They've Always Been Like This (5)
It had been quite a while since we entered the forest. In this dense woodland, the surest way to avoid losing our way and head straight toward our destination was to follow the river. Since we were making for the elven village, following the river shouldn't have been the wrong choice——.
'Not even a shadow of an elf, let alone their village.'
After the battle with the goblins, our party had concluded that we could no longer use our old formation. Elian, stripped of his elven abilities, could still scout with those sharp eyes of his. To accommodate him while he adjusted to his dwarf body, we placed him at the front to set the party's pace. Yujin, whose combat prowess had plummeted to a pathetic level, and Selba, who was still clumsy with daggers, took the middle. I, possessing the best combat ability and the quickest reaction to ambushes, brought up the rear.
The result was that I spent the march staring at the backs of everyone else's heels, lost in a fog of thoughts. Back when I was a mage, even walking felt like a chore, so I would levitate slightly above the ground. This new body, however, seemed to find this much exercise trivial; it brimmed with energy. The only irritation was the way my flesh bounced with every step. It felt like two willful orbs that refused to stay still. No wonder women wore those cumbersome contraptions. '...Do I really have to wear it?'
My stay at the temple had lasted barely two days. There was no way my old belongings would be there, so I'd left with nothing but the notebook and pencil I used for memos. The nuns had insisted on pressing something into my hands. I knew what it was for and how to use it, but I'd never once worn it and had assumed I never would——.
"Aigoo! Just when the hell are we going to reach Alinia?!"
Selba's loud complaint echoed through the forest like a scolding, snapping me out of my strange reverie.
'Phew. That startled me...! I thought something was about to jump out...'
"Elian! Hold up a second. Shall we take a break? Let's drink some water and rest before moving on. We can just scoop some from nearby."
Yujin called out to Elian, who was leading the way. He glanced back at me, broke into a gentle smile, and pulled the water flask from his belt.
"Weren't you the one who nagged that we shouldn't drink straight from the river?"
The guy who had lectured me until my ears nearly bled seemed to have forgotten his own words already.
"If you get a stomachache, you can just heal it."
He talked as if I were some kind of universal cure-all for bellyaches.
"Fine. Yeah... we should rest. Looking at him, pushing any further would be asking for trouble."
"Haaah! This damn elf body is... ugh...! Why is it so frail?! Aigoo, this dwarf is dying!"
'You're not a dwarf anymore...'
Right? It's an eyesore. Shall we switch you back?
'...It's amusing, so let's leave it as is.'
Right?
I wasn't entirely sure it was amusing, but the worry that 'if those two return to their original bodies, I'll be the only one left changed' made me stop the Earth Mother.
'I can't be the only one suffering.'
...Are you really a saintess?
Just yesterday, I would have panicked the moment the Earth Mother read my mind. Now I simply answered in a whatever-happens-happens kind of way.
'I've told you many times. If you don't like it, go find someone else and make them the saintess.'
Wow... How shameless.
I heard the Earth Mother's grumbling but ignored it lightly, dropping the backpack from my shoulder onto the ground and sitting down. Selba, who had zero trace of elven grace left in him, was so exhausted that he stuck his tongue out and panted like a dog suffering from heatstroke on a summer day. It wasn't a pretty sight, so I drew on my divine power.
"Mother. Heal the weary with your gentle touch."
Hmph... You can't even do this yourself and yet you ask me!
'You're a goddess, so of course you can do it. Why are you grumbling when you'll do it anyway?'
It's so you'll feel grateful!
'Thank you.'
It wasn't a reflexive thanks; I sent genuine gratitude for all the conveniences that had become easier. The Earth Mother's grumbling finally stopped.
"Do you really have to clasp your hands like that?"
"Hm?"
"I mean, why do you have to put them together and press them against your chest? You didn't do that during the earlier fight."
I lowered my gaze to where Selba was pointing. Without realizing it, I had clasped my hands and placed them over my chest.
'Ah.'
"I just ended up copying what the other nuns do."
"...Rayden."
"...It just happened."
Even in this situation, he was strict about correcting me.
"The effect seems real, though."
Selba, who had been on the verge of collapse, stared at the halo of light enveloping his body and nodded.
"Still, it can't cure mental fatigue, so since we're already sitting, let's just rest properly."
There was no point in overdoing it. We didn't know how the elves would react, and since Elian—who had once mediated for us—was now a dwarf, I was probably the only one who could gently smooth over any conversation with them.
"Hey."
Elian lightly kicked Selba, who had sprawled out spread-eagle, then slowly sat down beside him.
"It's because you swing your legs out without any technique, you idiot. And in a forest there are plenty of things to trip over, so it's only natural to shorten your stride."
It was hard to call it picking a fight when he was so completely right.
"Sure, must be nice being tall! I used to have to take four steps for every one of yours!"
"Pfft—!"
The desperate whine in Selba's voice finally made me burst out laughing. He glared at me with axe-like eyes.
"S-sorry."
I smiled brightly and apologized. Selba clamped his mouth shut and tilted his water bottle again.
"Ugh... It's already empty."
He shook the flask up and down a few times, then set it down weakly. Seeing a chance to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere, I stood up, brushed off my backside, and spoke.
"Hey, give me those. I'll go fetch some water."
Before I could even finish, three flasks shot toward me as if they'd been waiting.
'These guys...'
"Anyone want to come with me? After walking so much I feel sticky all over. I was thinking of washing up properly or taking a quick swim..."
Especially under my breasts and between them—sweat had accumulated in a way I'd never experienced before, leaving me feeling gross.
"What?"
Selba jumped in surprise and asked again.
"I'll draw the drinking water first, so don't worry."
'Why are they worrying about nothing?'
"No... not that. You're going to wash up?"
My casual answer made even the usually unflappable Elian look visibly flustered.
"Why? ...Is that not allowed?"
"...Just go by yourself."
The moment the words left his mouth, Yujin tilted his head up to stare at the sky.
"Aren't you guys hot? Let's go together."
"...Just go by yourself. Ah, should we keep watch?"
Today, of all days, they were all saying things I couldn't understand.
"Keep watch for what? It's a river everyone uses. If I scoop some water from downstream, are the elves really going to gang up and beat me for it...?"
"No, that's not what I... ...Sigh. Have a good time."
"I will."
The hero had said he was done with that life, but the pressure of the world's fate resting on his shoulders had left him with old habits that died hard. Yujin shook his head, muttering some strange tune under his breath.
It was just as well.
'I'll wash my body properly and challenge this with a clean feeling.'
The very undergarment the nuns had shoved at me while insisting I take it—the one I'd sworn I'd never wear—was now something I was actively planning to put on. Goodness. A woman's body really was nothing but trouble.
"Ah. No way..."
"Has she gone?"
"Yeah..."
Yujin nodded as he watched Rayna stuff the water flasks into her pack and head toward the river with quick steps.
"While she's gone, let's have a talk among ourselves."
"Huh?"
The moment Yujin's words ended, Selba and Elian asked in unison, their voices heavy with frustration. Lately Selba had become surprisingly serious, and Yujin couldn't help but admire it.
"What should we do?"
"How are we supposed to caution her?"
When Selba and Elian spoke nearly identical words at the same time, Yujin—who had been wrestling with the same dilemma—dropped his head with a sigh.
"...I don't know either."
"Look, having a beautiful woman as a party member is great! It's refreshing! Right?!"
There was nothing bad about it. At Selba's honest remark, Elian continued as if he had been thinking the same thing.
"...But sometimes the way she acts reminds me of Rayden."
"Exactly! That's why my insides are so frustrated I feel like I'm going crazy! If it were a complete stranger, maybe I could ignore it! But knowing exactly who is inside that body! Every time my eyes go to her chest, it feels like I'm committing a sin, and it's just... weird!!"
The moment Elian finished speaking with a shudder, Selba jumped in, clutching his hair and shouting like he'd seen a ghost before shaking his head.
"There's nothing we can do... The Earth Mother said that's how it is. It's not like we have any way to change her back with our own power."
"True. Let's set that aside. What about sleeping arrangements from now on? Yesterday when Rayden—Rayna—said she'd sleep with us, all three of us freaked out and just backed away!"
Unlike Elian and Selba, who had each raised children before the party formed, Yujin had been a virgin back on Earth. Here on the Gloria Continent, the only women he'd held were those moths drawn to the flame of his hero status. He had never shared happiness with a woman he truly loved. In that sense, he actually had the most in common with Rayna.
"The biggest problem is that she still hasn't realized she's a woman."
"Isn't that kind of accident more like a reward?"
"What? Reward?"
"Never mind. Sorry. Slip of the tongue."
Yujin scratched his head awkwardly after blurting out his true feelings.
"There's a saying from where I used to live."
"What is it?"
Both Selba's and Elian's faces brightened at Yujin's words, expecting some kind of answer.
"Treat anyone like a woman and they'll become one!"
"What kind of crazy nonsense is that..."
Thinking it was a false hope, Elian let out an exasperated groan, but Yujin continued without paying it any mind.
"Let's just consider Rayden dead and think of Rayna as his granddaughter. If we treat her openly like a young girl, she'll gradually come to understand her own situation."
"That somehow feels even more guilt-inducing, doesn't it?"
Selba answered as if thinking of a dead friend was perfectly fine, then rested his chin on his hand and fell into thought.
"......"
"No... Yeah. ...Let's try it. It's not like we have any other ideas."
In the end, the three of them decided to follow Yujin's suggestion and began discussing at length how they should behave from now on.