LIGHTNOVELWORLD Episode 6: Knots and Laughter
Chapter 6: Knots and Laughter
“Alright, the rope’s untied, Rios.”
“Sorry and thanks.”
Alshade’s voice came from above as I felt the rope loosen. I expressed my gratitude while holding my hands in front of my face and opening and closing them several times.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s my fault for asking without knowing your situation. But I’m glad the knot was loose. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to untie it. Now, it’s my turn, please.”
I nodded and turned over, reaching out for the knot on Alshade’s wrist.
Alshade had mentioned that my knot was loose, but hers was visibly tight.
The determination of the person who tied it seemed to come through… If I couldn’t untie it, it would be more than just awkward.
“Heh… Hahaha.”
“What’s so funny?”
While I was struggling with the tightness of the knot, Alshade suddenly burst into laughter. Feeling a little annoyed that she was laughing while I was being serious, I asked her.
“Ah, no, sorry… Hahaha, I just remembered.”
“What…?”
I couldn’t help but ask, feeling a sense of unease.
“It’s about earlier. Rios said such a serious thing with a serious expression and voice. And then, while still wearing that face, he rolled towards me like a log.”
“Oh, come on, forget about it! It couldn’t be helped. I couldn’t put any strength in my legs and couldn’t stand up! I had no choice but to do that!”
“Well, I understand that…but it was… so surreal.”
Perhaps Alshade’s kindness prevented her from calling that behavior ridiculous. She shook her shoulders for a while, but eventually, unable to contain herself any longer, she burst into laughter with a louder voice.
My arm was too busy to untie the rope, so all I could do was wait for the laughter to subside.
Since this was the second time she laughed at the joke, I hoped the laughter would die down faster than the first time.
“You’re laughing so much even though it’s not that funny.”
“Hah… Finally, it stopped. It’s not like that. Well, maybe I found it really amusing.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s how it is.”
Alshade behaved cheerfully, but she must have had concerns about her abduction, betrayal, and the uncertainties of her future. She should have also been somewhat wary of me.
Perhaps the reason for her bursting into laughter was, seeing my ridiculous and absurd behavior relieved the tension and snapped the thread of nervousness.
While the wall between Alshade and me may not have completely disappeared, it felt like it had become thinner, and the outcome was acceptable… No, for the sake of my mental well-being, let’s consider it going according to plan.
“…By the way, is it still not untied?”
“Well, the fact that the young lady was laughing and I couldn’t focus also played a part, but simply put, the knot is tightly tied.”
“It’s understandable that the knot is tight. If it were me, dealing with adults who can’t use magic, I could handle several of them at once without losing. Of course, it would be a different story if they were skilled opponents… They must be cautious around you.”
“Seriously? The young lady is that strong?”
Even though it’s assumed that enemies in the future won’t be able to use magic, isn’t she too strong? To think she can take on multiple adults at our age without losing.
…Speaking of which, her intelligence doesn’t seem ordinary either. At least, in my previous life, neither I nor those around me were as smart as her at this age.
Well, exceptional individuals have different talents. Besides, this is a different world, so it’s useless to dwell on common sense from my previous life that may not apply here.
“That’s right. People who can use magic have higher physical abilities than those who can’t.”
“Wow, that’s impressive.”
I replied with a vague agreement, unable to say that I already knew that.
“Aren’t you less responsive?”
“No, that’s not the case. I’m just concentrating because it looks like the finger is about to go through. Ah, it went through!”
“Really!?”
“Yeah, if I do this… Alright, it’s untied.”
It was amusing and satisfying to see the rope easily untie as if the previous struggle was meaningless once the finger could pass through.
“Thank you. Next is the leg, right?”
“Sigh… I wish you would let me bask in the sense of accomplishment a little longer.”
I dropped my shoulders as Alshade reminded me of reality while expressing gratitude. While there was certainly a sense of accomplishment, if asked to do the same difficulty again, I honestly wanted to refuse.
However, Alshade had untied my rope, and going back on my word would not only undermine her trust and credibility but also be morally wrong as a person.
Just as I had regained my composure, Alshade extended her palm and signalled for me to wait.
“It looks like the knot has loosened quite a bit, though I’ll still need your assistance. The knot is on the back of my ankle, so it’s hard for me to see. It would be helpful if you could give me instructions.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll bring the light closer, but let me know if it’s too bright.”
“Yeah, got it,” I replied as I leaned in to get a closer look at the back of Alshade’s ankle while she sat cross-legged. However, I immediately sensed a pleasant, sweet fragrance and hastily pulled my face away.
I hadn’t paid attention to it before because I was focused on untying the rope, but once I became conscious of it, it felt somewhat embarrassing.
“Was the light too bright?”
“Ah, no, it’s fine.”
“Really? Then please give me instructions.”
Alshade looked at me with a puzzled expression, observing my behavior.
Alshade didn’t seem to mind that I had gotten close to her leg, so I couldn’t just keep my face away. Ignoring the sweet fragrance that tickled my nose as much as possible, I focused my gaze on the knot on the back of her ankle.
“Um, so, the spot you’re currently holding—”
◆
“Oh, it’s untied.”
“…Ah, I see.”
Alshade stood up with a delighted expression and jumped in her place a few times to check the condition of her leg. It took about half the time compared to untying the wrist, and the sad truth was that it was due to the simple difference in strength between Alshade and me.
While she exuded energy and a sense of liberation, I was completely exhausted.
Although it wasn’t physically tiring since I had done almost nothing, mentally, I felt more fatigued than when untying the knot on her wrist.
Whether in my previous life or in this life, as a virgin with a track record of being single, it was quite a challenging battle.
I might be told that it was with a young girl in my previous life. However, she was a beautiful girl, and for me, who had adapted to the body of a child after eleven years of living, she was more than enough to be considered a romantic interest.
I wanted to say that it’s only natural to react in such a way.
“(…Who even am I making excuses to…?)”
As I pondered over such trivial matters, Alshade turned her gaze towards me.
“Well then, Rios, can you stand up?”
“I’ve already told you, my legs are tired, I can’t stand. I’m completely exhausted.”
While she didn’t ask if I had forgotten the reason behind my embarrassing behavior, I instead let go of all the strength in my body and fell to the ground, prostrating myself.
The drowsiness that had been blown away by the surprise of realizing this world’s existence came rushing back, luring me into sleep.
If I let my guard down, I felt like I would immediately embark on a journey into the world of dreams.
“For me, it would be troublesome if Rios fell asleep now. I’m sorry, but I need you to hang in there a little longer.”
“No, that’s why it’s impossible… Ah!”
As Alshade placed her hand on top of mine, a warm sensation enveloped my entire body.
Caught off guard by the suddenness of it, I unintentionally let out a startled voice.
“How is it? Has your fatigue vanished?”
“Y-Yeah. Indeed, I no longer feel tired.”
Not only that, but the pain in my arm had also disappeared, and I no longer feel sleepy either.
“It’s healing magic. I’m still inexperienced, so I can only use it on others by directly touching their bodies.”
(I knew it could recover fatigue, but I didn’t expect it to eliminate sleepiness as well. If this existed in my previous life, it would have delighted those black companies.)
Ignoring my dumbfounded state, Alshade stood up and reached out her hand to me.
When I grabbed her hand, she pulled me up with unexpected strength from her slender arms.
Her strength might be comparable to when Lamdo pulled the rope to make me stand.
“There you go. Rios, you’re too light. Are you eating properly?”
“I eat less than the young lady. You can imagine the food situation in the slums, right?”
“Oh, I had a feeling, but you really are from the slums. I’m sorry, I spoke without thinking.”
I shook my head to assure Alshade, who had a downcast expression, that I wasn’t bothered by her slip of the tongue.
Being able to joke around with each other was something that made me happy, so I didn’t consider it a misstep.
“Thank you. There’s something I want your help with… I want you to search for any hidden passages in this room together.”
Alshade’s request, after regaining her composure, was like a lifeline offered to me.
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