PDCOO Chapter 13

"My, my, my ears might fall off from that volume. Anyway, I'm going to sell the wolf pelt today and see Bertram off at the same time."

"You're selling the pelt already? You haven't even treated it."

"We have to sell it before it rots since it's not processed. We're not leather workers. Heh heh, anyway, once I get money for the pelt, I'll show you, Bertram, what a proper city restaurant tastes like!"

"Village Chief! You're making it sound like someone's restaurant isn't a real restaurant!"

"Ha ha ha! Did I say anything wrong? Anna, you need to stock beer eventually. Your apple cider is too sweet."

"Are there any beer lovers in our village besides you, Village Chief? Are you going to drink it all yourself?"

As the village chief and Anna bickered in their familiar way, Bertram cut in with an unusually weighty voice.

"Village Chief. This restaurant is also a very good restaurant."

"...Ahem. Hey, it was just a joke between people who know each other!"

"The more familiar the relationship, the less one should speak carelessly."

"Argh, to think I'd live to be lectured by some greenhorn. Enough!"

The village chief openly turned sulky. But his expression clearly read: 'Bertram staring at me is uncomfortable.'

"Then I'll get ready and bring the cart around. Everyone eat breakfast and be prepared."

"...Um, Village Chief."

"Yes?"

Anna caught the village chief's arm.

There, Anna spoke with truly great resolve.

"I-I'm coming too! I happen to have some perfectly aged blood sausage, so I'm going to sell that!"

"It's not impossible, but we'll have to stay overnight. You hate paying for meals at other people's restaurants."

"I'd like to develop a taste for that beer of yours. I want to see what charm makes you sing its praises so much, Village Chief."

"...That's what your daughter says, Karlah. What do you think? I prefer having more people when I go out."

All three looked at Karlah simultaneously.

The pressure of their different gazes was intense.

Bertram's heavy gaze—impossible to read what he was thinking—was too high up, so she could avoid it by lowering her head.

But if she lowered her head, there was her daughter's desperate gaze.

And if she looked straight ahead, the village chief's eyes pleaded: 'I'm also uncomfortable being alone with Bertram, so please lend me Anna.'

Surrounded by a siege of gazes, Karlah finally nodded.

"...Go then."

"Yeah! I'll sell it for a good price!"

"But Village Chief, please take someone else also besides just Anna."

"Of course! Can't waste empty cart space—gotta pack it full!"

The village chief left the restaurant to prepare the cart.

After the conversation concluded somewhat haphazardly, Anna looked up at Bertram.

A last moment that had arrived suddenly.

There was only one thing Anna could say in this moment.

"Bertram... For breakfast, is there anything you want to eat?"

"Whatever you wish to make, please."

"All right."

Anna ran to the kitchen.

Watching her daughter's unexpectedly calm reaction, Karlah suppressed an oddly unsettled feeling.

Now, it was truly over.

The village would return to peace.

A cart carrying four people rattled along the country road.

During this time, Bertram regretted his narrow-mindedness.

The dictionary definition of a cart was "a vehicle pulled by horses."

In other words, even a wooden plank with four railings stuck on it was a cart if pulled by a horse.

The village chief, who'd been driving the horse, chuckled.

"So Bertram, you were a young master? How surprised I was when you looked at this and said, 'Where's the cart? This is a wagon.'"

The thirteenth time he'd said that.

Bertram offered his thirteenth apology.

"I'm sorry."

"If you're sorry, just keep an eye on our girls. Sometimes bastards who target country girls appear in cities. Let's help each other until we part ways."

"Of course, I'll do my best."

The eyes of fellow passenger Lara, a neighborhood girl, widened at the word "part."

"Really? Bertram's really leaving for good? That's sudden."

"I only learned this morning too."

Anna muttered with her chin propped on her hand.

At her grumbling tone, Bertram spoke as if in defense.

"I also learned of this only this morning. Karlah said, 'All debts have been repaid, so leave today with the village chief.'"

"Mom didn't seem to like having you at our house. I knew she'd chase you out eventually, but I didn't think it'd be this fast."

"So you deliberately followed me under the pretext of selling blood sausage."

"..."

Bertram's frankness blocked Anna's words.

The second attack stripped away even her composure.

"The quantity of blood sausage you're trying to sell doesn't seem sufficient to cover lodging costs in the city. If I may ask, could you tell me why you came out despite taking a loss?"

What an oblivious fool!

Lara pretended to organize her merchandise—gemstones—while sneaking glances at Anna and Bertram. Her sparkling eyes suggested she was hoping for some sweet romance.

Anna shook her head firmly.

"Th-that! Obviously it's not because I'd feel sorry to send you off like this!"

"I know."

"...Yes. Of course you would. Just a moment."

Anna crossed her arms.

She needed to think about why she'd chased after Bertram herself.

She'd developed a certain affection after eating at the same table for five days, but that wasn't reason enough to make up an excuse and follow him stubbornly. It would have been sufficient to say goodbye earlier with Karlah: 'Leaving today? Sudden, but can't be helped. Farewell!'

But the reason she'd chased after him was...

"...You still think you haven't repaid your debt, don't you?"

"...That's true."

Bertram nodded.

"Of course, I know it's unreasonable. In this matter, Karlah is correct. The borrowed object has already been destroyed, and the creditor doesn't want repayment. Morally, providing some labor is sufficient. Therefore, I can't be more unreasonable and am leaving Karlah's house."

"Hmm, I thought you'd be more stubborn, Bertram."

"We've strayed from the subject. I'm asking why you followed me, Anna."

A coldly piercing statement.

But Anna smiled wryly before him.

"We didn't stray from the subject—I hit the core. You wanted to be more stubborn, didn't you?"

"...Did it seem that way."

"Yes. I don't know if I should say this, but..."

Anna looked around.

The village chief was busy driving, and Lara was completely absorbed in organizing her gemstones—something she'd grabbed to pretend she was occupied. Still anxious someone might overhear personal conversation, Anna crouched right next to Bertram and whispered. Even with her chin raised as high as possible, she could barely pour her words onto Bertram's shoulder, but they surely reached his ears.

Because they were words that pierced through Bertram's last three years.

"Somehow, repaying debts seemed like the only purpose left in your life."

"...How. No, why did you think that?"

"Just from looking at your face?"

She was serious.

Somehow when she'd seen his face that morning, she'd thought he looked empty and weary. Like a farmer whose field had been seized right before harvest.

But since she couldn't tell Bertram "I guessed it by instinct," Anna scrambled to gather things that occurred to her belatedly.

"Think about it. The war ended, but you've been wandering around for three years to repay debts? That doesn't make sense. If it were me, I'd have kept my mouth shut and pretended to die in the war."

"You're an honest person, Anna, so you wouldn't have done that."

"Hey, enough flattery! Anyway, this is just my personal thought, but I think debts from the war are what trigger memories of the war for you."

"...Your insight leaves me speechless. I want to applaud."

"Don't applaud with that serious face. It's scary."

Bertram obediently lowered his hands, and Anna patted those large hands while laughing.

"Everyone lives shouldering at least one scar from the war. Even if I can't resolve your sense of debt, I thought I could help with just one thing, so I came out."

"What?"

"Feeding you delicious food! Mental recovery starts with a full stomach. Even if you can't taste, it's enough if you can eat happily. I'll take you around to all the most delicious places in this city!"

Anna smiled brightly.

Her first smile of the day.

Only then did Bertram feel as though today had truly begun.

Beyond the stone road that had widened before they knew it, the city walls where they would have to part began to appear.

Lara gaped at the walls that easily exceeded a person's height, while Anna acted experienced like an older sister.

"If you come out a few times, you'll get used to it. I'm not even scared of the guards anymore!"

"Really? I've never seen armed people before..."

Lara clung to Anna's back, trembling. She seemed to be imagining guards shouting, 'Who are you!' while drawing swords.

Anna chuckled and spoke to Bertram.

"You're used to people like that, right?"

"I saw them once before, but I'm not used to them."