Chapter 147
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The next morning, while I was preparing breakfast, Tina and the others suddenly burst out of the tent with a loud flap of the cloth.
Bang!
”Huh? What?” I asked, turning around in surprise.
”Morning…? Already…?” Tina mumbled, her eyes still cloudy with sleep.
”…Good morning.”
When I greeted them with a smile, both of them replied with stiff, nervous voices.
”G-Good morning…” Tina said, glancing at Rosie.
”Good morning. Um… what about the night watch?” Rosie asked, rubbing her arm uneasily.
”Ah… I ended up thinking about a new product—like the hot water bottle I gave you yesterday—and before I realized it, morning had already come,” I said, trying to sound casual. “But nothing happened, so it turned out fine.”
”Mr. Koji…” Tina muttered, looking at me with slightly narrowed eyes.
Truthfully, I had dozed off partway through the night. But maybe they misunderstood and thought I was covering for them. Their eyes carried a strange kind of heat, like they didn’t know how to respond.
Honestly, I wasn’t thinking about anyone else—I just didn’t want to feel bad later. Being seen as some kind of good guy because of that felt… awkward.
”Anyway, breakfast is ready. Come eat,” I said, setting out the same meal we’d had last night without trying to make a big deal of it.
* * *
Afterwards, Iris and the others woke up. We got ready and set off toward the next village.
Snow still covered the ground here and there, and even as the sun climbed higher, the cold barely eased up.
So I let the girls keep using the hot water bottles from yesterday.
”Haa… Walking helps, but it’s still freezing,” Alicia said, holding the bottle close to her stomach. “This really helps a lot.”
Tina nodded beside her. “Yeah, as long as we can boil water, these are super useful. Depending on the price, they might actually sell well.”
”Even if you have a fireplace, it’s not like you can keep it running all the time,” Rosie added, walking behind them.
She was probably talking about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.
That happens when fuel doesn’t burn completely, creating a gas that blocks oxygen from reaching your body—and in the worst case, it can be fatal.
I didn’t know how much people in this world understood the science behind it, but the risk itself was likely well known through past incidents.
That’s why they seemed so interested in safe cold-weather gear—especially ones that didn’t rely on fire. If it was affordable, it could really help people.
As we talked about those things, the next village came into view just as the sun reached its peak.
”Oh, there it is. Should we eat lunch after we get inside?” I asked.
”Yeah,” Iris replied, glancing at Tina and the others. “But… are we leaving today? Won’t it be too late to move on?”
She spoke quietly, like she didn’t want the others to hear.
I knew what she was getting at—she probably realized I planned to part ways with Tina and her group here.
I only helped them back then because it felt wrong to ignore the situation. That’s all.
If it had happened somewhere I wasn’t involved, I wouldn’t have done anything.
Even now, I didn’t plan on staying connected… but I couldn’t deny there was still a bit of unease in my chest.
We were just acquaintances—but if something happened to them, it might still weigh on me.
”Let’s think about that after we resupply,” I said, looking ahead. “If it takes time, we can stay the night.”
If we flew, short on supplies or not, it wouldn’t matter. But if we wanted to keep our flight ability hidden, then we’d need to show signs of resupplying properly.
Walking into the next village without buying anything would seem suspicious.
So, answering Iris like that, I turned my eyes toward the village and kept walking.
* * *
After arriving at the village, we decided to grab lunch first.
This place was a stop on the way to Dungeon City, so there were several inns meant for travelers during busy seasons.
But since it was off-season, most places were closed. According to the man at the village gate, only one inn was open today.
Same went for food. Only the most basic taverns were running, and they were all part of the inns.
I wondered how people here survived like this, but later I found out that during winter, they did indoor jobs. Plus, since this village was supported by the government as a rest stop, they received some subsidies.
Apparently, they didn’t rely too much on that money, though.
For now, we needed a room, so I headed to the inn.
* * *
As we stepped inside, a woman in her thirties greeted us with a polite smile.
”Welcome. Are you here for a meal, or looking to stay the night?” she asked, her eyes briefly flicking between the girls and me.
Maybe she found the group’s makeup a little odd—just one guy and several girls—but she didn’t say anything and moved on professionally.
”Both, please,” I said.
”We have four-person rooms, two-person rooms, and singles available,” she explained.
”We’ll take a four-person room. How about you?” I asked Tina.
”We’ll take a two-person room,” Tina replied without hesitation.
When the innkeeper realized we weren’t all one group, her shoulders relaxed just a little.
Maybe she was worried we’d all cram into one room to save money—and that wouldn’t be good for business during slow seasons.
It was normal, really. With fewer guests, using more rooms was better for them.
Not thinking too deeply about it, I followed her up to the second floor.
”See you later,” I said, waving as Tina and Rosie entered their room.
Once inside ours, we gathered around to talk.
”So… what should we do about those two?” I asked.
Alicia was the first to speak.
”You’re not seriously planning to leave them, right?”
”Since they’re already being targeted, if that first attack failed, the enemy might try again… or worse,” I said.
At my words, Alicia, Iris, and Seria all looked uneasy.
Not because they were against it—but more like they couldn’t argue with the reality.
”I’d like to say it’s not our problem,” Alicia muttered, “but we’re already caught up in it now.”
”I was in a similar spot once,” Iris said softly, brushing her hair back.
”Indeed,” Seria nodded. “Well, I suppose it’s up to Mr. Koji in the end.”
So, just like that, the decision was left to me.
Probably because Iris and Alicia didn’t have any urgent reason to rush, and since Seria had already been told there might be a delay—her mother, Ms. Meria, was still waiting—it seemed they weren’t too pressed for time.
If there was one concern, it was that borrowing Seria for this trip had delayed our payment to the church’s dispatch office.
If trouble showed up because of that… the timing wouldn’t be good. Even though things had calmed a little, the snow ahead would only get worse. If we took too long on the road, there was a real chance Tina’s pursuers would catch up.
We couldn’t bring wagons or carry too much, so we’d need to resupply at each settlement we passed.
If the ones chasing us were under the same limitations, we’d probably stay ahead. But… there might be others out there who could fly—just like me.
In that case, flying would be our best move too… but my ability to become invisible was a secret. I couldn’t use it openly, and flying around in plain view would attract attention.
”Hmm, it all depends on them,” I murmured, turning the idea over in my mind.
And then a thought came to me. One plan, strange but maybe worth trying. I decided to bring it up with Tina and the others.
* * *
Click, click.
”Ah.”
”Hello there♪” Tina greeted me with a bright smile.
As I stepped into the hallway, ready to head for the dining room, Tina and her group were already waiting just outside.
It looked like they had been standing there for a while.
”We were thinking of eating together,” she said with a gentle tilt of her head, inviting us along.
Thanks to the Magic Armor keeping our room soundproof, they shouldn’t have heard any of our conversation inside.
So, without much hesitation, I nodded and followed them toward the dining hall.
After we sat at the table, Tina turned to me with a light smile.
”I’ll take care of ordering, so feel free to choose anything you like,” she said, lifting the menu.
”Alright then…” I replied with a small nod.
None of us had an appetite big enough to make things awkward, and I owed them for saving me anyway. Accepting their offer was only right.
If I’d had spare money, I might’ve treated them as a proper reward, but with the journey ahead, I had to hold back.
Most meals around this time of year were made with preserved ingredients, so the cost shouldn’t be too high.
That’s what I told myself as we finished our meal. Then, Tina suddenly stood up from her seat.
”I’ll be heading out for a bit.”
”Where to?” I asked.
”Just shopping to resupply. You’re planning to go too, right? Would you like to come with us?” she offered casually.
If we were going to be shopping together, we’d need to plan how much to buy. It was best to talk about it now.
”Can I have a moment first?” I asked.
”Eh!? R-Right now?” she stammered, her eyes wide.
”No, nothing serious. Just something I wanted to discuss,” I said quickly.
For some reason, her face turned red at that, and I realized she might’ve misunderstood. I decided to clear things up before heading to her room.
* * *
”So, um… what’s this about?” Tina asked, fidgeting a little as we stood alone in her room.
”It’s about what comes next,” I said, looking her in the eyes.
As I stepped inside, Tina leaned closer, as if the whole talk was just an excuse for something else.
Rosie was outside the room, so the misunderstanding hadn’t cleared yet. She still thought this was… something personal.
Well, since it was a private matter, I stepped a little closer too.
Tina tilted her face up and closed her eyes, lips slightly parted.
”Go ahead,” she whispered.
She was undeniably beautiful. If there had been no issues, maybe I wouldn’t have minded.
But right now, there was something more important.
”No,” I said softly, shaking my head. “I meant what I said—this is about what happens from here on. I want to ask if you’re willing to come with us.”
”Ah… I see,” she replied, blinking as the tension faded. “We’d love to join you, of course. Even if it means offering some help. But just in case, we’ll confirm it again tonight.”
Maybe it was gratitude from nearly being killed and then saved. Or maybe a strong desire to reach Dungeon City safely. Either way, their resolve seemed real. Willing to give everything they had for that goal.
If they were prepared to go that far, then maybe they’d accept my condition too.
So, I offered it plainly.
”If you agree to my condition, you can come with us.”
”Condition?” she asked, tilting her head. “Well, I’m just a beginner… I doubt I’d ask for anything special…”
Her cheeks turned red, perhaps imagining something strange. I decided to tell her straight.
”It’s a little unusual,” I said. “But during the journey… could you and the others stay inside a wooden box?”
”Huh?”
* * *
At dawn the next morning, we quietly left the village.
We placed Tina and the others inside a wooden box we’d bought earlier. After gently closing the lid, I used Magic Armor to make it look like we were simply carrying cargo.
Once we were far enough away from the village, we took to the skies under invisibility.
The whole plan was to hide the fact that Tina and her group could fly and turn invisible. If we could avoid leaving tracks and move quickly, we’d be harder to follow.
There was one rule: they weren’t allowed to leave the box without my permission. But maybe because I’d saved them, they accepted it without complaint. They didn’t think I would do anything harmful.
We left small air holes for ventilation, though it meant they couldn’t see much outside. But that shouldn’t be an issue.
Flying at high speed came with strong wind noise, but we used Magic Armor to muffle it.
To avoid suspicion about our movement, I had recorded the sound of each person’s footsteps alone at night using Magic Armor and played it back on a loop—so even if someone listened closely, it would sound like we were walking.
The only thing left to worry about was whether Iris and Seria could handle the pace of high-speed flight… I’d have to trust them to hang on.
And so, by the end of the day—
We reached Dungeon City.
Tina and the others stepped out of the box, looking completely stunned. Iris and Seria, pale and slumped over, stared at me in disbelief.
Notes:
• Tina – Female. A magician. She has a slender build, and her chest is described as soft. She is initially rescued by the protagonist and expresses a desire to accompany him. Her relationship with the protagonist develops quickly, and she seems to be attracted to him.
• Rosie – Female. A swordswoman. She wears armor but has an exposed groin area for ease of movement. She is also rescued by the protagonist and joins Tina in expressing interest in him. Her relationship with the protagonist is similarly developing.
• Iris – The first collaborator to request a curse-breaking item.
• Seria – The first cleric.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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