Chapter 59: Those Who Can Never Be Forgiven (10)

Spending the night on dirt was something I’d done many times, but trying to sleep inside a cave was a first.

Perhaps it was because of the temperature rising due to the protective barrier.

Icicles attached to the ceiling began melting, dripping with soft sounds.

Waking up early in the morning, I gently rubbed my eyes.

Looking around, I noticed Natalia and Laura softly breathing as they lay where the warrior had been.

When had they returned?

Really, these two—this little brat and the lustful woman—never seemed to change.

Surely, nothing happened during the night that I was imagining… right?

I shook my head to dispel the thoughts and came up with excuses to rationalize my assumptions.

No, they weren’t excuses. Or were they?

If the warrior was to survive, he’d have to follow the harem route, and wouldn’t it actually be a good thing if they grew closer during the night?

My thoughts grew increasingly complicated.

Well, it didn’t matter much since the warrior wasn’t even here right now.

This place wasn’t an inn, nor was it the estate back in the capital.

Outside, the sound of a fierce windstorm echoed.

The very sound of the blizzard, harsh enough to make me shiver, acted as my alarm to get up.

I quietly turned my head.

Far off in the distance, I heard the crackle of firewood and the bubbling of boiling water.

A delicious smell wafted through the air alongside pale smoke.

Following that, I saw the warrior meticulously shredding dried meat along the grain and adding vegetables like onions and potatoes to a soup.

A true homemaker, if ever there was one.

With that thought, I stretched my arms.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Mm…”

The warrior greeted me in a heavy voice, clearly tired.

He had carried Laura on his back all day yesterday, so it was no wonder he was exhausted.

I made a mental note to give Laura a stern talking-to later.

“Ugh, just thinking about going back outside already has me feeling drained.”

“Are you cold? Tell me anytime if it gets too much.”

“Cold, you say… The wind is freezing, but the warming enchantments make me sweat constantly. It’s so irritating, I could die.”

In front of the warrior, I didn’t need to pretend to be a saint.

Both of us knew this world was part of a game, and somehow, that gave rise to a strange sense of camaraderie.

Nowadays, whenever something happened, the warrior was the first person I wanted to talk to.

Sharing a secret like this brought a surprising sense of comfort.

My past self, who thought friends were unnecessary, seemed so foolish now.

“Is Laura or Natalia still asleep?”

“Yeah, as you can see. No idea why they’re still out cold. What could’ve tired them out so much?”

“Oh, by the way, have you told them who I really am?”

Instead of answering, the warrior gave me a small smile and shook his head.

Without a word, he handed me some warm soup and bread, moving naturally as though it were second nature.

“Really?”

The warrior knew who I truly was, so he should’ve considered the possibility of rumors spreading.

People’s actions are unpredictable, after all.

And friendships aren’t immune to betrayal—something I knew all too well.

Fortunately, the warrior didn’t seem inclined to reveal that I was an introverted shut-in loser back in my original world.

Still, as he avoided meeting my gaze for a moment, I felt a flicker of unease.

“Really.”

“You promise?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, I’ll trust you.”

Silence returned.

I had never been good at leading conversations, so if the warrior didn’t speak, it would inevitably grow quiet like this.

It was awkward.

The warrior seemed preoccupied with observing something, and I had no idea what to talk about.

Unable to bear the tension any longer, I put down my bowl and decided to bring up something serious.

After all, the only thing the warrior and I had in common was playing this game.

Conversation usually starts with shared interests.

That meant my only option was to talk about the game.

Or maybe make a joke about each other’s preferences?

Wouldn’t it be okay to make a dirty joke among friends?

They do that sometimes in comics or games…

“Hey, do you… like virgins?”

I messed up.

The air grew heavy, awkwardness giving way to discomfort.

In this game, all the heroines were virgins except for one—The Unyielding Rock, who was tied to the controversial NTR route.

I’d planned to discuss the game’s odd focus on virgins and its thematic exploration of purity, but in hindsight, I’d forgotten that The Unyielding Rock was actually the warrior’s main love interest.

On the internet, NTR content sparked heated debates, and in this game, The Unyielding Rock, a combination of a non-virgin heroine and NTR themes, was infamous for dividing opinions.

Had I accidentally touched on the warrior’s biggest sore spot?

“S-Sorry… That was weird, wasn’t it?”

“…I don’t care about the past.”

The warrior’s tone softened unexpectedly as he ruffled my hair playfully.

My hair was already a mess from just waking up, and imagining it getting even worse annoyed me for some reason.

“If we can heal each other’s wounds, isn’t that enough? You’ve helped me a lot… My feelings won’t change.”

“…It almost sounds like a confession.”

“Ha, does it?”

Outside, the blizzard suddenly began to calm.

Soft white light filtered into the cave, illuminating the warrior’s figure more clearly as he slowly approached me.

What… What was this?

Why was he coming closer?

Should I push him away, or just stay like this?

As countless thoughts raced through my mind, Laura’s voice suddenly rang in my ears.

“W-Wait a second!”

“Oh, Laura. You’re awake already?”

“Uh… Yeah…”

It seemed Natalia and Laura had also woken up, likely startled by the change in weather, which was now remarkably calm compared to the fierce wind earlier.

“Alright, let’s eat first. We’ll need to walk as much as we can while the weather’s good.”

As if nothing had happened, the warrior served soup to Laura, showing neither embarrassment nor any unusual behavior.

He simply acted as he always did.

We couldn’t say a word.

Translator’s Note:

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