Chapter 18 It Was My First Time
A little while later, she came back. She seemed to be holding something. She placed what she had brought from the woods on the ground. Was she chanting something like earlier? Then, it was as if the light had turned on. That was a piece of firewood.
In the light of the bonfire, under the dark sky with no stars, she looked at me in astonishment, with gentle eyes.
"How are you feeling? Can you sit up?"
Permission was granted. Yeah, I'll try to sit up.
"Yes."
"Don't move too much——"
She said the same words she chanted when she left me. I couldn't quite catch what she said. Then, something surprising happened. My body, which had been soaked, dried up in an instant.
"Never mind the smell. It can't be helped. So what happened?"
"I-I don't remember much... The only thing I remember is"
I touched the area around my chest, which had been hit earlier. My clothes were torn diagonally there. Perhaps, the same thing happened to my back. I'm sure I've survived all this because I was always under the effects of the "Pulse (Pulsating Auxiliary Spell)" and "Full Recovery (Complete Healing)".
Well, maybe my physical strength, stamina, and maybe even defense were in such a state that surpassed that of an average person. It's probably because of that series of coincidences that I didn't end up dead if it wasn't an instant death situation.
Even when I fell into the lake and lost consciousness, I was in a state where 'Full Recovery' would kick in just before things got really bad, so it must have just felt like I was fainting. That's when she helped me, and I came out of it unscathed.
Yeah, I'm starting to remember little by little.
"Did you remember something?"
"It was my first time, you know."
"What was?"
"...A woman kissing me with her lips."
"――Huh!!"
"Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation――couldn't you tell? Anyway, I know you saved me, but I was happy. I was always alone, and I thought it would never happen to me..."
"Oh."
"Oh?"
"O-ohhh, yeah... it was my first time too!"
Ah, she turned away. I-I must have done something wrong...
"What can I say... I'm sorry."
"It's fine if you understand. ...Ah, you know."
"What is it? Should I take responsibility?"
"What's going on... No, wait. You should have been attacked by someone, right? Your clothes are all torn up. But why aren't you injured or bleeding?"
"Well, I have some magic..."
"Oh, right. I know, no, I knew. By the way, you were calling yourself a 'Fallen Clergy,' right?"
"Why is that?"
"You can find out if you investigate. Anyway, something seems to be happening at the top of this country. And Tatsuma Soutome-san."
That's my name. In the guild and that royal castle... Oh, "at the top of this country" means that. She immediately showed me something like a piece of paper.
"You can read it, right? It has a description of your appearance, name, and even age. It says 'life or death doesn't matter.' It means 'kill' or 'get rid of.' It's really terrible..."
Dead or Alive, huh... Is that for real?
"What do you mean?"
"According to this, it's a 'murder suspicion.' Do you have any idea?"
"No, not at all. Huh? No, it's not like I'm the one at fault..."
"Well, never mind. Anyway, Tatsuma-san."
"Yes?"
"Let me say this as someone who owes you my life. With things being like this, there's no place for you in this country anymore. I strongly advise you to leave for somewhere else as soon as possible."
"I see. It's because I'll be causing trouble for the people around me like this..."
"Tatsuma-san, you have your guild registration, right? Another country should be willing to accept you. Yes, in that direction. Just keep going straight."
She pointed in a certain direction.
"...Then, I'll take my leave."
She said so and turned on her heel. I called out to her back.
"Thank you. I won't forget."
"Yeah. Just feel as grateful as you can."
In a fleeting moment, her slender eyes, which turned back, were very beautiful. Her figure disappeared into the darkness, disappearing in an instant.
After sometime, I extinguished the fire with water and stuffed the surrounding soil into my inventory. After lightly stamping it with my foot, I took off my tattered shirt and replaced it with a new one. Then, I took out my coat and put it on.
The arrest warrant that remained in my hand was also stored in the inventory. It probably refers to the 'murder suspicion' of that elderly man I accidentally stepped on. Is he dead... But, in the royal castle (there), Nelliza-san said I'm not at fault, right?
Well, what's done is done. Let's just escape anyway. If I go to some guild, the message will surely reach Risleyria-san through there. Julienne-san, Mesaja-san, is it okay even if I become a little unreachable? I thought so while looking at the opposite bank of the lake.
Anyway, I walked in the direction the woman pointed, step by step. Disappearing into the darkness, just like her.
She probably swam with me in her arms to the other side. I won't be able to sleep with my feet pointed towards it, that's for sure.
Work ended around 8 PM on the "Display Self-Status" screen. If I check now, it's already 11 PM. I'm probably thought to be sinking at the bottom of the lake. The search will begin tomorrow morning. In that case , what I can do is to become "missing." I should distance myself anyway.
I keep "Pulse" and "Full Recovery" spells activated, occasionally combining them with "Mana Recovery" spell to prepare. The direction she (that person) pointed had a highway. I guess it means to proceed here. I ran towards that direction at a jogging pace until dawn.
But then, I'm not tired. I don't feel tired at all. The fatigue doesn't accumulate in my thighs or calves. It's uncomfortable. I guess it's because I'm forcing myself to recover from fatigue, so I think there might be a backlash later, but it's scary that I can still keep running.
I wonder how much I've run? The sky in the direction I'm heading is gradually getting brighter. Oh, my strength has improved too. It went from 1E(30) to 22(34). Is it because of the muscle training? I guess I was lacking exercise because I mostly do desk work at the guild.
Well, but how much more do I have to run? That woman won't tell me. I should have at least asked for her name. I messed up.... This is why us loners who haven't experienced being popular are hopeless.
"Stop thinking about unnecessary things and just walk..."
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