陶醉的妻子

It was noon when finally Erend, Billy, and all the volunteers finished cleaning the graves.

They all then went towards a large building in the middle of the cemetery.

It was a building without walls. Only pillars stand in a row supporting the roof.

Previously there was a statue of a soldier standing in the middle.

The soldier statue is a symbol of the courage of all the soldiers who died and were buried here. But now, the only part that still standing is only its legs.

Its upper body had disappeared somewhere. It may be swept away by a storm or accidentally destroyed by ignorant children.

The symbol is now just left there. Become a monument about the worthless struggle for the citizens they defend.

Anya turned out to be one of the people who took part in cooking the meals prepared here.

She gave some cookies that she said she cooked herself to Erend and Billy.

And of course, they were both grateful for the opportunity to enjoy these delicious cookies.

Erend and Billy have also become closer to the volunteers.

They consist of people who live in city areas, not in Slum areas.

The people in the Slum are too busy to work so they can have something to eat.

Or caring for their relatives who are immobile because of illness.

It's rare for them to be free and go out to tend to the graves of their sons, or husbands.

The people of this city, people who have more prosperous lives, also know about the conditions of people in the Slum.

But they can't possibly raise their standard of living just like that.

So they did what they could. Clear the graves of those who have fought to protect them.

"How did you guys survive this far?" A teenager named James asked curiously.

"Sorry. This might sound rude. But I heard those Elves can use Magic?"

"That's right," Billy replied, tossing a cookie into his mouth. "They can indeed use Magic, and ride Unicorns."

James' eyes widened. "A Unicorn?!"

Billy nodded proudly. Like an uncle who proudly shares his life experiences with his young nephew.

"You must have read some fantasy novels, right? Fighting against them is almost like getting into a fantasy novel," Billy added.

James' eyes lit up even wider.

Anya shook her head at James' behavior.

They were classmates who both thought volunteering was a good idea.

"James is a little weird," Anya said.

Erend snorted and smiled a little. "Billy will still answer his questions."

Anya turned to Erend. Her gaze was a little doubtful. But Erend immediately caught her gaze.

"What?" Erend asked.

"Actually... I'm also curious. How does it feel to be on the battlefield with that fantasy creature," Anya said.

"B-But, I know that's not a pleasant thing to discuss. After all, you lost a lot of friends there."

"It's alright," Erend said flatly. "After a while, we've learned that there's no point in being sad all the time."

Anya stared at Erend silently.

"If we keep thinking about bad things, we might go crazy," Erend continued. "What you think you know about our lives isn't much. It's actually worse than that."

Then Erend turned to Anya. "I thought you were a nice and smart girl. So you better not know. That way you can live your teenage years peacefully."

Then Erend smiled. But to Anya, that smile contained a pain that seemed to explain more than the words he spoke.

Anya was taken aback. She didn't know what to say.

Was it true that life outside the walls was much worse than she knew?

Is there really anything worse than being forced to fight and die against their will?

If that were true, Anya didn't know what to think and feel about her own country.

Then Erend stood up and said to Billy. "Hey, we have to go."

Billy, who was having a fun conversation with James, turned his head. Then he nodded curtly.

"I think that's enough for now, boy," Billy said to James.

James looked disappointed but he didn't stop Billy.

"Well, it can't be helped. I actually still want to hear the story about that hot Elf princess," James said.

Billy's eyes widened. He glanced at Erend. Turns out, Erend was looking at him intently.

"W-Well, I don't know if we should talk about that topic again. Hehe..." Billy laughed awkwardly.

Erend and Billy thank all the volunteers who are still enjoying their lunch. Then they said goodbye to them.

They drove back into their official SUV. To go to the Slump, they must pass through several districts.

The towering buildings as if almost clawing at the sky is a sight that stretches as far as the eye can see.

Everything looks good in urban areas. Vehicles ridden by men in suits or rich youths roamed the streets.

It felt so foreign to Erend and Billy. That was because they only used to see the sights of the dead, wars, and palaces filled with Elves staring at them with scornful eyes.

A few minutes later they could finally see the entrance to the Slum area.

A Slum area where the lower class people live. The scenery in this area was very different from what they saw in the city.

The Slum area and the city area are bordered by a rusty iron fence crowned with barbed wire.

A feature that signaled that they were about to enter a gloomy corner of the country.

Two officers were smoking at their post. The two officers were soldiers in the military who had made a mistake and were placed there as punishment.

Billy stopped the car in front of them and opened the windshield.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," Billy said with a big smile.

The two guards looked annoyed with Billy's behavior.

Previously, they used to insult and mock the two of them and all the soldiers who came out of Slum.

Because maybe that's the only entertainment they can get.

But now, the two guards couldn't do that anymore.

Do they want to insult two people who are considered their nation's heroes?

What's more, Erend and Billy's rank was higher than theirs.

~~~