Ch.7Chapter 7. What’s Lin’s Ideal Type?

The journey through the nameless forest was nearing its end.

As befitting the starting area of Chapter 1, there were no enemies threatening enough to pose danger to Lucy and Lin.

However, while there were no enemies per se, there was no shortage of elements that tormented them.

From small poisonous insects to harmful creatures like snakes that lurked in blind spots, and trees that all looked identical enough to make one lose their sense of direction if they let their guard down for even a moment, among other things.

It was sufficiently dangerous for a non-combatant and a quadruple amputee.

“Ah~.”

Lin acted with Lucy as his priority.

Even when his posture was uncomfortable, he would continue walking or carrying Lucy as long as she was comfortable in her swaddling cloth. Though he was drenched in sweat, he would push forward on their forced march, but would immediately rest if Lucy showed even the slightest sign of fatigue.

Even now, when Lucy’s stomach growled, Lin unhesitatingly took out honey and brought a spoonful to Lucy’s mouth.

“Mmm, ah~.”

Lucy opened her mouth, following Lin’s lead.

She eagerly accepted the honey he offered.

Though she had no choice without hands or feet, Lucy enjoyed mealtime because she could see Lin carefully watching whether she was eating well or had eaten enough.

“Isn’t Lin going to eat?”

“If I need to.”

“Lin should eat too…”

“I’m fine for now.”

He wasn’t fine.

Lin’s stomach growled constantly.

No matter how much Lucy worried, Lin would only take out a brown weed-like substance from his pocket and chew on it when he felt like he might collapse from hunger.

When she asked what it was, he said it was boiled and soaked bracken.

Lucy was about to strongly insist that he eat a proper meal, but—

“It makes me anxious, please…!”

“It’s fine, I’m used to it from the journey to defeat the Demon King.”

Seeing him smile as if it were nothing, she froze.

She remembered that in the past, while he, a non-combatant, was away doing other tasks, the other party members frequently ate all the meals he had prepared.

It had started when everyone was so hungry they ate mindlessly, but since he calmly said he was fine, they took it for granted.

The truth was, he had been hungry too.

He had been forcing himself to get used to hunger, sacrificing himself solely for the hero’s party.

She deeply regretted having repeatedly belittled him as a “walking inventory with nothing to contribute.”

This was the biggest factor troubling Lucy.

She liked Lin.

My only ally, my best companion, my Lin.

She remembered the warm smile he gave when she told him this.

But mere words weren’t enough to make her feel closer to him.

Lin, who had silently endured all manner of belittlement and disregard, remained unresponsive to her hesitant displays of affection.

She now wanted to close the considerable distance with the man who had never left no matter how much she pushed him away, but it didn’t seem like much would change.

“Are you uncomfortable somewhere? You don’t look well.”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Tell me if you need anything.”

I wish you would smile at me genuinely when you look at me.

But Lucy knew she had no right to make such a request, so she gave a bitter smile.

“No, I’m fine.”

“Alright.”

“Lin.”

“Yes?”

“…”

“What is it?”

“…Just, thank you.”

“I’m only doing what I should.”

Lucy worried that Lin’s kindness might be coming from a sense of obligation.

—

There was a reason Lin was pushing himself to the extreme to keep moving.

First was the existence of potential pursuers.

He didn’t know if there were any.

But he had to assume there were and avoid the worst-case scenario.

Rainford was a meticulous man.

For the sake of the Imperial Princess, he would want to eliminate even the slightest possibility of danger.

He might have secretly sent pursuers on his own initiative.

Or even if not him, Rinasien herself might have given the order.

She, who desired to stand at the top, lacked the patience to temporarily set aside obstacles according to necessity or priority.

‘She’s always lacked patience. Since childhood.’

Lin knew very well the Imperial Princess’s tendency to act without properly checking whether something would be a stumbling block or a lifeline.

He used to like that proactive side of her.

“Lin, are you listening?”

“Sorry, I was focusing on checking our surroundings.”

“I don’t hear anything suspicious.”

“That’s good.”

“Lin.”

“Yes.”

“Focus on me.”

“Alright.”

“I only have you, don’t I?”

“That’s not exactly…”

“I only have you. Who else is by my side besides you?”

“…No one.”

“And you only have me.”

If she meant as the only hero who could save the world, then that was true.

Lin nodded lightly.

Lucy’s face brightened.

“What would Lin like to do if the world becomes peaceful?”

“If it becomes peaceful?”

“I want to know how you’d like to spend the rest of your life.”

Lucy’s mouth itched with anticipation.

It was a topic she had come up with after much deliberation.

She had concluded that rather than continuing to talk about the past, which only brought her disadvantage, she should try discussing the future.

Lucy wanted to hear Lin say that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

Even knowing there was very little chance he would say such a thing, she was eagerly listening with her ears perked up.

“Hmm, I’d like to rest a bit. Not as much as Lucy, but I’ve been running non-stop.”

“Oh… Is that all?”

“I can’t remember the last time I properly rested.”

“And after that? After you’ve rested enough? Since you saved the world, you’ll have lots of treasure and fame. Isn’t there anything you’d like to do with that?”

“Those rewards should go to Lucy, who did the actual hard work.”

“Still! As a member of the hero’s party, you’ll get quite a bit even if not as much as me!”

“Hmm.”

Lin tried to think, but he couldn’t really imagine it.

“It doesn’t feel real. Maybe because I’ve always lived hand to mouth.”

“I see…”

“But if I had money, I suppose I’d build myself a house in a quiet place and live comfortably?”

After saying it, he felt bitter.

Somehow, his wish had changed to something ordinary.

He felt like he had lost his former self, who, if not ambitious, at least had overflowing passion.

“By yourself?”

“Huh?”

“Will you live in that house alone?”

“It’s my house, so just me, I guess?”

“What about, you know, starting a family? Something like that?”

“I’m not popular.”

“No, Lin is handsome.”

“Hmm.”

“I wasn’t really looking properly when I said that before!”

“That time” referred to when she first met Lin.

It was indeed the day she told him to wear a mask because he was ugly.

As the conversation kept hitting roadblocks, Lucy asked directly:

“Then what’s your ideal type? What’s Lin’s ideal type?”

Lin’s footsteps stopped.

“Ideal type?”

“Yes, ideal type.”

To be honest, Lin found this conversation uncomfortable.

Perhaps it was because he had been exposed to indifference or malice for so long.

It felt strange that someone wanted to know about him.

It was surreal to have a gentle, lively voice directed at him.

While he was certainly the protagonist of his own life, he wasn’t the protagonist of the world, so it felt very alien and unfamiliar.

Lin was confused by this topic that seemed more suited for the popular crowd.

“Lin…?”

But he was currently taking care of Lucy.

He needed to humor her.

He had to do so in order to help her recover her limbs and prepare her to face the dangers of the world again.

“By ideal type, you mean someone I like?”

“I mean the kind of lover or spouse you most desire.”

“Uh…”

“Don’t you have one?”

“Nothing comes to mind immediately, but… someone who isn’t calculating?”

“What about appearance?”

“I’d just be grateful if someone liked me.”

“R-really?”

“Yes, that person would be too good for me. It would be more than I deserve.”

Lucy felt a sense of achievement, as if she had finally scored a point.

Did she like him? Of course.

Was she a calculating person? If she had been, she wouldn’t have been backstabbed for her reckless arrogance.

In fact, she had been extremely devoted to her companions.

…Although she had shown Lin a lot of shortcomings, she had now resolved to change, so Lucy hoped she would soon qualify as a candidate for his affection.

She optimistically thought that since there would be no competition anyway, she just needed to win his heart.

“What about you, Lucy? What’s your ideal type?”

“My ideal type?”

A new opportunity had arrived.

Lin was unusually asking about Lucy.

This time, she would give him a hint that she had him in mind, just enough for him to pick up on it.

“I like someone who is kind.”

Lin, who accepted all her irritation and anger.

“Considerate.”

Lin, who noticed and asked whenever she shifted even slightly.

“Someone who protects me.”

Lin, the only ally who saved and protected her from the hero party’s betrayal.

Wasn’t that enough to convey her feelings?

“I thought so.”

That was the end of the conversation.

There was nothing more to add after that refreshing conclusion.

But what did he mean by “I thought so”?

How did he know?

Did Lin already know her feelings?

As Lucy was busy connecting doubts and questions on her own, she eventually turned pale.

“I like someone who is kind.”

Rainford, with his handsome blonde hair and blue eyes, who was kind to everyone.

“Considerate.”

Rainford, who understood others’ feelings and used gentle words and actions.

“Someone who protects me.”

Rainford, who defended her with his shield in every battle against demons and protected her, his fiancée, without laying a finger on her inappropriately.

“No!!!”

“Lucy?!”

“That’s not it!”

Realizing her blunder, Lucy shouted in denial.

“What’s wrong, Lucy?”

“Lin!”

“Yes, I’m here.”

“I told you I only have you!”

“I know, you told me earlier.”

“I absolutely wasn’t thinking of Rainford when I said that.”

“Rainford? Oh, you mean about your ideal type.”

“No! I wasn’t thinking of Rainford! Have you forgotten that he incited everyone to cut off my limbs?!”

This was awkward.

Lin had simply assumed that Lucy’s past affection for Rainford was because he matched her ideal type.

That was before Rainford showed his true colors, and judging by his appearance at that time, he had been an ideal fiancé and protector.

That’s why he said “I thought so,” but it seems he had accidentally pressed Lucy’s trigger button.

“Lin, Lin… You of all people shouldn’t misunderstand my feelings like that. Understand?”

“Of course.”

“Lin, I… I only have you. If I’m not in your arms, the world seems to spin, and if I can’t hear your heartbeat when I sleep, I have nightmares every night. Nightmares of that damn Rainford tearing me apart!”

“It’s okay, Lucy. I’ll be by your side if you want me to.”

“Really? You promise?”

“Yes, I promise.”

“I don’t like Rainford. You know that, right?”

“Who would like their enemy?”

“I regret the days I was engaged to that bastard to death.”

“Of course you do. He hurt you.”

Though their words seemed to mesh, they were actually missing each other’s points.

Lucy was trying to deny and convey her feelings, while Lin was trying to soothe her and move past the moment.

The more casually he responded, the more desperately Lucy yearned for Lin.

If I had legs, I would have approached him directly, and if I had arms, I would have embraced him and whispered to him.

I would have sung love songs all night about how much Lucy or Estel adored Lin.

With this body, I can’t do anything.

Yearning bred impatience, impatience bred anxiety, and anxiety bred frustration.

“When will this damn forest ever end!”

Just as Lucy was losing her patience in frustration, Lin’s footsteps stopped again.

Right in front of them was a wooden signpost.

[Just a bit further to Epaltherga, the hopeful city of cold air!]

Lucy glared murderously at the signpost that had made her seem like an impatient woman.

Epaltherga.

The only city located below the Northern Frost Mountains.

The only base where they could stay after leaving this forest.

“So it has come.”

It had been a while since he had spoken to himself.

But that self-talk clearly showed his tension.

The forest without monsters had ended. In other words, the tutorial was over.

From now on, real enemies would start to appear.

According to the memories of Lin, the reincarnated Mr. Lee, who couldn’t be wrong, demons were hiding in that city.