LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 108
“`html
“Is there a blonde girl among the guests staying at this inn?”
After a quick wash, I gathered my Holy Water and headed straight to the nearby inn.
After all, I couldn’t just show up covered in blood.
For a moment, I thought about just jumping through the window, but I decided against it.
Besides, I could confidently enter through the front door now.
To be honest, with Divine Power coursing through me, even climbing through a second-floor window would be tough.
It’s basically a specialized painkiller. The pain dies down, but at the same time, I lose the ability to function properly.
My whole body felt as heavy as a waterlogged sponge.
Of course, I could still fight decently in this state, but I couldn’t deny that my strength was significantly diminished. My abilities simply wouldn’t work right.
‘Well, it’s better than being in pain.’
“Head upstairs to the second room.”
With that thought, I made my way to Niki’s room.
Just before I opened the door, a sudden worry crossed my mind.
‘But what if she’s a B?’
Honestly, I didn’t feel very confident facing someone in this state.
Plus, I’m not even sure if other Manifestors experience A and B like I do.
Manifestors are so rare that there aren’t many chances to share information.
If everyone transformed like I do, it’d be a complete mystery how severe it gets for them.
“······.”
But, just like that, I stepped into her room.
If she’s a B, I could always escape. If I get caught… well, that’d be just out of my control.
“Hey, you there?”
With a slight thrill, I entered her room.
*
As soon as I opened the door, what struck my eyes was a dimly lit room, with no lights on.
And in the corner, curled up in just her underwear, was Niki.
She had scratches all over her body, trembling as if enduring pain.
I didn’t expect her to be in her underwear, but just from that sight, I could tell she was definitely an A, not a B.
Otherwise, there wouldn’t be any injuries on her body.
Seeing that, Yor let out a sigh of relief mixed with a strange sense of regret.
But still, at least it wouldn’t lead to awkwardness between us in the future.
“…what’s going on? Suddenly.”
At that moment, Niki noticed Yor had come into her room.
Her pain-clouded eyes showed a flicker of surprise, along with confusion.
“Wait a minute, wasn’t today a day off? Why do you look so fine?”
“Well, I just got a crazy painkiller.”
Saying that, Yor stepped closer to her and suddenly shoved the Holy Water in her direction.
“Drink this.”
Niki looked at him with a wary gaze for a moment.
“What’s that?”
“Holy Water.”
“…Holy Water? Are you kidding me? Isn’t that poison for us? You want me to drink that now?”
Her eyebrows knitted together in disapproval.
Seems like she didn’t know that Holy Water could act as a painkiller.
It’s understandable. There’s hardly any chance for Manifestors to share information.
Besides, Yor had stumbled upon its effects purely by chance.
He killed an intruder in the forest, got the Holy Water, realized it calmed blood flow, and eventually learned it could lessen the pain of transformation after one drink.
Even at that time, he vaguely knew that Holy Water was a bane to Manifestors.
Divine Power weakens the body, so he worried that drinking it could lead to trouble.
But despite that, he drank it anyway. He wanted to take the chance rather than continue suffering through that pain.
Thankfully, that gamble paid off, and now he was effectively utilizing that so-called weakness, Holy Water.
“Don’t worry. It’ll just drain a bit of your strength. The pain will definitely lessen.”
“······.”
Though Niki still harbored suspicion.
After all, suddenly downing Holy Water was a bit terrifying.
But that didn’t last long. Soon, something strange happened to her body.
“Ughh…!”
Suddenly, her skin began to crack open as if someone was scratching it with something sharp.
Rough, jagged wounds like a beast’s claws.
Sensing the intense pain, she hesitated briefly but then snatched the Holy Water and gulped it down.
Yor observed her and thought for a moment.
‘So it’s true that each Manifestor’s transformation is different.’
He had speculated about it, but seeing it directly was fascinating.
“Phew.”
After downing a glass of Holy Water, her expression relaxed considerably.
The deep claw marks she had were finally stopping, and slowly, her wounds began to regenerate.
It was a bit slow, but she surely had regenerative abilities.
“…It’s real. How did you learn about this?”
“Just… it happened by chance. By the way, don’t you have anything to say?”
For a moment, Yor’s amber eyes quietly turned to Niki.
Niki hesitated and then muttered,
“…Thank you.”
She should definitely be grateful for learning a way to lessen the pain of transformation.
But why did saying that make her feel uncomfortable inside?
“Of course, you should be.”
Yor, unaware of her feelings, just gave a small smile.
Then he quietly sat next to her.
Maybe he had just come back from bathing; his natural scent suddenly assaulted her sense of smell.
Thinking about it, she was wearing just her underwear in front of a ‘guy.’
Embarrassment suddenly surged within her, but Niki didn’t show it.
Strangely, her body felt weak, and revealing shyness to this guy felt like a blow to her pride.
“It’s amazing. The last time I saw you, you didn’t seem to have undergone transformation this severely.”
As she was thinking that, Yor asked casually.
When he mentioned the last time, it referred to when they had invaded Kimaris’s altar.
That day, when he relayed information, it was the day after she had met him, and Niki had come to the forest looking rather fine.
In response to that question, Niki answered,
“Back then, I hardly used my powers… This time, I’ve used them a lot.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah. I encountered way too many monsters on the way here. So during battles, it seems the side effects got worse.”
Yor nodded. Since he had asked the question, it was Niki’s turn to inquire.
“Where did you get that Holy Water? I heard it’s been super hard to get lately.”
“Well… now that there’s no longer a reason to fight with the Knights, I’ve been able to get a few from them.”
That was quite a composed response. Simultaneously, it carried a strange sense of certainty.
It was the confidence of mingling among people.
Probably a sense of normalcy that would take Niki a lifetime to achieve.
Feeling that gap, Niki slightly bit her lip.
“······.”
“······.”
A moment of silence passed. A natural pause following their dialogue.
When you think about it, they weren’t even that close. They belonged to the same kind, but their groups were different, and they didn’t meet under pleasant circumstances.
It felt awkward to continue small talk.
The stillness of the night seemed heavier because of that silence.
Was it the uncomfortable silence? Or was it that people tend to become more emotional at night?
Niki slowly opened her mouth.
“…I envy you.”
A healthy body houses a healthy mind.
In reverse, it means a weakened body also leads to an unstable mind.
Like a dam bursting, her emotions began to flow out one by one.
“To take on the Knights alone and even gain a title. That’s impressive. Honestly, I thought you would fail and die.”
“…Hmm.”
“I’ve never even imagined something like that. I’m just barely getting through the transformation here… F*ck, honestly, every time I feel this difference, I feel so pathetic and frustrated.”
“Uh, um…”
Yor, listening to her, felt quite bewildered.
He had just come to share some Holy Water, not to hear her deep inner thoughts.
Of course, he wasn’t entirely devoid of human empathy to the point of saying, ‘I have something you don’t.’
With a hint of empathy left in him, Yor tried to console her.
“You… can do it too. I mean, now there’s a precedent…”
“Me? Hah, I don’t know. I’m not strong like you.”
Niki let out a small laugh, tinged with self-deprecation.
Unfortunately, Yor couldn’t offer her any more words. It wasn’t something he could resolve.
He understood that she felt inferior about her condition and abilities, but it was a problem he couldn’t help with.
“Um, just hang in there.”
So, he gently patted her back. He could at least do that for a temporarily vulnerable kin.
His somewhat rough palm caressed Niki’s smooth back. Niki accepted that warmth for a moment without resistance.
Though a hint of temptation rose in him, Yor did his best to suppress it.
After a while of comforting Niki, he returned to his own room.
And the next day.
“Aah! Why did you do that, you crazy girl…!”
Niki kicked her blanket, remembering what happened yesterday…
…And a few days later, news about Andras from the Knights reached them.
“`