Farewell to the hero! chapter 72

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I stopped mid-laugh, my smile faltering as I watched Tommy’s face drop.

My hand, which had been gently stroking his soft, dandelion-like hair, froze in place.

My heart sank. Had my information leaked already?

If the conversation I’d had with Sehir at the village elder’s house had spread around the village, it would be a disaster.

“How did you know?”

“Other… other adults did the same,” Tommy murmured, fidgeting with his fingers before grabbing my wrist.

“Before they left the village, they gave me lots of gifts too.”

It seemed that Tommy’s realization that I was leaving wasn’t due to any specific leak but rather signals I’d unconsciously given off.

It made sense—Aiden Village was a stagnant place where meetings and farewells repeated often.

But the small hand that had been tugging at my wrist quickly let go.

For how determined his grip had been, the ending felt anticlimactic.

His teary eyes were on the verge of spilling over, but he stubbornly held back.

I gazed into his transparent brown eyes, shimmering like sunlight dancing on a lake.

In them, I saw his conflicting desires: to hold me back and to let me go.

It seemed the latter had won, given how he’d withdrawn his hand.

“I’m sorry, Tommy. I promised to teach you how to read, but I can’t see it through to the end.”

“It’s okay. I can already write proper sentences now.”

“You couldn’t even tell the difference between ‘luck’ and ‘happiness’ before.”

“I can now!”

When I deliberately teased him, Tommy puffed his cheeks, his face turning pink.

His rounded lips jutted out in a pout.

I felt the need to apologize properly, but just as I opened my mouth, Tommy, still sulking, suddenly relaxed his expression and tapped my thigh lightly, signaling for me to lean closer.

When I bent down slightly, he rose onto his tiptoes, as though preparing to share an earth-shattering secret, and whispered into my ear.

“But still…”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while. You look the best with your hair uncovered, teacher.”

“…What?”

“When you don’t hide it, it sparkles like the moon is hiding there.”

Tommy pointed to my hair.

It was then that I realized I’d completely forgotten about my hood while preparing to leave.

The open, exposed feeling at the top of my head was suddenly embarrassing.

I reached to pull my hood up, but Tommy stopped me.

He shook his head vehemently, as though he couldn’t stand the sight of it. His stubbornness left me speechless.

I sighed quietly.

“Do you know what silver signifies in the kingdom, Tommy?”

“It’s not silver, it’s ash-gray. And yes, I know.”

“What does it mean, then?”

“It means… a very, very pretty color.”

That’s not it.

The rebuttal that had risen to my throat was swallowed back down.

I had no excuse to argue with someone who described a color universally despised as “very pretty.”

Perhaps it was because, deep down, I’d always wanted to hear that.

“Look at that.”

“Disgusting.”

The scornful comments I’d heard countless times in the capital suddenly resurfaced in my mind.

“Very pretty,” he’d said.

I bit the inside of my cheek as I mulled over Tommy’s words.

If I wasn’t careful, my face would betray me.

Tommy might have said it casually, but it struck me differently.

“So don’t hide it anymore, teacher. Promise.”

“…Alright. Promise.”

In the end, I couldn’t refuse when Tommy held out his pinky for a promise.

I hooked my pinky with his to seal the vow, then straightened up.

I had to leave before I grew too attached to this place.

“Well then, I should get going. Go inside quickly.”

“Travel safely, teacher.”

“I will.”

I offered a faint smile to Tommy, who stood with his hands clasped politely.

I didn’t make the hollow promise to return someday.

Who knew when circumstances would improve enough for me to come back to Aiden Village?

After all, hadn’t I fled this place in stark contrast to how I’d thought a year ago that I’d stay indefinitely?

Instead, I silently resolved to return one day, no matter what.

With that final thought, I turned and began walking away.

---

By the time I arrived at the elder’s house, the sun was already setting.

It felt like a reflection of the day I’d come here after hearing there was a visitor for me.

After knocking on the firmly shut door and waiting for a moment, Sehir appeared.

He seemed to have been in the middle of dealing with matters from the capital, wearing glasses and holding a cup in one hand.

Judging by the smell, he’d been drinking coffee.

As soon as he spotted me, his expression turned curious.

“Isa?”

“We need to leave, Sehir. Now.”

I wanted to exchange pleasantries, but what came out was far from that.

My anxiety hijacked my tongue.

Sehir gestured for me to continue.

The relaxed look on his face began to harden, as though he’d realized how dire the situation was.

“Kaindel… Kaindel is in the village.”

“…What?”

“I saw him myself.”

“You saw Kaindel? With your own eyes?”

“Yes.”

At my confirmation, Sehir furrowed his brows, removing his glasses and setting down his cup before rubbing his face with his hands.

“Wait. I need to understand this. Kaindel is here already?”

“I ran into him just now. In the alley. We have to leave immediately, Sehir. Right now.”

“Damn it.”

Though I should have explained things more clearly, the urgency of the situation left me spitting out fragmented sentences.

I’d encountered Kaindel on my way back from the market, fled, and was pursued.

The details of my escape stuck to the tip of my tongue, unspoken.

Still, Sehir seemed to grasp the full picture. He lowered his hands from his face.

“I’ll pack my things. Wait here.”

Leaving those words, he disappeared inside the elder’s house, only to emerge minutes later, looking more put-together.

He didn’t have much with him, probably because he’d traveled lightly, carrying a bag that was likely full of documents.

Locking the elder’s door, Sehir casually mentioned, “She’s visiting Ruicen Village.” He glanced at my bags.

“Is that all you’re bringing?”

“It’s all I need.”

“Alright.”

Although I could have taken more, excess luggage would only slow us down.

I left behind everything non-essential, including items tied to memories of Kaindel.

Without questioning my decision, Sehir led me through the market, which was winding down for the evening, to the back of the communal stables.

“The carriage has been ready for days. We can leave immediately.”

“We’re heading to the temple, right?”

“Yes.”

As he’d promised, a carriage awaited us, its sleek black design standing out.

Though it was more luxurious than typical carriages, its understated color kept it from drawing attention.

While I was inspecting the carriage, Sehir spoke briefly with the stable master, returning with a driver in tow.

It seemed he’d arranged everything, even hiring someone in advance.

I climbed into the carriage and, to my surprise, Sehir followed.

I’d assumed he’d return to the capital once I left, so his presence startled me.

“You’re coming too?”

“Just to the temple. I didn’t prepare a separate escort, not expecting Kaindel to arrive so soon.”

“I can manage alone.”

“Because I’m not okay.”

Even without asking, it was obvious how busy Sehir was, still having to go through paperwork even in Aiden Village.

Yet, he showed no sign of changing his mind.

Shrugging his shoulders as if to say he was fine, Sehir continued.

“At the temple, just stick with Owen. He said everything’s been arranged.”

“All right.”

“Then get some rest. It’ll probably take at least twelve hours.”

Sehir pulled out a stack of unfinished paperwork from his bag and gazed out the window.

Watching him, I eventually let the rhythmic sound of hoofbeats lull me into closing my eyes.

The faster the carriage sped, the more my body swayed.

I was just about to doze off against the soft cushions supporting me when—

“Oh, Isa. One thing before you sleep. What did you think of Kaindel?”

Sehir, remembering something he’d forgotten in the rush, changed the topic.

The drowsiness that had been creeping in abruptly vanished at the mention of the name.

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