Chapter :7 Kidnapping in the name of

The archer couldn’t control her feet the moment she saw the smoke rising.

He is there.

It must be him.

It has to be him.

It’s his sword.

It’s his trace.

And a fire is burning in that place.

She wanted to see him alive and breathing again, immediately.

But when the hero firmly grabbed her shoulder,

She unconsciously reached for the quiver on her outer thigh.

The hero, her voice filled with an unspoken resolve, was breathing more heavily than anyone.

Phew, guh-huh, phew.

The harsh flow of air entering and exiting through the helmet’s face guard.

And her gleaming black eyes.

She too was desperate to see Woojin immediately.

But something was stopping her.

The certainty that it couldn’t be like this.

The anxiety that if the three of them suddenly appeared like this, he might just flee, like the tracks he left behind.

That became the impetus for her to extend her arm.

“…Hero, what will you do?”

The saintess was also trembling with extreme anxiety.

It must be him.

It has to be him.

But his torn upper garment.

And it was thoroughly soaked in blood.

His broken armor,

And the sword, rusted and caked with monster blood.

He would surely not welcome the three of them.

Without anyone needing to say it,

The three of them were the worst for him.

That village, and their presence,

Would only appear as demons to him.

That was certain.

In her anxiety, the saintess even considered retreating at this point.

Just confirming that he was safe,

And fervently, eternally wishing for his happiness.

That might be the only way.

But… I want to meet him.

I want to ask him.

I want to talk with him again.

She wanted to give ‘love’ once more.

The hero had no intention of backing down.

She could not be rejected.

She could not retreat here.

He was right in front of them.

That day, the day she herself kicked him out of the party,

When she banished him from the party with a kick filled with hatred, even as she felt a slight fear of the monsters’ roars,

She constantly sought only ways to atone.

Nothing could fill her empty heart.

Perhaps, perhaps,

He could be my savior.

Just as he had pulled her out of the mire of blood and terror,

Could he pull her out again?

She wished for it.

She wanted it.

She didn’t care if she was called shameless and conscienceless.

She just wanted to have him by her side again.

The archer had no other thoughts.

For him, the dignity or prestige of her race,

The position of the next elder to lead her race,

None of it mattered.

Learning his cooking by his side again,

She wanted to hear his stories.

She didn’t think about wanting to return to her old self.

She just wanted him by her side.

With their own desires,

With their own love,

They wanted to imbue him.

Even if they were unforgivable people.

For now, that was the case.

And then, after a brief silence.

The hero opened her mouth.

That ugly, dirty desire flowed from her lips.

“…Should we kidnap him?”

Clang, a sound echoed through the quiet forest.

And that sound.

He heard it.

“…What was that sound?”

It was thick fish meat.

Truly, its oiliness constantly stimulated his salivary glands.

“…Slurp.”

He constantly wiped away the uncontrollable saliva that flowed from his mouth.

But he had to endure it.

Because he had to make dried fish.

But even the crackling, quiet fire,

And his saliva, which began to drip again,

Soon, that peace was shattered by a tremendous crashing sound.

The sound of metal being struck.

Certainly not a sound that would originate from nature.

So, where did this sound come from, and why?

He couldn’t understand.

He looked at the well-cooked meat.

And he got up from his spot, drawn as if enchanted, heading towards the source of the sound.

Why that sound had occurred,

And what that sound meant to him, he didn’t know.

And then he witnessed it from within the bushes.

His rusty sword lay broken on the ground,

Erika, grabbing the hero by the collar,

And Sirke, trying to mediate between the two.

An unbelievable sight lay before him.

And he stood there, dazed.

“…Say that again. What’s wrong?”

“…Let’s kidnap him.”

“You crazy b*tch. And you call yourself a hero?”

“No, I’m not a hero. After ruining one person’s life, what kind of hero am I?”

“Then you should know how to be sorry. Kidnap? Are you crazy?”

Drawing the sword she had preciously carried on her back and bringing it down on her head was instantaneous.

Of course, her body would never be harmed by such a pathetic sword.

A dented helmet,

But a voice endlessly serious.

Contrary to the devious content, her proposal was extremely sincere.

Rather than being rejected, she would force herself upon him.

A madwoman who even whipped herself,

From that whipping,

In the process of punishing herself,

What kind of man would accept a woman who even felt burning ecstasy?

If not accepted,

Just until he could accept her,

She just needed to be by his side.

Isn’t it simple?

In the end, both him and them,

Everyone will be happy.

Embracing each other, comforting each other,

That’s how everyone will be happy.

This time, everyone.

“…Crazy. Utterly insane.”

“I don’t think I’m the only one crazy about him, am I?”

“Shut up,”

“The elder of the elves, his eldest daughter, has fallen for some outsider. And a powerless one without a blessing!”

“If you spout that with your mouth one more time – ”

“Both of you, stop it…”

“Who was it that desperately tried to stay by his side even knowing that fact? Who was it that clung to him every cooking session, using lessons as an excuse?”

The moment her hand, clenched into a fist, went up,

The moment the saintess tightly closed both her eyes,

“…You, you guys.”

Oh, and someone shut their mouth.

At that hoarse voice, the women, without exception, turned their heads.

Where their gaze converged, there was a man.

His cheeks were sunken.

He felt quite different from the Woojin they had imagined.

But his features and

Above all, that scar,

The small scar etched near his right eye, made by that arrow.

It was small and not very noticeable, but

That which would be more visible to their eyes than anyone else.

Was telling them that it was him.

“Oh, oh…”

Woojin tried to turn his body.

With a terrified expression, he no longer looked at them.

He turned his back and started to move his legs.

“…Catch him.”

That faint sound.

Woojin decided to put a little more strength into his steps.

The archer threw her by the collar and began climbing the tree.

Her flexible movements were once what Woojin thought was truly elegant.

Now, nothing could be as terrifying as she was.

Like a puma in the forest, as she began to stare at him with those two eyes –

An indescribable shiver ran up his spine.

Cracking, snapping, and breaking sounds were heard.

Clang, clang, the sound of metal armor clashing was heard.

With overwhelming force, breaking all the small branches,

Even breaking fallen old trees in half, they were closely pursuing him.

“Ugh!”

Woojin moved nimbly, slipping between the trees, but…

Snap.

A sound and the gap between the trees widened.

Ah, that voice.

The hero’s voice.

…It was her, watching everything.

“The path ahead…”

When he tried to go deeper into the darker forest,

When further pursuit was impossible due to branches, and now they were trying to ambush him from above,

When she fully extended her arm,

A thundering voice filled the forest.

“KRAAAGH -”

A blinding flash of light, as if to blind him, erupted in front of him.

And then, the two young women caught him.

His frail body soon met the green ground, helplessly.

It was the moment he faced them.

They said nothing.

The hero, carrying him on her back, hurried her steps.

Night deepened, and the city was deathly quiet.

This city, which originally held festivals until late at night, was now occupied by an unwelcome guest named melancholy.

Even the city guards, caught in that sensation, were leaning against the city gates, drinking heavily and dozing off.

Peace, a nightmare that would never return.

They were sleeping like that.

Three people climbed over the city walls, and one of them was carrying a man on her back.

No one saw them.

At the dilapidated inn, in the dark night, footsteps began to fill the silence.

The innkeeper was already passed out from heavy drinking.

Clink, a money bag was placed on the counter.

A small note, informing them that they were leaving quietly as they had caused trouble for the village, was also placed.

Pthhht.

The horse didn’t seem too fond of the late-night departure.

“There… It’s okay. Shhh…”

Her platinum blonde hair, illuminated by the moonlight, emitted a faint glow.

Then the horse slowly lifted its foot.

Clip-clop,

Clip-clop.

Screech,

And the city gates opened.

A pitch-black night where everyone was fast asleep.

Quietly, the carriage began to leave the city.

Quietly, they smiled.

They could finally see his sleeping form, that lovable face they had only seen in their dreams.

The face of the man they had once loved, and still loved,

On that emaciated, wrecked face that someone might shudder at,

They gazed at him with eyes filled with deep love.

The hero hummed.

It was the song Woojin used to hum while driving the carriage.

Today was truly a happy day.

Now, they just needed to find a sanctuary for their time with him.

Intimately, and leisurely,

Let them fill him with peace, and themselves.

Since they were all in the same boat, there was no turning back.

Such joyful emotions were enough to revive the hero’s old memories.

“…Good night.”

Like that, she bade farewell to her prince.

Just as he had always said when she laid her tired body down to rest.

The saintess could not hide her growing smile.

He was here.

Sleeping soundly right in front of her, panting softly.

When had she ever seen him sleeping?

On one hand, his sunken cheeks bothered her.

How hard must it have been.

How painful must it have been.

But from now on, it would be okay.

If she gave him ‘love’,

He was always a person who reciprocated.

Therefore, even if it took time…

Even if it meant dedicating her whole life –

Wouldn’t he, someday, give her that answer?

That’s what she thought.

The driver was wearing a hood.

In one hand, the reins,

And in the other, a gem.

This turquoise gem, shimmering faintly in the moonlight…

It shattered into pieces when she squeezed her hand.

And then, she scattered the powder on the road.

Once, it felt like this kept her father by her side,

A precious artifact her father had given her.

But when it felt like an obstacle to her time with him,

She shattered it without hesitation.

…They, should not find him and them.

She would explain someday.

For now, she couldn’t.

Even having her time with him taken away by rules felt like a waste to her.

Soon, a smile touched her lips.

Tonight, the moon felt truly beautiful.

Late at night, Armillai.

“…What did you just say?”

“The artifact I told her to always keep with her, it’s gone.”

With nervous steps, an elf who appeared to be a long-haired young man trembled with anxiety.

“The Demon King shouldn’t be there anymore.”

“The signal was lost in human lands. Something must have happened.”

For a moment, silence filled the room.

“…I will assemble a tracking party -”

Soon, the footsteps stopped, and two eyes gleamed.

“Secretly, summon two of those who are tight-lipped.”

“I will do so.”

The elder was greatly worried by the recent bad news.

His eldest daughter, and a genius archer.

She who carried the full expectations of their race.

And above all, she was his precious daughter.

But then, the communications she had been sending suddenly ceased.

A note saying “I will return soon” was the last one.

If something were to happen to her,

“…Phew.”

He earnestly hoped that nothing had happened to her.

“…You summoned us.”

The door closed again,

Two hooded figures, whose forms were faintly glowing, stood.

“…Go and gather news of my daughter. And, whether within our country or outside,