OPDSP 45

“Yaaawn.”

Aeryl let out a long yawn and sat up in bed. When he checked the time, it was already past one in the afternoon—the ninth day of the purge.

‘When did I get back…?’

He vaguely remembered lying down on the bed. He’d meant to give the Grand Duke his medicine, but someone had draped a blanket over him, and he’d fallen asleep.

‘Did Mason bring me back?’

He yawned again, but then suddenly realized something felt off—his face felt too light. Alarmed, he reached up with both hands.

His glasses were gone!

‘When did I take them off? Did I take them off in my sleep? Or… did someone else take them off for me?’

‘No way… Had he taken them off in front of someone!?’

Think. He’d had them on when he lay down. He must have fallen asleep after that, which meant someone else had likely removed them. But if he’d been asleep, his eyes would’ve been closed, so there was a good chance no one had seen his eye color.

‘I sleep like a rock, so it’s not like I’d have opened my eyes midway… Then no one saw. Probably.’

Only after reaching that conclusion did he manage to shake off the panic. Glancing around, he spotted his glasses neatly placed beside the pillow. He quickly put them on before anyone could see. The radiant golden color of his eyes dulled beneath the lenses.

“Phew…”

That was close. Now he was wide awake. He made sure to tighten the strap that kept the glasses in place. Living in close quarters like this really was risky.

‘If they’d found out, there’s no way they’d have left me alone like this.’

If they’d realized he was of royal blood, he would’ve woken up to every knight staring at him. Concern for his safety—or fear of his escape—would have kept someone at his side.

‘Or maybe they’re outside the tent?’

Aeryl jumped out of bed. He had to check. He anxiously pulled open the flap of the tent.

Thump.

“Ah!”

He let out a startled yelp.

‘W-What was that!?’

Looking again, he saw something had been left by the entrance. But there were no knights outside. A bit farther off, members of the purge unit were quietly going about their business. No one paid him any mind.

‘Whew. So no one found out. Thank goodness.’

Then what was this? Aeryl looked again at the tent’s entrance. A water jug had tipped over by the flap. In front of it were a few more items.

Wrapped in paper… bread, a water jug, and butter?

Everything was edible. Why was it here? As Aeryl stared in confusion, someone quietly approached.

“Doctor, you’re awake?”

It was a soldier he had treated in the medical tent. He remembered treating an abdominal injury.

“Hello. How’s your stomach?”

“You remember me! It was sore until yesterday, but I feel fine now.”

The soldier beamed when Aeryl recognized him.

“They said you worked all night and skipped lunch to sleep, so I brought you something to eat. I was just going to leave it quietly…”

He handed Aeryl a bundle of jerky wrapped in paper. It gave off a smoky, savory aroma.

“Oh, so those things at the door were for me too?”

Aeryl pointed to the items by the flap.

“Probably. Everyone’s thankful to you, and… well, a little sorry too.”

Thankful for treating them, and sorry for having turned against him after being swayed by Fedel, most likely. But that was resolved now, and even Mercure, the former captain of the soldiers, had apologized.

“You didn’t have to go to the trouble.”

“We just wanted to give you something, anything.”

The soldier chuckled sheepishly.

“I’ll enjoy it. Please thank the others for me too.”

“Will do!”

With a bow, the soldier left. Aeryl picked up the items at the entrance. Judging by how they weren’t standard rations, they’d likely been brought from home.

They were common foods outside, but rare in the forest. These were things someone had carried all this way because they liked them that much.

‘I was hungry, so this is perfect.’

Aeryl looked around for a place to eat. After sleeping so long, the fresh air felt good. Nearby, he found a sunny spot with some wooden crates stacked up—better than sitting on the ground.

He climbed up onto one of the crates and started preparing his food. He sliced the brown bread in half, spread butter on both sides, then added cheese and jerky. Holding the sandwich in both hands, he took a big bite.

Between the bread, the saltiness of the cheese, and the savory depth of the jerky, the flavors came together perfectly. It was a simple meal, but the quality of the ingredients and their combination made it taste delicious.

As he kept eating, Aeryl found the food a bit dry, so he took a drink from the water jug. It wasn’t just plain water—it was steeped with tea. Though lukewarm, it went down smoothly.

Tastes good.

It was far more delicious than the extravagant dishes of the imperial palace. Every piece of food was filled with the care and sincerity of his companions. And that sincerity was something Aeryl had earned entirely through his own efforts.

Maybe that’s why, even though there were no gilded prayer tables, no chandeliers, no violin melodies to elevate the atmosphere, he found himself thoroughly enjoying the meal with his whole being.

A bite of bread, a sip of tea—he alternated between the two, eating with gusto. Before he knew it, the food was gone.

‘A bit of a shame…’

He was full, but still licked his lips with a faint sense of longing. Then he remembered the candy in his pocket—something Mason had given him before, which he’d been saving for when he couldn’t manage a meal.

The purge is almost over anyway. It should be fine now.

Even if it wasn’t, he was having something sweet today! Aeryl unwrapped the candy and popped it into his mouth. The round surface rolled smoothly over his tongue, releasing a fresh, sweet flavor that quickly filled him with satisfaction.

“Mmm hmm hmm.”

A cheerful hum escaped him naturally. Leaning back, Aeryl looked up at the sky. The autumn sky, edging ever closer to winter, was high and dotted with drifting clouds.

The sunlight was warm, the breeze gentle. His stomach was full, and the sweetness still lingered in his mouth. Drowsiness crept over him, and Aeryl slowly closed his eyes. Using the distant voices of people as a sort of background music, he savored the moment of peace.

The combat unit returned just as Aeryl and some of the purge unit had finished dinner.

He joined the soldiers he’d been eating with and hurried out to welcome the combat unit. Though it was a later return than usual, there was no sign of exhaustion on their faces.

Most of the monsters, once freed from the control of the Snow Woman, had turned on each other and died in mutual slaughter. The few that survived had already been so worn out that they were dealt with easily. Thanks to that, they’d killed more monsters with less effort than usual, and the harvest was bountiful.

“This year’s results can’t even be compared to last year’s!”

One of the porters let out a cry of joy. Processed monster corpses sold for a good price, and on top of that, there was a trove of special items from the monsters upon death. Apparently, they were picking them off the ground like pebbles.

While everyone was caught up in conversation, the Grand Duke—who had disappeared earlier—returned with the Knight Commander, Kyla, and Innis.

“Attention!”

Innis shouted. Since the moment the Grand Duke had summoned the leaders, there had been a quiet anticipation building among the troops. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the Grand Duke to speak. He stepped forward and swept his gaze over the gathered crowd.

“With today’s battle, we have achieved all of our primary objectives.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried weight, reaching clearly into everyone’s ears.

“After consulting with the commanders, and with unanimous agreement, a decision has been made.”

Whoa.

The soldiers beside Aeryl were already shifting with excitement, their shoulders twitching in anticipation. Aeryl’s heart pounded right along with theirs.

“This year’s Great Purge is hereby concluded. Well done, everyone.”

The moment he finished, cheers erupted.

“Wooooo!”

“Great work, everyone!”

The members cried out and embraced one another. Aeryl clapped his hands and threw himself into the arms of the person beside him. No sooner had he freed himself than someone else jumped into his arms from the other side.

“It’s over! The Great Purge is finally over!”

“We can go home now! I’ve had enough of this forest!”

As he patted the back of the soldier hugging him, Aeryl exchanged high-fives with another in front of him. Cheers filled the air nonstop—it was chaos, but joyous.

They had been isolated in a forest filled with dark energy, locked in a battle with monsters that seemed to have no end. Every member of the force had joined with determination, but the journey had still been grueling.

Especially in the North, the success of the Great Purge was believed to predict the harshness of the coming winter. The greater the success, the more comfortable the winter would be. Even though it was superstition, it held deep meaning in the North, where people died in droves every winter no matter how much they prepared.

And the Snow Woman—she was the ultimate tale to tell. For at least the next hundred years, they could rest easy, knowing she would no longer be a threat. That sense of security, too, was one of the great achievements of this purge.