Chapter 319
Chapter 319
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 319
Chapter Title: Chapter 8. Crossing the Desert.
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"Are you feeling okay?"
The first words he spoke after a long silence were just a simple check on her condition. But even that small question was enough to ease the awkwardness. Esther Sellion seemed to ponder the question for a moment before nodding right away.
"Yes, I'm fi…ne?"
Then, as if suddenly remembering the tail and right arm that Judah had severed, she glanced down. They had clearly been cut off, yet they were perfectly reattached as if by magic, moving just as she willed them to. She clenched and unclenched her hand, wiggled the tip of her tail, then furrowed her brow slightly and tilted her head as if sensing something off—but she didn't raise any particular doubts. Her body truly seemed fine.
"I'm okay."
Judah nodded at her crisp reply. Of course she was. With Saintess Arhil's devoted healing, the power of the fragments, and Altemia's strength, her severed tail and arm had been fully restored. There was no way her body would have any issues.
But a sound body didn't mean a sound mind. Just checking her [Status Window] showed her stats reduced by all sorts of mental ailments.
"……"
Judah let out a small sigh at the way she stared straight at him. It felt burdensome. Her golden eyes, glowing faintly, weren't scary at all. But she seemed determined to etch every detail of him into her memory, watching his every tiny movement without missing a beat.
*Snort!*
Just then, a thunderous snoring came from outside. He didn't need to check to know who it was. Lime. He'd been sleeping quietly until now, so why start snoring so loudly at this hour? The sound was quite intense, so Judah decided to go take a look.
"Rest here for a bit."
"Ah…!"
As Judah rose to head out of the tent, Esther Sellion reached out a hand. She seemed about to grab his wrist and beg him not to go, but realizing it would be rude, she stopped her hand mid-reach and pulled it back.
"?"
Judah turned back a beat late, having caught her sigh. Their eyes met, and she shook her head side to side.
"It's nothing. I'll wait, so go take care of whatever it is."
"……"
Her words said one thing, but her pleading eyes said another. Judah felt troubled.
"Want to get some fresh air outside?"
Lime's magic kept the wind at bay, but it would still be less stuffy than this cramped tent. She nodded at his suggestion.
Judah stepped out first and extended a hand inside. Esther Sellion stared at the hand poking into the tent, then took it and followed him out.
The clothes she'd originally worn had burned away completely, so she was now borrowing one of Arhil's thin nightgowns.
It looked too flimsy at first glance—wouldn't she be cold? But beastkin like her had strong natural resistance to heat and cold, so he figured she'd be fine and didn't pull out anything else for her.
Judah positioned her behind him and glared at the culprit who'd come outside.
*Grumble!*
Lime lay sprawled with arms and legs splayed wide, snoring contentedly at regular intervals. The noise was disturbing Arhil, who twisted in her sleep.
As Judah approached Lime, he recalled a fellow soldier from his army days who'd snored like this. Plugging the nose for a moment usually stopped it. If that didn't work, he'd just wake him up, tell him not to snore, and put him back to sleep. Luckily, just pinching Lime's nose shut made the snoring stop.
Judah released his nose as Lime switched to breathing through his mouth. Staring blankly at him for a moment, Judah confirmed the snoring had ceased.
He glanced at Arhil and Iris, then walked back to Esther Sellion. She wasn't looking at him. Her gaze was captured by the desert visible as dawn slowly broke.
Judah tapped her shoulder and motioned for her to follow quietly. Come to think of it, they'd talked so much inside the tent—maybe Iris had woken up and overheard. Glancing back, Iris seemed to still be sleeping soundly in the same position, breathing evenly. But you never knew with people.
*If she heard, oh well.*
He wasn't going to kill her to keep her quiet, nor warn her about it. Above all, he trusted his subordinates completely, so he didn't think she'd do anything suspicious even if she knew.
He led Esther Sellion a short distance away from where the group slept. The barrier was spread wide enough that quiet conversation wouldn't carry.
"Call you Sellion?"
He spread a thin cloth over the sand and plopped down, asking the question. Esther Sellion hesitated before sitting beside him, then nodded eagerly.
"It's an honor. And if possible, please speak casually to me like before."
Like before?
Ah. Right—he'd used informal speech with her in the other world. But that had just been because the situation was so urgent, not intentional.
"Hmm."
"It would actually make me more comfortable. Judah."
It felt awkward to suddenly switch to casual speech at her request, but she seemed to desperately want it.
"Judah."
"Yeah?"
Even as he responded instinctively to her call, Judah realized he was already doing it. Sellion smiled faintly and gazed at the distant desert. The view beyond the translucent barrier was no illusion. From earlier, she'd been digging into the sand with her tail, as if constantly checking if this was a dream.
"If it's okay, may I ask a question?"
"Of course."
Her face lit up at his immediate reply.
"Do you see that rocky mountain over there?"
Judah nodded. In the middle of the sand-covered desert stood a massive rocky peak. Such formations were fairly common in this desert.
"If my memory serves right, that's Beak Mountain. I saw it when I led the beastkin into the Byron Empire. It was named for resembling an eagle's beak."
Now that she mentioned it, it did look just like one.
"But back then, this land wasn't all sand like this. There was a forest at the base of that mountain. Full of ancient trees. And this place was a vast plain, not overflowing with sand like now. Did it turn into this desert because I was bewitched by the sword back then?"
"……"
"Please tell me the truth, Judah."
"Yeah."
It wasn't something to hide, so Judah answered straightforwardly. Sellion fell silent for a moment before continuing.
"I see. Then… do you remember what you said when you saved me?"
"…That there were people waiting for you, who survived?"
"Yes."
"I remember. I said it, after all."
He didn't forget everything just because he'd been a little drunk. He couldn't recall every single word to her, but he remembered the important parts.
Even back in his original world, he was bad at remembering key study material but great at recalling mundane daily chit-chat with others.
"Do you remember lying to me too?"
"…Yeah."
"Then… was it also a lie that people are alive and waiting for me? At first, I believed it was true. But seeing this land left only with sand, I started wondering if that was a lie too."
No sooner had she finished speaking than her eyes widened, and she turned to Judah, palms out, shaking her head vigorously.
"Ah, of course, I don't doubt you—er, Judah! But back then, it seemed like a kind white lie to save someone who'd given up everything… So I'm just confirming."
Judah nodded as she fumbled through her anxious explanation.
"It wasn't a lie. They're really alive. There are still people on this land who remember you. Because you grasped that sword, the lush forests and fertile lands turned to desert, killing many—but those who survived still remember and miss you."
"Ah!"
"The Rayleighsa, who formed a mighty empire, did fall. But they didn't vanish completely. To the east from here, beastkin and otherkin survivors gathered on a small patch of land and kept the bloodline alive. Every beastkin there who wasn't reborn remembers you and waits for you. They say you'll return someday."
Her eyes widened round as she listened quietly to Judah. Then the tears started flowing again.
"Jeez, Crybaby Princess. You cried so much already, and there's still more?"
"B-But I'm just so happy…and sorry…the tears won't stop."
"Save 'em. Once the sun's up and we've rested enough, we're heading to Rayleighsa. You can bawl your eyes out then—no complaints. So stop now."
"Really…?"
"If you mean going to Rayleighsa, yeah. Trust me."
*Sniff, hic-* She nodded, making those sounds. A full-grown princess—no, a queen who'd led an empire—looked like a child trying to hold back her sobs. Judah pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. As she dabbed at her tears, he watched the sun rise.
A bit early, but time to wake the group. Once up, they'd clear last night's leftovers and prep breakfast. After the drinking, maybe some hangover soup.
"Hm?"
Judah turned to look at Sellion. Come to think of it, she hadn't eaten anything. For nearly a century, her only sustenance had been the mana absorbed by Requiem.
"You hungry?"
"Huh?"
She looked up from dabbing her tears with the handkerchief and echoed him. As if on cue, a small but clear *gurgle* emanated from her stomach.