Devil of the Wilderness (2)
The low dining table—the sole piece of furniture in the cramped single-room studio—had met a glorious death less than an hour after its creation. In its death throes, a hefty splinter had flown straight into Yohan's face, but he didn't even flinch, as if he were entirely numb to the pain.
"I-I'm so sorry... What should I do?" Billy stammered, his face pale with panic.
"What is this tiny room anyway...?"
"It is a sanctuary engraved in Yohan's subconscious, a place where he can lay his body down in peace," the Goddess answered, chiming in on his muttered question.
She stood up and drifted toward a door on one side of the wall. "That door over there must lead back to where we came from. I wonder what lies beyond this one."
She seemed curious to see what was on the other side. Yohan still looked like his soul had escaped his body, so only Falco, who was relatively unfazed, turned her gaze toward the Goddess.
The Goddess swung the closed door open. Beyond it lay a bathroom—a sight just as intimately familiar to Yohan as the studio itself.
"Ah."
Color instantly returned to Yohan's hollow face.
Yes. When you thought about it, the bathroom was the true pinnacle of modern architectural engineering. A completely segregated plumbing system, and an endless supply of hot water courtesy of a boiler.
No matter how long the Unnamed Goddess had lived—a span of time incomparable to any mortal's—there was no guarantee she would recognize the conveniences of another world.
"What is this metal hose used for?" she asked.
"Ah, that's a showerhead. Turn that knob, and clean water comes spraying out of the end."
Of course she doesn't know. Energized, Yohan eagerly began introducing the bathroom's features to his companions.
"Watch this."
"Whoa. It really comes out?"
To be fair, the concepts of water supply and drainage did exist in this world. However, it was infrastructure reserved for major cities like Balifield at the very least.
In the village they had just left, drinking water had to be hauled from a nearby stream. Billy, who had spent his entire life in the remote wilderness, looked completely dumbfounded.
Falco was also from the boonies, but her situation was a bit different; as far as Yohan knew, she had spent several years running with grave robbers, exposing her to more of the world.
"How about that? This is what you call cutting-edge technology." His previous depression vanished instantly, replaced by a smug, confident grin.
"Looks simple enough," Falco remarked, watching him.
Meanwhile, Billy, silently nodding in agreement, gathered the splinters of the table he had pulverized and neatly piled them in a corner of the room.
"However, my Apostle."
"Yeah, what?" Yohan replied, waving the showerhead around in excitement.
"While this space is constructed from your memories, it is also maintained through my divine power."
"Uh..." Yohan stared blankly at the stream of water pouring from the showerhead.
In other words, this running water, the sink, and even the table Billy had just smashed... none of it was free.
Haunted by the sudden nightmare of utility bills and heating costs, Yohan silently shut off the faucet. He carefully hung the dripping showerhead back on its mount.
"Well, it does not consume as much as you fear, so do not worry," the Goddess said, shrugging as she read his expression.
"R-Really? How much, exactly?"
"Assuming the villagers continue to maintain their faith in me, you have absolutely nothing to worry about."
"Phew, don't scare me like that. I got worried for nothing."
It was true. Considering they would keep hunting for sacred relics and spreading the faith, maintaining a single-room studio wasn't going to drain her divine power to zero.
"However, this authority cannot be used in urgent situations. The same applies to teleportation."
"Hmm... Well, that makes sense." It probably meant they couldn't pull off delicate maneuvers like teleportation or summoning dimensional portals in the heat of battle.
"Alright. Since we're here, I'm gonna wash off all this sweat."
"Pardon?"
"I'm taking a shower. What are you guys standing around for? Out, out! Shoo!"
How many times had he been able to thoroughly scrub himself with hot water since arriving in this world? Yohan was determined to fully enjoy this rare luxury.
* * *
Just because people lived in the wilderness at the edge of the continent didn't mean they were indifferent to hygiene.
Starting with Yohan, then Falco, and finally Billy, everyone washed away the thick layers of sweat and dust covering their bodies.
Once they finished, they sat on the floor, blinking sleepily as they basked in the deep, melting relaxation that washed over them.
"Ah... I guess it's because of the hot water, but I feel so sluggish now," Billy said, leaning his back against the wall. Yohan and Falco nodded in unison.
"That smelly-good stuff was really nice too," Falco added.
"It's not 'smelly-good stuff,' it's body wash, you dummy," Yohan corrected her.
Perhaps because it was based on his memories, the studio apartment manifested by the Goddess's divine power was incredibly detailed. The bathroom was even stocked with the exact toiletries he had used during his college days living alone.
It was a pity other modern conveniences hadn't been replicated, but even this much was practically a cheat code.
Then again, meeting the Goddess—who was also on her deathbed—while he was dying in that pit was the ultimate cheat code to begin with.
"By the way, are you okay?"
"With what?" Falco tilted her head.
"That body wash. Even if it smells good, it's basically all chemicals."
No matter how fancy the floral labels sounded, the scents in toiletries were fundamentally synthesized from chemicals. At least, that was how Yohan understood it.
And Falco, despite her rough-and-tumble lifestyle, was still an elf—a race of the forest. With her sensitive elven nose, there was a high chance she would find artificial, chemically engineered scents repulsive.
"Chem... what?"
"I mean, did the scent feel too artificial or chemical-like to you? Or was it too strong and gave you a headache?"
When Yohan clarified, Falco shook her head. "Not at all. It felt like walking into a field of flowers. Actually, the scent was way richer than being in an actual flower field."
"O-Oh, really?" Her reaction was completely different from what he had expected. Well, as long as she's not complaining, it's fine. Yohan shrugged.
"Huuu..." She let out a long, contented sigh. Then, she looked at Yohan and flashed a soft, beaming smile. She had clearly taken a liking to it. Feeling a swell of pride, Yohan looked back at her with a slight smirk.
"Alright, let's get moving. The horses outside might run off if we stay too long." At Yohan's words, the other two scrambled to their feet. Simultaneously, the Goddess turned into her spiritual form and vanished.
Click. The moment Yohan opened the front door of the studio and stepped outside, the scenery of the real world rushed back, and a chilly breeze tickled his cheeks.
Whinny! The two horses, which had been patiently waiting for their masters, neighed and trotted over.
"Chilly out here," Yohan muttered, stroking the neck of his horse.
"The inside of that room was much warmer than out here," Billy chimed in from behind him.
The three of them immediately mounted up. Yohan climbed on first, and Falco hopped up behind him.
"Hey, Yohan." Just as they were about to set off toward Junk Town, Falco called his name, looking like she had something else to say.
"If you can make a place like that, do you think you could make a carriage right here too?"
"Huh..." Come to think of it, she had a point. Yohan reflexively looked up at the sky—a gesture signaling he wanted the Goddess's input.
—It is not impossible, but I would not recommend it.
"Why?" Yohan tilted his head and asked back as her voice echoed in his mind.
—The resting space based on your memories is, strictly speaking, a place with only one foot in this world.
"Ah." So that was it. Yohan recalled a conversation he'd had with the Goddess in Balifield not long ago.
When a divine being exerted power directly in the material world without going through an apostle, the cost they had to pay was disproportionately massive compared to the result.
The studio-apartment sanctuary wasn't a physical object that existed in this world. On the other hand, a carriage, like the one Falco mentioned, was a physical object of this world.
"What is she saying?"
"She says the efficiency is garbage, so don't bother."
"Ah, I see."
It was a shame, but there was nothing they could do. Yohan gave a light shrug and nudged the horse's flanks with his heels. The horse, which had been standing still, began to amble forward.
"Wait, hold on." Another idea popped into Yohan's head. "Hey. Since your divine power is overflowing now, can't we just teleport wherever we want?"
Thud. The moment the words left his mouth, the Goddess dropped from the sky and perched right on Yohan's shoulders. She seemed to have developed a taste for piggyback rides.
"Indeed. You speak the truth."
"Then why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"Are you not the type who enjoys the journey? I assumed you wanted to travel leisurely on your own two feet this time as well."
"Well, no..."
He did have a bit of a romantic notion about carriage travel, but... Yohan started to make an excuse, then simply sighed.
"You can even teleport?" Unlike Falco, who was just watching their banter with a blank stare, Billy asked with a look of genuine shock. Yohan and the Goddess looked at him and nodded in unison.
"Four people, plus two horses. You can do all of us in one go, right?"
"Of course. Relax and paint a clear picture of your destination in your mind."
The Goddess reached out her hand. Yohan took her tiny hand, closed his eyes, and pictured a spot slightly away from Junk Town.
There was no point in letting others witness them teleporting. If they were unlucky, they might catch the eye of some Heresy Inquisitor like the ones they'd encountered in Balifield.
Soon, a brilliant light erupted from Yohan and the Goddess, instantly enveloping the entire party, including the two horses. Flash! The world-consuming light flared and vanished, and in that brief instant, Yohan realized their surroundings had completely changed.
They were now in a hollow in the wilderness near Junk Town. Thanks to the uneven terrain, the flash from the teleportation wouldn't be visible from the town.
"We're here," Yohan said, looking at the other three. The Goddess gave him a thumbs-up and vanished once more.
"My goodness..." Billy, experiencing teleportation for the first time in his life, let out a heartfelt exclamation. "That is truly incredible."
"Heh. Yeah, feel free to be a bit more amazed." Seeing Billy's reaction made Yohan feel puff-chested. With a satisfied smile, he turned his gaze toward Junk Town.
"Alright, let's head straight to town."
"Yeah. We should meet up with Wilhelm first," Falco agreed.
The horse carrying Yohan and Falco trotted toward Junk Town, with Billy's horse following closely behind.
Aside from his plan to brag to Wilhelm about their heroic battle against the man-eating trolls, Yohan was genuinely looking forward to the meeting between the two.
Wilhelm, the sheriff of Junk Town, and Billy, the half-troll with a physique that easily rivaled his. After all, didn't meatheads always size up or admire each other's gains when they met?