Chapter 439: Thicker and Deeper than Water

The puppet city of Philos. The whole city suddenly became noisier. As time passed, and as messengers and people came and went, the severity of the situation grew.

There were many things to worry about, but there was only one thing that surpassed them all.

…The invasion of the Bolvat Dynasty into the autonomous city-states of the west.

The reason and background were unknown. But it was a clear fact. Led by a brave magic general, the Bolvat Dynasty was trying to breach the city-states with its sharp-honed fangs.

There were many people who wondered why, especially when their country was also suffering from the catastrophe.

However, there was some speculation if you just looked at the situation in other countries. After all, this offensive had happened before.

Throughout history, the Bolvat Dynasty had invaded city-states in an attempt to expand its territory. Sometimes with surprise attacks, sometimes with a large number of soldiers.

Still, even at the cost of countless soldiers’ blood, they were never able to achieve a long-term effective control.

One of the reasons was that the city-states themselves were now nations with military power. They wouldn’t fall that easily. Another reason was that the city-states were under the influence of the Gharast Kingdom.

The Gharast Kingdom crushed the Bolvat Dynasty every time it had ambitions to move west.

But now, there was no threat from the Gharast Kingdom, which was the largest enemy of the Bolvat Dynasty. The royal capital was devoured by demons, and the national army was forced to retreat far north.

In that case, there was nothing strange about the Bolvat Dynasty raising its ambitions again. In fact, one could even call it obvious. A nation was an entity that could never stop its self-growing ambitions.

In any case, the noise in the city of Philos showed no signs of stopping. There wouldn’t be no morning or night for a while. Soldiers and civilians were rushing back and forth.

After all, for the Heraldic Order, the walled city of Garoua Maria and the mercenary city of Belfein, both city-states, were undeniably major bases. Even a lowly messenger soldier would have a sense of crisis if one of those cities got lost.

Yet, the mercenary named Bruder didn’t feel that way. Her brown hair fell down while she arranged her hat. She narrowed her eyes.

Beside her stood her sister Vestaline, who spoke with smooth lips.

「It seems like there’s another war out there. I heard that the Bolvat Dynasty is also under threat from demonic beings. 」

Bruder responded to Vestaline’s words as if she wasn’t worried.

「Vess. Once upon a time, there was a country whose death-row inmates killed each other and made it into a spectacle. They would be given the death penalty if they lost, but if they survived, they’d have to kill each other again the next day. This process continued every single day, and finally, when a single death-row inmate remained, he was executed in front of the audience. 」

Bruder could only show that speech to her sister. It felt nostalgic, just like those times when Bruder wasn’t called that name yet. She was kind, but her tone was somewhat sharp.

Vestaline pressed her lips, as if swallowing every word her sister professed.

「I don’t understand. So they’re going to die in the end, but they still kill others just to live for another day. Is that what you mean, sister? 」

Bruder nodded in affirmation and turned the needles precisely in her fingertips. The Bolvat Dynasty was exactly the same as them.

There was no doubt that they suffered tremendous damage from demonic beings. No matter how prestigious of high sorcerers they were, they were no different from ordinary human soldiers from the demons’ point of view.

That’s why they were smarter than most. Rather than fighting head-on with demons and getting crushed, they thought it would be wiser to secure a survival zone rather than attack other countries.

Bruder said she could read their background up to that point, but after that was still a mystery.

But there was no point for Bruder to dwell in those thoughts. To be honest, Bruder had no interest in whether the Bolvat Dynasty attacked or destroyed many city-states.

No, in fact, she was only interested in two things. One, her sister Vestaline, and two, her employer Lugis. Everything else was secondary. That’s why her eyes were slightly gloomy.

Bruder knew what would happen. Lugis would get himself involved in the surprise invasion of the Bolvat Dynasty. Because he was heroic. Because he was strong. How could he turn a blind eye to the menacing Bolvat Dynasty?

Bruder’s eyes hardened and she gritted the needle in her hand.

Wouldn’t he be a running dog working for the Heraldic Order? From right to left, whenever there was a conflict, he got targeted, and his injuries increased. People said it was an honor. For the cause, for the world, for the people. Everyone thought it was wonderful.

Unbeknownst to her, Bruder felt a fever inside her body. Her face became stiff, and her cheeks got distorted.

Everyone said that he was a strong person. He was a hero, a man with a strong body and spirit.

…But was it true? Weren’t they not acknowledging his weak side?

Bruder’s employer kept pushing forward no matter what. He seemed to be pursuing the ideal figure he greatly desired. Certainly, that appearance would make him look like a strong person.

However, each time he did so, his body and mind were harmed, and he bled. He got marked with a new wound before the previous wound healed. Even so, Lugis didn’t stop.

Oh, how dangerous he was to himself, thought Bruder. It was already a crazy world. It seemed that Lugis set foot in a place where he truly belonged. Moreover, that knight, sorceress, elf, and saint just stared at him with affection and approval.

It was no good. They wouldn’t stop Lugis’ actions. This happened because they were of the same kind, and their blood was swirling with emotions like mud.

Bruder narrowed her eyes, thinking that the only one who could stop him was her. She had no strength, no wisdom, and no royal bloodline. She, who was no more than a mediocre person, should be responsible for keeping him in check.

Because Lugis was also fragile although he seemed strong. He didn’t run away, and he pushed himself too hard without stopping his legs.

But he was bound to break down eventually. His sanity wouldn’t keep up if he continued to force himself to go through it despise all the pain. Eventually, the price for this impossible act would be paid.

At that time, what would those who called Lugis a hero do? They probably wouldn’t do anything. Heroes had such fate after all.

The surrounding noise caught Bruder’s attention. There were those who spoke Lugis’ name. Some people said that he would even defeat the Bolvat Dynasty since he was a hero.

Bruder felt like biting her tongue. Indeed, both herself and Vestaline were saved by Lugis. Without him, Bruder wouldn’t be in this world anymore.

But that’s why Bruder didn’t want him to get hurt any more. Was this a selfish wish? Bruder didn’t know. But what she knew, is that Lugis had the right to stop walking. He had the right to give up.

Still, Bruder didn’t know what would happen to the world as a result.

…In a world where Lugis got hurt constantly, it would be better for that same world to vanish.

Bruder had those thoughts deep down. They were absolutely genuine.

Her younger sister Vestaline was exactly the same in that respect, although her values were different. In contrast to her rough sibling Bruder, Vestaline cheerfully opened her lips.

「But, sister, I think a fragile person is also praiseworthy. 」

The more fragile you were, the more you wanted peace. Vestaline explained that eventually you would never want to let go of it, and in the end, you wouldn’t be able to see anything else.

Bruder nodded while looking at Lugis’ pack of chewing tobacco.

「Is that so? But if he’s fragile and ends up falling apart…」

The sound of her heart rang out. That scenario deeply moved her heart. But, as long as those women were around, Bruder knew it wouldn’t be that easy for Lugis to fall apart. Even so, there was still a high probability that he could perish. However, what Bruder wanted to do was put aside for now.

「…What will you do then, Vess? 」

The answer was obvious. The sisters thought the same thing, and the same smiles were on their cheeks.

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A Wish is back! Sorry for this little hiatus but we wanted to release more chapters from Cautious Hero since we were far behind. We’ll probably do this again in order to catch up with the current Cautious Hero raws. Thank you for your understanding and enjoy this new chapter!

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