Ch#41
“……You want the war to last longer. I’m not sure I’ve understood your meaning correctly.”
Kasha spoke slowly.
He looked displeased. Edward suppressed the rising tension and replied.
“You heard me correctly. And the purpose is exactly what you’re thinking.”
“Have you gone mad for money? You want to drag out the war just to rake in more profit?”
“It’s because I’m planning something that requires that much money.”
Edward thought to himself.
How much should he reveal, and how much should he hide?
Where was the line that would build trust without provoking Kasha’s temper?
The words he eventually uttered were these:
“I’m developing the next generation of weapons.”
“……Next generation?”
“The successor to the matchlock.”
Kasha’s expression crumpled into a fierce scowl.
It was understandable. After all, wasn’t it Edward’s bolt-action rifle that had shattered his knee?
How could he possibly react positively to the news that Edward was aiming for the next step beyond that?
‘But…….’
Even so, if he hid this information, the negotiation wouldn’t progress.
Edward kept his tongue moving busily.
“If you intervene, our war will end too quickly. I’m hoping this war continues for about three more years. We need that much time for weapon development, field testing, and final adjustments, don’t we? But if we enter a total war, that won’t be possible.”
Currently, the West was a powder keg on the verge of exploding.
With the disappearance of Kasha, who had protected the smaller factions, four kingdoms had fallen. Following that, six of the 7 Strongest were concentrating their forces on their respective fronts.
The moment any one of them moved, it would be a bloodbath.
There would be no negotiations.
Edward himself boasted of his friendship with Flame Demon Igret and Demon King Zerdia, but given the conflicting interests between nations, if they stepped onto the battlefield, they would fight until one side was dead.
In such a situation, for Kasha to take a side…
“I’m not asking you to help Armin. I just want you to enjoy your convalescence a bit longer.”
Edward thought this was a gamble worth taking.
‘He seems like a devoted husband.’
The way Kasha’s killing intent flared the moment his wife was mentioned, and the way he had been acting like a gentle lamb in front of her before that, made it a plausible deduction.
‘So now…….’
Time to seal the deal.
He didn’t intend to ask for a favor for nothing.
Though he wasn’t sure if the other man would accept.
“Let’s think of it as a negotiation. I’m thinking of giving you some shares in our company.”
Kasha’s fingertips twitched.
Edward was secretly surprised.
‘Is it working?’
This was somewhat unexpected.
The Kasha Edward knew was a man who didn’t have much greed for money.
It was often said that his only reason for siding with the now-fallen four kingdoms was his desire to die.
Even when the nations possessing the 7 Strongest promised him vast wealth and status to recruit him into their forces, he had rejected those demands to the end.
What was the reason he was wavering now……?
“How much?”
“1%. I can’t give much. My friendly shares are at a precarious level.”
“Must the beneficiary be me?”
Ah, so that was it.
Edward’s eyes gleamed.
‘Definitely a devoted husband.’
“Well, I can transfer them wherever you like. You really do love your wife……”
“Geumgong.”
Tap. Kasha’s fingertip struck the table.
But the impact was not as dainty as the sound.
“Gack……!”
Edward gasped as he felt a sensation like his throat was being ripped out.
It wasn’t physical.
‘Killing intent……!’
Kasha had stretched his extremely honed killing intent into a thread and wound it around Edward’s throat.
It was a feat only he could perform.
“St…… op……!”
“You’re getting too bold. I don’t find your habit of acting like you know everything very pleasant.”
“Guh……!”
Edward suddenly felt it was unfair.
Wasn’t he the one who brought up his wife first?
He had merely played along; why did he have to suffer this violence?
When Edward looked at Kasha with pleading eyes, the man finally withdrew his killing intent.
Kasha was letting out a low groan, his face contorted as if he were wrestling with some concern.
“That……”
“Is that the end of your business?”
“Pretty much……?”
Polite words tumbled out of Edward’s mouth instinctively.
As expected, being alone in a room with the Sword Demon Kasha was a bone-chilling experience.
After calming his breathing, Edward spoke to him.
“……You can take your time to think about it. It doesn’t look like you’re planning to move immediately anyway.”
There was no rush.
Coming all this way was strictly to confirm Kasha’s intentions firsthand.
Furthermore, the Kasha he saw in person seemed quite satisfied playing house with his wife, even smiling.
‘He doesn’t seem to have any intention of returning to the West for now.’
Therefore, it would be best to maintain a favorable stance by supporting his domestic life a little more.
Kasha let out a long sigh and then turned his gaze toward Edward.
It was that characteristically sharp look.
“……As you said, it doesn’t seem like something I need to answer right away. I’ll give this matter more thought.”
Having said that, Kasha stood up from his seat.
“And.”
Shiver—
Goosebumps erupted down Edward’s spine.
Killing intent constricted his body once again.
“I’m saying this just as a precaution. I would appreciate it if you didn’t take an interest in my wife. It would be very unpleasant if more people found out about this.”
The intent behind his words was quite clear.
Edward forced a smile and said,
“If that’s what you want, I can handle the silencing process on a national scale. I told you I didn’t come here to fight, didn’t I?”
“Please do not provoke me. You know, don’t you?”
“That our elder has very little patience?”
“I’m glad you understand.”
Only then did Kasha give a thin smile.
Since he was naturally a handsome man, the easy smile gave him a kind impression.
If it weren’t for the killing intent, that’s certainly how it would have felt.
“Someone is waiting for me, so I’ll be going. Today’s meeting was unpleasant. I hope we don’t have to meet again if possible.”
“Oh, I’m sure you do.”
“I’m leaving.”
Click!
Kasha stepped out of the room.
Only then did Edward completely relax and sink into the sofa.
“Hwaaaaaaaa!”
I thought I was going to die.
He had been certain Kasha wouldn’t cause trouble as long as he was hiding his identity, but still…….
“Our elder really has a hell of a personality.”
Edward chuckled.
What this meeting had confirmed was that even if he was hiding his identity, Kasha was still Kasha.
And there was the good news that he wouldn’t be moving immediately.
Edward thought briefly about Kasha’s wife.
‘His wife must have committed many sins in her past life. No, is she blessed? To have a man like that bowing down to her.’
Well, it wasn’t something to think deeply about right now.
Edward shook his head and pressed the bell.
“Did you call?”
The one who entered was the attendant who had previously escorted Elric and Tiria.
Although he was acting as a flight attendant, he was Edward’s direct executive secretary.
Edward said with a grin,
“Bring me some fresh underwear.”
“……?”
“Change of underwear. Panties. I mean panties.”
Edward pointed to his lower body with his hand.
“I pissed myself.”
It was soaking wet.
His body hadn’t been able to withstand Kasha’s killing intent.
The executive secretary looked at him with eyes suddenly filled with contempt.
“Incontinence at thirty-three?”
“Look who the opponent was.”
“Can I resign?”
“No.”
“I want to go on vacation.”
“I don’t want you to. You’ll just run away.”
The secretary’s face crumpled.
Edward said with his usual smiling face,
“Hurry up and bring them.”
The secretary’s fist clenched tight.
‘I wavered.’
The moment Edward Wight told him not to return to the battlefield, his heart was shaken so much that he surprised even himself.
Elric was freshly shocked by that fact.
‘I don’t want to leave?’
Did he want to stay in Wibin?
Well, it was his hometown, so perhaps it was natural. It wasn’t that he disliked this kind of peace.
Even though he reached that answer, Elric didn’t feel entirely relieved.
The thought that there might be another reason kept bothering him.
Elric was swept up in confusion.
Click—
When he returned to the seat and opened the door, Tiria was coming to her senses.
Or rather, she didn’t look all that well, perhaps due to the motion sickness.
She was looking at Elric reproachfully.
“……Where have you been?”
“I was just checking in since they said the accident had been cleared up.”
“Did you not say there would be no terrorism?”
At those words, a laugh escaped his throat.
It was a sensation as if all the various thoughts that had been confusing his head until a moment ago were being erased.
“It seems I spoke too hastily. I’m sorry. But it’s a relief that it was resolved well, isn’t it?”
She was stiffening her body with an air of extreme wariness.
Elric sat in the seat next to her with an awkward smile.
“It looks like we’ll arrive in three hours.”
“We shall use a carriage when we return.”
“Um, is that necessary?”
“…….”
The resentment in Tiria’s eyes deepened.
He also saw fear.
For some reason, she looked quite dainty to him, so Elric fell into a strange sentiment.
At the same time, the words he spoke were these:
“I understand. Let’s take our time and go by carriage on the way back.”
“An excellent choice.”
Tiria closed her eyes tightly.
She tried to feign composure now, but it was too late.
Elric had seen too many of her new sides.
His gaze followed her.
What came to mind again was Edward Wight’s proposal.
‘……Later.’
He would think about it later.
It wasn’t a matter he could ponder and give an answer to right now.
Elric buried himself in the backrest, with the feeling of stuffiness not yet fully gone.
Then he fell into a light sleep, and when he woke up again, the panoramic view of the capital was already visible outside the window.
The Wife Waited in the Wheat Field (Serialized)
