NOVEL NEXT Chapter 60 - Chapter 60: To the Hideout
Chapter 60: To the Hideout
Inviting Marie to the hideout, huh…
Even I, in this situation, can’t say no to her coming now.
“Fine. But promise me you won’t spill a word, even if it costs you your life. Not even if the lord himself asks you.”
“On the name of Marie Boaro, I swear to keep the secret. And if Azir were to spill, I’ll handle it.”
“Why do I have to be handled by you?! I can keep a secret too!”
Marie is unusually sharp. She’s been like that since we first met. She was wary of Kuro the moment she saw her and noticed Pink’s presence. Her intuition is sharp. If our relationship deepens, she’ll probably figure out about the hideout sooner or later. So, now might actually be a good timing. This mercenary job was really tough. But through this job, I confirmed that these guys are worth trusting my life with. Honestly, if even one of them were missing, I’d be dead. Of course, the same goes for Mil.
“I can’t leave just Mil behind…”
“She worked really hard. I actually want to try some of her bread now.”
I understand why Azir says that. Drooling and snoring as she sleeps, surprisingly, her sleeping face looks childish and adorable.
“It must be because of her dwarf blood. That explains her toughness.”
“So that’s it. I thought she was too strong for a baker.”
There are dwarves here? Come to think of it, they were talking about magic too, so it’s more fantasy-like than I thought. Well, it’s too late now. But more than that, I just want to cling to Elizabeth and sleep now.
“Let’s take a break for now. I’m at my limit. Elizabeth!”
“Baaah!”
“Hahaha, I’m riding Kidanakemo~! It’s unbelievable! Hahaha!”
Gisella is riding on Elizabeth’s back with her usual foolish laugh. On the other hand, Marie, Azir, and Zamsa are all panicking for some reason.
“Is this really Kidanakemo? Is it really okay? Huh? No way, what is this… I don’t like it, it’s not …fluffy, aah…”
Surprisingly, Marie seems to be the most afraid. But once she actually rides Elizabeth, she seems to be captivated by her charming touch. She’s clinging to her with a melting smile on her face. Azir and Zamsa are frozen, looking into the distance, as if trying to clear their minds. Mil, on the other hand, seems unfazed. She’s rubbing Elizabeth’s back with interest as she rides along.
“This fur is nice. It would be lovely to make a blanket out of it.”
“You knit, Mil?”
“Yeah, I like making things, not just bread. It must be the dwarf blood in me.”
“Oh! Since I’ve got some of this fur, I’ll share it with you. But in return, make something for us too.”
“Sure thing! Leave it to me! This fur is really good.”
She’s unexpectedly interesting. I can’t wait for the fabric made from Elizabeth’s fur. After that, Mil and Gisella were engrossed in conversation. Marie, still clinging to Elizabeth’s fur with a blissful expression, is talked to.
“What was this all about, in the end?”
“The lord made a political mistake. The black wolves were undoubtedly a threat from the Tamir Empire. It seems they were planning some minor harassment on Savoia. It’s a bit too much for minor harassment though.”
“Isn’t it too intense for minor harassment?”
“Indeed. But the real issue is that the lord didn’t know about it. The central government of the Lenas Kingdom should have known such information long ago. It wouldn’t be strange if it had been leaked from the Tamir Empire beforehand. It’s not like either side wants to go to war, at least not now. But it wasn’t conveyed to Savoia’s lord, and Savoia might have been lost.”
“At the level of national politics, it seems like something I don’t want to get involved with. Of course, I want the reward, but…”
“I’ll handle that for you. But… you should build some connections yourself. You have power. If you do, you should build a solid backing for yourself, or you’ll end up being used or killed.”
I understand what Marie is saying. But honestly, I can’t bring myself to be interested in political thinking or movements now.
“I’d rather not bother, so can you be my backing, Marie?”
“It’s fine, but I don’t have the power to speak up to nobles.”
“Well, if there’s an opportunity…”
While we were chatting, we arrived at the hideout.
Elizabeth skillfully placed her hooves on the rocky surface, minimizing the impact, and descended the vertical cliff smoothly without any vibrations.
“Ahh… Finally back~”
“Baaah!”
“It’s relaxing. I still love this place.”
“Wow… the are so many plants in Hell’s Cauldron… Unbelievable. And there’s even a water source!”
As soon as I dismounted from Elizabeth, Kuro took Gisella and Marie’s hands and headed towards the water source.
I also started walking leisurely with Shiro.
She seemed quite tense and tired until now. But after arriving at the hideout, her usual soft smile returned.
Zamza, Azir, and Mil, left behind, looked around with some tension but also with interest.
Despite resting for a while, both I and others were naturally fatigued to the limit and felt sleepy.
But still, I wanted to wash off the unpleasant mud and black wolf’s blood as quickly as possible.
“Azir. If you peek, I’ll kill you.”
Kuro was completely naked, and Marie was shielding her from Azir’s view.
“I don’t care about seeing a woman’s naked body right now.”
“It’s unusual for Azir…”
Seems like even Azir, exhausted to the limit, started washing his body quietly with a drained expression.
Mil and Gisella also undressed without hesitation and started bathing.
“Ah, feels good…”
“It’s so cold! But it’s the best!”
I thought Mil and Gisella had big breasts, but they were even more impressive than I imagined…
No, even though I’m this tired, am I worse than Azir?
“Boobs—ugh!”
Just as Azir was about to say something stupid, he got kicked by Marie.
――I felt a little relieved.
Zamza’s body, which was covered in scars and bite marks, seemed to have almost healed.
It’s somewhat disappointing. Despite all the wounds he had, they have all disappeared now.
In a way, those scars could be considered marks of honor.
But looking at Zamza again, he indeed has impressive muscles.
However, Zamza’s physique is still within the bounds of common sense.
Certainly, it can’t match the soft beauty and overwhelming strength that Shiro possesses, a combination that resembles an artistic masterpiece.
Zamza is completely admiring Shiro.
Unable to think clearly due to fatigue, I also find myself absentmindedly staring at her, and Shiro turns towards me.
Then, without bothering to hide her body, she smiles softly at me.
I couldn’t help but feel a flutter in my heart.
Any more of this, and I might get kicked by Marie too.
I focus quietly on washing away the mud and blood.
Once we were all cleaned up, an irresistible drowsiness suddenly overtook us.
It was decided that we should all take a nap.
We distributed some spare cloth or anything that could be used as bedding to everyone, and each of us took a temporary rest in the cracks of the rocky wall.
Ah, the nostalgic rocky bed.
The moment I lay down, my consciousness flew away.