Chapter 61 Rescue
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
(Is this enough…?)
In the middle of a raging snowstorm, I managed to dig a snow cave just big enough for 2 people.
I went inside to check it out.
(Yeah, it seems okay)
With this place and the Flame Stone heater I have in my chest armor, I should be able to survive.
(If I can get this far, I can probably carry the captured elf back somehow)
I left the snow cave and headed back toward the camp of the hunters.
* * *
(Two of them are on night watch… the other 2 are in the carriage)
Peeking through the bushes, I saw 2 people awake by a campfire.
I took out my small crossbow hanging at my waist. I had 3 arrows and one magazine hanging inside my cloak. That makes 6 shots in total. I need to aim for their legs to make it harder for them to chase me.
I took aim from the bushes. At this distance, I wouldn’t miss.
I shot the first arrow and hit one man in the thigh.
”Aahhh!”
”What, what was that!?”
The man clutched his leg in pain. The other one stood up and looked around. I aimed for that man next and fired my crossbow again. Two shots. I hit both of his thighs.
”Ouch!”
The standing man fell backward.
For a moment, I hesitated to reload my crossbow, but then I jumped out of the bushes and struck the necks of the two fallen men with the butt of my weapon.
”Ugh!”
”Ugh!”
”What’s going on?”
I heard a voice from inside the carriage, so I crawled under the wheels to hide. I thought it would be a problem if the horse got scared, but luckily it seemed calm at night.
I saw legs coming down from the carriage, so I slashed at one of the calves. This wouldn’t kill him.
”Ahhh!”
I locked eyes with the man who fell.
”Who the hell is this brat!?”
I jumped out from under the carriage and struck his neck too, then jumped into the carriage.
A man was straddling a woman lying down, touching her breasts. He turned to look at me.
”What the hell…”
He stood up and raised his hand. Oh no, is he a magician? I hope I’m not too late.
”Physical Boost!”
I ran as fast as I could and drew my ‘Yamikirimaru.’
(He won’t die from losing an arm, right…?)
I quickly slashed his raised arm.
”Aaahhhhhh!”
The man’s right arm flew through the air. I struck his neck with the edge of ‘Yamikirimaru.’
He fell next to the woman lying down. I needed to hurry before he regained consciousness from the pain.
”I’m your ally. I came to save you.”
I covered the elf woman with a blanket I found in the carriage. She still couldn’t move, but she lifted her head to look at me.
I was taken aback by her beauty. She had long hair like burning autumn leaves and pale green eyes. Her beauty was far beyond the elves I had met before, and she looked worried.
I couldn’t help but look away from her stunning face.
”Do you understand me?”
The elf nodded slightly.
”It might be a bit uncomfortable, but I’ll carry you, so please bear with me.”
I said this and wrapped the blanket around her, then lifted her onto my back, tying her to me with a scarf. Thanks to ‘Physical Boost,’ she felt light.
I tried my best to carry her without dragging her legs and walked down from the carriage toward the snow cave.
* * *
In the fierce snowstorm, I finally reached the snow cave. I had to use ‘Physical Boost’ twice on the way, so I was a bit tired.
I laid out my waterproof cloak inside the snow cave and laid the elf woman down. Then I covered her with the blanket.
”It’s cold, but please bear with it until the blizzard stops.”
”…”
The elf nodded slightly again.
”Can you talk?”
”…”
She nodded.
(Did magic do something to her, or was her throat hurt physically?)
While I was thinking about this, the elf lifted her head and looked at my right hand.
”Is something wrong with your hand?”
Looking at my hand, I saw her fingers moving. Oh, she wants to say something.
I took her hand and brought it to the wall of the
”Do…ro…thy?”
The elf smiles at me as I read the faint letters written on the wall.
”Is that your name? Dorothy?”
The elf nods gently with a soft smile.
* * *
Outside the snow cave, the snow is blowing fiercely, and sometimes the wind changes direction and blows inside. It must be really cold; Dorothy is shivering under the blanket.
”It’s cold, right? Just wait a moment.”
First, I open the entrance of the snow cave just a little and block it with snow. It might be a bit better.
Then I take off my chest plate and pull out the Flame Stone warmer attached inside. I place it in a cloth pouch and put it inside the blanket, near Dorothy’s warm chest.
”I’m sorry if you don’t like being touched.”
I say this as I place the warmer inside Dorothy’s clothes. I take off my cloak and give the warmer to Dorothy, but I’m starting to feel really cold.
(This is bad… I should have brought another blanket from their place.)
I wrap the scarf I used to carry Dorothy around my neck. It’s covered in snow, but luckily it’s not wet. As I sit down and hug my knees, Dorothy grabs my ankle.
”?”
When I look at Dorothy, she is staring at me intently. Her grip on my ankle tightens a little. Looking at my ankle, she releases it and makes a quick motion as if to invite me.
”Oh, I see… but is it okay?”
Dorothy nods.
”Then I’m sorry.”
I turn Dorothy’s body a bit and lie down next to her. We press our chests together, placing the Flame Stone warmer between us, and wrap ourselves in the blanket.
”Ah, it’s warm…”
Carefully not to fall asleep, Dorothy and I warm ourselves with each other’s body heat and the Flame Stone warmer.
* * *
The blizzard loses its strength, and soon a little sunlight starts to shine through. The entrance of the snow cave is almost completely buried in snow.
”We somehow managed not to freeze to death.”
In response to my not-so-funny joke, Dorothy gives a light smile. The heat from the Flame Stone had dropped a bit, but by pouring in some magical power, it regained enough heat. This magic tool is really handy.
As I stand up to clear the snow blocking the exit, I hear a shivering sound from beyond the snow. Soon, a horse’s nose appears as the snow collapses.
”Haya?”
After responding with a snort, the horse lets out a loud neigh.
”Haya! Is Hiroya there?”
I hear Kazumi’s voice from a distance.
”I’ll be back soon.”
I call out to Dorothy and leave the snow cave.
”Hiroya! Hiroyaa!”
Kazumi runs desperately, struggling in the snow. She jumps at me, and I manage to catch her.
”Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!”
”I’m sorry… I worried you.”
”I thought you were… dead!”
I try to calm down the crying Kazumi.
”There’s an elf named Dorothy who can’t move in the snow cave. There were some hunters, and I rescued her from them…”
Kazumi stops crying and puts her finger on her chin, looking up. ‘Telepathy.’
”I just talked to Rena. She’ll bring Mr. Rudolf right away.”
While talking to Kazumi, I see a horse running from across the snowy field.
”Oh…”
It’s Liz. I’m going to get scolded. I was told not to go too far, and now I’m in trouble for getting lost.
”Hiroyaaa──!”
Yeah, that’s definitely a shout. Just as she passes by me, Liz jumps off her horse and tackles me.
”Whoa!”
I can’t catch Liz as she jumps from the horse, and I get knocked down into the snow.
”You idiot! I told you… I told you so many times…”
Her angry voice turns into a sob.
”I’m sorry, Liz…”
I apologize while being held tightly by Liz.
”I’m so glad you’re safe…”
Liz hugs me tightly, her voice trembling with tears.
Anyway, I explain the situation to Liz and we go back into the snow cave. Dorothy, who looked anxious lying down, seems relieved to see me.
”…Can you not move?”
”Yeah, it seems like something was done with magic. She can’t even talk.”
”I see──open your mouth a bit.”
When Liz says this, Dorothy obediently opens her mouth.
”…I knew it. Your throat is burned… that must hurt, right?”
Dorothy shakes her head at Liz’s words.
”I see… Are you in pain? We might need quite a bit of treatment for this. Some of those hunters burn people’s throats to keep them quiet, you know.”
Liz gently stroked my throat as she spoke.
”…Yeah, yeah… I understand.”
Kazumi mumbled something.
”She can use ‘Telepathy’. She said, ‘Thank you for helping me. Please tell me your name.’”
Kazumi looked at me.
”Oh, I didn’t introduce myself. My name is Hiroya O’Brien. They’re my companions, Kazumi and Liz. Please wait a little longer. The doctor will be here soon too.”
Dorothy nodded at my words.
”‘Your body was very warm,’ she said. Hiroya… What did you do…?”
Kazumi glared at me.
”Well, we only had one Flame Stone heater, so we… hugged each other to keep warm…”
I unconsciously sat in seiza and bowed my head towards Kazumi.
”Mmm… Well, it was an emergency, so there was no other choice.”
Kazumi, who had been pouting, looked up at the sky with a resigned expression.
”But… I’m glad they didn’t make you a slave.”
Kazumi turned her gaze back to Dorothy and smiled gently.
”…What? Is that so? …Is there anything we can do about it?”
It seemed Kazumi was conversing with Dorothy using ‘Telepathy’.
”…She said the crotch tattoo was carved on her. Since nothing has been done to her yet, the power of servitude hasn’t taken effect… but last night, several times… well… she couldn’t stop her lower body from throbbing…”
Kazumi, with a red face, relayed Dorothy’s words.
”As I thought… For an Elf, she has quite a good figure. She must have been made lustful by the crotch tattoo… Even though she doesn’t have a master yet, this means she’ll be assaulted by her desires irregularly…”
”Is there anything we can do?”
I asked Liz, but she shook her head sadly.
”To erase the crotch tattoo, the master must die. For this girl who doesn’t have a master yet… I don’t think the crotch tattoo can be erased. We’ll have to leave it to Mr. Rudolf.”
Eventually, after Hayato’s whinny, the sound of several horses’ hooves was heard outside the snow cave. It seemed Rena and Mr. Rudolf had finally arrived.
* * *
We helped Dorothy out of the snow cave and handed her over to Mr. Rudolf, who had dismounted from his horse. Mr. Rudolf, with his ‘Dispel’, finally made Dorothy able to move, and he quickly rode his horse to the clinic.
After that, it goes without saying that I was also squeezed by Rena and Martina. So… it was my fault, so please don’t cry…
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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