My Strange Savior - Chapter 72

Chapter 72

[Outburst of Emotion]

“Gia, a warm tea….”

Kalion, who had just entered the barracks, roughly set down the warm tea he was carrying on the table. Then, as smoothly as water flowing, he detached Gregory’s hand, which was holding Gia’s hand, as if brushing off the dust.

“What brings you to my barracks at this late hour?”

Gregory, awakened from contemplation by Kalion’s wary gaze, stood up without yielding.

“Oh, it’s just that I have a little favor to ask.”

“What is it?”

Why is she requesting Gregory when she could have asked him? Kalion’s eyes conveyed displeasure as Gia, in response, twitched her tail inward.

“She had no choice but to ask me.”

The distinctive mocking tone in Gregory’s speech heightened Kalion’s irritation. It seemed to carry the added meaning of, ‘Can you do anything if you know?’

“Gia, is that true?”

Kalion ignored Gregory and looked at Gia. Gia blinked as if caught in a strange illusion, with her two ears hanging down like a sullen puppy.

“Oh, well… I was wondering if he could make bullets using alchemy.”

Gia gingerly tapped the back of Kalion’s hand, which was clasped over her, as if she didn’t want to hurt his feelings.

“Is that so?” 

“Uh, yeah. Since he’s here, I thought…”

Gia’s response seemed quite satisfactory as Kalion’s face relaxed. His expression resembled a large, attentive puppy with its ears perked up.

Gregory, unable to shake off the strange feeling between the two, scowled. Being blatantly ignored by someone was the second time, first by Gia, and now by Kalion.

“Alright, then I’ll take my leave now.”

“Uh, uh….”

“Can I take it?”

As if ignoring Kalion, Gregory reached out his hand toward Gia.

“Oh, uh.”

Gia stuttered and foolishly picked up the gun lying on the table like a malfunctioning robot. 

But when did they become so distant? It wasn’t like this initially. 

Gia, flustered, placed the gun on Gregory’s palm.

“May I disassemble it?”

“Of course.”

It was useless if there were no bullets. Since it was an object that could be broken or disassembled, Gia nodded willingly.

“If you have any questions about the gun, feel free to ask.”

Since items from another world might be unfamiliar to Gregory, Gia added her thanks to the words.

“Yes. In that case, please.”

Learning always brought joy to Gregory. Gratefully accepting it without hesitation, Gregory took the gun from Gia’s hands, held it, and cherished it as a precious possession.

“Well, then, I’ll take my leave now.”

“Take care?”

Given the proximity, it was odd to wish for someone to take care. Gia’s voice, throwing out any words in this awkward situation, ended with a tone that seemed to ask something.

“Yes.”

“Sleep well…”

“Yes. Goodnight, Gia.”

Kalion, as if a non-existent person, turned his body and left, raising a cold wind. Did the two of them fight while she was gone? In the chilly atmosphere between the two, Gia, feeling uneasy, asked.

“Ka-Kalion, why are you like this?”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

Looking at Kalion’s seemingly innocent face, Gia tightly shut her lips.

“Oh, never mind. Did you convey the message to the lord?”

“Yes.”

Kalion replied with a relieved expression.

It was a difficult story to tell the master. Even thinking about it, the words seemed absurd.

Nevertheless, Kalion calmly conveyed the fact that Spencer had encountered Apheus and even received help.

Oscar, who had been listening, wore an astonished expression and found it hard to believe, but Kalion, not one to utter false words, reminded him that Spencer was not a person to make baseless claims. 

Moreover, hearing that Kalion’s subordinate, Spencer, had come down in just two days, there was no room for denial.

In the end, Oscar had to accept the story told by his disciple and put on a serious expression.

The legend is passed down through oral tradition. If one was a member of Shenanigans, they knew better about their tales and symbols than others. Therefore, the fact that Apheus had revealed himself was undoubtedly a testimony to the confusion in the world, a fact that Kalion understood better than anyone else.

After discussing the trouble and plans, Kalion, who had returned, growled in the direction where Gregory had been, his eyes shining.

He didn’t lower his guard as if an intruder had violated his territory, standing there with his tail and ears held high, like a beast.

Gia, observing Kalion inspecting the entrance attentively from a distance, looked at the two cups on the table. They were not the elegant cups seen in Oscar’s domain but rustic ones carved from wood, and yet, Gia liked them.

Gia raised the cup of tea brought by Kalion and blew on it. The surface of the tea, swaying with the wind, had cooled to some extent.

Sip.

Unlike what Gregory had brought, Gia cautiously swallowed a sip of the tea tinted in pink. 

“Oh. What is this? It’s refreshing.”

She said, eyebrows raised in surprise at the unexpected tingling sensation in her mouth.

“Ah… really?”

At Gia’s words, Kalion paused in his vigilance and took a seat on the opposite side.

“It’s tea I got from Joseph. He says it clears the mind.”

It was a specially requested tea brought for Gia, who had been troubled all day with various concerns. Kalion, looking at the two cups brought by Gregory and seemingly displeased, put them away.

“By the way, where do I sleep? Can I sleep here?” 

Gia asked, her casual question causing Kalion to stutter.

“Yes, yes. Please sleep here. I’ll go out and sleep.”

“Why?”

Why?

At Gia’s innocent question, Kalion’s face turned slightly pale. The bewildered expression on Kalion’s face didn’t show, or perhaps Gia boldly continued speaking.

“Why sleep separately? It’s a waste of space. We’ve been sleeping together all this time.”

The words ‘together’ and ‘sleeping’ came out of Gia’s mouth. Simultaneously, Kalion almost spat out the tea he was holding.

“Well, um, it’s not suitable here.”

“Huh? Why?”

Having barely swallowed the tea, Kalion managed to persuade Gia. However, Gia, still finding it hard to understand, continued her questioning assault.

Knowing that she was someone who didn’t pay much attention to gender differences, he wondered why he had to explain this. Puzzled, Kalion rubbed his furrowed forehead with his hand.

“Unlike outdoors, this place is a closed space on all sides.”

Calm down. Calm down. Kalion reminded himself to find composure. Gia tilted her head in confusion at his explanation.

“Still, it’s not like we’re on display right now, and you know I’m not the kind of person who whines in bed. If you have to build another hut because of me, it’s a waste of effort, and it’s uncomfortable for me too.”

“Ab. Sol. Utely.”

“Huh?”

Kalion forcefully conveyed his intention with each syllable.

“It is absolutely not pointless, and it is absolutely not uncomfortable. Do you understand?”

“Uh, yeah.”

Seeing Kalion’s determined expression and the sharp glint in his eyes, Gia nodded, swallowing the remaining tea as if fearing that lasers might shoot out if she didn’t.

“Oh, okay.”

“Gia… I must emphasize, that this place is completely different from the world you lived in. Men and women are distinct.”

“Oh, okay. I got it. I got it.”

Gia cut off Kalion’s lengthy lecture and quickly got up from her seat, spreading the sleeping bag on the floor. The sleeping bag Oscar had brought was thick enough to protect from the cold rising from the ground.

“Sleep here. Alone. Got it? Can you lighten up a bit?”

Gia, asserting herself as she mentioned being alone, watched Kalion’s reaction. Seeing Kalion’s toughened expression, Gia unfolded the crumpled end of the sleeping bag.

“Hoo…”

Since meeting Gia, the sighs have been increasing. What should he do about this growing sigh? Carrying the empty wooden cup, Kalion stepped outside the barracks.

Will it be like this even when she’s not around? Worries relentlessly surged without an end. It seemed like guarding the front of the barracks would bring some peace of mind.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to catch a moment soon and teach her about the world. Starting with why men and women shouldn’t be together at an ambitious moment, for example. There was a mountain of things to teach Gia.

Kalion stopped on the path he was taking and turned around, looking at the entrance of the barracks. Gia seemed to be patient; her back had turned.

Why is he pondering over this? Strangely, this awkward and slightly annoying feeling that caught his attention wasn’t that bad, and Kalion’s brow furrowed.

He couldn’t remember how many times he had looked back while heading to Spencer’s barracks. 

It was only when his ankles, which had boldly faced the pain, finally went numb that Kalion could turn back.

* * *

The rapidly rising sun touched the ground. 

Wherever the sunlight touched, the snow melted gradually, giving unexpectedly warm weather for winter. 

Gia, who had just taken a short nap, stretched and got up.

“Ugh…”

A groan escaped from Gia’s mouth as she stretched her stiff body in various directions.

“Am I getting old?”

With each turn of her head, her bones protested with a scream. Joints do wear out as you get older, they say. Though it couldn’t be due to the zombie virus, Gia tidied up her sleeping bag, blaming unnecessary age, and walked out of the barracks.

Well, spring will come here too after winter. Then she’ll be a year older. 

Gia pondered on her age, feeling uncertain.

As she looked around, immersed in various thoughts, Kalion approached without her noticing.

“Did you sleep well?”

His deep voice resonated loudly in her heart from the morning. What a voice. 

Even his disheveled appearance after waking up looked like a perfectly taken photo shoot. 

Gia responded while looking at Kalion.

“Yeah… How about you?”

“Yes. I slept well last night.”

Perfect even in manners. Gia praised Kalion both inside and out.

‘You should be thankful to your parents.’

She thought, wondering how lovingly they must have raised him.

Her gaze got fixed on his radiant face.

‘Oh, uh… Almost got captivated again.’

As Gia shook her head, her fluffy bangs swayed. Every minute, every second, her gaze went there unconsciously. 

Gia stared absentmindedly until she snapped back to reality.

“After breakfast, we’ll go down to the territory first, and the master will…,” 

Kalion, who paused while speaking, repeatedly touched his not-parting lips with his palm.

“Yeah, got it.”

She didn’t need him to finish the sentence. He must be talking about dealing with the remains of the comrades. Gia patted Kalion on his elevated shoulders as if to assure him that she was okay.

“Let’s eat and get going.”