* * *
‘A wandering knight who left with Zerbin.’
So instead of completing training at the temple and becoming independent, he left with a wandering knight.
Did that mean Zerbin became the knight’s squire?
It makes sense that the people at the temple assumed he’d become a knight.
But how did he end up as an adventurer…?
There must’ve been some kind of trouble between them. That much is obvious.
A knight who recognized Zerbin’s talent and took him away from the temple he hated.
That’s all I can gather for now, but I still don’t understand why Zerbin refuses to talk about it.
Not that he seems inclined to tell me.
‘When did Zerbin first make a name for himself as an adventurer?’
That must mean he had already parted ways with that knight by then, right?
How long were they together?
Zerbin had someone he traveled with for a long time.
I never even considered that before.
It feels… strange.
Just what happened between them that made him refuse to form a party ever again?
What kind of memory did that person leave behind?
Among everyone I’ve met so far, wasn’t this wandering knight the one who had the deepest emotional connection with Zerbin?
I have to find a way to contact them.
“Stop thinking about pointless things.”
“……”
As if he could sense it.
It might be pointless to Zerbin, but to me, it was anything but.
So instead of arguing, I just smiled.
“What? I was just thinking about how impressive you are.”
A cold gaze bore down on me.
But I was used to it by now, so I kept up my bright smile without faltering.
“From what I’ve heard, you were even smaller and skinnier when you were young, but you still caught the eye of a knight. That just means your talent was undeniable. You were special from the start!”
At times like this, flattery was the only option.
“You may have become an adventurer instead of a knight, but in the end, you became the greatest adventurer of all! If you had become a knight, you’d probably be leading the Royal Guard by now!”
“Enough.”
Yep.
His tone was as firm as ever, but at least he seemed to be in a better mood than before.
No one dislikes compliments, after all.
Now, while I have this chance…
“Are there any empty rooms in the temple? If there is, can I stay for a few days?”
I turned to Fer, who still looked nervous. His ears turned red as he gave a small nod.
“There are guest rooms… but if you want to stay, you’ll need to speak with the High Priest first.”
“You’re staying the night?”
Uh-oh.
He didn’t like that.
“It took me days to get here. It’d be a waste to just leave right away. I want to stay a little longer. Is that okay?”
I batted my eyelashes, watching his reaction carefully.
Thankfully, he didn’t shoot me down immediately.
That meant he wasn’t keen on the idea, but I could probably push my luck.
“I won’t bother you! You can do your own thing. I’ll just explore at my own pace. Oh, and I can catch up with Fer about everything that happened while we were apart.”
Zerbin’s eyebrow twitched.
It seemed like I was getting somewhere, but as the silence dragged on, I started to feel nervous.
I clasped my hands together and gazed at him pleadingly.
Please! Just say yes! Even just for tonight!
Did I look too desperate?
Zerbin met my eyes but then quickly looked away.
Was that… a yes?
Or was it a no?
“…Do whatever you want.”
Yes!
“Thanks! You’re the best! You’re the most—”
I was about to say something corny like “the most amazing person in the world” but quickly shut my mouth.
That kind of thing was better suited for Aimone or Vicente, where it’d turn into a playful exchange of “I don’t need your love” jokes.
Zerbin, though?
How could I ever joke like that with him?
Who did I think I was?
“The most…?”
For someone so quiet, why did he always push me on things like this?!
“The most… generous adventurer.”
“You actually understand that?”
Wow. He just shamelessly accepted the compliment.
Zerbin, don’t tell me you’re starting to get used to my praise?
I kind of want to make you addicted to it now.
Make you so used to my flattery that it feels weird when I’m not there to boost your ego.
…Wait, what the hell am I thinking?
Just because he’s a little cute, I’m having all sorts of ridiculous thoughts.
Calm down.
Alright, time to go get my lodging approved.
All it took was a little money, and my stay was instantly approved.
Not only that, but they also gave me some food—somewhat stale bread and a rather watery soup for dinner.
It wasn’t exactly delicious, but knowing that Zerbin used to eat this when he was younger made the meal oddly enjoyable.
After eating, I even got to take a bath.
It was refreshing.
Since I planned to move around alone, I grabbed my clothes and was about to leave to explore the temple.
I wanted to find any clue about the wandering knight.
I wonder where Fer is right now?
“Hey.”
Huh?
What’s this about?
Zerbin called for me, so I stepped into the room.
Did he change his mind about something?
“What? Need me to do something?”
“Yeah.”
Really? Then I better do it right.
“What is it?”
Zerbin didn’t answer.
Instead, he grabbed my coat and yanked it off, tossing it to the floor.
A dull clatter followed as the daggers strapped to the inside hit the ground.
“…Zerbin?”
“Take it off.”
W-Wait, now?!
Out of nowhere, he was telling me to strip?
I had no idea what he was thinking.
There had to be a reason… right?
“…Why?”
Once again, Zerbin stayed silent. Instead of answering, he grabbed the hem of my sleeveless top and started pulling it up.
Well, his determination was clear, at least.
Too confused to resist, I let him do as he pleased, and before I knew it, he had stripped me down to my underwear.
This was… insanely embarrassing.
“Uh… I already took a bath, you know.”
Not that he was making me strip to bathe again, but I was so flustered I ended up blurting nonsense.
“I know.”
“O-Oh? Right.”
Of course he knew!
My hair was still damp since I hadn’t finished drying it, and the moisture clung to the nape of my neck.
Anyone could tell I had just bathed.
“Then why…?”
Zerbin, who had completely undressed me, was also wearing minimal clothing.
Instead of his usual leather armor, he had on just the black shirt underneath and a pair of cotton pants.
Having just bathed himself, he smelled… different—softer and warm.
It felt strange.
The only other time we’d been this close after bathing was when he had once suggested we have sex.
The lingering heat from the hot water made the air around him feel warm, as if just standing near him could make me overheat.
I swallowed nervously and instinctively took a step back.
Zerbin grabbed my arm before I could move away.
I stopped breathing.
My mind spun.
A ridiculous thought hit me like a lightning bolt.
…Is he seducing me?
“You gonna keep saying dumb shit?”
Zerbin shrugged off his shirt.
His still-damp skin glistened under the light, his muscles shifting with every movement.
The sight was almost hypnotizing.
Before I realized it, I swallowed hard.
This… He’s asking for sex, isn’t he?
There’s no other reason he’d strip down like this, right?
But why now? Out of nowhere?
* * *
AT THE TEMPLE ZERBIN??? 😳