Surviving in the Forest (3)

The moment Ethan appeared and took the final hit of my Hobgoblin Swordsman, I felt momentarily displeased, but it was just a fleeting emotion-nothing significant enough to dwell on.

After all, Ethan didn’t act with any ill intent. He must have swung his sword thinking I was struggling against a named Hobgoblin, trying to help me. If anything, I should have been grateful.

Besides, even if we split the experience points, it wasn’t a small amount. Had it been a complete stranger, I might have been annoyed, but since it was Ethan, I could accept it.

‘I know it’s not Ethan’s fault, but…’

Still, why does this overwhelming sense of emptiness feel so unbearable?

It was a rare chance to prove that I’d reached a certain level not just as a mage but also as a swordsman, and I missed that opportunity. That’s what stung.

Of course, even without Ethan, I would have won anyway, so the outcome wouldn’t have been much different. Hmm…

‘Ugh, whatever.’

There’s no point dwelling on this. It’s better to think about how to spend the next five nights and six days with Ethan now that we’ve met.

Only about three hours have passed since we entered the forest, meaning we still have over 110 hours left-just the two of us.

Five nights and six days with Ethan, without Isabelle, Agnes, or anyone else. Honestly… it’s a situation that makes my heart race a little.

“Sorry, Lillith… I ended up taking the monster you were seriously fighting…”

“It couldn’t be helped. You swung your sword thinking I was in danger, so you did nothing wrong, Young Master Ethan.”

“…Huh? You’re not mad, Lillith? Did you already let it go?”

“I was never angry in the first place, Young Master Ethan.”

“Ah, uh, okay. That’s… good to hear.”

Ethan, thankfully, didn’t push further with something insensitive like, “Are you really not mad?”

“More importantly, we have a lot to do before sunset, Young Master Ethan. The sun is already setting, so we should hurry to find shelter with a roof. If it rains, we might struggle to last the night.”

“…Right. You’re absolutely right, Lillith. Let’s secure shelter first.”

Weather events in Natural Science Exploration were randomized with each playthrough, making them hard to predict.

If we were unlucky enough to get rain on the first day, we’d likely start with debuffs like “Cold” or “Hypothermia,” so we had to be especially careful.

In Luminor Academy, you could save-scum and retake exploration courses, but that wasn’t an option for Ethan and me right now.

“Building a shelter would take too long, so today, we should look for a nearby cave or a large tree. If there’s a cave not too far, we can use it as a base. If we find a big tree, we can hollow it out to take shelter for the night and build a proper house tomorrow.”

“You sound really confident, Lillith. Did you learn how to camp in the forest or something?”

“…I’ve just intuitively prioritized what needs to be done in this situation. If you have a better idea, Young Master Ethan, I’ll naturally defer to you.”

“Let’s just go with what you said. I think you’re right.”

“Using fire magic deep in the forest consumes too much mana and risks wildfires, so for now, we should make torches and carry them as we move…”

Though this was my first time being thrown into the wilderness with nothing, I didn’t find the situation particularly difficult or troublesome.

As long as I followed the game’s survival guide, at the very least, I wouldn’t end up drenched and facing a bad ending.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

And then, about three hours later-

-Drip, drip.

“…….”

“…….”

-Plop, plop.

“It’s… raining hard…”

“…Indeed, Young Master Ethan.”

Unluckily, we got hit with a “Heavy Rain Event” on the very first day. The moment the raindrops started falling, we scrambled into the hollow of a large tree we’d found, taking shelter from the downpour.

‘If only there had been a cave nearby, it would’ve been better.’

We’d hastily hollowed out the tree to squeeze inside, but even so, the space was a bit cramped for two people.

Lying down was impossible, and we had to crouch with our legs tucked in just to fit. As a result, Ethan and I were forced into close physical contact as we waited for the rain to stop.

-Drip, drip, drip.

“With this much rain on the first day, I imagine many students besides us will be eliminated early.”

“…Probably. It’s not warm enough to endure being soaked yet.”

“It’s a shame we don’t have a cave where we can freely light a fire, but even this makeshift shelter is better than nothing.”

At least having a roof over our heads was a relief.

As long as we didn’t get completely drenched, we wouldn’t weaken or catch a cold. The humidity was unavoidable, but we could solve that by lighting a campfire with Sally’s fire magic later.

Besides, with rain this heavy, monsters wouldn’t be wandering around much either. Even they knew that staying out in this weather could kill them from hypothermia.

“There’s a good side to not being in a cave, Lillith.”

“Huh?”

“This tree is so small that you and I have to stay pressed together until morning.”

“…This isn’t exactly the best environment for recovering stamina, Young Master Ethan.”

“Can’t be helped, I guess.”

…Well, I didn’t exactly hate this forced proximity. Feeling Ethan’s warmth, the pressure of his muscles, and his scent up close wasn’t such a bad condition.

Of course, it was a bit optimistic to say that under these circumstances, but it was still much better than keeping a lonely survival diary all by myself.

“Lillith, do you hate this? Is it uncomfortable?”

“No. I don’t particularly dislike being this close to you, Young Master Ethan. It’s just that, objectively speaking, the situation isn’t ideal.”

“If crouching like this is uncomfortable, do you want to sit a little more comfortably?”

“How exactly can we sit more comfortably in this cramped space, Young Master Ethan?”

“I’ll spread my legs, and you can sit on my lap. That way, you can stretch your legs a bit more. It’ll be better than this.”

“…….”

His suggestion made sense, but… what should I do?

Switching to the so-called “lap-sitting” pose that couples usually do was a bit embarrassing.

Compared to sitting side by side with our knees tucked in, this would increase the area of physical contact. Plus, sitting on Ethan’s lap felt somewhat indecent.

‘…This is all for stamina recovery.’

Under these conditions, resting in a slightly more comfortable position was crucial for proper recovery. In Luminor Academy, stamina and mana recovered faster the more relaxed your posture was.

It wasn’t that I particularly wanted to sit on Ethan’s lap-I just judged that accepting his offer was the more rational choice.

“Understood. Then I’ll stand up briefly to adjust my position.”

“It’s fine, Lillith. Stay seated. I’ll handle it.”

“Huh? What do you-Eek?!”

As soon as he said he’d handle it, Ethan suddenly slipped his hands under my armpits and lifted me up.

While his grip raised my upper body slightly, he shifted into a cross-legged position beneath me and lowered me onto his lap.

“There. Done, Lillith.”

“Hah, haah… Y-yes…”

“…Lillith?”

If you’re going to put your hands under my arms, at least warn me first.

It wasn’t that the spot was particularly sensitive or anything, but the sudden touch made me short of breath.

…It wasn’t an erogenous zone or anything-I was just startled, that’s all.

“Y-young Master Ethan, if you’re going to touch a lady’s body, at least say something first! Even if we’re temporary lovers, this kind of sudden physical contact is a bit startling!”

“Ah, s-sorry, Lillith… I should’ve been more considerate…”

“…W-well, now that you know, it’s fine.”

Still feeling the lingering sensation under my arms, I wrapped them around myself and shifted slightly deeper into Ethan’s embrace.

Little by little, slowly, so the raindrops wouldn’t reach my legs.

-Squirm, squirm.

“Ngh, hng…?”

-Wriggle, wriggle.

“…Lillith…?”

As I moved on Ethan’s lap, I felt something pressing against me from below. In this situation, even fooling around like this made me, as his personal maid, want to scold him sternly.

“Y-young Master Ethan, are you seriously trying to fool around even now? Remove your hand from my backside this instant.”

“…That’s not my hand, Lillith.”

“……Huh?”

“W-well, you’re the one causing this… If you keep moving like that on top of me, a man can’t help but get stimulated…”

“…My apologies. I’ll be more careful.”

“…….”

“…….”

The pitter-patter of falling rain. The cramped space inside the hollow tree. Ethan and I, pressed tightly together.

The night air of the forest cooled with the spring rain, but Ethan and I spent the night in an inexplicable heat, waiting only for the rain to stop.