Chapter 114 - Circulatory System (16)

It took two hours to leave the valley.

At the end of the humid and stifling passage, the evening sunset greeted us.

Exhaustion was evident on everyone's faces.

This was understandable as we had eaten almost nothing except breakfast. In the morning we had to completely block any food smells due to the lizards' pursuit, and afterward, we couldn't eat due to fighting and moving.

Today seemed particularly long.

Even I, used to sleeping on bare ground, especially missed a warm soft bed today—how much worse must it be for the others?

Before searching for a campsite, we took a brief rest under a large tree. I was with Luna, while the others held discussions a little distance away. They had much to think about since they would separate from us after tonight.

While resting against the tree, I kept oddly meeting Trisha's eyes.

It wasn't my intention at all. It felt like she was deliberately standing where my gaze would fall, trying to signal me.

I understood she wanted to talk alone, but she was making it a bit too obvious and her companions and Luna might notice.

I turned away to avoid suspicion.

And spoke to Luna sitting demurely beside me, "Luna, how are you feeling?"

"Good. Much better."

She could be honest, but it was probably my fault for not instilling confidence that she could rely on her teammate. I should build more trust over time.

"Do you have any foods you can't eat?"

At the sudden question, Luna blinked her round eyes several times.

"I eat... anything well."

Being preciously raised, I wasn't sure what her eating habits would be. I needed to invite her to meals later, and more importantly, I was worried about her having to eat the giant reptile's internal organs.

Luna subtly avoided my gaze.

"But carrots... I can't eat well."

Hmm, I should remember that.

Cecil approached us, leading her group members.

"Candy, this looks good for camping too, should we just rest here?"

Looking at their expressions, further movement seemed difficult.

"Sure. Let's hurry and prepare dinner."

"I heard Babania Fruit grows naturally in this area so we're going to gather some."

I stood up and said, "If you tell us where, we'll help too."

Luna also stood up and lined up beside me.

Trisha, watching for an opportunity, suddenly cut in, "Sis! How about splitting into pairs to search?"

"I was thinking of that... but if we split up and wild animals appear it could be dangerous..."

"Since there are three people who can fight, dividing into three would be perfect!"

I moderately supported Trisha.

"That sounds good."

"Should we? Then..."

Cecil casually pulled my arm and linked it with hers, saying, "I’ll go with Candy. Group leaders need to talk separately."

"..."

"..."

But isn’t Bertrand the group leader?

Trisha, robbed of her timing, opened and closed her mouth in apparent confusion but couldn't say anything else. On the surface, there was no connection between Trisha and me, so there was no reason for us to go together.

Bertrand stepped forward with a courageous expression and spoke looking at Luna, "Then I'll—“

Sensing something bad, I cut off his words first.

"Luna will go with Trisha."

We started working in an area where fruit trees clustered like an orchard.

Babania Fruit had red skin like apples with milk cream-like flesh inside.

As I cut the fruit stems with my wooden sword, Cecil came beside me and gathered them in a makeshift bundle made from her cloak.

"That wooden sword gets more interesting the more I look at it. How can wood have such a sharp edge?"

"Well, it's decent for a wooden sword."

"Can I touch it once?"

I hesitated briefly then handed the wooden sword to Cecil. She rejoiced as if examining a diamond ring.

Strange. Do magic engineers get excited seeing research subjects?

Maybe that's why she shows interest in me too.

She put down her bundle and examined the wooden sword from various angles.

"Heavier than expected, but nothing else particularly stands out. More ordinary than I thought?"

Cecil held the sword with both hands and lightly swung it as if imitating a swordsman.

"Don't hold it too long."

"Why? What's the rea—“

Mid-sentence, Cecil felt the sword's ability and dropped it in surprise. Then, with a startled face, she said, "What? It just absorbed my mana."

"That's why it's dangerous."

I picked up the wooden sword again and cut another fruit stem. She remained frozen, blinking her large eyes without moving.

"Do you have some artifact that prevents mana absorption?"

"No, it takes mine too."

"What... you endure all that? Candy, are you a mage?"

"No."

She spoke with an uncomprehending face, "...How is it that none of what you have is anything I know about? How do you endure something that sucks mana like it's starving? And you're not even a mage? What's your real identity?"

"Just a proud Eternia student."

"Wait, is your mask made from the same wood as the sword?"

Even I wasn’t sure about that. Since the mask doesn't absorb mana, it was probably a different material.

I continued picking fruit while saying, "Got them from different places so I'm not sure."

"It seems super sturdy like the wooden sword. Even though you fight really roughly, there's not a single scratch on the mask."

"..."

Sharp observation. Erzsebet's mask was as sturdy as my wooden sword. It was all thanks to the mask that not even a small scratch appeared on my face despite the many battles I had faced.

Whether Erzsebet intended it or not, it worked perfectly as protective gear.

Cecil thought deeply then suddenly asked an unexpected question, "Candy, are you perhaps an elf?"

"...What?"

"Well... you use a wooden mask and weapons like elves. Have to hide your identity. Those unknown potions might be preventing your ears from returning to normal. Just like an elf."

"I'm not an elf."

Cecil stuck close beside me and said with a playful smile, "It's okay to be honest, Candy. Our Fontar family has elf blood mixed in too. Even if you're an elf, my father would welcome you."

Wait, Cecil is part elf?

Is that possible? I didn't even know humans and elves could mix blood.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Do I suddenly look different now that you know I have elf blood?"

"..."

Maybe it was my imagination, but now I seemed to see elven features like Erzsebet's in Cecil's face. Perhaps her excellence in magic engineering was related to elf blood too.

Should I ask Cecil to appraise the crystal obtained from the wingless dragon?

"By the way, what was that talk group leaders needed to have?"

"That? I just made it up."

***

After dinner, everyone went to sleep early.

In the darkness, only the sound of a burning campfire and regular breathing filled the silence.

And only Trisha lied awake with open eyes through the night.

Various thoughts were tangled like a knotted thread in her head.

Trisha sat up and looked at Damian lying alone far away.

After confirming the companions were deeply asleep, she slowly got up and approached Damian.

Then, she laid down beside him, pressing close.

She whispered to him, fearing someone might hear, "...Wake up."

When there was no response after calling several times, she poked his side with her finger.

"Stupid... wake up and talk with me..."

Still no response.

"Haa."

Though frustrated, she couldn't force him to wake up. Damian had the hardest day among them after all.

She pulled Damian's arm to use as a pillow. Then, she quietly watched his sleeping face with a pouty expression.

Though she desperately wanted to complain to him, she couldn't bring herself to.

It was because of the truth she recalled again seeing the scars on his body.

He was someone who fought risking death every moment. Even this circulatory system practice, he hadn't approached with a halfhearted attitude. How could she demand why he wouldn't include her?

***

Damian awoke from early dawn and checked the campsite. He looked for any human or animal footprints and added firewood to the dying campfire.

From this check-up, he discovered something strange.

While everyone else was sleeping soundly where they had first laid down, only Trisha was missing.

Footprints led away from where she had been lying. Fortunately, there were no stranger's prints.

Damian drew his wooden sword to prepare for any situation and slowly tracked the footprints.

After moving about three hundred paces, he came to a small stream.

And there he saw Trisha's back.

She was crouched by the stream, listlessly throwing pebbles like someone with troubles.

"What are you doing here?"

She turned her head to confirm it was Damian, then looked forward again with a dejected face.

"Don't worry. I'm alone."

"...I twisted my ankle on the moss."

"You could have called someone."

"Didn’t wanna. I was just annoyed so I stayed here."

Damian went beside her and checked her ankle. It was swollen bright red.

"There's potions at the camp, let's go. Get on my back."

"..."

When Damian presented his back, Trisha pretended to hesitate briefly before quickly climbing on.

While returning like that, Trisha spoke, "Why is it so hard to talk separately? Must be nice being so popular, Candy."

"..."

"Why didn't you wake up when I tried so hard? I almost bit you out of frustration."

"I was too tired to hear. What did you want to talk about?"

This brief moment would be their only chance for casual conversation.

"...Your sword."

"Yes."

"What... is it really?"

"I don't know either."

She suddenly squeezed his neck with her arms.

"Why do you have so many secrets from me? I'm really really really really hurt."

"Unfortunately, Master doesn't know, I don't know, no one knows. No one wants to know more than I do."

"Then, did you fight... the dark mage with that sword...?"

"Yes."

Trisha was silent for a moment. After thinking for a long while, she spoke again, "Damian, I have a favor."

"What is it?"

"Come to my house with me during the break."

Damian was puzzled by her suddenly resolute and calm attitude.

"...Where’s your house?"

"The most boring place in the world."

"As long as the food's good."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise."

Damian suddenly wondered what kind of people Trisha's parents were.

Having confirmed his answer, Trisha pulled at Damian's clothes to expose his pure white shoulder blade.

"...?"

Then, she bit down hard on his shoulder.

Damian flinched at the sudden bizarre action.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

She answered with her mouth still biting, "Grrrr."

Damian sighed heavily and spoke in a half-resigned tone, "Please continue what you were doing."

Not stopping there, she started sucking on the bitten area, making nursing sounds like a baby.

Shocked by her behavior, Damian squeezed his eyes shut and internally berated himself for agreeing to carry Trisha.

After finishing her work, she wiped away the saliva with her sleeve and covered it with his clothes.

"Done!"

"You... what did you do?"

"I marked it with Azelis' special curse."

"..."

"You need this to receive VIP treatment at our house."