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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Journey (1)
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Her scarlet hair, reaching down to her waist, came into view.
Rose's cheeks, flushed a deep red, were visible.
"Kameel…"
Rose, her tongue thick with drink, had somehow stumbled to the side of my bed, and I tried to push myself up.
"This…"
Just how drunk was she? Rose swayed, yet still managed to push my chest, leaving me lying back down on the bed.
"You rotten bastard!"
Why was I the rotten bastard? Feeling unjustly accused, I tried to speak, but couldn't.
Because, suddenly, the fragrant scent of roses filled my nostrils, and at the same time, a soft, pleasant weight settled onto my body.
"…Did you drink a lot?"
Rose, sprawled on top of me with her head buried in my chest, didn't answer.
Her hair carried the fresh scent of fruit. Coupled with Rose's unique, fragrant rose scent, it began to make my head spin.
Thump, thump. Was it my heart, or Rose's, thrumming as loud as if amplified by a megaphone?
A faint tremor ran through my forearm, where her delicate hand rested.
"Kamel."
"Hm."
"You liar…"
Had she sobered up a little? Rose, her pronunciation somewhat clearer, peeked up from where her face was buried and looked at me.
Her large eyes, black as pitch, seemed to draw me in. She was clearly very drunk, her gaze unfocused and vulnerable.
'This is insane.'
I didn't know why Rose was acting like this all of a sudden.
But as a man myself, I found this situation incredibly difficult to endure.
Rose's eyes, filled with a melancholic mood yet stimulating to all senses,
The soft, yielding sensation of her skin against my entire body, and her sweet, intoxicating scent.
All of it was assaulting my senses, and I found it hard to control my instincts.
Just as my trousers threatened to burst, something soft blocked the swelling.
Did Rose feel it too? The blush that was already on her cheeks deepened, spreading to fill her entire small face.
"Why am I a liar?"
Feeling flustered, I turned my head to the side and asked Rose. I was afraid that if I kept looking into her eyes, I might do something I'd regret.
"You told me before. That you'd be my escort knight. You promised, and then…"
"That was when we were kids."
"You said you'd protect me. You protected me even when I told you not to."
Rose argued, her voice thick with tears.
I looked at her for a moment, but then had to turn my head away again.
Looking at Rose's eyes, which were slowly becoming moist, I found it impossible to focus on the conversation.
"You rotten bastard!"
"Ack!"
Did she dislike my reaction? Rose jabbed her finger hard into my side, and the unexpected pain made me instinctively turn my body to the side.
Then, Rose's empty back came into view.
She looked as if she might fall off the bed, so my right hand instinctively reached out, and her head was cradled in my arm.
"Hnngh…"
Somehow, Rose ended up lying on her side, using my arm as a pillow, gazing at my chest, holding her breath as if her very breathing had stopped.
I had surely meant to say something.
But the sudden awkwardness made it difficult for me to open my lips easily.
"Ahem."
How long did that awkward silence last?
Struggling to clear my head, I gently stroked Rose's red hair, a gesture I hadn't made in a while, and spoke in a low voice.
"I've never broken a promise."
As I finally managed to speak, Rose slowly lifted her head again, looked into my eyes, and mumbled.
"You said you wouldn't be my escort knight."
"I never promised you that. When did I ever say I'd be your escort knight?"
"Ugh…"
"Though I did promise to protect you."
Whatever else, this much was true, and it was obvious.
Aside from my master, Rose was my closest friend, the one I had shared the longest time with in this unfamiliar world.
"R-really?"
Perhaps my sincerity got through to her, as Rose made a blank expression and buried her head in my chest again.
"So, could you get off me, please?"
"Why? Am I heavy?"
"I really want to protect you, that's why."
This, too, was sincere.
The not-insignificant volume and soft sensation against my solar plexus.
Her sweet body scent, clouding my mind,
And Rose herself, pressing against the swollen front of my trousers.
In truth, I felt like I could lose my self-control at any moment.
"Uhm…"
Hearing the sincerity in my voice, Rose buried her head deeper, then mumbled something in a barely audible whisper.
"Today… you don't have to… protect me…"
Then Rose lifted her head and looked straight into my eyes.
Her unfocused eyes, slightly parted lips, and flushed cheeks.
It was a vulnerable face that simultaneously evoked both a protective instinct and lust.
"…"
Time seemed to slow down as Rose's gaze, fixed on my eyes, shifted to my lips.
Her alluring gaze lingered on my lips, then returned to my eyes.
Then back to my lips, then back to my eyes.
Rose's slowly moving eyes stopped. And then, very, very slowly, they began to close.
Her alluring eyes fully closed, and Rose's tiny eyebrows began to tremble.
Snap. The thread of my reason broke. The hand that had been stroking Rose's hair tightened.
Just as I pulled my hand, and began to move my head—
—Knock, knock.
"Kamel."
A knock on the door, accompanied by a deep voice calling my name.
****
Had he seen the lumpy, raised duvet on the bed? The man who brought me to his cabin poured me tea and murmured.
"My apologies if I interrupted something."
His expression, however, showed no remorse whatsoever.
"…It's fine."
Despite my thoughts, I calmly replied to Professor Zikel, whose orange hair was quite striking.
Because, in a way, I was grateful.
'That was a close call.'
Rose, completely drunk, was equally destructive. I had almost made a huge mistake, swept up in the moment.
"But may I ask what your business is?"
Such thoughts were running through my mind when I saw Zikel's expression, prompting me to speak first.
My head tilted. Why was this man calling someone in the middle of the night and making such a complicated expression?
Thinking that, I had to curse inwardly.
'This bastard. What's he doing now?'
Because through my Divine Insight, I could see Zikel using mental magic.
"What are you doing?"
Naturally, I dispelled all the confusion, memory, and sleep magic, then glared at Zikel and demanded.
"As expected, you're hopeless."
"…"
I had to clamp my mouth shut.
Because it was the same situation as last time.
I was certain I had dispelled all the magic.
Yet, the surrounding scenery had changed from a cabin to a lecture hall.
Suddenly, tension began to build.
My right hand instinctively went to the hilt of my sword.
'What is this man?'
I couldn't understand it. Who was this man, to be able to cast mental magic on me, who had learned magic from my master?
No, I couldn't even guess whether he was a good person or a bad one.
Only one thing was certain.
Professor Zikel, whom I'd only considered an extra, possessed something I didn't know about.
"I have no intention of harming you, so you don't need to draw your sword."
Just as I was about to draw my sword, Zikel waved his hand, dispelling the magic he had cast.
My vision momentarily flipped, then the original scenery began to appear.
"What do you want to say?"
"First, let's make one thing clear."
When I asked in a sharp voice, Professor Zikel frowned and replied.
"I dislike you."
He disliked me. For a moment, I was dumbfounded, but soon managed to give an appropriate reply.
"The feeling is mutual."
"Good, then it will be easier to talk."
"It's not easier for me. Calling someone out of nowhere like this, what is this…?"
"I'll be direct."
Zikel, perhaps not one for conversation, cut me off firmly and continued speaking.
"Be careful tomorrow night."
"Pardon?"
"There's something about this trip."
"What do you mean?"
I was about to complain that he shouldn't interrupt me, no matter what.
But what Zikel said was related to something I had been thinking about, and I immediately questioned him.
"Originally, the destination for this trip was Zekar, where Edith, a merchant contracted with the Academy, resided. But it suddenly changed. And at the same time, so did the advisor in charge of this club."
"So someone changed it to their liking."
"Furthermore, an urgent, undeniable summons was issued from the organization I belong to. Coincidentally, it's for tomorrow night, when the travel club will be staying at our destination."
"It's fortunate that you seem to understand what I'm saying."
Zikel said that, then looked at me again with a complicated expression.
"Professor. But tell me."
Feeling puzzled by his expression, I tilted my head and asked Zikel.
"You say you dislike me, yet you're telling me all this. Why?"
When I asked, Zikel let out a deep sigh and replied.