Upon returning to the carriage, the first thing Nox did was make sure Nana was safe.
“Welcome back! I’m glad you’re okay!”
“And you, Nana? Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
While the two enjoyed a warm reunion, in the background,
“Guild Master, I think you’ve aged a bit during our brief time apart.”
“Really? … Ha…”
Dolk, disheveled and visibly exhausted, let out a deep sigh.
“As agreed in the contract, I’ll leave the cleanup to you.”
“Yes, thank you very much.”
“That queen spider was in the process of mutation. Will the reward be increased?”
“We will consider it positively. If they hadn’t been eliminated today, who knows what would have happened?”
Listening to the conversation between the two conducting business in front of the carriage,
“Mutation?”
An adventurer, with a tense voice, asked.
“You heard that scream, right? That was the queen spider informing her offspring about an enemy attack.”
“Are you suggesting that the queen spider instructed the offspring to eliminate those who attacked her?”
Nana asked.
“Yes. But normal Dot Spiders don’t possess that intelligence. I’ve heard that individuals who have lived and gained strength for decades can, on rare occasions, acquire that capability.”
“Impressive, did you defeat such a creature on your own?”
Nana continued talking, regardless of whether anyone was listening.
“Well, even if they have intelligence, they’re still Dot Spiders. That huge colony was really disgusting, so it was a good call for Nana not to come after all.”
“Thank you for caring about me.”
“Don’t worry about it now… “
Witnessing a sudden display of affection between a couple, the guild master received looks of disbelief from the adventurers, to which he simply nodded silently.
***
“So, Astra-sama. I want to thank you once again.”
In front of the carriage heading back to the road, Dolk bowed deeply once more.
“As long as I receive the corresponding reward, everything will be fine.”
“Yes, I will definitely report on the complete eradication of the Dot Spiders on the road and will add a bonus, without a doubt.”
While the adventurers stayed in the gorge to confirm the absence of spider remnants, Dolk would return to the Galaxia branch to organize a security investigation that would include reviewing landslides.
“That helps us a lot. Goodbye.”
Showing little interest, Nox waved his hand and turned away. Nana, making a graceful bow, quickly followed him.
Before getting back on the carriage, Dolk looked back and saw the unusually distant mage removing his hood, smiling at the young woman with red hair accompanying him.
Seeing her black hair, he remembered the rumors about the lord’s son, his expression turning to surprise.
“No, it can’t be.”
Dolk quickly dismissed the absurd idea that the disinherited royal son was acting as an adventurer and boarded the carriage.
“Nox-sama, did you suggest lunch first because you knew after seeing the spiders, we might lose our appetite?”
“Yes, I would have been fine, but I thought it might affect Nana if she saw it.”
“You knew I was afraid of spiders… I’m happy.”
“What?!”
With a flirtatious look, Nox was surprised by the new attack after starting to get used to the environment.
“Alright…” murmured Nox, feeling surprised by the unexpected strategy.
“Please, don’t take off your hood.”
Who could imagine that the man who would later be known as “The King of Saersol Magic” would be so easily tamed by the girl’s slender wrist?
***
They arrived in the village after the sun had already set.
“Nox-sama, we have a double room for the two of you.”
“Oh, yes…”
Before entering the inn, Nox tried to resist a little when asked for something extra, but…
“It’s okay,” he quickly gave in under her intense gaze.
“So, may I perform a healing magic on you?”
“What? Why didn’t I allow it last time?”
Even though the journey was comfortable to travel, once off the carriage, it had been a long walk.
Nox understood that Nana would likely be tired.
After observing a pensive Nana for a moment, Nox wondered why he was so reluctant as they entered the inn.
Trying to convince her with the excuse that she might have gotten dirty fighting the spiders, Nox let Nana use the shower first, and then he used it, switching places with her when they returned to the room.
“Please…” said Nana, stretching her white legs on the bed and closing her eyes as if enduring a bitter potion.
Despite feeling concerned about where he would touch her, she said, “I’ll touch you. Near the instep,” before doing so. Although he only lightly grazed her, Nana’s body trembled slightly.
It was an unusual reaction for her, who generally remained unfazed by anything.
“Nana, are you sensitive to tickling?”
“No, not at all.”
“Oh, really?”
Deciding to leave it at that, Nox refocused on his healing magic. With a comforting touch, he gradually felt the tension in Nana’s body release.
“When you use regular magic, does the curse not affect you at all?”
Nana suddenly asked. Although it was a distraction from the ticklish sensation on her feet, Nox responded seriously without realizing it.
“When I use specific magic, there’s no problem.”
In Nox’s perception, his body harbored two types of magical energy. One dominant and white, which could adapt to any type of spell at his will, and another dark and barely perceptible, which he couldn’t control.
“The dark part used to be stronger, but it has diminished since I started using magic. I feel it weakens even more when I use healing, purification, or holy attribute magic.”
He suspected this might be related to the curse of the disinherited son.
As they spoke, the discomfort that had been present in Nana’s legs had vanished. The swelling also seemed reduced, making her feel more slender and quietly moved.
“Thank you. If I can be of help to Nox-sama, I shouldn’t hold back laughter, right?”
“So, you are ticklish after all,” Nox teased as he saw Nana cover her mouth.
And with that smile, Nana’s fatigue completely disappeared.
