Berserk: The Prophet

The group strode to the canteen of the Fire Dragon's Nest. A wild boar they had caught that morning in the nearby forest had just been prepared and was perfect for their dinner. Time seemed to fly by whenever they started drinking.

Green and Bazso have been training their physical fitness for the past month, and Green naturally noticed them heading towards the cafeteria.

...Edward and General Kirsten are back.

I wonder if Edward has really thought about confessing his feelings to Hickel yet. Green decided to find out the latest news after finishing training with Bazzo early today.

After Green and Bazzo finished their training for the day, Green quickly wiped the sweat off his body and then called Bazzo to run to the cafeteria to get their meals.

Meanwhile, the mess hall had been booked by Gurenbelud and his men. General Kirsten was already quite drunk, and all the soldiers were having a meal and chatting around the campfire outside.

Even though Green and Bazzo finished their training early, they arrived a little later than the other soldiers, but the mess hall didn't skimp on their food because of that.

The two received a pheasant and some seasonal berries, including strawberries.

Just as the two finished collecting their food and were about to leave, they saw the heavily drunk Kirsten clinging to Gurunberudo. The nearly two-meter-tall old man was clinging to the two-and-a-half-meter-tall strong man like a child playing around.

"You're supposed to be my son, right? Why won't you call me 'Dad'?"

“General Kirsten, you’re drunk.” Gurunberudo remained as stern as ever, his face expressionless.

"You're so stubborn! Stop calling me General, call me Father!!" Kirsten, completely drunk, started to act silly.

It was the first time Green and Bazzo had ever seen Kirsten, this old man, act like a naughty child and throw a tantrum at Gurunberudo.

“But…” Gurunberdo said with some helplessness.

Green and Bazso chuckled to themselves; they had never seen General Kirsten so amusing.

"It seems the general is really too happy today," Baziso said in a low voice.

Green nodded. "Let's not bother them here."

The two quietly left the mess hall. The campfire outside illuminated the soldiers' joyful faces, and laughter and songs echoed in the night sky.

Seeing that General Kirsten was already very drunk, Heckler and Edward left, giving the two of them some time together.

After all, the time he spent alone with Gullenberudo after Kirsten got drunk was his happiest time.

Green and Bazzo found a quiet corner and enjoyed their dinner.

Green was curious about Edward and Hickel's progress. He chewed the tender and delicious pheasant quickly while keeping an eye on Edward and Hickel, who had just come out of the cafeteria.

My gossipy mind just won't stop. It's like when my roommate had a girl he liked and wanted to pursue her, everyone would turn into strategists to analyze his current relationship.

Edward, always perceptive, naturally noticed Green's undisguised gaze in a corner not far away. He glanced away for a moment, then decided to pretend he hadn't seen him.

He finally had some time alone with Hickel. As for what he had mentioned to Green last time, ever since he returned to the capital, Nowrudkahuati, he had been thinking about expressing his feelings to Hickel.

...I've rehearsed it in my mind countless times.

...but my heart rate still involuntarily became erratic.

Fortunately, having drunk two large glasses of ale, Hickel did not notice Green and Bazzo in the corner, and the two walked towards the city gate.

Seeing Edward's evasive behavior, Green became even more curious and almost couldn't resist rushing over to ask what was going on. However, he knew he couldn't just rush over like that. After Edward and Hecker had walked some distance away, Green tore off a piece of chicken and stuffed it into his mouth before handing the rest of the roast chicken to Bazso.

“Mud...wings, fertile...oil food.”

Taking advantage of his small size and inconspicuous appearance, Green secretly slipped away and followed the two men. Sure enough, the two men went to the city wall.

Green had a feeling that Edward must have something to say to Hickel today. After the two of them had been upstairs for a while, Green dawdled and pretended that nothing had happened before entering the city gate.

...It seemed the two had gone to the watchtower. Green crouched quietly on the stone steps below the watchtower, eavesdropping.

Heckler and Edward arrived at the watchtower on the city wall, just as night had completely enveloped the earth.

The entire Fire Dragon's Nest is surrounded by mountains on all sides, making the sky look like it's been framed.

The soldiers were drinking and making merry around a campfire in the open space of the fortress. They were the subordinates carefully trained by Gurenbelud, Heikell, and Edward.

The three of them loved standing on high ground overlooking the fortress. The tranquil evening breeze ruffled Hickel's long, silvery-white hair, and the fragrance emanating from it greatly improved Edward's mood.

"Hickel." Edward called out Hickel's name without any apparent reason. No... there was a reason, but his heart was beating so fast that he was afraid he wouldn't be able to speak properly if he didn't calm down.

They were childhood sweethearts before becoming Juda's captives, having grown up together since childhood, and their parents planned to arrange a marriage between them when they grew up.

However, everything came to nothing due to the interference of complex factors such as Juda's capture, Fulda's marriage, and joining the army.

"What's wrong?" Hikel asked casually, her fair skin and face flushed slightly from the smell of alcohol.

But to Edward, she was far too beautiful and captivating. His heart, which had finally calmed down, started racing again, and he could only clear his throat.

Normally, he could look at Hickel openly and honestly, but when they were alone together, he couldn't bring himself to meet Hickel's light blue eyes.

The words spoken that night echoed in my mind, along with the dialogue I had rehearsed hundreds of times.

Emboldened by the alcohol, Edward finally mustered up his courage and asked, "I remember, your birthday is coming up soon, isn't it?"

Having eavesdropped for half the day, Green only heard Edward say these two sentences and couldn't help but feel anxious for him, his fists clenching tightly.

Heechul was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and then he noticed that Edward was staring at him. When did his childhood friend start looking at him with such a serious expression?

"Yes, I didn't expect you to remember."

“Of course I remember.” Edward smiled, gently stroking the patterns on the stone bricks with his right hand, as if he had finally regained some of the courage to face Hickel.

“Before, I was busy with the battles at the Dragon's Nest and other chores, so I rarely had time to bring you back any interesting gifts.” Edward opened the cloth bag at his waist, revealing a silver necklace with a light blue gemstone set in it as a pendant. The gemstone was surrounded by gold ornaments made of elves and horns.

That horn, meaning "horn of the dragon slayer," represents the Duchy of Grant.

The tribal chiefs who slew the dragon became nobles, and the dragon-slaying warriors were honored as kings. To commemorate their ancestors' defeat of the evil dragon, the horn that summoned all the tribal warriors became the royal emblem of the Duchy of Grant.

The warriors who participated in slaying the dragon were allowed to drink the dragon's blood. Legend has it that those warriors who drank the dragon's blood woke up the next day and formed the so-called "Sea Bear Clan". They were strong and powerful, with an astonishingly tall stature and fiery red hair.

“This is as compensation for what happened before, and... a birthday present for this time.” He looked at Hickel quietly, his eyes full of tenderness.

Hickel was slightly taken aback, her light blue eyes widening in shock, as if she hadn't reacted at all. This was simply not the Edward she knew.

No, perhaps it should be said that she hadn't seen Edward like this for many years.

He... now seems to have overlapped with the young Edward with those sparkling eyes from before.

Hickel was momentarily lost in thought, remembering Edward, who had gotten his silk clothes dirty while picking fruit for him under the big tree in his hometown when he was a child, and he had the same smiling face now.