Chapter 575
Chapter 575
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 575
Chapter Title: Good Friends to Meet
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Leading a convoy with Holy Knight Doralcan at the helm, they loaded the patients and supplies onto wagons and strung the villagers together with ropes before heading back to Isvant.
With a map in hand, navigation wouldn't be an issue anyway.
Of course, trekking through snowfields for days on end would be grueling for ordinary villagers, but that wasn't a consideration.
The Holy Knights and priests were used to such hardships.
This could even be seen as a form of punishment.
Back in Isvant, the villagers would face proper trials and punishment, while those who'd been imprisoned would receive compensation from the village's confiscated assets and be released.
But what could starving folks with one ankle hacked off accomplish in the dead of winter?
Of course, no need to think that far ahead. We'd rescued them. That was the end of the story.
The sin of consorting with heretics was grave.
Ever since the Idol War, all clergy and ruling classes had come to despise illegal and malevolent faiths. The world had already been turned upside down once because of it, so they were more vigilant than ever.
Hence, they were targets for extermination.
The villagers might have avoided summary execution, but if the prisons were full, they'd likely end up as fodder in the arenas.
"Then rest up for a while. No other tasks. Just take turns on watch duty and keep an eye out for heretics approaching."
What remained in the village swept by the stern god's iron fist were a handful of intact buildings and nine people in total, including me, Cloudy, Winia, and Elise.
Now we just had to stay here a few days and wait for the heretics.
There wasn't much to do.
The village was empty, and their grain stores were ours for the taking. The facilities were decent enough, so food, sleep, and washing weren't issues.
We just had to stand watch as Captain Barkarel ordered. If the heretic slavers showed up during our shift, we'd subdue them, interrogate, raid their base, and call it a day.
The mission would extend, but it'd be worth it.
If not, we'd just wrap it up.
I didn't care either way, but I wanted to head back soon.
I missed Karin and Risha like crazy.
Liztina was probably waiting for me too. I had to get back quick.
"Blackie, so what's our cut?"
"Around 30 silver."
"Hmm... cheap."
Our share came to 30 silver.
Most of the money went to victim relief, so it couldn't be helped. This wasn't a profitable gig anyway.
But Saintess Cardia would value this highly.
"Honestly, Saintess Cardia's favor matters more than the money."
That was the real prize.
It couldn't even compare to cash. Protection from a saintess wasn't something you could buy.
"True, but Blackie, aren't you obsessing over that a bit too much lately?"
Winia, lying beside me, snuggled into my chest as she spoke. Thinking about it, she was right—I had been fixated on that lately.
"Uh... yeah, maybe."
Definitely, my focus had been there.
"I get it, Blackie. Once we hit the capital, you'll be working under the saintess, so butter her up now. Good on you for that."
Winia reached out and stroked my hair.
What? This sudden sweetness?
"I know you're busting your ass to make it big."
"Heh, heh heh... thanks. Means a lot."
I figured now was the time to push forward for the future, not slack off. This was the second turning point in my otherworldly life.
Things go smoothly if you start strong.
That's why I'd been racking up points with Saintess Cardia. Same here—helping Elise was one goal, but this was Brass Celestial Society business too.
You don't half-ass building a foundation.
I planned to nail it this winter.
"Still, I'd rather you didn't push yourself. Sure, climbing high without shame is important. But obsessing? Might make it harder later."
"...Winia?"
Winia cupped my face, gazing softly into my eyes.
"Just... you're working too hard lately. Wanted to cool you down, but that dick of yours won't quit... Ugh, ngh. H-Hey, Blackie. My tits are sensitive right now...!"
I couldn't resist the urge to grab Winia's breasts. My hands roamed freely, kneading her soft, ample mounds and teasing her nipples.
"Winia... thanks for worrying. I get what you're saying. You're fretting 'cause I'm grinding nonstop to impress Saintess Cardia, right?"
"Yeah... heretics ain't pushovers... Of course I'm worried... aren't you overdoing it?"
Winia seemed to think I was suffering.
I wasn't, really.
If anything, the three years after arriving here—up to meeting Cloudy—were the worst. Sure, I was drenched in more blood now, but compared to scraping by without power or backing? No contest.
I'd grown by killing plenty.
Mana in hand, my strengthened body fully mine. Skills improved, wives too.
Tough, but fun.
"I don't like seeing you suffer, Blackie. The others admire your grit... and yeah, it's admirable. But it hurts me when you're hurting."
Winia said she didn't like me struggling.
"I'd rather you just groped my tits and chilled, but sis won't let you."
"Cloudy..."
"Sis wants you to be the strongest in the world. Not impossible, but it'd make you suffer a ton."
Truth was, I was the guy who'd given everything to Cloudy. Since meeting her, I'd mostly lived by her words.
Even courting hardship, diving into brutal stuff to hone myself in pain—it was all to see her pleased.
That became my way. Not wrong—I'd gotten strong.
But Winia worried. Natural to hate the risks. Cloudy was the outlier.
"Winia."
"Yeah?"
"I'm fine. Not that bad. Old days were worse. I'd have quit if it was impossible. Don't worry."
"Still..."
I slowly massaged her breasts, then moved my hand to her head.
"And even if it sucks, you talking soft like this makes it all better."
"Blackie..."
As I stroked her hair, she met my eyes and said,
"...Wanna do tits?"
"Yes!!!!"
Winia lifted the blanket and wriggled down to my lower half. Her huge breasts always fired me up.
Soon, she cupped them with both arms, sliding my cock between. Unbelievably soft and warm. The enveloping pressure felt amazing.
"Oh? You've been hard this whole time?"
"...Sis? Watch over already?"
"Oh, Cloudy’s here?"
"Yeah."
Mid-tittyfuck from Winia, Cloudy finished her watch and entered, shedding her fur coat.
We were rotating village perimeter duty one by one.
Elise after Cloudy, then me.
"Hee hee, Katt. Freezing. Lemme in."
"C'mere!"
Cloudy stripped to undies in a flash and dove beside me. Her body heat—chilled from the cold—hit me.
Ice cold!
"Ack! Sis, you're freezing! Scoot over first!"
* * *
It was during those three days of just standing watch in the village.
"Holy Knight. No incidents. Just wild monsters in sight. They ignored the village."
"Got it?"
I'd come out to swap with Elise.
My turn after her.
Five Holy Knights, our four—nine total. Each did an hour atop the watchtower, scanning for heretics.
"Third day now, no heretics. They might not come."
Elise looked worried.
She wanted to smite them like Barkarel.
Her iron fist itched, no doubt.
"Too bad, but can't force it. Oh, but returning now gets you mid-level novice promotion, right?"
"Likely. Thank you, Holy Knight. We haven't uprooted the slavers yet, but your full support fills me with joy."
Her worried face broke into a smile.
"Heh heh, no biggie. Saintess Cardia loves this stuff. Benefits me too. Win-win."
"Hee hee, I see."
We chatted briefly in front of the watchtower. I wanted to smash heretics before leaving for impact.
But if they didn't show, oh well.
"And... this coat was so warm. Didn't feel the cold at all."
Elise handed over the fur coat.
I'd lent it to her since she didn't need it post-shift. Pick it up on swap. Gotta stay warm in this chill.
I slipped it on right away.
"Whoa, Elise."
Warmed by her body heat, it was toasty. Warmth seeped in immediately.
"Super warm! You heated it up nice!"
"P-Pardon...? Oh."
An hour would fly like this.
"My body heat warmed the coat..."
Elise averted her eyes, mumbling. Blushing too... embarrassed?
"Hm? What? Oh, shy about it?"
"Y-Yes? N-No! Not that!"
"Heh heh, normal at your age. It's fine."
"I'll head in now!"
She bolted.
Guess praising her worn coat embarrassed her. Age-appropriate.
I climbed straight to the tower top.
Open roof, no windows—wind whistled in, chilling my face.
I scanned the village outskirts.
"...Fuck."
This reminded me of army days. Ammo depot bullshit. Winter watches numbed feet in 20 minutes flat. Here? Bearable.
Next up: Holy Knight Calliodin.
Holy Knights bunked in the big house next to the tower. Village empty, could've taken private rooms, but they stuck together there for quick response.
We used separate lodging. Picked a big empty house—me, Cloudy, Winia together; Elise next door.
Tap tap.
I tapped heels to kill time, staring out. Outside was blank A4 white.
Snow falling, stopping, repeating—spring far off.
Pulled Captain Barkarel's pocket watch from coat pocket: just 13 minutes gone. One watch per shift, passed along.
"Fucking hell."
13 minutes real? Army or isekai, same suck.
Muttering curses while scanning, a black dot appeared.
"...?"
Snowy, foggy still. Spotting it meant it was closing in.
A carriage approached.