Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: The One Who Doesn't Return
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Exhausted from training in the field until late into the night, Lenis dragged her weary body back to the inn, drenched in sweat and panting for breath.
The people of Aldebaran praised her purely for her skills and accomplishments, without regard for her background, and it was by far the most satisfying experience of her life.
But she hadn't reached 100% yet.
Due to her circumstances, she couldn't even use her real name, Lenis Valentin, here—she was just known as "Alvis's squire."
The reactions to the missions she'd completed through blood, sweat, and tears were things like, "I thought you were just a squire, but you're amazing," not "As expected from Lenis Valentin—I knew you could do it."
That fact still left Lenis parched with thirst.
'Damn it... Of all things, to be that damn Alvis's squire! I, who should be upholding the Valentin family name, serving as a lackey for that pervert thug... and even as his squire...'
She hated not being called by her own name, but even more, she loathed being known as Alvis's squire.
A female squire had to offer her body to her master whenever he desired it, which meant that to the people of Aldebaran, she was seen as a woman who'd already tangled messily with Alvis.
Though she'd worn her hood low enough that no one in Aldebaran had seen her face, the mere thought of being perceived that way by anyone filled Lenis with unbearable shame.
Of course, compared to how he'd been during his academy days, she acknowledged that Alvis had become somewhat more human, but his starting point for evaluation was so low that he was still someone she had no desire to get involved with.
After returning to her room at the inn and washing up, Lenis finally remembered that they'd gained one more person.
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Ravi. She was there at dinner..."
They had two rooms: one for Alvis and one for herself.
Ravi had returned today, but she hadn't heard anything about renting an extra room for her even by dinnertime.
So she'd naturally assumed they'd share her room, and figured Ravi would be asleep when she got back from training. But she wasn't there.
"Should I ask Alvis? Ugh, talking to that guy is kinda..."
She could just leave it and assume Ravi was fine on her own, but Alvis's words after their last fight with Vector—about how they'd drawn the attention of those "Underground Vermin"—nagged at her. She decided to confirm Ravi's whereabouts before going to bed.
She approached Alvis's door and knocked lightly, but there was no response from inside.
"Not here?"
She pressed her ear to the door, but heard no sounds from within.
"Soundproofing magic?"
Confirming soundproofing spells on the door and walls nearby, she returned to her room and picked up her winged staff.
Lenis had thoroughly neglected basic spells, but she was quite skilled with amplification magic, especially auditory ones, for gleaning people's secrets.
After casting auditory amplification on herself, she pressed her ear to the wall of the room next door—Alvis's—and listened for sounds inside.
If he was in there, she'd go knock harder; if not, she could ask the innkeeper where he'd gone.
But what she heard was beyond anything she'd imagined.
Smack! Smack!
The sound of flesh slapping against flesh.
A woman's aroused moans and a man's ragged breathing.
She couldn't see it, but anyone who wasn't an idiot knew what sounds those were.
"Th-this crazy bastard couldn't hold back and dragged some woman in...!"
Convinced Alvis's habits hadn't changed a bit, Lenis stormed toward his door in a rage.
Then a woman's voice stopped her in her tracks.
- Aaah! Aaah...♡ Alvis♡ So deep... Aang♡ It feels so good...♡ Haaang!
"...Huh?"
The voice, overflowing with affection, was all too familiar to Lenis.
And Alvis's voice that followed sealed it.
- Hah... Hah... Me too, Ravi! You're squeezing me so tight inside!
- Ahng...♡ Deeper, deeper...♡ Aaah, Alvis...♡ I want to feel you even deeper! More...♡
- Hah... I love you, Ravi!
- Haaang♡ I love you too, Alvis♡
Having heard that much, Lenis immediately dispelled her amplification spell.
The shock was so immense her mind blanked out.
Having overheard the lewd sounds of their coupling so vividly from next door, her face burned like it might explode.
"R-Ravi... Why would Ravi... with a scum like that... Sh-she's definitely being forced! Definitely..."
Ravi mixing bodies with Alvis.
She thought the only possibility was Alvis raping her by force, but she quickly realized that was nonsense.
For one, Ravi overwhelmingly outmatched him in strength—Alvis couldn't possibly overpower her.
Besides, there wasn't a hint of coercion in Ravi's voice. On the contrary, she'd confessed her love to Alvis and demanded he embrace her even more fiercely.
Ravi loved Alvis?
No matter how she looked at it, it made zero sense. Hadn't Ravi been one of the women competing for Brayden alongside her, Elfin, and Celine?
For such a Ravi to give her body and heart to Alvis, whispering sweet nothings after just a few months since academy graduation?
Even if she hadn't been chosen by Brayden, was Alvis really a viable alternative? It was absurd.
Caught in cognitive dissonance, Lenis lay blankly on her bed trying to sleep, but the intense sounds of their passion echoed relentlessly in her mind.
Her imagination ran wild with visions of what was happening next door, and she desperately tried to banish them, ending up staring at the ceiling all night.
And Ravi never returned to the room, even by morning.
Ravi and I had fallen asleep only as dawn broke after our coupling, and we didn't wake until afternoon.
Ravi, sleeping nude beside me, looked more beautiful than anyone in the world. She opened her eyes to my light kiss, then belatedly flushed with embarrassment and pulled the blanket up to cover herself.
"Good morning... well, afternoon, Ravi."
"G-good afternoon, Alvis. Um... don't stare so much..."
"You're embarrassed now, after last night?"
"Y-yes! I'm going to wash up and get dressed, so don't look!"
She was shy, but her eyes were definitely smiling.
We took turns washing and dressing before heading downstairs for a meal.
Starved from the intense activity the night before, we devoured bread and meat like vacuums, and once our bellies were somewhat full, Ravi glanced around and called me over.
"Alvis, haven't seen Lenis around?"
"At this hour, she's probably out in the field training alone. She's done that every day for the past ten days."
"Lenis is really dedicated. Alvis, how about we finish eating and go join her for training?"
"Sure. Elfin won't be back for another three days, so we can't just slack off—we should spar or train individually."
Having agreed, Ravi and I finished eating and headed to the field where Lenis always trained alone.
As usual over the past ten days, Lenis was there practicing magic desperately against a tree by herself.
But today, something was off.
Having observed her several times over those ten days, her magic's power seemed feeble today—like she couldn't focus at all.
I approached with Ravi and called out to her.
"Hey, Lenis. You don't look so hot today. Caught a cold or something?"
"Nyaa?!"
Lenis, spaced out mid-spell, jumped in surprise at my voice and whipped around.
Her face was oddly flushed, her pupils trembling as she glanced between us.
"Wh-what are you two doing here?"
"Why? We heard you're super dedicated with your training, so we came to join you. Elfin's still three days out."
"R-really? I'm glad my Noblesse Oblige seems to be working properly. B-but could you train somewhere else? I want to be alone right now—"
"With Ravi here, wouldn't it be better to alternate spars instead of solo? Even I, a total magic noob, can tell you're unfocused—your spells are sloppy as hell. What do you mean 'alone'?"
"What did you say!? Who do you think it's because of that I can't focus—"
"So you're saying it's my fault?"
"Eek..."
Lenis started to retort but clenched her fists and trembled instead.
Come to think of it, she had dark circles under her eyes, and they looked sunken and lifeless...
"Hey, you look rough. Shouldn't you rest? Sleep deprived?"
"Yes! Sleep deprived! Because of you, Alvis!"
"?"
"Tch, damn it... Fine! I'll nap under that tree for a bit! Just one hour, then I'll get up—so you two train however you want in the meantime!"
Lenis suddenly snapped at me, then stomped off to sit against a tree.
"What's her deal?"
"No idea."
Figuring it must be that time of the month for her, I sparred with Ravi.
Like that, we trained by day and tangled wildly with Ravi by night—for three days.
It was exactly two weeks since Ravi and Elfin had left.
Today was when Elfin was due back, so to avoid splitting up, we skipped training and rested in the room.
But even by late afternoon, she hadn't returned, and Ravi and Lenis started to worry.
"Elfin's late..."
"It's weird. Elfin would never miss a promise."
Then the innkeeper knocked on our door.
"Master Alvis, are you in?"
I opened the door to find the innkeeper holding an envelope.
"What's up?"
"A letter for guest Alvis in room 202. Here you go."
The innkeeper handed me the sealed envelope and left.
Back in the room, as I touched the seal in front of the two, it dissolved smoothly, ready to open.
"What kind of letter is this?"
"Probably from Arborness. I've heard elves use seals that only the recipient can open when they know them."
Lenis knew about it, likely from her merchant father.
From Arborness meant it was from Elfin...
I pulled out the contents: a single, very brief note in Elfin's handwriting.
- To everyone. It's Elfin. Circumstances prevent my return, so carry on without me from now on.