episode_0055

“It’s all because of Gunter.”

Finally, Priddy found the answer to the question that had been lingering in her mind every time she looked at Brünhilde. Having found the answer, there was no need for her to waste any more time pondering.

She suppressed her resentment towards Gunter deep within her heart and carefully laid Hilde on top of her cloak before turning back towards the corpse of the giant.

There, three vials were lying peacefully overturned.

A headless giant corpse, a red-haired sorcerer half-submerged in the blood spilled by Nohm, and a betrayer lying sprawled with a greatsword pierced through the back of his head.

It was a sight that involuntarily caused a headache.

As long as Brünhilde remained unconscious, the aftermath of all these events was solely Priddy’s responsibility.

“For now… we need to leave this place before the paladins arrive.”

The top priority was to avoid encountering the paladins.

A party of Eastern adventurers, three out of four being rookies, having subjugated the giant corpse and the abyssal priest—if news of this spread, it would undoubtedly cause a major uproar.

Everyone who heard the story would be curious about their identities.

Some might even go beyond curiosity and harbor suspicions.

How could such skilled individuals suddenly emerge without any prior history, as if they had fallen from the sky?

In other words, once the fact of subduing the giant corpse became known, it meant that there would be those seeking to unearth Priddy’s and Hilde’s past.

“…That’s dangerous.”

If things went awry, information about Hilde could reach the Kingdom of Lhynn or Gunter, or even the heroic parties of this place.

If that happened, the peaceful life that Brünhilde currently yearned for would be jeopardized.

Therefore, those who subdued the giant corpse and the abyssal priest had to remain unidentified.

“The problem lies with that woman…”

Priddy looked down at Amy, who was lying next to her.

She was a witness to the subjugation of the giant corpse—a woman who had seen Hilde’s true face and might have overheard Gerda’s words, a potential threat.

For safety’s sake, it would have been right to kill her here.

If she were to speak, Hilde’s true identity would be exposed to the entire world.

“……”

With that, Freide gazed down at the red-haired sorceress with an expressionless face.

“…No, let’s deal with this corpse first.”

Once again, he licked his lips and turned his gaze towards Gerda.

Unlike the bewildered look when looking at Amy, his golden eyes were filled with disdain and enmity as he looked at the fallen body.

A woman who had not even acknowledged the favor of being saved from the giant and the abyss priest, and who had immediately attempted betrayal at the first opportunity.

She was a being unworthy of sympathy, merely a lump of flesh in the current situation.

If he didn’t dispose of her here, the identity of the one who killed the giant would be immediately revealed.

“It’s too wet to burn, so I guess I’ll have to just toss it roughly into the woods.”

Freide raised his greatsword, which had been stuck in the back of her head, and swiftly flung Gerda’s limp body far away like a skewer.

The robust body flew weakly through the air and landed deep in the thicket.

After disposing of Gerda, Freide grabbed Amy’s nape and dragged her over next to Hilde.

For now, he had decided to spare her life, uncertain of what might happen later.

It was a decision made after much deliberation.

She was a woman he found disagreeable in many ways… but honestly, she hadn’t really committed any crime deserving of death.

It wasn’t as if she had betrayed him like Gerda, and it wasn’t his role to end her life on mere suspicion of knowing Brunhilde’s true identity.

That would be an act of villainy with no justification, even by Freide’s much compromised sense of justice after striking down a hero.

“So… for now, just keep watch. If she tries to reveal Brunhilde’s identity, it won’t be too late to kill her then.”

Having reached a conclusion, Freide alternated his gaze between Hilde and Amy, then let out a shallow sigh as he hoisted Amy onto his back and secured her with his robe.

“Ugh…!”

With his freed hands, he carefully lifted Hilde.

The situation of a small girl carrying two much larger women, one in front and one behind, was bizarre and incongruous, but for Freide, this was the best option.

The knight had to avoid being caught, so dragging Amy along would leave a different trace from the fleeing footsteps.

“Phew….”

Fortunately, Freide was able to walk somewhat comfortably while carrying both women. Her petite frame concealed a robust strength, enough to effortlessly carry two people.

If her strength had been lacking, she wouldn’t have been able to wield a large greatsword in battle. So for Freide, maintaining balance was a bit tricky, but avoiding detection wasn’t too difficult.

“Ugh….”

…Although it seemed a bit heavy, causing her arms and legs to tremble slightly.

◆◆

In this manner, Freide, with the two women in tow, carried the giant’s corpse and ventured deep into the forest.

– Puh!

She kicked Gerda’s corpse with her right foot, sending it flying ahead. It was a natural course of action for her. With Helde and Amy alone being cumbersome to move, she had no intention of carrying the traitor’s body as well.

After roughly twenty minutes of walking.

“Phew….”

Deciding it was sufficient, Freide stopped and leaned Helde and Amy against a tree before carefully tidying up Gerda’s corpse.

She made it look like Gerda died not by her sword, but from enemy attacks while fleeing. It wasn’t a grand task. She simply erased her own footprints, smashed the skull to make it seem like a magical explosion, and removed any traces of the sword.

After completing all these tasks, Freide continued on for another hour, carrying Helde and Amy until she found an unoccupied cave at the edge of the forest.

“Haah….”

A perfect temporary shelter. Freide placed Helde and Amy inside the cave, soothing her weary body while waiting for the two to awaken.

◆◆

They rested for about ten minutes.

Freide untied the wire rope that had bound Hilde’s body, soaked pieces of cloth in water from her backpack, and carefully wiped Hilde’s face.

A face dirtied by the blood and dirt of the corpse giant.

To Freide, even that appearance was undeniably beautiful, but objectively speaking, it was undeniably filthy.

After all, it was the blood of a rotten corpse, which couldn’t possibly be good for the skin.

So, if there was time to wipe it away, it would undoubtedly be a good thing for Hilde as well.

That’s how Freide judged it. Even though it was partly driven by selfish motives.

“Ugh….”

Hilde slightly furrowed her eyebrows at the touch of the cloth on her cheek, emitting a faint groan.

“Oh…!”

At that sight, Freide involuntarily held her breath for a moment. Perhaps she was about to wake up.

A strange sensation, as if she were doing something that shouldn’t be discovered, even though she wasn’t doing anything wrong.

Struggling to explain the tension, Freide quietly observed Hilde’s expression, even lowering her breathing.

“……Uhh…”

However, Hilde, without showing any sign of waking up, just mumbled in her sleep, mixing in groans as she rubbed her face against the cloth pieces.

As if captivated by the coolness touching her cheek.

“Uh, oh…?”

For Freide, it was an utterly perplexing situation.

The fact that Hilde was lightly tapping her own cheek with her hand, as if pouting, was something unimaginable in the past.

However, the soft sensation seeping through the cloth was an undeniable reality.

Unconsciously, Freide found herself gently caressing Hilde’s cheek with her fingers.

“Ugh…!”

Her heartbeat quickened. Her cheeks reddened. Her breathing grew rougher.

She couldn’t tear her gaze away from Hilde’s glistening lips, moistened by the cloth.

Unintentionally, Freide extended her tongue, savoring the taste.

Staring blankly at the transparent, viscous droplet trickling between Hilde’s slightly parted lips.

“……Ugh.”

Thirst flared up like a blaze.

Since they had barely managed to reunite, the desire that she had forcibly suppressed for so long didn’t want to retreat.

‘Is this… okay, at least this much…? It should be fine, right?’

The golden eyes trembled, expanding and contracting. Plausible excuses filled the mind, swaying within desire.

“This is just… yes, wiping! Just wiping…!”

Freide stood before the judge, defending herself like a guilty sinner, running her index finger along Hilde’s lips and down his chin, where saliva trickled.

Unconsciously, she almost delved inside Hilde’s lips, but managed to stop her fingers just in time.

“Ugh….”

After wiping Hilde’s lips, Freide gazed at her own index finger, heavily coated with Hilde’s saliva, as if entranced.

“Haah.”

She inserted it into her own mouth, savoring the taste of the saliva on her fingertip.

“Ugh…!”

A sensation surged from the tip of her tongue through her spine, flowing into the depths of her pelvis.

Freide, slightly dampening her waist, closed her eyes and moaned, squeezing her thighs together.

“Delicious….”

A sweetness akin to fruit soaked in honey, mingled with a hint of saltiness. The scent of lemon filled her nostrils.

Freide trembled in ecstasy.