Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Calypso's Nightmare
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Seeing Jeanne eat her food with such gusto made it easy for Judah to tune out his surroundings and dig in just as heartily. The moment his hunger gave way to fullness, a pleasant languor spread through his body, bringing on a wave of fatigue. After getting pummeled by rain all day, being able to shelter from it and relax like this felt incredibly comfortable.
But something was missing.
'A campfire.'
They were using the alchemists' glow liquid for light right now, but while it provided illumination, it offered no warmth. With his robe and leather boots still soaked, Judah pondered the issue. Smashing the vials every five minutes would be too wasteful.
'A campfire it is, then.'
Lighting one on this wooden floor, though, would be a surefire way to burn the whole house down.
After a moment of thought, Judah held out his palm to summon Artemisia, gripped it reverse-handed, and plunged the dagger's blade into the wooden floor. Thanks to its sword-grade sharpness, it slid in effortlessly with barely any pressure. A light drag cut the wood as cleanly as paper, shaping it to his design.
"Need a hand with anything?"
"No, just rest. I'm good."
Jeanne moved to help when she saw him working, but Judah shook his head. Once the square frame was complete, he pulled a shovel from <Bag> and scooped mud from outside to fill the hole, packing it down firmly with his foot. Fetching the mud was a bit of a hassle, but the job didn't take long. He smashed the exposed wooden planks from the frame, layered them on top, piled on dry firewood from his bag, and lit it up.
"Perfect!"
The distinctive crackle of burning wood rose as flames took hold, casting a light far brighter than the glow liquid and banishing the room's gloom. But best of all was the cozy heat radiating against his skin. Judah nearly clapped at the excellent result from such brief labor. Jeanne stared blankly at the indoor campfire he'd made. Who would've thought?
"Now, shall we wash up and get some rest?"
Grinning proudly, Judah spoke to Jeanne while opening space in the air to retrieve soap and a towel. <Bag> had everything one could need. Hunting black wolves had netted him a fortune in loot, which he'd spent stocking up on essentials from general stores and clothing shops. The day before leaving Selenia Castle, he'd filled it to the brim. He had enough gear to survive even if dropped in the middle of a barren desert. Jeanne took the towel and soap, shooting him an envious look before continuing.
"Sorry to trouble you, but could you grab my stuff too?"
Judah nodded and pulled out her personal pack, which he'd been holding onto.
"I'll wash up quick, then."
Jeanne headed to a blind spot out of his sight. The rundown house had holes in the walls and boards pried off here and there to hide adventurer corpses, offering plenty of ways outside. Judah had only planned a quick foot rinse and hair wash, but the sound of her undressing suggested a full body wash with rainwater.
'Bold one.'
Didn't she worry about peeping? As he peeled off his wet socks, Judah debated. The pouring rain outside looked pristine compared to his old world. No cars or factories here meant it was naturally pure.
'Might as well shower myself.'
He'd sweated a bit, and it would shake off the stuffy feeling. But at the doorway, hesitation hit— what if someone was watching? Shaking it off, he stripped down completely, even his underwear, and let the rain soak him as he lathered up. Coming to this world had brought experiences he'd never dream of back home. Showering naked in a darkened forest? He was practically a wild man.
"Whew."
He scrubbed until the soap suds finally rinsed clean with a satisfying squeak. The rain showed no sign of stopping, but he half-wondered if it might just for him as he washed. The fresh soap scent rising from his skin lifted his spirits, and soon he was humming a tune.
Finishing up, Judah toweled off carelessly—his initial shyness forgotten—and grabbed his clothes from the floor, heading back to the campfire. His soaked underwear and socks were too gross to wear or store, so he tossed them into the flames.
The fire licked out like a lizard's tongue and devoured them. A puff of black smoke billowed with a cough-like crackle, but he ignored it. Midway through donning fresh underwear and pants, Jeanne reappeared, robe and coat draped over her arm—freshly washed.
"…!"
She flinched at the sight of him half-dressed and retreated around the corner, leaning against the wall.
"My apologies."
"It's fine. You can come out now."
No real reason to be embarrassed, so Judah calmly pulled on his shirt as he said it. He strung a cord between walls and hung his rain-soaked robe to dry. Water still dripped steadily. Dust coated the floor, so he spread a clean cloth over it.
'That should be everything.'
They'd eaten well, and his wet boots sat by the fire. Time to sleep. Judah set extra firewood by the flames, lay down, and that was it. No chit-chat with Jeanne.
The harmony of pouring rain and crackling wood soothed his ears. Cool air through the holes diluted the house's stale stench.
Alone, he'd have been terrified and vigilant, but with Jeanne there and auto-save from Artemisia, sleep came easily. A sweet, deep slumber—or so he thought. A shaking sensation roused him slowly.
Shhhhaaaa!
A pleasant voice cut through the downpour.
"Wake up, Judah."
It was Jeanne. No idea when she'd risen, but she was already in boots, coat, and robe. The dim campfire suggested he'd slept a decent while. Still groggy.
"Get up and prepare quickly. Something's coming."
"?"
He wanted more sleep, but couldn't ignore that. Judah hastily pulled on socks and boots, tying laces with private-speed. Coat and robe on, he caught a scream amid the rain.
"!?"
-Save me! Please, anyone!
"It's a person. What should we do?"
Expecting her to charge out like before, Judah was surprised she asked his opinion. A far cry from her solo act in Aslan. Waking to someone else's force, plus the endless rain, had soured his mood a bit—but it improved slightly.
"Let's go."
To help. Judah pulled up his hood and headed for the door. The muddy deluge outside made him hesitate. Jeanne sighed softly behind him.
"How dreadful. Trudging back into that rain."
"Worse is if we have to come back after."
Judah smiled wryly and stepped out reluctantly. Outside, he couldn't pinpoint the scream's direction amid the roar. After a moment's thought, he activated [Shadow Heresy 1st Form - Shadow Deployment]. Shadows from the campfire's glow spread rapidly, blanketing the area—far better than eyesight. With enough mana, it reached a kilometer. Results showed instantly: red dots popped up on . No need to go far—the screamer, spotting the firelight, was racing straight for them. Judah held out his palm. Red energy swirled, and Artemisia formed in his grip.
"Mercy! Please, over there!"
A mud-caked man barreled through the trees, rolling on the ground. Black silhouettes closed in behind, deliberately pacing to toy with him till exhaustion.
"They're coming. Jeanne, protect that man. I'll handle the wraiths."
"Yes. Be careful!"
They bolted without a word. Powerful strides splashed mud and rainwater, dirtying clothes and robes. The man, relief washing over him, teared up, laughed—and collapsed. Tension released, legs gave out.
'Not the time to relax.'
As he flailed screaming, a wraith reached out. Judah hurled Artemisia from his left hand. A red arc flashed, piercing the wraith mid-reach and embedding in a tree trunk.
───────!
The wraith shrieked, sucked into the dagger. Some turned hostile, charging Judah.
'Yeah, come at me instead.'
Easier that way. Ignoring the agro'd ones, he threw at those nearing the man. Distance was there, but skill correction and Artemisia's power boosted accuracy near 100% even in rain. Few wraiths meant quick cleanup. The one hounding the man relentlessly fell to Jeanne. Situation sorted in seconds, Judah approached her.
"No injuries?"
"I'm fine."
His gaze shifted to the still-prone, shivering man.
"And you? Okay?"
"Y-Y-Yes! Th-Thank you! You saved my life!"
The man looked up gratefully. Time for his story. Judah helped him back to the house. Fresh wood revived the dying fire. Seated by it, they shed his robe—mud-splattered from the sprint.
"Here, dry off and tell us where you're from."
He took the clean towel with a nod. After a deep breath, he spoke steadily.
"I-I'm… a hunter from Cheriu Village."
Jeanne glanced at Judah.
"What happened?"
"W-Wraiths… Wraiths appeared in the forest and attacked the village. Their eerie screams woke everyone. They targeted people indoors. Those who fled outside ran to the central hall. Luckily, the wraiths saw us as playthings they could kill anytime, so they didn't attack right away."
Calmer now, his words flowed smoother.
"A priest from out of town and a few adventurers were at the hall. His holy power kept us safe briefly. B-But… protecting so many for over ten days was too much alone. Food stores weren't plentiful either. We decided to seek aid from Kaora Castle before it worsened, so a few of us volunteered to break out. They saw us but didn't chase immediately—just followed slowly with amused glares. Then they sped up, we scattered in panic… and I got lucky, running into you."
He bowed his head. Wiping hands and arms with the towel, he looked at Judah.
"Y-You handled those wraiths easily… Shameless as it is, can you help our village?"