Volume 1 Chapter 16-2 Continuing The Journey
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The horse that had reacted earlier galloped back down the path it had come from.
Only Klock and Adelina were left behind.
”W-Wait. Did you send the horse back? What are you doing here?”
Adelina glanced at the flustered Klock and gently pulled his sleeve, moving forward.
Klock’s confusion only deepened. From the outside, Adelina’s actions were hard to understand.
Not knowing what would happen if they continued on horseback, Klock followed Adelina with a question lingering in his mind.
How far are we going? Where is this place?
As he looked around, Adelina’s steps suddenly stopped.
They had arrived at a dense forest, where a giant tree more than two meters wide stood before a large hollow.
”…Hey. Are you really going to hide here?”
Adelina turned back and nodded softly.
Are we taking a break? Did you send the horse back because it can’t enter here? It might have been better to leave it somewhere else.
Klock was utterly perplexed by her behavior. Still, he wanted to rest for a moment, so he decided to follow her lead.
Besides, he needed to talk about the missing slave contract mark.
Could it be that she hasn’t noticed it disappeared? No, that can’t be. She found me because the contract let her track her master’s location. She must know it vanished halfway through.
They stepped into the hollow.
No bears or dangerous animals lurked inside. It seemed like a safe place to hide for a short time. But with the brightness outside, they probably needed to go deeper soon.
Well, for now, let’s rest.
Klock’s body felt drained from the past few days. Fatigue weighed heavily on him, and he longed for a bed to collapse onto.
He sat down and leaned against the tree, and Adelina settled beside him.
Usually, she would sit in front of him. But this time, she sat next to him and gently wrapped her arm around his.
Why is she so close?
This was unlike anything Klock had seen from her before. He blinked in surprise, doubting his own memory of the space between them.
Adelina had helped him escape and guided him up to this point. Her actions now made him wonder about her true feelings—if only he could ask.
Still, Klock spoke the words he needed to say.
”…Adelina, you know you’re not a slave anymore, right? You don’t have to follow me.”
Maybe she hadn’t realized it yet. He could use that to his advantage, but he couldn’t bring himself to do that to someone who had saved him.
So he told her the truth honestly.
She didn’t answer.
The girl clinging to his arm showed no reaction.
Did she already know? Or was she stunned by what he said?
If she didn’t understand, he had to explain more.
”Is there somewhere you want to go? I can set you free there. After that, you’ll be free to live however you want.”
Klock said everything he could to thank her for saving him. Even though he saw himself as worthless, he wanted to offer her freedom.
But whether she wanted that was another matter.
”…Huh?”
Klock blinked, surprised by her quiet response.
Suddenly, Adelina reached out and held him close.
Startled, Klock could only watch as she gently took him into her mouth.
His body reacted naturally, swelling in response to her touch.
Her movements were slow and careful, more like a comforting gesture than anything else.
Klock was too shocked to protest. He lightly stroked her hair as she stayed close.
Just then, a rumbling sound reached their ears.
”…Did you hear that?”
Before she could answer, the sound grew louder.
The heavy footsteps of a golem.
”…It’s the golem from earlier!”
Another one had appeared, stronger from the earlier attack, and was now chasing them into the forest.
Panic rose in Klock’s chest.
”Should we run?” he asked, but Adelina held on tightly, unfazed.
”Hey, this isn’t the time for that!” Klock tried to pull away, but she clung to him, refusing to let go.
The footsteps grew closer.
With no way to fight or flee, Klock could only hope they wouldn’t be found.
He pressed down on Adelina’s head gently, trying to focus despite the strange comfort she gave him.
The footsteps stopped just outside the hollow.
They had somehow passed by without noticing them.
Feeling both relieved and confused, Klock looked at Adelina.
She smiled softly and hugged his arm once more.
Her feelings were clear: she wanted to stay by his side, even without the contract.
”How sure are you about this? It’s not going to be easy,” Klock said quietly.
She nodded firmly.
Adelina had helped Klock when he treated her like an object, and now, free from the slave contract, she showed a gentle affection.
Klock didn’t understand why, but he wasn’t heartless enough to push her away.
With a small smile, he ruffled her hair.
Notes:
• Adelina – The slave girl.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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