My Desertion Would Be Faster Than Heros’ Obsession

Side Story 1: The Secret Behind "Four Obsessed Madmen Cling to Me"

“Dalin, put the gun down.”

“Winter?”

Feeling uneasy, Winter had been passing by the shooting range when he spotted Dalin holding a massive firearm. Without hesitation, he rushed over.

To avoid startling her and causing an accident, he called out softly. However, Dalin turned to him with wide eyes, the gun's barrel now pointed directly at him.

“Wait, Dalin. Don’t move. Stay still. Don’t even twitch.”

“What’s going on?”

Despite his attempt to calm her, Dalin’s expression grew even more anxious.

Damn it, who in their right mind gave Dalin a gun? Firearms are supposed to be tightly regulated.

If that gun were to go off, Winter might very well die. No matter how strong a human was, a bullet to a vital area meant certain death.

And given Dalin’s track record of accidents, an accidental discharge was entirely within the realm of possibility.

Winter carefully approached her, step by cautious step, and finally managed to snatch the gun away from her. The weight lifted off her shoulders, causing her to stagger slightly.

That was way too close.

After securing the firearm in its rightful place, Winter turned to Dalin with a stern expression.

“Dalin, why were you holding a gun?”

No one in their right mind would let Dalin, the infamous walking disaster of this unit, touch a firearm. If anything, she was more likely to cause a mass shooting accident than anyone else.

“Sir Isina told me to try it! He said guns might work better for me than swords!”

Winter decided to give up correcting her atrocious lack of formal speech. It was already a minor miracle that she was using even basic military jargon. That alone was a significant improvement.

Instead, his frown deepened as he focused on the real issue: Isina had given Dalin permission to use a gun.

What on earth was Isina thinking?

“Am I not allowed to shoot guns?” Dalin asked, her voice wavering with an almost tearful tone.

Winter stared at her orange hair for a moment. Of course, giving Dalin a gun wasn’t just a bad idea because of the potential disasters she could cause—there were other reasons, too.

“No, you’re not allowed.”

“I knew it… I’m just not good enough, am I…?”

“…No, it’s because guns are dangerous. I’m saying this for your own good.”

Yes, this was for Dalin’s sake as well.

As she grew more and more like Salvia, Winter found himself increasingly unsure of how to act around her.

Alright, calm down. Don’t take it out on her. It’s not her fault they’re similar.

Still, the more he looked at Dalin, the more uncomfortable he felt. Without another word, Winter turned on his heel and went to find Isina, determined to ask him why he’d given Dalin a gun in the first place.

It didn’t take long to find Isina, who was chatting with Aquila in a corner of the building.

“Isina.”

“Ah, Winter.”

Isina greeted him with a casual salute, and Winter returned a perfunctory nod before getting straight to the point.

“You told Dalin to use a gun?”

“Ah… Yes, I did.”

“Why? Didn’t you consider what might happen if she had one?”

Isina gave him a sheepish smile, his eyes curving in a way that suggested he wasn’t entirely clueless about the potential consequences.

Before Isina could respond, Aquila interjected.

“Did you stop her, Winter?”

“Yes. I made it clear she’s not to touch a gun again.”

“Thank you. I should’ve said something earlier.”

Aquila gave a slight bow of gratitude.

He must be struggling the most after Salvia’s death, Winter thought. Aquila rarely showed his emotions, but seeing Dalin with a gun would undoubtedly remind him of Salvia.

Still, there was something strange about Aquila’s behavior lately.

It made sense for Karon to hover around Dalin, as he likely saw her as a replacement for Salvia, whom he’d viewed as family. He was probably searching for traces of Salvia in Dalin.

But Aquila? It didn’t add up. Aquila, of all people, knew better than anyone that Salvia and Dalin were completely different. For someone who had once acted as though he couldn’t live without Salvia, it was odd to see him so protective of Dalin now.

While Winter was deep in thought, Isina’s voice broke the silence.

“Why not let her handle guns for a bit? She needs to adapt, doesn’t she?”

Isina raised a hand as he spoke, as if to emphasize his point.

“Using a gun builds calluses on your hands, strengthens your arm and shoulder muscles, and even works your legs. My idea was to develop those muscles now, so when Salvia comes back, her body will be ready to adapt.”

Winter narrowed his eyes, glancing back and forth between Isina and Aquila. Meanwhile, Aquila seemed to completely understand what Isina was implying.

“Why go to all that trouble?” Aquila asked, his amber eyes glinting with an unreadable emotion.

“Once she’s discharged, I’ll bring her back. After that, she won’t have to do anything difficult. She’ll stay safe at home, away from danger.”

“Hah, as if Salvia would just sit quietly at home,” Isina chuckled. “She’d need to let off steam now and then.”

“If that happens, I’ll take care of it. Even if she wants to pick up a gun again, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. With an Arkon’s body, her muscles will redevelop in no time.”

“You’re still hopelessly obsessed, aren’t you? Salvia’s personality isn’t just about throwing tantrums. She’s closer to ‘violence and terror.’”

Winter couldn’t make sense of the conversation between Aquila and Isina. Before he could open his mouth to demand what they were talking about, a question surfaced in his mind.

Aquila… I thought you’d forgotten about Salvia.

Recently, Aquila seemed to have shifted his attention to Dalin, showing her care and avoiding any mention of Salvia. Winter had assumed that Aquila had only struggled in the immediate aftermath of Salvia’s death and had since moved on.

But now, Aquila had mentioned Salvia again.

If Aquila didn’t love Dalin, then what were all his actions toward her supposed to mean?

“Aquila, I need to ask you something,” Winter said, his voice stiff with tension.

“Why have you been treating Dalin so well lately?”

“So that I can properly cherish Salvia when she comes back,” Aquila replied in an unnervingly calm tone.

Winter froze. Aquila continued, his voice unwavering, “Knowing Salvia’s personality, if I’m not fully adjusted by the time she returns, she’ll be frustrated. Everything around her needs to feel natural and seamless for her to accept it without complaint.”

As he spoke, Aquila recalled a moment from a recent mission in a dark cave, where he had embraced Dalin.

…It’s still difficult to do this in the light, but I’m starting to get used to it.

If Aquila didn’t prepare himself, Salvia’s potential reaction echoed ominously in his mind:

“Damn it, XX, you called me back just to act awkward? Are you trying to piss me off? Should I just leave again, huh?”

Meanwhile, Isina watched Aquila with a resigned shake of his head. Being stuck between Aquila and Salvia—or rather, the chaos they always brought—was always exhausting for Isina.

“Salvia coming back? What are you talking about?” Winter asked sharply. The moment he locked eyes with Aquila’s amber gaze, a chilling realization struck him.

“…Don’t tell me.”@@novelbin@@

Winter’s voice dropped, his expression growing pale as he pieced it together.

“Aquila… did you make a deal with a dark sorcerer?”

Reviving the dead, even through dark magic, was no small feat. But there was one rare material that could make it possible—a material nearly impossible to obtain.

“The heart of a Black Dragon.”

The memory hit him like a bolt of lightning. Not long ago, they had taken down a Class-1 monster, a Black Dragon. Aquila had been responsible for handling the creature’s remains.

Winter took a step closer to Aquila, his face pale with shock. “Aquila, you kept the Black Dragon’s heart, didn’t you?”

Aquila met his gaze with unwavering amber eyes, a warmth in their hue that paradoxically sent a chill down Winter’s spine.

“You’re planning to summon Salvia’s soul into Dalin’s body.”

“That’s correct,” Aquila replied, his voice steady. “The bodies are compatible—same race, similar age, same gender. Even their appearances aren’t too different. It’s the ideal vessel. Besides, Dalin and I have reached a certain… understanding.”

“Why on earth would Dalin agree to something like that? And you—” Winter’s voice trembled with both anger and disbelief.

“She might complain at first, but I’ll console her. It’ll be fine,” Aquila said, his tone calm, as if discussing a mundane matter.

He imagined Salvia’s likely reaction to her new body. She would grumble, maybe even yell. But if he showered her with compliments, kissed her all over, and held her close, she would calm down.

Salvia hated the cold, after all. Whenever she got upset, all he had to do was hold her until her anger melted away.

During the brief time Dalin’s soul would be removed, her body would appear lifeless. Aquila planned to disguise it as a death in the line of duty, smuggle her body out of the military upon discharge, and wake Salvia up in the safety of a new home he’d prepared in the capital.

When Salvia woke, she would find herself free of the Border Defense Army and back with him. She would have no choice but to accept her new life and him along with it.

Salvia’s life had always belonged to Aquila. Just as he had loved her, it was only natural for her to love him in return.

“You’re completely insane,” Winter said, his cool gray-blue eyes narrowing as he spoke.

Looking into Aquila’s gaze, Winter knew. Aquila hadn’t been sane since Salvia’s death.

“That’s what people used to say about Salvia, wasn’t it?” Aquila said, the corner of his mouth curling into a smile.

Letting Salvia go was never an option. She was always meant to stay by his side.

There were so many things they hadn’t done together, so many dreams unfulfilled. They were supposed to be family, to experience life together in ways they never had the chance to.

Aquila had made his decision. He would set things right.

He imagined Salvia sitting on his lap as he told her how beautiful she was. They would drink cocoa by the window in winter, he would dress her in the prettiest gowns, crown her with flower garlands in the spring, and kiss her endlessly.

“I’ll bring Salvia back to me,” Aquila said, his voice filled with certainty.