Chapter 40 : Take it off

“A strange ceiling…”

There’s no ceiling.

The scene that greeted me as soon as I opened my eyes wasn’t a hard, stuffy ceiling, but a

breathtakingly open night sky full of stars.

I was lying on flat ground near the lair.

Seeing that I’m still breathing, it seems I thankfully succeeded.

I’m alive.

I started to sit up to see if the others were alright.

As I tensed my upper body to sit up, a sharp, intense pain shot through my entire body, forcing me

back down.

‘My, my back.’

It wasn’t just my back; my whole body ached as if it were bruised.

Every joint was screaming.

What on earth happened?

My memory was fragmented, like someone who had drunk past their limit and blacked out.

Thankfully, it seems I took care of that thing.

Enduring the creeping pain, I groaned and pushed myself up.

As soon as I managed to lift my upper body, a second shock hit me.

The aftermath of the fierce battle had left a huge impact not only on the surrounding terrain but also

on my body.

Including my clothes, for instance.

‘Oh, my clothes…!’

The rule about movie protagonists never getting indecently exposed?

There was no such thing.

My underwear was similarly torn to shreds, revealing the skin beneath.

I gasped in shock and wrapped my arms around myself.

Isn’t this practically being half-naked!

Actually, my magic was more to blame for ripping my clothes, but who asked for a fight in the first

place!

Trembling with humiliation, anger boiled within me.

Having been lectured endlessly about a lady’s proper conduct, I’d always heard that walking around

exposed outside was no different from being a ‘pervert’!

“Quite the noisy awakening.”

The owner of the voice coming from below me was Amiter.

She had her eyes closed, just like when we met in the infirmary.

Is this déjà vu?

It suddenly brings back old memories.

Startled, I turned around.

” did you… see?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t quite understand what you’re saying, but I was already awake when you got up.”

So, even if I don’t know if she saw my body, it means she heard my entire embarrassing display.

“At this rate, I won’t even be able to get married…”

I muttered softly with a gloomy face, too quiet for anyone else to hear.

Ah, but then again, I never planned on getting married in the first place, did I?

That’s the only fortunate part.

[You’re awake?]

Hearing that distinctive voice that drawled the ends of words, Teperi scurried over from somewhere.

Compared to the two of us, she looked quite unharmed.

She slowly approached and asked.

[How are you feeling? Are you okay?]

“No.”

“Not at all.”

We simultaneously shook our heads, expressing our disagreement.

Honestly, it’s a relief that no bones seem to be broken.

The only silver lining, perhaps, is that compared to my clothes, I don’t have that many minor

wounds?

Since I wasn’t directly hit by any major attacks, my condition is probably exhaustion from

overexerting myself.

I was more worried about Amiter.

She took the shrapnel directly in her back.

She wore her usual frown, looking as if she had bitten into something sour.

“Hey, take off your shirt.”

“Here? I refuse.”

“I need to check the wound.”

“I’m fine… Really, I’m fine!”

While we were arguing, Teperi kept sneaking glances at my body.

Come to think of it, I’m practically half-naked right now too, aren’t I?

“What are you looking at.”

I adjusted my tattered clothes and glared at Teperi.

She hastily waved her hands, making excuses.

[No, no, I was just checking if you had any wounds!]

“Perverted b*tch.”

I said it half-jokingly, but after I glared at her, she seemed to freeze on the spot.

Why, have you secretly been playing with yourself at night thinking about me?

You’re more lewd than I expected.

“Enough, enough!”

After bickering for a long time, Amiter finally agreed to take off her shirt.

Since she was hesitating, which didn’t suit her build, I decided to personally take charge of

undressing her.

I slowly approached her and grabbed the hem of her shirt.

“Your back, let me see your back.”

“This crazy b*tch…”

I let my guard down since she was holding onto her shirt with both hands, but a tail suddenly

appeared from somewhere and struck my chin.

Ack, it can move on its own?

Thankfully, the fluffy tail didn’t inflict much damage.

As this persisted, I got slightly annoyed, forgot my own pain, and lunged at her.

“Just, take it, off already!”

“You have to take it off anyway!”

Amiter ended up having her shirt stripped off like a maiden being assaulted.

…That phrasing sounds a bit strange.

Bras weren’t very common items in this world.

Once the shirt was off, her bare white skin was immediately revealed.

She shouted loudly, her face flushed with embarrassment.

“Quickly!”

“…Just look at the wound.”

I was a little curious since she’s a beastkin, but her body didn’t have any noticeable fur.

Instead, it was smooth, like a woman who had removed her body hair.

At least, her upper body was like that.

What about the lower part?

As soon as the shirt was off, Amiter spun around, presenting her back.

Her hands covered her chest shyly.

‘Sh*t.’

It was the same with Teperi; everyone has bigger breasts than me.

Was the novel I possessed perhaps a romance fantasy?

Although my size isn’t small, I couldn’t help but suddenly feel inadequate, hunching my shoulders.

The black market, a now hazy memory.

The ‘Pung-yu-hwan’ I saw at that auction suddenly came to mind. (TL Note: Pung-yu-hwan is likely

a fictional breast enhancement product.)

I forcefully shook my head, banishing the thought.

‘It’s fine, it’s not like I particularly need something like that…’

And let me repeat, my breasts are of average size.

It was important, so I said it twice.

[Oh my goodness… ]

While I was preoccupied with useless thoughts after undressing Amiter, Teperi examined the

wound, radiating sympathy.

Her back was, well, to put it simply, f*cked up.

The one saving grace was that all the fragments seemed to have reverted to mana?

Considering it was like a direct hit from a grenade, the wounds were actually quite minor.

“Quickly, please.”

Nevertheless, the wound looked quite bad.

Even though the fragments were gone, the marks of the explosion that had deeply wounded her

body looked serious enough to require weeks of recuperation, even with a beastkin’s superior

regenerative abilities.

‘Amazing.’

If I had taken that explosion head-on without a shield, I would have died right then and there.

She had become a shield for us without a moment’s hesitation.

I’m not usually one to cry, and, well, perhaps because of that, no tears came.

Still, it’s true that I was deeply moved.

Could I have done the same?

Teperi was generously applying the potion I gave her to the wound.

It might look like a cheap concoction, but it’s far better than any ointment.

Still, unless it’s an Elixir, expecting a complete recovery is difficult; she’ll need proper treatment

once we return.

Elixirs were so expensive that even I balked at the price.

It must have been incomparably more painful than applying antiseptic to a wound, yet she endured

stoically, suppressing even her groans.

Her tail, however, was honest, standing stiffly upright and trembling.

Perhaps because she belongs to the canine family, her tail is quite expressive.

Unlike her unblemished front, Amiter’s back bore quite a few scars that predated this injury.

They were marks that showed the kind of life she had lived.

Her back heaving and flinching, she turned her gaze sideways towards me and forced a smile.

“So, how does it feel to be a Dragon Slayer?”

“Dragon Slayer? What are you talking about.”

People who hunt dragons are given the title Dragon Slayer.

Honestly, it’s a very childish and embarrassing title.

‘Hey, look! The Dragon Slayer is passing by!’

‘Oooh! How amazing!’

Just thinking about it is humiliating.

I decided to keep this fact a secret for now, aside from the official report.

Besides, the method wasn’t exactly honorable in the first place.

Still, taking down an adult dragon was indeed a remarkable feat.

Dragons aren’t exactly common in the world.

How many people on the entire continent could have achieved such a feat?

[What was that? That, uh, black necklace.]

Teperi asked me while applying the medicine.

The black necklace and ring that emanated strange power.

They certainly looked suspicious.

I considered telling her about them but decided to keep quiet for now.

“…You’ll get hurt if you know.”

“Please keep it a secret for now.”

To exaggerate slightly, if I were caught with these while visiting the Holy Kingdom, it would mean

prison at the very least.

My status as a ducal daughter wouldn’t be much help.

Perhaps just enough to avoid the death penalty?

This was the first time I’d used them, and I never want to again.

The moment I put them on, nausea and dizziness washed over me; it felt like I was going to die.

“All done, right?”

“Okay then.”

As soon as the potion was fully applied, Amiter threw her shirt back on like lightning.

Her back must still be stinging; her endurance is also impressive.

Turning onto her side, she soon began making sleeping sounds.

She’s definitely pretending to sleep out of embarrassment.

‘Ah, come to think of it, me too.’

I had forgotten for a moment, but my torn clothes were now barely hanging on, almost like strips of

toilet paper wound around me, about to fall off.

I don’t have any spare clothes left either.

My head aches, and a sigh escapes me.

[Let’s get some sleep too.]

[Let’s leave Amiter to rest since she’s hurt.]

Teperi readily left Amiter alone and led me a short distance away, interlocking her fingers with

mine.

Lying down, she looked at me with a smile, and somehow, her face felt more terrifying than the

adult dragon.