Chapter 6 – Cracks

000

“Haa~~~.”

The resting place of the guild, where leisurely adventurers always gather.

Today, like yesterday, people who have not found a job that suits them are sitting down from the morning and drinking.

There was a girl who was making strange noises in a corner.

My name is Sasha.

I am a newbie adventurer.

And I just got my virginity ticket off yesterday.

`I. Why did I open my heart to Mr. Cleon so much?”

Looking back, I felt a bit strange about myself yesterday.

From the moment Cleon deprived her of her first kiss, she felt as if her sense of reality had become ambiguous.

Dip your whole body in sweet liquor, and you can’t deny everything that comes your way.

Even so, I remember Cleon’s touch and stimulation.

And pleasure.

“Oops.”

He banged her head against her desk, ruffling his orange hair.

Although she was silent for a moment as the adventurers around her saw Sasha behaving strangely.

Well, the majority of adventurers are weird guys.

It’s a look that says so.

Sasha, too, hadn’t she noticed the gazes of those adventurers?

Regretful at the lightness of her own ass, trying to assert her shame.

Cleon. A man I just met.

Black hair, black eyes.

According to Albain, the most untrustworthy person in the world.

He’s the guy who talks to the sword when he’s alone.

Lump of luggage. Enemy of women. Naughty guy.

No matter how much he fought, how should he tell his former teammates that far? I thought.

Certainly the last two might be right.

I thought a little.

`Still.`

Sasha sensed her faith in the budding Cleon, albeit small in her complex emotions.

She puts her own hand on her left breast.

Yesterday, she remembered her own act of asking Cleon to cut her with his fans.

When I checked this morning, there was a faint pattern that wasn’t there yesterday.

It doesn’t seem to be of the poisonous kind, maybe it’s Cleon’s influence.

However. I didn’t feel any denial.

Rather, it seemed that something like his affection came from this pattern he had received from Cleon.

“Ah.”

Then Sasha felt the heat creeping up from the bottom of her own belly.

Sasha’s hands slowly moved downward, burying her upper body in her desk.

Fortunately, the people around her completely turned their attention away from Sasha.

The moment Sasha let go of her rationality from the rough breathing and tried to calm herself—

“Oh, Sasha. Good morning.”

“Ugh!? Go, Gaga, Mr. Gala!?”

She is suddenly brought back to her reality by her gala who sits in front of her and speaks to her.

What was she just trying to do herself?

Sasha looked at her own hand, breathing heavily as if waking up from her nightmare.

‘Mi, you must be crazy, really.’

“Why? Her face is red.”

“Oh, nothing! More than that! Why didn’t you tell me!”

Sasha quickly raised her body in protest at Gala to change the subject.

“The medicine needed to remove the magic bug. Heh, Mr. Cleon’s essence… It was bodily fluid!”

“Yeah, you left before I could explain in detail.”

Gala gives a troubled smile.

Then, Sasha was speechless and she sat down again.

Then, seeing her hesitating with her head bowed down, Gala asks her as if her playfulness was aroused.

“Looking at that reaction. It looks like you’ve taken your medicine properly, right?”

“Well… Uh, that’s right. Heh, hehe…”

Gala thrusts her face at Sasha, who smiles dryly as if embarrassed.

“…How was it? His stuff. Was it big too?”

“Yes? I’ve never seen anyone else’s… But it’s bigger than a large-capacity potion bottle… No, what are you asking!?”

“I’m sorry~ It’s bigger than a large potion bottle. Hoho”

Gala measured the approximate size with her hand, and then, hmm. Hmm. He nodded her head as if he understood something.

The more Sasha saw such a gala, the vivid memories of yesterday came back to her, and she shut her mouth.

“Then, the warrior party is also resurrected now. Congratulations.”

Gala gave her a quivering smile, and she congratulated Sasha with her words of congratulations.

Contrary to her prediction, however, it seemed that it would be a while before Albain’s party was complete.

“It was good that I took the medicine and my condition improved, but I guess the aftereffects came from not drinking or eating anything for about a week and praying.”

“Oh, that’s it.”

“Yes. I think it will take a little longer for it to fully heal. But, they say that it will be no problem in two or three days.”

Early in the morning, when I found Quon’s room. I remembered her repeatedly bowing her head and making her apologies.

Her heart ached as she recalled how desperate she was to somehow get back to her party.

“Sasha, are you here? Layla says the Quon’s healing power has returned.”

Just then, a voice called Sasha was heard. It was Alvein, the leader of the party.

Did you spend time at the pub until late last night?

The shade under her eyes or the smell of alcohol made Sasha frown a little, but she tried not to show her off.

However, Sasha’s consideration was meaningless, and Alvein’s gaze was directed at Gala, who was sitting in front of Sasha.

Sasha didn’t miss the point of her gaze slowly moving up and down.

“You are?”

“Gala. As you can see, I’m an adventurer like you.”

The same phrase that introduced himself to Sasha before.

Is it something, a pre-determined introduction?

Seeing Gala’s friendly smile, Alvein swallowed without realizing it.

“I’m Alvein. I’m a warrior who goes on an adventure with Sasha.”

“I know. You’re quite famous.”

Albein introduces himself and asks for a handshake.

And Gala accepts it.

The moment her hands met hers, Gala’s eyes curved like crescent moons.

It was a bewitching look that stimulated a younger man.

In Albain’s heart, her black desire to make this woman her own began to sprout little by little.

“Ah, Mr. Alvein. If it’s Mr. Quon, you’ll be fine now. Your health hasn’t fully recovered yet, so you’ll have to wait a bit longer to return to the party, but don’t worry about your healing power.”

“Huh? Ah, yes? That’s great.”

Sasha was a little fed up with the lack of answers to her questions.

Does this guy know only what he’s interested in?

It’s a world apart from someone somewhere.

“But then, is the request too much today?”

As if taken aback by the momentary silence, Albein scratched his head and sighed.

Since he hadn’t completed the request for several days, the party’s reputation might deteriorate.

Thinking like that made me nervous.

“Did you hear! The mansion’s request. I think Cleon received it?”

“That guy is doing well these days. Well, being a magician, he’s more comfortable alone than going to a party.”

And the unearthly voices that are heard.

Alvein sucks! He clicked his tongue and slammed his fist on the desk.

“Oh, you seem nervous. Warrior.”

“Who!? …No, sorry. It’s as you say, Mr. Gala. This isn’t the time to be stuck in a place like this.”

Albein almost couldn’t control his anger for a moment.

The moment he looked into Gala’s purple eyes, he looked down at his hands in displeasure.

It was also his own fault for not fully entrusting recovery to Quon and not learning the healing spells that heroes could have learned, but—

Still, Alvein was far from immune to such a setback of their smooth adventure.

“Mr. Alban…”

No matter how hot-tempered and self-indulgent he was, Sasha felt sympathy for Alvein, who was downcast.

Did Gala feel something from Alvein?

After thinking about it for a moment, he took out a scroll from his pocket and held it up.

Parchment with a blue seal. It is a request written through the guild.

“Then, would you like to have a temporary party with me?”

“”Eh.””

At Gala’s suggestion.

Sasha and Alvein looked at her at the same time.

The request she took out was an A-class request.

There was a bit of difficulty, but if the party was perfect, it was a difficulty that would not cause any problems in clearing it.

“Originally, I tried to find a separate party, but you seem to need a healing role.”

Gala smiled bitterly and looked at Alvein.

Alvein looked at the request form and Gala alternately, and started calculating in his head.

“Gala-san. You, the healing spell—”

“I can use it. Yes, it’s not as good as a cleric, but I’m a ‘shaman’, so it’s a class that can attack and recover to a certain extent.”

“Lord, Shaman. Rare class.”

Sasha also swallowed.

It’s not like a magic swordsman or a hero, but a shaman can also take on multiple roles at the same time, so it’s one of the jobs that can’t be easily found because of the high level of magic control.

Actually, both Alvein and Sasha. It was the first time I had ever seen a shaman in person.

If Gala joins the party and grants it, the party’s attack power will increase as well as replenish the lack of resilience, so this quest should be easily completed.

But wouldn’t it be necessary to at least talk to everyone?

The moment Sasha was about to say that to Albain.

“Okay! Haha, Mr. Gala. Please take good care of me!”

It was impossible to dry Albain.

001

At dawn.

Quon, who had been praying on his knees for a long time at the temple, sweating all over his body, lost consciousness for a moment at the last moment when he saw Sasha’s face running towards him.

When he opened his eyes again, he was lying in his room with his clothes changed.

Beside him, Sasha was crying out loud, saying, ‘Please take care of yourself!’, And scolded herself.

─It’s just like he said. But if I don’t recover my healing power as soon as possible and return to the party…

Sasha held out a bottle of medicine to Quon.

Colorless and odorless liquid. What was inside, Quon did not know.

When asked about its identity, he said that it was a medicine he had obtained with the help of someone he met in the guild.

Quon was told that he had parasites parasitic on his body, and that he would need a major operation to get them out.

However, he was told that if he drank this medicine he was handed to him, he would be able to remove the magic bullet without surgery.

‘Ah… That bug at that time.’

Quon rubbed the back of his neck, recalling the sensation of being bitten by an insect in his living forest.

He should have been a little more careful.

Things you shouldn’t forget while going on an adventure. Always check your status.

If only there had been that man who nagged me to the point where I was exhausted.

Could he have avoided the current situation?

Advised not to drink all at once, but in several portions, Quon drank about a fifth of the liquid in his hand.

Unlike the water-like appearance, it felt a bit sticky, which made it feel strange.

He somehow managed to get it down his throat.

After a while, my body was enveloped in a slightly warm sensation, probably from the effect of the medicine, and my mind became hazy.

However, when he cast a healing spell on his body for a while at the sense of magical power returning to his fingertips, he could see the scratches return to their original state as he hit his knee on the ground again and again.

In the end, he fell asleep exhausted from crying and crying himself while being hugged by Sasha.

How many hours have passed

Feeling that there was a fever in his body due to the slightly elevated body temperature, Quon was slowly regaining his consciousness.

He feels the pleasant coolness of the wet towel placed on his forehead. He murmured as he stretched out his hand toward his falling hand in the blurry vision.

“Sasha…? Laila…?”

Which one?

However, with hands thicker than he thought, he soon realized that the person sitting next to him was not a woman, but a man.

“Albein…?”

Flinch. And his hand stops.

Before long, Quon’s eyes were completely opened, and the moment he confirmed the caregiver, Quon’s complexion turned blue.

“Hey, Cleon…”

There, Cleon was.

With a surprisingly expressionless look, silently looking into his eyes.

In his hand he holds the wet towel he had just removed from her head.

Quon was so started that she lifted her upper body and stepped behind her, forgetting that she had a fever.

Cleon looked at it and sighed.

He seemed tired of Quon’s reaction.

“Why is Cleon here…”

She couldn’t understand

If it’s Sasha or Layla, I don’t know. Why is Cleon here…?

According to Albein, her own condition must have been unknown to Cleon.

Cleon kept her mouth shut for a while, then looked at Quon and answered.

“She’s Sasha’s request. Originally, she was supposed to come, but she said something happened.”

“Sa, Sasha… That child. What the hell are you thinking…”

“She must be pure goodwill. She thinks I can reunite with you.”

Quon placed her hand on her own forehead where her towel fell.

A slight warm sensation passed through my fingers.

She had a bigger headache than that.

Even if Alvein finds out that Cleon has come here—

“Don’t worry about Alvein. He’s not in the city right now. I’ll be soon leaving too.”

Did you see that look in Quon’s eyes and read his thoughts? Cleon spoke as if to calm her cuon.

However, the story she heard made her quon’s condition worse.

“Albein…Isn’t he in the city?”

“Yes. She went out with Sasha on a request. Of course, Layla too.”

It was a word I did not understand.

So, did she go to the party without a healing station?

…With only champions who can’t cast healing spells?

“You are too dangerous. If I don’t follow you…”

“You fool, where are you going with that body?”

Cleon forcibly holds Quon as he tries to raise her body.

I tried to get rid of Cleon, but it was impossible with her body, which was not in her condition.

—Above all, it would have been impossible to separate Cleon by force even in a normal state.

However, Quon looks at Cleon as if he is savage.

Cleon continued the story as if he couldn’t help it.

“Don’t worry. They say that a female ‘shaman’ named ‘Gala’ is attached to their party right now. Then it’s safe, right?”

“…What?”

Relief.

Are you safe?

Quon lost all his strength at Cleon’s words.

I got a feeling of an upset stomach.

Alvein added another healing role to the party—

That’s a woman too.

Following Lailana and Sasha-

Albain’s smile came to mind.

And that smile to the two of them—

And he hallucinates towards another woman he doesn’t know.

“Ooh…!”

“Uh, hey!”

Quon had to change his blanket and clothes.

002

In the end, Cleon, who changed Quon’s clothes and changed the bed with the help of the inn’s helper, sighed and looked at Quon.

He could never have thought that Quon would vomit his stomach in front of him.

It was beyond imagination.

Fortunately, thanks to not eating anything for several days, there was less spitting out.

Did the person concerned go beyond the limit of expression with various emotions such as shame, anger, humiliation, and resentment?

He was sitting with his back on the backrest of the bed with a cold, frozen expression on his face.

“…Well, there’s no need to stay here any longer. Don’t worry, don’t tell Alvein that I’m here.”

Cleon said that and stood up from his seat. I looked at Quon who didn’t say anything for a while, and the moment I opened the door to the room and left.

“Wait. Cleon. Wait. Please don’t go.”

Quiet such Cleon.

And in a low voice, Quon called out.

“What is it? Anything else to say?”

Cleon also looked at her with a frown, as if he was being uncomfortable with Quon for a long time.

But he needed to correct his perception for a moment at Quon’s surprisingly cold face.

The Quon was expressing his anger.

Perhaps that opponent is not himself.

‘There is a medicinal effect.’

“Assuming you don’t talk to Alvein. I want you to listen to me a little.”

Quon looked at Cleon and talked.

Then, Cleon shrugged and expressed his doubts.

“Why should I? You didn’t listen to me.”

“That…”

As if recalling something from the past, Quon bit his lip.

Then, Cleon saw that and removed his hand from the doorknob.

“If it’s a continuation of the previous consultation… I’m willing to listen.”

“Uh?”

Cleon closes his eyes for a moment and opens them.

For Quon, what does the story of Cleon refer to?

If you think about it for a moment, it’s something that comes to mind right away.

Then, Quon opened his eyes wide for a moment.

It was to talk with a face that had regained its composure.

“Cleon. Can I ask for advice?”

“I can’t help it… There’s no point in asking me for dating advice.”

Like sometime three years ago.

Cleon sat in front of Quon with a bored expression on his face.