CHAPTER 08……………………………
“Sierra, help my son a little.”
“Eh?”
Sierra blinked in surprise.
By son, they meant Ashur.
‘…Does that mean I’m supposed to stick with him all the time?’
Her gaze inadvertently shifted to him.
Ashur, however, had returned to his usual expressionless face.
“Sierra, you want to fully recover your memories, don’t you? And your wish to help us is genuine, I assume.”
“Of course. I’ll help as much as I can.”
Nahia looked satisfied with her answer.
“This boy may look refined, but he’s a remarkable warrior. Even though he’s a half-blood from a weak kingdom, no one disputed recognizing him as Eshkal’s first guardian!”
Nahia went on for a while, proudly boasting about her son.
Ashur’s face turned slightly red, and he subtly turned it away to hide it.
Sierra happened to notice.
‘Is he embarrassed by compliments? …Cute.’
The thought passed through her mind unconsciously.
Then, below his reddened ears, she noticed the strong lines of his neck.
Her gaze followed the softly moving Adam’s apple, and she suddenly realized what she was thinking and became flustered.
‘I’m thinking he’s cute… What am I even thinking?’
She pressed her lips together and shook her head, trying to regain control of her thoughts.
‘This is no time for idle thoughts. I won’t be a burden to anyone anymore.’
Nahia continued, mentioning that the mating season seemed to have started earlier than usual.
She explained that the beasts didn’t always roam nearby and typically lived north near the snowy mountains across the river.
During mating season, a lack of prey could drive them closer to Eshkal’s territory.
‘So the idea that the Barbarian Forest is crawling with beasts was just a kingdom prejudice… Or maybe it was a rumor spread deliberately to protect the forest?’
Thinking back, the forest had been peaceful and quiet throughout the season she stayed in the village.
“So, if you accompany him, handling the beasts will be easier, right?”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Good. We’ll trust you both, haha!”
In any case, she would be accompanying Ashur from now on.
Sierra quietly sighed in relief as she watched him leave the room first.
‘Thank goodness.’
She didn’t even know why she felt that way.
It seemed Ashur intended to escort her back to the cabin.
Although she was familiar with the path now, she silently followed him.
“Um… Ashur. So, what should we do from now on?”
“First, we need to revise our scouting plan.”
“Hmm, how can I help?”
“First, you should understand the magic circles in detail. We also need to see if your spells can synchronize with them.”
“Right. Preparing spells takes some time, doesn’t it?”
Ashur explained that everything coming from the gigantic tree at Prophet Sael’s residence—the ‘Sacred Tree’—could be used as materials for spells.
Walking while discussing this, they soon arrived at the cabin.
“Rest for today.”
“Yeah. It’s already late.”
Cre-eak
As Sierra opened the door, she instinctively turned to look back.
He was still standing in the same spot.
“…Goodbye, Ashur.”
“Yeah. I’ll come back at first light.”
“Okay.”
The cabin felt dark and empty as she entered alone.
She had thought she was managing fine, yet why did it feel so painfully lonely?
‘Why does it feel so empty?’
Sierra felt briefly downcast.
She was used to being alone wherever she went.
Even in the kingdom, her older brother—the only family left—wandered off constantly.
It was probably better not to know, since she only heard from him when trouble occurred.
“Sigh… I should wash up and sleep.”
Her steps naturally led her to the bathroom.
The cabin the village had prepared was small but cozy.
By now, she was familiar enough to move comfortably at night, even without moonlight.
‘…Maybe it feels lonelier in the dark.’
Without bright lights, night came early in the forest.
Maybe I could make some lights… I could even use spell materials for new experiments.
While thinking about this, she prepared for her bath.
Her gaze fell on the herbs she hadn’t yet organized.
‘Ah. Those…’
Yesterday came vividly to mind.
She remembered vividly the feel of his arms, which had held her while she was feverish.
And the slow, deliberate way Ashur’s hand had touched her.
‘That huge hand… thinking back, he’s always been like that.’
Ashur was always careful.
Even in life-threatening moments while fleeing beasts.
He had never gripped any part of her with excessive force that would hurt her.
‘Maybe I misunderstood him a little…’
Sierra sank into the bathtub full of warm water and sat comfortably.
As her body relaxed, various thoughts passed through her mind.
The barbarian man who had been wary of her.
Though his demeanor was firm, he had never acted roughly.
Even when she recklessly approached him to draw a magic circle, he hadn’t harmed her.
She recalled fumbling along his back in the damp, softly lit cave.
‘If I have to draw the circle again… will I see that back once more?’
Even though she hadn’t seen clearly, she had felt the delicate muscles under her fingertips.
The tension in his body, and the faint warmth rising along his neck.
Once she began recalling, the memories of being with Ashur overflowed uncontrollably.
In the cave, at the cabin…
Even that moment in the bathroom when their eyes met.
Sierra absentmindedly touched her lips.
“Why am I thinking like this?”
She submerged her face in the water, forcing herself to push away the uncontrolled thoughts.
The next morning, Ashur took Sierra to the village outskirts.
There, among the massive rocks, three men and women were in conversation.
Hearing their footsteps, they all turned at once.
“[Oh, it’s the outsider!]”
“[Finally, you’ve come.]”
“[So you’re here.]”
Since they operated outside the village more often, their faces were unfamiliar to Sierra.
They were larger and sturdier than most villagers.
Like true warriors, their presence was sharp even from a distance.
Sierra felt as if she were enclosed by an enormous wall among them.
“[This is Sierra. She’s a mage from Altareon. She’s here to help us, so cooperate fully.]”
After introducing her, Ashur briefly explained who the others were.
The warmly smiling man who first greeted her was Rohita.
The slightly wary woman was Kadiya.
The man who seemed even more stoic than Ashur could be called Alnave.
“[Pleased to meet you.]”
“Feel free to explain. I can translate right away.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Sierra moved straight to the point.
An enhancement magic circle strengthens one’s abilities by overlaying mana, but it cannot create abilities one does not possess.
It essentially sharpens the user’s own power, so careful consideration is required in combat.
Sierra tried to explain concisely, but it was still complex.
‘I really need to study this language properly from now on.’
Until now, simple communication in the village had sufficed.
To be more helpful, surpassing the language barrier seemed necessary.
‘Now that my memory has returned, and I have some leeway…’
She had once thought her stay would be brief, but now her thoughts had changed.
She hadn’t deeply considered why she wanted to remain, but for now, she couldn’t leave with tasks still pending.
Sierra watched Ashur’s back as he translated her words.
For some reason, her companions’ questions kept coming, prolonging the discussion beyond her expectations.
