PMEVBO 69

My entire body was overcome with an uncomfortable sensation of falling, as if the ground beneath my feet had caved in. I closed my eyes.

Thud─!

In that instant, stars burst across my bleached-white vision. The pain came late.

“Ugh.”

My forehead ached as if it would split open, probably from hitting something when I landed awkwardly.

Ah, seriously… Can’t you just guide me gently instead of throwing me around?

It might as well change its name, from ‘Guidance’ to something like ‘Throwing’…

I sighed irritably with my forehead pressed against something hard and flat, then I heard a familiar low voice.

“Lucariel…?”

The voice was close, as if he were whispering right into my ear. I flinched and immediately pushed myself up with both elbows and lifted my head. Then, right before my eyes, I met a pair of wide, vivid blue eyes.

This was the first time I’d seen Iser’s startled face since our reunion. I’d thought so much about him had changed over the six years. But his startled expression seemed little different from when he was fourteen.

…Is it because his clothes are similar to what he wore in the hideout that it feels that way?

Distracted by his face, I was slow to grasp the situation. Iser was lying on the floor, and I was perched on top of him. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a chair lying across the floor.

Only then did the whole picture roughly come together.

…I must have fallen onto Iser while he was sitting in the chair.

The impact must have sent him tumbling backward along with the chair…

Only then did I recall that six years ago, when I used the Guidance skill to go to the Babet Plains, my landing spot had also been directly above Iser.

I quickly checked Iser’s condition.

“…Iser, are you okay?”

“……”

“Your head? You didn’t hit your head hard…?”

If the chair had flipped backward like this, it wouldn’t be strange if the back of his head had slammed into the floor. Thinking he might have a bump, my hand moved on its own.

I supported his neck with one hand and carefully felt the back of his head with the other. His round head was light, allowing me to focus on searching for a bump without issue.

Then, I heard a whisper.

“…You’re too close.”

Iser murmured with his gaze lowered. Only then did I realize my face was close enough to Iser that my breath could brush against him.

“Ah…”

I reflexively tried to pull back, then froze. Worried that suddenly removing my hand might cause him to slam his head again, I kept my hand supporting the back of his head and asked nonchalantly.

“…Is your head okay? Or maybe you don’t have a bump after all.”

“You should be worrying about yourself, not me.”

Iser propped himself up on his left elbow and raised his upper body. Then, he extended his right arm toward me and continued.

“You got a bump on your forehead.”

As his cool hand touched my forehead, the pain vanished.

But even after treating my forehead, Iser didn’t withdraw his hand. The energy flowing through my forehead melted away the fatigue that had unknowingly built up throughout my body, leaving me languidly relaxed. So I couldn’t bring myself to refuse his hand.

Just then, the character stats window appeared in my vision.

HP: 60/100

My HP, which had been at 100 while in the cell, had dropped to 60.

Was 40 HP paid as the cost for casting this skill?

Last time, 92 HP had been paid as the cost.

However, depending on the scale and level of the skill cast, the amount of HP paid may vary.

Last time I used the Guidance skill, I moved from Hayut Castle to the Babet Plains, and my level was 0. This time, the scale of the casting was smaller and my level was higher, so perhaps paying 40 HP was sufficient.

Even that was recovering quickly, though.

HP: 61/100

HP: 62/100

・

・

・

HP: 100/100

There was no way Iser could see the HP gauge displayed in the status window. Yet, it was strange that he withdrew his hand the moment my HP reached 100. Did he sense something special?

“Thanks for caring.”

Iser didn’t answer. His gaze, which had been resting near my throat, slowly moved up to my face.

Just as I began to feel embarrassed under his intense stare, he suddenly hugged me. With both arms tightly wrapped around my waist, his forehead pressed against my chest, he quietly spoke.

“Lucariel… why did you come here?”

“……”

“Did you come to see me?”

I paused to choose my words, then finally nodded gently while softly stroking his hair.

“Yes. …I came to see you.”

It was true. Iser was the target of my praise, so I’d set the Guidance skill’s destination to where he was.

The moment I answered, Iser tightened his arms around me. He exhaled a long breath. It was as if someone who’d been wandering the abyss had finally surfaced.

Iser lifted his head, still holding me, and looked up at me.

“I’m happy.”

Resting one cheek against my chest, he smiled like a May peony. Even in the dim space lit only by a single candle, that image was strangely etched onto my retina.

I stared for a moment, then shifted my gaze to the status window a beat late.

(2/3)

D-0 (20h 9m 57s)

Just as I’d hoped, one praise had been achieved. My insides churned again.

I looked down at the floor, avoiding eye contact. And I spotted something lying there. It was an old, thick book. It seemed to be the book Iser had been reading. He still must enjoy reading.

[On Snakes, Sin, and Demons]

Is he reading it because it’s about sin? …Since he’s a guard?

Anyway, he’s a really diligent guy.

I was momentarily distracted by the book when Iser called my name.

“Lucariel.”

“Hm?”

“Shall we move seats?”

“…Yes, let’s do that.”

I’d been feeling uncomfortable about my posture. As Iser’s arm slid away smoothly, I immediately stood up.

I absentmindedly reached out to him, who was sitting on the floor, but caught myself when I saw the bite mark still on my index finger and quickly clenched my fist. Iser looked at my hand for a moment, then silently took my wrist.

I righted the fallen chair and checked for any damage. Meanwhile, Iser picked up the book that had fallen to the floor and placed it on the desk before pulling me by the hand. Sitting side by side on the bed, the reality of where we were dawned on me.

“…Is this where you’re staying?”

“Yes, it is.”

I asked, my gaze fixed on the other bed across from us.

“No roommate…?”

“There is one. But he won’t be back until after dawn.”

Considering I’d used the skill without thinking, the timing had been surprisingly good. Only then could I relax the tension in my shoulders.

“The restraint around your neck is gone… Did you remove it?”

Come to think of it, my neck felt empty. All the other restraints were still there, but the neck restraint, which had been tethered to the wall with a Tali cord, had vanished without a trace.

I was momentarily flustered, but soon I spoke calmly.

“…Remember what I said about my ability six years ago?”

“Ah, teleportation?”

“Right. You remember well.”

I chuckled softly and continued.

“I used that to get here from my cell. I left the neck restraint behind in the cell.”

The part about the neck restraint was a complete lie. I didn’t know how it had happened either.

But since I’d ended up here, taking responsibility for the consequences was entirely my burden. I didn’t want to drag Iser into this any further. Worrying about the future was enough for me.

Fortunately, Iser didn’t press me further on that issue. Instead, he nodded and asked something else.

“So, is it possible to go back like last time?”

“It is.”

This wasn’t a lie.

I had checked when Iser wasn’t looking: the Guidance skill had a 10-day cooldown. That meant using it to return immediately was impossible. But it didn’t matter. I had another ace up my sleeve.

They say even tigers come when you call them, and here it is, right on cue.

────【 System Notification 】────

Player has departed from fixed position.

In 10 minutes, you will be automatically returned to your fixed position.

(10m)

────────────────

It was disappointing to have to return already, with one more praise achievement left to complete. But it couldn’t be helped. I’d try to accomplish something in the remaining 10 minutes, and if that failed, I’d aim for tomorrow’s medication time.

“I’ll go back in 10 minutes.”

“……Yes.”

Iser replied as he lowered his gaze. A shadow flickered beneath his long lashes, which hung like a canopy. I watched him for a moment and licked my parched lips. Then I casually asked.

“I’m curious about something. ……Don’t you want anything from me?”