Dry Drowning - Chapter 46

“It hurts! I said it hurts!”

It was Fred who screamed when his arm was bent behind his back. The joint was twisted badly, and the pain was so intense that his toes curled involuntarily.

“It was really an accident! Hey!”

[T/N: For context for these events, please wait a little, as this has been explained later in this chapter]

The reddened face complained of injustice in its own way. However, Ian, who had been bullied since the morning, could not teach him properly. The members, who gathered together wondering what was going on, were soon able to grasp the situation roughly. It became obvious, seeing Shyu sitting down and crying, not knowing what to do with the berries scattered on the floor.

“Ugh…”

It was already quite a long time since Shyu brought that fruit to Ian.

At first, Shyu only brought it secretly, but at some point, he began to deliver it openly.

It was easy to guess why. This was because most of the Turk’s group*, who had always been ordered Shyu like a servant, were currently injured. Until now, it seemed to be hidden in case it was taken away, but now it’s not.

[T/N: In case you guys forgot who Turk was, he was the one who used to bully Shyu and got eaten by the beast. (YESSSS) Turk’s group had those kinds of people who either used to support Turk’s bullying or used to bully Shyu with Turk. ]

Where the hell did he get it from?

By the time Ian returned, his hands were always full.

Nobody touched those fruits because they didn’t know what could happen. Although they did sit by and watch as Shyu was being attacked by the Turks, they didn’t have any ill will.

Even when his ribs were broken, he did not throw them away and embraced them.

[T/N: OH, POOR SHYUUU. :’(]

In a sense, it must have been a miracle for a child.

[T/N: Might also mean, that it was something special to the child.]

“I didn’t know you’d fall down after only a slap on the back! Argh! I can pick a new one!”

I see.

The ignorant b*stard slapped his back with a hand like the lid of a pot.

It was expected, but it was still pathetic, so everyone grunted. Aren’t you stupid? You need to pick up the firewood! You could have conveyed your feelings by feeding hay or washing the dishes instead, but instead, you did something useless and dropped your points.

[T/N: Basically these knights, including Fred, were trying to get on Ian’s good side (in their words gathering points or scores from Ian) but since Fred did such a stupid thing, his score definitely dropped in front of Ian. That’s what the other knights are thinking. Haha.]

It was the same for themselves that they received a lot of negative points from Ian from the morning. Without knowing that all of that was not even funny.

[T/N: As I said before, since they didn’t let Ian do any work, Ian considered it as bullying, so their scores certainly dropped without them knowing. :’D]

“Ouch, I thought my arm was going to fall off…”

In the meantime, Ian, who had almost broken Fred’s arm, relaxed. Fred, who barely escaped the fracture, hurried out from Ian’s loosened grip. He seemed genuinely distressed to keep his distance and then stroked his shoulder while muttering.

Why are you pretending to be close since the morning?*

[*T/N: This is what Ian is probably thinking.]

Ian saw the whole incident since he saw Shyu running toward him. Fred has been so unnecessarily interested in Ian these days. Fred giggled at his little outstretched hand holding the fruits, Thuck.

“Do you like him that much?” he asked in a teasing tone, patting the Shyu’s back with his rough hand. It must have been an expression of friendliness.

However, it took less than a second for the child reeling from the unexpected touch to spill berries onto the floor. The air, which had been quiet, has subsided further. Ian knew it wasn’t intentional, but he didn’t have the heart to understand.

[T/N: THE CONTEXT]

“…….”

Ian, who was staring at Fred from a distance, turned his head. Shyu was still crouching on the floor and wriggling his fingers without being able to pick them up. The berries that rolled around the floor were a mess, with some bursting or having dirt on them. The child’s expression, which was bright earlier, was now sullen.

Even so, it was difficult for him to bring it like a tribute every day.

[T/N: I am sorry for not being able to translate that line above, properly. But I think it means that maybe because of his small hands or because Turk and his people were around before. It was difficult to bring it to Ian like a tribute every day (maybe he used to bring fruits like this before too.)]

Ian bent down, thinking that what he had received at the stream that day was the source of trouble. When he met the gloomy eyes, a short sigh came out.

If left like this, it was certain that Shyu would whimper like a dog with a curled tail all day long. Realizing that it would annoy him more, Ian picked up the berries that were at least intact. There was dirt on it, but it didn’t matter. As soon as he put it in his mouth, Shyu’s sullen eyes suddenly became big, and round.

The sweet and sour juice along with the chirping soil were chewed.

He didn’t think he’d die after eating it, so he picked up one more and swallowed it.  Shyu, who came to his senses, rushed in. Touching Ian’s cheek with his small hand and groaning seemed to mean that he should stop eating and spit it out quickly. Ian didn’t know what to say when Shyu was the one crying because he didn’t eat.

“Uh, Uh!”

In the end, Shyu’s expression became more tearful than before, and the expressions of some others watching it, became strange. You… Why are you eating that? They didn’t think he was doing it just to make the kid feel better. Above all, there was no reason for Ian to match Shyu’s mood. Why does that prince want to fit the mood of a person who is mute and abandoned by his parents, who does not benefit from anything?

“…..”.

But it wasn’t a strange thing to think about.

They would’ve let it go, but looking back, Ian has never complained throughout the entire expedition. No matter how much he pitched* the barracks, it was still a dirt floor. Unmatched by a warm fireplace and fluffy bedding.

[*T/N: To kind of fix the barracks or clean it.]

The same goes for the meal.

Most of the living animals had turned into derivatives, making it almost impossible to hunt on the expedition. They brought ingredients that do not get spoiled easily, such as potatoes and beef jerky, and made and ate food, but that was for a day or two.

Even the members who were used to the expedition were now fed up with the diet. If they don’t eat, they would starve, so they forced themselves to swallow it, but they were sick of the vegetable stew and beef jerky that came out all the time. However, Ian always emptied his share without saying anything. It was only then that they remembered that he also helped with miscellaneous chores, such as fetching water, just before he went out to search.

—That’s right, the prince is a damn Roxian. He was also forcibly dragged here. But, well, we Northerns have our grudge first.*

[*T/N: Most probably said by Kyle.]

Why did the words from a few days ago come to mind?

It was they themselves who proved how the Roxians would be treated here. No one would want to come as a hostage, even without knowing that. Obviously, he would have not wanted to as well.

The prince is the son of the lowest-ranking concubine.

Probably, it was the 12th or 13th.

The crew kept their mouths shut as they recalled the background of Ian that they had heard about. It was different from earlier when they did a light favour just because he helped them. At that time, they were half resentful, but now they somehow felt like they could understand what Kyle meant.

When a layer of resentment and indiscriminate hatred between countries is peeled off, what lies beyond is a man who has never expressed resentment for the injustice. Lost his voice, was placed in the Knights of the enemy country, and now suddenly brought into this forest.

At that moment, some people were very ashamed of his kindness.

It was the first time they felt like they were facing a man named Ian, not a prince of Rox.

The next day was the fourth search.

Ian, who is now quite used to the expedition, took the lead with Claude that day as well. He cut off the leg of the derivative he found after advancing for a while, followed by hitting his neck. It was no different from the last battle, except that the tail was abnormally long, making it difficult to approach it.

But isn’t this the place where we’ve already searched?

After cutting off the tail of the last derivative, Ian tilted his head to the question that suddenly came to his mind.

Come to think of it, I remembered that everyone around here packed to move to the place on the day Shyu disappeared.

Except for the first day when the entire search party returned with injuries, there was no sign of a particular battle. Even though they went around in five groups for a few days, no one came back with even a slight injury.

But now they encounter derivatives almost every day.

As if they’re gathering here…

“What’s the matter?”

Claude approached Ian, who stopped moving, thinking it was strange. He returned after checking the condition of the other members, and the injured were separated on one side. Ian thought about asking, but soon he changed his mind. He was an opponent who would have gone through this expedition dozens more times than he did. If it was a strange situation, he would have taken action immediately.

“……”

Shaking his head, his eyes followed.

Come to think of it, he didn’t see Logan again today. Ian pursed his lips as Logan had not returned to the campsite for several days already. It was clear that Claude had read his face, but he said nothing.

The light greenish eyes moved as if they were broken.

“You seem to be looking elsewhere.”

Elsewhere?

“Until now, he moved according to you, Ian… but originally, the Grand Duke did not travel with the Knights.”

“…….”

That was even weirder.

The fact that he doesn’t move with the Knights in this dangerous forest all around means he has been alone.

Ian couldn’t know because he had never seen him fight, but no matter how powerful he was, he was still weak in the end. Even if you can handle the derivative alone, getting sick in the middle was a separate issue.

Claude had a carefree expression, even though he himself didn’t know it. At some point, Ian, who was inferring a power struggle that did not even exist, felt a tingle in his back.

It doesn’t feel anything.

It doesn’t even smell.

But this feeling of being with someone else, he has felt this before.