How to Tame That Gentle Hero - Chapter 10.11

Afterward, he brought the wire and wire mesh support used for grilling fish in the cave and set them up on the ground. Although Matis couldn’t use aura, Eldis had prepared everything so well that he could create a place to grill fish just by setting it up.

“Here are the twigs. This should be enough.”

“Yes. I think so. This time, I’ll handle the fish…”

“No. I’ll skewer them. This actually requires strength, and it’s safer if I do it with aura around my hands.”

“Understood.”

Soon, the savory smell of grilling fish began to spread. After waiting several dozen minutes, Eldis dissolved dried soup in water, poured it into bowls, and handed them over.

“Thank you for the meal.”

“Ah, yes.”

Did Alken have foresight?

When he checked the amount of dried soup earlier, he could see it was packaged with enough for three people to eat for 10 days. He knew Alken was usually perceptive and polite, but to display such foresight…

Eldis smiled slightly. It seemed he would need to thank Alken separately when he returned. Eldis rose from his seat, watched Lirameki grazing on grass, and offered the remaining berries.

“Hmhmm.”

Lirameki began munching on the berries. After placing the berries on the ground for easy eating, Eldis returned to his seat and began tearing into the fish. The dried soup eaten with the well-cooked fish was quite delicious, allowing both Eldis and Matis to fill their stomachs sufficiently.

Eventually, the sunset was about to fall.

With all the twigs burned and nothing left to burn, the fire died down. After Matis stomped out the fire completely, Eldis recovered the wire and wire mesh.

They needed to finish these tasks before the moon rose to avoid any potential dangers. Afterward, Eldis and Matis, who had entered the cave, stared at Lirameki, who had begun to rest quietly.

“Woong?”

Lirameki tilted its head, then soon closed its eyes and buried its neck, apparently tired. Seeing Lirameki, Matis recalled pulling the sword out and felt sorry again. He also felt somewhat regretful. If he had treated Lirameki well from the beginning, perhaps Lirameki would have become his guide too.

“By the way, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

Matis carefully asked, watching Eldis, who had laid out his sleeping ba,g to go to bed early.

“What is it? Do you have a question, Matis?”

Matis swallowed hard and whispered in a quiet voice.

“Aren’t you curious about what creatures roam around at night?”

Eldis smiled slightly and answered refreshingly.

“I am curious. But I’d like to encounter them when necessary. Right now, we have too little information, and I don’t want to waste energy unnecessarily.”

“….”

“However, don’t even think about going outside at night. If you go outside, even I won’t save you. Don’t forget what I said at the very beginning.”

“…Yes.”

Matis seemed to have more to say, but Eldis left him alone and got into his sleeping bag. Unable to speak to him as he closed his eyes, Matis bit his lip and returned to his place to lie down.

Strangely, it was a night when his eyes remained wide open.

Finding it unusually difficult to fall asleep, Matis tossed and turned. The bright moonlight illuminated the situation outside the cave. Because of this, Matis became too curious and quietly got up.

‘But I can’t go outside.’

The Crown Prince wouldn’t lie. So going outside would be synonymous with asking to be killed. Therefore, Matis crawled toward the cave entrance, turning his gaze in that direction. Then he hid behind a small rock and looked outside.

Not particularly brave and having been a plaything for a sand lion before, Matis swallowed hard and kept his gaze fixed for a while.

Thud…!

The outside seemed quiet, but occasionally there were thumping sounds from somewhere. And peculiarly, these sounds weren’t just one or two.

Eventually, from the pitch-dark navy darkness, some figure approached the cave. Moreover, as its form was revealed under the moonlight, Matis could identify what it was as he drew in his breath.

And then.

“…Matis.”

When a low voice came from behind, Matis jumped up from his spot. Even though it was a familiar voice. Clutching his chest where his heart seemed about to burst out, he turned around with trembling eyes. There, he could see Eldis looking slightly sleepy.

“Come on. Don’t draw attention with unnecessary actions.”

“Yes… Yes, I, I understand!”

Matis hurriedly returned to his place. Even after that, when he glanced around, he could see Lirameki sleeping in the darkness.

What could it be thinking with that small head?

Would it know all about what creatures roam during the night in the holy land?

‘What’s certain is that one shouldn’t wander outside at night without good reason.’

Matis closed his eyes, his body trembling. Eldis, looking down at Matis trying to sleep, turned his gaze outside.

Like Matis, he too had heard the mysterious booming sounds that roamed at night. If those were large monsters, they would be extremely difficult to face.

‘But if that’s the trial blocking my way, I must overcome it.’

For a while, Eldis quietly listened to those sounds, then returned to his place. As he burrowed into his sleeping bag, he missed Resena’s warm body terribly.

Sometimes when she nestled in his arms, the slight fever in her temperature manifested as an impulse he couldn’t possibly suppress. So he would kiss her and hold her slender body tightly, but he always hesitated to go all the way.

“Resena…”

After letting her name slip like a small sigh, Eldis slowly gathered his feelings that seemed to scatter like sparkling meteor showers.

He missed her. He desperately missed those pretty lips that told him, “To not lose someone precious, you must be able to protect just one person.”

“I’ll come. To your side, without fail.”

I will survive here and return.

Eldis closed his eyes.

Not imagining even in his dreams that the next trial would take place at the night altar.

***

The day of the Founding Festival arrived.

Resena woke up early in the morning and walked around the garden grounds. Perhaps because she was too excited, or because she hadn’t slept properly the day before yesterday, she had slept very soundly last night, making her feel extremely refreshed.

After finishing her morning walk and heading to the dining room, she found her mother and father sitting at the table for the first time in a while. Resena smiled brightly and sat down next to them. As expected, Renard, the sleepyhead of the family, wasn’t there, probably not having woken up yet.

“Resena. Come here.”

“Yes, Father. Mother, how are you feeling? Is your leg uncomfortable or anything?”

The Duchess smiled and shook her head.

“You provided the best doctor and even called Saint Lorona. Thanks to that, I don’t have any discomfort anywhere. Rather, my knees used to ache occasionally, but now I’m healthy enough that they don’t anymore.”

Resena smiled softly.

“I’m so glad. I’m very happy that your condition has improved, Mother. Please let me know right away if you feel unwell anywhere in the future. I’ll make sure you’re examined by the best doctors and priests.”

“Thank you, Resena. Whose daughter are you to be so kind? Isn’t that right, dear?”

“Haha. My wife is correct. And you’re truly the optimal successor to entrust Arnasus to in the future. I should start preparing for retirement and travel soon.”

“Ahaha. Father, please. I still have a long way to go. More importantly, Father, Mother, you need to live long, long lives. There’s still so much we haven’t done together… We should go to the beach as a family, too.”

The Duke smiled at those words.