Chapter 160: Estelle Hadassa El Rath (2)
XtwOAH1The feeling of bare skin on top of bare skin was something I wasn’t very used to, especially if the skin was born soft, and felt good to touch thanks to being taken care of their whole life. It made me crave for it.kfr
C4SMy hand traveled up the soft hipline all the way to the waist, giving me the urge to pull it towards my body.CB48VM
xaOfx『You woke up.』poHds
v76rLooking back, she really liked watching my sleeping face.0Hn0O1
tNhj4“Mhmm…”yubQbxz
cakiWhen I opened my eyes, I found a lady breathing softly in her sleep. I looked at her adorable pink hair, her exposed shoulders, and underneath that…AaudK
Ijf8k“…Oh dear.”h7QHr
mk9cCUQThe parts of my body that were touching her skin had been warmed up to the point that it was hot. The last thing I remembered was being pushed into the sewage waterway, and it seemed that she had done this to save me from hypothermia.3Xb
iL8TWHer warm and soft body felt so good to touch, that I felt the urge to stay like this for a long time.b5GVtn
IOa‘This is actually very warm.’wUQZ2n
cQNBIt was probably freezing outside because the Steel Archipelago was in a perpetual winter without any other seasons due to being located right next to the Northern Kingdom.nk8
aBC99TmEven though we were in a shelter that concealed us from the wind, this was still a lot warmer than it should be.pg0w5u
RwtGVs“…”MYs
1KektpGI then realized that mana was seeping out of my body in large bulks…BiAE5f
ZIfSJF5It shouldn’t have been more than a day, and yet I was losing instead of recovering mana.HehIuX
EAm14Is this the Curse of Finnbennach that Master had talked about?f4ife
0ku———!uEl4t
jetj0bThe unicorn’s horn placed next to us was giving off light.5X2U
d6VfuRight, the horn of a unicorn had the power to cleanse curses and poison, so it was safe to say that the curse that had been placed on my body had been lifted… So why was my mana…4rQksy
qENAh.npz3We
za6“Uuun…”T4xG
K0N6MDEstelle slowly woke up after rubbing her eyes. Her emerald-colored eyes soon met mine.ELo
4wj“Good morning.”pHt5V
aGuUPq“…”enYd
LhKSsyI awkwardly greeted her as her cheeks immediately flushed red as if they were on fire.QkJWC7
gSSyx“You will have to pay for this handsomely.”9Ngk
GqO“…Of course.”ey9AT
dXyuNo matter what I would have to do in return, this was a win for me.nkSIQ1
G7XctAW“Get up.”XlQ
2RUf“Yep.”YHIAx
hO5xM1cWhile waiting for Estelle to wear her sacred clothes that we had been using as a blanket, I turned to the fire and found my shirt being dried next to it.ot15
16tx0x“Thanks for saving my life yesterday.”AKOXwiN
EdD5“Well… You came all this way to save me so of course I should have done that. More importantly, how do you feel, Junior?”wSKE3
vGpLHearing that, I touched my shoulder which had been stabbed by Dun Scaith’s horn. I could see that a part of my clothes had been used to stop the blood like a bandage. It probably wouldn’t have done much because of my regeneration ability, but I was still grateful for the thought.JTFNUdR
AG0C9“I can move around just fine.”cKQr
NBN“Really? Then let’s leave this island right now.”us5Z
H8ksmJ7“That’ll be tough at the moment.”u3lAx
iL1Uknn“Nnn?”FN7
06JhnEstelle’s voice turned noticeably soft as soon as I said that.N2AFLq
l15“They probably strengthened the borders after that. The port is most definitely going to be monitored heavily, and because of the characteristics of the Steel Archipelago, there’s a limit to the number of flying beasts that can fly around.”lOirIT
QrNqNThere was a reason why the Kingdom couldn’t mobilize a group of wyverns for the war. Most wyverns would end up freezing to death from the blizzard, and the only monsters that could withstand the cold were massive ones like monster carriers.W49SQw
44KSsh5“Is there no way for us to escape then?”aqR8lH
dZpJI shook my head in response.jqcmwU
ASck“There are two options.”npVW
nlZOw7They weren’t the best options, but they were the best that we could manage from our current circumstances.UJijH8
LnwxvaR“First is to stay holed up in this place. We wait for about, let’s say 20 days? And stand our ground until the Kingdom starts their full frontal assault to destroy the Tower of Mages.”pFyCv
p9y9XM2“I don’t think the Tower is so stupid that they won’t find us for 20 days.”oao
vP3Right, it was a strategy that relied purely on luck. There was a way to find food, but I didn’t want to risk exposing our location just yet.oeI
Dcc4o“The second option is to go north from here.”6VroL
32m“But… isn’t this the north of the island already?”VdO
6ugu5“…”P6SqXB
1HCyQGB“Wait, do you mean…”0u1
9NAzEstelle frowned and said after biting her lower lips. Even though she would have understood it already, she still looked at me in doubt.kOwCUv8
qzSE7UE“We will be crossing the ocean. Go further north from here, the Steel Archipelago, to the Dingle Peninsula of the Northern Kingdom.”bTvv
NK5“H, have you lost your mind? How are we going to cross the ocean?”etH
RoDgy“It’s frozen all year long. If we stick to a path, it will be a lot easier than you think.”47NtGQA
0YMYFThe only issue with that plan was that we might inevitably end up coming across the ‘Titan Archaeologists’, but if we were lucky, we might, in fact, discover ‘that thing’ before the mages did, considering how this was earlier than the battle in the original storyline.vTs
eM9x3ShThe biggest reason why the second plan was better, was because it was difficult to hope for additional support even if we were to continue hiding here. Even if they did send help, how would they find us in this vast archipelago, and how would we escape, even if they were able to find us by some miracle?EFXwN
PsKuRunning away in a small group of two had more chances of success.nuYV5
QpP“Haa~”hI7
oxUc6After a small sigh, Estelle shook her head and opened her mouth.x5pvq0I
dlc“Shall we find something to eat before that?”dse7Rp
mtkno5“You’re quick at adapting to the situation, aren’t you?”XWbg5
5rXNzH“It’s not like crying would solve our problems. And like you said, we can’t wait here and do nothing either.”k6cfhr
vsXsxIt was something I felt from the last iteration, but the princesses of this Kingdom were really wild. For Miru, it was probably because she was personally crushing all the wolves, and for Estelle, it was probably because of her demi-human protection scheme and her work as a part of the Inquisition.OPPA
lXc3DsVThey were both quite used to arduous and taxing jobs.eigRtv
Wtn“I do agree that we should look for food first. Let’s fill up our stomachs and leave at night.”d4bd
FIS“Why is that?”hc6MF2z
nFD3Z“Because we need to look at the constellations to head north.”ZltR
00dXZmv“Do you know how to follow the stars?”03iWg8V
nv8Jv“I had to learn a few things to make up for my lack of talent.”IhJ6
k1q5It was something I learned in the last iteration to increase my chance of survival as much as possible.tkG
0AHT“Well, you can stay here, Saintess. I will go out and find something to eat.”ZCO2
YAAp“Huh? Junior? Not with your body in that state.”Vmd9I8U
mkzQHN“It’s all healed now.”zMAcr
5nrxe9M“But, still… Are you sure it’s all healed already? Oh wow, you’re right.”jVd5PrO
aDnbuEWhen I took off the ripped piece of clothing that was acting as a bandage and showed her the skin beneath it, Estelle uttered in surprise. She then carried the red spear lying around her and quickly came after me.yZAQ25
0EmJ2U“What’s wrong? You should stay inside; it’s cold.”MPIc
uhT0V“My clothes have cold-resistant spells on them, so it’s fine.”xm6Pmy
QpTShe said with a giggle.FJkC
WpQTSIt seemed that she really was fine.mXHFmmH
VkcHpEven though it was already summer, the Steel Archipelago was as cold as winter and Estelle was wearing a thin layer of clothing in that cold blizzard.xq0Sn
q3kqIt didn’t look right, but now wasn’t the time for me to worry about someone else.xeLa4
OZ0K“Ahh, why are my hands so cold? I will try praying again later.”afnxS
xUIB1Who in the world could possibly realize that she was the Saintess, looking at her warming her cold hands by placing them under her armpits?d67a
17pYauP***pFCGWFr
mEzPq“Haht…!”JlWj9
CHcdOn the cold, snowy plain, a cute bunny whose fur was of the exact same color as the surrounding snow, was munching on a small blade of grass.POW
sKkIk“Oh my god, oh my god! It’s so cute! It’s so cute!!”JEUR
Vk4DEstelle tried her best to embed that adorable organism into her emerald eyes.zVb
wNChIn her eyes that had been perfect ever since birth, the bunny appeared pure and innocent like a child playing in paradise. Its poking ears added even more to its charm.MTuNjFy
YaszdbsShe even wanted to invite that angel to her garden of—lUg80
qJMbI-Slam!yeU0p
HM7HKehk!KCqYu
1eiEL0The inhabitant of the snowy plain cried out tears of blood while drawing its last breath as the red spear mercilessly left its target. Lifted into the air by its formerly poking ears, the bunny’s eyes met with Estelle’s.KR0Pvq
pjgmGTV-Curse you. Curse you, damn humans…!78E
ZAOKIfThose were the tears of blood of someone cursing from the bottom of their hearts.rIo
FID2“We were lucky. I hope there are some more lying around.”qsLGV9
CgjHUt“You devil…”ztve
uFt“What do you mean?”vKgb
F9uJ2A“Did we have to eat a bunny? It’s so cute though…”X3a
rUJ6K“Everything’s the same once you eat it.”Yvq
aP8XZAfter that, Korin hunted another bunny and a squirrel.x9r2TS
BDvb“Hiing… I’m sorry, bunny. And sorry to you as well, squirrel…”hso
HKu“Saintess. Can you hold onto the legs for a bit?”3l8Vu
Xbw5Tk“Huh? W, wait!”wboBXYz
gbiEstelle received the dead bunny in a stupor, but Korin ruthlessly gave the following orders.1oxH
sB7LwL“Stretch the legs out wide and hold them in place. That way, it’s easier to take it off.”4hF
HmR“Huh? Take what off?”cNPQSAl
xCVbKorin put his fingers into the legs that he had already poked a hole in and pulled them just like that. Estelle almost fell because of the sudden pull but somehow stood her ground thanks to readying herself beforehand.2HnCSU1
weu-Rippp!ksMnK
OcNWhit“Huh?”9FmDb
nUQxRjIn the blink of an eye, the flesh left its former shell. The red flesh with not a single bit of skin left over did not retain a fraction of its former cuteness.tR2fN7M
NzfMUD“I, I’m not eating this.”jMakqVe
dS8“Excuse me? Being picky with food is a bad idea. This little squirrel is so frozen, that I can’t even remove its skin.”BuvK
7XWqGUnlike the bunny, Korin used the spearhead to slice off the squirrel’s skin like one would with an apple and a fruit knife. He even scratched out the frozen innards and prepared the meat that could now be placed into a skewer.ayS1P
jCG“It’s probably going to be plain because we don’t have salt, but it’s pretty fatty and should be edible.”8Bfv
vNqsss“I, I’m telling you no! I’ll have some berries instead…!”bkh7n
CKlMa6rWhile Korin continued his hunt, Estelle found fruits and berries and showed them off with pride.oCQHi8
mjVf7RHowever, how could the likes of berries possibly stand a chance against meat?ScC
H1gSmelling the scent that was given off by the grilled bunny and squirrel skewers, Estelle’s stomach constantly gave her a sign.qwfiaiB
571P-Growl!cjs
yTl“Why don’t you just have some?”BbjpD
hKM“…Maybe a bite, then?”S2d
NDRgU……HDoY
ano…TlXCvE
VMdScis“Hueeng! Sorry, bunny…! It’s so deliciousss~. I’m so sowwwyy…!”uoKk
DSiJ***bx1T
pVUvE8Estelle realized how unbearably uncomfortable it was to be unable to use her divine energy. She knew very well that she was like luggage without her prayers, so she voluntarily looked for things she could help with.mtG
qk38dppThankfully, she used to work for the Inquisition and actively save demi-humans from discrimination, thus she was quite used to arduous tasks.mQ8BXeS
guRLaBj‘It was only for a bit, but I had my power back for a second.’PBbh
lIdHEstelle’s power was to pray and have that come to reality.s97h
kUzBuIt wasn’t always something that required a prayer. The environment, circumstances, instincts, and reflexes – whichever it was, if there was something she wanted, her divine energy worked to make things happen for her benefit.o8M
qMe62CMThey helped her skin remain dry even when she was under a storm, and if she were to run into a burning house to save someone, the fire wouldn’t even dare touch her hair.DHJ
21sQBut now that her divine energy had been sealed, her heavenly blessing was no longer working, until last night.XESBJei
lmQSaIn order to stop Korin from dying from hypothermia, she took off her clothes, aligned her skin with his, and warmed him up with her own body. Naturally, her temperature was supposed to decrease, and yet her temperature also went up for some reason.veQ
BDjapIt felt similar to the warm radiance that used to envelope her when giving a prayer – it felt like she was next to the Lord, whose existence she was still uncertain of.yvz7
JIOsdG‘That’s interesting. Maybe it’s because he has the divine artifact of the sun?’IdXj
4oXGDeLShe knew that he was in possession of one of the 4 treasures deemed divine by the order ever since she researched the Undead City, Nazrea, that was cleansed in a single day after being a nuisance to humanity for centuries.Tp52K
gbAiVZQThat was also probably why her sister was attached to Korin Lork.xYXa
No5cvnxSymbolic value.89N
Wy6JBoth Estelle and her sister saw symbolic value in Korin. A hero of the order; the owner of a sacred artifact given by the Lord.CFFcIP
jWOZ3zBoth Estelle and Miruam were aware that they had to one day grasp that political symbol for themselves.3fKPN
1hk“Here’s some squirrel meat and fruits. Have them regularly so that you don’t feel hungry.”Rpndc
Jz277qZKorin was like a veteran. Unlike Estelle, who needed the help of others when sleeping outside, he did everything without cutting corners or forgetting anything to survive.6gP
NSB9t“By the way, we do look a little funny.”A2ATDks
1yPHe looked quite laughable at a glance.A5JO
f8fAKorin had attached bunny and squirrel skin all around his body to protect himself from the cold. Meanwhile, Estelle was still wearing her sacred clothes that clearly revealed her armpits and her thighs.SgAeq
lcwuEPeople, who saw them wearing clothes like this in this cold weather, would probably find them crazy.PA20TZ0
tgo“Even though it’s ladies first, I was about to freeze to death after all. You can hold onto this spear.”6Wo
Cf3NEcKorin handed the red spear over to Estelle. Red Spear, Gae Derg. It was the javelin that was several times more effective against beasts.XKZjl
AE2C“Throw this if you see an animal. The spear will travel by itself if you throw it decently.”ifs
aEKnG“Wow~. Is it a magic spear?”3JHm
6Of“Similar.”jQzWJ8I
sLIhIt was a shame that she didn’t have her favorite mace, but a spear was still better than nothing. Estelle gladly received the red spear from him and…xfIlJZh
eaH“Oops!”du12FgD
6tFVHBThe spear was a lot colder than she thought, and she ended up dropping it.UVIsq
ORKU9OR-Rip!634P
NxLeOn the way down, the spear sliced apart the clothing around her shoulders. It was just a gentle graze but…0qn
5HLWuA-Bam!myTNb
TNHva6“Huh?”nU3dSn
E5HDSHlA sudden gust of coldness struck her skin. Her bare feet, thighs, and armpits were immediately swallowed by the cold blizzard.0nh0
MsXeQnU“Hugik…! I, it’s so cold!”xhP
Tda“…”FcVqlAt
JOfigkSeeing her shiver desperately from the cold, Korin had to hold his words back for quite some time.0y6fr
E6vJust then, the difficulty of their journey had increased by severalfold.sbl57v
yXdh2Fb………LDCDjYw
bQK……Ly7
Y5S…qbd
tdO1‘We look a little funny,’zeQIqK
rB2NXEstelle regretted saying that from the bottom of her heart because it jinxed her and made them look even funnier.71L
grp0nmWho could have guessed that the spear Korin used to hunt beasts was the one with anti-magic traits?w7t
N7vbeHer clothes got sliced by the red spear and so did the anti-cold spell that was cast on her clothes, so Estelle was exposed to the harshness of mother nature without anything to protect her.wHj
CcK『Wait here. Don’t ever leave the fire.』Iohqih
WR3QwMAfter giving her the bunny and squirrel skin that he was wearing, Korin went outside and did not return for hours.YlCh
e0QmH“Junior? Junior… I’m scared…”3ao
9V0v0Left alone inside the cave, Estelle started to feel more and more frightened.gvx
RB6JThe cold wind blowing from outside echoed through the cave and shook the fire, and yet all she could do was crouch there, trying to warm her body up as much as possible.E3q4kJ
Pzqd“Ugh… Lord, please protect my Junior… Junior Korin Lork and let him come back in one piece.A9HeQA
j7F“And can you please do something about this cold? I can give a thousand prayers in a row after I go back if you want!GyW
66YFOs9“Are you really not going to do that for me? Didn’t you always do it even when I was less sincere?!”hpnjuTA
UI9XIt was a prayer that would shock the gods even if they heard it, but as if the world had heard her desperate wish, she heard someone walking in through the entrance of the cave.7a2
kOzneC“Junior… Korin?”Q6s
6XWjwEstelle carefully spoke up in case it was someone pursuing them from the Tower of Mages. Right when she was about to heave a sigh of relief from Korin’s short reply, she was startled by the thing that Korin dropped on the ground.3oz9mWw
2jDMFQ“Is this… a sheep?”Rigd
6JVluWhat Korin brought was a sheep that was dead with its tongue sticking out.kr4I
Ose“We are going to cut this guy’s skin up to use as a coat and a blanket, so you have to bear with me even if you don’t like it.”tah
9Sxi8zt“Ugh… Let me help you.”kkkl
2DPIt was surprising that he caught a sheep, but thinking of how he must have been wandering outside in this cold weather for hours to catch an animal with large enough skin, Estelle felt so sorry that she couldn’t even ask anything about it.mg7Co3E
eVgLike that, they acquired the skin of a sheep that was still red with blood.P1R
nRXId8p“…”ubav
Jv2“…It’s small.”d26
2u0“…Yeah.”8kjm
DxT71RlThe sheepskin was barely enough to cover from the neck down to the feet. It was slightly big for one person but was way too small for two people to use after cutting it into halves.Nt6
RMpC“It can’t be helped. I can use the squirrel and the bunny skin, so Saintess, you can…”5xJd
ccNG“We can’t do that!”shcOt
HrdKP5J“Saintess?”kMT
eyG5“Let’s come up with an idea! There must be a way for us to both use it!”WlJWu
BMlIt was way too late for him to find another one outside, and they had to leave as soon as possible to escape from the potential pursuit of the Tower.Opex
2n5NyrFEstelle didn’t want to waste any more time than what was wasted because of her mistake, so she thought deeply before coming up with an idea.yUwR
6FlCS“Right! I have an idea! There’s a way for us to both use it!”KnXv
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