TAVBZ 40

Chapter 40

“The new people.”

“…What?”

“I think we should be careful.”

“……”

“I mean… we still don’t know much about them.”

The moment I saw his face freeze, I realized I wouldn’t be able to convince him without solid proof.

“It’s not like being careful ever hurts anyone.”

My voice trailed off awkwardly at the end.

I’d only brought it up because I thought we’d built up at least a little trust lately — we hadn’t had any misunderstandings or conflicts in a while. But judging from his expression now, that had clearly been a mistake.

“So what exactly are you saying we should be careful about?”

His voice was cold.

“…I just don’t think they came here with purely good intentions.”

I swallowed down my frustration at his interrogative tone and only shook my head.

Honestly, I couldn’t understand the protagonists sometimes.

Even a half-hearted “let’s just be cautious” would’ve been fine — why did they trust newcomers so blindly?

“I hope it’s just me worrying too much, but… I think they might cause us harm.”

“I don’t understand what kind of harm you’re talking about all of a sudden.”

Heresthen sighed faintly and turned his head away.

“They didn’t come here with good intentions? These people fled here just to survive. What other intention could they possibly have?”

“Well… maybe Lord Retten sent them to steal food.”

“Have you even looked at them? The weapons they brought?”

“……”

His lips tightened slightly.

“Just one glance and you can tell they’re not raiders. They’re people who’ve spent their lives working — in trades, on farms.”

And he wasn’t wrong. The newcomers didn’t look like skilled fighters or organized thieves at all.

“They were probably farmers or merchants — people who were starving and desperate enough to grab whatever weapon they could find before climbing up to this fortress. And that ‘weapon’ was nothing more than an old, rusted knife.”

Once again, I couldn’t argue.

“So what are you saying now? That Lord Retten sent them to steal food?”

Heresthen shook his head firmly.

The contempt and irritation that had been absent from his face for some time now returned in full force.

“I’m starting to wonder what your intentions are, saying things like this. Stop meddling in everyone’s business and worry about yourself.”

“Ah…”

His words came out like he was spitting them, and a meaningless sigh slipped from my lips.

Was that really something to get that angry about?

Sure, I didn’t have evidence — maybe I was being too hasty — but still…

…I hadn’t expected to make him angry.

A flood of thoughts passed through my mind in that brief silence.

Did I sound flippant?

Did it seem like I was ignoring the newcomers’ suffering?

Or maybe I came off as arrogant, speaking about things I’d never experienced?

I thought I’d been careful with my words, but apparently not enough.

I didn’t know exactly how Heresthen took what I said, but clearly, he thought I’d gone too far.

“…That wasn’t what I meant. I think I worded it wrong. I’m sorry.”

I apologized before he could make a bigger issue of it.

“It’s just… suddenly there are so many strangers around. I guess it made me uneasy.”

It had been for everyone’s sake, but it still stung that he didn’t see it that way. Then again, maybe I really had been too naïve.

“I think I was just… anxious.”

The image of his contemptuous face flashed in my mind again.

I’d been relying on him too much.

I’d forgotten how much he disliked me — how much he still disliked me.

“Haa…”

Heresthen sighed in frustration.

To him, I was still the ominous crow perched in the field — the kind that drew suspicion with every flap of its wings.

“But everyone else seems fine with it. Doesn’t that seem strange to you? That’s why I’m even more uneasy.”

Just when it felt like our relationship had started to thaw a little, it fell apart again.

“I wasn’t saying we should harass them or anything.”

After a moment of silence, Heresthen finally nodded slightly, as if to say he understood.

“…Alright.”

It sounded like he wasn’t going to press the issue any further.

Once I was sure his anger had settled a bit, I finally stopped studying his face so nervously.

I replayed my words in my head again.

What exactly did I say that made him so angry?

I could only guess — maybe he thought I was accusing the newcomers directly, or that I planned to mistreat them.

Either way, it looked like I’d have to be much more careful from now on.

“We should go back inside,” Heresthen said, breaking the silence.

“I’ll stay a little longer. You go ahead.”

But he just stood there, unmoving.

Only after some time passed did he sigh irritably and finally turn to leave.

“Penelope.”

When I lifted my head at the sound of my name, I saw Idorian approaching with a few people behind him.

“They said they want to help.”

“Ah, okay.”

He glanced between me and Lumi, then gestured toward the people behind him.

“This is Miguel and John. They used to be farmers, so I’m sure they’ll be useful.”

He studied my expression carefully.

‘I’ll keep an eye on things, so you just accept the newcomers.’

It seemed he’d brought them here hoping I’d get along with them.

“Alright.”

I gave a brief reply and greeted Miguel and John with a polite nod.

“When the potato plants grow a little taller, you should mound some soil up around the stems.”

Miguel and John made a few small comments like that and then began inspecting our field attentively.

“Why’s that?” Lumi asked, crouching beside Miguel.

“If the potatoes are exposed to sunlight, they turn green. We do this to prevent that.”

“How often should we do it?”

“Hmm, just by eye… maybe every two weeks or so. Right, John?”

All eyes turned to John, who awkwardly nodded between Heresthen and Idorian.

Why are they all here?

I glanced at Heresthen and Idorian standing nearby, doing nothing but watching.

Idorian seemed to be there to make sure I got along with the outsiders — and Heresthen… probably for the same reason.

There was no other reason for them to suddenly show so much interest in the fields they’d ignored until now.

“Don’t overwater the potatoes. Corn, on the other hand, needs a lot.”

In the end, I crouched beside Miguel too, nodding diligently like Lumi.

“…And basil, especially — you need to watch for pests. It’s best to cut off the flower stalks.”

I kept nodding at Miguel’s words, but the shadow cast over my face didn’t move — meaning they were still standing there.

What more do they want me to do to ‘get along’ with people?

Unable to withstand the pressure any longer, I forced a smile and spoke to Miguel.

“Thanks for checking everything. I feel much better now.”

“Ah—no, not at all.”

He waved his hands quickly, flustered.

“It’s nothing, really.”

His face showed a flicker of embarrassment and guilt.

“……”

Apparently, being praised while planning to steal food felt awkward.

If that’s how he feels, maybe he shouldn’t steal at all, I thought bitterly, but quickly smoothed my expression and smiled again.

“If it weren’t for Miguel, these crops might’ve all died.”

“…They would’ve grown fine without me. It’s not a big deal.”

Still aware of Heresthen and Idorian’s eyes on us, I forced another friendly smile.

Surely that was enough effort to show I was being civil — but no.

“Let’s help out and get this done faster.”

Before I knew it, the two of them were crouching down beside me, insisting on pulling weeds together.

What on earth do they want from me?