By Zephyria =======
Wolf cast his gaze downward. The chill remained where Silver’s fingertips had touched. That coldness, bordering on a sharp pain, soon spread throughout his entire body. It was as if he had been tapped by an Ice Fairy’s magic wand. From the top of his head to the tips of his toes, every corner of his body was being eroded… Huh?
In that brief moment, Silver had already sprawled out on the straw. Both Black Weasel and Silver looked poised to fall asleep immediately. Wolf hurriedly reached out toward Silver.
“Excuse me…!”
“No beds. Sleep right there.”
Silver pulled the blanket up to his chest and closed his eyes. A duet followed: Zzz. Snore.
Wolf and Red Eagle remained motionless, clutching their blankets. They’re just… going to sleep without feeding us? Aren’t you two a bit too heartless?
They were guards whose only merit was their exceptional skill; beyond that, it was impossible to find a single redeeming quality. Resigned, Wolf spread his blanket over the straw.
“Prince, we should sleep too.”
“Um, Wolf. If I try waking them up and ask for a meal…”
“They are barbarians. If you wake them, they’ll only fly into a rage at you, Prince.”
As Wolf lay down and covered himself with the blanket, Red Eagle lay down as well with a reluctant expression. He closed his eyes, but sleep would not come. He was hungry, and for some reason, he couldn’t stop thinking about Silver lying right next to him. He wondered if Silver was sleeping deeply after a hard day’s work, and what he looked like while asleep.
…….
…….
It wouldn’t hurt to take a little peek, right?
Wolf cautiously turned onto his side. Silver’s peacefully sleeping face was right before his eyes. Up close, he was even prettier.
Wow, how is his skin this good? His hair is a mess, but his skin looks like a noblewoman who bathes every day in a tub filled with rose petals. To think someone who looks like this is an assassin’s slave… Gah!
His heart nearly stopped. Silver had suddenly opened his eyes and was looking at Wolf. Those Alice-blue eyes stared right at him. Goosebumps erupted across Wolf’s arms, like the sensation of a fingertip being minutely sliced by a blade. He had been caught peeking. If he’d known, he would have just squinted… No, now is not the time for regrets. Damage control!
Wolf’s thoughts raced at a frantic speed. What do I do? What else, keep my mouth shut and press my cheek against the straw. No, that won’t work, I have to fix this. I’m too embarrassed to bear it! I have to do something…!
Like a savior, the image of the boarding house cat, ‘Noongama,’ popped into his head. The cat got its name because of its habit of sleeping with its eyes open. Fine, I’ll try this!
Pretending to be fast asleep, Wolf began to snore, concentrating all his strength into his eyelids. To prevent any unsightly accidents, he pinched his thigh painfully. If his pupils rolled, it was over. If he blinked, it was truly, completely over. It would be more natural if he stuck his tongue out slightly like Noongama… but he absolutely couldn’t bring himself to do that. I want to close my eyes! I shouldn’t, but I want to! Silver, could you please just snap at me and throw a punch? There’s no need to hesitate… Oh, no!
Wolf’s left eyelid flickered shut, like a door with a broken hinge flopping onto the floor. Immediately after, the right eyelid collapsed as well, like a temple with shattered pillars. Wolf gave up on everything and waited for Silver’s fist.
Silence.
No matter how long he waited, it remained quiet. Wolf cautiously opened his eyes a sliver. Silver was simply expressionless. Though his eyes were open, he had the strange impression of wandering through a dreamland. He was even snoring softly. If he just stuck his tongue out, he’d be exactly like a deep-sleeping Noongama. Does Silver… have a habit of sleeping with his eyes open?
Eventually, Silver’s eyelids slid shut. The Alice-blue hue vanished like a lamp being extinguished.
Silver didn’t open his eyes for a long time. Only then did Wolf let out a breath. His entire body was drenched in a cold sweat. Not wanting to make a mistake twice, he squeezed his eyes shut and counted sheep in his head. One sheep, two sheep… forty-eight sheep… By the way, once this job is successfully finished, it’ll be the end for me and Silver, right?
Wolf would return to Atania, and Silver would continue his blood-soaked adventures with Black Weasel. It didn’t seem like Black Weasel would let Silver go easily. When Black Weasel mentioned ‘using him as an assistant while working,’ Wolf had inwardly wondered, What kind of assistant? but after traveling with them for a day, he understood perfectly.
If Silver hadn’t been there during today’s journey, Black Weasel would never have made it this far. It was thanks to Silver keeping watch and helping row the ferry that they were now trying to sleep in front of a warm fireplace. Contract killing was not a job that only required skill in killing people.
His consciousness gradually began to fade. Did Black Weasel and Silver create this hideout together? Silver must have struggled a lot… I wonder if he wants to run away… What, I’m thinking about Silver again… Why do I keep…
He felt suspicious of himself for being so obsessively immersed in thoughts of Silver. Even in his half-asleep state, Wolf posed a question: ‘What is it that I want to do with Silver?’
The scene that came to mind was… a field in full bloom with wildflowers. Wolf is lying in the field with Silver, looking up at the blue sky. They are separated by about a hand’s breadth.
He felt elated, and his chest felt ticklish. The scent of irises swirled on the wind. Silver looked at Wolf and smiled brightly. Wolf smiled brightly too.
Beautiful.
Just like this, forever…
Wolf’s consciousness cut off.
* * *
「3! 3! 3!」
「Damn it, I lost again!」
「Since I won, I’m drinking this time too.」
What… my ears hurt…
The swarm of strange voices chased away his sleep. Wolf buried his face deep in the straw, scowling intensely. I hate foreign languages… What’s that clinking sound… And this savory smell of meat… Meat? Meat!
Wolf’s eyes snapped open. He bolted upright and looked around frantically. Right next to him, Red Eagle was sitting blankly, staring intently at something. Where his gaze was fixed, there was a plate of steaming meat.
Food!
“Uwoooo…!”
Instinctively flailing his arms, Wolf lunged for the meat. A fist like a hammer slammed squarely onto the crown of his head.
「You brat! Where do you think you’re putting your snout, touching someone else’s drinking snacks! Do you know how hard I labored to get this loot!」
Black Weasel shouted in the Stohl language, waving a large fist in front of Wolf’s eyes. Red Eagle hurriedly grabbed Wolf’s shoulder.
“Wolf, is your head okay?”
“I’d be fine if you were. What time is it?”
“I don’t know, my pocket watch is broken. I woke up to those people’s voices. You were just sleeping soundly, not budging even while they were shouting.”
“What?”
Wolf stared at Black Weasel and Silver in disbelief and gasped. W-what on earth is this…?
The two guards’ faces were as red as if they had been smeared with blood. If the smell of alcohol hadn’t been pouring from their mouths, he would have mistaken them for having just returned from slaughtering a large group of pursuers. Moreover, Black Weasel and Silver were playing a game of dice.
Drinking and gambling in a crisis like this? Are you guys seriously okay with this?!
「6! 6! Silver, you’re bankrupt!」
「I let you win once. I’ve won seven times in a row.」
「Stop kidding me—!」
Wait, Uncle! Lower your voice!
Now that he looked, the drinking and gambling weren’t even the main problem. Black Weasel’s voice was so thunderous that Wolf feared it might leak outside the cave. Cold sweat beaded on Wolf’s temples. If you keep shouting like that, there was no point in setting traps in front of the cave, you crazy old man. More importantly, where did the alcohol come from?
The question was soon answered. Just in case, he looked again, and to his absurdity, the wooden barrels stacked against one wall were all liquor barrels. How could someone stock up on so much alcohol without bringing any drinking water? He’d suspected them since the time he couldn’t even remember Red Eagle’s name… these dim-witted fools!
There was only one optimistic conclusion he could draw from this situation. These guards must be top-tier contract killers, officially recognized in the Stohl underworld for their ability to easily take the heads of fifty people even while completely wasted. That must be why they were enjoying dice games and shouting without fear.
Right?
「2! 2! See, I won again!」
「Dammit!」
Black Weasel suffered a losing streak in the dice game. Silver gulped down the alcohol.
「5! 5! I won!」
「Why am I the only one losing!」
Wolf squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again. He focused his gaze and observed several times, but nothing changed. Clearly, Black Weasel couldn’t even throw the dice properly, his hands shaking violently. In that state, far from swinging an axe, he wouldn’t be able to walk a few steps without collapsing. Is it really okay to stay here, trusting these stupid drunks?
14 – Hell Execution Order