* * *
After eating, I headed straight to the inn room to rest.
Training could wait—resting seemed like the better choice.
Whether I’d actually sleep well was uncertain, but even lying down should help me recover.
Zerbin followed me in.
“What? Afraid I’ll sneak out and handle the task myself?”
I joked.
Zerbin wouldn’t actually hover over me like that, of course.
“No.”
Figured.
“Then why?”
“It’s time to sleep.”
Fair enough, but what does that have to do with him coming here?
I was puzzled until a sudden thought struck me.
“Wait, did you only book one room?”
“I did.”
No wonder the room felt oddly spacious!
I’d been too tired to question it, but now it made sense. Especially since there was only one bed.
Given how empty the inn was, they probably had plenty of rooms.
So why just one?
It’s not like this place would’ve cost much anyway.
“Is there a problem?”
Plenty!
But with Zerbin looking at me like that, I couldn’t bring myself to complain.
Compared to the mistakes I’d made, sharing a room was nothing.
I couldn’t criticize the hero who’s saving humanity over something so trivial.
I’ll just let him have the bed.
I can make do by spreading my spare clothes on the floor.
It’s probably his deeply ingrained frugality.
Zerbin must see no reason to spend extra money on a second room, just like how he didn’t waste food at dinner.
Well, thrift is a virtue.
I grabbed one of the two pillows from the bed and placed it on the floor.
“No, it’s fine. If you want to use one, then use one. I’ll just sleep on the floor.”
Zerbin strode over and put the pillow back on the bed.
What’s this? Does Zerbin like using two pillows?
In that case, should I use my bag as a pillow?
It wouldn’t be the worst thing.
During the war, just having a proper blanket to sleep with was a luxury.
“If you want to use it, go ahead. I don’t need a pillow.”
As I rummaged through my bag to find some spare clothes to use as bedding, a heavy presence suddenly loomed over me.
Startled, I looked up to find Zerbin staring at me, his cold gray eyes filled with utter disdain.
This was his way of saying I’d completely misunderstood his intentions.
It was only then that I realized what kind of mistake I’d made.
“W-wait, are you saying we should sleep together?”
On that old bed, with two adventurers crammed into it?
Sure, it’s technically a double room, but it’s sized for a man and a woman.
I’m taller and more built than most men, and Zerbin?
He’s nearly two meters tall, his feet barely staying on the bed.
Add to that his broad, muscular frame, and the only way we’d fit would be if we clung to each other.
That would definitely lead to an awkward situation where I wouldn’t get any proper rest.
Just imagining it made me break out in a cold sweat.
“I’m fine with sleeping on the floor!”
Please, just let me sleep on the floor!
“Actually, I’ve slept outdoors so much that I feel more at home on the ground than in a bed. Something about being closer to nature—it feels more rejuvenating.”
“Stop talking nonsense.”
Ugh.
Most people would find this funny and just let me have my way, but not Zerbin.
Maybe it’s because he’s a hero, but he’s a tough opponent.
Does he even have muscles for smiling?
I’m starting to seriously doubt it.
Should I just pay for another room myself and insist we sleep separately?
The thought is tempting, but at the same time, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse Zerbin’s request outright.
It’s like everything Zerbin says feels like an order from the hero.
I guess I’m really weak when it comes to him.
“Well, um… thanks for letting me sleep on the bed, but it’s really cramped. If it gets too uncomfortable, I’ll just book another room.”
Zerbin didn’t answer.
Instead, he began removing his leather armor.
The tight armor left the black underclothes clinging to his body, outlining his muscles.
I quickly turned my head away.
It hit me again how little Zerbin seems to care about me!
And yet, we’ve already slept together once!
He never brings it up, so I have no idea how he felt about it.
Not that I’d ever ask—just the thought makes me want to crawl into a hole.
Did I manage to introduce him to the pleasures of intimacy so he’d be interested in others?
Who knows.
Let’s not think about it…
Zerbin blew out the candle and lay down on the bed.
Even in the darkness, I could see him motioning for me to join him.
“Ugh. Time to sleep, I guess.”
I staggered over and lay down next to him.
The bed was so narrow that the only way for the two of us to fit was to stick tightly together.
I half-expected Zerbin to throw me off in irritation.
But, surprisingly…
‘…I’m so sleepy.’
Despite everything, I quickly drifted off. I guess I really was exhausted.
I really had a good sleep.
At least until I heard the sound of beasts approaching and came to my senses.
The sound of synchronized footsteps.
Enemies. They seemed to be moving stealthily, but there were too many of them to miss.
The aura of beasts with murderous intent is distinctly different from those without.
A foreboding feeling struck me like a sharp blow to the mind.
I immediately got to my feet. It had to be now.
If I didn’t move right this moment, it would be too late.
Instinct whispered to me: I could do this.
I’d done it countless times before.
A hand grabbed my arm.
“Where are you going?”
It was the Hero.
Where am I going? Did he not hear that sound?
He must have been really tired.
His voice, still heavy with sleep, was unusually endearing.
If it were up to me, I’d have told him to sleep a little longer.
But judging from the noise, the number of enemies was too great for me to handle alone.
If it were just hunting, maybe, but protecting the villagers at the same time was out of the question.
I had to leave it to the Hero.
Fighting was his role, after all.
“Are you still half-asleep?”
Now that I thought about it, why wasn’t he armed?
Was he injured?
I couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t wearing armor.
If he had to gear up first, we wouldn’t make it out immediately.
Stopping the beasts before they breached the village would be tough.
“It’s an attack. Get ready and let’s go.”
Was it just beasts, or was there a demon commanding them?
Either way, we had to go out and check.
If it was a demon, I wouldn’t be much help, so I had to wait for the Hero to be ready.
“An attack?”
“Yes, an attack.”
The Hero looked confused for some reason, so I grabbed some leather armor and handed it to him.
Just then, the long howl of a wolf echoed.
The leader was giving the order to charge.
A loud crash followed as a beast with a sturdy body slammed into the stone wall.
The roughly built barrier couldn’t withstand the relentless impact and eventually collapsed with a rumble.
I didn’t need to see it to know.
The Hero, now donning his armor, flinched and approached the window.
“Are those beasts?”
Why was he asking me?
He’s usually the fastest to assess the situation.
Was his condition dulling his instincts?
If he was in such bad shape, it might be better to leave him behind and go with other allies.
Unfortunately, it was just the two of us here.
* * *
