I Saved the Villainess (3)
In the end, we loaded Estellia into the carriage and set off. We had to move quickly to reach our destination.
"Hey. You said you were a guest. Can't you keep your wits about you?"
"I, I apologize."
"Let's do better, yeah?"
I shut the window after saying that. The coachman is older than me, but since I’m a 6th Hierarchy Great Warrior, it’s fine for me to speak casually. You might call that barbaric, but we’re barbarians to begin with, so it’s perfectly fine.
"Where is this...?"
Estellia, having regained consciousness, sat up. It was a bit of a sight, but the fur she was wrapped in—clean and odorless—slipped down naturally.
"First, I must express my gratitude. This incident, the Ortes Dukedom will..."
"Hold on. Stop."
"...Yes?"
*Swish, swish*
"...?"
*Swish, swish*
When I gestured, Estellia didn't catch on at first. As she pondered what I meant, her gaze followed the tips of my fingers.
What Estellia had overlooked was that while she hadn't suffered any direct wounds, her clothes had been shredded by the sheer speed at which we had traversed the sky.
"Ah... Aaaah... Kyaaaaaaah!"
Finally realizing the state of her attire, Estellia immediately sank to the floor, covering herself. Then, she pulled the fur she had been using as a blanket back over her head. Honestly, if she didn't cover up, my eyes would be in for a real treat...
"Wha... what? What's going on!"
Luca, who had been sleeping soundly, bolted upright. She stared at me for a moment, then...
*Thwack!*
"Hey, you. Can't you be quiet?"
*Thump.*
And just like that, she went back to sleep. For the record, Luca is a very considerate woman who doesn't snore. No matter how pretty someone is, snoring is a bit of a turn-off.
"Ahem... I apologize for the discourtesy."
"It is quite alright."
By the way, if the Draken family offers a reward, is there anything I actually need? Aside from money, I don't think there's anything that would be of much use to me.
"Oh? There is something."
"Yes? Wha, what is..."
Seeing my expression, Estellia began to grow even more confused.
"Wha, what on earth... Do, do you mean my undergarments...? No. Surely not...?"
Estellia was muttering to herself, but her voice didn't reach me. Come to think of it, isn't Draken a ducal house? If so, they must have all sorts of rare treasures.
For the record, we shamans don't need medicinal herbs. Those are for knights or mages. But there is one thing we shamans desperately need: Cursed Items. You can collect the curses themselves, and if it’s a vengeful spirit, you can bind it as a Familiar. There must be plenty of those in an empire where such things are constantly being moved around.
Since high-ranking nobles are the only ones who can possess them, they make for the perfect reward. As I nodded to myself, thinking this, she spoke up.
"W, wait! What on earth are you doing now...!"
Estellia, face flushed, held out her palms.
"Ah, I was just thinking about what kind of reward I should receive."
"...Reward? Hiiieek...!"
I don't know what she was thinking, but Estellia suddenly clutched the fur even tighter. Too lazy to explain, I just told her straight.
"For the reward, money and cursed items. How about that?"
"My, my body is not... Yes? Money... and cursed things?"
"Yes. And why would I want your body?"
*Whoosh.*
At those words, Estellia’s face turned even redder. Her hair and eyes were already red, but her face was even redder than that. It looked like it was about to burst, so I stared at her in fascination, causing her to avert her eyes.
"I... I apologize."
"It's fine. But why did you think I wanted your body?"
"Th, that is..."
*Stare.*
When I kept watching her, she finally opened her mouth.
"Y, you're a barbarian... I'm sorry!"
"Ah."
Come to think of it, I’m barely wearing any clothes. I’m only wearing pants made from the hide of a northern monster I hunted. Honestly, since I’m covered in tattoos, I don't see the point in wearing much. Usually, they’re clean, but when I exert my power, the tattoos I carved to ascend to the Great Warrior rank appear in full detail. In the north, the weather is so extreme that the tattoos are always exposed anyway, so it didn't matter, but here, I suppose I do need clothes.
"Then let's get some clothes, too. A few sets. That's fine, right?"
"Yes, of course!"
"And can I speak casually? You looked like someone of high status, so I used formal speech, but honestly, I'm not good at it. You can do the same."
"I am fine with that."
"Really? Well, that's fine then."
The air was cleared, and the reward was decided, so my work was done. It was late, so I was about to lie down when Estellia asked,
"By the way, where are you headed right now?"
"The Academy."
"The Academy...! I was heading there as well."
"Then let's travel together. That's fine, right?"
"Of course. Once we arrive at the Academy, I will provide a proper reward... so please, I ask for your protection."
"Sounds good... Now let's sleep. I'm tired."
It wasn't that I didn't want to talk to Estellia; I was genuinely exhausted. I had even seen Estellia's fate. And I had twisted that fate. With my own hands.
'It’s been a while since I’ve defied fate.'
My gaze drifted to Luca. Luca was originally destined to die. She was fated to be eaten by the White Calamity, a giant tiger of the north, as a human sacrifice. Every year, if one 17-year-old virgin was offered, all the barbarians would be safe. If you wanted to defy that, you had to grow strong enough to face the White Calamity. That was the fate of the sacrifice determined by the stars. And I had shattered that fate myself.
The White Calamity. That creature eventually became my pants. This tiger skin I’m wearing right now is the hide of the White Calamity that once made the northern tribes tremble. At the same time, it is a hide with great significance, signifying that I have become a Great Warrior of the North.
"Yaaawn..."
*Thwack!*
"Hey, how long are you going to sleep? Get up!"
"Uuuuugh..."
I woke up to Luca’s kicking and looked around to see that Estellia was already awake. I stumbled outside, groggy, to find the coachman preparing breakfast.
"Ah, are you awake?"
It had been a week since we began traveling with Estellia. In that time, we had become quite close, and the distance between us had shrunk.
"Yaaawn... Did you sleep well?"
"Yes. It seems you slept well too, Kanahan."
"For me, it’s always a deep sleep."
We finished our breakfast and headed toward the Academy, chatting casually along the way.
"Oh, we're finally here."
"Finally...!"
Estellia, who had been living alone without even a maid, said in a voice filled with emotion. I couldn't even fathom how moved she was. Just as I was thinking this, Luca spoke up.
"But we're not going straight to the Academy, are we?"
"...Yes?"
Estellia looked at me, wondering what Luca meant by that.
"Ah, don't worry. I was planning to go straight there, but I'm going to stop by the Academy first."
"What, is that so?"
"...Was the Academy not the final destination?!"
She looked apologetic, as if she felt bad for making me stay at the Academy because of her. That was true; originally, I had planned to go to the Academy all at once after visiting that place, but it didn't matter if I split the trip into two.
"The Academy is correct. But I’m going to stop somewhere else before the exam."
"Ah... I see. Understood."
We finally arrived at the Academy. As expected, since so many people were challenging it, a vast number of applicants had already arrived. Seeing them here a full week before the exam began showed just how high the Academy's prestige truly was.
"Ah... over there!"
As we entered the lodging district where the nobles stayed, Estellia pointed to a mansion that looked quite luxurious. As we approached, knights and a butler were waiting, as if they had been expecting her.
"Why is the young lady so late...?"
"It’s already been three days...! I told you we should have gone to find her!"
Our carriage pulled up, but since it wasn't the Ortes Dukedom's carriage, they were just chatting among themselves.
*Clatter.*
As the carriage stopped, they ceased their conversation. One of the knights sighed and waved his hand, as if telling us to clear the way. Just as he was about to say something because we didn't move,
"Jarvis...!"
"Ah, Young Lady?"
*Hug!*
Estellia ran past the knight who was about to open the door and threw herself into the arms of the butler, who sported a magnificent white mustache. The butler, who caught Estellia in his arms, assessed the situation in an instant.
The hood and fur she wore to hide her disheveled appearance. And the barbarians who looked strong at a glance.
"...This is quite the situation. We are indebted to you. I would like to invite you all to the mansion; would you be willing to accept?"
"Hmm! Well, isn't this a situation that could have been misunderstood? Regardless, I’m glad I don't have to explain myself."
"Haha! How could I fail to recognize a noble guest? Come, please step inside."
Jarvis hurriedly called for a maid to take her inside and welcomed us. We, who were not the type to refuse such hospitality, immediately soaked our bodies in the hot bathwater the maid had prepared as soon as we entered.
"Whoooa... Ughhh... Is this a bathhouse?"
"Ohhh... It’s for real!"
As expected, it seemed a ducal house didn't use ordinary bathwater. Just as we were slowly soaking our bodies, the maids came in to wash us.
"Uh...?"
"Th, the two of you are bathing together...?"
"What should we do in this situation?"
"I don't know either..."
For the record, Luca and I were bathing together. If you ask why...
Luca and I are family to begin with. To be precise, my family adopted Luca. Or rather, I did. That’s why it was our mother who taught Luca up to the 5th Hierarchy. We’ve been bathing together since we were kids, and well... I don't really have any particular feelings about it now. We’ve been together since we were so young, after all.
"Wh, what! Why are you coming in!"
"Quiet, you. You see my naked body just fine... be quiet."
"Ugh... that’s you! What about them!"
Naturally, Luca, who had never been to the Empire before, was shouting in a rage. We’re both women, so doesn't it not matter? In the end, it was only settled after the maids calmed her down and explained the whole situation.
"Hmph! Then go ahead and try!"
"Haaaaa... this is crazy... It’s the devil’s touch! No, is it an angel’s?"
"Hmm. As expected of a ducal maid..."
Their hands were heavenly. It was a technique that easily massaged and loosened our firm, solid muscles. Even Luca, who hadn't trusted the maids, melted away.
When we stepped out of the bath, there were clothes waiting by the door.
"Oh, this is amazing!"
This was exactly the kind of clothing I wanted. For someone like me who still has a modern sensibility, tight-fitting, flashy decorations are completely useless. Since I’m closer to a shaman, I prefer clothes like this—all black, adding a touch of mystery.
"Hey... what is this! It’s too revealing!"
"...Only your shoulders are exposed, though?"
"No, shoulders! What is this...!"
For the record, the clothes Luca usually wore consisted of long pants and leather that covered her from her face down to her upper body. Luca is a female warrior, but in the north, women are beings who must never show skin. The reason is that women must not seduce men. Only men can choose women. All a woman can do is refuse. I heard that in the old days, they couldn't even refuse, but that changed as the times changed. Regardless, I changed the clothes for the embarrassed Luca, and she finally seemed satisfied.
"Whew... this doesn't have any exposure, but it’s totally cool! It was so hot here!"
"That’s true. There’s magic woven into these clothes."
"Eeeh... magic?"
We don't use the power of the stars or mana. Therefore, it’s hard for a warrior to detect magic. But since I’m a shaman, it’s obviously possible. Long live the shamans.
"Then, I shall guide you."
Jarvis, who had come to escort us. As we followed him, I realized that while I had only glanced at the place when we arrived, now that I looked, it was the height of extravagance.
"Ka, Kanahan... this is all gold!"
"Be quiet, Luca."
"You’re drooling, though!"
We followed Jarvis, who was smiling as warmly as if he were looking at a nephew, and before long, we arrived at a door that looked luxurious at a glance. He stood by the door and said,
"I cannot enter from here on. Excuse me."
With those words, Jarvis opened the door. Thinking Estellia would naturally be inside, I stepped in.
"Man, this house is ni...ce?"
"It is good to see you. Are you the Kanahan of the famed Blue Bear Tribe?"
The one who welcomed us was the Duke of Ortes.