The White Wind Howls (31)
The White Wind Howls (31)
#127
"But her is dead. Happened a few years ago, I think."
"......Dead?"
For a moment, my mind went completely blank.
Dead?
Ah— well, right. There was a war.
So it wouldn't be strange at all if someone died.
Just another acquaintance who met a tragic end.
But still— still. Hearing that someone I knew had died left a heavy, unsettled feeling.
"Why...? Was she close to you?"
"No. Not especially. Or maybe she was. I'm not really sure. But why do you ask?"
Before I knew it, I'd been rambling incoherently.
Lily tilted her head.
"Because your expression doesn't look so good, Do-yun."
"......If it's not too forward, may I ask a few things?"
"Go ahead."
"How did Elysia end up dying?"
"How she died? They say a reagent exploded during an experiment."
Heh... You really do go out with a touch of artistry, don't you?
A deflated sigh escaped my lips.
"Ha... Still, I'm glad it wasn't because of the war."
"But did you have some kind of business with her? What was your relationship, exactly?"
"It just... wasn't any kind of real relationship. We exchanged a few words, that's all. As for the business, well, that's gone now."
Yeah, what was the big deal if I was a eunuch? The Elysia who could've answered me was dead anyway. I'd just ask when I returned to the mortal world someday.
"Really? Then never mind. Her research materials should still be around, so you could at least look at those."
"I can't look at them right now anyway. And asking her directly would be the only thing that really mattered."
Anyway, how had Lily known Elysia? When I crossed over into the future, Elysia would have been a third-year at the Academy, wouldn't she? I didn't remember exactly, but she'd have been around that age.
Lily was much younger, so wouldn't their paths have never crossed?
"But, um."
"Hm?"
"Miss Lily, how did you come to know Elysia?"
Lily answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"We attended the Academy together?"
?
"Together?"
"Yeah."
What? Was the information I had wrong?
"Elysia was like a ghost haunting the Academy. She was a fourth-year when I enrolled, and she was still a fourth-year when I graduated, you know?"
Good lord.
"Anyway. If you're really curious, then tomorrow— no, it's past midnight, so today, I suppose? After we subdue Countess Valenor. Search for the materials in the Watchtower."
"Are there research materials Elysia left behind there?"
"I think there probably are. All research materials studied by the mages of Arcanum are kept in replicated archives based on the Academy's original."
A replicated archive, huh... I didn't know what kind of magic they had used, but wasn't that basically cloud storage from the mortal world?
"Then you're saying the tower where Countess Valenor was staying also has that archive."
"Yeah, the Watchtowers always have an archive. I visited one when I was little."
That made the goal even clearer.
First, subdue Risie— give Rubel a tearful mother-daughter reunion, and if possible, receive some physical gratitude from Risie Maman as well— and then look for the materials Elysia left behind in the tower. That should do it.
Because whether I was a eunuch or not was a truly critical matter.
And just maybe, there might be some materials she left behind specifically for me. Research on how to better use this Equivalent Exchange unique magic, for instance.
But one question did come to mind...
"By the way, about those materials. Can just anyone view them?"
"Obviously not just anyone. Research materials can only be seen by people the mage has granted permission to. Elysia gave me permission, so I'll be able to access them."
Then there shouldn't be any problem.
***
***
Had we almost reached the campsite?
The familiar-shaped trees I'd seen earlier came into view.
But Lily took my hand and led me past the footpath into the campsite, pulling me onto a different route.
Though I wasn't sure you could even call this bumpy, steep stone path a route in the first place.
"Miss, isn't our campsite over there?"
"I don't want to sleep there."
"Why not?"
"Because only people I don't like are there."
I felt like it would be better to start getting along...
Lily's voice drifted over quietly.
"And if we sleep at the campsite, I can't sleep with you, Do-yun."
"We decided not to have sex today. And sweating after we finally got all cleaned up is a bit..."
Lily answered with a slightly pouty, coy expression.
"Does sleeping together absolutely mean we have to fuck? I just want to sleep holding you tight, Do-yun. Who do you take me for, some pervert like you?"
Lily, Lily... I didn't think she was one to talk.
The path grew increasingly winding, and a large boulder appeared.
"Heave— ho."
With her small body, Lily started climbing the boulder, going 'heave-ho, heave-ho.'
She clearly knew this path already.
When I followed Lily up the boulder, a small cave lay before us.
It was the kind of cave that naturally drew exclamations. Looking back, a majestic panorama unfolded: the upper reaches of the Letherion River and the dark forest visible all at once.
"Oh! So places like this actually exist."
And the cave itself was incredibly cozy.
Though I said small— it was more than spacious enough for two people. Looking inside, it felt like it had been maintained for a very long time.
A few small cooking utensils that bore the touch of human hands, and some random books.
Most notably, a small mana lamp was embedded in the cave wall, and a soft, plush blanket was laid out. It was covered in a bit of dust, but what did something like that matter?
"Wow. This is really well made. Looking at the walls, this seems like an artificially dug cave... There are books here too? Fairytale books? Picture books or something?"
Thwack!
As I reached out to open a book, Lily slapped my hand away and said coyly,
"Don't look."
Then she carefully picked up the books, hugged them to her chest, and hid them deep inside the cave.
Hmm. The thing was, being told that only made me want to see more. I'd have to sneak a look when Lily fell asleep later.
Flutter—
Along with the sound of dust being shaken from the blanket, Lily spread the bedding out and said,
"Anyway, let's start getting ready for bed now."
"If a place like this already existed, I should have brought the others along."
"......Just so you know, if you bring anyone else here, I'll kill them."
"Yes, ma'am."
And so, I climbed into the blanket Lily had laid out.
***
***
#128
As soon as I slipped beneath the cozy blanket, Lily clung to my arm like a piece of gum.
The only clothing she owned was that beggarly, bloodstained black robe, so naturally, she had no choice but to sleep naked.
Well, they said sleeping naked was good for your skin anyway. But this was bound to cause problems.
"Miss... it's hot."
"Lily's cold."
Shaking her off felt as though it would lead to a very bad ending, so I simply let her be.
It absolutely wasn't because having a naked girl hug me felt good. Absolutely not.
"Lily needs to get warmer."
Now she wrapped her arms and legs around the right half of my body and clung on tight.
Suffocating...
But honestly speaking...
Having a soft, warm body coiled around mine did somehow feel like the fatigue was melting away.
Someday, if I got married... and had a sweet daughter, maybe that was what it would feel like.
No, what was I thinking... I needed to get a grip, seriously.
A voice that shattered my delusions reached my ears.
"Do-yun... asleep?"
"Could I fall asleep that fast? Maybe because I exercised so much just now, sleep isn't coming easy."
Lily smiled bashfully.
"Lily also exercised hard just now, so sleep isn't coming easy-ba!"
Maybe because the softly glowing mana stone set a suggestive mood? Honestly, I wanted to do it again. Even so, I suppressed my desires and told her,
"We're seriously not doing it today. You'll agree with that, won't you, Miss?"
"Do-yun, you keep saying we won't do it today. Actually, saying it this much probably means you want to, right?"
Too many things hit close to home for me to answer right away.
Lily peeked under the blanket slightly and giggled mockingly.
"Ahaha! Do-yun's about half hard. Looks like your dick got all itchy again. Pervert."
"It's not hard."
"Can you prove it?"
"How would I prove that."
Her pale fingers reached down toward my groin without hesitation.
"Show me your dick!"
Whoosh!
Without the slightest warning, she yanked my pants down.
Then, my half-erect cock caught on the waistband— thwump— and slipped free.
"Do-yun's dick is hard~"
Even if half of that was my fault... half of it was your fault too—
"It got hard because you were talking about it, Miss."
I lifted my upper body, trying to reach for her, but Lily firmly restrained me and kept teasing.
"This would be rape, you know? Lily made a promise to Do-yun earlier, so I'm not going to do it."
Dammit... it felt like I was going to burst...
"Hehe. What do we do, you're so pitiful~ Lily's not gonna help you out, though. If you wanna shake your dick all by yourself, jiggle jiggle, I'll let you do that! It's been a while, so have a wank."
She wore a thoroughly amused expression and giggled away.
Still, I had my pride... The thought that Lily might help me out if I started masturbating then did cross my mind, but it seemed wiser to hold back and endure.
Hmm...
Wasn't there anything I could use to tease Lily in return?
I turned my head, searching for any kind of opportunity.
Ah, right. I was really curious what was written in those books.
Earlier, they'd looked like picture fairytale books.
Maybe this cave was a place filled with memories of Countess Sione Rosenheim. I suddenly wanted to read one out loud in front of her, just to see what kind of childish content was in there.
Hup— cha.
I got up and approached the books she had put away.
Lily paid no attention at first, but once she realized where I was heading, she panicked and started trying to stop me.
"Wh-what are you doing—!"
"I'm going to read some of the books here."
"I said don't look at them!"
She scrambled up and grabbed my pant leg, getting dragged along, but as if that would stop me.
I picked up the box of books sitting in the corner and brought it over to sit down.
"Eeeeeek!!!!"
Lily panicked and lunged at me, but I subdued her by pressing her forehead with my index finger.
"Creak!!!!"
Hehe. How are you going to beat me with pure strength?
I picked up the book right on top and read aloud.
"The Three Little Pigs."
"Hic!"
Pass.
"The Fox and the Stork."
"Hic!"
Pass.
"The Fox and the Sour Grapes."
Ugh, my arm hurts. Her thrashing, which had been like a small wild beast's, gradually died down.
Were all of these books Sione Rosenheim had read to her when she was little? Why are there only children's books here? Maybe this cave was some kind of secret base for House Rosenheim.
Ugh. But why were there only fairy-tale books? That wasn't entertaining, it wasn't entertaining!!!! Didn't they have any hidden erotica or something?
"Anyway, looks like you were fond of reading these kinds of fairytale books."
"Eeek! Let go!!! I read them when I was little!"
"Well, shall I read them to you like a dad? If I read a book for our princess, you'll fall right asleep, coco-sleepy-sleep."
Lily was still thrashing around, trying to snatch the box of books from my arms.
Rustle, rustle.
Just how many of these damned books are there?
That was when it happened.
Tap.
A very heavy book texture met my fingers.
A thick book bound in leather.
When I slipped it out, there was no particular title written on it.
Found it! The hidden red book!
Lily fiercely resisted, but I paid her no mind and turned to the first page. Let's see if there's a table of contents at least?
I read the letters aloud.
"Memories with my Beloved Do-yun."
"Ah."
Lily's eyes went wide as lanterns.