A Terrible Dream and a Companion
Zeto stood before me, looking down at me as I sat on the bed.
"Cadet Zeto...?"
I couldn't make sense of the situation. Hadn't he just gone in to wash up? Yet there he was, standing before me with damp hair.
"You washed up quickly...?"
"..."
Zeto didn't answer. For some reason, an indescribable pressure emanated from the white blindfold covering his eyes.
I quickly tried to stand up and spoke.
"Cadet Zeto, I don't know what's gotten into you, but—"
Thud.
At that moment, as I tried to rise from the bed, Zeto lightly pushed me back.
"Uh... Cadet Zeto...?"
Without any real resistance, my body was thrown back onto the bed.
"What... What is the meaning of this...?"
Dazed, I asked, and Zeto's lips, which had been firmly shut, finally parted.
"Didn't I say that I needed your body, Lady Kaen?"
"That was... for dealing with those thugs earlier..."
"...Did you actually believe that excuse? You really are naive, Lady Kaen. Why would anyone describe that kind of situation as 'needing your body'?"
Zeto cut me off, uttering words that were hard to comprehend.
No way...
After seeing him rescue those people before, I thought my suspicions were just a misunderstanding. But perhaps this was his true nature.
"Cadet Zeto, so your goal really was my body after all!"
I cried out, hastily pulling shut my loosely hanging robe.
So it ends up like this in the end...
Zeto casually ignored my outcry and slowly approached me as I lay sprawled on the bed. He leaned his face close to mine, his voice whispering in my ear.
"...It's stimulating."
"What...? What do you mean..."
"The sound of your breath... the scent of your skin... even the warmth radiating from your heated body... it is all incredibly stimulating."
As Zeto spoke, his hand moved to grasp the hem of my robe near my thigh. Slowly, the fabric was lifted along with his hand.
"Did you have the cute idea that wearing a thin robe like this wouldn't matter because I can't see anyway?"
"Ah..."
It was true. Even without sight, Zeto had plenty of other ways to be stimulated.
Coming to this inn was a mistake...
I had carelessly assumed everything would be fine. I thought that since Zeto rescued people and wore such a gentle smile, nothing bad would happen.
But even if something did happen... was I supposed to just accept it? Was it my responsibility?
After all, it was Zeto, not me, who had suggested finding another inn.
Soon, Zeto parted the robe near my thigh and placed his hand on my bare skin. I felt the warmth of his touch spreading across my thigh.
"Ah... not there, Cadet Zeto... please stop... even if it was a promise..."
Words of rejection spilled from my lips, and I knew I should resist, but...
I'm the one who made Zeto like this.
Did that thought unconsciously take over my body? I couldn't bring myself to move. Even the swordsmanship I learned from my grandfather, who could shake heaven and earth with a single blade, was utterly useless at this moment.
"...So, is the statement that I need your body still valid?"
Zeto asked, his fingers tracing light patterns down my thigh.
"..."
I couldn't find the words to answer.
Valid or not...
I didn't know anymore. My head was spinning. Was it really okay to let things proceed like this?
With my face burning hot, my eyes darted around frantically. My body simply refused to move. For some reason, I couldn't resist him. Did my body actually want this? Was I just denying it?
Ever since I started monitoring Zeto, I had struggled with overwhelming desires. Monitoring a member of the opposite sex... was strangely stimulating.
Eventually, my gaze drifted down to Zeto's lower body.
"Something... so big..."
The moment my eyes caught sight of it, those bizarre words slipped out reflexively.
Something like that... inside me...?
But just as Zeto, undeterred by my bewilderment, was about to strip off his clothes—
A sudden, biting chill swept through my body, and without warning, the entire room began to freeze at a rapid pace.
Frost coated every surface, and finally, even Zeto standing right in front of me froze solid.
...It was utterly absurd, but the entire room had literally turned to ice.
I stared at Zeto, who had suddenly become a block of ice. Then, snow began to fall inside the inn room.
What is this...?
...It was just freezing cold.
When I finally regained my senses and opened my eyes, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling.
Well, not entirely unfamiliar. Upon closer inspection, it was the ceiling of the inn.
"Mmm..."
I sat up, my body feeling stiff and heavy.
Before long, a voice drifted over from a corner of the room.
"...Are you awake?"
"C-Cadet Zeto?!"
Startled by his voice, I instinctively pulled the blanket up to my chin.
Hadn't Zeto tried to pounce on me? Did that mean I had already lost my purity?
But then I remembered the last thing I saw—Zeto completely frozen solid.
The Zeto in front of me now was far from frozen; he was sitting calmly in a chair, basking in the warm sunlight.
Was it... a dream?
It was all a dream. Now that I thought about it, everything had been bizarre. Why hadn't I realized it sooner?
Yet, the whispers of the dream-Zeto still felt incredibly vivid.
He would never in a million years imagine it, but just the fact that I had such a dream made me die of embarrassment. My face burned hot. I had actually had a dirty dream about Zeto.
The real Zeto was sitting quietly in the chair in the corner of the room.
"...Have you been sitting in that chair the entire time?"
I turned my head away, too embarrassed to even look at him.
"Should I have lain down in bed with you instead, then?"
Zeto's reply instantly reminded me of the dream-Zeto's sultry whispers, making my body flush with heat all over again.
Why did I have a dream like that...
Did I secretly want it? Did a part of me think it would be okay if it were Zeto?
The silhouette of that monstrous thing beneath Zeto's trousers lingered in my mind. Since I had never actually seen one in real life... I suppose my mind could only conjure a silhouette. That was usually how dreams worked.
If that had been real... and if that situation had actually happened...
Just a brief imagination made my head spin.
"N-No... that's not what I meant..."
I mumbled my response, hanging my head low. I felt incredibly apologetic toward him.
Zeto probably hadn't been able to sleep properly, let alone lie down comfortably on a bed. Meanwhile, I had slept like a log, only to turn him into some kind of predator in my dream... A wave of guilt washed over me.
At the same time, another thought crossed my mind.
Was the Zeto in my dream a delusion born of my own desires...?
...It felt like I had just discovered a dark, hidden side of myself that even I hadn't known existed.
Still, no matter how perceptive Zeto was, there was no way he could know what I had dreamed about... and for that, I was profoundly grateful.
Warm sunlight streamed through the window into the quiet room, where only the occasional sound of Kaen's soft breathing could be heard. Outside, the sleeping city was beginning to wake and stretch.
Behind the sound of Sierra's humming as she gently stroked my cheek and gazed at me, the rustle of blankets echoed.
"Mmm..."
Soon, Kaen, who had been lying on the bed, tossed and turned before sitting up. She was a heavy sleeper, and her head swayed slightly as if she hadn't fully woken up yet.
"...Are you awake?"
"C-Cadet Zeto?!"
At the quiet sound of my voice echoing in the room, Kaen flinched violently and pulled the blanket up. Not long after spotting me, her face began to slowly flush red.
...Was she remembering a dream?
After staring blankly with wide eyes for a long moment, Kaen averted her gaze and spoke.
"Should I have lain down in bed with you instead, then?"
I offered her a playful smile and tossed out a sly remark.
"N-No... that's not what I meant..."
Kaen mumbled in a small voice, hanging her head.
I stood up and handed her the clothes I had gone out to buy earlier.
"Will these clothes do? I couldn't choose very carefully... but since you'll only be wearing them briefly, they should be fine."
Kaen accepted the clothes and spoke.
"...Thank you."
"Don't mention it. This all happened because of me anyway. Even if it was a favor, I didn't expect you to help so readily. Thanks to you, I was able to handle things smoothly."
After all, Kaen and I weren't particularly close yet. I wanted to wrap this up nicely, hoping it would serve as a new starting point for our relationship.
"...I assume we shouldn't let others know about this?"
Kaen asked after pondering for a moment.
"...Let's keep what happened today as a 'secret' between just the two of us, Lady Kaen."
"A secret... Hehe."
At my smiling reply, Kaen repeated the word 'secret' to herself, the corners of her mouth curving upward slightly.
Kaen loved the act of 'hiding her true power.' Perhaps what we went through this time felt similar to her.
I turned away from her and spoke.
"It's time to head back."
Since it was the weekend, we could have explored the city more, but Kaen wasn't used to being outside the academy, so I decided it was best to return early.
As we left the inn, the owner gave us a satisfied smile and said something along the lines of, "I hope you had a wonderful night," which made Kaen's face flush red all over again.
I wonder if there really was only one room left in the inn.
The owner's knowing smile was more than enough to arouse suspicion.
By chance, we boarded the same carriage we had taken to the city, and the driver's chatter began once more. Fortunately, this time Kaen engaged in conversation with him, making the trip a bit less exhausting for me.
After safely arriving near the academy, we took a side path through the forest until the academy—and the city—came into view.
"Well, see you next time."
"Yes, see you."
We exchanged our farewells and were about to head to our respective dorms when Kaen suddenly grabbed the hem of my shirt from behind.
"Um, well... Cadet Zeto. If you ever... need my, my body again like this time... please feel free to call on me anytime..."
When I turned around, Kaen was hanging her head slightly, her eyes darting around as she stammered.
Her sudden words made me tilt my head in confusion.
Sierra's flustered voice echoed in my mind as she watched the scene unfold.
In the game, Kaen was a character who was quite difficult to recruit as a companion due to her traits...
It seemed I had gained a companion I could summon without hesitation. Someone of Kaen's caliber possessed martial prowess that wouldn't fall short anywhere. She was a great asset to have as a companion—no, she was someone I could truly trust to watch my back.
The only catch is the Sword Saint's swordsmanship...
As long as she wasn't exposed to dangerous situations that forced her to reveal the Sword Saint's techniques, it would be fine. Of course, one day I would have to use Reverse Heaven to defeat her master and grandfather figure, the Sword Saint, but that was a matter for the future.
I got lucky.
Even though this was a completely impromptu plan, I felt like I had gained a massive harvest. Having Kaen as a companion was far more appealing than acquiring the Veil of Night or raw experience points. Even if I didn't bring her along every time, I was confident I could utilize her in the right place at the right time.
"Very well. Then I will call on you whenever I need your body, Lady Kaen."
I offered her my hand, inviting a handshake.
"U-Um... needing my body doesn't mean anything else, okay...? I just mean situations like this one..."
Kaen mumbled in a barely audible whisper as she took my hand. Of course, with my sharp hearing, I heard her perfectly.
"...What other meaning could there be?"
Finding her muttering adorable, I teased her slightly. At my mischievous response, Kaen gave me a mock glare.
As expected, Sierra wasn't too pleased, but from my perspective, Kaen's level and martial prowess were simply too good to ignore. Still, since I wouldn't be taking Kaen with me every single time I left the academy, I trusted Sierra would understand.
After a brief handshake with a thoroughly flushed Kaen, we parted ways.
It was a rather satisfying conclusion.
What should I give Kaen as a reward...?
Since Kaen was now officially a companion, I felt it would be wise to invest a bit more in her reward.