Berserk: The Prophet

“But…” Edward looked at Hickel, his eyes filled with complex emotions, a mixture of helplessness, confusion and resentment.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, the words seemingly already on the tip of his tongue, but in the end he only let out a heavy sigh, a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of a thousand pounds.

“Hickel, perhaps we are all helpless in this torrent of fate,” Edward said slowly, his voice low and hoarse, as if it had lost its luster with the passage of time.

“Edward, no matter what the future holds, I only hope that our desire to protect this place will not change.” Hickel’s voice was gentle yet full of strength.

“No, Hickel, this country, this world, it’s all rotten to the core.” Edward casually toyed with the pebble in his hand, the rough stone turning between his slender fingers.

His sharp eyes revealed a deep weariness. He was tired of the intrigue and backstabbing among the nobles, as if he had already seen through all the ugliness of the world.

As the head of the Halvorsen family, he had been mingling in aristocratic circles for far too long. The so-called nobles were nothing but a bunch of opportunists who would do anything for personal gain. They were a group of parasites who had long since devoured this impoverished country, leaving only an empty shell.

Due to the influence of the Grand Duke and Fulda, he was often ostracized by the old-fashioned members of the Grant native religion within this circle.

Religious beliefs are completely irrelevant; they're merely a means for those in power to win back the hearts and minds of the people.

He had never seen any miracles in his life, except for that guy, Gurenberudo, who had inhuman abilities.

Hickel looked at Edward in disbelief. "How can you say that? Have all our efforts been in vain?"

Edward gave a bitter smile. "What we've done is just a drop in the ocean. Those in power are insatiably greedy, the common people are suffering terribly, and war, disease, poverty, and hunger are everywhere. In this country where countless people die every day, how many can we possibly save?"

"Honestly, I've never believed I have the ability to change the world."

Hickel fell silent, knowing that Edward's words weren't entirely without merit. But after a moment, her eyes hardened again. "That's precisely why we must try so hard. Even if we can only illuminate a small patch of darkness, it's worth it."

Edward shook his head. "You're still so naive. But it's precisely this naivety that attracts me."

As he spoke, he stepped forward and approached Hickel. "Perhaps you are right. Since we cannot change the whole world, let's start with what's around us."

"...It starts with changing our destiny."

Hickel looked up slightly at Edward, who was so close to her, and her heart began to race involuntarily.

Edward gazed at Hickel, his eyes deep and burning, and gently touched her face. Even after the years and the trials of war, the girl's skin remained eternally soft, and this was the first time he had touched her so boldly since they had grown up.

Hickel felt a wave of panic, a sense of helplessness and disorientation. Yet, his wildly beating heart seemed to foreshadow that some emotion was about to break through the barriers of fate and burst forth—the forgotten and buried naivety of his childhood and adolescence.

"...Don't do this." Those light blue eyes dared not look directly into Edward's only golden, sharp eye, which was filled with burning emotions.

She certainly hadn't forgotten what Edward had said to her that night...

But... she's already engaged, and that boy who's faded from her memory always seems to cause trouble for Edward when she's not around.

Edward did not withdraw his hand because of Hickel's words. His voice trembled slightly: "Hickel, do you know? Actually, I have kept this feeling in my heart for a long time."

Hickel's face grew increasingly hot; sometimes, fair skin wasn't a good thing, and even the blush creeping up her ears didn't escape Edward's notice. She murmured, "Edward, this isn't the time to talk about this."

“No, right now.” Edward’s tone was firm. “In this chaotic world, only my feelings for you feel real.”

Seeing Edward like this, Heechul was in turmoil, feeling like a boiled shrimp, her head spinning. Ever since what happened, she had never dared to hope for love, and even Heechul herself had overheard the whispers among the soldiers of the Dragon's Nest.

At first, she would pretend not to hear, then, to her dismay, she would hide away and cry silently.

Although she stopped crying after a while, she still felt ashamed and indignant. She didn't want to argue with those men about such things!

Is this man before her... someone she can entrust her life to? Perhaps, no one understands this man better than she does.

Edward looked at Hickel's watery blue eyes, which were looking at him with a blank and uneasy expression, as if she were scrutinizing him or testing him, as if she were confirming her own feelings in her heart.

So, it turns out Hicker can also show this expression in front of me...

The two drew closer and closer, as if testing each other little by little. Edward saw no sign of resistance on Hickel's face.

thump...thump...

A strong heartbeat pounded faster and faster in Edward's chest. Similarly, he could feel Hickel's increasingly tense heartbeat and pulse in his hand.

He gently cupped Hickel's face in his hands and kissed him.

Hickel's eyes widened at first, then slowly closed, her body trembling slightly involuntarily, and her helpless hands naturally touched Edward's chest.

...The kiss was gentle, yet it seemed to carry endless affection.

After a long while, Edward released Hickel, and the two looked at each other, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

Hickel's face turned even redder, while Edward took a deep breath, his heart pounding as if he had just done something extremely important.

“Hickel, no matter what the future holds, I will stay by your side. As for the marriage arranged by the Grand Duke, I will find a way to make him rescind his decree,” Edward said solemnly.

Hickel nodded slightly, about to reply, when suddenly the sound of hooves approached. The two separated alertly and turned to see a group of knights under the Grand Duke's command galloping towards them. The lead knight shouted, "Your Highness Edward, His Majesty the King urgently summons you back to the palace!"

I wonder what the Grand Duke is up to this time...

Edward frowned and looked at Hickel. Hickel forced a smile: "Go quickly. If the plan hasn't changed, we'll meet at the hotel in town."

"...Okay, you must wait for me!"

Edward gritted his teeth, mounted his horse, and gave Hecker one last, deep look before riding off with the knights, raising a cloud of dust. Hecker was left standing there, gazing into the distance, his heart filled with worry and anticipation.

...For some reason, this farewell was nothing out of the ordinary compared to the usual ones, but why did I suddenly feel a sense of emptiness in my heart?

Hickel touched the gemstone necklace Edward had given her a few days ago, hoping that her unfounded worries were just her imagination.

.........

On the other side, in the deep forest outside Naurudkahuati.

Green and Abain traveled together, but without the help of horses, even Abain, who was familiar with the mountain roads, would take two days to reach the "Dragon's Nest".

Without food, it was obviously impossible to proceed, and Green couldn't just conjure food out of thin air, so he had no choice but to follow Abain to his hunter's hut to get some food before setting off.

The two walked along the winding path, the only sound the rustling of leaves in the wind. Abain occasionally used his hunting knife to cut through the bushes and weeds that were blocking their path, while Green vigilantly observed their surroundings.

Finally, they arrived at the hunter's cabin, which was a simple but well-maintained wooden house with a small courtyard built of round stones of similar size. The gaps between the stones were reinforced with a binder made of yellow mud and wood fibers, forming a wall that was about waist-high to an adult.

Aba Ying pushed open the wooden door of the hut, and a musty smell of pine wood wafted out. Just as Aba Ying was rummaging through the hut for dry rations, a deep roar suddenly came from outside.