Chapter 177 – Stopped Footsteps.

In the end, he could not overcome Krikaliev’s pressure and had to give up more gold coins. Thanks to this, Helena was able to make a profit, so when Helena exchanged her share in return for her help, apart from the reward, she did not exchange a single Lantua gold coin, but gave it as a tip.

“Woohyo! One gold coin can be exchanged for four. That’s awesome!”
“…Thanks for your help anyway.”

It was a suspicious man, but it was true that he had received a lot of help nonetheless, so Helena expressed her gratitude.

“It’s okay, it’s okay! If you give me directions and get gold coins like this, it’s a trade that’s left over!”

Then, seeing Krikaliev leading the way happily, she did not know what expression to make. If she continued to observe his behavior, it seemed that even the will to resolve the question would disappear, so she tried to gather her doubts and opened her mouth.

“Why are you helping us like this?”
“Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

He turned her head to look at her as if nothing had happened to her, and Helena felt an unknown, twisted emotion welling up.

“Thank you for helping us cure the blackneck. You’re probably the one who saved us from that man.”

She knew it might be rude, but she still couldn’t bear to ask.

“However, I can’t understand why they take care of us so much.”

It was the same with the exchange office just now. If left as it is, the man at the exchange office could have made a lot of profit, but in reality, it was nothing to lose to the girls. Even if it was someone else’s business anyway, there was nothing to worry about.

“Even the poor lady lives a complicated life.”

Krikaliev said, showing the gold coin he had received from her.

“Didn’t you say you were from Lantua?”
“Yes.”
“Everyone knows that crossing the cloud is not easy.”

That’s why Lantua’s currency, excluding common iron coins, is expensive here.

“But how many guys are going to try when they can benefit from this?”
“Why do you talk like that…”
“There is no one. No matter how blinded you are to money, you know that your life is precious.”

But he didn’t even listen to Helena, he continued her words. If it was easier said than done, everyone would have tried to make money by going to and from the cloud zone.

“But to come across the cloud zone. That must mean it was desperate. Isn’t it?”
“…”
“You can’t be rudely ignoring the efforts of the people who crossed the Cloud Zone at the risk of that.”

Helena couldn’t find anything to say to him. She herself wasn’t that great. He was just one of many who wouldn’t have crossed the Clouds if it wasn’t for the wizard’s power, if he wasn’t using Jude. With every word she said, he felt so humbled that he was holding his breath.

“So that’s what I mean. Can you buy me some of that while I’ve taken care of my share?”

However, at Krikaliev’s words that continued the next moment, that feeling vanished. He casually pointed to a stall selling his skewers.

“I eat eight on the go and take four to take.”

In his words, which even detailed her requirements, Helena couldn’t help but blame herself for thinking about him. With 2 iron coins and 6 copper coins, she was able to live comfortably, but she couldn’t help but feel discouraged and ashamed.

“Well, as expected, direct fire salt grilling is the best!”

Seeing him holding her skewer between her fingers and commenting on it as it was, she thought that only herself, who was so serious, was stupid. With her face covered with a thick cloth, she doesn’t know how she eats, but she eats her skewers at high speed.

“Come in quickly.”

Seeing Krikaliev enter it, Helena followed slowly in, checking her sleeve. It didn’t seem like that kind of person, but she was just in case. So open the door and go in.

“Oh, I’m tired.”

I could see the dark-haired girl sighing, prostrate on her desk in the empty hall. At first glance, she looked like an ordinary human, but the large grayish-brown wings flapping from her back as she lay prone indicated that she was a harpy. Krikaliev addressed her in a friendly manner.

“You’re full of complaints, but is there any restaurant/innkeeper around here who makes as much money as you?”
“But tired is tired… When did you come again!?”
“Am I sure I came in through the front door?”

He shrugs her shoulders and holds her skewered wrapped leaves at her.

“And this. I bought it from Cheongpung.”
“I like it, but it’s salt-grilled, right?”
“Draw and draw.”

Only then did she take out a skewer wrapped with her bright face and take a bite.

“Mmm~ This is the taste! Even the mangrove scent. That’s for sure!”

As Helena listened to their conversation, finding no room for her to intervene, the harpy girl who was chewing on her skewer finally found them and opened her eyes wide.

“Mister, when did you start living outside without my knowledge?”
“Ehra! You guy!”
“Evil! Why do you hit me!”
“A guest! A guest! And make someone a married man!”
“Then you can do it with words! With words!”

Krikaliev, who had been bickering for a while, introduced the harpy girl by stroking her head.

“Anyway, this is the owner, Nausicca. And they’re the ones who bought the skewers you eat. Be sure to say thank you.”
“Because I’ll introduce myself! Let go of this!”

Nausicaa, barely freed from his caress, cleared her throat and told them as if nothing had happened.

“Welcome! Are you here for a meal or looking for a place to tie up?”
“I came because I had a place to stay for the time being.”
“Then I’ll show you to your room! You two, right?”
“A spacious room, please.”

It was quite a burden to Helena to see her stare at her like a small animal, her gentle eyes twinkling.

“Yes, then I will guide you.”
“Alright. Hey, guide me. I need to rest too.”

Krikaliev handed them over to Nausicaa and sat down on one of her desks. As Helena looks at him with an indescribable expression, Nausicaa gestures.

“Guest! Come this way!”

Follow her up to her second floor and through her hallway to her arrival room.

“How is this room?”

The room she showed me was inferior to the room at the inn she had previously stayed with Jude, but it was still neat and tidy, even by Helena’s standards.

“How much is it per night?”
“It’s 1 coin per night! It’s expensive compared to nearby places, but it’s much cleaner?”

It was rare for her to manage like this unless it was an expensive inn, so when she asked, she answered with confidence. She did it just in case, but Krikaliev seemed to have only directed her to a really nice inn. Helena barely calmed down and offered three days’ worth.

“Yes~ I got the money. And I’ll enjoy this skewer!”
“…Yes.”

She didn’t buy it because she really wanted it, but she hesitated, but she barely answered. After leading them to her room, Nausicaa opened the door and looked back at them as if she had forgotten to leave.

“That’s right! Meals are provided separately. You can either come down to the restaurant and eat it elsewhere! The recommended menu is Gusak whole roast! Please try it at least once!”

Then, she blinked one eye and quickly left the room with bouncing steps.

“I’m tired?”

It wasn’t that she didn’t like her lively appearance, but somehow she seemed drained, and when Helena sighed, Belka’s worried voice could be heard.

“Yes, it seems that fatigue has accumulated.”

She had to accept the affections of the unwanted and sometimes secretly stay up all night watching Usher, so she could not fall asleep once while staying with Jude. Even if she fell asleep, she would wake up right away because she was so horrified at the fact that she was skin-to-skin with the man.

“Aren’t you tired, young lady?”

And it wasn’t just Helena’s story. At least every time she was awake she made eye contact with a waking Belka. She had seen each other asleep more than once.

“Yeah, but I couldn’t sleep.”
“Okay.”

Helena put her briefcase under her bed and sat down next to Belka, laughing bitterly. Even these bad feelings were not what she wanted to know. It was when Helena quietly tried to bury her suffering, thinking that all of this was due to her lack of self.

“Thank you.”
“Miss?”

I heard what Belka said. When Helena looked at her girl in surprise, her wet golden light met her.

“She wouldn’t have come this far if it wasn’t for Helena.”

Then she felt a small hand caress her cheek. To the point where Helena fears that her hands will break.

“And I’m sorry. I made you go through such a painful thing.”

Helena wanted to say no to the girl. She just wanted to tell you that she’s happy enough just to be with you. But, to her shame, she couldn’t bring it out of her mouth. Because she went out of crying first before that. Belka laid her silently weeping on her lap. Time passed without her noticing that the sound of her footsteps approaching the door receded.

“Here you are.”

The night that always came. The girl’s voice echoed quietly in the inn’s backyard.

“Have you done everything to comfort that lady?”

There Krikaliev was sitting on a chair that seemed to have been taken out of an inn, looking at the sky full of stars and moon. The backyard of the inn was moderately wide, but the white buildings and sand were brightly lit by the moonlight and stars, so it didn’t feel too dark even at night. The inn was also located on the outskirts, so I could see a cluster of mangrove trees not far away, but I could hear the small sound of running water, which I couldn’t hear during the day, and the cry of an unknown insect living in the mangrove forest.

“I don’t know. It would be nice if it was comforting.”
“I see.”

After a moment of silence, Belka, who had been watching him, opened her mouth.

“Looking at it like this, I understand. You were the fourth, after all.”
“Hmm, don’t you think it’s an error?”

When he asked as if he understood the words of the girl who couldn’t understand her, she shook her head.

“No, I just wanted to say thank you for saving me.”
“Huh?”

When he turned to surprise Belka, she was already walking behind her into her inn.

“This is true. Hearing thanks from a witch. It’s something to live for a long time.”

He went back to the inn, thinking that it was quite a refreshing experience to be thanked by a girl who deserved to hate humans because he did not resent them.

“Mmm, baby, Mr.?”

When Helena opened her eyes she found her Belka sleeping in front of her and muttered blankly. How long has she slept so soundly? Even the energy of sleep pressing down on her body was unfamiliar, so she was able to wake up rather easily. And when she looked around, in the light of dawn, the shape of the room in the inn, where Krikaliev had been escorting her yesterday, was vaguely outlined. It was definitely an unfamiliar space, but it was not heavy or sweltering with the sticky air, nor was my body sticky or bloated. Instead, the slightly damp and cold morning air filled the place.

The reason why I felt so nostalgic for this unfamiliar air and room was clear.

“…You’re really out of him.”

It was still to be seen, but she wanted to enjoy this feeling more, so Helena told the girl who was curled up in her cold. And what she found in her backyard, reached by walking her feet.

“Huh? Did you wake up?”
“…”

It was a Krikaliev eating raw leaves from a mangrove tree. As Helena struggled to find out what to say, another shadow suddenly passed beside her. She was Nausicaa, the owner of this place.

“Whoaam. Good night. Mister. Me too.”
“Draw it. I got it here.”
“Thank you.”

Then, as she chewed her mangrove leaves alongside him, Helena lost her words.