Ch.1212. Spring Air

The golden eyes looked down at me with interest.

Though she wasn’t saying anything yet, sometimes silence could be more deafening than words.

For instance, Rio’s voice was automatically playing in my head right now.

“I was wondering how you already found a fixed party, but you just tagged along with your girlfriend?”

“She has silver hair and she’s incredibly beautiful. How did you manage to win her over?”

In that manner, the Rio in my imagination continued to torment me.

When she keeps her mouth shut, she’s just a very pretty person, but this one gives the impression of talking non-stop even when silent.

I should say she speaks with her eyes.

“Rio, Shiro and I aren’t like that.”

“Adel, no matter how much you want to hide that you’re dating, should you really say that when your girlfriend is right next to you?”

“We’re really not a couple. Logically speaking, would I actually date Shiro?”

When I shouted with an indignant expression, the playfulness disappeared from Rio’s face.

Then she came closer and whispered one thing.

“…That would be quite hurtful, you know?”

Only then did I turn to Shiro, who was quietly looking down at her glass.

“Um, Shiro?”

“…”

She glanced at me briefly before shifting her gaze back to her glass.

I get the feeling she’s hurt. Did I speak too harshly?

“…I raised my voice too much. Let me calm down and clarify—it’s not that I wouldn’t want to date you, it’s just that the idea of you and me dating is…”

Ah, my words are coming out all wrong.

This is all because of this person smiling in front of me.

She deliberately interprets people’s words however she wants, constantly making things awkward.

As I was wracking my brain trying to figure out what to say to make Shiro feel better,

“It’s okay, I was just joking.”

“…Really?”

“Yes.”

Why is everyone doing this to me?

“Well, that’s a relief… but Rio, please stop with the jokes. It’s not just awkward for me, but for Shiro too.”

“Sorry, I was just excited to see you after so long.”

She apologized with an awkward smile.

Since she helped me find a fixed party last time, I can tolerate her joking with me.

But I couldn’t stand when it affected others, especially Shiro.

I’m holding back right now because Shiro is beside me, but later I should say something…

“Since I’m sorry, you don’t need to pay for drinks today.”

…I think I could tolerate it a few more times.

“Rio.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s be together forever.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, but… so suddenly?”

“No, not like that—I mean as friends.”

A little joking doesn’t hurt.

Anyone who buys you drinks or meals becomes a close friend or sibling.

***

Night had deepened, and Shiro and I headed outside after having a moderate amount of alcohol.

Though Rio has a playful personality, she’s genuinely a good person.

‘She’s really happy for me becoming an Explorer.’

After telling Rio about what happened to me over the past few weeks, she sincerely congratulated me as if it were her own achievement.

Anyway.

I walked alongside Shiro with a hazy mind.

Perhaps because it was late, the streets that had been full of heat were now filled with silence and darkness.

‘I tried not to get drunk…’

Rio kept refilling my glass, so I ended up drinking too much.

Shiro drank with me too, but compared to my foggy state, she looked completely fine.

Her gait and everything else about her seemed even more elegant than usual.

-Bump.

My steps kept faltering, causing me to bump into Shiro who was walking beside me.

“I’m sorry. I think I’m a bit drunk since it’s been a while since I had alcohol.”

I couldn’t bring myself to look at her while speaking.

Being this drunk, my breath probably smelled of alcohol, and my face was likely in poor condition.

In contrast, she had a subtle floral scent. When I briefly glimpsed her as we left the establishment, she didn’t look much different from usual… just beautiful.

-Bump.

“…”

She said nothing. Maybe she was annoyed that I bumped into her again.

“I’ll walk a bit further away. I can’t keep my balance…”

Just then, something light collided with my right shoulder.

When I tried to turn my head, something was touching my chin, preventing movement.

I managed to shift my gaze by rolling my eyes, and there was silver hair resting there.

“Um, Shiro?”

“Mmm…”

My foggy mind suddenly cleared, and my vision became complete.

As I checked the ground while walking slowly, I realized it wasn’t my steps that were faltering, but hers.

“Your head seems to be resting on my shoulder. If you don’t mind, could you please remove it?”

I asked politely.

I didn’t want to get in trouble by grabbing her and trying to push her away.

‘A Barbarian and a silver-haired elf together late at night?’

Worse yet, the elf is drunk and can’t even control her own body, and the Barbarian is touching the elf’s body all over…

…Damn it!

I only had some drinks, but another life-threatening crisis had arrived.

And this time, not in the Labyrinth but in the middle of the city!

Of course, some might think that if I get arrested for touching her—no, for trying to remove her—Shiro could testify and prove my innocence.

‘They’d understand if they had Barbarian blood mixed in.’

It’s not that Barbarians get falsely accused.

But if a Barbarian is in a suspicious situation? And already detained?

Then it’s definitely slavery. That’s just how the Labyrinth City works.

Moreover, even Shiro, who could be a witness, is currently in a hazy state.

This means that even if she testified that I was innocent, it wouldn’t be accepted as clear evidence.

So if I get arrested, sexual harassment is confirmed, but—

—what if Shiro says she doesn’t want me to be punished?

It seems like I could miraculously be found not guilty, but…

In this city, sexual harassment is something like criminal law, so I’d be punished. Shit.

“Shiro, could I possibly know where your home is?”

And so began my life-or-death body contortion.

“Mmm…”

“If this is a joke, could you please spare me now?”

Now she was burying her face in my shoulder and rubbing against it.

‘In that case, I’ll take her to my inn.’

It might sound like the most dangerous option, but surprisingly, it was the safest action.

Taking Shiro to my room would be disastrous, but I could just get another room for her.

‘About a 3-minute walk from here.’

So I carefully adjusted our direction and made sure she didn’t fall as we arrived at my inn.

A golden-haired girl with a bob cut at the counter visible right at the entrance.

Usually, there’s an older woman there, but this is her daughter.

“Excuse me, do you have any rooms available?”

“…Trash.”

She muttered with a contemptuous look as soon as she saw me.

“No, um…”

“Stay away, get lost!”

“I already have my own room. I’m trying to get another room for this person.”

“…Oh.”

Adults don’t discriminate against Barbarians, but typically, kids have fits when they see black hair.

However, that’s a typical statistical error.

The reason there are no adults who discriminate against Barbarians is partly because teenagers who discriminate against Barbarians don’t survive until adulthood,

“I-I’m sorry.”

“Given the situation, it’s understandable to misinterpret. Is there any room available?”

And most cases involve prejudices being broken through experiences like this.

Most people are kind.

“I’m sorry, but we don’t have any rooms today because of group guests…”

“Ah.”

“Besides, all the inns in this area are probably full. Ours filled up early, and many people have been wandering around looking for rooms.”

I hadn’t expected this.

Even if it’s a day when the Labyrinth is closed, this is unusual. How can all the inns in the area be full?

‘Wouldn’t there be at least one vacancy?’

That thought crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it.

If the blonde girl was right, I’d have to move around for a long time to find a vacant inn.

But if we kept wandering around like this, we might really get caught.

There was only one option left.

“Then, does this person have to sleep in my room?”

I asked the girl with a facial expression, gaze, and tone that fully revealed my true feelings.

“Probably, yes.”

Recognizing my sincerity, she looked at me as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“…Alright.”

With this, I was likely perceived by the girl not as a sex offender, but as an innocent Barbarian.

I took Shiro to my room. Fortunately, it was on the first floor, so I didn’t have to carry her on my back.

‘That was lucky.’

Shiro had been clinging to my body and walking with me the whole time, but she hadn’t collapsed, so she was fine.

If I had carried her, I might have really been reported. A Barbarian kidnapping a sleeping elf in the middle of the night.

It was a blessing in disguise.

“Phew.”

As soon as we entered the room, I laid her on the bed.

No one had seen us on the way, and the counter girl we inevitably encountered didn’t suspect anything.

My thinking might resemble that of a criminal, but anyway, I’m a law-abiding citizen.

‘There shouldn’t be any problems.’

After arranging the blanket well and covering her with it, I was about to lie down on the floor.

“!”

Shiro grabbed my arm and pulled me.

As a result, I ended up looking down at the elf who had her eyes calmly closed.

Inadvertently, it looked as if I was on top of her.

‘My heart.’

The sound of my heart was overwhelming my mind due to the sudden shock.

Still, it wasn’t yet something that could be called an accident. I tried to move my momentarily stiffened body to get down again,

At that moment.

“…Don’t go.”

A woman’s voice filled with desperation filled the quiet room.

She was holding my arm weakly, very weakly.

She was so thin and white that it seemed like she might break if touched even slightly.

“…Yes.”

I briefly answered and carefully sat on the edge of the bed without pushing away Shiro’s arm.

A lonely chill was transmitted through her fingertips.

The spring air was particularly cold today.

As I had felt it on the streets just a few hours ago, I realized that spring could be cold for some people.

As I sat quietly through the dawn, a question arose in the middle.

‘What was it like for her?’

A girl sleeping while holding onto a trembling hand, afraid that the person beside her might disappear.

What kind of life had this girl lived that made her unable to trust people?

What kind of time had she spent that made her awkward with people? What seasons had she gone through that made her so afraid of letting people go?

‘…I don’t know.’

Even making a brief speculation about that life would be disrespectful, so I soon stopped thinking about it.

After all, what matters is living the days ahead.

***

“…”

Sunlight strikes my eyes.

In the blink of an eye, it had become the next day.

‘It’s a bit cold.’

The spring air was still chilly.

I’d like to cover myself with a blanket, but there’s nothing like that on the floor.

‘I’ll just go back to sleep.’

Shiro had let go of my hand in the middle of the night, so I could sleep a little on the floor, but it seems that wasn’t enough sleep.

As I was about to fall asleep again, not resisting my eyelids closing from fatigue,

“Shiro?”

Shiro is still in my bed.

As soon as that thought occurred, sleep fled and my body rose.

But the timing seemed quite bad.

“…”

Purple eyes stared at me, and below them, I saw colors that shouldn’t be described in words.

She was now changing clothes beyond the bed—

—Thud!

Shiro, who quickly assessed the situation, threw a blanket at me.

It landed heavily on my body as if it had an air resistance spell on it.

“Stay still.”

I heard her voice while my vision was blocked.

“Yes.”

I grabbed the blanket with my hands and pressed it perfectly against my face.

Since I wash the blanket every morning and leave the room, the blanket had no strange smell, only Shiro’s scent.

“It smells like lavender.”

“…”

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to joke a little.”

I felt killing intent through the blanket just now.

“Instead of that, cover yourself with this. And close your eyes.”

She quickly approached, took away the blanket, and covered my face with my everyday clothes.

“Couldn’t I just close my eyes or turn around?”

“…I can’t trust you.”

Someone might be hurt by those words, but I followed her instructions with a light smile.

“Yes.”

Because the spring air was still cold,

It’s understandable that one might not be able to trust another person.