My Wife Waited in the Wheat Fields

PR: Alive Sigh & Ford 53 & npc

It was an unwelcome sensation that flared up from time to time.

Long ago, battlefield memories faded into his mind like this, popping up when he least expected them to.

Perhaps it was because he had dreamed of being a boy soldier back then.

He was just being sensitive, as there was no reason for this.

Veron was not a boy soldier, his parents were not, and his grandfather, Herman Inspector, was still alive and well.

They were here, and this was no battlefield.

This was their peaceful home, Yubin.

Whenever a cow gives birth, a festival is held.

He thought about all of this consciously, but his breath never returned.

Elric’s hand desperately searched for the dagger hidden in his bosom.

Fumbling, he reached out and felt the cool steel, as his breathing began to return.

“…What is it, boy? Are you feeling unwell?”

Elric shook his head, hearing Herman’s concerned voice clearly now.

“No, no. I just freaked out at the sight of Veron.”

He calmed himself and smiled.

“You’ve grown up so much, and yet you still remember me.”

Elric stood up and patted Veron on the shoulder.

He was extremely tall for a fourteen-year-old now.

At this rate, he could grow to stand eye-to-eye with him, and if he kept this up, he’d be a full two meters taller than Herman one day.

“Are you helping your grandfather with his work?”

Elric asked, and Veron giggled, both embarrassed and pleased.

“Yes! My mother is always worried, but Grandpa is getting old and can’t seem to get his hands away from all this.”

“Hehe, I see you’re still stubborn as ever about your ideas.”

“And who are you to tell me what to do with my stubbornness?”

Herman clicked his tongue, and Veron chuckled.

Veron’s gaze shifted to the Moonlings.

“And these people are…”

“Ah, they’re the knights of our estate.”

“Ah!”

Veron’s eyes widened.

His scarlet eyes burned brightly, like the flames in a brazier.

“There will be knights in our city?!”

For a moment, Elric was taken aback by his excitement, but then Herman grinned as if he couldn’t help himself.

“Weren’t you making a fuss about wanting to be a knight not too long ago?”

“Ah, Grandfather!”

“Why, he’ll be begging to be put in as a squire when the knight order is up and running, and this old man’s going to help him with that!”

“S-Still…”

As their conversation continued, Elric felt his stomach suddenly churn.

The image of Veron with a sword came to his mind.

He felt a sense of sinfulness, or perhaps guilt.

As Elric swallowed his panic, the arrow came back to him.

“You’re in a strange state, Boy. What’s wrong with you?”

“Elric?”

His fingertips trembled.

Elric tried to calm himself down. The timing of this anxiety attack sure was unfortunate.

If only he hadn’t had the dream, there would have been no reason for him to overreact like this.

The sticky residue of the unpleasantness that had been unleashed was too much for him to handle.

Finally, Elric’s true feelings spoke.

“I’m afraid I’m giving too much attention to an Order that hasn’t even been founded yet, and these guys aren’t quite ready to receive their squires yet.”

Hopefully it would be just a modest refusal.

Elric quickly changed the subject.

“Anyway, Inspiration, would you mind it if I entrusted you with making their armor?”

“Hmm, well, I’m the only one who can do it, so I’ll do it.”

“Thank you. I have other commitments today, so I’ll excuse myself. They need to be measured, right?”

“Yes, you can leave them here.”

“Danal…”

With a squeak, the corners of Danal’s mouth rose up in a sly smile.

Elric poked him in the side with his mana.

Suddenly, Danal’s demeanor became polite.

“I’ll leave it to you then, Elder!”

His voice was a little raspy.

Elric returned to the manor alone, leaving the Moonlings behind.

The cold breeze made him feel better.

When he finally made it back to the manor, he was greeted by Tyria, who had just come out.

“Milord, why have you come alone?”

Tyria was wrapped in her tattered woolen cloak and her breath was hot in the winter air.

For a moment, with the serene mansion in the background, Elric felt a sense of tranquility, even without understanding the situation.

A smile appeared on his face.

“…I’m here first because the armor measurements will take a long time. Is Milady going out on business?”

“Oh, I was just checking on the flower beds because work has cooled down.”

Her gaze swept over the dirt garden of the mansion.

It was currently brown and bare of flowers in the dead of winter.

Then it dawned on him.

“We’re going to plant flowers when spring comes.”

“…Yes.”

“That’s right. That’s how it’s supposed to be.”

Elric walked slowly over to her and stood beside her.

Tyria began to stare at him.

“…Is something wrong?”

“Hmm?”

“You don’t look well.”

Tyria reached out to touch him.

A slender, white hand was placed on Elric’s cheek.

She stroked her thumb against his cheek, startling him, but she didn’t seem to care.

“You don’t seem to have a cold.”

She sounded concerned.

Why was her touch making his head spin?

And why did he feel like leaning in?

After hesitating, Elric laid his hand over hers, resting his cheek on them.

Her hand had been cold, but now it was warm.

“…!”

He felt her fingertips tense.

She laughed.

“You must have gotten quite a headache trying to create the knight order.”

It was strange.

Looking her in the eye, his heart, which hadn’t sought the comfort of his dagger, was completely at peace.

He felt like he was on the shore of a breezeless lake.

“Once again, I can only admire how amazing Milady is.”

“Don’t say that so suddenly, Milord.”

“Not everyone can manage an estate like you can. I get a headache just managing one knight order.”

“…I suppose it’s because you’re not used to it. The first time’s always the hardest.”

Her gaze dropped to the floor.

Her hands dropped from his cheek.

But Elric’s hand still held hers.

He realized it would be too cold for her if he let go.

Grasping her hand firmly, they became silhouettes with clasped hands, their fingers interlaced.

Elric turned his attention to the flowerbed.

“…So, what flowers are you planning to plant?”

She fiddled with her fingertips as he broke his attention from her hands.

“Uhm, herbs.”

“Hmm?”

“There’s an herb used mainly for trauma that has white and red flowers. They’re also firmly rooted and have a strong vitality, and their flowers are in bloom for a long time, so one can enjoy them for a long time.”

“…I think I recognize that plant.”

“Yes, it’s a common herb in the back mountains where the monsters come from.”

“I see.”

“You used to roam the back mountains a lot when you were younger, right?”

“…Only when I was a kid.”

“Puh….”

Huh! Elric’s head snapped to her.

Was it only an illusion that he had heard laughter just now?

No, she must have been laughing.

Wondering why she was now expressionless, Elric asked.

“Was that funny?”

“No.”

“I thought I heard you laughing.”

“The wind is just strong.”

“Milady?”

“Well, let’s go inside now. I have some work to do, and now that my lord is here, I think you’ll be able to join me.”

“Milady?”

“I have a lot of paperwork to take care of.”

“….”

She led him by the hand gently.

The fine mane of her cloak tickled against the back of his hand.

Couldn’t she just smile at him one more time?

He’d like to see her smile just once.

The wistfulness he felt was stronger than ever, but this rigid woman seemed to have no intention of letting it go.

“Come on.”

Elric had to work hard to shake off the pangs of his regret.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

Back at the mansion, Danal was looking at Kasha and his wife, who were holding hands.

“Look at them. There’s no way this is real.”

His face was completely blackened.

His expression was set with fatigue, and his shoulders were heavier than ever.

It was all because of the blacksmith.

And the blacksmith’s grandson.

-”Bastards! Can’t you keep your backs straight?”

-”Knights, don’t you need a squire? No, more importantly, what about me? I’ve been practicing my mana lately…”

What a pain in the ass they had been.

The other Moonlings thought the same.

“Captain, is this right?”

“Can’t we run away now?”

“We don’t deserve to be treated like this…”

“Exactly.”

Danal laughed hollowly and dismissed their desires.

“But we’re fugitive assassins.”

What did it mean for him to turn his back on the Moonlings and throw himself at Kasha?

It meant that he was a traitor for revealing the Moonling’s secrets to Kasha.

To run away and live as a wanderer?

There was no way he could succeed.

The main body of the Moonlings would immediately pursue him.

Even if they didn’t, Kasha would come after him to silence him, who knew his true identity.

Either way, it would end in a terrible death.

So it was better to hide himself behind the tiger’s back.

He would be able to stop the Moonlings and earn Kasha’s favor.

Danal looked at his weakened men and said.

“What could you guys even do if you run away?”

“…”

“What can we do?”

“…”

“We can’t do anything, bastards.”

As he spoke, tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

At that moment, his subordinates also began to shed tears.

They had a shared destiny, and were beginning to become fatalists themselves.

The former assassins of the Moonlings, and the current knights of the Portman Family grew in unity today.

“We only have each other. You all know that, right?”

“We always have.”

They hugged each other.

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