Chapter 17: Struggles

It was almost nighttime, and the sun was shedding its last strand of light for the day. Thankfully Franswift and his team had set up their camp, tents, and fire before it got dark.

Off to the side of the camp, Franswift and Bylun were talking.

“So, she basically doesn’t attack?” Franswift asked.

“I would say she more likely doesn’t go for the kill. She parries and inflicts small injuries. I wouldn’t say she is bad. The problem is she seems capable of attacking but doesn’t,” Bylun answered.

“Any idea why?”

“I have got no idea. I know nothing of her to assume anything.”

Franswift rubbed his temples. I shouldn’t have stayed silent when they elected me.

He asked, “What do you think we should do?”

And the answer Franswift didn’t want the most was said. “You should go talk to her.”

“Courtesy of me being the leader?”

Bylun smiled. “So, you know.”

“Don’t have high expectations for the results.” Franswift left and returned to the campsite.

When he focused his attention back on the camp, he saw Erica shouting and arguing with Crnobog.

“Why the hell did you finish it? At least answer me properly.” Erica yelled while Crnobog was standing without answering back. Although he wore a mask, it was quite evident that he was annoyed by the tapping of his fingers on his crossed arm.

What is it now?

Franswift turned to Arlin, who was standing to the side, and asked, “What is going on?”

Arlin looked at Franswift, amused, and said, “Apparently, Crnobog finished most of the water.”

“The drinkable?”

“No, it was water they found in a nearby lake that they carried over.”

“So what’s the problem?”

Arlin’s mouth curved into a smile. “Well, Erica found that Crnobog almost finished all the water, and when she asked him, all he said was ‘cleanness’.”

Franswift rubbed his eyes and turned around without asking any more questions and let them be. On the other hand, Arlin turned to stare at Erica and Crnobog as the smile on his mouth grew.

Franswift sat beside the fire warming his body from the cold of the night. Currently, it was his turn to guard the camp with Rina while the others slept. He would be lying if he said he didn’t arrange this particular schedule with Bylun.

He and Bylun had talked and had decided that someone was supposed to talk to Rina. She could potentially cause harm to the whole group if she continued with her actions. And it fell upon him to manage this, considering he was apparently the “leader”.

Looking at her petite body trying to warm up beside the fire, he did not know what to say. Talking to people and admonishing them to obtain a positive result wasn’t something he could do, and it was not something he ever did. He grumbled internally and approached Rina.

“Is this your first time in the forest?”

Rina was puzzled at the sudden question. Still, she turned to face Franswift, whose face was a mix of awkwardness and frustration. She answered, “Yes, I, in fact, have never been this far outside the city. I didn’t expect my first time outside would be like this, though.”

“We can’t control many things,” Franswift said as he sighed. “My first time is very memorable, to say the least. I almost died from a snake and only realized I ran away to the city when I was inside my house. Regretted my foolishness very much after that, and I hope very much you do not end the same.”

Rina frowned and asked, “Is this a simple wish, or are you thinking I am doing something foolish?”

Franswift said, “I think you are about to. Earlier, Bylun got injured more than necessary because you were hesitating and did not attack back. You were only parrying and defending, with, a sword.”

“And so, you decided to come and criticize me. May I know what experience you will bestow on me? Do you know anything about me to even do that?” Rina was more aggressive and sarcastic than the impression Franswift had of her.

“That’s right, I don’t and can’t fathom anything you do, and don’t want to. All I need to grasp is that what you do will eventually kill someone. And you know that.”

The girl lowered her head down with conflicting emotions clearly appearing on her face. She said, “It is not that I mean to. It is just, I never killed anything before, and I don’t want to kill.”

Franswift wanted to lash out but held himself and said, “I don’t know what your expectations were coming here acting like this. If you don’t slay those beasts, they will kill you. What do you think will happen to our team if you continue like this?”

Seeing the girl almost borrowing her head into her chest Franswift’s anger practically went through his head. How do these people live? If she were in the slums, she would have been...

A faint voice came from under Rina’s breath. “It is not I don’t understand. I am trying to do the best I could do, so I block and parry whenever I can.”

Franswift calmed down by the sudden words, and he raised his head stolidly to watch the night sky. Even unfairness is not the same for everyone. He couldn’t muster any angry anymore, just helplessness. Had he not tried his best to get out of the slums. Where would he have been If Wilhelm didn’t save him? He couldn’t accuse someone who tried his hardest, even if the circumstances weren’t the same. If you think about it reversely, Rina coming to the training and actively fighting was the utmost courage she could express, not that he would agree it was sufficient.

“Rina.” She raised her head at the serene voice that called her out and saw a look filled with exhaustion and pain.

“From when I was born, I experienced an absolutely fundamental truth; the result of weakness is death, pure plain death. This is the simple truth that I live by till now. Thus, I can only tell you this; if you don’t want to see any of us die, if you don’t want to see your brother die, if you yourself don’t want to die. Then don’t show weakness; otherwise, I assure you, regret.”

Franswift stood up to switch with Bylun as planned. He didn’t know if his way of undertaking this was right. Maybe he should have consoled the girl, perhaps it would have been more effective. But coming from the slum, he found it hard to sympathize with her. He didn’t find it in his heart to even talk to her, but his mind told him he needed to, so he optioned the best way he could do it, simply telling the truth.