The tent swayed gently in the breeze, shrouded by magic that kept its secrets hidden from outsiders, creating an atmosphere inside that was almost unbearably tense.
At this moment, Emilia sat uneasily, perched stiffly on a chair, her delicate hands clasped nervously on her knees, head lowered like a child awaiting punishment.
“…”
Silence hung heavy, not a word spoken.
After all, sitting across from her was Sigg, his face stern and unyielding, not a trace of a smile.
He sat on a bed that was a size larger than yesterday’s, patting it lightly before speaking at just the right moment.
“What’s the meaning of this? I told you to bring a bed… you… no, this isn’t right.”
On second thought, he wondered if he hadn’t been clear enough.
He should’ve been more explicit, made his intentions unmistakable… but the more he thought about it, the more something felt off.
Finally, he unleashed a soul-piercing question, staring straight at her.
“Was this intentional, or an accident?”
“Intentional… After all, you told me to bring a bed… but I thought, instead of just bringing a bed, why not make it bigger? And then I figured sharing it wouldn’t be a big deal, it’d save space… If you mind, I can sleep on the floor, really, it’s fine.”
In the heat of the moment, she hadn’t thought much of it.
Since Sigg hadn’t specified, she’d played a little clever, taken a shortcut, only to end up in this awkward mess, her toes curling in embarrassment as if she could carve out a three-bedroom apartment with them.
In an instant, he put on a look of sudden realization, patted her shoulder, and gave a thumbs-up.
“Ohhh, I get it now.”
He paused.
“But no, that won’t do. It’s not about what you think, it’s about what I think. I don’t know what’s going through your head, but you’re probably trying to tempt me, to get the upper hand. I’m a Sigma male, the man among men, and I don’t fall for these tricks. Thinking you can pin me down with such a small move? You’re underestimating me.”
Before he could finish, he suddenly froze, words and actions halting as if someone hit a pause button.
A flicker of panic and anger crossed his face.
He felt the slave seal burning fiercely, signaling a significant disturbance.
Looking up, he gazed toward the temporary slave encampment in the distance, where flames lit up the sky, suggesting a commotion of no small scale.
“What’s going on…?”
…
Soon after suppressing the slave rebellion, Sigg shed his earlier playful demeanor.
Breathing heavily, he stood on a platform at the slaves’ temporary gathering point, surrounded by blazing fires, his expression deadly serious for the first time in a while.
He took a hard gulp of water and smashed the cup.
For once, he’d let himself feel something, only to be so thoroughly defeated.
Damn it.
The fire consumed supplies and grain, too late to save, burning to ashes before his eyes.
Though he hadn’t tallied the losses, they were likely significant.
Covered in dust and blood, he had no time or mood to care, nor was he in the mood for jokes.
At his feet lay the body of one of the rebellion’s ringleaders.
The mercenaries arrived late, cleaning up the aftermath or capturing slaves who’d tried to escape in the chaos.
His cold gaze swept the surroundings, his thoughts unreadable but certainly not pleasant…
Below, the slaves who hadn’t participated or hadn’t managed to flee knelt on the ground, trembling and weeping, awaiting their unknown fate.
He realized he’d been too soft, and regret gnawed at him…
What am I doing?
Have I still not grown after all these years?
Am I still this foolish?
His thoughts cut off abruptly.
Exhaling a heavy breath, his eyes grew fierce, his aura surging.
Because he’d forgotten that even dogs need chains, let alone ambitious people.
It had led them to entertain other ideas, to forget their place.
Emilia had mentioned something similar before.
Though he’d taken her words to heart, he’d planned to implement them after reaching the Demon King’s castle ruins, thinking it’d be less hassle on the road.
Besides…
A clear, ethereal voice reached his ears, cutting through the chaotic noise around him.
He instantly recognized it, glancing slightly to see the silver-haired girl jogging toward him.
Her striking figure, bouncing noticeably as she ran, was impossible to ignore.
“Sigg, I’ve tallied it up. About a hundred slaves are either dead or escaped, leaving roughly two hundred. The slaves you planned to train carefully are unharmed and didn’t participate in this incident. As for food, the escaped slaves burned or took some—roughly a quarter is gone. Most supplies are intact, though we lost some transport tools… Overall, it’s a misfortune we can call fortunate.”
She spoke in one breath, pausing to take a deep inhale, her heart pounding as she stopped before the young man.
After a moment, she continued.
“And…”
He raised a hand, cutting her off.
“Enough, no need to say more. This is my fault. I’m sorry, I was too arrogant. I should’ve listened to you instead of delaying until we reached the Demon King’s castle. If I had, none of this would’ve happened…”
Sigg lowered his head, the proud Hachimi bowing sincerely to the girl before him, admitting his mistake.
When you’re wrong, you own it and stand tall for the consequences.
He had no intention of being stubborn.
A mistake was a mistake, and causing trouble for others was a fact, no excuses needed.
The more he explained, the less sincere it would seem, the more hypocritical.
He saw her as a partner, nothing more.
“So, I’m sorry, really, for causing you so much trouble. Emilia, please handle this until it’s fully resolved and stable.”
“It’s my duty, no need to be so polite.”
She didn’t mind, stating her stance clearly.
She didn’t see it as trouble and even felt indebted to him.
But Sigg shook his head lightly, knowing there’s no free lunch in this world—the free things are always the costliest.
He held up one finger, as was his habit.
“I’ll grant you one wish. I don’t like freeloading, and I especially don’t like owing favors, particularly to you, Emilia.”
She didn’t respond immediately, perhaps weighing her options, hesitating, or already knowing her answer.
It wasn’t until everything was settled, late into the night, that they spoke again.
In the tent, an exhausted-sigg stripped off his clothes and sat down, barely keeping himself clean with magic, yawning.
“Emilia, tomorrow, gather the remaining slaves. I need to make a speech, establish authority, and make an example of someone. You’ll handle slave management from now on, and I’ll back you unconditionally.”
Emilia lay on the soft, oversized bed, waiting patiently.
Her silver hair spilled over the white sheets as she listened quietly, waiting for him to finish before patting the bed with her delicate hand.
The empty spot beside her resounded with soft thumps, saying nothing yet saying everything.
“…”
“Can you change the wish?”
The only response was the sound of her hand patting the bed.