This Hero is Sleeping!
Chapter 76 75: Freedom (2)

The plodding of the horses' feet did not fade deep into the night. A single spell dimly lighting the path up ahead, the three of them dashed away from the city.

Until the sounds of swords faded, the light of the lamps disappeared, and the fear of being caught dulled.

The trod of Erika's horse came to a gradual halt as her body lost strength. Noticing it, even Claude slowed himself down and looked back, the orb of light moving with his gaze.

"What—" Claude swallowed his words when he saw Erika's eyes trembling while she stared at the ground.

"Haa… well we're far enough. And Elric looks like he's going to hit the hay on your back, so let's stop here."

Claude quickly got off the horse and tied his up next to a tree. Ropes and other items already hung on its saddle were more help then he could convey. Erika, on the other hand, did not move at all. Even her horse was shimmying around to encourage her to get off, but that could just be attributed to the discomfort a sleepy Elric brought.

Claude sighed again and wordlessly yanked them both by their legs, making them fall on the ground.

"OW!"

"Bastard!"

And ignored them, tying the second horse as well. With a sigh, he checked the bags on both horses. Rations, some matches and tinder, a lamp and some fuel, creams and ointments and a potion to boot, a map and other necessities.

"Elric, set up a fire. We're going to sleep in the woods."

"HOME!"

"I'll slap you."

Claude sighed and left them behind to scout the perimeter once, the group have settled slightly deeper into the path didn't have to worry much about others coming here, but monsters could always be a problem.

He took a quick look for hundred steps in every direction and then returned back to Elric, his eyes having searched for signs of animals and monsters alike, skills he had desperately picked up in the Mystic Forest but could never verify due to its always changing terrain.

When Claude reached back, he found a small fire and Elric ripping the skin out of a small rabbit. The horses watching neighed and looked away in front of the gruesome display of butchering while Erika sat alone on a rock, her eyes still staring into the void.

A sigh left him as he too the rabbit from Elric's hands and skinned it himself.

"Where did you get this?"

"Running around."

That wasn't a great sign. It seemed the tricks he had picked up were flawed after all.

Claude brought out the rations from the bags tied to the horses along with some condiments and sticks for skewering. He cut up the rabbit's meat and placed them on stick before leaving them near the fire for a neat roast.

He looked at Erika again and handed out the jerky to everyone.

Erika, absentmindedly, took it from his hands.

It was getting rather awkward.

So awkward he could even see the horses sweating.

"Guess we're going to be living on the run again, Elric," he said. It was an attempt to tell Erika that they're going to stick together for a while, but it only back-fired.

Erika looked at Claude with slight shock in her eyes and bit her lips.

The memory of the conversation she had with him on the veranda of the hotel clear in her mind. 'I want to keep a roof on our heads and food on our plates,' was what he had said, but now she had made them wanted criminals again.

"Wait, why?"

Of course, life wasn't so kind to leave things at that. Or, Elric, wasn't so kind.

"Why do we have to live on the road again? It feels homely, yes, but no beds?"

"I am sorry…" Erika squealed. "It's all because of me…"

"It is!?" Elric asked.

"Did you fucking leave your brain back there?!"

"No wait," Elric sighed. "If it's her fault, shouldn't we hand her back? Hey, Erika, let's go back."

"Yes…" Erika nodded. "You don't have to suffer because of me…"

"God damn it, Elric. I was already having trouble with a gloomy person, did you have to make her sob too?"

Elric looked down at Erika once, tears streaming down her face. He sighed and sat back down, nibbling into his meat. The single jerky was enough to fill him up and the rabbit meat was probably just overkill.

They continued eating in silence for a while.

"I should really go back—"

"No one's going back. Elric was kidding, right?"

"Uh, um… yup."

Erika sniffled and tried to stop herself from crying, but it didn't work as silent tears kept dripping down her cheeks.

Claude didn't know how to approach such subjects, and Elric cared too little to ask her.

In the end, the sulky Erika had to continue the conversation.

"Why… why are you two helping me? Didn't you want revenge… why would you…"

"Who said we're not gonna have it?"

Claude bit into the roasted rabbit and asked.

Erika looked up at him, confused. Then, she smiled. "Yeah, you should leave me be then."

"Tsk. What a difficult person."

Claude complained, not knowing he was the one that barely communicated.

"I said just enough to not get consumed, remember? My revenge is secondary against you bugs, but I'll have it nonetheless." His gaze turned toward the sky.

Yet today, the sky was pretty.

Didn't seem like that bad a day.

"Why would I not help you? Maybe not in the beginning, but I don't dislike you, Erika. Neither does Elric. We can help you a bunch of times and still have our revenge, who says we can't?"

Elric silently nodded at his words, his actions bold and loud enough.

Erika felt her chest pound at her.

"I wanted to be free from all these since the beginning…"

Her tears grew faster.

Her voice louder yet weaker.

The faces of the people that she had clung onto for the last two years drifted in her mind over and over.

"I am sorry…"

She dropped the meat from her hand and fell on her knees.

"I am sorry for not saying anything back then… I am sorry for letting you be accused back then… I'll not bother you… I'll go my own way… I am sorry…. I am so sorry—"

"Man, so fucking insincere."

Elric's words cut her own like a blade.

Both Claude and Erika turned too face Elric.

"Help you once and you apologize to Claude. Convenient, isn't it?"

"I… that… wasn't my…"

"And then you're even going to shirk responsibility for getting us on the streets by running away on your own. What a bitch."

Erika bit her lips, more tears streaming down.

Claude wondered if he should say something, but honestly, he agreed with Elric. He didn't see any reason to stop him from speaking just to not hurt someone else's feelings.

"Wouldn't it be better to just come with us for now…" Elric muttered, turning his gaze away. "And then you can apologize properly once you make it up to him. Maybe then Claude will forgive you…"

Erika looked at Elric again.

"Him too," Claude said. "You owe him an apology too, more than you owe me. If he says so, it might not be that bad an idea to just tag along. Your friend also sent a map along where we could go next."

Erika fell on her back.

"I… I can… come along…?"

The two of them glanced at each other, and then nodded.

Erika broke into tears again.

"Thank you… I am sorry… thank you…"

The two boys sighed again.

Communication still seemed like a far off deal for them.

It truly wasn't that bad a day.