Ch.371Side Story: The Road to the Village

[Huaaang. My feet smell. I want to go back to being a soul.]

The Dark Spiritmaster was making a tearful face while shaking her leg that had Ppopsil’s poop on it. Her chest bounced along with her movements, creating such a violent sight that one might wonder if she was doing it deliberately.

But looking at her face full of tears, it was clear she wasn’t doing it intentionally.

No, how could an adult woman cry like that just because she stepped in poop?

Especially when it was the poop of her own pet wolf.

“Just go wash it off. Don’t spread the smell around the house.”

[Ah.]

The Dark Spiritmaster nodded as if she’d forgotten about that and immediately headed to the bathroom with her stinky foot.

I thought she could have just flown there, but whatever.

[Hmm?]

Stella, who was sitting beside me, tilted her head with a subtle expression.

“What’s wrong?”

Wondering if there was a problem, I asked, and Stella nodded while extending her hand.

[She can’t return to being a soul?]

“What?”

I understood that she had become a mental entity, but ultimately it was still composed of a soul.

The fact that she couldn’t return to her original soul state was confusing.

[Hmm, it’s not a major concern, but it’s strange.]

“……”

[Didn’t you say Bellas would be coming later? We should make a list of things to ask when he arrives.]

“He did say he’d come…”

I didn’t expect him to wander around like such a vagabond. When he gained his freedom, I didn’t want to constrain him, so I just told him to come when he had time, but that seems to have been a mistake.

“Sigh, I should have given him a specific time. Having lived for hundreds of years, he probably doesn’t have a proper concept of time.”

[Honestly. Bellas has such strong vagrant vibes that he might be running away because he’s afraid of you.]

“I think it’s precisely because he’s a vagrant that he wouldn’t run away.”

[Is that so?]

“Yes, if he thought I was seriously coming after him, he probably wouldn’t dare run away.”

As I said this with a smile, telling her to trust me, Stella seemed to find it amusing and leaned her head against me again, gently sliding her hand up my thigh.

[When are you going to the village to buy meat? I’ll go with you.]

That’s nice of her to offer, but…

“I don’t think that’s possible this time.”

Because Erika Bright, properly dressed, was approaching with a slight cough.

“I heard you went last time, so please let me have this turn, Saintess.”

[……]

Stella looked at me with puffed cheeks. Well, Erika wasn’t wrong.

As I awkwardly smiled and stroked Stella’s hair, she moved her head with my hand but pinched my thigh hard.

[Come back soon.]

She was a woman whose words and actions didn’t match.

* * *

On the way to Iceburn village.

Erika could have comfortably ridden in the carriage’s cargo area, but she insisted on sitting next to the driver’s seat with me.

As a result, the space was a bit tight and we had to sit pressed against each other, but Erika seemed to enjoy this, subtly pressing her hips closer.

“Aren’t you too close?”

“Do you dislike it?”

Did she really have to ask like that?

She waited for my answer with a subtle smile on her lips, knowing full well what I would say, looking like a dog wagging its tail.

“No, I don’t dislike it. I’m just worried you might fall.”

At my words, Erika rubbed her cheek against my shoulder for no reason. Along with the softness of her skin, a lemon scent tickled me with the autumn breeze.

“You smell like the Saintess.”

“……”

Of course I would smell like Stella since she had been leaning on my shoulder until just a while ago.

Actually, I wasn’t sure what fragrance she used.

I thought it might be something like the warm scent of sunshine.

“Let me have the reins for a moment.”

Wondering what she was up to, I handed them over, and she grabbed them with both hands, stood up abruptly, and sat between my legs.

“Hmph.”

It was so sudden and bold that I froze without realizing it, and Erika took advantage of this moment to lean against me and place the reins back in my hands.

Now I was naturally holding her in my arms.

This wasn’t behavior the usual Erika would show, but since yesterday, something seemed to have been resolved in her heart, and she acted without hesitation.

“Hmph.”

Another snort.

Erika was clearly showing that she was upset.

“Are you jealous?”

“What else does it look like I’m doing?”

She lay back completely, resting the back of her head on my shoulder. She even turned her head slightly and pressed her lips against my neck.

“Hmm? If this isn’t jealousy, then what is it?”

It was the first time Erika had directly mentioned the word “jealousy,” which was somewhat shocking.

But it also meant that Erika was passionately seeking affection.

Yesterday’s apology seemed to have settled in a good way for Erika.

Jealousy is a natural emotion.

I had no intention of controlling their emotions by telling them not to be jealous, nor did I have the right to.

That would be control driven by greed, just sweeping problems under the rug.

Rather, I wanted them to let me know clearly.

So I could do something before things got out of hand.

With these thoughts, I was about to say something to Erika, who was tickling my neck with the tip of her nose.

“Are you worried?”

“Mm.”

Erika beat me to it with her question. Though my response was ambiguous, it conveyed agreement.

“Good, that’s enough then.”

As if something had been resolved, Erika turned her head back to its original position, saying she felt good.

The warmth and breath that had been tickling my neck disappeared, leaving me momentarily empty.

But this time, she nestled completely into my arms.

“The fact that you’re worried about me being jealous is enough. It means you care about me.”

“Is that really enough?”

It was hard to believe, but Erika responded with a voice tinged with laughter.

“Of course. I’m the one who got over you sleeping with Findenai in bed yesterday, so would I really be troubled by the Saintess leaning on your shoulder?”

She wasn’t wrong.

But it was a delicate question for me to answer, so I could only remain silent.

“You care about me. You love me. Yes, that’s enough.”

“……”

“We already shared our feelings yesterday. Even though it hurt, seeing you desperately desire me felt good.”

“Ahem.”

When I turned my head away in embarrassment, she found that amusing too and touched my chin.

Pressing under my chin with her fingers, Erika spoke playfully.

“It made me feel like you love me that much. That you wanted me so badly you wouldn’t stop even when I pushed you away or begged you that it hurt.”

“……”

“Am I wrong?”

“No, you’re right.”

It wasn’t wrong, but honestly, I was embarrassed. That my true feelings were revealed so clearly through my actions.

‘I’m not a student anymore.’

When you’re young, you feel shy about expressing what you like, and I, having just awakened to the emotion of love, was exactly like that.

But I didn’t want to just wait passively for them out of embarrassment.

So I hugged Erika, who was in my arms facing the autumn breeze, a little tighter.

“Hehe.”

Saying she liked that, Erika leaned into me as well.

Would this warm time continue forever?

This morning, from Findenai to the Dark Spiritmaster, everyone had made quite a fuss, which made me see the concept of peace differently.

But the autumn path filled with Erika’s lemon scent offered a unique sensation that couldn’t be felt anywhere else.

It was a refreshing autumn.

Yes, not a single leaf had fallen, but this autumn would surely become an unforgettable moment.

“Hmm.”

That’s how it would have been.

If only Erika hadn’t rubbed her hips slightly against me with a breath mixed with pleasure.

“…Erika, wasn’t this a nice atmosphere just now?”

Wondering if I had misunderstood, I asked, and Erika playfully pressed her hips down firmly.

“It still is?”

“You were the beast all along.”

“That’s rich coming from you.”

Press.

Erika slipped her hand between her buttocks and my groin and began to fidget and touch.

Her touch was truly sensual and made my heart pound passionately.

“You know we can’t do it, right?”

Still in a light voice, Erika declared to me. We were in a carriage, and moreover, outside.

We were about to arrive at Iceburn village, and I couldn’t walk around the village exuding the scent of night flowers.

“Let’s just stay exactly like this.”

Erika’s hand didn’t stop, but it wasn’t passionate either.

Just a faint stimulation.

That’s all it was.

“It’s torturous.”

When I answered while exercising patience, Erika smiled brightly.

“Yes, I know.”

Really.

In many ways, she was a woman who put me to the test.