LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 86
After managing to separate the gray cat from Fura’s chest, I narrowly stopped her from summoning lightning to strike the cat.
Once the situation calmed down, the cat crouched under the wagon, cautiously eyeing us, while Fura continued to seethe with rage.
Caught in the middle of this tension, I decided to break the ice by speaking to Skylar.
Given Skylar’s serious personality, I figured even in this situation, he could bring up a serious topic or future plans that would somehow defuse the ticking time bomb of awkwardness.
Fortunately, this hunch turned out to be correct.
“Skylar, where to next?”
“Maybe beyond the Empire’s border into the southern desert.”
“Desert?”
“Yeah. The last Body Holder I know of is in the desert.”
“…Just hearing that gives me a bad vibe. Is that person a weirdo too?”
“All famous adventurers are weirdos. Just look at Propertyius, Nisha, and… that person over there.”
I casually glanced at Fura before redirecting my gaze back to Skylar.
I stared at his face for a while.
Skylar’s face turned a bit red, and realizing the implication of my stare, he scowled with mild irritation.
“I’m the exception.”
“Doesn’t seem like it.”
“I am the exception.”
“Okay, let’s go with that.”
“It’s not that I want to go with that. I’m not a weirdo. I’m normal.”
“Normal, huh? Attached to a sibling named Osidens, able to provoke the Mad King to his face, and teleporting without a heart?”
“……”
Skylar fell silent, perhaps speechless or shocked that I had logically cornered him.
The wagon once again turned quiet, and I absolutely loathed the silence. Especially the awkward atmosphere.
Sitting silently while keenly observing others was not my style. If it’s traveling or adventuring, there needs to be a lively vibe.
At least that’s how I felt.
Was this mindset and personality all because I was a bard? Or had I always been like this given my interest in this genre of games?
I couldn’t tell; the lines were too blurred.
Anyway, something was needed to break the silence.
And right before my eyes was the cat.
The gray cat turned its head slowly toward me, startled.
It was perceptive, for sure.
No matter how I thought about it, the idea of that cat’s original form being some bizarre guy just didn’t match. But when it came to breaking the mood, a cute creature was definitely the way to go.
I figured I could make a little use of it.
“Come here.”
I called to the cat, meeting its gaze.
The Emperor had clearly told me.
The ability of ‘Face’ allowed me to transform into whatever I had seen and inherit its strength and abilities intact.
In other words, right now, he was on the same level as an ordinary cat.
I wondered why I hadn’t thought of this sooner.
Reacting to my magic-imbued words and gaze, the cat walked over as if enchanted. Once it got close enough, it hopped up onto my lap.
Skylar began to stare at the cat sitting demurely on my knees with a sharp gaze.
“…Hah.”
“What?”
“Do you realize that cat’s original form is a guy, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then why are you putting it on your lap?”
“Jealous?”
“Eh?”
Skylar’s expression twisted slightly, and his face turned a tad red.
He was desperately trying to hide his emotions, but I could see right through it. I could spot even the slightest changes. That’s what having eyes is for.
Crunch.
The sound of teeth grinding.
Me, the cat, and Skylar were being observed with great interest by Fura across from us.
Noticing Fura’s gaze, Skylar managed to compose himself and swallowed his outward envy and anger. It was a skilled performance.
But it seemed to be a bit late.
Fura smirked and opened her mouth.
“Skylar….”
“Yes?”
“I should’ve asked earlier, but what’s the relationship with that bard next to you? It doesn’t seem like just a simple body-collecting arrangement.”
“…That’s about right. We are somewhat close companions, I suppose.”
“Looks more special than that.”
Things began to unfold just as I intended.
It was better to have an interesting conversation than to waste time in awkward silence. That was what I determined to be the ideal adventure.
Fura continued to tease Skylar with a grin.
“Hehe…”
“Don’t laugh like that.”
“Why not?”
“It makes me uncomfortable.”
“The bard sitting next to you is laughing too, you know?”
Skylar turned his gaze to me, who was observing their battle. Suddenly, I felt like the spotlight was about to shift to me…!
I quickly turned away, trying to avoid meeting his eyes.
Yet, I still felt his gaze lingering, and eventually, I surrendered and turned my head to meet his eyes.
Pink and golden eyes crossed in the air.
It was Skylar who looked away first.
…He’s not really the type to act like this.
“Why? Did I activate my magic again?”
“…No.”
“What’s up?”
“Nothing. Just stay away a bit.”
“…?”
I found myself shoved slightly away in the wagon by an apparently upset Skylar.
Fura burst into laughter at whatever she found amusing.
Was she thinking this wagon was still ‘inside’ and not ‘outside’ while wearing that gloomy expression?
What a strange hermit.
She doesn’t want to go out of the Church, but it’s fine inside the wagon? What kind of hermit is that? Just a cosplay, right?
‘Is it like how some girls act like landmines or mentally ill for attention or something…?’
Hmm, I wonder if that could draw Skylar’s attention.
Should I try it later?
I was already getting enough attention from Skylar, but maybe I wanted just a bit more.
Not that I craved love or affection, but rather, I felt fulfilled by receiving attention from others.
I wasn’t quite sure.
***
After some time passed, I wondered how long the wagon wheels had rolled over the dirt road.
The silhouette of the next city began to appear before us.
Skylar rubbed his sleepy eyes and ruffled his hair, tidying his clothes as he caught my alertness.
“Did you not sleep?”
“Yeah, couldn’t fall asleep.”
“Someone who usually falls asleep once a day can’t sleep at night. That’s odd.”
“Lately, it’s been hard to sleep even during the day. I’ve been making fewer mistakes too.”
“That’s because of the curse. It’s likely unpredictable. It will surely manifest again at some point. Don’t let your guard down.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Skylar didn’t show much of a reaction.
‘He’s probably the one who has been closest to me all along. He might already have known.’
The wagon continued to make its way toward the city gates. The outline of the city became clearer, the stone walls greeting us.
“Have you been here before?”
“…Yeah, a while ago.”
“How long?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
Skylar seemed strangely sensitive about his age too. He disliked being teased as a kid but also hated being treated as an old person. Isn’t that a bit contradictory?
I looked outside the wagon and asked Skylar again.
“What kind of city is it?”
“It’s a gateway city to reach the Empire’s southern border. If we pass through this gateway… it should lead us to the desert gradually.”
“Desert?”
The mere mention of the desert made me flinch.
In my memory of the ‘prequel,’ the desert stage was notorious. And not for good reasons.
Severe sunburns.
Vision-blocking sandstorms.
Limited movement due to dehydration.
Movement speed penalties.
The thought of actually experiencing it made my head throb.
“…Ugh.”
“It’s fine. Merchants have created paths beyond the Empire.”
“What do you mean?”
“It means we won’t run out of food or water… even though we can’t take the wagon. We just need to buy supplies at the gate city and follow the paths that the merchants have laid out.”
“That’s not too bad. But we’re parting ways with the coachman here?”
“Yeah. It’s unavoidable.”
The mute coachman stared expressionlessly ahead.
Looks like the profession of being a coachman is always familiar with goodbyes, the act of ‘letting go.’ I felt a bit wistful, but he didn’t seem to feel any of that.
If fate allows, we’ll surely meet again somewhere along the way.
Recollecting what the Adventurer’s Guild staff had said at the start of the journey, I slowly gazed outside.
“I hope something fun happens this time.”
A crow spread its wings and flew under the blazing sun.
Skylar frowned at the sight.
…Oh, right after I said that!