Berserk: The Prophet

.........

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Green returned to his and Guts' tent. He saw Guts lying on the straw mat, still unconscious, with numerous wounds all over his body. Even though he had fainted, his eyebrows were still furrowed. He must have been badly injured. Seeing Guts like this, Green felt a little sorry for him. After all, they were brothers by blood. So that's how Guts got the injury on his nose.

He walked to the edge of the straw mat, scooped up a cup of water from the river, and gulped it down. People these days don't care about hygiene; they rarely even take a bath.

Fortunately, Green had already boiled the water in a pot, but since he didn't have a container to hold the hot water, he had to bring the pot in instead.

As for why he drank boiled water? It was because he always got diarrhea whenever he drank river water. After Sis left, their lives were so miserable that they couldn't take care of themselves. He didn't know if it was because he was destined to be a lone star. Later, the families of the mercenaries also died one after another, either from war, disease, or being abandoned and starving to death in the wilderness.

It wasn't completely dark outside yet. He couldn't sleep, and there was nothing else to do. Guts was injured, and he couldn't just leave him to bathe in the river. He lay on the grass mat and stared at the ceiling for a while. Guts next to him was breathing with his mouth open. He seemed to be in pain and his breathing was a little rapid. His face also had an abnormal flush.

Green sat up and checked on him, noticing that he was sweating profusely and that Guts' face was burning hot.

He had a fever, and Green's pupils contracted. He quickly ran out of the tent to fetch another bucket of water.

"Hey, where are you going so late, Green?"

"Don't go too far, or your brother will be heartbroken if a wolf carries you away, hahaha."

"Ha ha ha ha..."

"......"

It's so hot...so hot...my face feels like it's on fire...

...blood was pooling deep in the nose...

My head feels so heavy...

The discomfort made Gus slowly open his eyes. He was covered in sweat and his head was spinning.

...unable to breathe...

The feeling of suffocation made Gus extremely uncomfortable, and his mouth was incredibly dry.

The two mercenaries, who had just finished eating, happened to pass by the two children's tent. Since Green was not there and Guts was unconscious, the two men's conversation was completely undisguised.

"...How long do you intend to leave them both here?"

“!” Gus listened silently.

"Do you know where those two brats were picked up...?"

"Oh dear...they are little devils born from corpses!"

"Especially for those of us who risk our lives..."

"This is very bad luck! Misfortune is about to befall us!"

"Wasn't Sissi's death from the Black Death also because of those two brats?"

“!!” Guts broke out in a cold sweat, a sense of powerlessness washing over him. Looking at the sword on the box, he turned over and tried to reach for it in his arms.

"..."

"What are you talking about?"

Green returned after fetching water. Because he was worried about Gus's condition, he only fetched one bucket of water, so he rushed back quickly.

Seeing two strangers loitering in front of the tent, I naturally asked them a question.

"Uh...it's nothing, nothing, I just happened to be passing by."

"Yes, you should go and see if your brother is feeling any better."

"Yes, let's go." The two walked away arm in arm.

"You two little devils, stay away, lest you get tainted by their bad luck..." the two whispered as they walked away.

“…” Green silently carried the freshly fetched water into the tent. As for those rumors, he had heard them since birth and was no longer surprised.

Just as I put the bucket down, I saw Guts reaching for his sword and quickly went over to him.

"Gus, why aren't you lying down properly? The ground is cold."

"Are you going to take a sword?"

Green went over and carried Guts back onto the straw mat. Seeing Guts staring longingly at the sword on the wooden box as if he wanted to take it, Green thought to himself, "Really, is he still worried about whether the sword is broken at a time like this?" But metal was quite cool in this weather, so Green reluctantly handed him the sword.

"Here you go. You have a fever and so many wounds. Don't move around too much. Do you want some water?"

Guts took the sword and hugged it to his chest. He must have had a sore throat. Guts opened his eyes and nodded wearily.

Green ladled a cup of boiled water for Guts, placed the sword beside him, and helped him sit up to feed him the water. Guts raised his hands, held the cup with both hands, and drank the whole cup of water down his throat.

"Now that you're awake, eat something. Even though it's a bit cold, eating something will help you recover faster."

"Hmm..." Gus's voice sounded a little hoarse.

Green brought over the meat and soup. By this time, everyone had extinguished the campfires used for cooking and it was almost time to rest, so they could only make do with what they had to eat.

Seeing that Gus didn't seem to have much of an appetite or energy to eat, Green quickly washed his hands and tore the meat into strips, mixing them into the soup.

"Eat up, then cover yourself with the blanket and sweat it out all night." Green handed the broth to Guts, preparing to feed him.

“I can do it, Green.” Gus took the bowl of broth, looking more energetic than before, and his voice wasn’t as hoarse.

Seeing that Guts had eaten, Green told Guts to lie down and rest. Guts hugged his sword and fell asleep quickly, but his face was still very hot and he looked very uncomfortable. Green took a wet towel, soaked it in cool water, and repeatedly applied it to Guts' face and forehead. Guts fell into a deep sleep when his fever had almost subsided.

In his dream, Guts seemed to be dreaming of Siss, and he slept soundly under Green's care, a rare occurrence.

...............

Green wasn't so lucky. Due to physical and mental exhaustion, he lacked the mental strength to enter the trial realm and dreamed of his childhood self.

A tall man walked towards me with a beer bottle in his hand and grabbed my small frame with one hand.

"all because of you!"

"duang!"

The man kicked Little Green in the butt, sending him flying from the coffee table to the doorway, a considerable distance away.

Helpless little Green was three years old and still couldn't speak very well. He could only lie on the ground and cry. He didn't understand why the man in front of him, whom he called his father, was hitting him. He hadn't done anything. He had just quietly waited for the man to finish eating so he could have a few bites of leftovers. Green, who had been kicked down, couldn't even stand up. He could only look at the man in front of him in fear and beg him to let him go.

"Snapped!!"

"Ah!! Waaaaah..."

The man wasn't satisfied. He smashed a beer bottle into Green's back. Green grimaced in pain and could only curl up at the door, clutching his head. He couldn't even reach the doorknob to run out.

"What are you crying for? Your mother died and you even brought death to your grandmother! You jinx! I'll be cursed to death by you sooner or later!! You're such a bad luck charm!"

The man kicked several times in a row, his furious roars echoing throughout the entire floor.

"Deng deng deng"

A series of footsteps approached and knocked on the door.

"...Open the door!! Why are you hitting the child again...!!" A familiar voice rang out.

Green was curled up and trembling violently. After their brief conversation, Green was grabbed by the back of his neck by the man's large hand and thrown to the ground. His hands were cut by the broken glass, and blood was slowly flowing out. His back also hurt badly, as if it was bleeding.

Green was too young to withstand such force with his hands, and a large piece of glass shard cut his forehead, leaving a scar that, though shallow, is still there.

In his dream, Green suddenly woke up just as he was about to smash into that large shard of the bottle bottom!

"!!!"

The moment Green opened his eyes, his pupils contracted sharply, and his body trembled almost imperceptibly before he fully woke up.

My forehead was covered in cold sweat; it was indeed a close call no matter when I think about it.

My maternal grandmother had just passed away, and I had only been living with my father for a short time. Fortunately, my aunt arrived and took me to the hospital when I was unconscious; otherwise, I might never have woken up again.

Green rolled over and lay flat, covering his eyes with his arms. He opened his mouth to catch his breath; his heart was pounding, and his forehead was covered in sweat. He needed to calm down.

I don't know if it's because my body is that of a child, but tears inexplicably rolled down my cheeks, and I had some difficulty breathing.

That useless man only complains about life and beats himself; he doesn't deserve to be a father at all!

Gus beside him turned over, seemingly about to wake up. Footsteps could be heard outside; it was getting light.

Green wiped his tears hastily with his arm and got up to get dressed. Guts also woke up groggily, but his spirits were much better. He had almost recovered overnight. He was really tough.

"Were you taking care of me last night?" Gus walked up to Green and asked him groggily.

"Hmm." Because he hadn't slept well the night before, Green responded absentmindedly.

Gus felt a little downcast, as if he had just remembered what the two soldiers had said in front of the tent the night before.

"Thank you for your hard work. Honestly, I'm the older brother, but I still have to trouble you to take care of me all the time." Guts finished dressing and awkwardly patted Green's head.

"It's okay, we've always been brothers."

"Brothers are supposed to take care of each other, aren't they?"

Green leisurely sat down on the grass mat, put on his boots, and checked his weapons as usual.

Looking at Green's solid muscles, which were clearly much stronger than his own and learned much faster, he felt a little awkward. It seemed that he still wasn't working hard enough! He clenched his little fists in front of his chest.

"Let's go, Green! Let's go for a morning workout together!!"

Full of energy, Guts grabbed the greatsword from the bed, pulled Green along, and ran outside.

"Hey! Slow down, Gus?!"

Still reeling from the sadness of waking up, Green was pulled by the hand and rushed out of the tent, running across the fields as if he had forgotten those unpleasant memories.

As dawn broke and the sun rose as usual, two boys ran across the fields, laughing and playing, through the woods and across the river.

Everything was made more fulfilling by each other's company, and added some bright fun to what was originally a difficult life.