SOTBW - 130

Najane sighed in relief at his words. If Maximón hadn’t liked the food, it would have been a terrible day for both the owner and the cook.

By the way, how quickly would the news of his meal here spread? People were far more interested in Maximón than Najane had thought. They viewed him as a hero, admired him, but also feared his monstrous strength, understanding that they should never cross him. Najane hoped that people would learn about Maximón’s kinder side as soon as possible, but at the same time, she had the selfish desire to keep that side of him to herself.

The reason he had become kind to her was probably...

Najane set her fork down and looked at Maximón. As soon as she met his gaze, she quickly averted her eyes. Maximón faintly smiled, as if asking if she was done eating.

She had felt this way before. It was after her first battle as a knight of Romsoa, when she rested under a tree near a barley field after fighting Serith. It had been the same then. Just lifting her head slightly, their gazes had met instantly, and that was only possible because Maximón had been staring at her all along.

Najane thought about when he had started looking at her with such eyes and took a sip of wine. She and Luna had always feared the saying that a daughter resembles her mother. They feared they would make foolish decisions like Nellis, unable to let go of their hearts. If they fell in love, they had sworn to love only the right person.

Najane stood up from her chair and smiled bitterly. Perhaps, from the moment she had learned the art of the sword, she was destined to walk the same path as Nellis. Maximón already had an fiancée, and Najane knew this, yet she couldn’t let go of him.

Her love was undoubtedly treacherous. What did it even mean to know Maximón’s heart in this situation? Unless he was going to call off his engagement...

When they left the shop, the snow briefly fell before stopping. Maximón placed the hood over Najane’s head and took her hand. It no longer felt strange.

“We should walk slowly along the city wall road.”

Maximón looked at the fading sky before guiding Najane. As they entered a street lined with old houses, children could be seen playing outside despite the cold. The children were carrying several cookies with dried fruit chunks in them, running through the alleyways and singing songs.

“O ice who guards the boundary of reincarnation, witness the burning of the final fortress. If we must die tonight, it is our fate. The ice melted into tears before the black fire, but the extinguished flame will burn again and become the sun.”

“O you who support the collapsing world, see us, the survivors from the ashes. If we do not die tonight, it is also our fate. The tears that flowed into the river will ultimately become the sea, and the black fire will be submerged by the waves, and a new world will come.”

Najane was slightly startled as she listened to the children singing their lively song.

“…I suppose it’s because of the war, but the content is rather unusual.”

At that moment, a scream echoed from the direction the children had run. Najane quickly turned around, alarmed. Maximón grabbed her to stop her from rushing toward the sound, but Najane shrugged off his hand and ran into the alley. There, an elderly woman was struggling with a thief trying to steal her bag. As Najane drew her sword, the thief startled and fled.

The old woman, startled, sank to the ground and began wailing. Fortunately, her bag hadn’t been stolen, but she had likely been hit a little during the struggle, as her eyes were bruised. Najane quickly helped her up, but the old woman, still shaken, had trouble standing. Maximón watched from behind before reluctantly helping her to her feet.

Najane had known this might happen. The fortress of Noctis was teeming with refugees, and both large and small crimes were rampant. She had hoped Najane wouldn’t react to cries for help, but at the same time, it was very much like her to do so.

The old woman, now standing with her bag in hand, bowed to the two of them.

“Thank you so much for helping. Are you... guards?”

The old woman looked at Najane with a slightly fearful gaze.

To reassure her, Najane shifted her hood slightly.

“I’m a knight of Romsoa, but today I’m helping the guards with maintaining order. By the way, where are you headed? If it’s not too far, we can escort you.”

“Oh, if a knight says so, I’ll be happy to accept.”

The old woman finally seemed to relax and smiled warmly. Seeing her smile, Najane also felt relieved, then glanced up at Maximón as if seeking his opinion. Maximón was silent for a moment before sighing.

“Soon, you’ll be saving not only people but the whole world.”

“It’s part of my duties. Of course I have to help.”

“…So, where is the old woman’s house?”

At this point, Maximón knew he couldn’t win against Najane. Giving up, he asked the old woman, who led the way, signaling them to follow. Najane followed behind the old woman, intending to take Maximón’s hand, but hesitated and pulled her wrist back.

Maximón noticed the tips of her fingers brush against the end of his glove and looked down at her. Najane, recalling what had happened last time, quickly waved her hand, dismissing the thought.

“While working... Yes, it’s a bit awkward. I didn’t mean to... I’m sorry.”

Maximón, observing Najane apologizing, raised an eyebrow as he recalled the absurd advice that Didina had given her. After a brief laugh, Maximón didn’t take her hand but instead focused on her shoulders, placing his arm around them.

“Do you often consult Didina like that?”

“No, not often... This is actually the first time I’ve talked to the head maid about such things. She’s strict when it comes to work, but she’s famous for listening well to the maids’ concerns.”

“You can forget everything Didina told you. Actually, it would be better if you just forgot it all.”

Didina’s advice had essentially been a reprimand for Maximón. She had intended to show him that acting this way toward Najane would only hurt him in the end. Though the head maid’s actions had been presumptuous, Maximón realized the consequences of his behavior and decided to let it go for now. He didn’t want to cause any trouble for Didina, as he knew Najane would be upset if something happened to her, and he preferred to spend quiet, calm days without any disturbances.

Maximón intended to get the old woman inside safely and then leisurely walk around the village with Najane before returning to the knights’ order. He had planned to cooperate with the guards in maintaining public order, subtly showing the citizens that he was fine, while spending quality time with Najane. However, now that his schedule had been disrupted, he felt increasingly anxious.

He had underestimated Najane’s courage in helping those in need. Passing by people in distress was not in his nature, but now he found himself reluctantly caught in a righteous action. Perhaps the shopping district would have been a better choice, but if his face were seen there, crowds might gather.

There would also be annoying questions and a chance that incidents like what happened in the black market might be repeated. But staying locked away in the knights’ order wasn’t an option—he had very few opportunities to spend quality time with Najane, even if it was just lying in bed together.

Fortunately, the old woman’s house wasn’t too far from the robbery site. Maximón and Najane planned to leave and head toward the quieter area near the city wall. However, just as they parted from the old woman, a woman’s scream echoed from the opposite alley.

Najane flinched for a moment, but before Maximón could stop her, she rushed toward the sound. Maximón, covering his eyes with his hand, clenched his teeth. The old woman’s house was closely located near a refugee settlement. Murders happened daily in this area.

He followed Najane with an irritated glare. Najane stood in front of the door where the scream had come from, unsure of what to do. Inside, sounds of broken household items could be heard. It was unclear whether the intruder was a thief, a rapist, or a husband beating his wife.

But the people passing by seemed indifferent to the loud scream, accustomed to such disturbances, and simply went on their way.

“Commander...” Najane called out in a startled voice.

“Stay back.”

Maximón smashed the wooden door with his fist. The broken shards scattered around as the screaming inside ceased. He kicked the shattered door aside and entered. The room was so filthy that it was hard to believe anyone lived there, but inside were a man and a young girl, who appeared to be father and daughter.

The man released the girl’s hair, turned around, and glared at Maximón. He yelled, glaring at the broken door.

“What are you two doing here, in someone else’s house...!”

The man reeked of strong alcohol. As Najane was about to rush to the girl, the man swung the bottle of liquor in his hand. However, his sluggish, drunk movements couldn’t land a blow on Najane, who had been trained by the Serith.

Najane easily dodged the bottle and stepped back, while Maximón punched the man in the jaw. With a sickening sound, the man collapsed. The bottle that fell to the floor shattered loudly, causing the girl to scream again. Maximón, stepping on the man’s throat with his boot, muttered quietly.

“Bite down hard.”

Maximón was furious because the man had tried to strike Najane with the empty bottle. He didn’t hold back as he struck, and yellow teeth, mixed with blood, flew out. Just as he was about to destroy the man’s face, he heard hurried footsteps behind him and turned around.

Najane had gone further inside the room. Maximón threw the man out through the broken door and followed Najane. Inside the foul-smelling cold room, a woman was lying unconscious.

The woman, unresponsive despite Najane’s calls, was sprawled on the floor. Maximón stood next to Najane, looking down at the woman who was staring blankly with her eyes wide open. Her clothes had been half-removed, and her body was covered in red spots. It was syphilis.

Sensing the smell of death, Maximón roughly lifted Najane. The girl, cautiously glancing at the two of them, cried out and approached the woman. Forced to leave, Najane looked at Maximón with confusion.

“The woman has syphilis.”

“What?”

“If it’s spread all over her body, it means she’s been infected for quite a while. Without medication, it can’t be cured, and it spreads quickly, so it’s dangerous. We should leave this to the guards.”

As they passed by, the people around them didn’t completely ignore the situation, and not far off, the sound of a whistle could be heard. The guards, having wandered through the maze of alleys without following any clear rules, finally managed to find Maximón and Najane. Maximón put on his hood to avoid drawing attention from the onlookers. One of the guards, who had been scanning the inside of the house, shook his head and came out.

“This man seems to be the husband. We can detain him for a few days at the guard station, but that’s about all.”