Chapter 29

Jenny pinched Ariel’s cheek and shivered.

Ariel’s cheek was softer and squishier than she had imagined.

‘It’s like slime…’

Jenny, with a blissful expression, stretched Ariel’s cheeks to both sides.

It was an action she did without realizing.

“Hey, what are you doing! Don’t bully our sister!”

Roo pushed Jenny’s hand away, and when that didn’t work, she even bit Jenny’s wrist, but Jenny didn’t stop.

“Jenny, please stop…”

Finally, Mitchell, who was nearby, also tried to stop Jenny.

“If you keep this up, her cheek might tear.”

Indeed, Ariel’s cheek was stretched to its limit.

Jenny, startled, let go of Ariel’s cheek.

“Ah, I didn’t mean to…”

“Look, her cheek is all red. Plus, she’s really scared.”

Mitchell said, looking at Ariel.

Ariel’s face was as expressionless as usual, but depending on how you looked at it, it also seemed like she was scared and stiff.

“Mi, sorry, Ariel, I didn’t mean to bully you. You don’t have to be scared.”

Jenny, flustered, gently stroked Ariel’s cheek.

“So, Ariel, let’s go with me. I’ll keep you safe.”

Jenny’s expression, as she spoke again, was desperate, almost to the point of being pitiful.

Seeing Jenny like that, Ariel slowly nodded.

After all, Ariel’s goal was adventure.

Meeting new people on the road could also be considered part of the adventure.

Even if they were going in different directions, since they were heading the same way, it wouldn’t be bad to travel together.

*

Jenny and Mitchell were not lovers.

Nor were they comrades.

To be precise, Mitchell had hired Jenny as a bodyguard.

Mitchell was a priest, and Jenny was an adventurer.

Currently, Mitchell was on a mission to investigate an abandoned temple.

He needed a bodyguard, so he hired Jenny.

The abandoned temple Mitchell was investigating was located in the direction of the west, and they were expected to arrive by tomorrow evening.

“So, let’s not separate until tomorrow evening~”

Jenny didn’t hesitate to express her obsessive affection, hugging Ariel tightly or rubbing her face against hers.

For Ariel, it was a bit annoying and burdensome, but knowing that Jenny’s actions had no ill intent, she just let it be.

Of course, that was only possible because Jenny was a beauty.

If a rough-looking man had done what Jenny was doing, even Ariel would have felt uncomfortable and used her strength to stop it.

“This is the first time I’ve seen Jenny like this.”

Mitchell said with a quiet laugh. Roo then looked at Mitchell.

“What is she usually like?”

“Hmm, how should I put it. Jenny has this strong yet cold image.”

Mitchell had put it as mildly as possible.

If it were someone else, they might have called Jenny a crazy woman without hesitation.

“Jenny is brave enough to never back down in front of an enemy.”

In other words, she was the type to draw her sword first and ask questions later when facing an enemy.

Of course, such words would never come from Mitchell, a priest.

“But now she just looks like an ordinary woman who loves a child. Haha, it’s refreshing. I’m a bit envious.”

“Envious? Of whom?”

“Of Ariel, of course.”

Mitchell’s gaze was directed forward.

And in front, Jenny was tightly hugging Ariel’s face with her large chest.

Ariel was flailing her arms, perhaps unable to breathe.

“I’d like to experience that just once… Hmm, no, let’s pretend you didn’t hear that.”

“……”

At Mitchell’s words, Roo subtly moved closer to Ghost.

From Roo’s perspective, Mitchell didn’t seem entirely normal either.

*

As the sun set and darkness fell, they began preparing to camp.

With Roo, a fairy, there was no worry of getting lost in the dark forest, but they always had to be cautious of monster attacks.

If surrounded by a group of monsters in the dark, they might suffer heavy losses.

Even though Jenny was skilled enough to easily defeat a minotaur, carelessness was still dangerous.

“Hmm, this seems like a good spot.”

Mitchell said, surveying the surrounding terrain.

Mitchell was a young and capable priest, but precisely because of that, he often spent more time outside than in the temple.

He frequently went on missions like this to investigate something.

Thanks to that, Mitchell had an excellent eye for choosing camping spots.

The spot Mitchell chose had a clear view of the surroundings and was backed by a cliff. It was an ideal place to keep watch.

“Let’s eat dinner first.”

Jenny gathered fallen wood nearby to start a fire, and Mitchell took out meat and spices from his bag to cook.

Soon, a stew began to bubble over the campfire, emitting a savory aroma.

“Come over here, Ariel.”

Jenny patted her lap, indicating for Ariel to sit on it.

“I’ll feed you.”

Ariel ignored Jenny and sat next to Mitchell. Jenny then let out a small laugh.

“She’s shy.”

Indeed, Ariel was shy.

Even though her body had shrunk, the thought of sitting on someone’s lap was embarrassing.

The stew Mitchell cooked was quite tasty. Even Ariel, who usually stuck to desserts and jerky, found it quite satisfying.

Ghost completely emptied her bowl, and Roo, after flirting with Ariel, managed to get some fruit wine and drank it with the stew.

“Ho, this is excellent fruit wine.”

Mitchell also took a sip.

“It’s comparable to the top-grade wine from the Grand Temple.”

“Really? I’d like to try the top-grade wine from the Grand Temple sometime.”

While Mitchell and Roo were drinking the fruit wine, Jenny quietly approached Ariel.

“Shall we go wash up?

“…?”

Ariel’s pupils shook. Was she suggesting they bathe together?

“I, I’m fine…”

“Come on, Ariel, there’s a stream nearby. I’ll wash you clean.”

Jenny took Ariel’s hand and started walking, forcing Ariel to follow.

Of course, if Ariel had used even a little strength, she could have thrown Jenny far away, but she couldn’t bring herself to do that.

Ariel had no choice but to be dragged along.

Ghost followed closely behind, leaving only Mitchell and Roo behind.

“Hmm.”

Mitchell muttered with a serious expression.

“It’d be a bit much to go peeping, right?”

“……”

Roo pretended not to hear and finished her fruit wine.

*

After bathing with Jenny, Ariel was completely cowed.

Her face, neck, and even ears were all red, and her gaze kept drifting to the ground.

Anyone seeing her might think she had been bullied.

‘Hehe, she’s really shy.’

Jenny thought this as she dried Ariel’s wet body with a towel.

Ariel quietly looked at Ghost, who shook off the water from her body.

When Jenny and Ariel returned to the campsite after getting dressed, Roo and Mitchell were completely drunk.

“Sister! I missed you!”

“Ugh, Jenny, are you back?”

Jenny frowned and slapped Mitchell’s shoulder.

“Mitchell, how much did you drink? Sober up quickly. We need to keep watch.”

“Yes.”

Mitchell nodded and tried to cast a spell.

Just as fairies could use healing powder to sober up, priests could also use holy magic to dispel the effects of alcohol.

“What are you talking about keeping watch for?”

Roo asked, staggering.

“Why do we need to keep watch?”

“In case monsters attack, we take turns keeping watch. Today is my turn.”

At Mitchell’s words, Roo chuckled.

“Fools. We have magic for that. Our sister sets up a shield and sleeps.”

“?”

Mitchell and Jenny looked at her incredulously.

Setting up a shield and sleeping? What kind of nonsense was that?

“Ariel, do you know how to use magic?”

At Jenny’s question, Ariel nodded.

Ariel still couldn’t look at Jenny and kept her gaze distant.

“Wow, that’s amazing! Well, elves have a high ratio of mages. Still, impressive!”

Jenny patted Ariel’s bottom, and Mitchell interjected.

“That’s not the point right now. Setting up a shield and sleeping, what kind of…”

Mitchell looked like he couldn’t believe it.

For a mage, maintaining a shield consumes a lot of mana.

Keeping it up for a short while is one thing, but setting it up and sleeping? Even a grand mage couldn’t do that.

For the same reason, it was impossible for a priest.

Mitchell was quite capable and had a high level of holy power for his age, but the idea of setting up a ‘Holy Shield’ and sleeping was unimaginable.

Even a little time would deplete his holy power, and the Holy Shield would break.

“Haha.”

Thinking Roo was exaggerating, Mitchell let out a dry laugh.

“Setting up a shield and sleeping? If that were possible, who would bother keeping watch? Still, it’s an interesting idea. It would be very convenient if it were possible.”

Not only was the duration an issue, but to sleep peacefully, the shield would have to be very wide.

Wide enough to cover the entire party.

That was a level not easily achieved even by skilled mages or priests.

Mitchell could barely cover his own body, let alone the entire party.

“Our sister can do it…”

Roo scratched her neck and said, and Jenny looked at Ariel seriously.

“Is Roo telling the truth, Ariel?”

“Yes.”

“Then can you show us?”

“Haha! That’s enough, Jenny.”

Mitchell stood up.

“I’ll keep watch. Ariel, there’s no need to push yourself…”

“Shield.”

As Ariel softly chanted, a blue barrier spread around them.