Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Unpleasant Aura
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-Heavenly Nameless
After dousing himself several times with water so cold it jolted him wide awake, his face, which had been flushed bright red, finally began to calm down just a little.
"Master, what in the world..."
was she thinking, slathering her saliva all over his lips like that?
He could feel his freshly calmed face heating up again, so he shook his head vigorously.
"Calm down..."
No matter how oblivious his master was, if she saw him like this, she'd notice something was off.
...Of course.
On the other hand, part of him definitely wanted her to notice...
"Not yet."
It wasn't that he wanted her to figure it out right this instant.
He let out a soft sigh, swept back his wet hair, and looked in the mirror.
The man reflected there had his brows furrowed deeply, his expression fierce with dissatisfaction, but his cheeks were flushed a pale pink, just like a shy young girl's.
"...This should do it."
It wasn't fully settled yet, but it wasn't enough to raise any suspicions from his master.
He shook out his still-damp hair, draped a towel around his neck, and stepped out of the bathroom.
-Heaven Cleaver
As I lay there with my head buried in the pillow, spacing out,
Nameless finished getting ready, tied back his moderately dried hair, and approached me.
"Master, I'm all set."
Nameless's cheeks were faintly flushed, probably from just washing up.
What on earth had the kid been doing in the bathroom?
I curled up one corner of my mouth, flashed a lecherous grin, and faced him.
"Heh heh, took you long enough?"
"...Sorry."
"I get it. These things happen."
Nameless stiffened and opened his mouth.
"...What exactly do you think you understand?"
"Hmm... You want me to say it out loud?"
"..."
Nameless let out a deep sigh and turned his head away.
A quick glance showed the tips of his ears turning red.
"...We need to hurry if we want to leave today."
"Mm, yeah, whatever. Let's go."
I nodded, still wearing that somewhat lascivious smile.
...
As we headed to the outskirts of the village to find a carriage, I sensed something alien—something I'd never felt before since arriving here.
No, "alien" was too mild a word for it.
It was an energy I'd never encountered, yet it filled me with inexplicable hatred—a nauseating revulsion that made my stomach churn.
My brows furrowed.
"Master? Are you okay?"
I gave a small nod to reassure the worried Nameless and continued my thoughts.
'What to do...'
The energy was vast in scope, but compared to me—who far outstripped Nameless—it was pathetically weak.
In short,
if I wanted, I could crush whoever was emanating it before they even noticed me.
...But no, I couldn't just do that.
Logically speaking, a god wouldn't suddenly descend here out of nowhere, and certainly not with such feeble power.
I let out a small sigh to steady my excitement and gripped Nameless's hand tightly.
"I'm really fine, so don't worry about it."
"...Yes, understood."
Nameless squeezed my hand back firmly.
Mm, that calms me down a bit.
I looked at Nameless and gave him a bright smile.
"Let's keep going."
"Yes."
Still, I couldn't let my guard down.
I readjusted my grip on the wooden sword.
...
When we reached the village outskirts, carriages were lined up just like in the previous village.
The only real difference was their sheer number.
As I leisurely took in the surroundings, Nameless relaxed his grip and turned to me.
"Master, wait here a moment. I'll go check alone."
"Mm."
I usually let him handle booking carriages or buying light supplies because I found it bothersome... but
today was different.
'How so?' Well, back then there was no one who could threaten Nameless, but the energy I was sensing now was strong enough that he'd definitely lose, so it was better if I went with him.
But saying that outright would feel like criticizing his strength, so a convenient excuse was in order.
"I want to watch you haggle for the carriage."
"...? Yes, understood."
My words must have caught him off guard, because Nameless's eyes widened before he nodded.
Mm, had I really been leaving him to fend for himself that much?
It wasn't that surprising, but his reaction left me a little miffed.
My lips pouted out.
At that, Nameless gave a wry smile and led me by the hand toward the carriages.
This might sound embarrassing, but... I can't read the writing here.
I lived my whole life in the mountains—why would I know letters?
Sure, back when we lived in the cabin, I'd learned a bit from young Nameless, but...
Honestly, learning letters from a kid was humiliating, and at the time I figured swinging my sword one more time was better than studying, so I never really buckled down.
The result? Aside from "Heaven Cleaver" and "Heavenly Nameless," I only know the absolute basics.
Mm, maybe I should've pushed through the headaches and learned more.
I regretted it a little, but what good would regretting it now do?
I nibbled my lip and let Nameless lead me along.
This village had small signs in front of the carriages too, just like the last two. It seemed like some unspoken rule among coachmen.
Nameless skimmed the signs and started passing the carriages quickly.
"Any good ones?"
"Not yet, but... there has to be at least one, right?"
"Mm, hope we find one quick."
Definitely.
Our destination was pretty far from here, so I'd half-expected it might take time.
Worst case, we could always pay extra to convince someone to take us, but...
Was it worth going that far?
It wasn't that urgent—we could take it slow through other villages if needed.
Plus,
with that money, how many strawberries could I buy?
Better to arrive a bit late and get more strawberries instead.
'Mm, exactly.'
I nodded to myself.
Nameless breezed past dozens of carriages, then suddenly stopped at one. He approached the man dozing with his head slumped over the seat—clearly the coachman.
"Hey there."
"Yes?"
Startled by the sudden voice, the coachman jerked his head up, glanced around wildly, spotted Nameless, and bowed his head in greeting.
"Ah, what can I do for you?"
"Does this carriage go to Ellen?"
"Yes, it does."
Nameless nodded and rummaged in his pouch, pulling out a few silver coins.
"Two passengers. Is this enough?"
"Ah... well..."
Not enough money?
The coachman scratched his head awkwardly and spoke again.
"The seats are all booked by people who came first..."
"What if we pay more than them?"
"Ahaha..."
The coachman gave an awkward laugh and glanced around.
Then, with an apologetic look, he leaned toward Nameless's ear and whispered.
I heard it just fine, of course.
"Th-the people who reserved... they're quite important folks..."
"Hah."
"Sorry..."
The coachman flashed an awkward smile and scratched his head.
"No luck, Nameless?"
"Yes..."
"Mm. Any others?"
"Yes... I checked the others too, but since the destination's so far, seems like none."
Mm, tricky.
Maybe stay here another day and decide leisurely?
Or take it step by step through other villages.
As I tilted my head this way and that in thought, someone approached us.
"Excuse me..."
I turned to see who it was—a woman whose appearance drew an involuntary gasp of admiration.
Unlike my own somewhat frizzy, neglected hair, hers gleamed with luster, either blessed by the gods or meticulously cared for—a cascade of golden blonde that shone like molten gold.
And her eyes?
Like sapphires embedded directly into her face, sparkling blue irises.
With their round shape and overall gentle features, they made her look utterly pitiable.
Of course, for all her soft appearance, below her neck...
...her body was anything but.
Even wrapped in white robes meant to conceal her curves, they couldn't hide her glow—in fact, it only made her look more seductive.
Mm, if I had to compare, maybe a touch slimmer than Lily?
The kind of body men go crazy for.
Yet despite her stunning beauty as she approached us, I furrowed my brows.
The source of that unpleasant aura I'd been feeling.
It was emanating from her.