The Path of Heroes - A Journey Around the World (English Version)

Kewy Narick: Wounds That Don't Heal - Part 3

"Man, that's what I was saying earlier. If you're going to marry my sister, you can't take risks like that!"

Night had fallen. On the streets lit by lanterns and the moon, Kewy and Echis were walking home. Their shifts almost always ended at the same time, so they walked back together. Kewy didn't mind. In fact, he didn't mind having his brother-in-law as a friend. They had met many years ago during enlistment to serve the kingdom. As they got to know each other better, Kewy became intimate with his sister, which led them to the situation they were in now.

"I don't regret dueling against Thorkel. It was a great learning experience. It's not something we see every day, is it?"

"Ah, but you know what I mean! That looks bad, you know? Imagine if she came home one day all bruised, how would you feel?"

"Thinking about it that way..."

Indeed. Maybe he should think more about how he took care of himself. The expeditions outside the barrier, for example, always left her irritated, especially because Kewy came back with various scratches. Of course, as Kewy was one of the few soldiers willing to risk himself outside the barrier, this made him unique. But would it really be worth it if the price was to leave his fiancée irritated?

"Maybe I'll stop going on expeditions after the wedding."

"Maybe? Man, if you keep taking risks after you get married, I'll stop you myself."

"..."

As they passed a neighborhood playground, Kewy saw something that didn't please him very much. A girl, around six years old, was lying on the ground while two other boys laughed and threw sand at her.

"Hey, hold on," Echis said to Kewy, who was already advancing.

"But..."

"Look."

It wasn't necessarily their job to stop children's fights, but morally speaking, it wasn't something easy to see. Despite this, it was when Echis pointed to the backs of the boys that Kewy saw two shadows approaching.

"Ha!" one of them shouted.

"W-what?!"

"Huh...?!"

When Kewy could see better, he saw that he already knew both the girl and the other two boys who had just appeared. They were students of his fiancée, who was a teacher at a nearby school. The girl's name was Emmi, and the others who came after her were named Vlad and Tommy. They, in the shadows, approached and threw a bucket of water at the boys who were teasing Emmi.

"Y-you'll pay!" one of the boys shouted as he ran away.

"Yeah, you'll see! Wait for us tomorrow after school!" and also ran, following his friend.

Kewy couldn't hide his smile. Yes, it was better to just let the real heroes appear. After all, heroes always come when someone is in danger.

"See, only that?" said Echis. "We don't have to worry about these things."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"They're my sister's students, right?"

"Yes. Tommy, the one without a shirt, is Emmi's older brother. He's about twelve, I think. The other one is Vlad, Tommy's friend. They're always together."

"This is almost deja vu. ...But, well, I think I'm going now."

"Do you want me to..."

"No need. See you tomorrow at the training ground. I'm just going to eat something and go to sleep."

"Okay. See you tomorrow."

"Bye," he said, waving his back.

Did you know that from tomorrow on, there would only be five days left until the wedding? He was so anxious that he felt a knot in his stomach. When he meets Qynn today, he wouldn't even know how to react. He wasn't far now, but at the same time, he wanted to run there, but felt like he couldn't move. This feeling grew stronger every day. Perhaps he was afraid of the future? Possibly. Just thinking that so much in his life could suddenly change completely made him feel dizzy. He could hardly stand.

"Kewy!" the boys shouted as they approached.

"You won't believe it!"

"Hm?"

Before he knew it, Vlad, Tommy, and Emmi were around him. They seemed happier and more excited than usual. Tommy held something shiny in his closed hands. First and foremost, Kewy wondered what that could be.

"Hi, guys. What's up?" he replied, somewhat informally.

"Look what we found!" Vlad pointed to Tommy's hands.

"I've never seen anything like this before!" Tommy widened his eyes.

"It's so beautiful..." Emmi said, her eyes sparkling.

Tommy opened his hands, and a blue light sparkled.

"This is..." Kewy was surprised.

"A Fallen Spirit!" Tommy replied.

As far as was generally known, Fallen Spirits were rare to be seen. Touching them was something that only one in a hundred people could do. That's why Kewy was astonished.

"It's the first time I've seen one up close," he said.

"It's our first time too!" Vlad shouted.

Before they realized it, the small ball of blue light flew to Kewy's light hair. It seemed cozy there.

"Do you know what they say about them?" Tommy asked his friends, but he already knew the answer. "They say they're the embodiment of people who have already died. But they still wander around, like spirits who don't want to leave."

Vlad and Emmi didn't know if they were fascinated or terrified. Perhaps thinking about death at a young age is, in fact, frightening.

When a strong wind passed, tousling everyone's hair, the little Fallen Spirit took advantage of the impulse and was carried away by the night breeze. Where he would go and what he would do from there became a mystery.

But now that he realized it, Kewy remembered something. Once, when he was very young, he heard a rumor that Fallen Spirits were a bad omen. They could only be seen when one or more deaths were about to occur.

...

Smiling, Kewy sighed. It was absurd what he was thinking. It would be more beneficial just to glimpse that rare moment. After all, how could something so beautiful be considered dangerous?