Chapter 539: Cleaning Up is More Annoying Than the Job Itself
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 539: Cleaning Up is More Annoying Than the Job Itself
The Regressor’s recovery was astonishing. The body that had been completely immobile could sit up after just one day. A day later, she’d recovered enough to stand and walk. Seeing the Regressor emerge, limping, I couldn't help but be impressed.
“That’s some monstrous recovery speed.”
“That’s not something you should be saying, is it? Anyway, it’s no big deal. People who’ve learned the Gam Qi Art can manage internal injuries more easily. I also took a special elixir I’d been saving.”
“Azzy's saliva has a healing effect. Could that be why? So you were the one who used that spoon, Shei.”
“Sh-shut up! Don’t remind me! And you could have been the one who ate it!”
The Regressor, who had just shouted, felt a wave of dizziness and staggered. She reached out to grab something, but there was nothing nearby.
Should I catch her? Or not? Honestly, I didn't mind showing a little kindness. But if I caught her and she started getting weird ideas again, it would just be annoying for me. Then again, if I wanted to raise her favorability, maybe that was the better option.
Sigh, what’s the harm? I’ll just help her out. I reluctantly extended my arm.
It was at that moment Azzy appeared out of nowhere and supported the Regressor with her back and head. The Regressor steadied herself, using Azzy like a crutch.
“Thanks, Azzy…”
Then her eyes met mine, my hand still outstretched. After a brief, awkward moment, the Regressor spoke sheepishly.
“Uh… you too, Hughes… thanks?”
So much for my rare act of kindness. I glared at Azzy for her clueless interruption.
“Tsk. I tried to help and ended up looking like a fool, all thanks to Azzy.”
“Woof? My fault? The nerve of you to blame me!”
I just made myself look ridiculous trying to help. As I took my frustration out on poor Azzy, the Regressor let out a small laugh.
‘He was trying to help me? After talking as if everything was going according to his plan. Hughes has a surprisingly cute side to him.’
Hoo, calm down. Be patient. This is all to build up her favorability. Remember your time as a host. Discard your ego and pride, and just do what the other person wants.
The problem with someone like the Regressor was that she was so fickle I never knew what she wanted. On the bright side, she was simple enough that I didn't have to think too deeply about it.
‘Come to think of it, Hughes should still think I'm a man…? This is just a friendly gesture, right? If it's not something close to friendship, I might have to start questioning his tastes.’
I know. I know it all! The fact that you're a Regressor, that you're disguised as a man, and that you're so unconscious of it that I don't get confused either!
Ah, I wish someone could read my mind and tell her. Then things wouldn't be so damn frustrating.
“Stop slacking off and let's get to work. A mountain of annoying tasks piled up while you were lying in bed.”
“Work? I defeated Fenrir. The work is done. What more is there to do?”
“That’s what I said, too, but people want to feel confident in their own judgment. When that confidence is backed by power and authority, it becomes a force in itself.”
“There’s not much I can do, but… alright. I’ll go wash up and then we can go.”
“Wash up? You wash, Shei?”
“What are you talking about? Of course I do. If I have to, I’ll use Qi Arts to clean myself, but otherwise, I wash.”
Anyone who knew even the Geon Qi Art could push dirt and waste out from their body. For someone who had also mastered the Gam Qi Art, it was practically like shedding one’s skin.
But it was a matter of feeling. Qi Arts alone weren't enough to replicate the refreshing sensation of washing away a body caked in blood, dirt, and sweat.
Hmm. Wait a minute. Isn't it about time I exposed one of the Regressor's lies?
Ultimately, I needed to make her mention the word ‘regression’ herself. But it was unlikely that the Regressor, who was holding onto so many secrets, would spill everything at once. I had to peel away the outer layers to get to the core.
Honestly, the fact that you’re a woman is a pretty irrelevant secret at this point, isn’t it? The only thing revealing it would do is slightly increase the possibility of you being the Saintess. Let’s just get it over with.
I spoke as if it were a passing thought, with no ulterior motive.
“Want me to wash you?”
“Pfft! Cough, cough!”
The Regressor coughed violently as if she’d choked on something. After a moment of disorientation, she shouted in shock and horror.
“Wh-what are you talking about?! Why would you wash me?!”
“I was worried you might slip, since you're having trouble moving. I'm just trying to help.”
“Are you insane?! This isn't something you can just brush off with an excuse like that!”
“What's the big deal? We're both men.”
“Uh…?”
‘Oops. Right. I'm still disguised as a man.’
See? She's not even conscious of it right now. If you’re going to disguise yourself as a man, either be more thorough and meticulous about it, or just drop the act entirely.
“We may not be best friends, but we can at least rely on each other when things are difficult, right? You need to change your bandages and apply medicine, too.”
“No, th-that’s not necessary…”
“Even for you, Shei, it must be hard to apply medicine and wrap bandages on your own back. I'll help you… Hup.”
“Wh-why are you trying to take your clothes off?!”
“Why? Because my clothes will get wet if I don't take them off to wash you.”
“Put them back on!”
“Huh? Ah. Alright. Since it makes you uncomfortable, I'll keep my clothes on. You can be the only one to get undressed, Shei.”
“Who said anything about getting undressed! No! I have no intention of asking you for help in the first place!”
Refusing physical contact was one thing, but the Regressor's reaction was definitely not normal. If she were really a man, such an overreaction would have made the atmosphere turn ice-cold. Isn't it about time she dropped this 'disguised as a man' concept? I subtly gave her an opening.
“Look, I'm offering out of goodwill, so why are you rejecting it so vehemently? There's no need to hate the idea so much if we're both men, right?”
“That’s because…!”
I had set the stage perfectly. She’s an emotional person, so poking her like this is more effective at getting a reaction than a carefully constructed argument. Now, just give up on this ridiculous concept.
I waited to see what she would say, but the Regressor just yelled back at me.
“I don't like you looking at me with those eyes!”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”
Those eyes? I wouldn't look at you with those eyes even if you were a woman! You think I, who can read your innermost thoughts, would react to a mere glimpse of your skin? I’m giving you a chance to fix your failed concept, so why do you keep derailing the conversation?!
“Stop trying to make me out to be the weird one and realize you're the one being strange!”
“You are the one being weird! It's not like you to suddenly offer to wash someone you normally don't pay any mind to! The whole situation is strange!”
“I didn't pay you any mind because I figured you could handle things yourself! You're the one who's weirder for throwing a fit instead of just saying, 'Thanks for the offer, but I'll do it myself'!”
“Then why are you so obsessed with my body?!”
“I'm not obsessed!”
I’m really not getting the reaction I want. Has my mind-reading become this useless…? Feeling my limits, I sighed and waved my hand dismissively.
“Fine. I get the message. Just hurry up, wash, and get out. You stink.”
“That’s what I was trying to do!”
The Regressor staggered but managed to keep her balance as she headed for the bathroom. Then she stopped, glanced back at me, and said.
“Don't you dare peek.”
“GRAAAAGH! Peek at what?! I wouldn't look even if you begged me to!”
Why is she picking a fight with me while still dressed as a man? What is she trying to accomplish? I don’t get it!
Well, I suppose I could understand if I forced myself to. She doesn't want to be suspected of being the Saintess, and she’s also satisfied with our current relationship. And there’s probably some embarrassment about revealing the truth with her own mouth.
But you’re not the type to think things through before you act! Isn’t it about time you just blurted it out? At this rate, I might end up revealing it by a slip of the tongue!
Sigh. How will I ever get her to reveal her regression like this? I have a long way to go.
“Azzy. You want a bath instead?”
Azzy replied with a serious expression.
“Woof. We beasts shed our fur instead of washing with water like humans. Swimming is one thing, but there's no need to get soaked all the way to the skin.”
I had a lot to say to that, but I was too tired and just let it go. I'll just have to push her into a bathtub later.
*
It was difficult for all the turmoil to settle in just five days. With both Fenrir and the San'gun gone, Ende was still in a state of unrest, like a disturbed beehive. The citizens of Ende mourned or raged at the deaths of their acquaintances, and many began carrying weapons, feeling the need to protect themselves. Fights broke out on the streets at the slightest provocation, and disturbances occurred almost daily.
But even through the successive battles, order in Ende was maintained. This was partly because the Obelisk and the Beast Faction were still intact, but more importantly…
“It is because we have found a common enemy.”
The mayor of Ende, Triver, looked old and haggard, but he was still at his desk working. Considering his age, he should have been resting, but the current situation made that impossible, and Mayor Triver was a man who valued the state of affairs more than his own age.
“It has become known to all that the vassal states attempted to reclaim this land, taking advantage of Ende's moment of greatest weakness. The beastkin, who were ambushed while rescuing those buried in the rubble, are filled with rage and crying out for revenge. There are many radical voices demanding we kill all the wounded from the Black Tiger Army and send their heads back.”
“Are you going to do it?”
“If I had my way, I would.”
His tone implied his body couldn't follow through. Mayor Triver answered the Regressor’s question honestly.
“It would not have been strange if Ende had fallen that day. The Wolf King, the Black Tiger Army, and the San'gun. Any one of them could have been our doom. The reason we survived such an absurd situation was simply because heaven’s luck was on our side.”
Mayor Triver looked toward me, the Regressor, and Azzy, and bowed his head deeply.
“You, in particular, were our heaven-sent luck. On behalf of every ear and tail in Ende, I extend our deepest gratitude to you.”
“Forget it. I didn't do it to be thanked.”
“Same here. Instead of thanks, how about some material compensation?”
“Woof woof! With just words?”
The Regressor glared at me as if to ask if I was really going to accept a reward.
What? It’s only natural to expect compensation. The rewards from Ende might not matter much to a Regressor who will just move on to the next timeline, but it’s different for Azzy and me. Small rewards like this are what keep us going.
“I haven't been told anything specific, so I'm not sure if this will satisfy you, but…”
Mayor Triver nodded and took out three wooden boxes. Oh, he prepared rewards? He certainly knows how to handle people, as expected of a mayor.
The mayor first opened a wooden box tied with a ribbon. Inside was a bone tightly wrapped in cowhide.
“Here. It is a humble gift, but it is a chew bone handcrafted by our artisans.”
“Woof woof woof woof!”
Azzy snatched the chew bone in an instant, hugging it to her chest and gnawing on it preciously. It was a trivial toy compared to what she'd done, but the recipient's feelings are often more important than the item's actual value. Chewing on the bone, Azzy looked happier than anyone.
Surely the other two boxes aren't also chew bones, right? That would be kind of funny.
Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed. When Mayor Triver opened the next box, the faint, fishy scent of medicinal herbs wafted out, revealing a dark brown elixir.