Sometimes, hard choices called for even harder decisions.

Still, seeing the desperate looks on the malnourished faces, perhaps the human part of him couldn't bear to see it.

He turned to Obed,

"Obed..."

Obed turned to him with raised brows. Nero beckoned him closer then whispered a few words into his ears.

Obed expression changed,

"Hey, Nero!"

Nero huffed then turned to face the old man who was whispering into the ear of a younger man beside him,

"Old man..."

The gathering fell silent.

So silent, Nero could hear crickets chirping.

News of his endeavors had already spread. He was the one that had successfully headed into the depths of the Southern Bogs alone.

He had a bit of infamy surrounding him too.

The old man looked at him with narrowed eyes,

"The young hero, Nero... What do you have to say to this old man?"

Nero huffed then steeled his expression despite Obed's urging.

"There is not enough food to be split that way. Everyone else deserves a fair chance at life. But..."

His eyes narrowed,

"Your sacrifices aren't for nothing. Therefore, I'll take it upon myself to head into the depths of the forest again."

Shocked gasps rang out amidst the crowd.

Obed let out a tired sigh and Lucy grabbed his hand roughly,

"What the hell are you saying?! The last time wasn't enough for you?! You really want to get yourself killed this time?!"

Nero could see the true look of anger in her eyes.

He frowned.

What did she know?

Nero shook her hand off and ignored her, turning to face the old man who seemed as stumped as everyone.

"Young lad... Why? Why would you go this far?"

Nero froze.

Indeed. Why was he willing to go so far for people he barely knew? What was the point in doing something like that?

There was none whatsoever.

And yet, for some reason, he had this overarching desire that seemed to blind everything else.

A desire to grant these people some hope, damning himself in the process.

Such self-destructive tendencies had not existed in him a day ago.

Perhaps it was the conversation he had had with Emif the night before.

Or perhaps it was simply him subconsciously trying to atone for running away and leaving everyone else to die in Gor.

Maybe.

He sighed,

"There is no reason. For now, I believe we should distribute the ration by the family. Those with more children get more than those without. How does that sound?"

The old man turned to face Mira,

"Do you have any complaints, you hang?"

Mira huffed then let out a sigh,

"None whatsoever." She said as she turned her gaze to Nero.

The look in her eyes was rather strange.

Hearing this, Nero huffed a sigh of relief,

"That's good then. In that case..."

He had long since gotten most of the Teargail Fungi out of the Mark of Mephistopheles.

After a day or so, the mushrooms had dried out, losing a ton of their weight and making it much easier to lug around. If they were placed in liquids, however, they would be quick to rehydrate.

So sharing them in their dry weight was the best. Not just the Teargail mushrooms, but also a collection of edible herbs and spices that could be used to make stews were distributed. Despite being separated by not a large area of land respective to the rest of the world, the people of the various cities did not share even close to the same culture.

They were as the same as winter and summer.

The people of Vorsche were skilled in the art of textile making and woodwork. Those from Orm consisted mostly of traders skilled in many trades. Meanwhile, those from areas like Beorstone were more skilled in metal work due to the city's proximity to a large number of mines at the other side of the Empire.

With so many different talents around, suddenly, survival didn't seem like a pipe dream now that there was some food around.

Three days went by in the blink of an eye.

The night was slowly setting in.

Staring at the flickering flames, Nero felt the chill creeping all around him, but was unable to appreciate it as the cold didn't bother him much anymore.

He sighed.

Since that day, both Lucy and Aisha had not spoken to him at all.

Especially Lucy, who hadn't even looked him in the eye once since then.

'I don't understand. I'm not putting their lives in any danger.'

He couldn't wrap his head around it.

He sighed. Understanding women was something he was incapable of.

Over the past three days, he had returned to that colorful island in the southern bogs twice to retrieve the Teargail Fungi. Both were very successful and all of a sudden, there was an abundance of sustenance.

Well, at least for now...

During both missions he had made sure to hunt as many Abominations as possible.

***

{Seals of Sin: 400/1000}.

***

He had made a whole lot of progress in such a short time.

Flexing his muscles, he could feel the abundant strength in his arms.

He had also noticed that his arms seemed fairer than before.

Not just his arms— his entire body as well.

He had also grown a fair bit taller as well.

The changes were not yet significant. But if one looked at him closely, they would be able to tell.

Nero sighed.

That was a good thing, he thought to himself.

He felt a presence approaching him, but he did not lift his head until it was right in front of him.

"Here."

Nero slowly lifted his face.

Aisha was standing above him.

After so long in the wild, a lot of softness was gone from her features. Although she wasn't going to start swinging knives and hatchets soon, she did seem hardier.

Despite that, she looked as beautiful as ever, Nero thought to himself.

In her hands was a bowl of steaming stew. The delectable aroma wormed its way into his nose. Normally, the Teargail mushrooms were not very appetizing. However, if they were prepared properly, they suddenly developed complex and rather amazing flavors he really appreciated.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips,

"Thanks." He received he stretched an arm out to receive the bowl.

However, Aisha didn't let go.

"We need to talk."

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