SWY 35

Sharhan’s condition was at its worst. He’d lost a lot of blood, his head was spinning, and the pain from his wounds made it hard to run. He didn’t even have his sword, the one he always carried like it was part of him.

Even if there were only five, no, maybe ten or so of the walking corpses, Lestel might barely be able to hold them off alone. But there were so many gathered outside, it was impossible to count. It was no wonder it had looked like a storm had descended.

Rather than weigh Lestel down and risk dragging him under, it was better to let him escape alone while he still could.

‘Shit, I don’t want to die!’

Of course he wanted to survive, desperately. He had lived through war after all. The idea of dying here, like this, made him feel cheated. Furious. But he pushed that feeling down and feigned composure, as if death meant nothing, as if he wasn’t afraid.

“Did you hear me? If the cabin collapses, run. You’ll be able to break through on your own.”

Lestel tilted his head and looked at him like he was waiting to see how much further he’d go.

“If you make it to Serman, look after Iris.”

Sharhan even gave Lestel’s shoulder a light pat, like it was just a joke. Lestel let out a dry chuckle.

“Honey. Did that assassin bastard stab you so hard you lost your mind? Where’s this bullshit coming from?”

“It’s not–”

“If it’s not bullshit, is it some kind of joke? Oh, right. A joke. What kind of joke is that serious? I almost thought you were being sincere and got pissed.”

Lestel’s lips curved in a smile as he stroked Sharhan’s cheek, but his eyes weren’t smiling at all. It sent a chill down Sharhan’s spine.

“I was serious–”

“Shut up.”

“‘Shut up’? You’re getting real casual with your words lately.”

“Wonder who made me like this? I’m usually noble and refined, you know. As long as someone isn’t constantly getting under my skin, right?”

“…”

“So let’s try to keep things refined, yeah? If you say that kind of crap one more time, you’ll see what it looks like when I really lose it. I told you, didn’t I? As long as I’m alive, you don’t get to die.”

The words Lestel had shouted at the gates of Luhas came back to Sharhan. With all the chaos that followed, he hadn’t had time to think back on it properly. But now that he did… the Lestel from that day didn’t feel like the Lestel he’d known.

“I’ll say it again, so listen well and burn it into your memory. Don’t ever think about running away from me again. Not even by dying. I won’t forgive that either.”

Lestel’s green eyes seemed darker than usual, and they took Sharhan’s breath away. Maybe it was the three years they’d been apart, since their reunion, Lestel had sometimes felt like a stranger.

At times, he exuded a suffocating pressure that squeezed Sharhan’s chest and set his nerves on edge. It was like the young Lestel, the one who used to tease and compete with him, was gone. And in his place stood this unfamiliar man. Especially when he looked at Sharhan with eyes burning like this… Sharhan had no idea what to do.

Lestel reached out and gently stroked Sharhan’s cheek. The warmth against his skin made Sharhan forget to breathe. His mouth was dry. It felt like the blood in his body was rushing somewhere all at once. He became very aware of the presence of his cock between his legs.

Lestel’s hand moved from Sharhan’s cheek and tapped the wall.

“This is Harun wood.”

“…What?”

“This cabin. It’s made of Harun wood. Isn’t it strange how those things are going absolutely nuts outside but the place isn’t breaking apart?”

“So you think it’s Harun wood?”

Sharhan’s eyes widened.

“Touch it.”

He did. The wood was smooth and solid. He tested it by stabbing his dagger into it, and a weak laugh escaped him. The blade barely sank in.

“What’s Harun wood?”

Derry, overhearing, asked curiously.

“It’s a kind of wood that’s as strong as steel.”

“W-What? Wood can be that strong?”

“I’ve only heard about it, never seen it. Supposedly, they used to grow it in certain areas during the ancient empire. It was so tough, they used it in place of metal. It didn’t burn, so they even built houses with it. But it was wiped out during the wars.”

“Then this…”

“Must’ve been built during the ancient empire.”

Mana explosives had been created during the war with monsters. Afterward, they were hidden inside this Harun-wood cabin, and the village chief of Gagos was likely chosen as the keeper.

“So if it’s as strong as steel, it won’t be easy to break through?”

As they marveled at seeing wood that existed only in history books, Derry straightened up.

“It’s not a hundred percent, but we can probably breathe a little easier.”

“R-Really?!”

One of the nearby listeners perked up. He looked to be in his early thirties, with sideburns.

“Probably.”

“T-Thank god…”

The man, who had been pressed against the door in fear it might burst open, finally slumped down in relief. The others, previously paralyzed by fear, also began to slowly lift their heads and look around.

Still, every time the walking corpses slammed into the cabin, people flinched instinctively.

“James? Isn’t that James?”

The man with the sideburns finally noticed James curled in the corner and called his name.

“G-Gibson?”

James’s vacant eyes suddenly focused. As he looked around, he realized he recognized everyone and his surprise grew.

“You… you’re alive? I thought everyone had died.”

“What about you? What are you doing here, no, what is everyone doing here?”

James asked, eyes wide with shock. Gibson let out a sigh.

“Laurel came back alone yesterday and said everyone outside had been killed. The village went into a panic. People collapsed, crying their eyes out… But how did you survive? When did you get here? What about the others?”

“Only Ralph and I made it out. We ran to Lyle’s cabin. Ralph… he’s gone.”

James’s voice cracked as he remembered the grisly sight of Ralph’s body.

“So you came here from Lyle’s cabin?”

“Something like that. What about Laurel? And why are you here instead of in the village?”

“Laurel’s dead.”

“What?”

“She came back, but she had bite marks. You saw it too, right? Once bitten, they turn. One of the lord’s knights beheaded her while she was begging for her life… We came out to get food, just like you. The lord’s knights forced us. Damn it, that bastard lord… instead of protecting us, he had no problem killing Gale and Mark right in front of everyone when they refused to go. That scared everyone into coming.”

“T-That’s…”

“Even if they hadn’t forced us, we probably would’ve come anyway. We’ve been starving for days. But outside… it was worse than we imagined. We brought weapons, sure, but we couldn’t even swing them properly. The way those things clack their teeth when they run at you… it’s terrifying.”

Gibson’s hands trembled as he spoke, his face twisted in shame.

“What about Anna? George?”

“Your family’s alive, but if we don’t bring food back…”

He trailed off, but his meaning was clear. The lord and his knights would send more villagers out next, and there was no guarantee his family wouldn’t be among them.

“Next time… they might send Anna…”

“That’s possible. And even if they don’t, they might just starve. Maybe the adults could tough it out, but the kids… they won’t last a few more days.”

At the thought of his family, James suddenly sprang to his feet and began pounding on the wall.

“What are you doing?!”

Startled, Lestel darted over and grabbed his wrist.

“We have to find the food! There’s a secret space somewhere in here. The chief said if you look closely at the wall–!”

“Don’t make noise! Do you want to die?!”

The thuds riled up the corpses outside. The pounding had started to quiet, but now it intensified again. This time, it was louder. As if they realized brute force wasn’t enough, they started gnawing on the wood.

The sharp sound of teeth grinding into the solid Harun wood made everyone’s skin crawl. James froze with his fist clenched.

“B-Be quiet. They’ll go even crazier!”

“S-Sorry. I just got desperate…”

Everyone’s voices dropped again. Lestel guided James away and returned to Sharhan’s side. Sharhan, who had been leaning slightly, straightened his back with a sigh. His mouth felt oddly warm.

‘I’m not running a fever, am I?’

He glanced at Lestel and pressed a finger to his tongue. It did feel a little hotter than usual, or maybe it was just his imagination. Just as he reached up again to check, Lestel turned toward him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh? N-Nothing.”

Sharhan shook his head quickly, his expression awkward. Lestel narrowed his eyes suspiciously and looked like he was about to press further–

Bang bang bang!

Someone pounded on the door.