MTM 97

Ser was born as the illegitimate child of a certain lord of the Northern Arcadium Empire. His mother was a maid of that household, and when the lord’s wife learned the truth, she immediately drove her out and forced her onto the streets. She realized she was pregnant only later, but she chose not to return.

A merchant noble who pitied her took her in and provided for her, and he helped her give birth to the child safely. The two came to rely on each other and fell in love. Ser grew up together with the noble’s son.

“His name was Valerian. I called him Leri.”

Valerian was 7 years older than Ser. He held young Ser’s hand and led him around, acting like an older brother and sometimes like a guardian. Valerian, who was kind and dependable to everyone, always was by Ser’s side. Even though they shared no blood, the family lived in perfect harmony, and Ser said that Valerian was the most gentle and warm person he knew.

Ser secretly loved Valerian. While suppressing those emotions, he was forced to suffer alone, because he didn’t want to ruin the peace of the family. From the start, it was a love that could never be fulfilled. Valerian had to marry, have children, and faithfully carry out his role as the head of the household.

But happiness didn’t last long. One day, his mother and Valerian’s father were attacked by bandits while traveling by carriage and lost their lives. A sudden burden fell on Valerian, the eldest son. He had to lead the family at a very young age. The livelihoods of the many people left in the estate were his responsibility, so he entered into an arranged marriage with a noblewoman he had been discussing marriage with, in order to prevent the family’s ruin.

For Valerian’s sake, Ser tried to leave the estate early. But Valerian held him back, saying that he couldn’t go on living if even Ser, his only family, left him.

“That’s how I stayed by Valerian’s side for several years. That’s when I learned alchemy.”

Ser had a special talent for alchemy. He believed that if he worked a little harder, he could be of help to Valerian and to the family.

“But that was… just my own misunderstanding….”

The family’s fortunes were declining. Valerian had taken on the role of head too early, and everything weighed heavily on him. His wife, who had entered the household as the lady of the house, was extravagant, and above all, she hated Ser. Perhaps she had noticed the feelings Ser held for Valerian.

“I told you once that there are people who make a business out of selling people.”

“Huh? Yes…. I think you did.”

Harto answered as he recalled what Ser had said before being taken to “Black Crown.”

“Valerian’s family grew by doing buying and selling people like objects. It was no different from the auction we went to.”

When winter was approaching and their funds finally ran dry, Valerian’s wife was the first to bring up Ser. She persuaded Valerian with a plausible excuse, saying that if Ser was the lord’s illegitimate child, they might be able to receive help.

On the surface, they dressed it up with noble words, claiming they were returning an illegitimate child to his rightful bloodline, but it was nothing more than human trafficking, converting Ser into money. Since it was a family that treated people like objects, they didn’t feel particularly guilty.

Ser knew nothing about it. One day, after drinking tea with Valerian, he opened his eyes to find himself in the castle of a lord of the Arcadium Empire, with white snow falling outside.

The lord had died long ago, and the brothers who shared his blood were pointing blades at each other while vying for power. Amid that chaos, Ser was nothing more than a source of profit. One of the brothers who had newly taken power sold him off to the Belgarde Empire. From that moment on, Ser’s life began to spiral into the abyss.

The carriage heading toward Belgarde over the rugged mountains was attacked by bandits, and Ser eventually ended up at a slave market. Each time he was treated like an object, he slowly lost his will to escape. The shock of being betrayed by Valerian and the despair of having nowhere to go left Ser powerless.

When he came to his senses, he was at “Honey.” Dealing with customers was something he could endure. What tormented him the most was Valerian’s presence, which he couldn’t erase from the depths of his heart.

“I never forgot him, not even for a moment. At first, I think I just denied it. I believed there had to be some reason…. For a while, I had dreams about Leri coming to find me. He hugged me while crying and repeating he was sorry.”

Ser looked at Harto with sad eyes.

“There were many people like me at ‘Honey.’ People who wandered and ended up there. Living with them, I eventually forgot about Leri. I believe I had to simply to exist.”

Ser told his story with surprising calm. Even so, words could not fully express the feeling of being betrayed by someone he loved.

“Now that I think about it… I guess I was hoping that I’d meet Valerian someday while I was in a place like this. How foolish of me…”

Perhaps he thought so because Valerian’s family had dealt in people.

“Well. That’s the end of my story. I’m going to take this opportunity to let go of the past and start anew.”

There was hope in Ser’s eyes as he spoke. Harto felt a pang of sympathy for what he had been through, but he sincerely hoped that only good days would follow from now on.

“And you?”

Ser asked Harto, meaning whether he would leave as planned to find his companions.

“I…”

Harto felt his throat tighten, he couldn’t answer right away. He hesitated, unable to continue, and finally muttered.

“I think… I’m screwed….”

Now that he knew Zed was Ares Carseon, staying by his side any longer didn’t make sense. Furthermore, the Crown Prince had targeted Zed and even kidnapped Harto. In this situation, he couldn’t put Zed in danger. He knew that it was better to push him away, even if it meant using harsh words.

“Yes… I know I should….”

Ser, seeing Harto’s face quickly turn weepy, didn’t seem particularly surprised. He crossed his arms, let out a short huff, and tilted his head slightly to ask.

“Do you like anyone in your group?”

“Yes. I do. Ah! But I like all the others too.”

When Harto answered innocently, Ser laughed in disbelief.

“I don’t mean that, haa. I meant someone you love.”

“What?! Lo-love? No-no! Th-that kind of thing… uh, I don’t have that….”

Harto’s face turned red in an instant. He denied it, but Zed’s face came to mind. But he couldn’t possibly dare harbor such feelings toward Zed. He was the first person to treat him warmly, to show him affection, and so, so…

‘Monster. Have you ever kissed someone?’

Suddenly, Zed’s face and pink lips came to mind.

‘I-I mean, we did kiss, but….’

Harto just opened his mouth and then lowered his head.

“I don’t think I should meet him….”

Ser, who had been watching Harto speak in a dejected voice, seemed to have made up his mind when he knocked loudly on the table. Startled, Harto looked up, and Ser smiled and made a suggestion.

“Then how about staying here with me?”

“Ah….”

He knew what Ser meant. But that wasn’t possible. Isadora was someone who would someday join hands with Ares to go kill Hartiros. So staying here was impossible from the start.

‘I … have nowhere to go….’

Only then did he truly realize that Hartiros’s fate was so lonely and sad. It wasn’t a fate he could take lightly, like when he quietly awaited death in the cabin.

That was because he met Zed. From the moment he met him, everything changed, and the weight in his heart had changed.

“Harto.”

While he was lost in thought, Ser quietly called his name.

“I don’t know the details, so whatever advice I give probably isn’t much, but….”

Ser paused for a moment, choosing his words, and then opened his mouth.

“The fact that Valerian betrayed me doesn’t change. I don’t want to romanticize it either. That bastard deserves to have his head ripped off and his limbs torn apart.”

Ser, who blurted out such terrifying words so casually, seemed incredibly strong for that moment. But Harto was bitterly reminded that he was the one who deserved to be killed in such a way.

“But there’s just one thing I regret.”

“Something you regret?”

“That I couldn’t honestly tell him how I felt.”

“……”

“No matter what that bastard thought of me… at that point, I should have at least told him what was in my heart.”

Ser looked at Harto and spoke powerfully and sincerely.

“But why hesitate? The world isn’t going to end any time soon.”