episode_0323

As soon as Edan swooped in and stole the finishing blow from my Hobgoblin Swordsman, I felt a momentary surge of irritation, but it was just a fleeting emotion that didn’t amount to much.

After all, Edan didn’t have any malicious intent with his actions. He mistook me for being in trouble with the Hobgoblin Named and wielded his sword to rescue me, so I couldn’t help but feel grateful.

And well, even if we had to split the experience points, it wasn’t a small amount. If it had gone to a complete stranger, I might have been a bit annoyed, but since it was Edan, I could somewhat understand.

“It’s not Edan’s fault, but…”.

But why was this overwhelming sense of emptiness pushing against me so relentlessly?

It was a rare opportunity to confirm that I had reached a certain level of swordsmanship in addition to my skills as a mage, and missing out on that chance to prove myself was quite disappointing.

Of course, even if it wasn’t Edan, I would have won anyway, so there wasn’t much of a difference in the end, but…

“Sigh, I don’t know.”

It would be a waste of time to dwell on this. It was better to focus on how to spend the next 5 days and 6 nights with Edan, now that we had finally met.

It had only been about three hours since we entered the forest, so we still had to spend over 110 hours together.

Just Edan and me, without Isabelle, Agnes, or any other person. Honestly, it was quite an exciting situation.

“Sorry, Relise… for intercepting the monster you were dealing with seriously…”

“It couldn’t be helped. Edan-doryeon thought I was in danger, so he wielded his sword to help me. There was nothing wrong with that.”

“Huh? You weren’t angry, Relise? Did you forgive everything?”

“I wasn’t angry from the beginning, Edan-doryeon.”

“Oh, yeah, right. Well, I’m glad then.”

Edan didn’t press further with questions like, ‘Are you really not angry?’.

“More importantly, there are many things we need to do before the sun sets, Edan-doryeon. The sun has already started to set, so we need to quickly find a shelter with a roof. If it rains, it might be difficult to endure the night.”

“…Right. You’re right, Relise. Let’s secure a shelter first.”

The weather exploration event in the study of nature happened randomly each playthrough, so it was hard to predict.

If it rained on the first day, we would usually start with debuffs like ‘cold’ or ‘hypothermia’, so we had to be extra cautious.

In the ‘Luminor Academy’, we could use save points to retake the exploration subjects, but Edan and I couldn’t do that now.

“Building a shelter will take a long time, so it’s best to look for a nearby cave or a large tree today.

If there’s a cave nearby, we can use it as a base, and if there’s a large tree, we can dig inside to shelter from the rain for the day and build a proper house tomorrow.”

“You’re so straightforward, Relise. Did you learn how to camp in the forest or something?”

“I simply assessed the tasks to be done in this situation and prioritized them. If Edan-doryeon has a better suggestion, I will of course follow that.”

“Let’s just do as Relise says. I think Relise is right.”

“Using fire magic inside the forest consumes a lot of mana and poses a fire hazard, so it’s best to make torches and carry them while moving…”

Thrown into the wilderness with nothing but the clothes on my back, this was my first experience, but I didn’t feel particularly challenged or uncomfortable in this situation.

At least as long as I follow the strategies I’ve seen in the game, I won’t end up soaking wet and facing a failed ending.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

And, about three hours passed.

-Drip, drip.

“….”

“….”

-Drip, drop.

“It’s raining a lot….”

“…Yes, Edan-nim.”

Caught in a ‘downpour event’ on the first day I unfortunately ventured into the forest, Edan and I hurriedly sought refuge inside a large tree to escape the rain.

“If only there was a cave nearby, that would have been better.”

In a rush, we managed to squeeze inside the large tree, but even so, it was a bit cramped for the two of us.

Unable to lie down, we had to sit with our legs pulled in, just enough space for the two of us to fit.

Thanks to that, Edan and I found ourselves in the cramped shelter of the tree, with forced physical contact, waiting for the rain to stop.

-Drip, drip, drip.

“Seeing this much rain on the first day, many students besides us will probably be eliminated.”

“…Seems likely. It doesn’t seem like the temperature is cold enough for us to catch a cold by getting wet.”

“It’s a shame that it’s not a cave where we can make a fire freely, but I think we’re lucky to have found this shelter for now.”

Having a roof over our heads was already a stroke of luck.

As long as our bodies didn’t get completely soaked, we wouldn’t weaken enough to catch a cold. The humidity was inevitable, but it could be solved by using Sally’s fire magic to light a fire again.

And when it rained heavily like this, monsters didn’t roam around much either. They knew that they would die of hypothermia if they wandered outside in this weather.

“Not having a cave has its advantages, Relis.”

“Yes?”

“Since we’re in this tight tree, you and I can sit close together until tomorrow morning.”

“…This environment isn’t particularly conducive to recovering stamina, Edan-nim.”

“That can’t be helped.”

…Well, I didn’t particularly dislike this forced situation. Feeling Edan’s warmth, the pressure of his muscles, and being able to smell his scent up close wasn’t such a bad condition.

Of course, it was a bit of a stretch to say that this situation was better than just quietly writing a survival diary alone.

“Is it uncomfortable for Relis?”

“No. I don’t particularly dislike being this close to you, Edan-nim. The situation objectively isn’t ideal, but that won’t change.”

“If sitting with your knees bent is uncomfortable, would you like to sit more comfortably?”

“How can I sit comfortably in this cramped space, Edan-nim?”

“I’ll sit with my legs spread out, so you can come up on top of me. That way, we can stretch our legs a bit, and it should be better from now on.”

“….”

The suggestion itself seemed reasonable, but what should I do?

Changing to the position where lovers typically sit on each other’s thighs felt a bit embarrassing.

Compared to sitting side by side with our knees touching, increasing the area of physical contact, and the fact that sitting on Edan’s legs felt a bit intimate.

‘…It’s all for stamina recovery.’

In these conditions, taking a proper rest in a comfortable position was important for proper recovery. In the Luminoir Academy, the setting was that stamina and mana recovered faster when resting in a comfortable position.

I don’t particularly want to sit on Edan’s thigh, but I simply judged that accepting his suggestion would be more rational.

“Alright. Then let me get up for a moment and correct my posture.”

“It’s okay, stay seated, Lilith. I’ll take care of it.”

“What? What are you… oh?!”

As soon as he said he would take care of it, Edan suddenly inserted his hand between my armpits and lifted my body.

With his strength, as my lower body was slightly lifted, Edan changed his posture with his legs crossed underneath, and then lowered his arms to lift my body onto his thigh.

“That’s it, Lilith.”

“H-huh, yes, yes….”

“…Lilith?”

If you’re going to put your hand between my armpits, at least give me a heads up.

I didn’t feel anything special at that moment, but I was taken aback by the sudden hand entering, which made me short of breath.

…It’s not really about sensitive areas or anything like that, I was just genuinely surprised and out of breath.

“When touching a woman’s body, please give a warning beforehand, Lord Edan. Even though I am temporarily your lover, this kind of sudden physical contact is a bit disconcerting.”

“Oh, s-sorry, Lilith…. I lacked consideration…”

“…Now that you know, it’s fine.”

Still feeling the aftermath, I embraced Edan’s thigh with both arms and pushed my body a little further into his.

Avoiding the raindrops hitting the end of my legs, little by little, slowly.

-Squirm, squirm.

“Uh, h-hmm…?”

-Snuggle, snuggle.

“…Lilith, I…”

Feeling something touching the lower part of my body while moving on Edan’s thigh, I sternly warned him as his exclusive maid in this situation.

“Do you really want to play around like this in this situation, Lord Edan? Please remove your hand from my buttocks right now.”

“T-that’s not my hand, Lilith.”

“…What?”

“Well, Lilith, you’re the problem…. If you keep moving on top of me like that, I, as a man, can’t help but be stimulated….”

“I apologize. I will be more careful.”

“….”

“….”

The raindrops falling steadily. The narrow space inside the tree trunk. Our bodies overlapping up and down.

The night air in the spring rainforest had cooled down, but Edan and I were waiting for the rain to stop in the heat that inexplicably emerged between us all night long.