Ch.73Chapter 73: Put Me to Sleep

After leaving the Adler, my steps felt light as I headed toward Shizu’s lodging.

Even though I was carrying her on my back.

She wasn’t heavy at all.

I merely bent my waist slightly and supported her with both hands to carry her.

I couldn’t feel her weight on my back at all.

Why, you ask?

How could I possibly feel the weight of someone as precious to me as my own existence?

And even if I did feel her weight.

Haa-haa-

Your steady, comfortable breathing tickling my ear gives me energy, so it’s not difficult at all.

I simply carried her on my back without feeling any difficulty whatsoever.

Even while deep in sleep, with her face resting on my right shoulder, she made sounds other than the breathing that tickled my ear with each step I took.

“Hehe…”

A happy laugh without any trace of worry or concern.

“So cozy…”

That was all—just a brief appreciation for my back, which was now serving in place of her legs.

When I hear her say such things in her sleep, despite being pressed against my back—which is far from soft due to the lean muscles I’ve developed from various training since childhood.

It naturally makes me feel like I’m gaining strength I didn’t even have before.

Come to think of it.

That rainy day when we were young.

Besides carrying her home as she sobbed, making our way up the winding hill.

I had carried her once before my regression.

Not peacefully like now, under the quiet night sky.

It was a life-or-death situation where I ran desperately, trusting only my two legs to save her after she was severely injured and lost consciousness.

It’s a memory from a timeline that only I remember now.

How could I forget?

It was the last thing I did before facing my first death.

To successfully hide her body in a safe place.

It was a moment of desperate effort to remove her from the malicious hands targeting her, while forcibly controlling my body that had reached its limit.

How could I possibly forget that?

It was the same back then.

Even as I pushed my body to its limits, using fighting techniques that should never be used, carrying her on my back and running endlessly.

Even though my heart felt like it was bursting with each step and blood poured from my mouth.

Hearing your faint breathing over the sound of my own heartbeat.

I was filled with a vitality that made me wonder where such strength came from, driving my body and mind forward.

Of course, after safely hiding her, I reached my limit and paid the price of death along with my shattered vessel.

What followed were memories I’d rather not recall.

-At last.

-Finally.

-I have found you.

The appearance of the demon god who welcomed my death with a voice so eerie it gave me goosebumps.

And the unpleasant moment when my body, which had just breathed its last, was forcibly revived by a gesture from that being whose identity was so ambiguous I couldn’t tell if it was male or female.

My first death was far from peaceful—it seemed too cruel a price for saving someone precious I had only just managed to remember.

I ended up becoming entertainment for a transcendent being with malicious intent.

Oh dear… I meant to think only pleasant thoughts, but unwittingly recalled something unpleasant.

I should continue with positive thoughts.

Anyway, although the situation is incomparably lighter than back then.

Regardless of the severity of the circumstances.

I feel like I can do anything as long as I have you with me.

Unlike carrying someone who’s conscious, carrying someone who’s asleep or unconscious and can’t control their body is extremely difficult, yet I don’t find it hard at all.

“Isn’t it really difficult to carry someone who’s asleep or unconscious? Aren’t you tired?”

My sister, who was guiding me from the front, asked with a voice mixed with concern and playfulness.

But my answer to that question was already decided.

“She’s not heavy at all.”

Just like that.

I answered immediately as soon as the question was asked.

“I didn’t expect her to fall asleep after drinking, but this is fine too.”

I added these words afterward.

Come to think of it.

I remember promising to carry her on my back earlier today while we were walking around.

Who would have thought I’d fulfill her wish before a day had even passed?

I’m happy, but also a bit disappointed.

If I was going to carry her, I would have preferred to do it when she was fully conscious.

Not when she was asleep from the effects of alcohol like this.

Well, there will be other opportunities, I suppose.

With that thought settled, I continued walking slowly.

“Hooh…”

My sister turned her head to look at me as I continued walking without showing any sign of strain, and an expression of approval appeared on her face.

She seemed about to say something, but instead:

“We’re almost there.”

She only informed me that we had nearly reached the end point of my journey, while still maintaining that look of approval.

I’m not sure why she’s looking at me with such approval for something so trivial.

But my sister will understand with time.

Spending time with someone as precious as your own body.

No matter what form it takes.

It’s time that can never be taken lightly.

I’m simply happy that I’ve been given this time.

Shizu’s lodging was my sister’s quarters.

“The female soldiers’ quarters are full right now. She’ll have to stay in my room for now.”

Hearing that actually gave me a sense of relief.

I was just about to ask my sister to look after her, even if it meant imposing, because I was worried about leaving Shizu defenseless in her drunken state.

Knowing she would be sharing a room with my sister, one of the top fighters, naturally gave me peace of mind that someone would be watching over her vulnerable state.

“This way.”

After entering, my sister pointed to a room located a suitable distance from the entrance.

Still carrying Shizu on my back, I followed her gesture to the room.

There was a nice room with facilities sufficient for one person and an equally nice bed.

“You can lay her down here.”

Judging by her satisfied expression as she pointed to the bed, this seemed to be the room with the best facilities among those in my sister’s quarters.

“Well then…”

I carefully moved to the bed in the corner of the room and, with even more careful movements, transferred Shizu from my back to the bed.

While carrying someone might be one thing, transferring them from being carried to lying down without causing discomfort is no easy task, so I was grateful my sister was there to help.

“Ugh…”

As my sister and I carefully laid Shizu on the bed.

Perhaps because she had moved from my hard back to the soft bed.

“Huu…”

A light sigh escaped from her lips.

It was a sigh that felt much sweeter than the light breathing that had been tickling my ear.

She’s the only person who can make my heart flutter with just a sigh.

“Sleep well. I thought the cold air while being carried would wake her up, but seeing her sleep straight through to the bed, she must be tired.”

“While you were out gathering magic stones, Shizu and I were busy exploring outside.”

As my sister spoke while carefully examining the sleeping Shizu, I nodded slowly and opened my mouth.

“Even though the volcanic ash has cleared and it’s quite clear, it must have been cold. No wonder she’s tired.”

My sister nodded slowly, seeming to accept my explanation.

Looking at Shizu lying there with a peaceful expression, I felt satisfied that I had completed my tasks for the day.

Now that I was done, I could say goodbye to my sister, leave here, and return to my own lodging.

“Well, thanks for bringing her here. No matter how much you’re my brother, it would look strange for you to stay here too long, so you should head back now.”

As if reading my expression, my sister issued her dismissal.

“I was going to do that anyway.”

I looked at Shizu lying on the bed one more time and turned to leave the room.

Knock knock knock

If only I hadn’t heard someone urgently knocking on the entrance door to my sister’s quarters.

“…? Who could it be at this hour?”

My sister, with a puzzled voice, gestured for me to stop and quickly moved toward the entrance.

The situation seemed strange to me too.

Usually, unless it’s an extremely urgent situation, people don’t come so hastily to the private space of one of the fortress’s highest authorities during her personal time.

I was becoming even more puzzled because my heightened senses weren’t detecting any threats from inside or outside the fortress.

“Sigh… I have no choice. I’ll be there soon, so go ahead and wait for me.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

I heard my sister’s voice filled with regretful resignation and a soldier’s voice that was energetic but appropriately modulated.

Click

After the sound of the door opening and closing.

“Huu…”

My sister entered the room where I was, with an expression that showed a hint of fatigue unlike before.

Judging by her expression, I could tell something had happened, so:

“Is something wrong?”

I carefully opened my mouth to find out what was going on, but:

“I’ll tell you the details tomorrow morning.”

My sister gave an evasive answer rather than responding to my question, and as she entered the room, she put on the coat she had taken off and headed back toward the exit.

What could have happened that would make my sister, a key figure in the fortress’s defense along with Lord Nighthart, give up even her rest time and hurry outside?

Suspicion was beginning to coil like a snake in my mind, but:

“It looks like I’ll have to stay at the command post today, so you can stay here and look after Shizu if you want.”

My sister said only this, showing no intention of resolving my suspicions, and quickly opened the door and went outside.

All I heard was:

-So, what was discovered?

Just my sister asking a question to her subordinate knight.

Click

With the sound of the door closing.

The brief liveliness that had arisen when three people entered—one asleep and two awake—changed to quietness.

Haa-haa-

Only the sound of peaceful breathing quietly filled the room.

Come to think of it.

Even including memories from before my regression.

…This was the first time I had seen Shizu sleeping so defenseless.

With that realization:

Gulp

I couldn’t help but swallow dryly.

It wasn’t intentional.

I never thought I would spend time with her in this form.

Haa-haa-

Each time I saw her chest rise and fall slightly with her rhythmic breathing.

As my mind began to grow more complicated:

“…Sleep well.”

I barely managed to shake off the various thoughts arising in my head.

And simply observed Shizu sleeping on the bed intently.

It might sound cliché to say this now.

But her sleeping face with its peaceful expression truly was.

As beautiful as an angel without wings.

So much so that I couldn’t choose to look elsewhere.

Originally, I had planned to entrust Shizu to my sister, carefully leave, and end my day.

But seeing her sleeping so defenseless like this, I can’t bring myself to leave.

It seems that like my sister, who has to go to the fortress command room for what will likely be an all-night schedule.

I too will end my day by watching over the sleeping Shizu.