Chapter 17: Kind and Cruel

Fiona Green was a girl that was hard to read. That was what Sigren thought. Even at the moment, he had no idea what she was thinking.

“Wow… there’s a lot of snow.”

The girl was giggling innocently as she watched the scene outside the window of the carriage they were in. Sigren glanced at her thinking what she meant by saying that. Maybe she implied the road was rough and made the carriage rattled irregularly?

Currently, they were on the way to the fourth wall. His wound was healed and he should go back to where he was. In the meantime, Fiona was with him because some time ago, she said she had things to do in the fourth wall and asked him to go there together with her carriage.

Fiona pointed out the window and said, “Sigren, look over there. Someone is making a snowman. Shall we make it later?”

“Why do you want to do with that?”

Fiona pouted her lips at Sigren’s disdain.

“Why are you so blunt when you’re still young? It’s snowing outside, show your child-like side more.”

“It’s better to be blunt than wander around without speed like you.”

“Oh my…. Are you still upset because I didn’t tell you in advance that I’m going to the battlefield?”

“Upset? Who is upset?”

At Sigren’s constant cold tone, Fiona slumped her shoulders. Anyone who saw her could tell she was dejected.

Sigren made an uncomfortable expression seeing Fiona like that and eventually said in frustration, “How about we make it later when you have time? After all, you have to finish the work that the duke asked you to do in the Fourth Wall first.”

Fiona smiled broadly at what he said.

“Great! It’s a promise then. Let’s hang out together after I finished the duke’s order.”

Now that Fiona was feeling better, she started humming while looking out the window.

Sigren clicked his tongue looking at Fiona’s lively appearance.

‘What’s so fun playing with a guy like me?’

As he grew up in the mercenary corps, he didn’t know what girls of his age do to have fun. No, in the first place he did not know how to speak nicely. He was rough and blunt. To the extent, he couldn’t even think of a kind word to say to a girl who wanted to befriend him.

Thinking about Fiona, Sigren still couldn’t believe that the little girl in front of him was a full-fledged mage. He honestly couldn’t imagine her as a mage, maybe because he had never seen her fight.

Fiona had the appearance of a winter fairy in a fairy tale. Silver hair as white as snow, like a cozy winter, and red eyes like roses that just bloomed in early summer. Except for the slightly reddish cheeks, her skin was so white that she looked pale. Maybe because the appearance of her generally looked white except for her eyes, her atmosphere was a little unrealistic. Whenever Sigren saw her, he felt like she was a white rabbit running around in the snow. Was this really a mage who defended the most dangerous wall, the second wall? This little girl?

Sigren was angry. He was angry at those who threw her away and drove her into this deadly situation, and also at her who always smiled helplessly and accept such a reality.

‘If you have time to worry about me, you should take care of yourself more.’ (Fiona)

Sigren couldn’t comprehend why she always worried about him. There would be no benefit in taking care of the mercenary’s orphan boy. Whenever he tried to think of the reason for her behavior, he became wary of her. Perhaps she knew that he had the blood of the imperial family. Perhaps she was approaching him intentionally to use and kill him. However, every time this happened, he didn’t like the feeling. He wanted to trust her. Yet, at the same time, she was unreliable. If he were betrayed by the one with who he gave his heart, he would not able to handle the misery.

“Sigren.”

Sigren suddenly woke up from his thought at the sound of calling his name.

“What?”

“I have question about mercenaries.”

“What is it?”

“How are the rules determined among the mercenaries. I mean… how to control them.”

Sigren felt strange about Fiona’s question, but he answered softly.

“Basically, it’s simple. The law of the jungle. The weak are the prey of the strong. The very bottom of the ladder of the mercenaries is the kids. They‘re the most worn out. Also, using nice words could never work out when you speak to them. So don’t bother to speak nicely.”

“Then how?”

“Usually, they become servile to those who are stronger than them, and they become brave to those who are weaker than them. If you want to control the mercenaries, you have no choice but to give a dangerous threat to their life right in front of them. If it were the other way, most of them would not understand.”

“I see.”

Fiona nodded once. It was the type of the strong bully the weak. However, it was more natural because power was everything. As she was expected, it would be better to have a stronger punishment. So that the others who lacked understanding could understand at once.

“But why are you asking this?”

“Huh? Oh, the duke ordered me to do that.” Fiona smiled innocently. “I don’t know much about mercenaries, so i ask you.”

The moment Sigren was about to ask more, the carriage rattled and stopped. They have arrived at the fourth wall.

“We’re here” Fiona shouted as if she had been waiting.

Sigren immediately opened the door of the carriage and lightly restrained Fiona who was about to jump.

“This carriage is rather tall. You could fall.”

Then he proceed to get down first from the carriage and reached out to held Fiona’s hand.

“Hold it and come down carefully.”

Fiona’s eyes opened widely for a while at Sigren’s unexpected consideration, but soon she burst into a small smile. Subsequently, Fiona slid down her little hand over the palm which Sigren gripped that soft hand tightly. Just so that this little girl did not fall.

Fiona Green was a strange girl who showed favor to an unfamiliar boy. And Sigren was still wary of that point. He simply had yet to believe the act of her friendliness and kindness without knowing her reason. However, he had to repay them. Although he did not know-how, he tried to do even a small act like this in hope that maybe, little by little, someday, he could pay her back. He hoped it would be this case since she used to have such a weak expectation of her life.

“Thank you for holding me, Sigren.”

“…yes”

However, seeing her smile, suddenly, he thought he wanted to be a kind person.

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