Ch.165Heart (7)

*

In an instant, Alice burned the monster to ashes, while Silvia appeared after killing all five monsters.

For these two, such monsters were merely trivial opponents.

Perhaps the only meaningful adversaries for those two would be the Demon Lord, or…

“Hey, Silvia.”

“What is it, Alice?”

…each other.

Alice spoke through gritted teeth toward Silvia, who was provoking her with an unpleasant tone that seemed designed to grate on her nerves.

“If you have something to say, why don’t you just say it?”

“What would I have to say? You’re the one who has something to say to Ash.”

“Huh… me?”

“Silvia, you bit—”

“Ash! Alice keeps glaring at me so scarily.”

Silvia snickered as she pretended to hide behind Ash’s back.

It seemed like a gesture that didn’t suit her large frame at all, but Ash didn’t seem to mind.

“Ugh… fuck, ha…”

Alice exhaled a scorching sigh that seemed like it could burn everything around her.

Unfortunately, Alice had no means to counter Silvia’s taunts.

Silvia already knew exactly what feelings Alice harbored for Ash.

Even if Alice denied her feelings or told lies, Silvia would just snort in derision, and even if Alice growled at her, Silvia would only mock her while flaunting her own solid relationship with Ash.

Knowing that no amount of barking would help her win, Alice could only swallow her burning sigh that seemed to scorch her lungs and airways, and suppress her wildly racing heart.

She knew well that giving in to this anger wouldn’t lead to any good results, and she reminded herself of this once more to calm down.

Having already been defeated once before, Silvia wasn’t an easy opponent to beat by simply venting anger.

Perhaps things might be different now that she held the Holy Sword, but defeating Silvia would only result in smashing that annoying face, while ruining both her mission to defeat the Demon Lord and her relationship with Ash.

As long as Ash’s heart belonged to Silvia, she would lose any verbal battle a hundred times over, and Ash would only be busy trying to read the room between the two of them.

Alice closed her eyes tightly as she turned away from Silvia, who was ostentatiously embracing Ash’s back.

Ash complained about getting blood on him, while Silvia ignored his protests and planted kisses on his cheek.

“If we’re done here, let’s hurry. We need to go as far as possible before dark.”

Alice bit her lip and walked ahead, passing the two of them.

“Ah, sis! Wait for me!”

Ash hurriedly followed after Alice.

Unlike Alice or Silvia, Ash had no holy power in his body, so he needed to stay near Alice to avoid being affected by demonic energy.

Of course, Silvia could infuse him with holy power too, but while Silvia had to actively infuse holy power into Ash’s body, Alice’s mere presence was sufficient.

Because of this, their formation was always linear—Silvia at the front, followed by Alice and Ash side by side.

When Alice started walking, Ash had no choice but to follow.

“Silvia, hurry up too.”

Ash turned back and called to Silvia who was left behind, then continued walking.

“…”

Silvia quietly observed Alice walking ahead.

Between her huffing and puffing and the heat she was radiating, Alice looked to Silvia like a locomotive spewing steam everywhere.

Silvia muttered softly.

“…What does she mean she knows?”

As Alice had told Silvia before, she clearly had feelings for Ash.

To Silvia, it seemed like more than just simple affection or love.

Silvia was hunting the Demon Lord for Ash’s sake, and was willing to sacrifice herself for him.

The only thing of value left to someone who had nothing else.

That’s what Ash was to Alice.

That’s why she could understand.

Alice’s feelings for Ash were probably just as heavy and intense as her own.

“What does she mean he’s mine?”

Well, because he’s Ash.

Who could reject that adorable boy?

Even Silvia herself was jealous of Alice, who was Ash’s fiancée and shared childhood memories with him, so it was only natural that Alice would be jealous of her, who had already shared her lower body with him several times.

“What does she mean it’s a mistake?”

Before setting out on their journey, in the small cabin that Ash had built with his own dainty hands, Alice had clearly told Silvia.

That it was a mistake, that she knew.

That she clearly knew Silvia was Ash’s lover, and that she accepted it because she herself would soon die.

“You’re not hiding it at all. You haven’t given up one bit.”

Silvia’s eyes began to gleam wetly.

She silently allowed the wicked, malicious thoughts to swirl through her mind.

“If you really can’t give up, I’ll help you along.”

*

“Let’s rest here for today.”

“…Hmm, alright. This spot will do.”

“Uwaaaaah!”

As soon as Silvia and Sister Alice declared that today’s march was over, I collapsed onto the ground as if I were falling.

Pia followed suit, flopping down beside me and limply wagging the tip of her tail.

“Ash… I’m so exhausted…”

“…Me too.”

It was no wonder Pia was whining.

Unlike the first day when nothing happened, today we encountered monsters several times.

Of course, I only directly fought those two giants we met first.

Silvia and Sister Alice, feeling that time was precious, simply obliterated every monster we encountered.

It was a moment that made me acutely aware of how different they were from me.

But even so, the experience of having monsters suddenly jump out at us multiple times while we were already tense was enough to exhaust anyone.

More precisely, it was enough to exhaust untrained cowards like me.

And Pia, the guardian spirit attached to such a super coward, had been constantly releasing and gathering her magic power while flinching, so she had every right to be tired.

Silvia started preparing our sleeping area, while Sister Alice disappeared into the darkness, saying she would scout the surroundings for a while.

Honestly, I felt I should be doing something too, but I didn’t think I could move a muscle right now.

“Ash… about what I asked earlier.”

“Ha… alright.”

I nodded in response to Pia’s whining.

Still lying on the dirt, I stretched out my arm toward Pia.

Pia wriggled over like a caterpillar and rested her chin on my arm, then slowly lowered her head and sank her teeth into my wrist.

“Ugh.”

I winced at the sharp pain.

Pia, still sprawled limply on the ground, began sucking blood from my wrist.

This was what Pia had asked for earlier in the day.

Just as she had grown after drinking my blood before, it seemed my blood served as some kind of nourishment for her.

She said it wasn’t like vampires who feed primarily on blood itself, but rather the magic power and soul dissolved in the blood, and the exchange of blood between us was what mattered most.

Honestly, I didn’t understand a word of it, but well, she’s a spirit, so I decided to just go with it.

“How much are you going to drink?”

I asked, watching Pia as she sucked my blood.

Her slowly moving, small lips looked cute, but I was also worried about whether she might drink so much that it would affect my condition tomorrow.

Pia was too busy drinking blood to respond, but I could tell roughly what was happening just by looking at her.

I could see her drooping tail and ears gradually rising.

Finally, when her tail stood straight up toward the sky, Pia slowly removed her lips, then laid her head on my arm and let out a deep sigh.

“Phew, now I think I’ll live…”

“Had enough?”

“Yes.”

Pia wiped her lips with the back of her hand.

With just that gesture, all the blood that had been smeared around her mouth disappeared cleanly.

It felt strange.

Before, Pia had only licked blood flowing from my wounds, but now she had directly sucked my blood, so I thought it would feel different, but my body didn’t feel particularly changed.

No, if anything, I felt like my energy was gradually returning too.

I looked at Pia, who was leaning against my shoulder and gently wagging her tail.

Like a puppy falling asleep after a big meal, she had a happy smile in her eyes as she prepared to sleep.

The more I looked at her, the more I thought what a strange creature she was.

That’s when it happened.

“Ash.”

Silvia called my name.

At the same time, Pia’s eyes snapped open.

I slowly raised just my head to look at her.

“Silvia?”

“My, you must be very tired if you can’t even get up?”

“Ah, no… that’s not it. Pia is using my arm as a pillow right now.”

Silvia tilted her head slightly and made a nasal sound.

“Hmm.”

Pia flinched.

Then Silvia quietly called Pia’s name.

“Pia.”

“…!”

“I know how special Ash’s arm makes for a pillow, I know it well.”

“Uuu…”

Pia trembled.

Her ears and tail, which had been perked up just moments ago, drooped again.

Silvia stared directly at where Pia’s head was resting and spoke.

“Would you move? Ash is tired.”

“…”

Pia silently vanished.

I slowly raised my upper body and looked at Silvia with surprised eyes.

“Silvia… can you see Pia?”

“Ahahahaha, no. That’s impossible.”

“…But you seemed to be looking right at her just now.”

Silvia smiled sweetly as she crouched down to light a fire and continued speaking.

“I just thought she might be around there since your arm was stretched out.”

“…Oh, is that it?”

“Of course. I’ve slept using Ash’s arm as a pillow so many times, I know well.”

I think I’ve used Silvia’s arm as a pillow more often.

Well, since we spent most of our time together sleeping together, it wasn’t strange that both scenarios were common.

I nodded in understanding and asked:

“By the way, why did you call me? Is there something I can help with?”

“Ah, yes, there is.”

Silvia slowly moved from beside the rising campfire and approached me.

Then she lowered her body and placed her hands on either side of my legs, and began crawling up on all fours toward me.

Naturally, as her head came closer to my face, I had no choice but to lie back down.

“Silvia?”

“Just a moment, stay still.”

Silvia extended her large, rough hands and grabbed my arms, raising them up.

She gripped them so firmly that my wrists felt warm, almost hot.

After looking down at my face silently for a moment, Silvia slightly loosened her grip on my wrists.

“There, done.”

“Huh?”

“I saw teeth marks on your wrist, so I healed them.”

“Ah, I just gave Pia some blood.”

“Spirits drink blood?”

“It’s not their main diet, but they need it for replenishment sometimes. It’s not enough to harm me.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Silvia slightly released her hands and rubbed the area where Pia had bitten me with her fingertips.

Pia’s fang marks had healed, leaving only slight scars.

Silvia’s fingers slowly moved toward my palm.

With a speech as slow as her fingertip movements, Silvia spoke again.

“It’s quite useful, isn’t it? Though not as good as Alice’s.”

It seemed the reason she was touching my palm was to compare the wound that Sister Alice had healed with the one she had just treated.

There was no wound on my palm.

Certainly, if it had been Sister Alice’s holy power, she could have healed Pia’s bite without leaving any trace.

But I didn’t want Silvia to have conflicts with Sister Alice.

The atmosphere had been tense all day, and there was no need to add another element of discord between them by comparing holy powers.

I answered in the kindest tone possible.

“Of course. How could I complain about your healing? I’m alive thanks to you, Silvia.”

“…Ash.”

Silvia’s red eyes glistened.

Her rough, uneven fingers instantly intertwined with mine, filling the spaces between them completely.

She firmly held my hands, fingers interlocked.

“Silvia?”

“Ash. I want you.”

“Huh?”

Silvia slowly exhaled a hot breath.

I already knew from experience what this meant.

Her sensual lips parting slowly, leaving trails of silver thread, and the rough breaths escaping from between them.

The dreamy, intoxicated look in her eyes, yet with that distinct red glow.

These were all signs of Silvia’s excitement.

“N-now?”

“Now.”

“N-no, we can’t. Not now, obviously.”

“It’s been a while since we did it, Ash.”

“It’s only been a few days.”

“That’s long enough to starve.”

I shook my head and said:

“If I take off my armor, I won’t be able to put it back on.”

“I can help you put it on.”

“Ah… but, Sister Alice!”

“She’s not here. Right now.”

“She’s nearby! Who knows when she’ll come back…”

“That’s why we should hurry.”

“Ah, no, that’s—”

“This isn’t a suggestion, Ash.”

Silvia pressed her lips against mine.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Silvia’s lips began to trace a path, as if tasting me, slowly moving from my lips to my cheek, and then down to my neck.

.