A King is Born on the Road

After passing time drinking like that, Hayer came into the tent when the sun completely set.

“Iris, the carrier bird is here. They’re near here now, so they say they’ll arrive here in about two days.”

It seems that the carrier bird that was borrowed from the merchants met with the Tejas Knights and returned. The merchant women sighed at once when he said they had to part soon.

“Now, why do all the fun go to Luwan…?”

Hayer laughed at such an honest statement and asked.

“I guess I made it fun for you?”

“It’s not that you’re fun, it’s the face that’s fun, the face.”

The merchant women responded with laughter at what one person said.

Hayer left the tent after acting charmingly, as if to let them see his face as much as they wanted. Iris laughed dumbfoundedly, and the merchant woman sitting next to her said.

“You have to control that well—won’t your heart rot away?”

“That is to say, I’m not controlling that man…”

Iris’s words were cut off again by the merchant women’s chatter. She thought she should explain more, but she finally decided to stop because the merchant women looked so happy.

At night, merchants shared tents between women and men. Several people fell asleep in a crowded tent, so there were not many opportunities for treatment, and only Iris and Hayer remained.

Then, the two climbed into an empty wagon to avoid the eyes of others.

Iris asked.

“What about Cadella?”

“He’s sleeping excitedly in the little kids’ tent.”

There were also some children with the merchants, and Cadella would pout and said he would not play with them because he was an adult, but played with them as if he couldn’t win. The merchant children were also very happy to have someone to play with.

Iris said.

“Let’s start quickly.”

“Yes, we don’t have much time…”

Hayer, who was unbuttoning his shirt, paused.

After putting the children to bed and secretly getting on a wagon at night and undressing, he thought it was a perfect conversation and atmosphere to misunderstand.

Iris soon must have realized it too, and she blushed and said.

“Ah, I can’t see anything. Because it’s dark.”

“…When did I ever tell you not to see?”

Hayer was rather dumbfounded, and Iris continued blushing.

After passing through the maze, the two felt a little different awkwardness from before.

Both were in a hectic state. They couldn’t afford to reflect on their emotions in the process of losing, finding, and meeting each other.

In it, rather, everything was much easier than outside. In a place completely cut off from the world, there was nothing to care about from the outside.

Therefore, Hayer found that he was able to act more freely with Iris when he was in the maze.

Hayer took off his shirt, and Iris began to treat his shoulder.

Hayer said.

“It smells bitter.”

“Really? I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

Hayer wondered why she could not smell such a strong bitter scent. It was so strong that he felt dizzy.

Iris, who was applying the medicine so meticulously, said.

“I feel a little sad at the thought of parting ways with the merchants. It was fun.”

“When will we not see each other again? The merchants are the people who keep going from one side to the other anyway.”

“Hmm. Will we?”

Iris let out a low sigh, unable to hide her sorrow completely. Then she said to Hayer.

“Hayer.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you die.”

Her words made Hayer laugh, as if he wasn’t worried about anything.

It felt like deception for a person with such a big wound on his back—whose goal was to rush into danger that only increased the wound—to smile like that, as if everything would be safe.

Iris slapped Hayer on the back because he felt a bit detestable.

It was when the treatment was just finished.

They heard merchants passing by outside.

There were people outside, so Hayer and Iris could not go out and sat in the wagon, fearing they may cause a misunderstanding.

They thought everyone was asleep, but not at all. It was so noisy, and then someone burst open the curtain. It was one of the merchant women Iris was talking to earlier.

She stood there, blinking her eyes, as if she was surprised to find Hayer with his top off and Iris with her startled eyes.

Hayer, who opened his mouth first, calmly asked.

“I would be very grateful if you could close the curtain again…”

“No! You don’t have to close it. I’m leaving now.”

Iris, whose face turned red, hurried out of the wagon. Then the merchant, who had the curtain pulled back, clapped her hands and went into the tent with Iris.

Iris said with a bright red face.

“We didn’t do anything, but… please keep it a secret if possible.”

“Why? Are you two really running away for love?”

“No, we legally… know each other.”

“What is a legal acquaintance?”

“I don’t know what I’m saying either…”

Iris mumbled with her face flushed, and the merchant burst into laughter again.

* * *

Two days after that.

The Knights of Tejas soon arrived.

With some distance away, neither the merchants nor the Knights of Tejas had stopped.

As soon as the merchant group’s wagon’s curtain opened, a child jumped down from there first. It was Cadella.

“When will the traitor get off?”

“Will he be taller than our captain?”

“Gee, the bigger it is, the more useful it will be. Since he is the youngest, I have to pamper him.”

“What do you mean pamper? The old youngest should take care of it.”

“That’s right! I’m finally going to escape from being the youngest!”

They completely ignored Cadella’s presence and waited for Iris and Hayer to get out of the wagon.

Soon the two got out of the wagon and exchanged sincere greetings with their close merchant friends. However, no matter how long they waited, no one who seemed to be a traitor got out of the wagon.

“That person passing by! It’s not…”

“That tattoo! Ah, desert people…”

King Eswa told them to bring one witness as proof that they had been to the maze. However, after bidding farewell and parting with the merchants, what remained with them was a child who seemed like he was about to wither.

“Ah, that can’t be.”

“Did you pick up a kid from somewhere? You two are nice.”

“Where and how do you pick up people?”

“No, I’m just saying it because it doesn’t seem like it at all.”

The mysteriously small traitor ran towards the Knights of Tejas.

Following Cadella, Iris and Hayer soon arrived.

Hayer said to the Knights of Tejas, pointing his chin at Cadella.

“Since he’s 71 years old, take care of him in your own way. Iris brought him out of the Traitor’s Labyrinth.”

“Yes, I am 71. Hayer is wrong because he’s rude, but you should consider me an adult and respect me.”

Cadella said, as if he would put in the first button well this time.

But Annamaria grabbed Cadella by the neck and lifted him up.

Cadella said, struggling.

“All of these knights lift people up. What the hell is the reason!”

“Well… anyway, you picked up something cute. It’s fine as long as it’s cute.”

Hencke added a word to Annamaria’s compromise.

“Of course, it would have been better if you had brought an ordinary dog or cat.”

“I’m not cute, you bastards!”

Cadella ran and stepped on the feet of knights who were making fun of him from all sides.

Of course, the Knights could avoid getting stepped on with their level of training, but the child seemed excited and they didn’t feel any weight, so they let it go without avoiding it.

afterword

10 more chapters and we’ll finally get the hayer-iris moment… im getting so giddy just thinking about it!!