The Cornflower Witch Chapter 98

Chapter 98

The Real Jero

“How did you get here?” Mick asked the two while sitting on a rock. Comia was currently bandaging Mick’s wound.

“What do you mean ‘how did we get here’? If it weren’t for Knight Kaelen’s arrow, you’d still be racing an Ogre right now,” Comia retorted.

“Alright, my bad, but you guys didn’t turn back after finding the spring, which wasn’t part of the original plan.” Among the five, Kaelen and Comia’s plan was to return once they found the spring.

“Well, we had to find you, didn’t we? It’s safer for everyone to stick together.” Comia tied off the bandage and then stood up straight.

“Phew, that’s it. Your external injury isn’t severe,” she assessed simply.

The three then exchanged information, and Mick followed the direction Comia and her companion had come from to fetch water from the spring.

“So, everyone’s first goal is complete. As for the second goal, one out of two is achieved,” Comia said, looking at the dead Ogre not far away.

“This one counts as Knight Kaelen’s. She contributed the most. Mick, you have no objections, right?”

“No objections,” Mick shook his head. If Kaelen hadn’t intervened, he probably would have been chased to death by that Ogre.

“What about the remaining time? Should we just head back, or should we look for Lia and Lei and the others?” Comia asked the two.

“I’m fine with either,” Kaelen said, indicating flexibility.

“I…” Mick was about to suggest that the two join him in avenging their fallen teammates, but he closed his mouth, considering the danger involved.

“I want to go find Big Brother Jero first. He’s hiding in a cave about two miles away,” Mick said.

“Since we have a clear direction, let’s go. Otherwise, it will be dark soon,” Comia patted her skirt, then gently stroked the ‘Dough’ beside her with one hand.

After making their decision, the three set off. With their companions back, they felt much safer and could take turns being vigilant, saving energy.

In the evening, they found Jero again. Jero had already regained consciousness, and he stood shamefacedly on the former battlefield, trying to dig out his teammates’ bodies from the ground. Unfortunately, those people had long been eaten by the Ogre, leaving no bones behind.

Night fell.

“I’m sorry, Mick.” By the bonfire, the man spoke despondently.

“It’s not your fault, Big Brother Jero, the Ogre was too strong.” He himself had almost died at the Ogre’s hand just now.

“No, it’s not that, it’s that I’m too weak.” Jero stared blankly at the bonfire, mumbling his reply.

“Are you curious why I used Sun-Dazzling Grass to numb myself?” He slowly began to reveal the pain and weaknesses he had kept hidden for years.

“I’m actually far less strong and resolute than you might think. I’ve wanted to quit being an adventurer all the time, but everyone relies on me. If I left, this adventure team would fall apart.”

“Brother…” Mick thought about how he, too, used to be like that, relying on Jero just like the other teammates.

“I’m very afraid, very afraid of death,” Jero murmured.

“You always think that people who have been through many battles will become brave, but I never thought so.”

“I just feel that the more life and death experiences you have, the more timid you become.”

“Many people have died. Some were my predecessors, some were my former teammates, and some were strangers I only met once.”

“The longer I’ve been an adventurer, the more I realize how fragile life is, how easy it is to die, and how meaningless death can be.”

“A seasoned snake catcher, due to a momentary lapse of carelessness, was bitten by a poisonous snake and died on the road before he could even drink an antidote. He had been in this line of work for decades.”

“Soon his name was forgotten, and if mentioned, it was only in jest, regarding his final moment of carelessness.”

“Before he died, he was the best snake catcher in several nearby villages, and the pride of his family.”

“After he died, his wife remarried within a year, and his children became dirty and neglected, completely different from their previous clean and healthy appearance.”

“I’ve also mentored several young teammates. They joined the adventure team, and after a short time, some hadn’t even earned back the money for their equipment before dying on a mission.”

“Death is too common, life is too fragile…” Jero repeated this phrase over and over, his eyes vacant.

“Every time before a mission, I want to hide in a room and use the numbing hallucinations from the Sun-Dazzling Grass to comfort myself. Only then can I find a little relaxation and solace.”

“Brother…” Mick gently patted the other’s back in comfort.

“I’ve always maintained a strong and resolute image in front of you all, because that way, everyone would trust me and listen to me.”

“No one cares about a coward’s words, and no one respects them. I’m very afraid of death during adventures, but I also crave your admiration, the revelry in the bar – those are truly wonderful things…” His voice held a trace of greed and infatuation.

“The girls in the bar all flocked around me. With just a glance, they would sit on my lap.”

“Mick, do you know how proud that felt? I was always the center of attention, everyone waited for my command. If I said we set off today, we set off today, and no one would say no.”

…

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, Mick.” Jero finished speaking and lowered his head.

“I’m not a good elder brother, just an ordinary person with limited ability and afraid of death.” His voice was exceptionally low.

By the fire, Kaelen silently added firewood, saying nothing. Comia curiously shifted her gaze back and forth between Jero and Mick, while the white Wolfdog lay beside her, its front paws resting on its nose, eyes fixed on the charred meat roasting over the fire.

After hearing Jero’s self-confession, Mick also fell silent. He felt guilty for not having cared about his elder brother before and had a sense of his beliefs collapsing.

Previously, he had always aspired to become a powerful adventurer, not only because the profession was respected and helped many people solve problems, but also because it brought in substantial rewards, far exceeding ordinary work.

In his mind, Jero was the best role model. He had pulled Mick out of the village inn where he had grown up, turning him into a true man, and even sent him to Scholar Hyde to study, completely changing his destiny.

“No, that’s not it.” Mick shook his head in refutation.

“Indeed, Big Brother Jero isn’t as brave and resolute as I once imagined, but I still respect you.”

“If it weren’t for you, I would probably still be doing odd jobs in that inn, living a humble life disrespected like my mother’s.” He mumbled, recalling his past.

“I never regretted coming out with you and joining the adventure team.”

“At first, I got hurt a lot, but that was because I wasn’t mature enough, not strong enough. If I had been as experienced and powerful as you, it wouldn’t have been like that.”

“I’ve always admired you; I felt secure walking behind you.”

“Although you say you’re timid and afraid of death, your caution and thorough preparation have saved many teammates’ lives and solved many problems.”

“This time, it was just bad luck for you,” he consoled Jero, and also comforted his own shattered ideals.

“No, that’s not it…” Jero closed his eyes in pain.

“Don’t say anything more.”

“You don’t understand, you don’t understand how terrifying death is, that feeling, that scene…” Jero once again fell into a huge emotional turmoil.

This blow completely shattered his mental defenses and will, leaving him utterly vulnerable.

“Watching my companions fall one by one, dying with unclosed eyes, and being powerless, seeing the enemy approach little by little, that fear, that panic, that suffocating feeling, you wouldn’t understand, Mick…” Jero repeatedly denied Mick’s ideals.

“Don’t become an adventurer anymore. Yes, don’t do this line of work like me anymore.”

“You’re a student of Scholar Hyde and you’ve seen Viscount Xuefeng. When you graduate, find a job in Burntstone City, become a stable guard. Although the income might be lower, you can live a comfortable life.”

“I always wanted to be a guard, but I couldn’t bear to give up the extravagant lifestyle.”

“This time, I won’t hesitate. I will never do missions again, and I won’t go on adventures. I just want to be an ordinary guard, laughed at, and live a quiet life from now on.”

“Big brother…” Mick gently patted the other’s back, saying no more.

He had already understood the other person’s feelings and no longer offered comfort or dissuasion.

The firewood crackled and burned quietly. The four sat silently around the bonfire until the fat from the roasted meat dripped onto the charcoal, creating puffs of smoke and sizzling sounds, which finally broke the silence.

“Woof.”

The white Wolfdog stood up, wanting to lick the roasted meat, but Comia held it down.

“Wait, this piece isn’t for you.” Comia stood up, took the roasted meat, and handed it to Jero across from her.

“Have some, rest well today, and tomorrow we’ll go back together.”

“Tha-thanks.” A dry throat rasped, and Jero took the roasted meat, slowly chewing and swallowing. As he ate, tears unconsciously streamed down his face, perhaps recalling many past people and events.

“This is for you.” Comia took another piece and handed it to Mick.

Silently, Mick accepted the roasted meat, chewing it without much appetite, reflecting on his experiences over the past few years and re-examining his short life.

Would he still become an adventurer in the future, or would he follow Big Brother Jero’s advice and become a stable, unremarkable guard in Burntstone City?

‘To truly understand oneself, only then can one begin life.’ – An ancient maxim of the Candlefort School.

The words Hyde had taught them now truly revealed their charm and profound meaning.

(End of chapter)