Upon returning from the front lines, the very first thing to do was naturally to go find Myungho. He would surely be waiting anxiously in the guest room, having used up all his patience.
I wondered how his expression would change when I told him about today’s story of using a landmine explosion to jump. I wanted to see it, so I discarded all formalities and hurried back to the inn as fast as possible.
“…Huh, he’s not here? He should have been waiting right here…”
But perhaps because I came too early, there was no one. Did Myungho unilaterally move rooms? Yet, his luggage was still scattered in a corner, and above all, his scent still lingered.
Maybe he just stepped out for a moment? It occurred to me that maybe that Durandino guy was giving him more trouble than expected. Their relationship was obviously terrible, so perhaps Durandino was unnecessarily pressuring or burdening him with menial tasks.
Thinking about this made my teeth grind. Even if it meant cutting ties with humans, I felt like catching and beating that guy would make me feel better. Honestly, I now believed I could easily repel any human provocations.
Of course, it would be troublesome, but isn’t it better than Myungho suffering on my behalf? While these thoughts were escalating, footsteps approached from afar.
Is that Myungho? I perked up my ears immediately. Let’s consult with Myungho first. Maybe I’ll subtly suggest abandoning things if the superiors don’t agree. He’d likely consider that positively.
No, before that—if they called us only to discard us for being inadequate and then shamelessly sought us again—they should at least treat us better, right?
While entertaining such various thoughts, illusions stealthily passed before my eyes—strange women affectionately holding hands and heading somewhere, trying to confuse me.
Since I knew these were tricks by the Demon Tribe and trusted Myungho completely, I could laugh them off easily. He wasn’t the type for that. Thinking that the desperate Demon Tribe was merely struggling to survive somehow made their antics seem amusing.
“Ah. There you are, Alterra. No matter how urgent it is, skipping the report like that is problematic. You caused some trouble. Soldiers are very sensitive about such things, so please, next time, even if it’s urgent, follow the rules, Alterra. By the way… where’s Myungho?”
However, the person heading to my room turned out to be Yuna. The mood deflated slightly. I thought it was Myungho.
“I don’t know. I rushed here, but he wasn’t here. Yuna, do you know where he might be?”
“Alterra wouldn’t know something I would, right? Still, I suspect he might be at Koluscia’s camp, though I’m not sure. Alterra, forgive me if this sounds harsh, but I actually think it’s fortunate that Myungho stayed in the rear. Frankly… I can’t picture Myungho fighting beside you.”
Yuna hesitated before sharing her thoughts. She mentioned seeing how I fought today and suggested that, while Myungho certainly wasn’t weak, fighting alongside me might be too much for him.
Yuna was part of the same battlefield as me, just not on the same team. With good eyesight, she must have observed everything I did before diving into the enemy trenches.
“It’s because Myungho wasn’t there that I jumped in so recklessly. If he had been there, I would’ve followed the plan. But that Dilano… or that old man interfered.”
Of course, I knew it was reckless, and I acknowledged that disobeying orders could complicate things.
Still, I didn’t act without thinking. I confirmed that the armor could block bullets and judged that I could handle the situation alone before charging ahead. Admittedly, part of it was venting frustration because Myungho wasn’t there, but I assured myself that I acted rationally.
Omitting the part about acting out of frustration, I confessed that I was reflecting on my actions.
“Even I knew it was reckless… That’s good enough. Well, if I may offer advice—it’s for Myungho’s sake—could you behave a bit more calmly? Do you understand…?”
Then Yuna said that was enough, asking me to be more careful moving forward. Though I planned to continue behaving rashly if Myungho didn’t return, I nodded and bid her farewell.
It didn’t bother me much since wearing or removing armor felt like dealing with my own body, but walking around outside the battlefield in armor seemed a bit odd, so I took it off. Then I looked for my pants and underwear that I entrusted to Myungho.
They should definitely be here. Surely, he wouldn’t still be carrying them…right? After searching patiently, I found them carefully hidden deep in the drawer.
Why are they here? It’s strange that they’re hidden so securely, but I decided it was better than leaving them anywhere to get lost or seen by others.
With that positive mindset, I quietly put them on. Now, how much longer until I lay an egg? There’s less than a month left, isn’t there? I want to wrap things up before then.
Though I did invite him, I don’t want things to drag on too long. I need to exact revenge and meet that Dragon, so I don’t have time to invest in human conflicts.
Actually, I’m just upset because Myungho’s treatment has been poor. As I considered whether to search the barracks for him, another sound of footsteps approached. Sensing the vibration, I realized it was Myungho.
Like a chick greeting its mother, I eagerly ran and gently embraced him. Last time, I crushed him with a tight hug, so this time I held him softly.
When Myungho saw me running towards him, he hesitated for a moment, probably remembering last time, but relaxed when I hugged him gently and returned the embrace. It hurt my heart a little, but it must be because I’m heavy.
There’s nothing to be done about it. In situations like this, the stronger side must compromise and show consideration. Usually, it’s the man’s role, but given our special circumstances, I accepted it.
“Altera… I didn’t expect you to already be here. Was there something specific that made you wait?”
Myungho seemed most curious about this. I invited him inside to tell the story.
I shared as earnestly as possible what happened at the battlefield—the soldiers’ stubbornness, why I bolted, and even how I leapt using a landmine explosion.
As expected, Myungho was shocked when I revealed the landmine incident, so I grinned and reassured him that my legs were perfectly fine. His reaction was so predictable that it made me chuckle.
“That’s not something to laugh about!”
“Aahaha, sorry. Your reaction was just funny. If you’re worried, I’ll refrain from doing it again, so please don’t be too angry. Besides, it was something I wanted to try once.”
Myungho groaned and warned me never to do it again. It made me happy that someone cared, and because it was Myungho, I decided to stop.
Besides, he looks like he’s been under a lot of stress lately, so I couldn’t burden him further.
“Anyway, that’s the end of the story. I jumped into the trench, knocked down all the bad guys, and neutralized all the mines on the way back. Everyone just gaped; no one dared to stop me. Anyway, the story ends well.”
Myungho sighed and smiled bitterly, saying that no one would dare approach someone who swept through the battlefield like that. Is that so? I would have tried talking to them.
“Yeah. I think I’ll be deployed to the same battlefield as you tomorrow or the day after. Fortunately, His Majesty seems to have come to his senses and admitted his mistake.”
“…Hmm, but Myungho. Lately, is there anything bothering you? Or something making you irritated? It seems like your gray hair has increased.”
“Huh? Increased gray hair? Let me check in the mirror for a second.”
As he moved toward the bathroom, I followed. Since the gray hairs were likely at the back of his head, he wouldn’t be able to see them himself. Though a bit embarrassed, Myungho didn’t stop me.
“It looks fine from the front…? Are there really more gray hairs?”
This guy needs to take better care of himself. When I gently grabbed his hair and tilted his head slightly to the left, he finally sighed.
“Here and here. Didn’t you notice?”
He kept turning his head to the left, checking his gray hairs. I didn’t understand why he insisted on looking only with his right eye when the left side of his head wouldn’t be visible that way.
So, kindly demonstrating that there were also gray hairs on the left backside of his head, I tilted his head to the right.
“There are plenty here too.”
“T, that’s true? Oh, there are more on this side than the right…”
There weren’t more on the right, actually. Upon closer inspection, something seemed off. Myungho kept rolling his right eye instead of his left.
It was as if he couldn’t see with his left eye.
“Myungho, there aren’t more on the right.”
“…Oh, maybe I misjudged. The right side is worse… No, both sides are bad. When did this happen…?”
Something felt uneasy. It felt like Myungho was hiding something from me.
“Myungho, how many fingers am I holding up?”
I thrust my finger toward his right eye to test.
“One.”
Next, I moved to the other side.
“And this?”
“…”
Myungho didn’t answer.
