Chapter 265 - 265. Two Idols, and After the Battle
Until recently, I hadn't felt the cold at all. But this morning, the chill seemed to seep into my skin, biting deep. The air I inhaled rasped against my lungs, sending shivers through me. My nose was already growing numb.
I tugged the blanket up, trying to cover my head completely, but it snagged somewhere, barely budging. Frustrated, I pulled harder, and this time, it ripped away from my grasp. Was someone trying to yank it off? Annoyed, I forced myself to check. My eyelids felt like lead weights, dragging my consciousness back down into slumber. The comforting, melting sensation into the tatami mat was too pleasant to resist. I rolled onto my side, curling into a ball.
"How long do you plan on sleeping?"
A voice intruded from beside my ear. It wasn’t Fam or Mizuki; it was unfamiliar. Despite the words, there was no irritation in the tone—just a soft familiarity. Something brushed lightly against my nose. Irritated, I swatted at the air. My fingers touched something soft and damp. It was cold at first, but warm fingers spread through me as they moved. It felt like someone’s arm. I gripped their wrist, trying to identify who it was. Just as I opened my eyes slightly, a blinding light stabbed into my pupils. Wincing, I squinted, waiting for my eyes to adjust. Eventually, two slender silhouettes took shape against the glare.
"Aira...?"
I muttered, speaking to one of them. She must have been the one holding her hair strand to my nose. I tightened my grip on her wrist.
I sat up and looked around. "Where’s Fam?"
We had taken refuge with the Wandering People after the battle, since our own lodgings had been burned down. Their tent entry was wide open, letting in cold air and the early morning light. The Levante members should have been inside the tent, but it was only Rinne and Aira. There was no sign of the others.
"You really only think about Fam, don’t you?"
Rinne's expression hadn't changed—she just seemed to be voicing an honest observation. I felt embarrassed and turned my head away. Aira was blushing too, standing next to me. I was still holding her wrist. Neither of them wore their adventurer gear, instead dressed in white blouses and knee-length jumper skirts. As I stared, Aira continued to blink back at me stupidly. Irritated, I pulled her closer and tucked up the sleeve of her blouse. She had moved so nimbly in battle, but her build didn’t reflect that skill. Smooth, white skin stretched taut. The slave crest I’d seen in the jail was gone. I touched it again, feeling her warmth.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
Aira yanked her arm back, breaking free and stepping away from me. "Seriously!"
I pushed slightly closer. "I’m not doing anything! Just give me another second to check!"
Aira, suddenly back to her senses, let out a real shriek and bolted. Her high-pitched voice was too much for my just-awakened ears, so I gave up the chase.
"So, where even are Fam and the others...?"
"Apparently, they went to take a bath."
"Seriously? They left without me?"
"Going together? Of course, that wouldn't work!"
Rinne interjected with her usual deadpan. I’d used magic to clean everyone, and Marianne was there. It must have been Mizukii who took them all. I just sighed, threw off my blanket, and stood up. "They, Shirasu, and Illisali must be released from prison ASAP."
They’d been detained alongside Yuuki as criminals in the uprising. Zeno, Clove, and Akai Touban’s Kaima had died in battle. As for Yuuki’s adventurer companion, the demon girl, the adventurers who fought in Crystal Garden, and those guarding the entrance to Crystal Palace—they had escaped and their whereabouts were unknown. I checked the adventurer’s storage and found what looked like Clove's notes, Yuuki and Shirasu’s phones, and the items they had from their original world. Marianne was holding Clove's notes.
"That’s impossible! They’re criminals! And you’re always after girls!" Rinne accused. "Wasn't the whole idea to free them if we had to take them as your slaves?"
"Alright, alright, maybe I’m a little too interested in women... but I don’t want slaves!"
"Well, I wouldn’t want to be your slave either. But why not? You’re probably planning to do something dirty, aren’t you!"
"Alright, maybe... but how can I put this... people who just obey are boring."
"PERVERTS!"
Rinne and Aira shouted in unison. Every head in the vicinity swiveled towards me.
"Seriously, why are you guys even following me!"
"That’s..."
Rinne hesitated. She and Aira exchanged a look, silently trying to decide who would speak first.
"Mash, you’ve only been in this city for about half a month, right? We thought we’d show you something interesting. Going to the negotiation will just get in Marianne’s way, and you’re free today, right?"
Rinne said, then moved behind me and pushed me forward. Climbing the stairs to the low wall that served as a former castle wall, a gust of dry wind greeted us. A stone path stretched out, cutting through the city. It hadn’t been well-maintained; there were crumbling sections and weeds sprouting where birds must have scattered seeds. It was about two meters wide, with breastworks on either side, marking it as a defensive structure. There was no one around, only the cries of birds high overhead. I shaded my eyes and scanned the sky, but there was nothing but a clear blue expanse. It felt higher than when I had first arrived in this world. Rinne pulled me along the path as we walked. The houses lining either side felt strange.
"This is apparently the remains of the old city wall. It used to be much taller, but about half of it collapsed and got buried."
Migul had abandoned its city walls to accommodate its growing population. We were walking on just the remnants of them. Most of it had been destroyed to avoid obstructing traffic, but some parts, like this, still remained.
"There’s a park at the end of this."
"That’s nice, but where’s Aira?"
"She went to buy lunch..."
"But we just ate."
Since arriving in this world, the concept of lunch had faded. I ate more in the mornings and had dinner earlier. Some people skipped lunch entirely, but others ate it. "Just... just go with it."
Rinne tugged on my arm. Her chest had been brushing against my arm the entire time. Sometimes it pressed against me, and then bounced away, only to return again, constantly reminding me of its softness and size. I realized something: Rinne was bigger than Aira.
"Hey, what are you grinning at?"
Snapped back to reality, I turned around. They were already sitting on the picnic sheet that Rinne had spread out on the ground. Rinne patted the space between them. Following her invitation, I sat between them, but it was more uncomfortable than I expected.
"Did Aira get plastic surgery too?"
Wanting to say something, I asked, and Aira glared at Rinne, who quickly looked away.
"Well, there’s bread and jam for sale in the neighborhood, and it’s so good!"
Rinne said in a forced tone, reaching for the basket to change the subject.
"Both Rinne and I only had our eyes done. Just enough to make our whole face look bigger."
Aira muttered in an annoyed tone, "I don't think pursuing this topic further would be good..."
"Did the other members of your party get locked up like Yuuki?"
My question made Rinne’s hand stop halfway to slicing a round breadloaf that looked about the size of both her hands.
"Yeah. But we decided to disband the party."
Rinne smiled weakly.
"Why?"
"We were originally replacements for otherworlders from before. Our mission was to eliminate our enemies. And we think we’ll return to our original world."
"Wait, you’re talking about me potentially returning to my world. Not immediately. There might be others who want to return..."
Rinne leaned close to me. "You have something on your mind?"
"I just had a thought. There's no concrete proof. And when we first came to this world, our hair colors changed, right? Racshell said it was to adapt to this world. To return to our original world, we would need to undo that... I think."
"Think?"
"What else can I do? I don’t know. Maybe if we ask Racshell, we'll get a straight answer."
I said, flopping onto my back on the sheet. Beyond the shade of the tree, a clear blue sky stretched out above. The noise of yesterday’s chaos seemed like a lie in the quiet of the moment.
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