Farewell to the hero! chapter 51

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“You’ll get used to it as time goes by.”

“Will it be as tough as today every time?”

“It’ll get easier once you get the hang of it.”

Instead of arguing, I simply nodded at Daniel’s confident assurance.

I’d been noticing the more I threw my dagger, the more drained I got, but my skill was improving.

I didn’t know how much more I’d have to practice to reach Daniel’s level.

…Maybe I’ll never reach that level.

I corrected my sudden thought.

No matter how many hundreds of times I practiced daily, it’d be tough to catch up to him.

Even today, out of a hundred throws, only three hit the tree.

And that was with the benefit of it being my first day.

Soon, my rough breathing began to settle.

After quenching my thirst, I gently set the canteen down.

“Moving my body stops me from overthinking. I had so many thoughts running through my head earlier,” I said with a long, calming exhale.

As the sweat dried, the cool breeze brushing my skin became more vivid.

Without realizing it, my cluttered mind had organized itself.

The image of Kaindel’s peculiar gaze, which had been hovering before my eyes, faded.

His last expression, unchanged even as he listened to my confession, also grew distant.

The embarrassing feeling vanished.

“Indeed. That’s one reason I enjoy training,” Daniel agreed, nodding slightly as he took back the empty canteen.

Then he brushed back his messy hair.

His hair, usually obscuring his deep black eyes, was now swept aside.

Unlike me, who was still sweaty, Daniel looked fresh and dry.

His silky hair naturally fell back down as soon as he pushed it up.

I stared at the sharp bridge of his nose, shadowed in the moonlight, and asked, “Do you ever have stray thoughts, Daniel?”

It was pure curiosity.

Since he’d agreed with me, I thought he might’ve had similar experiences.

It was quite unexpected, considering how composed Daniel usually seemed, that he might feel overwhelmed by worries.

I always thought only people like me, who are easily anxious, would go through that.

Daniel let out a soft chuckle, as if he couldn’t understand why I’d ask such a thing.

He looked at me with a playful expression that suggested I was being incorrigible.

“Isa, I am human, after all.”

“That’s true, but I assumed you’d always been focused, eyes only forward.”

I explained, quietly crushing a leaf under my fingertips.

Daniel’s quiet nature had made me assume he always concentrated on one thing at a time.

From what I’d seen, I thought he’d dislike any disruption of focus.

Hearing that he also had occasional distractions made him feel more relatable.

When he stayed silent in response, a gentle quietness lingered between us.

It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence.

As with the Geam Lake, there was never any awkwardness when I was alone with Daniel.

Despite not being particularly close, I always felt at ease in the tranquil atmosphere he brought.

Maybe it was because our relationship had started with nothing to hide.

I brushed off the crumbled leaf and smiled slightly.

Whatever the reason, one thing remained constant: Daniel had this strange ability to make others feel at ease.

Not only did he create a comfortable atmosphere during conversations, but he also had the unique ability to communicate with plants and animals.

That meant Daniel had two intriguing abilities.

“Talking to you makes me feel as relaxed as if I’d slept for two days straight. It would be a shame to part ways with a friend I’ve only just made.”

That must have been what Sehir was referring to.

I recalled what Sehir had said before I left Luther Village.

At the time, I hadn’t understood what he meant, but now, I had an idea.

At that moment, Daniel, who had been gazing up at the cloud-covered moon, lowered his eyes.

The instant his clear gaze captured me, he quietly broke the silence.

“It may be presumptuous, but… is it because of Kaindel?”

“You’re asking if I was deep in thought because of Kaindel?”

“Yes.”

When I confirmed, Daniel nodded.

I shut my mouth.

I was taken aback.

I had never mentioned Kaindel to Daniel, yet he seemed to have picked up on it.

Maybe he guessed it because he knew I liked Kaindel and figured out what was troubling me.

“Well… it’s complicated.”

I opened and closed my mouth several times, hugging my knees.

My toes twitched.

I couldn’t decide what, or even if, I should say something.

“I don’t want to think about it, but the thoughts just keep coming,” I admitted.

All the suppressed thoughts I’d managed to push away by moving were creeping back.

I shouldn’t have confessed to Kaindel.

I should’ve kept quiet, considering it was just a one-sided crush.

Even if I had to confess, I could’ve been more subtle.

The choice I’d rushed into, shoving my feelings at him clumsily, left me drowning in regret.

Now that I was an adult, I should’ve been able to handle it with more maturity.

I was embarrassed at my own childishness, wishing I could dig a hole and hide.

What if he rejects me?

I’d been so composed in front of Kaindel, but now I regretted it.

The idea of being good at processing my emotions was a lie.

Letting go of unrequited love was always painful.

I couldn’t imagine facing Kaindel calmly if he turned me down.

A deep sigh slipped out.

At the sound, Daniel seemed to understand something and changed the subject.

“Did you confess to Kaindel?”

His question hit right on target, making me flinch.

I felt my heart race, wondering if I’d inadvertently let my thoughts slip.

“Was it that obvious?”

“It was just a guess.”

Daniel shrugged as if to say not to worry, then stood up suddenly.

I watched as he walked over to the tree, picked up one of the daggers I’d thrown and started to wipe off the dust with a handkerchief.

In a calm tone, he added, “If thoughts of Kaindel are bothering you, let me know anytime. I may not be able to comfort you, but I can train with you like today.”

“Thank you.”

I smiled softly, finding his words reassuring as he came closer.

It was just what I needed to hear, more helpful in soothing my nerves than any direct words of comfort.

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When Daniel and I returned to the campsite, we encountered Kaindel, who had arrived earlier.

He looked at me standing beside Daniel with an unreadable gaze.

His stare lingered on me for a moment, then, without a word, he shifted his focus elsewhere.

I didn’t feel the need to force a conversation with him in this awkward atmosphere.

Kaindel must’ve been taken aback by my unexpected confession, after all.

In times like this, it was better to let him have some space to process everything.

Besides, I wasn’t sure how to act around him either.

Even if I tried to appear calm, I couldn’t help but flinch.

Whenever thoughts of Kaindel troubled me, I’d turn to training with Daniel as a distraction.

Yet, the awkward atmosphere I left untouched lingered all the way from the campsite to the Behamden Highlands.

Neither Kaindel nor I spoke, so silence accompanied us the entire ride.

For almost three weeks, Kaindel’s gaze followed me silently.

The only time his clear green eyes looked away was when he was talking to Sehir.

Keeping his distance, he sent me this intent, lingering look as he watched my every move.

After riding for a while, we finally reached the Behamden Highlands.

Up close, it wasn’t a forest at all—it looked more like a barren field of gravel.

The surroundings were open enough that you could see everything from a distance, completely different from the paths we’d traveled so far.

“Is this really a mountain? Why are there so many damn rocks?”

“Well, we haven’t veered off the path marked on the map, that’s certain.”

“Then what is this place?”

Owen, who had been responding to Ruen’s complaints one by one, fell silent.

It was clear he didn’t know either.

Sehir, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, soon dismounted, reins in hand.

His eyes sparkled as he scanned the barren land scattered with rocks and dried sand.

He even examined the cracks where nameless weeds grew in abundance, and let out a short exclamation.

“The landscape here is quite unusual.”

“Shall we have a look around before moving on?”

“That might be the safest course of action.”

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