Farewell to the hero! chapter 63

* * *

“What?”

The expletive caught me off guard. Sehir, always composed, never one to lose his cool, had just cursed.

It was shocking, to say the least.

My surprise must have been obvious, as Sehir’s brows furrowed, clearly uncomfortable.

“We’ll need to revise our plan, Isa.”

“Huh?”

I tightened my grip on the bags.

A change in plans?

I couldn’t fathom what Sehir was thinking, but his sudden shift left me tense.

The only unexpected factor was Kaindel’s early return; everything else was as predicted.

Could there be another issue?

I raised the bags slightly and asked, “Why?”

“Based on Kaindel’s past actions, I doubt he’ll follow our expectations.”

“I see.”

Sehir’s voice dropped, almost apologetically.

“I’m sorry. I can’t predict his next move anymore.”

With that, Sehir whistled, summoning a pigeon that landed on his arm.

It carried a small glass vial around its neck.

After gently tapping its head, he turned to me, smiling as he noticed my curious gaze.

“Do you know how to handle messenger pigeons?”

“Yeah, Daniel taught me.”

Sehir’s smile widened.

“Good. From now on, we’ll only communicate through this pigeon. If I move openly, Kaindel might track you down.”

“So, the promise to visit within a month… you’re canceling it?”

“Exactly.”

Realization dawned on me.

The plan wasn’t changing drastically; Sehir was simply delaying our meeting.

He released the pigeon, watching it soar away, then dusted off his arm.

“I thought Kaindel wouldn’t act so recklessly. He usually weighs the pros and cons carefully. I guess I misjudged him. Now, I can’t predict his moves after you leave.”

Despite his composed exterior, Sehir had let slip his frustration.

It made me wonder just what Kaindel had done to provoke such a reaction.

“Ah.”

“In this situation, any rash action from me would be dangerous.”

“Agreed.”

I doubted Kaindel would search for me after I left.

His focus was likely on his engagement.

Still, if he did, Sehir would be an obvious suspect, having been the last person I met.

Sehir’s caution made sense.

I mulled over his words, slowly lowering my bags.

My hands were starting to ache.

As I massaged my sore wrists, Sehir asked, “Will you be okay on your own?”

“Of course.”

In response to the low question, I shot him a glance, silently asking why he’d ask something like that.

I knew Sehir had been overly concerned about me since that incident, but this felt excessive.

“I lived alone for years, Sehir. I’m used to handling everything by myself.”

It already bothered me to see Sehir going back and forth when he was surely busy, but this, at least, was convenient.

As I murmured to myself, he shrugged.

“You’re resilient. Still, try practicing doing things together from now on. Being alone in a foreign place can be lonely.”

“…I will.”

My throat tightened, causing my response to come out a beat late.

I hadn’t expected Sehir to worry about things like this.

Nor had I anticipated he’d interpret my confidence in adapting to the village alone in this way.

Try practicing doing things together… Doing things together…

For some reason, the phrasing felt strange.

Like when I first learned to read, I mulled over the sentence, unfamiliar with its nuance.

His words, hinting at a shift in our circumstances, stirred excitement while simultaneously pressing down heavily on my chest.

I felt suffocated.

“I’ll contact you about the vault later through the carrier pigeon. So once you set up your ghost vault… By the way, your vault is number 3, right?”

“Yeah, number 3.”

“I’ll remember.”

Sehir fiddled with his cufflink before pulling a pocket watch from his pocket.

After checking the time, he cast a glance at the sleeping guard behind us.

“I’ll be off now. He’ll wake soon.”

“…….”

“Don’t be too startled if a stranger follows you on the way. I’ve assigned someone to escort you. He’ll just make sure you arrive safely.”

“Okay.”

I listened carefully to his additional instructions and gave a short reply.

I wanted to turn and leave quickly, but my feet hesitated.

Knowing I wouldn’t see Sehir for a while made it hard to take the first step.

Even though I’d decided to leave everything behind, moving forward felt incredibly difficult.

It was complicated. Unlike with Kaindel, I hadn’t fully resolved things with Sehir.

“Don’t abandon me, Isa.”

Kaindel’s plea from the previous night suddenly echoed in my mind.

I gradually erased its ghostly presence from my thoughts.

The emptiness outweighed the sadness.

I finally understood the source of the weight that had been pressing on my heart.

Knowing its origin, I hoped the spring sunlight would someday melt even this ugly piece away.

My wavering resolve solidified once again.

I looked at Sehir for a moment longer, then picked up my bags from the ground.

“See you later. Promise.”

“Got it.”

Only after receiving his assurance did I begin walking away from the mansion.

Escaping the mansion’s shadow, I followed the tree-lined road bathed in warm sunlight.

With each step, it felt like the burdens stuck to the soles of my shoes were gradually disappearing.

I felt unburdened.

That was my first impression after leaving the suffocating mansion.

---

Following Sehir’s directions, I took a carriage parked near the back gate to the city, where I caught a public carriage.

The cramped carriage, holding about eight people, forced me to hold my bags on my lap.

Yet, it was designed for commoners, so expecting more comfort would have been a luxury.

I was grateful that my seat wasn’t dirty.

Traveling through villages, I switched carriages at least nine times over three days, as most carriages only operated between villages rather than long distances.

Occasionally, I got lucky and found one passing through two villages at once.

Finally, after three days of continuous travel, I reached Aiden Village, the place Sehir had recommended.

I had parted ways with my escort the day before arriving.

Aiden Village, as described, was quiet and secluded.

There were few residents, and interaction with outsiders seemed minimal.

Although Luther Village was similar, except for the travelers heading to the Gayat Mountains, Aiden felt even more isolated.

This likely meant the villagers were tightly knit.

Passing by houses with vines climbing their roofs, I noticed everyone smiling.

What was so joyful?

Laughter echoed as they stomped on laundry or watered flower pots by the windows.

It felt strangely unsettling.

Hunching my shoulders slightly, I hurried to the house that would be my new home.

* * *