Ch.225Duel (2)

“Are you sure Sejin didn’t tip you off?”

“I told you, no. Do you think I could come up with something like that on my own?”

“Yes. Sejin is smart.”

After the two girls who had finished their duel disappeared into the bath, the siblings sat in the garden to talk.

Eshatherna was lying with her large bottom toward Llewellyn and her head toward Lucilla, while both hands simultaneously stroked the elven assassin as if she were a dog.

If Huey, the actual dog, had seen this, he would have whimpered and approached, poking Eshatherna with his muzzle, demanding his spot back. But Huey was out greeting and playing with Jenia, a dog beastkin he’d met during his walk.

This was truly fortunate for both Eshatherna and Huey.

“Sis, I appreciate your high opinion of me, but I’m not that smart.”

“There you go again. Sejin is smart and kind, so don’t be so pessimistic.”

The older sister withdrew her hand from stroking Eshatherna’s head and pinched her brother’s cheek. Llewellyn could feel the deep affection even in this gesture.

Though it was now a mix of desire and affection that could hardly be called pure sibling love anymore, Llewellyn liked when his sister acted this way.

It was natural to think that he should have been more honest back in middle school. Llewellyn glanced at the bathroom and smiled.

Honest conversation—revealing one’s thoughts completely while beating each other up—was more effective than expected.

To be precise, it was a divine blessing he had opened to let them fight until resolution, and since the result was good, it felt like everything worked out.

It was fortunate that their competition and ill feelings weren’t that deep.

If they had been, it would have been extremely troublesome. Llewellyn sighed, and when he saw Eshatherna wiggling her bottom as if asking to be stroked, he caressed her side instead.

Stroking Eshatherna’s bottom in front of his sister would surely bring consequences.

‘…In that sense, my sister’s personality…’

He suddenly realized how much it had changed since falling into this Netel.

More precisely, he had noticed it when she combined the Star’s Death with Tree Breaking.

His sister, who had once been angelic by anyone’s standards, had to abandon her personality to survive. To Llewellyn, this was truly regrettable.

He wondered if things might have been different had they been possessed together. After all, Lucilla’s personality had twisted because Llewellyn, her beloved man and brother, hadn’t been in Netel.

But regret was meaningless. Even miracle implementation couldn’t rewind a path already taken.

‘Unless there’s a unique skill for that,’ he was thinking when:

“So, when are you going to seduce Melody?”

It was a startling question for Llewellyn. It would have been surprising coming from Eshatherna, but—

The speaker was Lucilla. Llewellyn stared blankly at his sister, and seeing her brother’s gaze, Lucilla’s face reddened.

“W-well, Melody is also a dear sister… and doing it ‘together’ once was kind of fun…”

That roundabout way of saying “it was fun” probably didn’t match what she actually felt.

Llewellyn knew this and had a subtle expression, so Lucilla gave her brother a light punishment.

The villains who had died burning alive in her hands or had their hearts stopped by her magic eye power, dying in intense pain, would have found it unfair how light Lucilla’s punishment to her brother was.

She merely tapped his shoulder lightly with a relaxed fist. Though deliberate, there was no intention to seduce or act cute—just a sisterly gentleness showing she didn’t want to hurt her brother.

But to a third party, it looked different. Eshatherna, lying down with her view half-blocked by the massive breast mountains, saw Lucilla’s reddened face and thought she was no different from a common woman.

Fortunate that she was her lord, otherwise…

Eshatherna twisted her body and buried her face between Lucilla’s legs, startling Lucilla with the ticklish breath before she lightly smacked Eshatherna.

“Esha! What are you doing?”

“I was going to ask if you’d include me later too.”

The siblings froze simultaneously. Eshatherna looked at their blank faces in turn, then lay back down, and Llewellyn blinked vacantly before sighing.

“Before seduction or whatever, shouldn’t persuasion come first?”

“Really? Then when…”

“But I’m not very confident about that.”

Llewellyn wasn’t the type to enjoy forcing things.

Although he showed such tendencies with his sister in bed, even that pricked his conscience slightly.

“Even if she’s a weak-willed, indecisive woman, she’s not going to straightforwardly agree when asked if she wants to join in while the person she likes is making love with my sister. People usually freak out.”

“Is that so?”

“As far as I know, yes. And Melody is an intellectual. I’m not a smart guy.”

He lacked eloquence and had few talents. Llewellyn rested his chin on his hand while glancing at Eshatherna and his sister.

Though his elbow didn’t ache resting on the firm bottom, his heart did.

It felt like solving one worry only left another.

“I wonder if someone as stupid as me could even persuade her. I don’t want to be hated.”

Lucilla found it difficult to respond to her brother’s concern.

She was a woman prepared to burn the world for her twisted love, and having obtained Llewellyn, she was mostly satisfied.

It was even difficult for her to empathize with Melody’s thoughts.

So the siblings quietly agonized. Their thoughts and words lightly faded and resurfaced repeatedly.

Only Eshatherna vaguely knew the truth.

“Young master, why don’t you at least try talking to her?”

Llewellyn’s eyes turned to Eshatherna, who squirmed in her lying position before speaking.

“Educated people usually like the feeling of taboo. Then they hire assassins to clean up what happens.”

“That’s…”

“Speaking from experience.”

“Oh my.”

Llewellyn sighed but thought:

Perhaps Melody might be like that too. Maybe she’d enjoy rolling around between siblings.

Of course, she wouldn’t. Eshatherna said that because she believed they’d need to discuss it anyway to reach any conclusion.

“Then when would be good…”

“Phew.”

Just then, the bathroom door opened. Llewellyn stiffened and turned his head, and the girl emerging from the bathroom blinked her black eyes as she blankly looked at the three seated figures.

It was Maya. A dog beastkin, the Sword Saint’s disciple, and a duel scholar.

By Llewellyn’s standards, she could be called a “failed build.” She slowly examined the three and wondered:

What kind of combination is this?

She couldn’t even guess why they were sitting like that. After a moment of silence, she wiped the moisture with the towel draped over her head.

It was of lower quality than the towels Llewellyn or Lucilla knew. Though quite good by medieval standards.

“Future Sword Saint.”

“Huh? Yes?”

“Why so formal? Anyway, from now on I’ll visit you as the new head of the Duel School and advisor to the Sword Saint Council. Have a pleasant evening.”

That meant several things.

She had accepted Melody’s words, been persuaded, and somehow their conflict had been resolved.

Llewellyn wondered if Melody’s corpse might be in the bathroom, but calculated that Maya couldn’t subdue Melody so easily.

“Well then.”

After Maya withdrew, Llewellyn nodded to Lucilla and Eshatherna and stood up.

From the bathroom—built with stone that might be seen in ancient Rome, supplying hot water through unknown principles—came soft humming.

Even that could only be heard thanks to Llewellyn’s transcendent hearing. An ordinary person probably wouldn’t notice the sound leaking out.

Llewellyn approached the bathroom without hesitation and opened the door.

“Maya? Did you forget some—”

Taking a step in and closing the door, he sensed Melody’s ears perking up.

“…Llewellyn?”

She could distinguish people by their footsteps alone. With 20 Agility it was natural, but still impressive.

Llewellyn awkwardly scratched his head, and Melody seemed a bit flustered, trying to hide her body before—

“I came to help you wash. Thought it might be uncomfortable.”

Melody paused at Llewellyn’s excuse.

Though her eyes weren’t visible, she was clearly contemplating.

But not for long.

“Take off your clothes and come in.”

“Uh, is that okay? Maybe…”

“I can’t see anyway, right? Or are you embarrassed to undress in front of a blind person?”

She teased Llewellyn with a grin, but Llewellyn didn’t fall for the virgin’s provocation.

He quietly undressed and neatly folded his clothes next to where Melody had placed hers.

The bathroom was hotter than when Lucilla, Isla, and Llewellyn had recently rolled around together.

Thick steam filled the bathroom, and a faintly fragrant scent wafted through.

‘Maya’s body must have been covered in dirt, but the water is clean.’

Is this also the power of divine blessing? Llewellyn wondered what intention had gone into making such a sincere bathroom as he approached the bath.

In the corner of the massive bath that could accommodate over a dozen people simultaneously, Melody was using soap made from lye, finely chopping it in a metal container.

A blade was also present. Normally one might ask if that was dangerous, but this was Melody.

Llewellyn entered the bath without much thought. The hot water submerged his ankles and lapped around his legs.

“Wow, you really came in when I said to? Pervert, lecher.”

“Should I go back out then?”

“Why would you leave? You’d let a blind person bathe alone?”

Melody chuckled, and Llewellyn quietly accepted her laughter with a smile.

It wasn’t an unpleasant joke. Perhaps because she was making fun of herself?

Llewellyn wondered if this too was due to her bard talent as he immersed himself deeper in the bath.

An involuntary sigh escaped his lips. The weight of the water pressing on his body felt good, and the temperature enveloping him was pleasantly warm.

In truth, considering his body’s resistance, it would have felt good even if the water were boiling at 100 degrees higher.

Nevertheless, there’s always a more suitable temperature. Llewellyn exhaled a long breath.

Beyond the sound of rippling water, a shallow silence settled. Through the glass windows draped above the bathroom, the sky was gradually changing color, and the crimson light blended with the white illumination filling the bathroom, creating a unique atmosphere.

It was distinctive—a sensation where openness and enclosure coexisted. Llewellyn was beginning to feel that this cradle was truly like home.

In such a home, Melody had stopped even her humming and stretched her shapely leg out of the water.

Splash, the sound of water. Melody spoke while gently stroking her leg.

“Thank you.”

“…Pardon?”

“I said thank you.”

Melody put her downy leg back into the water.

“For giving me courage and letting me do it myself.”

This was somewhat perplexing for Llewellyn. And for good reason.

“But I didn’t do anything.”

Llewellyn felt he hadn’t really done anything. The reconciliation and good outcome were all because Melody was excellent.

At most, Llewellyn had only provided the setting. So he felt awkward, but Melody shook her head.

“Anyone could say such things, so there’s no need to be particularly grateful—”

“Those words that anyone could say.”

She interrupted. It wasn’t unpleasant. Llewellyn was the type to listen attentively to smart people who interrupted him.

“Not everyone would say them. Being able to do something doesn’t mean everyone does it.”

It sounded right. But Llewellyn couldn’t fully agree.

“I’m not so sure.”

Llewellyn knew Melody. From before coming to this world, when it was still a game.

She was a good and kind person. Lovable and cute too.

“Melody is a good person and cute. I think someone would have said it to you.”

Melody liked that about Llewellyn. He didn’t impose on her or look down on her.

Though she was small in stature and physically weak, he neither looked up nor down at her—Melody couldn’t help but be drawn to Llewellyn’s unaffected attitude.

Not burdened by her reputation as the Golden Nightingale, nor fixated on her being a small female swordswoman.

He simply saw Melody as she was, which made her comfortable, like Lucilla.

Of course. Melody thought with a faint smile.

“Still. Thank you.”

This time it was pure gratitude that couldn’t be denied or refuted. Llewellyn heard it, blinked quietly, and looked up at the sky.

The sunset was fading, mixing with the night sky. Unlike the false night sky he had seen recently, it was pleasant to look at.

With only the sound of rippling water, Melody had approached to within arm’s reach of Llewellyn.