Chapter 101
The sun was just right, and the breeze blew cool and refreshing.
It was an exceptionally fine day.
“…After resting for just a few days—You… you… You crazy bastards! It’s because of you guys picking on me! You kept teasing me for being weak, so I went and trained! What are you going to do about it?! To be honest, I’ve been streaming quite a lot recently. Honestly speaking, I’ve been streaming all day long for the past few weeks, except when I was sleeping. Can’t I take a break sometimes? Am I right or not? Huh? Am I right or not?! Say I’m right, now!”
It might not be such a good day for some, though.
From a spot a little away from Da-eun and her companions, someone was raising their voice and speaking fervently.
Even though they were speaking quite loudly, no one seemed to find it strange. It must be something related to that other world.
“…I’m sorry. It was my fault…”
Raising her voice in a heated argument, only to eventually back down—it was such a typical Da-eun thing to do.
But still…
Even so, suddenly doing a handstand like that… isn’t that a bit odd?
Bringing her hands together and standing upside down—Da-eun’s antics caught the attention of Celine and many others, seemingly unaffected by Edel’s filter.
“…Joanie?”
“Ah, huff… huff… Yes? Did you call me?”
“What are you doing?”
“…It’s a workout that’s trending among Apostles lately.”
“Oh, I see… But why so suddenly…?”
“Whew…! Phew, I feel like my body’s been getting a bit dull lately. This exercise is really effective for building back muscles, flexibility, and balance. Would you like to try it, Celine?”
“Um, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to pass. I’m not very confident with physical activities.”
“Hmm…”
“…Joanie?”
“Honestly, I think it’s better if you don’t try it, Celine. …‘Do a kneel-down bow for Celine and get 10,000 won?’ What nonsense is that? Do you think I don’t know your true intentions? You promised to post the clip of me fighting with Krumo or something, and I did the kneel-down bow just as you asked. That’s it, okay? You perverts…”
“What a peculiar person.”
“Yeah, I agree.”
I nodded in agreement with Artisha’s words.
I didn’t mean it in a bad way.
If Da-eun hadn’t been so unique, we probably wouldn’t have gotten this close.
It seemed that Artisha felt the same way, as a small smile crept onto her lips while looking at Da-eun.
“Thanks to Joanie, my hostility towards humans has decreased quite a bit…”
The long-standing war between the Demonic Race and the Humans.
The Second Racial War left behind a strong animosity between them.
Although the Demonic Race was responsible for instigating it, they had their own reasons related to ‘survival.’
While they could understand the Humans rejecting them, for the sake of their own survival, they had no choice but to view them as enemies.
Especially those born during or after the war—they showed a strong hostility towards Humans, lacking the complex emotions that the previous generation of the Demonic Race harbored.
However, on the day Krumo’s Shadow attacked the village,
They witnessed it.
A Human, running tirelessly without concern for their own injuries, just to protect them.
The heroic figure who selflessly risked their life to save a child they didn’t even know.
Of course, that alone wasn’t enough to completely dissolve the animosity that had built up until now.
“But it’s a start, realizing that good people exist….”
It seemed that Artisha was troubled by the newly born Demonic Race members who held unconditional hostility toward Humans.
Breaking the chain of hatred, huh.
…Well, I’m not so sure.
Even if we’re the ones breaking free of the chain, the other side will likely still be tangled up in it.
It’s a thought I can’t fully comprehend, but it’s not my business to argue one way or another.
So instead of rebutting Artisha’s statement, I changed the subject.
“Are you all set?”
“Everything’s perfect.”
The ship to take us to Laxia, the supplies, the route…
Artisha proudly puffed out her chest, saying that she hadn’t overlooked a single detail.
“…You’re the one steering, just like we discussed?”
“Yeah… I’m the only one who can resist the magi as well as handling the ship.”
“Hm.”
“Why…?”
“It’s nothing.”
I glanced at the long dark circles hanging under Artisha’s eyes and shook my head.
Well, it should be fine.
If push comes to shove, I can just beat her awake.
“…?”
Sensing something eerie, Artisha looked behind her several times, rubbing the back of her head.
Unable to find anything unusual, she ended up with a troubled expression on her face.
“Even though it’s probably too late to ask now… are you sure you don’t need more rest?”
“I’ve rested enough already. If I rest any longer, my muscles might start deteriorating.”
“Well, that’s true…”
“You’re not supposed to agree with me.”
I shot an irritated look at Artisha, who nodded as if she had nothing to do with it, despite being one of the culprits who confined me to bed in the first place.
“I’m not one to forget a grudge, you know. Just so you’re aware.”
“…That’s a little scary…”
Artisha shivered.
Yeah, that’s the normal reaction.
Unlike someone who would briefly be afraid and then grin and hug me, Artisha’s response was textbook perfect.
“Caught you, Kana!”
“…Sigh.”
Speak of the devil… No sooner had I thought about her than that someone came running over and scooped me up in a hug.
I felt myself lift off the ground and calmly said,
“Put me down.”
“No way! You said you haven’t fully recovered yet. Just stay quietly in my arms! Hehe, you’re so soft.”
“…”
Warmth spread over my head.
What’s so great about my hair that she keeps rubbing her cheek against it?
If this is what my dad meant by looking “girlish,” then I think it’s safe to say that I’ll never be able to look like a proper girl for the rest of my life.
It’s Da-eun who’s going to be exhausted from holding me like this, not me.
Thinking so, I let all the strength drain out of my body and went limp.
Da-eun let out a goofy chuckle, pleased by my reaction.
“You’re like a cat when you do that.”
“Cat or whatever, it doesn’t matter. If everything’s ready, let’s get going.”
According to the plan, we should’ve already finished our checks and set sail.
The delay was because of Da-eun’s sudden handstand performance.
I didn’t intend to criticize since I had enjoyed watching it, but shouldn’t we depart now that it’s over?
“Or do you want to do it one more time?”
If she wanted, I could help her out.
Hanging upside down from the mast while sailing might be a unique experience.
When I added this quietly, Da-eun shook her head so vigorously that it made a buzzing sound.
“N-no, I’m fine!”
She then promptly carried me onto the ship.
The ship Artisha had prepared for us was quite large.
It was big enough to make me wonder, Are just four of us really going to be on a ship this size?
It wasn’t about wastefulness or anything like that. It was a simple curiosity about whether just four people could actually handle such a large ship.
I didn’t know for sure, but a ship of this size would definitely need a lot of hands.
Well, she probably prepared it knowing it’s possible.
No way would she have prepared a ship like this just out of gratitude without considering the logistics.
“Don’t worry… I’m confident when it comes to sailing…”
Artisha, who had somehow followed us aboard, seemed to have read my thoughts and spoke up.
“When you live near the sea, you can’t help but get used to it… If you want to catch fish, you have to go out to sea… Of course, that’s besides the fact that I just really enjoy sailing…”
“Oh, really? So, is fishing your hobby or something like that?”
“No… I just like steering the ship… When I’m out on the sea, feeling the breeze blowing in from Laxia… it brings back memories…”
“Uh…”
“It worked out, didn’t it? You can finally go to Laxia, just like you wanted.”
“Well… I guess… Although I still won’t be able to set foot on land…”
Artisha nodded as I quickly finished Da-eun’s hesitant sentence for her.
While we exchanged a bit of small talk, Celine boarded the ship as well, and we did a final check to ensure we hadn’t missed anything.
After confirming there were no problems with the ship, Artisha unfurled the sails and hoisted up the anchor that had been sunk into the seabed.
“Nnngh… Up… it goes…”
“Do you need some help?”
“No, I’m fine….”
At Da-eun’s gentle offer, made as she approached, Artisha firmly shook her head, her strained voice practically sapping the energy of anyone who heard it.
In reality, though her voice sounded strained, she didn’t seem to be struggling much as she wound up the anchor.
Perhaps she wasn’t exaggerating when she said sailing was her hobby. Without accepting any help, Artisha finished the preparations for departure and wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead.
“Well then, shall we set sail?”
“Do we not need to row?”
“Do you want to row? Here.”
Thud.
“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant…!”
Da-eun looked distressed as she held the oar Artisha handed her with one arm.
Then, as if realizing something, she glanced down at me, who was still being held in her other arm, and her face brightened up.
“Well, if I think of it as rowing together with Kana, it might not be so bad…?”
“Why would I?”
Why would I want to do that, especially when I hadn’t even said I would?
Not understanding why she would think such a thing, I tilted my head slightly. She looked down at me with eyes full of betrayal.
“…Are you serious?”
“What do you mean ‘are you serious?’ Don’t you think it’s weirder to make someone as valuable as me row?”
“That… is true.”
“I wanted to have a pedal boat date…,” Da-eun muttered something incomprehensible.
I looked up at Da-eun’s dejected expression with a mix of pity and disbelief, then snatched the oar from her hand.
Whoosh.
I threw it far off into the distance.
“Ahh!”
“We don’t need something like that.”
Artisha probably never intended to row the boat in the first place.
She was likely just teasing Da-eun.
Judging by the way she was suppressing a grin, it was obvious.
Catching on, I shot her a look, and Artisha adjusted her expression and spread her hands wide.
A low hum filled the air—
From her outstretched hands and her intact horn, a dense amount of Magi began to flow out.
The Magi soon turned into a fierce gust of wind, striking the sails.
“Whoa?!”
With the sudden acceleration, Da-eun lost her balance and wobbled.
For a moment, she squeezed my abdomen with all her strength.
I wasn’t truly out of breath, but the unexpected pressure made a strangled sound escape my lips.
“…Ack.”
“Oh, sorry…!”
“If you’re sorry, why don’t you put me down now?”
“Boo, did you get tired of me?”
“If you don’t want me to, then put me down.”
Finally, I was released from Da-eun’s grip and regained my freedom.
Stretching my arms up towards the sky, I loosened up my stiff body as Da-eun watched with a satisfied smile.
“…What?”
“Nothing. It’s just… you look cute when you stretch.”
“…?”
She finds the strangest things cute.
Ignoring her familiar, playful comment, I continued stretching my stiff limbs.
Da-eun’s gaze stayed fixed on me until I finished my stretches.
—
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