Chapter 122: Heat Without Flame

The banquet that started on the lawn as soon as the wedding ended didn’t stop even when night fell. While nobles moved to the banquet hall in the main building, Betas still remained on the lawn, eating and drinking.

Thanks to magic stoves placed everywhere, they didn’t even feel the cold.

“How much would something like this cost? Must be incredibly expensive, right?”

One-armed Neil murmured, placing a hand near the stove that was hot even without embers.

“Why talking nonsense instead of drinking?”

Hairy Michael managed to understand and asked back. His beard was already soaked with beer.

“Just, this stove looks very nice.”

Neil, who had acquired abnormal symptoms on the battlefield, answered with a gloomy face.

The explosions that tormented him from time to time had decreased quite a bit now. Perhaps thanks to the combat allowance securely kept in the bank. Since the anxiety tormenting him subsided a little.

Although his colleagues who took care of him devotedly in the riverside shantytown might feel disappointed if they heard this.

Still, it wasn’t like all his worries disappeared instantly, leaving only anticipation and happiness for the future.

Even if decreased, he still had seizures occasionally, which made it difficult to get a job at a factory.

Above all, what tormented him was the explosive sound of war reviving every time he saw flames.

So he couldn’t go to the pub where his colleagues played boisterously. Because a stew pot always hangs in the fireplace of the pub, and flames for boiling stew are bound to burn under it.

He couldn’t light a fire even in the small one-room house where he lived alone. This winter was bound to be exceptionally colder for Neil.

His colleagues, knowing well the fact that he has seizures when seeing flames, just kept silent.

For the wedding held outdoors, the Commander-in-Chief mobilized a considerable number of stoves, and those stoves boasted a splendid appearance like ornaments, not the crude look they knew well where sparks sometimes flew out.

Operated by gems, there were no flying sparks either.

If they were small, he might have tried to sneak one into his pocket. In reality, they were too big and heavy to put in a pocket, so he couldn’t even try.

Neil stared blankly at the stove, unable to hide his covetous face. John approached and sat beside such Neil. Holding a beer mug and food.

“It can’t even be compared to the beer drunk at Billy’s pub.”

At those words, Neil finally smiled and accepted the glass.

“You’re right. Can’t be compared.”

It had already been over 4 years since he drank beer at Billy’s pub, but he still couldn’t forget that intense taste in a bad way.

The Commander-in-Chief’s garden was wide, and although outdoors, it was rather cleaner than Billy’s pub. The taste of beer was incomparably excellent too.

Neil realized he was missing the bustling atmosphere of the pub, not the beer. Also that even if he goes to Billy’s pub now, he won’t be able to play thoughtlessly like back then.

“I’m not confident I’ll drink well like back then even if I go to Billy’s pub again.”

Neil chuckled. If asked when was good, of course, back then was good.

But if asked if he wants to go back to those days, he wasn’t confident to answer yes.

Physically, of course, back then was better, but even if he went back, his only choice was the path to the New Continent.

Neil didn’t have the courage to return to the point where he had no choice but to make the same choice knowing how it would end.

John nodded. As if knowing what Neil was thinking.

“It’s not that expensive.”

“What?”

“The stove.”

Actually, it wouldn’t have been difficult to notice Neil’s inner thoughts. Since his gaze never left the heated stove even once.

“That really sounds like a lie.”

“Well, the shell is expensive. But if it’s not a shell decorated heavily like this, it won’t be that expensive.”

“Huh?”

“You know the streetlights set up in the Beta residential area, right?”

“I know. Thanks to them, I don’t even need to turn on lights inside the house.”

He was now a person who calculated interest given by the bank every month and saved everything he could save.

“It’s amazing. That humans can create diamonds. Indeed, the Commander-in-Chief must not be the same human as us.”

Wasn’t it the Commander-in-Chief who created the bank where Betas can entrust money safely?

The account where Neil moved his combat allowance was also of that bank. Because everyone said there’s no worry of money being taken away if it’s there.

“It’s the same.”

“Huh?”

“That.”

John pointed at the stove with his chin.

“Artificially made diamonds are in there too.”

“Uh…”

How much spare fund do I have? Neil calculated the numbers quickly. This was also a change in him. Before, he shuddered just hearing the word numbers.

Even so, he couldn’t help it. Neil recalled the bank interest left unspent this month. The cold where white breath comes out mistily even inside the house was hard to endure. Especially since his body isn’t as sturdy as before.

“So don’t look up like it’s a pie in the sky. The price is affordable enough for us too if we want to buy.”

“You mean drinking beer is what remains for now?”

“Right.”

John raised his glass and waited. Neil chuckled and grabbed the beer mug in his right hand. Then clinked glasses with John and drank it all at once.

Kuh. An exclamation came out naturally as he swallowed the beer with a stinging taste alive. Only after putting the beer mug down on the floor did he have room to look around.

People were sitting around stoves scattered everywhere. Seeing him drinking beer, he saw guys sneaking toward him with their glasses.

Neil opened his mouth without realizing it. A song came to mind. The song for martial luck, once recited like a prayer.

The reason this song is still not forgotten even after losing many things was because he sang it that desperately.

Hoping to be alive tomorrow too, hoping to return home.

Now Betas who are not mercenaries also knew this song.

This song was the cry of survivors, and an earnest wish hoping for hope for tomorrow.

The song led by Neil soon began to flow from everyone’s mouths. Neil raised his voice with the expectation that he could sleep warmly tomorrow night.

This was also a congratulatory song for the two who had their wedding today. Unlike his colleagues who cheered all along, Neil could sincerely congratulate them only now. Although those two wouldn’t have the mind to listen to the song right now.

****

While Betas drank beer and sang songs on the lawn and nobles drank wine and danced in the banquet hall of the main building, Jay had entered Philius’s bedroom with him.

Although it is customary for the owners of the mansion to keep their seats until the banquet ends completely, just for today, any guest would tolerate the hosts vacating their seats. And wouldn’t look for where the house owners are.

“Ugh, mmm…”

Jay hung his arms around Philius’s neck leaning his back against the door. Moans leaked through colliding lips.

When he thought he had exchanged greetings with all the nobles present, Philius grabbed his hand and left the banquet hall. It was an attitude with too little caution to say they hid their bodies secretly.

Perhaps due to anxiety, his hand temperature was much lower than usual. Jay couldn’t help but laugh automatically.

Giggling while climbing stairs and running down the hallway reminded him of when he skipped class secretly and left school during high school days.

Although unlike the time when he wandered the park having nowhere particular to go and eventually entered a PC bang, the destination was set.

Kissing started as soon as they entered the bedroom. If asked if he disliked it, Jay had no choice but to shake his head.

The wedding is formal, and a child with him is already growing in his womb. Still, tonight was the first night.

The lilac scent that spread fully on the lawn had disappeared long ago. The scent of the forest pooled in the garden created right next door couldn’t enter through the tightly closed window.

Nevertheless, the room was filled with the scent of a forest where lilacs bloomed. It was because the pheromones Jay and Philius each released mixed as if they were a single scent.

Even though they hadn’t taken a single step from the door, their clothes were already messy. The buttons of the formal attire Jay chose were all unbuttoned, and the clothes were on the verge of slipping down.

He knew well that the wedding included the process of spending the night together. It wasn’t the first time spending the night, rather, it was to the extent he could say he got used to it.

Since a child is even growing in the womb, if he denies, the child in the womb might kick.

Although they didn’t go as far as insertion to walk properly today, just the day before, they ejaculated enough to be exhausted.

So there was nothing new, nothing urgent.

“Ah…!”

Yet when the hand entering through disheveled clothes touched bare skin directly, Jay vibrated his throat at the sensation rising to the top of his head.

“Surprised?”

Philius’s asking voice was already lowered significantly. Breathing sounded urgent too.

“That’s, not it…”

Jay put strength into his arms. Wishing the distance with Philius would become closer.

The belly, flat enough not to believe there is a child although slightly swollen than original, touched Philius’s body.

Jay inhaled.

Each other’s breath, the evidence of being alive, was conveyed intact.