the mercenaries’ dishes added in, several bundles ended up piling up.
“Robin, hold this bundle for me. Let’s go wash them together.”
Before Robin could answer Paul, Mirian rushed over and hugged him tightly.
She hugged him so close he could hardly breathe.
“Cutie! Come back safely.”
When Mirian let go of him, Torgen approached.
He removed the bracelets he always wore on both arms and quietly slipped them into the bundle.
He squeezed Robin’s arm and shook his head.
“You’ve still got a long way to go. Work out hard until the next time we meet.”
Not knowing why everyone was acting this way, Robin looked around the mercenary band.
Brandok bowed his head.
Calimacos was talking with the Blue Wing Mercenary Band.
Their eyes met.
Calimacos crooked one corner of his mouth into a sly grin and jerked his chin toward Paul.
‘What is this? It feels like everyone knows something except me.’
“Robin! What are you doing? Hurry up!”
“I’m coming.”
Paul headed toward the valley first.
Carrying the bundles stacked high in his arms, Robin followed Paul.
‘I’ll ask when I come back.’
As she watched Robin disappear behind Paul, Mirian murmured softly.
“He’s gone.”
“Regretting it?”
“So so sooo much.”
“He’s not going to come back, is he?”
“Then I’ll protect him.”
When Torgen teased Mirian lightly, she kicked him in the shin.
“Ow! What was that for?”
“Our cutie will do fine without us, so get back to work.”
After walking for twenty minutes behind Paul, they arrived at the valley.
Robin asked what was going on along the way, but Paul stayed silent.
Realizing something was off, Robin eventually closed his mouth.
“We’re here. This is the place.”
Cool air and the sound of trickling water filled the surroundings.
The rough current looked rather dangerous.
The chilly air cooled the sweat on Robin’s skin.
While Robin put down the baggage and washed his face, Paul took out a heap of dishes.
Clatter, clatter.
The sound of bowls bumping against each other tickled Robin’s ears.
Robin untied the bundles to start washing too.
He expected to find a pot with burnt stew stuck to the bottom, but something unexpected appeared instead.
It was a traveler’s backpack.
“Paul, what is this?”
“The dishes are next to it, so listen while you wash.”
Still confused, Robin did as Paul instructed and untied another bundle.
He started washing the pile of dishes one by one in the water.
“If you follow this valley, you’ll reach a river. Walk along the river for three days and you’ll find the small city of Stillwater. Go to the Starlight Inn there. Mention Calimacos’s name and they’ll help you.”
“You’re telling me to leave.”
“Yeah. Mirian was furious, asking if we were really going to just take you along like this.”
The moment Robin finally grasped the situation, even if only faintly.
Once they arrived in Regiville, the mercenary band’s mission would be over.
They would have neither the obligation nor the justification to protect Robin once he met the baron.
If Baron Tefir ended up being hostile toward Robin—
If he decided to blame Robin for his son’s death—
The outcome would not be good.
“Calimacos thinks the baron will treat you favorably. But no one truly knows.”
“I have a duty to tell him what kind of child Jeremy was.”
“What duty? Who told you you had to do that?”
“He died because of me, so of course I have to tell his family.”
Paul let out a short laugh as he washed the dishes.
Robin felt a little irritated.
“Aren’t you misinterpreting things? No one forced you to do that.”
“I know. This is a responsibility I chose to take on myself.”
“And is it something worth risking your life to fulfill?”
“Of course—…”
“It’s not ‘of course.’”
Paul’s voice rose slightly, as if annoyed.
“The boy chose to save you. He absolutely did not die because of you.”
“That’s the same thing. He died while trying to save me.”
“No, Jeremy died because of the Red Dagger. It wasn’t your fault.”
It sounded like wordplay, yet Robin couldn’t refute it.
If he opened his mouth, he felt the knot of emotions inside him would burst.
“But… if I hadn’t gone to the smithy, if I hadn’t stolen the Black Sword from the orphanage, if I hadn’t met Jeremy… he could have lived.”
“Maybe so. But it already happened. Unless you can turn back time, you can’t fix it. What I want to tell you is this.”
Paul approached Robin and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Mourn, but don’t blame yourself.”
Robin clenched his teeth.
“Why… did Jeremy have to die? He was only about eight years old.”
Paul drew a deep breath.
His grip on Robin’s shoulder tightened.
“Death doesn’t discriminate. An eight-year-old child can die, and so can an eighteen-year-old lady who never got to bloom. That’s death.”
“Paul, have you ever lost someone?”
“I have.”
“How did you overcome it?”
“I didn’t overcome it. I buried them in my heart.”
Paul ruffled Robin’s hair and continued.
“Don’t mistreat yourself just to lessen your guilt. If that boy saw you like this, what do you think he’d say?”
‘If Jeremy were alive? If he were watching me now? I don’t know…’
“If it were me, and I died in your place, I’d be so resentful I wouldn’t be able to rest easy even in the afterlife.”
Clatter, clatter.
Paul returned to his spot and continued washing the dishes.
Robin wiped his damp eyes and resumed scrubbing the bowls.
“The choice is yours. You can follow us and meet the baron, or you can go to Stillwater and find freedom.”
“Is it even okay if I follow you?”
“If you insist on coming with us even after all this, I won’t stop you.”
Robin was conflicted.
He still wasn’t sure whether to accept Paul’s comfort.
He simply continued washing in silence.
Jeremy’s final wish had been to “keep the promise.” It had not been to inform Baron Tefir of his death.
After a long while, Robin finally spoke.
“Can’t I stay just one more day before leaving? I didn’t even get to say proper goodbyes.”
“This area is patrolled regularly from Regiville. The baron is well-off enough to keep actual knights. If we run into them by bad luck, it’ll be a hassle to back out.”
‘So everyone was saying their goodbyes.’
If he had known, he would have said his goodbyes too.
He recalled each member of the mercenary band with lingering regret.
Now he understood.
They weren’t simply mercenaries moved by money.
They were people who knew loyalty.
“Why are you all so good to me?”
“Everyone felt different things about you, but there’s one thing we all agreed on.”
“What is it?”
Paul dried the last dish, shook off the water, and put everything away.
“Potential. As in—ah, this kid, if he grows right, he’ll become someone extraordinary someday. We’re curious to see what you’ll become once you’re grown.”
“That’s why you treated me so well? But I’m still young. I might forget you all later.”
Embarrassed by Paul’s words, Robin blurted out something he didn’t mean.
“You’d forget us? Cold-hearted brat.”
“It was just something I said. How could I ever forget you?”
Robin’s hands stopped moving.
All the dishes they brought were now clean.
The sun was sinking, casting a crimson sunset across the valley.
The valley glimmered like it had jewels scattered across it.
‘I have to leave.’
Robin reached toward the backpack.
“Mirian stuffed it with cheese, butter, and toast she made herself. Check it.”
Inside the backpack were all the supplies needed for traveling alone.
There were dried foods like jerky and hardtack, but what stood out most were the dairy products.
“In Butterhills, she went around everywhere trying to make these for you.”
“This is… touching.”
When he said he’d go gather herbs with Bellif,
Robin thought Mirian had simply abandoned him to go play.
That wasn’t it at all.
Even though they had become adoptive siblings, Robin had always called Mirian by her name.
He regretted not calling her “sister,” simply because he was embarrassed.
“Since you grabbed the backpack, I guess you’re heading to Stillwater?”
“Yeah. Thank you for everything, Paul.”
“Don’t be too sad. This isn’t the end.”
“You have a lot of dishes. Can you carry them all yourself?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m more worried about whether you can find your way properly.”
Robin was about to lift the backpack.
He stopped and looked at Paul directly.
“We don’t know when we’ll meet again, so can I ask you something?”
“What are you curious about?”
“How about sparring with me?”
Paul froze for three whole seconds, then burst into laughter.
After the laughter faded, he drew the sword at his waist.
“There’s no time, so let’s start immediately.”
“You’re fiery, aren’t you.”
Robin also drew his sword and pointed it at Paul.
All the mercenaries of the Calimacos Mercenary Band were highly skilled.
Watching their training all this time, Robin could tell.
Paul’s swordsmanship wasn’t special.
It wasn’t as aggressive as Torgen’s, nor as flashy as Mirian’s.
He didn’t handle multiple weapons like the versatile Brandok.
He didn’t use reach advantage like Felix with his spear.
Nor did he have Calimacos’s overwhelming strength and technique.
‘And yet he’s strong.’
“I’ll give you the first move.”
The moment Paul finished speaking, Robin dashed forward.