“The end of the world,” huh?
As I listened to the explanation, the image that popped into my head was of a massive cliff and an endless horizon before it.
Given the era we’re in, it’s possible they slapped that cringe-worthy name on the scenery after taking it all in.
Logically thinking, that would make sense.
But.
Have you thought about it?
This is a fantasy world, isn’t it?
If you only think logically, there’s a chance you could be wrong.
Let’s sprinkle in a bit of emotion to spice it up.
For instance… yeah.
Let’s take the term “the end of the world” literally.
I closed my eyes for a moment and imagined my own “end of the world.”
Instead of a steep cliff and the horizon beyond, I pictured a pitch-black darkness.
And facing it, I stood there bravely, wooden sword in hand, staring at it—Cheon Ha-rang.
Just thinking about it sent my heart racing.
My breath hitched, and my lips curled up in a grin.
If you looked into my eyes, wouldn’t they be sparkling?
I wanted nothing more than to hear from Lili what kind of place that was right now, but…
If Lili said it was just a simple horizon, my desire to go there might vanish, so I bit my tongue.
I’m a patient adult, after all.
Immersed in my romantic daydream, Lili looked at me as if she were mildly disgusted.
I felt a twinge of emotion, but being the patient adult I am, I decided to hear her out.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Contrary to my expectation that she’d be intimidated, Lili raised her voice.
“No… how many years have you lived that you’re so excited about something like that?!”
Well, this is not how it’s supposed to go…
Wait, what did she say?
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
What’s wrong with my age?
I’m not sure if this saying applies here, but isn’t there a saying that says men stay young at heart?
It’s a distant past, but I was a man once too.
So, isn’t it okay for me to act a little childish?
Sure, I may be a woman now, but…
Hmm, then again, I have the excuse that I’ve been training and haven’t had the chance to go out and see the world.
To summarize, my youthful appearance in contrast to my age is just something I can’t help.
I pouted and nodded my head.
Truly invincible.
I bet Nameless thinks the same way, too, unable to contain their excitement, I ruffled Nameless’s hair vigorously.
“Nameless! We have to go there!”
“Yes, exactly.”
Nameless, who had been leaning comfortably against me, showed a grin as if feeling the same excitement.
Feeling good about this, I smiled back at them.
“Seriously… how can you not get this?”
I heard Lili muttering something, but it wasn’t important enough that I’d bother to listen.
What I wanted in my heart was to fill it not with sharp emotions but with round, fluffy excitement.
…
“I’m going! I hope there’s one more person with us next time!”
“…What are you talking about? Hurry and go.”
Hmm, something weird slipped out, but…
Lili’s business seemed real, as she soon left the inn.
Hmm, was it Lili’s strange wording that caused…
Nameless’s neck, resting in my lap, visibly reddened.
…Is she angry?
Hmm, I guess it could be upsetting.
If it were me, I’d definitely be irate if I was linked to someone 300 years older than me like Nameless.
Still.
For some reason, I found that a bit annoying, so I pinched Nameless’s cheeks, tugging them here and there.
“Hey, hey!”
“…Master, it hurts!”
The way Nameless spoke with squished cheeks struck me as funny, and I couldn’t help but smile.
I stopped tugging and gently stroked their cheeks.
Unlike my own, their skin felt rough, but it still felt good in its own way.
“Hmm, this feels good in a different way.”
“Excuse me? What do you mean?”
“You don’t need to know.”
I shifted my hand from their cheek to pinch Nameless’s nose.
“Hey!”
“Ah! Master, that really hurts!”
Was that a complaint about earlier not hurting?
When I let go of their pinched nose, Nameless kept touching it with their own hands.
Seeing them like that was so cute that I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Did that hurt that much?”
“Yes… I thought my nose would fall off.”
Maybe it didn’t sit well with them that I was laughing, because Nameless pouted, grumbling about the pain as they lifted their head from my lap.
Hmm, I’m not someone who will just let them go easily.
As Nameless bent to get up, I wrapped my arms around their neck and pulled them back into my embrace.
Hehe, no escape.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“…Now that we’ve decided on our next destination, shouldn’t I find a carriage or something?”
“Hmm, a carriage?”
Already? Why the rush?
Are they that eager to get a sheath?
The thought made me feel oddly unpleasant, and despite myself, I put my foot down.
“Hmm… can’t we just take it easy for today?”
Nameless briefly paused.
They grasped my arm around their neck, made a little space, and looked up at me earnestly.
Hmm, are we having a staring contest now?
I looked back at Nameless and began to lazily pinch their cute cheeks.
…
How much time passed?
After staring into each other’s eyes for a while, Nameless broke into a shy smile and nodded.
“Yes, I feel tired today too, so taking a break sounds good.”
“Hmm, that’s great.”
Nameless’s answer brought me joy, so I mirrored their smile.
…
Even though I said we’d rest all day, we couldn’t really just stay in the inn.
Unlike me, Nameless needed to eat regularly…
Since this “end of the world”—the Demon Realm—is as far north as its name suggests, we also needed to gather supplies for the long journey southward and clothes to fend off the increasingly chilly weather.
Hmm, honestly speaking, I could totally leave everything to Nameless and they’d manage just fine.
But lately, I’d felt like I’d been offloading all my responsibilities onto Nameless, so today, I decided to go along with them.
For a moment, the thought crossed my mind, “Isn’t this not really a break?”…
But since Nameless pleaded to walk around together after such a long time, I had no choice but to nod.
How could a master refuse their disciple’s heartfelt request?
I’m not that kind of wicked master; I plan to grant Nameless’s wishes as much as possible.
So, with that in mind, Nameless and I linked hands and strolled through the bustling market.
You might think, “What’s with holding hands in broad daylight?” but believe me, the market is filled with people.
If we didn’t hold hands, we might get lost in the crowd.
Imagine how hard it would be to find each other!
Sure, in reality, I could track Nameless’s presence, and it felt a little weird, but Anna would still recognize my smell, so if we got separated, we’d probably find each other again anyway.
But since that’s not too important, I shook my head and wiped that thought away.
Hmm, maybe I should come up with some other excuse?
…Honestly, I’m not even sure who I’m trying to justify myself to, but for some reason, it felt necessary, so I closed my eyes and contemplated seriously.
For the solid bond between master and disciple…?
Hmm, that sounds reasonable.
“Perfect.”
I nodded in satisfaction.
As I was having this internal debate, Nameless tugged my hand.
“What’s wrong?”
“The northern wind will be chilly; you should buy some clothes too, Master.”
“Clothes, huh….”
I’m not so sure they’re necessary.
Since my days in the hut, I’ve worn the same outfit all year round.
I can feel both heat and cold, but it never bothered me enough to be uncomfortable.
If anything, clothes have always felt like a nuisance to me.
That said, I’m not like Lili, who could walk around naked, so even now, I’m at least wearing minimal clothing.
…Though, considering I expose a bit more skin, Nameless does dislike how I dress, but wearing more makes me feel restrained, which is just unpleasant for me.
Isn’t it a bit weird that I’ve been rocking these outfits that Nameless dislikes in the first place?
I really don’t want to wear more at all.
Given those feelings, I shook my head, and it seemed that Nameless didn’t push the matter further and nodded along.
Well, if they do earnestly beg for it, I might agree…
But Nameless appears to not be that desperate.
We casually passed by shops selling clothes.
Then, we wandered around the market, purchasing survival foods and basic supplies.
With a bit of spare change, we stocked up on everything we might need.
As a result, Nameless’s bag seemed about to burst, giving them a comical appearance, but…
After gathering our necessary items, on the way back to the inn, Nameless tugged at my hand again.
Hmm, what now?
“What is it?”
“Master, they have candied strawberries!”
“Hmm, wow, they’re even soaking sweets in sugar….”
My mouth began to water.
“Get one for me.”
“Yes!”
