Growburn Village – Suspicion (2)

Karlson glared at Rena, while Rena smiled back at him.

As if adding the final stroke to this chaotic composition, Rena opened her mouth.

“Huuu…. Karlson-ssi, would you mind eating at another table?”

She was asking Karlson to dine separately.

“Huh?”

“…I want some time just between us. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Re, Rena?”

Jade, standing beside them, was more flustered by Rena’s attitude than Karlson was.

Interrupting a meal like this was rude behavior, and she hadn’t mentioned wanting just the three of them to talk beforehand.

“Uh…”

Annie fidgeted, unsure what to say.

Should I give Rena a stern talking-to?

But what if we end up fighting…

As Annie agonized until her head felt like bursting, Jade mercifully appeared like a ray of light beside her.

“Rena must be in a bad mood lately. Let’s just eat together, shall we?”

Jade patted Rena’s back while apologizing to Karlson. Though he found the male presence slightly irritating, it wasn’t enough to warrant kicking him out.

“…Haha, no problem. I’ll take this to another table.”

Karlson declined politely, but his face was contorted in displeasure.

-Screech.

“….”

Karlson stood up holding his food, then paused to stare intently at Rena. His expression seemed to say he couldn’t understand her.

Rena snapped at him in response to his gaze.

“Do you have something to say to me?”

“No. I’ll see you at the village entrance after the meal.”

“…How amusing.”

Karlson muttered something under his breath before carrying his food to another table with trembling hands.

In this bizarre situation, seeds of suspicion began blooming anew in Annie’s heart.

‘What’s really going on here?’

Unless Rena had gone crazy, she wouldn’t treat Karlson-ssi like that without reason.

Annie immediately asked Rena why she’d done it.

“Rena, why did you do that?”

“Sorry, I just can’t stand that man. You know what he did from our first meeting.”

“W-well, that’s true…”

Annie felt sorry for the ousted Karlson-ssi. She’d already forgiven him after seeing how hard he worked for them.

But she couldn’t choose him over Rena either.

“It’s nice to eat just us too. Since we’re here, shall we talk about yesterday?”

Jade didn’t seem displeased. After all, another man had disappeared from Rena’s side.

“About how you guys passed out after a few drinks?”

“T-that was my first time! Next time I’ll show you my real ability.”

Jade hung his head as if his pride was wounded.

“Hehe, I’ll look forward to it. Let’s go all the way next time. But you know using mana is cheating, right?”

“Huh? O-of course…”

Jade and Rena quickly resumed their conversation in a warm atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Annie quietly ate her meal.

‘I’ll get to the bottom of this.’

She kept glancing at Rena, trying to find even the smallest clue in her demeanor.

**

After finishing their meal, Rena’s group left the village and began heading back to Growburn Village.

At first, everyone was slightly on guard, worried they might encounter monsters or bandits again.

But perhaps the orcs they met initially were the only monsters living nearby, as nothing dangerous happened at all.

“It’s so peaceful. In books I’ve read, bandits attack merchants and heroes save them. Doesn’t that happen here?”

Annie grumbled while looking out the window.

Her initial excitement for new encounters had long faded, leaving only boredom.

Jade scolded her with an incredulous look.

“You shouldn’t say scary things like that. They say if you mention it, it might actually happen.”

One of the things adventurers should never do is mention how peaceful things are when nothing’s happening.

Though Jade also found the journey boring, he cherished this brief period of peace after all the hardships they’d endured together at the academy.

“Sorry. Hehe…”

Annie apologized while scratching her head.

-Screeeech!

“Wh-what? Seriously?”

Annie was stunned by the suddenly stopping carriage.

Did something really happen just like Jade said?

While Annie was dumbfounded, Rena opened the carriage door to assess the situation.

-Creak.

“Karlson-ssi, what’s wrong?”

Karlson got down from the driver’s seat and walked toward the carriage.

“Ah, nothing serious. I just urgently need to use the bathroom.”

Annie patted her startled chest at his words.

“Phew… I really thought something happened because of me.”

“Hehe, as if that would happen?”

Rena smiled seeing Annie’s expression.

“Would anyone else like to go? It’s a long journey, so now would be a good time.”

At Karlson’s question, Jade asked everyone for their opinions.

“Does anyone else need to go?”

“Not particularly?”

Annie shook her head.

“I’m fine to― Eeek?!”

Rena suddenly stopped mid-sentence, flustered. Karlson, standing behind her, quietly asked again.

“Miss Rena, are you ‘really’ okay?”

“…Ah! I might as well go too.”

“Then be careful. Jade and I will wait here.”

Leaving the two in the carriage, Karlson and Rena disappeared into the forest.

**

Somewhere deep in the forest, away from the carriage.

Rena knelt before Karlson with his pants down.

“Are you insane? What if my friends saw you grabbing my ass! What would we do if we got caught?”

“Yet you followed me here anyway. By the way, was what happened at the meal meant to provoke me?”

Rena burst out laughing when Karlson brought up the earlier incident.

“Hehe, payback for teasing me? I hated seeing your arrogant face. How angry are you? This thing seems pretty furious.”

She poked the towering object before her with her finger. The pillar swayed side to side.

“Don’t tell me you expected me to love you after just yesterday? I still have feelings for Jade. He may have flaws, but he’s cool and kind.”

“Then yesterday…”

“I just didn’t mind fucking you.”

“Hah?”

Karlson let out a hollow laugh, finding Rena’s attitude unbelievable.

When he first met her, she seemed cold and intellectual… Now she appeared to be a fox-like woman seducing men.

“You certainly know how to provoke a man.”

Since she’d riled him up, it was time to punish Miss Rena. For now, he could do whatever he wanted to this woman before him.

“We’re alone here. Prepare yourself.”

Karlson grabbed Rena’s head.

-Thud.

“What are you―”

He shoved his cock into the mouth of the lewdly smiling Rena.

“Gulp! *Cough*! *Slurp*!”

Rena kicked her legs, choking on the sudden intrusion, but Karlson ignored her and thrust madly.

“I won’t stop even if you cry and scream.”

Squelch, squelch, squelch!

“Guhhk! *Slurp*! *Choke*!”

Rena began paying the full price for provoking Karlson.

**

Whoosh, vroom―!

“You’re training even during this short break?”

At Annie’s exasperated look, Jade stopped swinging his sword.

“Sorry, does it look weird? But I have to get stronger.”

“No. I’m just amazed…”

Jade’s training addiction since their academy days drew admiration.

Annie felt ashamed of herself for recently putting off even her magic book studies.

After a while, Jade stopped training and sheathed his sword.

-Shink.

“I’ll stop here for now. By the way, Rena and Karlson-ssi are late.”

“I’m getting a bit worried. Did something happen?”

As Annie considered going to look for Rena.

-Rustle. Swish.

Rena emerged from the forest, pushing through the grass.

“Sorry I’m late. Got lost going too deep, I guess.”

“We were about to go look for you. First time I’ve seen Rena make that mistake.”

Annie, who’d been waving cheerfully, noticed something on Rena’s face as she approached.

“Huh? There’s something on your left cheek.”

“My cheek?”

“Yeah, looks like hair…”

“R-really?”

Startled by Annie’s words, Rena touched her cheek and removed the attached strand.

“Ahem, thanks for telling me.”

Annie found Rena’s reaction strange. She’d been flustered by Annie’s comment.

‘Why is she so panicked?’

Moreover, the strand seemed too curly and short to be hair.

Her face was slightly flushed and her clothes disheveled. It seemed like something had happened in the forest…

“Annie! Let’s get in the carriage. I met Karlson-ssi earlier – he said he’ll be here soon.”

“Huh? Okay…”

Rena pulled Annie, who was scrutinizing her intently, into the carriage.

**

“Hmm…”

Annie sat in her seat organizing her thoughts about the situation.

Clearly, Rena had been acting more prickly toward Karlson-ssi lately. To the point where even bystanders would find it excessive.

Yet paradoxically, she felt like the two were spending more time together.

This continued even after arriving at their current village.

Rena’s group needed supplies for Growburn Village and were exploring the town.

“Since it’s our first time here, we’ll need to find shops and restaurants ourselves. Should we split up?”

Karlson suggested dividing the group for efficient searching. Rena immediately responded.

“I’ll go with Karlson-ssi.”

“Huh? Rena’s going with Karlson-ssi?”

Annie was flustered, having naturally assumed Rena would go with Jade or herself.

“Yeah, who knows what shady places he might show us. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

“….”

“Is there a problem?”

Rena questioned Annie who stood silently.

“…No, it just feels like we’re treating Karlson-ssi like a criminal. I’ll go with Jade then. Jade, come quickly!”

“Huh? Wait! Annie!”

Annie grabbed Jade, who was making apologetic faces at Karlson-ssi, and hurriedly dragged him away.