SWY 85

Simon was someone who had shared a part of Lestel’s life that Sharhan didn’t know. The time they spent together may have been short, but having gone through a life-saving ordeal together, their bond must have grown strong.

That’s probably why Lestel, who rarely let people close, had called him “family” without hesitation.

Until now, the only person Lestel had ever truly acknowledged as family was his late mother. For someone like that to call Simon family, it meant Simon was someone special and deeply important to him.

Sharhan felt a strange emotion stir inside him. It was as if a dull dagger, its edge worn from use, had poked him right in the heart. There was also a kind of discomfort, like a tiny thorn had lodged itself in his throat.

He quickly wiped the expression from his face and went back to eating.

“Haha. That’s probably true. We hadn’t eaten for almost five days. I still remember the taste of the soup the Master bought us that day. It was potato soup, and it was warm and smooth. Thanks to the Master, we got to rest in a good inn for several days and finally ate well enough to recover. And after that, he helped us find a way to survive. We went north together, sold heatstones, made a fortune, built the merchant guild, opened a branch in Verden… The past few years have felt like a dream. Alum must have been happy too. Before we met the Master, we were just fallen noble brats who couldn’t even beg like commoners and starved like it was a daily routine. After that, we got to sleep in peace with full bellies.”

Lestel, cutting into the dry, flavorless bread made from flour and water, set down his knife.

“Simon, you have something to say, don’t you?”

At the blunt question, Simon smiled as if to say you’ve caught me, and calmly placed his knife on the table as well.

“Yes, Master.”

“Go on.”

“Thank you for asking me to come with you. I really, truly want to go with you.”

Lestel didn’t respond, only sat in silence as if waiting for him to finish. Simon, whose eyes had briefly welled up, composed himself and spoke in a steady voice.

“But… I think I need to stay here. There’s a lot of work to be done.”

“I figured.”

“You did?”

“Everyone here seems to follow you closely.”

“It’s because we’ve endured so much hardship together. They’re good people. And from what Elieas said, it doesn’t sound like a bad plan. Rebuilding Verden… it sounds appealing. I want to stay and help rebuild it, even if just a little.”

“Alright.”

“Even though… I couldn’t protect Alum, I want to protect the people here who still need me.”

“Don’t blame yourself. You did everything you could for Alum. I know that better than anyone. What happened to him wasn’t your fault–”

“I know. It was Lord Luhas’s malice.”

Simon briefly glanced at Derry. It seemed Derry had explained things about Lord Luhas.

“That’s right.”

Alum had started drinking Paphun tea because of the new friends he made, kids of lower status who’d bought the cheap stuff and shared it with him while they played. That’s how he got addicted.

Simon remembered the way Alum used to chatter excitedly every day, how a friend had saved him from being pickpocketed, how that friend had shared tea with him, what they did together. The memory made his expression twist in pain.

At the time, Simon had been so busy with merchant affairs that he hadn’t paid enough attention. He regretted not noticing the signs of addiction sooner. Watching his little brother slowly waste away had been torture. If not for Lestel’s support, he wouldn’t have made it through. Lestel, another brother to him, had been his anchor.

Simon clenched his thigh tightly. He truly did want to go, but he couldn’t leave the people who needed him. His sense of duty held him back.

It’s a relief the Master isn’t going alone.

Knowing Lestel had someone he needed beside him made it easier to stay behind. If Lestel had been returning home alone, Simon would have followed without hesitation.

Simon glanced at Sharhan for a moment and said,

“I’ll stay with the people who need me.”

“Alright.”

Nothing more needed to be said. Lestel understood Simon’s heart and decision completely.

With that short reply, Lestel turned back to his meal, and so did Simon. Occasionally, the two spoke about the past or the journey that brought them here, but never loudly. Sharhan and Derry simply focused on eating in silence.

When the simple, unsatisfying meal – barely enough to fill their stomachs – was finished , Derry and Simon stood up.

“Word came from Yuel. He thinks he’ll be able to tell us where Delos is early tomorrow morning.”

“Why tomorrow morning?”

“He found traces of them, but it seems they haven’t settled anywhere yet and are drifting around. But they won’t move at night because it’s too dangerous, so they’ll have to settle down somewhere. That’s what he plans to report.”

“Then we’ll need to be ready to leave first thing tomorrow.”

That way, they could kill Delos and leave Verden without delay.

“Yes. I’ll prepare what you’ll need. Please rest.”

“I should get to bed early too. You two rest well.”

The bedroom was large enough to accommodate Derry too, but he quickly excused himself, and neither Sharhan nor Lestel tried to stop him.

Click.

The door shut, leaving the two of them alone again. Lestel, who had been sitting beside Sharhan, moved across from him and met his eyes.

“Why the face?”

“What face?”

“You look grumpy.”

Sharhan touched his own face and denied it.

“Grumpy? Don’t pin things on me.”

“You barely said a word the whole meal.”

“Well… it looked like you and Simon had a lot to talk about. I mean, it’s only been a few years, but you two have so much to–”

Sharhan cursed silently to himself.

‘Shit.’

He’d just heard the sharp edge in his own tone.

‘Great. Now I sound jealous.’

He quickly glanced sideways at Lestel to check if he noticed. Fortunately, Lestel didn’t seem to have caught on. Relieved, Sharhan hurried to continue speaking.

“If we leave tomorrow, we might not get to see Simon again. I didn’t want to interrupt. Anyway, I should wash up. We’re doing it again tonight, aren’t we? The bathroom’s over there, right?”

As Sharhan stood up and headed toward the bathroom, Lestel followed and wrapped an arm around his waist.

“You didn’t seem interested when I brought it up earlier. Why the sudden urgency?”

“It’s not that. I just figured tomorrow’s going to be a busy and exhausting day, so we might as well get it over with and go to sleep.”

Sharhan’s dry tone, as if he were talking about finishing up some overdue chores, made Lestel raise an eyebrow. But instead of arguing, he took Sharhan’s wrist and pulled him in the opposite direction.

“That’s a wall. The bathroom’s this way.”

Sharhan, flustered, turned to follow, coughing into his fist. Sure enough, the doorknob came into view. Lestel, catching the embarrassed glance Sharhan shot him, let out a brief chuckle and opened the bathroom door.

It wasn’t as luxurious as Delos’s mansion, but the bathroom was fairly large, and the bathtub in the center was big enough to comfortably fit two adult men. However, it hadn’t been used in a while, the tub was bone-dry, not a trace of moisture left.

“I forgot to ask for water to be prepared. Or wait, do we even have water? Maybe we should just skip the sex…”

Even if they could justify having sex right away, since they’d bathed back at Delos’s place, not being able to wash afterward was a problem. The idea of lying around covered in various bodily fluids was revolting.

Just as he began to feel relieved at the perfect excuse, Sharhan turned around, and froze. Lestel stood there grinning smugly, holding the transparent stone he’d taken from the safe earlier.

“Honey, remember I said I’d show you what this is for?”

“Y-yeah?”

“Watch closely.”

Lestel tossed two stones into the tub. The moment they broke, water began to fill the bottom.

“Water…?”

Sharhan’s eyes widened as the tub filled up with water, all from just two pebble-sized stones. He’d figured the artifact had some special use, but he hadn’t expected this much water to appear.

“Amazing, right?”

“Wait… is that a source stone?”

Source stones were tools created during the ancient empire, made for travelers in dry regions or emergency use when water was scarce. Records even said they were useful in the wars against magical beasts.

Lestel nodded with a smile. “Get the heatstone.”

Sharhan returned to the bedroom, grabbed one of the heatstones they’d prepared earlier, and handed it to him. Lestel dropped it into the water. Bubbles began rising to the surface, and when they dipped a hand into the bath, it was perfectly warm, just right.

Sharhan didn’t hesitate to strip and slip into the tub. Lestel followed suit.

The tub was big enough for both of them, but the issue was–

“Sit over there.”

Sharhan expected Lestel to sit on the opposite side, but instead, he came around behind him. Ignoring Sharhan’s pointed finger toward the far end, Lestel settled directly behind him and pulled Sharhan back tightly against his chest.

The slick tub floor made it hard to resist, and Sharhan slid back helplessly until his back pressed against Lestel’s chest. He could feel Lestel’s thick, heated cock pressing against his backside, growing harder by the second. It was clearly uncomfortable, but Sharhan didn’t want to argue, so he put up with it. Instead, he tried to brace himself, subtly pushing away with his back to keep some distance.

His plan to wash up quickly and get out was already fading. It felt so good to soak in warm water again, he didn’t feel like moving at all. His cold, tense body slowly loosened, replaced by a gentle, drowsy sensation. Without realizing, he leaned back against Lestel’s chest and murmured,

“This is luxury…”

To be able to soak in warm water in a world like this, what could be more luxurious? Lestel, who had wrapped an arm around his waist and was lazily caressing Sharhan’s toned stomach, let out a soft laugh.

“And yet, we only have two of the three essentials. You’re pretty easy to please.”

“Three?”

“A beauty, a hot bath, and a bottle of fine wine.”

“A beauty?”

Sharhan’s brows knit suspiciously. Was Lestel calling him the beauty?

“Oh, of course, the beauty is me. I should’ve brought a bottle of wine from Delos’s place. If I’d put it in your hand, you’d have wine in one hand and a beauty at your back, perfect.”

“You bastard. How the hell are you a beauty?”

Sharhan finally burst into laughter, slapping the surface of the water. Drops splashed up, soaking his face and hair.

“If I’m not a beauty, then what am I?”

Lestel pulled Sharhan’s forehead back gently, bringing their faces closer.

His hand slipped lower, between Sharhan’s legs.

“A pervert.”

“A pervert? How so? Like this?”