Chapter 65: Dreaming

***Arc 4 The Beloved, Chapter 65 Dreaming*** The fortress has a certain number of facilities. There are also facilities that can perform simple blacksmithing, and hired craftsmen will also take care of simple maintenance on weapons and armors. While Krische was sleeping, Selene had gone there to have her curved sword sharpened, and today she came to pick it up. "Krische-sama, uhh, about the sword..."

"... Somehow, it seems to be very light..." When she pulled it out of its scabbard, the curved sword was twice as thin, no, it's even thinner. It had been thin from the beginning due to the previous battle with the Holy Empire, but it's a thinness that she couldn't imagine, compared to when she first bought it. The curved sword, which was small, was even smaller, and the tip, which was reliable like that of a nata (hatchet) had become slender. "No, uh... the blade was so badly chipped that when I trimmed it, it looked like this. I tried my best, but..." Completely different. Krische was dumbfounded at the sight of the feather-light sword. "I can only imagine what a tremendous battle it must have been. The fact that it has remained unbroken this long is probably due to Krische-sama's skill and the quality of the sword itself. Just how many people did it cut through." "...784 people."

"Huh?"

"Ah, that's not right. This time, Krische cut 593 people with this sword.... It's the worst." Krische looked down at the thinned sword and lowered her eyes. Three gold coins. luxury goods. Ten thousand pumpkins. Judging from the weight, Krische probably ended up wasting about 3,000 pumpkins. "...There were a lot of armor and bones. If Krische had used them more carefully, it wouldn't end up like this ...It becomes so thin. Krische, didn't take good care of it." Bery has used her favorite knife every day for more than a decade. Krische bought the sword two years ago. However, it's been less than half a year since she started using it. It was a real shock to Krische, because she would never have damaged it so much if she had only cut through flesh with it, regardless of how hard she used it. The sharpener froze by a different shock. Take care of things properly. It was one of the things Grace had taught her in the village. The same goes for Bery. Even an ordinary tool will become familiar to your hand, and you will grow attached to it if you use it for a long time, she said. Bery takes good care of the tools she uses, and her cooking utensils are always sparkling. For Krische, a sword is nothing but a knife that kills people, which to her is in the same category as a cooking utensil. Therefore, it must be used correctly according to its intended purpose. She was ashamed of herself for not having done so. "...Krische has to use it more carefully. It seems sharpening it also takes a lot of effort."

"N-no... 500 people..." The middle-aged craftsman――he may not own a store, but he has been employed by the military and sharpening swords for a long time. When he sharpened a sword, he could know the skill of the sword's wielder and how the sword was used. However, when he saw the curved sword that looked like a saw, he was puzzled as to how it had been used. Although there are countless nicks on the blade, the nicks are rounded rather than sharp. A shiver ran down his spine as he realized that these were the marks of wear and abrasion by severing countless bone, armor, and human flesh. The handle was smeared with blood――perhaps the barbarian sword that he was sharpening was the sword that had killed the most people in this world. "It looks like it will still cut well in its own way, but it looks like Krische will need to change the way its handled. Oh...that's right" Krische took a small silver coin from a small bag around her neck and handed it to the man. "It must have been a lot of trouble, so please accept it as a thank you, is what Selene said." The man already got paid from his wages, so it was a payment that was not really necessary. The man accepted and bowed his head, albeit somewhat awkwardly. The man finally understood the rumor that had been circulating in the fortress. The Christand have a beautiful monster. The way she slays her enemies as if she were dancing sends fear into the hearts of her enemies and chills down the spines of her allies. The appearance of the young girl and the content of the rumor finally connected in the man's head. "T-thank you...

"Sorry. Even though sharpening is your job, Krische forced you to do something difficult. Krische'll use it more carefully from now on."

"K-Krische-sama doesn't need thank me...I just did what is needed (I just did the natural thing)." The gesture of deeply bowing her head was polite, and the man hurriedly stopped it. Krische tilted her head and then smiled. "Please keep up the good work. It was a very excellent job." She liked the phrase 'doing what you should (doing the natural thing to do)'. A person who does what needs to be done and takes the hard work it needed as only natural deserves recognition in itself. She always behaves politely, but she is also especially courteous to that kind of person. The man was fascinated by the pretty smile and saw off Krische's back and swaying hair. Rumors about Krische's assessment were generally divided into two. Some say she was a ruthless slaughterer who can kill people while laughing――an abnormal being without any emotion (feeling). On the contrary, some say she is just a little girl who is younger than she appears. They would say that she is only wielding her sword because she has the power to do so, and in truth, she hates fighting. The two assessments of one side of the story strangely didn't mesh well, but the man who admired her soft, quiet smile just wonders which one he is. No matter what, her appearance of running towards and hugging the servant who could be seen in the distance was nothing more than that of a young girl. "Krische-sama, what shall we do today?"

"Hmm...Krische wants to eat the pumpkin gratin that Bery made." While looking at the ingredients placed in the pantry, the two chose the ingredients while chatting. "Okay. Then let's have another beef stew. It's fresh as it just arrived."

"yes" Krische looked to her left and right, and then tiptoed a little. Bery kissed her lightly and stroked her head with a wry smile. These days, whenever there's no one else, Krische always become like this. Kissing has always been her favorite thing to do, but these days it seems that her favorite is to be kissed. "...Next time please be patient until the meal is over, geez."

"Ehehe...okay." *Squish*, Krische hugged Bery. Krische, who was emitting a love love aura, probably because she had tasted the throughout pampering when she rested the other day, she become even more pampered. "Then, Bery, um, just one more time..."

"After being a doggy, seems Krische-sama has become a mouse, huh, going chu chu." Bery kissed her gently and stroked her beautiful hair. Krische narrowed her eyes and her pale cheeks visibly blushed even in the dim light. "...Krische loves kissing y."

"Fufu, so am I. I can really feel how much Krische-sama likes me." She smiled and stroked her cheek and let go. "So, if Krische-sama wanted to kiss so much, I might end up kissing Krische-sama all day even if Krische-sama doesn't want it."

"That... might be troubling." That exchange that they had often, had become like a habit. Krische puts her hand on her cheek and her eyes swum around shyly. She looked embarrassed but happy, and her sweet appearance is irresistibly cute. The water nymphs (spirits) that bewitch people――even they are no match for this girl. Looking at her, make Bery felt an urge to just become an idiot together. "Fufu, for now, it's cooking time."

"Yes, um..." Krische sorted the ingredients into the basket Bery held and put them carefully. By the time they came out, the sun was low enough to be blocked by the ramparts, and it was getting dark. Just when they greeted the guard who was standing guard in the pantry and started walking. "Oh, Kri-chan!" A bright male voice called out. Krische looked over and saw a familiar face. It was not a soldier, but a merchant. "Ah, Mr. Peddler."

"...?" Bery lowered her head a little curiously, and Krische, who had been called by the voice, recalled his face from her memory. The face of the merchant who had come to the village. His appearance was a bit neater and tidier than before. The surrounding soldiers were surprised at the man who called Krische with a '-chan'. "Ah, excuse me, nice to meet you, my name is Yals, a merchant. I used to be a peddler, Kri-chan... no, I've been to the village where Krische-sama lived several times."

"Aah...no wonder" Bery looked convinced, and the man looked at Krische with a soft smile. "You've grew up quite big... and beautiful. I was worried about how you've been since then."

"...Ah" Krische lowered her head as if she just remembered something. She had said that she would come shopping again. "Uuu, even though Krische got a lot of vegetables before Krische could go shopping again, Krische left the village..."

"Oh, it's fine. Don't worry about it. When I heard about the Christand's Krische-sama, I thought, just maybe... so it's right after all." Krische looked at the silver scale (libra) necklace on the man. It indicates his affiliation with a firm. The base of the scale is engraved with the name Vazler. "Since then, my business has been going well, and opened a store, I've become a member of a firm. Now I leave the peddling to my son." Belonging to a firm was a dream for all merchants. Unless you are a trustworthy merchant with a store in town, you are not allowed to join. The firm guarantees the merchant's identity, and only with the firm's money and credibility can large transactions be made. The path to becoming a major merchant begins with belonging to a firm. Krische had also heard about how difficult it was to go from a peddler to a merchant belonging to a firm. "Congratulations, Mr. Pedd... Yals-san."

"Thank you. I am here today on an errand from the...Versler Firm but" Versler was a merchant house that mainly wholesaled foodstuffs and clothing. Its history is much older than Christand. The company has a close relationship with the Arna Imperial State and conducts business mainly in the northern part of the Kingdom. It was Vazler whom the Christand asked for cooperation in the fight against the Holy Empire the other day. "... I have heard about Margrave Christand. You must have had a hard time." Yals bowed his head. Bery lowered her eyes slightly. "The firm intend to continue our friendship. Even though it was a coincidence, I must thank God that we were able to face the same direction and meet again. If there's anything you need, please contact me."

"Yes, I will. Thank you very much. The firm has also helped us a lot."

"...May Goddess of Fortune Arsay guide you. Anyway, it was good to see you in good health. I was worried about what had happened since then." Yals lowered his head again and walked away. He must have some work to do. Krische send him off then looked at Bery. Bery smiled wryly. "The world is small, isn't it? I've met him several times, but I never thought he was an acquaintance of Krische-sama."

"He's a peddler who used to come to Krische's village long ago. After mothers and the others died, he gave Krische lots of vegetables. It was service (on the house) he said."

"...is that so." Bery pulled her hand and walked. Krische thinks a little and said. "Krische doesn't know much about it, but how is Versler?"

"...they have been very good to Christand. The firm has been dropping quite a bit of money on us, and considering the way they spend it, I'd say they're betting on Christand." She answered what Krische wants to hear. For her, trust is more of a match of interests than in emotional sense. "If the Royal Prince faction wins, they will lose their interests to the firm on the Royal Prince faction, which would be undesirable for the Firm. They are on the same boat——as long as nothing big happen, they'll be our ally." Bery knows most of the transactions and relationships with the various trading companies because he has been doing the logistics calculations and settlements on Selene's behalf. "Then it's a relief." Bery stroked her head and said, "Merchants are people who value profit, loss, and trust. In that sense, it might be easier for Krische-sama to understand the relationship."

"......I see." Krische nodded and think. "It would have been nice if Christand was also a merchant's house."

"...?"

"...because sometimes Krische doesn't understand what Selene and others are saying about honor and great cause. Krische understands that that's they aesthetic sense. But Krische doesn't understand the why people would choose death for the sake of such aesthetics. ...Even though if you die, it's all over." She continued with a sigh. "Krische just wants trivial thing. For Selene to not do anything dangerous. ...For example, living somewhere in the mountains together with Bery. If Krische have everything within reach, Krische can protect everything..." 'It's difficult to put into words', Krische lowered her eyes. Bery waited in silence for her words. "It might be a little inconvenient at first, but I'm sure it will be fun. There's nothing to be anxious about... but Selene said that's probably not possible. Selene cares about things that Krische doesn't understand well, and if Krische force Selene, Selene won't have fun, and then Krische also..." ――That's why Krische thought it would be nice if that was the case. She repeated as if trying to catch something vague. "... Gotoushu-sama won't die, Selene and Bery won't be in danger, Krische won't need to do anything Krische hated, and will always be with Bery and Selene.... And If we're in a situation like this, we can just run away."

"I see"

"... Ah. But Krische would feel bad leaving Kreschenta alone. Uuu..." Bery smiled kindly and happily. "I like the 'what if' too. But if we're talking about 'what if', then, I prefer to talk about 'what ifs' of the future"

"The future?"

"Yes. ...It's called a dream."

"...we can't do anything about what happened to Gotoushu-sama anymore. Even if we think about it, we can't change the past. That's why, if anything, I prefer to dream of such future 'what ifs' rather than the 'what if' of the past." ――I wonder if it's the same kind of chance meeting that I mentioned in the past. Bery chuckled and looked up at the sky. The sky at dusk is a mixture of indigo and madder red. "... In the mountains, quietly. Fufu, I understand what Krische-sama wants to say. Krische-sama's dream is the same as mine."

"......same?"

"Yes. Quiet and modest, a little boring and inconvenient... but together with my loved ones without any anxiety. I'm also thinking the same thing as Krische-sama." The shadows of the clouds are deep and dark. The color of the sun is more dazzling when it is just about to fall, but it is gradually drowned out by the darkness of the night. But darkness does not come. The gentle glimmer of the moon and stars gently illuminate the icy darkness of the sky. Until the dazzling sun appears again from the eastern sky. Bery looked to where Yals had walked. "While he was a peddler, he must have dreamed of owning his own shop, joining a firm, and becoming a splendid merchant. It's precisely because he worked hard that he was able to fulfill that dream and obtain happiness... and now he might be dreaming of a new dream." 'Dreams can be big and small', he laughed quietly. "... Dreams are like the moon that illuminates the darkness of the night. Even if the sun sets and night comes, the night will be illuminated by the moon, and the sun will rise again and brightens the sky. If you can imagine that a wonderful tomorrow will come, even if it's hard now, you can do your best." Bery took Krische's hand. "I... also think that it would be great if there was a future where I could cook with Krische-sama every day at the estate and have tea with Ojou-sama and Kreshenta-sama... I think it would be great if there was a future where that would continue as if it were a matter of course. I wonder if it's a modest dream that will come true if we grasped peace in the future?" 'What about Krische-sama', she said with a smile. "... Krische, never thought of that." Krische looked a little embarrassed. But while imagining that scene in her head, she continued. "But Krische really like Bery's dream." It was an ordinary day until half a year ago. That's all Krische wanted. "Krische too, Krische want to cook with Bery, eat delicious food and have tea parties with Selene and the others. Krische think it would be nice if that could go on forever......" '――Imagining it, somehow' She put her hand on her chest and gently closed her eyes. "Is that so? Fufu, then me and Krische-sama have the same dream, right?"

"...Yes, the same"

"I'm sure Ojou-sama and Kreschenta-sama are thinking the same thing. I'm sure there are many people here who want to seize peace and wish for such trivial everyday life." She gripped her hand again, entwining her fingers. Entangled so they don't separate. "And if everyone is working hard to make it come true... I'm sure it's a dream that will come true. Without even to wonder about it, if we do our best now, I'm sure." Krische nodded and looked up at Bery. "... But in the case of Krische-sama, it's not good to work too hard. Please stop doing something like this as much as possible. What if Krische-sama doesn't wake up... I was always worrying about it for a long time."

"......yes"

"Krische-sama, will you promise me that Krische-sama will make our dreams come true with me?"

"Yes. ...Krische promise." Bery put strength into her intertwined fingers. Krische holds it back tightly. Just by that sensation, strangely she felt like she can understand something. The two of them walked that way all the way to the kitchen.