Hero's Coffin Chapter 67

Chapter 67

As he stood still, Harenir asked,

"Are you seeing evil spirits again? You don't look well..."

His action of looking around for evil spirits made him feel queasy again. It was because he had even had the impression that his voice sounded unnecessarily gentle.

Yes, perhaps he really wasn't feeling well after being tormented by ghosts for the past few hours. No, it wasn't a guess, but clearly because of that, he was being swept up in these confused emotions even more, he concluded as he shook his head.

"No, I don't see them anymore."

He answered as calmly as possible and moved his feet. Feeling he needed to distance himself from Harenir, he moved quickly, following his instinctive warning. Crash! Taking advantage of the moment Harenir's attention was diverted by the commotion of someone breaking a glass nearby, he quickly hid among the crowd.

Then, spotting a new stall, he boldly approached it alone.

"It's very delicious, please try... Eek!"

But the owner, who was about to greet him cheerfully, was startled upon seeing him. He seemed surprised by the gloomy atmosphere emanating from the deep black robe he was wearing. Though there was no black cat, he was probably exuding an even darker aura due to his low condition.

As he was about to retreat awkwardly, looking around as if searching for the guard, Harenir approached from the side. Making his earlier distancing meaningless, he had found him instantly. However, even though Harenir was also wearing a dark blue robe and was much larger, the owner seemed relieved at his approach.

"Aah..."

His eyes welled up as if moved, and it seemed not just that he was relieved to see a companion, but that Harenir's very presence spread a good aura around.

Ah, could it be that the kindness shown by the merchants earlier was all because of Harenir? Was it that the empire's citizens instinctively felt affection for a being blessed by Solnium, or what? As he was feeling deflated in front of this newly realized truth, Harenir quietly warned,

"Be careful not to arouse unnecessary suspicion."

"...I was just looking at the stall. And it's because of you that I've become such an object of avoidance."

Feeling needlessly embarrassed and indignant, he retorted. The thought he had always harbored squeezed out through the gap of his fatigue. Though it was an absurd statement that should have been met with derision, Harenir only widened his eyes. He looked amused.

"It can't be helped. We'll have to stay close together..."

"Ha, at this rate I really should look into that uninhabited island..."

They spoke simultaneously. It was just a coincidence, and as he saw people's avoidant reactions, he was saddened by how clear his future exile destination was becoming, but belatedly mulling over Harenir's words, he was bewildered. So he looked at him with incredulous eyes and... flinched.

What, why is he smiling like that?

Though Harenir generally had a smiling face, somehow that smile looked as if his mood had twisted. He felt a slight chill. But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't understand the reason, and since he was equally troubled, he cut off his interest.

But right after that, Harenir's eccentric behavior began.

"You won't be able to eat this on an uninhabited island, so why not eat a lot now?"

He made strange comments when choosing new food...

"This would be useful on an uninhabited island too, shall we get it?"

As they passed by shops selling all sorts of miscellaneous goods, he picked up items himself and showed them to him...

"Why are you watching the cooking process so intently? Planning to replicate it on the uninhabited island?"

This is so annoying...

He glared at him as if about to stab him with the leftover skewer from his food, but then turned his head away abruptly, realizing he was someone who would never be overcome. Right, in times like these, ignoring is better. Then he would stop on his own...

"Are you practicing not speaking in advance since you won't have anyone to talk to on the uninhabited island?"

"Ah!"

How could the other ignore his ignoring?

What on earth is the problem, what! He barely held back the urge to shout loudly in frustration. He shouldn't raise his voice in such a crowded place. Any thought that the hero was kind and gentle was discarded. Even if he were, it wouldn't be directed at him.

He looked at him while taking a deep breath calmly.

"If you have a problem with me, say it straight instead of being sarcastic."

"A problem? Why would I have such a thing with you?"

"You keep picking strange fights. So just speak honestly instead."

"When did I pick a fight..."

"Ah! You keep getting irritated as if you're unhappy about me leaving!"

His voice burst out not even seconds after he had resolved not to. For him, tired and with a lowered threshold of patience, it was difficult to endure the frustration of this roundabout argument.

That night, Harenir had been sarcastic even before he said he would go to an uninhabited island, and looking for that moment, he found the answer. From the moment he said he would leave after receiving a reduced sentence, Harenir had seemed displeased.

Did he want him to die being stoned in the holy city? After saying he would reduce his sentence, was he saying to just take him out of prison and have him receive public execution outside? He glared at Harenir in disbelief, and Harenir closed his mouth, hesitating.

"..."

He stared at him, frozen as if he had received an unexpected point. His blue eyes reflected a clarity as if he had realized something, but also confusion stemming from it. Even the coexistence of these two things was very like him. It was a strange thing to say.

As a chilling silence settled between him and Harenir, someone approached from the side.

"On such a good day as today, why are you brothers fighting?"

He turned his head abruptly at the clear question. Three passersby neatly dressed in white ceremonial robes had suddenly spoken to them. What? Though bewildered, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu at their attire, and their clear eyes were also familiar. Like those he had seen in fanatics who stopped people on the street for surveys...

"Your troubles seem deep."

Ha, he sneered indifferently at words not far from his expectation... then was startled. Wait, now I know why their clothes look familiar. He saw them at the 'event' he discovered this morning.

So that event was...

"It must be that confusion has spread in our hearts because the hero has left his place. Ah, his absence is so great."

"So why don't we calm our hearts together while praying for the hero's return?"

"Solnium must also wish for us to gather with one heart."

Thud, his and Harenir's arms were seized by the believers. They gripped their arms firmly as if arresting them, and they were dragged along unable to resist. They were believers with quite strong grips while smiling gently.

It made sense that he was dragged along because he was weak, but Harenir seemed unable to shake them off because they were believers. Coincidentally, one person was attached to him, and two to the larger Harenir. Perhaps the believers had been going around the festival removing elements of disturbance in this way.

They ended up entering the event venue he had seen in the morning.

"..."

"..."

An amusing silence settled between him and Harenir. It was so different from the silence that had fallen after he shouted on the street earlier that he ended up laughing dryly.

What on earth was this ridiculous situation?

"The believers' prayers must be powerful."

The hero had really come to the place longing for the hero. A few hours ago he had passed by the front, but this time he had really entered. Should he marvel at how powerful Solnium's power was, or that the believers had proactively brought the hero?

Glancing at Harenir, he noticed his lips were set firmly. He had pulled his hood down deeper as soon as they entered this place.

Though the night was deep, the venue was full of people. It seemed they came to offer prayers for the hero's return on their way back from seeing the festival, or even while enjoying it. The space was filled with the scent of flowers.

A large portrait of Harenir was even hung on the wall.

"Oh..."

The image of him holding the holy sword, Piarus, and gazing down intently looked like a saint overlooking the earth. The faint smile on his lips added to the benevolence of a holy person. The pure white uniform was much more splendid than what he had seen, making him wonder if this was the commander's formal dress worn in the holy city.

People standing in front of it marveled, as if just looking at the portrait washed away the impurities in their hearts and purified them. Had they come to pray, or to admire the hero's face? Looking at their sparkling eyes, it seemed more like the latter...

The portrait had certainly been produced like a beautiful holy painting. Aren't portraits usually said to look better than the real person? Yet he suddenly felt that the real person was better.

"Here, I'll give you flowers and paper, so please write a letter to the hero, attach it to the flower, and hand it in."

Just then, the believer who had brought him here approached and handed him a bright yellow flower and stationery. While other people's papers were small card-sized, his stationery was so large, it really seemed like the purpose was to remove elements of disturbance. Was this stationery a kind of reflection paper?

They said that when the hero safely returned later, they would gather these flowers and letters and send them to him. After the believer left, he looked at Harenir. Waving the paper, he asked,

"How does it feel to write a letter to your future self?"

It was words he would have normally swallowed, but it was revenge for the uninhabited island talk.