Chapter 419: Scram
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 419: Scram
"Heh heh heh..."
After the clouds and rain had subsided, Muen hummed a little tune, savoring the ethereal sense of release that Sage Time brought while once again admiring the sight of Liya shyly getting dressed.
To Muen, there were two moments when a lovely girl was at her most provocative and charming.
The first was undressing.
Fabrics of various colors peeling away layer by layer under nimble fingertips, fluttering like butterfly wings, gradually revealing skin as white as mutton-fat jade, elegant curves, towering peaks, and the mysterious garden.
Add to that the familiar caresses and deep exploration, and as the temperature steadily rose, one would see the girl’s most flushed and moving expression.
The second, naturally, was dressing.
The scattered clothes being gathered once more; the unconscious curve of her body as she leaned over to pick them up; the pert line of her waist and hips; the swaying of those peaks; the bashfulness and irritation when she caught his gaze; her instinctive attempts to cover herself; and the modesty of hiding that beauty and mystery away once more, layer by layer, from the inside out. It all invited endless imagination and lingering aftertastes.
Of course, if Muen could join in and participate as he did during the undressing, it would surely add a different kind of flair to the scene.
Unfortunately, the shy girl before him was already reaching her limit of embarrassment just from being watched. Her large, watery eyes had glared at the lecher several times already.
If he pushed his luck any further, she would likely blow a fuse.
And so, Muen could only play the part of a refined gentleman, observing from a distance without overstepping.
"You bad man..."
Liya muttered, picking up her long dress—which had been torn into strips—with a look that was a mix of helplessness and sweetness.
She pulled out a fresh white dress and slipped it on, cinching her slender waist with a black belt.
The girl, already ethereal in temperament, looked even more pure against the white fabric. However, her flushed face and her shy, misty eyes made it impossible not to sink into her gaze, like soaking in spring waters under a warm sun.
Thinking of spring waters, Muen recalled her voice from moments ago—murmuring like a flowing stream, soul-stirringly seductive.
But it wasn't just the girl who felt ethereal; Muen felt quite "empty" himself right now.
From top to bottom, start to finish, he was thoroughly drained.
Truly, his stores were depleted. Not a single drop left.
"Still looking?"
Liya put her hands on her hips, puffing out her cheeks in mock anger. "Get up, quickly. It's time for serious business."
"Serious business? Didn't we just finish the serious business?" Muen said with a grin.
"That... how does that count as serious business!"
Liya glared at him in embarrassment, wanting to walk over and pummel his chest. But after just two steps, her beautiful legs gave way, and she tumbled right into Muen’s arms.
It seemed Holy Light wasn't omnipotent after all.
Muen chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Liya’s waist, but he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his shoulder.
Looking down, he saw Liya nibbling lightly on his shoulder. She huffed, "Let... let go of me, you lecher."
"Alright, alright. I'm a lecher, I won't touch you."
Muen quickly let go. Watching Liya stand up and compose herself as if nothing had happened, he couldn't help but want to laugh out loud.
She really was adorable.
*
After the intimacy, they eventually had to return to the "serious business" at hand.
But as Liya stood still and looked around, a sudden sense of loss washed over her.
Right—what was her "serious business" now?
Under the devouring heat of the Crimson Sun, the entire tower—and even the entire pocket dimension—had completely vanished. As Liya looked out, the entire plains of Cantville stretched before her eyes.
All the blood and gore had disappeared. This place had returned to being an ordinary plain, an ordinary kingdom, but it was devoid of life. Looking into the distance, there was only a deathly silence.
In this Cantville, there were likely no living souls left besides Muen and Liya.
The matter had come to an end; the dust had settled.
She had not become the Saintess who saved this kingdom. Instead, she had become a sinner who shared the burden of a million people's transgressions.
"I'm sorry."
Muen ran his hand through Liya’s hair and said softly, "I broke my promise."
"No..."
Liya shook her head and managed a smile. "This was my own choice. It has nothing to do with you, Muen."
"..."
Though she was smiling, Muen felt a pang of heartache seeing the slight daze in her eyes.
The girl had indeed faced her own heart and chosen the love she valued more at that moment, but how could the efforts and goals of ten years be discarded so easily?
Losing that qualification must be incredibly painful for Liya.
Muen took her small hand and said, "Do you want to come back to Belland with me? That's your home too."
"Belland..."
A hint of reminiscence appeared in Liya’s eyes.
Indeed, aside from the Church, the place she had the most memories of was Belland and the Academy.
Now that she could no longer be the Saintess, returning to Belland and the Academy to be with Muen seemed like the best choice.
But...
Liya thought for a moment and said, "I... I'll think about it."
"Why?"
"Because everything I have now ultimately comes from the Church, so I have to see what their subsequent arrangements are. And..."
Liya paused. "Even if I can't be the Saintess, I want to use my current abilities to... do something. Belland is wonderful, but it's too wonderful. I probably wouldn't be able to do anything there."
"I see..."
Muen didn't try to persuade her further. He squeezed her hand. "We can think about those things later. We've been delayed in here for so long; the others are probably worried sick."
"Mm."
At the words "so long," Liya’s cheeks flushed slightly again.
Muen comforted her for a while longer, then pulled out a teleportation scroll, preparing to crush it.
Before he did, however, Muen turned to scan the surroundings, taking it all in one last time.
This place held quite a few memories for him... both good and bad.
He wondered if he’d ever have the chance to—
Hm?
In the brief moment Muen’s movements slowed, a creak echoed as a golden door suddenly swung open right in front of him. Golden light pulsed within, as if inviting him to enter.
"This... strange... is this door automated or something?"
Muen looked at the door, then down at the intact scroll in his hand. He suddenly had a very bad feeling.
But before he could even react, a sudden, massive force erupted from the void, accurately... kicking Muen right in the ass.
Muen stumbled and was sent flying into the door like a kicked ball.
From the sheer force and sharpness of the strike, Muen could clearly feel the irritation and impatience contained within.
It was as if someone had watched a wild boar root through the prize cabbage they had painstakingly grown in their own backyard, over and over again, and then watched the boar dawdle around, refusing to leave.
Since you won't scram on your own, I'll help you scram.
"Fuck!"
Before his instinctive curse could even leave his mouth, Muen felt like a plush toy stuffed into a washing machine.
His body felt as if it were in a void of nothingness, spinning at high speeds.
Three thousand rotations to the left, three thousand to the right.
Up and down, another three thousand.
In the few seconds it took to traverse space, Muen felt as if every semi-viscous liquid in his body—from his brain matter to his stomach acid—had been thoroughly homogenized.
The time was both short and agonizingly long. Light appeared before his eyes, and Muen finally hit solid ground.
The world was still spinning uncontrollably. Muen struggled to open his eyes, only to see several faces with peculiar expressions staring straight at him.
"Yo, Muen."
Paul waved at him, looking him up and down with curiosity. "Judging by your 'unique' look and that pathetic entrance... you didn't happen to get bent over by someone in there, did you?"