Chapter 146: CASE: Gwen

“Hold on a second, Lutz!”

Gwen shouted and left the chief’s house with Lutz’s head under his arm.

“It hurts!.”

Ignoring Lutz’s somewhat carefree complaint, Gwen responded with a slightly skilled look of confusion mixed with a glare.

“Why the heck did you say something like that at that timing? It sounded like… me and Melty were, well… quite close…”

His words faltered towards the end.

“Yes, that’s right. I suggested it because from an outsider’s perspective, there seemed to be a good atmosphere. So, I thought, why not suggest getting married?”

“Are you some meddling old relative hag?”

Gwen was flustered, while Lutz looked at him with an eerie calmness. Gwen was becoming anxious about what was going on in his mind.

“Imagine Gwen-san attending Melty-san’s wedding. Or perhaps a scene where that chubby pudding is being embraced by another man. If that doesn’t make you feel anything, then my actions might just be a misunderstanding and meddling after all.”

“…You’re a disgusting person.”

Not only did it not sit well, it made him feel terrible. If she were to be cradling a baby and smiling gently, he should be the one next to her. He realized this clearly.

“Hey, Lutz, were you the kind of guy who pried into other people’s love lives and marriages?”

“I admit it’s out of character. Nonetheless, I must say that Gwen-san’s position is precarious.”

“Precarious?”

What’s he talking about, Gwen thought, looking puzzled.

“Melty-san prioritizes the survival of the village above all else. If it were suggested that a chief should be married for the sake of clan unity, she might compromise and marry another man, even if just a little.”

“Hmm…”

It was a plausible scenario. While Melty had a strong personality, she sometimes exhibited a self-sacrificing spirit when it came to the village.

“Gwen-san, you lack a sense of crisis.”

Speaking with a grave tone as if he were a prophet, Lutz continued. Though Gwen had never faltered on the battlefield, at this moment he felt somewhat overwhelmed. Lutz’s way of speaking was so uncanny.

“It’s not the time to leisurely think, ‘I hope we can have a pleasant chat and become friends when we meet again.’ If you miss this chance, next time, Melty-san might be carrying another man’s child, and a stranger might be putting his arm around her. It’s entirely possible.”

“Mmmmmmm…”

“Gwen-san, the relationship between a man and a woman, it’s something that can snap if you miss the timing.”

“What’s with all this talk? You’ve been sounding rather experienced from earlier. Based on personal experience?”

“It’s not so much based on personal experience, but rather avoiding a problem.”

“Tell me. It’s not like you’re telling me to get married just because you’re telling me this, but could you give me a little push?”

It was his friend’s earnest wish; he couldn’t refuse it.

Lutz began to talk about a story that happened about a year and a half ago. Claudia had been captured by the rogue knights, and in order to save her, Lutz had given up a sword valued at about a hundred gold coins. As Lutz spoke, he felt a rush of nostalgia, yet thinking about what might have happened if he had just watched without intervening sent a shiver down his spine.

“There are a few things I want to confirm…”

Gwen said, organizing the information he had heard in his head.

“Back then, you and Claudia weren’t a couple and weren’t even dating, right?”

“We hadn’t even held hands. I just had a bit of a lustful thought towards the woman I was making a deal with.”

“And your position at the time was not only far from being a nobleman’s retainer, you were just a common blacksmith living outside the castle walls. In other words, you were a poor person.”

“Gwen-san, you’re saying things too bluntly. I won’t deny it, but…”

“And on top of that, the sword you gave away to those rogue knights is the one Ricardo has now.”

“It wasn’t enchanted with magic back then, though.”

Gwen rubbed his chin and gazed into the air. He still couldn’t fully comprehend Lutz’s actions.

“Given the situation, didn’t it cross your mind to indulge in luxuries and seek new encounters with the money you got from selling the sword? The value of a hundred gold coins in your current stable situation is different from a hundred gold coins dangled in front of a poor person.”

“Honestly, I agonized over it. I thought the rogue knights might not do something too terrible, that she might be released normally without me having to do anything. As I was contemplating that, I suddenly realized something. I’m currently in a position where I don’t want to spend money, but I want to act like a good person. And that’s when it hit me.”

“It’s shameful, but…” Lutz mumbled, then continued.

“From there, I thought it over calmly. I figured that I would regret it if Claudia couldn’t be saved. Also, since I don’t have any connections with nobles or wealthy merchants, I wouldn’t be able to sell the sword anyway. And it pissed me off that those damn rogue knights would have a good time. I’m not saying I’d let them go as far as saying ‘If I save Claudia, will she let me sleep with her,’ but I thought maybe I could at least get away with patting her butt.”

“You suddenly became vulgar.”

“That’s how it is, right? Inside a man’s head.”

“No doubt. After all, in the end, you saved Claudia after agonizing over it. The process might be questionable, but the result is commendable.”

“Thanks.”

I didn’t intend to bring this up, but I’ve thought many times about what would have happened if I had abandoned Claudia at that time.

After the deadline for paying the bail passed, confirming my status as a criminal, Claudia’s voluptuous body would have been toyed with by those rogue knights. Eventually, she would be sent as a comfort woman to the mining slaves, and a few months later, we would hear rumors of her gruesome death.

Lutz would drown in loneliness, regret, and guilt, indulging in alcohol while spending more and more time staring at Tsubaki’s blade. Eventually, he might impulsively cut his own throat and die alone, without anyone finding him. The worst possible outcome.

At that moment, it was truly fortunate that he mustered the courage to move forward.

“I’ve embarrassed myself for quite a while, but basically what I want to say is, if you miss the opportune moment, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

“That’s right. The girl I’m interested in specifically brought up the topic of marriage. Maybe I’ll volunteer myself for the position.”

“Sounds good. That’s the spirit. I can’t say for sure if she’ll accept, though.”

“After hyping me up like that, you’re now saying something like that!”

Saying this with laughter, the two of them headed towards the chief’s house.

“I’d like to tell myself from a year ago, ‘Get ready to hear a blacksmith from the kingdom talk about marriage.”

“But before believing it or not, you wouldn’t understand the meaning.”

“Seriously, life is unpredictable.”

Gwen scratched his head and mumbled with a slightly embarrassed expression.

“It’s not really that strange for me to fall for a woman.”

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