Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Merchant of Bennetsa 2
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With only one room left, we had no choice but to fall into deep contemplation, but...
Eventually, we reached the conclusion that there were no other options.
Outside, the storm still raged fiercely, and both of us were utterly exhausted.
No matter how we racked our brains, we couldn't see any way to avoid sharing a room.
Moreover, we were still a bit damp, with no change of clothes, so we had no recourse but to take the key and enter the last remaining room.
We stepped into the guest room, both of us shrinking back awkwardly.
A small stove burned in one corner here as well, and since the room was smaller than the counter-cum-pub area downstairs, it felt noticeably warmer.
As we felt our bodies gradually warming up...
Our eyes naturally turned toward the large bed on one side.
"At least the room and bed are decently spacious. That's a relief."
"...Y-Yeah... This should be fine for the two of us to share..."
Kazeros responded to my awkward words with a flushed face, speaking haltingly.
Seeing her so visibly tense made me start feeling strangely unsettled myself.
'No matter how you slice it, a young man and woman sharing the same room and bed... Ugh, it feels risky in all sorts of ways...'
Though we'd ridden alone in the carriage on the way here, we were essentially fugitives, so we'd been in quite a hurry.
On top of that, the storm that hit midway had left us too disoriented to even think straight.
We simply hadn't had the chance to feel any of that typical mood.
But now, alone with her in this room, both of us soaked to some degree, I finally sensed a subtle, intimate atmosphere I'd overlooked until then.
Her priestly robes, still damp despite drying by the stove.
They were fully modest black clerical garb with no exposure whatsoever, but in this wet state, they somehow exuded a quietly alluring vibe.
The fabric clung tightly to her skin, saturated with water.
This unintentionally revealed her figure more clearly than usual.
A somewhat modest chest that left one wanting a bit more... but a slender waist without an ounce of excess fat, contrasted by hips that felt surprisingly sturdy for her age.
And, perhaps due to the rain, her slightly flushed face and moist, red lips.
I'd always known she was quite the beauty, but seeing her like this up close made her allure and captivating charm hit me even harder.
'Up close like this, she doesn't look like a proper priestess—she gives off more of a noble lady or princess vibe... Ugh... But this direction isn't good at all...'
Whether before my transfer or now, I inhabited the body and mind of a vigorous man in his twenties.
If anything, my physical age had regressed to the early twenties, making me even more full of youthful vigor.
Having such a beauty standing vulnerably before me in her damp state was stirring all sorts of masculine excitement.
As I began feeling that mounting arousal...
"Uh... Huh...?"
The next moment, Kazeros suddenly started unbuttoning her top right in front of me.
Her abrupt action made my heart pound even harder...
Just like that, she stripped off her wet outer clothes, leaving only her thin undergarments.
And then... she looked at me with a calm expression and said,
"You should take yours off too, Sir Santana."
"Pardon? T-take... off... Why all of a sudden...?"
Kazeros said something utterly unexpected.
My heart raced wildly in response, and I felt a reflexive tension building below without my control.
'N-No way? Ah... No, even so... I'm excommunicated, but she's still a holy knight. S-She wouldn't seduce me like this... B-But, technically, she's left the church too, so it's not entirely impossible... Ughhh...'
As I wrestled in thick confusion, agonizing over how to process this...
"Hurry and take it off. You need to dry your clothes too, Sir Santana."
"...Huh?"
With those words, she hung her wet outer garments by the stove.
Only then did I realize what she meant by "take off your clothes."
Obviously, sleeping in a soaked overcoat was a surefire way to catch a cold.
And if the weather cleared tomorrow, we'd need to dry them to depart promptly.
'Hah... What was I thinking...'
A wave of hollow disappointment washed over me, but fortunately, the anticlimax quelled my excitement. I stripped off my own clothes and hung them beside hers.
Now in what passed for undergarments here—not a bra, but something like a thin T-shirt and shorts—we settled onto the bed, Kazeros and I.
Seeing her in this much lighter attire made my heart flutter anew for no good reason.
Still, separate from these stirred desires, I had zero intention of laying a hand on her as she sat beside me.
By this world's standards, she was of marriageable age, but from a modern perspective, she was still young.
Crucially, she was the one who had extended a helping hand when everyone else shunned me—even abandoning everything to follow me here in trust.
Betraying that kindness and faith was utterly unforgivable for a human being.
As I struggled from my corner to suppress my smoldering instincts as best I could...
"So... how much farther do we have to go from here?"
Kazeros broke the awkward silence with a calm tone.
I answered as best I could from what I knew.
"I'm not entirely sure, but it shouldn't be much longer. Soonest tomorrow morning, latest by afternoon."
"Tomorrow... Come to think of it, you mentioned you have an acquaintance in Bennetsa. What kind of person are they?"
"A great merchant named Shylock. He's of Jewish descent, but a man of truly respectable character."
"I see. I've heard there are many skilled traders among the Jews."
She nodded at my words without a hint of aversion.
Watching her yawn wearily, I began to feel a bit relieved.
'As expected... Even as a holy knight, Kazeros doesn't discriminate or hold prejudices against anyone...'
In general, the clergy and church followers in this world recoiled at the mention of Jews.
Though they lived in the same regions, their unyielding adherence to a pagan faith inevitably drew discrimination and scorn.
In that light, Shylock—operating boldly as a magnate in Bennetsa, where church influence remained strong—was remarkable in many ways.
Unlike most, he had no such biases by my standards, making him someone I fully respected.
And crucially, for our journey east, he was essential for securing transport and other aid...
'First off, I need to ask whether a ship or land route is faster. Plus, get more detailed info on those so-called pagan nations we're aiming for...'
They'd only appeared as background in the story, so I didn't have much information on them now.
As I pondered what lay ahead after meeting Shylock...
"...?"
Suddenly, a warm sensation.
Only then did I notice Kazeros had fallen asleep, her head resting on my shoulder.
Given her own exhaustion, it was perfectly natural.
But this reignited the nagging urges I'd forgotten, forcing me to muster every ounce of willpower to overcome them.
'Think pure thoughts... Pure thoughts only...'
Like walking a razor's edge, I barely steadied my mind and carefully lifted Kazeros's body.
So warm and soft...
Her feather-light frame emitted a faint, pheromone-like fragrance that set my heart racing.
Enduring that unintentional temptation with all my might,
I finally managed to lay her straight on the bed and tuck her in.
Even after conquering that ordeal, it took considerable time and effort to fall asleep in my corner of the bed.