Berserk: The Prophet

"The food is ready. I'm going to deliver it to Gambino. Do you want to come with me?" Guts scooped out the broth from the jar. Surprisingly, he didn't insist that Green come along.

Green was somewhat surprised; he had expected Gus to use his usual commanding tone as the eldest brother to forcefully drag him along.

But Guts didn't, which suggests that a lot happened while he was away.

Green hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, I'll go with you."

After all, if he didn't go, people might have something to say about them, since they were still father and son in name only.

Along the way, Gus carried a wooden bowl filled with broth, his steps heavy, with Green silently following behind him.

“You must have heard about Gambino’s broken leg, right?” Guts muttered to himself as he walked ahead. “His personality is even worse than before. He loves to drink, and he’s already spent half of the commissions he earned at the risk of his life.”

Green was silent for a moment before speaking, "Losing his leg must have been a big blow to him."

Gus nodded with a wry smile. "Yes, someone who used to be so proud is now just stuck in that little tent being taken care of."

"..." Green couldn't express what he was thinking, after all, making a living in this field meant being prepared to die or become crippled.

Soon, they arrived at Gambino's residence.

Gus gently pushed open the door, and the room reeked of alcohol. Gambino was lying on a tattered bed board; the tent contained only worn-out mattresses and a stove with a few burning charcoal pieces for warmth.

Gambino, reeking of alcohol, watched Guts and Green enter. When he saw Green, his eyes widened in surprise for a moment, then turned to disdain.

"Oh, you're still alive? And without missing any limbs? Did you come back to laugh at me?" Gambino mocked.

Gus placed the broth on the table. "Your brother just got back from Grant's near-death experience, don't say things like that. This is broth I made for you. The doctor said you'll be able to walk around in a few days."

Gambino snorted coldly, "Who cares?"

Green: "......"

Such depression leads to inexplicable outbursts of anger, and the reckless exploitation of those closest to them.

This Gambino reminded him of the man from his past life, who was also prone to beatings and scoldings, and was full of anger, incompetence, and bitterness, with only negative emotions controlling his body.

What's the difference between someone like that and a mad dog?

Green pressed his lips together, which brought back unpleasant memories; he had no interest in calling him 'father' again.

Is this the kind of life Guts lives? Staying in one place with such a suffocating man...

Green suppressed his disgust and looked at Gambino, trying to keep his tone calm: "Gambino, no matter what you think, Guts and I still care about you. We hope you can cheer up and stop being so depressed."

Gan Binuo sneered, "What? You've been taken out for a walk and you can't even call me 'Father' anymore? What I do is none of your business!"

"Stop pretending. Aren't you two just trying to take advantage of my disability now that you're crippled, hoping to divide up my things and run far away?"

Gus frowned. "Gambino, how could you say that? We never thought that way. Green finally came back, and we all just want the family to be alright."

Gambino, however, was unmoved. He struggled to sit up in bed, grabbed the wine jug from the table, and threw it at Guts's head. "Family? Don't be ridiculous! You two are nothing but my two dogs!!"

Gus instinctively dodged to the side, the flask grazed his shoulder and flew past, hitting the tent with a "bang," splashing liquor everywhere.

Upon seeing this, Green's anger flared up instantly. He could no longer suppress his loathing for Gambino, especially since he now completely overlapped with that man.

Green stepped forward, grabbed Gambino by the collar, and half-lifted him off the bed, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at Gambino.

"You've gone too far! Who do you think you are? You're nothing but a worthless piece of trash who's willing to degenerate!"

Gambino was startled by Green's actions. His eyes widened in disbelief that Green would dare to lay a hand on him.

"That's absolutely true, you treat us like dogs!!"

"Over the years, apart from Xisi treating us like human beings, have you ever had even a shred of sincerity towards us? When you betrayed us, did you ever think about the fact that you raised us?"

...sell?

Guss hadn't expected Green to suddenly get angry, so he quickly stepped forward to stop him, saying, "Green, don't be impulsive!"

...Xisi.

"...How dare you! You dare mention that woman's name in front of me!?" The veins on Gambino's forehead bulged, and with a crisp sound, his large hand slapped Green's left cheek hard.

Green was immediately slapped to the ground, his left cheek swollen and his eyes bloodshot, yet he still glared angrily at Gambino.

"Betrayed you? Hmph, what right do you have to accuse me? If it weren't for me, would either of you have survived until now?!"

"In this chaotic world, who doesn't think of themselves? You two little brats are just a burden to me. Selling you can at least get some money for drinks!"

Guts' eyes widened in shock and disappointment as he heard Gambino confess to betraying them. "Gambino, we always thought of you as... how could you..."

"Hmph, remember this: even if I, Gambino, die, I saved your lives. They're mine! I can take them back whenever I want!! Don't think I can't do it just because I'm missing a leg! You two ungrateful dogs!!"

Green slowly got up from the ground, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and the anger in his eyes did not diminish at all. His mind and thoughts were not like Gus's, who was really only ten years old!

Now that everything is out in the open, it doesn't matter if we're completely estranged!

"You say we are ungrateful? You treat us like objects to be disposed of at will, so what kindness or gratitude do you have? From the moment you betrayed us, we have nothing to do with each other anymore."

Guts stood to the side, his expression complicated, looking at Gambino as if he had never known him before.

“Gambino, I have always respected you. Even after you lost your leg, I took care of you with all my heart. Yet you treated me and my brother like this…”

"When did I ask you to take care of me? Every time I tell you to get lost, you come crawling to my feet like a leech! Get out of here! I don't want to see you two jinxes again, get out now!!" Ganbino was furious and picked up the meat soup and other odds and ends on the table and threw them at the two of them.

For a moment, the entire tent was filled with clanging and banging noises.

Guts also pulled Green out of Gambino's tent. Just as Green was about to curse Gambino for being a scoundrel, he noticed Guts's dejected mood.

Looking at Gus like this, Green's anger dissipated somewhat, replaced by worry.

"Brother, don't take it too hard. He's a bastard. All he thinks about is how to use the two of us to make money."

Gus was silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "For so many years, I always thought that as long as I tried, he would change. But I never expected that he would betray us and see us like this."

As he spoke, Gus's eyes reddened.

When he heard with his own ears that Gambino had not only betrayed him but also his brother, he was confused and didn't know what to do.

Green patted Gus on the shoulder. "It's okay. We won't need him anymore. We can survive on our own."

"When I was adventuring outside, I formed a caravan with my friends and we could earn several gold coins every month. We won't have to do such dangerous work anymore, and we can live a peaceful life."

Guss looked up at Green, his eyes flashing with a complex light, a mixture of anticipation for the future and anxiety about the unknown.

It turns out that his younger brother, who was out of his sight, had already made such a name for himself in the outside world.

The two returned to the tent where they had lived together as children. There was enough food left in the pot for them to share. No matter what happened, filling their stomachs was always the most important thing.

"Green, do you really think we can leave here and live a peaceful life?"

“Of course,” Green said confidently.

As long as he doesn't get involved with that blue-eyed, silver-haired curly guy, he has plenty of confidence to give Guts a good life.