Chapter 41. Ahhng~♥
Chapter 41. Ahhng~♥
"That's a relief. I was really worried after you collapsed the other day and showed no sign of waking up."
"...I collapsed?"
"Ah, yes. You don't remember? You were monitoring the effects of the drug I took, and then you suddenly collapsed. It completely startled me."
"......."
"...Yumir?"
"Ah, right."
She raised a hand to her forehead and answered half-heartedly, rummaging through her memories, but her mind was nothing but a haze.
So much so that she could not recall at all what had happened before she lost consciousness...
No, there was one thing she did recall.
'It's not unpleasant. A guy like you.'
Yes, she only vaguely remembered saying that after handing the drug to the man in front of her.
The rest of her memories were hazy, probably because she had collapsed midway.
'...I suppose it's fortunate the research was completed.'
If the results had been lost halfway, it would have been catastrophic.
But rather than relief, a sense of emptiness came first.
She had tirelessly pursued the completion of a single research project, ignoring everything else in her life.
'Really...'
Maybe it was because it didn't feel real?
Now that the anxiety she had felt was gone, only emptiness greeted her, as if nothing had ever been there in the first place.
'Is it all over now?'
No, perhaps there was something more left.
Having rushed so far, wouldn't it be strange if there was nothing ahead?
"Are you all right? You still don't seem to have fully recovered..."
Just as her expression darkened with unease, Dave, who was standing beside her, called out to Yumir with concern.
As soon as she registered his voice, Dave closed the distance.
Then, the moment he pressed his forehead to hers, Yumir's body froze solid.
"Ah, you seem to have a bit of a fever. If you'd like, shall I take you straight to the temple?"
"......."
"...Yumir?"
-Smack!!
Along with the crisp sound of flesh being struck, Dave recoiled backward.
As bewilderment spread across his face while he clutched his cheek, Yumir belatedly realized she had struck him, and her breath caught.
"S-Sorry. It's fine..."
She apologized for her mistake.
As she tried to continue that natural action, she stopped, her hand unconsciously rising to cover her own mouth.
'Why am I apologizing?'
She couldn't help but feel confused.
She, who normally wouldn't bat an eye at most things, had swung her hand in surprise and, on top of that, had even tried to apologize.
Yes, after all, an apology was something only social humans did, worrying about harming their relationship with others.
It was clearly abnormal for her, who had unilaterally kept her distance from people, to even try to say such a thing.
'But why...'
Something that had never happened before.
-Thump-thump.
And why was the trembling of her heart, happening at the same time, so vividly felt?
"Wh-What's the big idea, coming close all of a sudden, you idiot!!"
"I-I'm sorry! I approached you without knowing my place...!!"
At the outburst meant to hide her confusion, Dave was flustered but ultimately shrank back as if overwhelmed by her.
That sight, unlike before, felt utterly pathetic to her.
Because it frustrated her that he was being so submissive when she was clearly the one in the wrong.
"It's not about knowing your place, you...!!"
Feeling a surge of emotion, her mouth closed before she could snap at him.
Belatedly realizing she had lost her cool, Yumir exhaled deeply and turned her head away from him.
"...Whatever. If you're sorry, just go make me some food."
"Huh? Food... you mean?"
"Yes, my stomach's growling since I slept so long."
Yumir rested her chin on her hand and stared vacantly out the window beside the bed.
Through the reflection in the window, Yumir saw Dave smile with satisfaction as he watched her from behind.
Whether he was glad that she, who had collapsed, had regained her energy, or whether he was simply happy that she needed him.
"Understood. I'll prepare it right away."
After he left without asking anything more, Yumir carefully placed a hand on her chest, tracing the sensation for a while.
The heart that had been pounding fit to burst now only produced a quiet beat, as if it had never been otherwise.
'What is this? Why is my body acting like this?'
Yes, it was truly strange.
That her body would heat up merely from someone being beside her, and regain its composure just because he left.
***
After eating the meal Dave had prepared, Yumir sat idly on the sofa in the mansion where she was staying, staring blankly.
Truly doing nothing, in emptiness.
'There's nothing more to do with the research now. Once I organize the findings and submit them to the academic world, there won't be any talk of expulsion or whatever.'
Given the nature of the subject, it would spark controversy, but that too would subside over time.
Though the user may be guilty, knowledge itself bears no sin.
Rather, this drug that would revolutionize the magical world was desperately needed by humanity, which sorely lacked mages; other mages would even be prepared for all-out war with the church's radicals or the monarchy.
Of course, beyond that it would become a political battle, and she had no intention of getting involved.
'Yes, whatever comes after is none of my concern. So I'll have to find something to do unrelated to that.'
Other mages would normally study for self-improvement, but the title of Grand Archmage is only attained by mastering most of humanity's accumulated magical knowledge.
Once one reaches that state, rather than revisiting existing knowledge, one usually devotes oneself to research or education in pursuit of something higher.
Therefore, the next time she would open a book and study would be after she found a new research topic that piqued her interest.
Then what about nurturing disciples like other Grand Archmages?
'No, that's even more out of the question.'
After all, having lived all this time keeping her distance from people, how could she suddenly pursue something like that?
Though lately there was one man hovering around her, he had no connection to magic to begin with. There was no reason or justification to drag him into the magical world from her side.
'Well, if he asked to be taught, it's not like I couldn't...'
Come to think of it, what was he doing now?
Curiosity naturally made her rise and soon directed her steps throughout the mansion where she was staying.
Though the mansion was large, it didn't take long to find him. The difference between cleaned and uncleaned areas was stark.
Furthermore, perhaps due to an innately tidy nature, not a speck of dust was visible wherever he had passed.
As if proving he hadn't volunteered as a porter and handyman for nothing.
"De...."
At the end of her search, spotting him cleaning a window, Yumir was about to call his name but then closed her mouth and covered her words with a dry cough.
"...Hey. Come here for a moment."
Unable to call him by name.
And yet not daring to even call him 'handyman,' Yumir just gestured at him.
Though her attitude was brusque, Dave approached her without minding, as if it were nothing.
"Yes, what is it, Yumir? Do you need something?"
"No, it's not that, um..."
The truth was, she had just been thinking about him and naturally ended up here.
Unable to honestly confess that, Yumir hesitated before finally giving the lame excuse that came to mind.
"...Those two. Any word on when they're coming?"
"Those two?"
"The two who introduced you to me."
She meant Berdia and Serika.
The last time she had seen them was about ten days ago...
Of course, it wasn't that she missed them or was curious.
She had never had any sense of camaraderie to begin with.
It was simply because once they rejoined, the time she could spend alone with the man in front of her would decrease...
"Ah, yes. Berdia did send a letter... She said the orc brigade only maintained a standoff and ultimately retreated."
"Then they'll be back soon."
"Yes, but since the journey takes some time, they'll probably return in about two days."
"...I see."
Two days.
That was the remaining time she could be alone with him.
Even after he joined the party and accompanied them, there would be almost no time to spend together privately.
Above all, he wasn't even an official member of the hero party, was he?
At best, he was a moderately strong fellow, excellent at odd jobs, but once they started full-scale operations, such chores would clearly be handled by others.
'So, this might be the last time.'
Something she wouldn't have cared about before she woke up.
But now, she couldn't simply regard it as trivial.
-Thump-thump.
What was the identity of this heartbeat she felt as she closed the distance with him?
Because if she truly let him go, she thought she should at least postpone it until after she understood what this was.
"Um, Yumir."
How long had she been standing with her hand on her chest? At the sudden sound of Dave's voice, Yumir replied without showing her inner thoughts.
"What is it?"
"Are you perhaps free right now?"
Flustered.
Yumir's body trembled noticeably.
"...Yumir?"
"Wh-Who said I'm free?!"
She answered belatedly, crossing her arms and turning her head away.
The edge in her voice indicated she found the remark rather offensive, but Dave didn't pick up on it and merely asked tentatively.
"But you've been moving around from place to place since earlier..."
"You jerk!"
"Eep! I-I'm sorry!"
Dave shrank back with a yelp.
Fuming as she looked at him, Yumir adjusted her glasses and let out a deep sigh.
Damn brat.
At least if he'd just kept quiet to the end, it wouldn't have been so embarrassing.
"I- I was just wandering around because I thought you might have something to say to me. You seemed busy, so I was late in speaking."
"To you, from me?"
"...Y-Yeah. So, um, what was it."
Yumir belatedly struggled to find a reason for the words she'd blurted out.
As if pondering, she stroked her rough hair, then snapped her fingers as though a brilliant idea had struck.
"Isn't there something you want?"
"Huh? Something I want?"
"Repayment. Repayment. You helped with my research, even risking your life, so of course you deserve appropriate compensation."
Yumir figured she could lightly give him an artifact or two, even if not central to the research.
Naturally, to the man who had put the final nail in her research, she was willing to lavish treasures, legendary equipment, or anything else.
He was also a novice adventurer, so she thought he'd have plenty of needs and wouldn't refuse.
"Hmm, I don't really need anything right now."
"...What?!"
Yumir let out an exclamation of shock at the unexpectedly nonchalant reply.
From her perspective, what Dave had said was incomprehensible.
To brush off compensation from no less than herself, a Grand Archmage. Was he serious?
"No, hey. Playing nice won't get you a pot of honey, so be honest. Actually, you're allowed to be honest, you know?"
"Huh? No, that's..."
"Do you even know how incredible my research is? It's a discovery so great that once submitted to the academic world and put into practical use, it could overturn humanity's entire magic system! And yet you helped with something like that and want nothing in return? Are you treating me like a fool, or my research like a fool?"
"Th-That's not it, so please calm down..."
"Or is it my breasts? Did you want to touch my body instead of money?"
"Wh-What?!"
Dave was taken aback by Yumir's excited outburst.
But Yumir had no intention of retracting her words. Instead, she even lifted her breasts with her arms as if daring him to try.
"Ahh, yes. You're a man too, right? I mean, with a cock attached, you can't look at my body and not have any thoughts. No wonder it seemed weird when you buried your head the moment you saw me naked—it was all to hide your erection!"
"N-No, that's not... Agh!"
"Enough, just give me your hand!! If you want, not just touching, but even going further...!!"
Yumir ultimately grabbed Dave's hand and pulled it toward her chest.
It was the first time in her life a man's hand touched her, and by her own will at that.
And then....
"Ahhhn~♥"
As soon as his hand cupped her breast, a moan escaped her.
Feeling her body tremble at the strange sensation, she belatedly realized the sound she had made and her breathing grew rigid.