Chapter 34
They arrived in Karda, a village halfway up the Asendio Mountains.
Aria staggered, pressing a hand to her forehead and abdomen.
“……W-we’re finally here.”
Her voice was haggard.
Ain rubbed the back of his neck and let out a quiet sigh.
“I told you we should take breaks along the way.”
“But I don’t want to waste your time because of me, Ain. Ugh.”
Aria covered her mouth and began retching.
Ain felt sorry for her and rubbed her back.
All enthusiasm and no sense.
“……Is your stomach feeling any better?”
“I-I can bear it.”
Aria’s face had grown quite gaunt.
Her already fair skin had turned even paler, to the point that it was pitiful to see.
Ain made a simple offer.
“Want me to carry you?”
She shook her head.
“No, I might throw up on your back, Ain.”
What would be so bad about her throwing up?
He could just wash his clothes.
More than that, he was genuinely worried about Aria’s well-being.
“It’s fine. Let me carry you.”
“If I actually threw up, h-how could I ever look you in the eye again?”
What a stubborn woman.
He understood that she didn’t want to be a burden, but she could rely on him a little.
“I just want to carry you, Aria.”
“If it gets really bad, I’ll ask you.”
A translation program for Aria-speak started running in Ain’s head.
What she meant was that she wouldn’t let him carry her even if she passed out.
“You’re impossible.”
Aria and Ain chatted about trivial things as they made their way to the inn where they’d stayed before.
Up to that point, things had been fine.
The problem came when they entered the inn.
Ain’s expression darkened rapidly as he pushed open the inn’s door.
It was much like the despair of a farmer faced with a drought.
The feeling was so complicated that it was hard to put into words.
Aria wondered if something horrible had happened inside and tried to peek in.
Ain quickly stopped her.
“Don’t make eye contact with that thing. The curse might spread.”
The curse might spread?
Had some plague deity descended upon this humble mountain village?
Aria retorted in an incredulous tone.
“I may not look it, but I’m a Saintess, you know? Purifying the impure is my specialty.”
“It’s a nasty curse.”
A curse even a Saintess couldn’t overcome?
Had one of the Demon King’s generals come to town?
To this little mountain village?
And for what grand reason?
Aria furrowed her brow.
The more he tried to hide it, the more curious she became.
That was generally how human curiosity worked.
The more someone tried to hide something, the more you wanted to know—the contrary impulse of a stubborn child.
Despite Ain’s attempts to stop her, Aria looked around the inn.
Contrary to her expectations, all she saw was the same ordinary inn she’d seen before. There was no horrifying scene anywhere.
The only unusual thing was that a girl with such exquisite beauty she drew everyone’s eye was sitting at a table.
Perhaps noticing their gaze, the girl rose from the table.
She was about ten centimeters shorter than Aria.
About 156 centimeters?
But the aura she gave off set her apart from ordinary people, making her seem larger than life.
And what about her looks?
Long red hair that blazed like flames, and vivid red eyes as if rubies had been melted and painted over her irises.
A stylish red dress, a wide-brimmed pointed hat, and a gnarled wooden staff.
Anyone could see she was a true ‘witch.’
The witch smiled brightly.
“What, Ashtein? You’re not alone?”
“There’s no rule saying I have to travel alone all the time.”
“With your personality?”
Crackle.
Their exchange was like invisible sparks flying between them.
Someone who knew Ain?
What was their relationship?
Aria watched the two of them.
The Hero and the Witch.
They glared at each other with eyes as cold as daggers.
Like feline predators waiting for a chance to establish their pecking order.
The atmosphere was so murderous it felt like someone was jabbing her in the gut.
Aria began to sweat despite not being one of the participants in the staring contest.
Do you know what it feels like to be walking across a frozen lake when the ice suddenly breaks?
When something like that happens, you don’t really feel anything in particular.
Just, oh, I’m fucked.
Thinking the situation felt exactly like that, Aria watched the two of them warily.
It was a powder keg.
The witch was the first to speak.
“Hah, I was wondering why you’d been out of sight. Is that your new fucktoy?”
Her tone was rude and scathing.
Aria thought carefully about the words the girl had just said.
Your new fucktoy.
Who was she talking about?
It was obvious.
She was targeting Aria.
Fucktoy.
It was a word Aria had occasionally used back when she was a man.
But she’d only ever used it on the internet. It was the sort of vile insult that would get you socially ostracized if you dared say it in real life.
Simply put, it wasn’t the sort of insult you’d expect a girl to use.
So for a moment, Aria wondered if she’d misheard.
“Big-titted fucktoy, huh? Bet there’s nothing in that head of yours.”
She hadn’t misheard.
The girl’s hostility was clearly directed at Aria.
It was a personal insult, but Aria didn’t particularly care.
It wasn’t as if it was entirely wrong.
Until Ain had rescued her, she’d been the Church’s broodmare, after all.
Fucktoy or broodmare—it was much the same thing.
Aria’s only thought was, ‘I don’t know why, but she’s really angry.’
“What, is your fucktoy mute? Can’t even talk back?”
It was Ain who was actually getting angry.
His expression was so chilling that Aria shivered when she glanced at him without thinking.
Like frost sweeping in from the north.
“You still have a mouth like a sewer.”
His frigid tone was enough to make anyone hearing it tremble.
But the girl didn’t seem bothered at all. She answered with a brazen expression.
“What did I do? Was anything I said wrong?”
“She’s the Saintess.”
“Oh, a prostitute?”
It was clearly meant to mock Ain.
Aria hoped he wouldn’t get angry.
She could hear things like that all day without it bothering her.
More than that, she didn’t want his feelings to be hurt.
Ain spoke in a colder tone than ever before.
“Watch your mouth.”
“Hah, scary. Why are you getting so mad? You used to keep your mouth shut. Oh, is it really that uncomfortable when someone insults your fucktoy? Ah, is that it? Must be pretty attached to your fucktoy, huh? But what can I do? A fucktoy is a fucktoy. What else should I call that fucktoy bitch?”
Shing.
Without saying a word, Ashtein drew the Holy Sword from his waist.
Then he swung it without the slightest hesitation.
It was proof that he was furious.
Clang!
The strike carried enough force to cut her in half if not for the barrier she’d conjured from mana.
Her brow might have twitched, but the girl’s expression didn’t change in the slightest.
She looked like a wax doll.
“Are you serious, Ashtein? You’re swinging your sword at me?”
“You insulted someone precious to me.”
Someone precious.
The two women reacted in completely different ways to those words.
Aria blushed shyly, while the witch’s face twisted horribly.
“Someone preeecious?”
“Either get down on your knees and apologize properly, or get out of here right now. Choose one.”
“I even taught you magic, and this is how you treat me?”
It seemed this girl was the one who’d taught Ain some of the magic he used from time to time.
“I’m grateful for that, but that’s one thing, and this is another.”
The girl laughed at Ain’s blunt response.
It was anything but a friendly laugh.
“Hmm, so that’s how you want to play it. Fine. If that’s how you’re going to act, then I’ll…….”
This can’t go on.
Sensing that things were about to turn into a mess, Aria whispered to Ain.
“Ain, let’s run.”
“Why? A brat that arrogant needs to be taught a lesson.”
The Hero was practically making it obvious: ‘I’m pissed off.’
How had someone so composed lost his temper like this?
It was an emotion that didn’t fit the situation, but Aria was overjoyed that he cared so much about her.
That didn’t mean she was so foolish as to show all of those feelings.
Aria cleared her throat and looked Ain in the eye, her expression serious.
“Ain, please listen to me.”
At her firm tone, he twisted his lips and looked troubled.
Aria decided to sweeten the deal.
“If you listen to me, I’ll grant one wish of yours, too.”
If he ran away without fighting the annoying witch, he’d earn a wish from the woman he loved?
That was a tempting offer.
Ain held up his index and middle fingers.
“Make it two.”
Aria nodded quickly.
“All right.”
He had her agreement.
Ain didn’t hesitate any longer.
The reward was simply too good to pass up just to be stubborn.
He sheathed the Holy Sword, slipped an arm around Aria’s waist, and scooped her up in a bridal carry.
Aria was the one caught off guard by his sudden change of heart.
“Eep?”
“Fine, we’ll run like you said. I get those wishes, right?”
“W-well, yes. But y-you’re going to run away like this?”
“You’re slow on your feet. This is faster.”
His logic was sound, leaving no room for argument.
Ain moved his legs nimbly and left the inn.
The witch had watched the whole thing in silence, but the sheer absurdity of it left her staring open-mouthed.
What was that?
Ashtein, who never avoided a fight no matter what, was running away?
And because some girl like that had asked him to?
How did that make any sense?
Wasn’t it as if Ashtein was meekly doing whatever that woman told him?
Ashtein!
That lunatic!
“Hahaha, why? Why am I so angry?”
Seething.
Azazel, the witch, was furious to the tips of her hair as she gripped her gnarled wooden staff tightly.
She’d go after them.
No matter what.
She’d chase them down and demand an explanation.