TEOCH 67

We continued to lead a leisurely life here for several days. We didn’t find any notable items after finding the ‘Battle Preparation’ jewel, but in return, we enjoyed a peaceful time without needing to run away from monsters.

As long as we were careful not to step on tree roots by mistake, and used Rehas’s ‘Spider’s Eye’ to determine if there were any malicious traps, we were able to avoid most dangers.

The only disappointing thing was that even after feeding all the tree sap we had collected so far, we couldn’t obtain any equipment with decent additional properties.

Of course, the durability and defense of the equipment increased dramatically in proportion to the sap it consumed, but it would have been nice to have at least one or two special properties to make future progress easier.

“Hmm…, this is ambiguous. I thought it would gain some decent properties.”

“The shape of the helmet has changed quite a bit, hasn’t it? Isn’t this good enough?”

“No, the change in appearance doesn’t mean much. Right now, only its defense has gone up a bit. With this, it could probably withstand a harpy’s voice, but…”

Damian tilted his head as he was handed his helmet, and I let out a light sigh and got up. There was still a little sap left, but it didn’t seem like any more useful items would come out today.

In that case, it might be better to just clear my mind and do something ‘productive.’

“Well then, shall we head out now, Mr. Rohan?”

“Yes, let’s. Everyone is waiting outside.”

Damian and I left the cave. Rehas had already found a good spot and was sitting down, while Tristan and Rikiel were scratching their heads with awkward-looking expressions.

I briefly fixed my gaze on the bandage wrapped around Tristan’s left arm. The wound beneath that bandage had healed quite a bit by now, but it was true that I was still worried. It would be a huge problem if he got hurt by mistake.

“If you are still in pain, shall I cast an anesthesia spell on you, Your Majesty?”

“There’s no need for that. I’m really fine now. Besides, if that magic is cast incorrectly, an accident could happen, couldn’t it?”

Tristan smiled faintly and readjusted his grip on his sword, and Rikiel, who was standing opposite him, smiled as if in relief and firmly grasped his own wooden sword.

In truth, what the two were holding were just crudely shaped wooden sticks, embarrassing to even call wooden swords. But since it was just for light training, it didn’t matter much, and there was also the advantage that their weak strength meant there was no risk of serious injury.

“You can cast the anesthesia magic when Sir Rikiel and I are training, Damian.”

“I understand. Ah, right. Can I cast it when I’m exercising?”

“You could, but… the muscle soreness will come all the same once the anesthesia wears off.”

“Oh.”

“No, it might actually be worse for muscle soreness. When you exercise in an anesthetized state, you tend to move beyond the limits your body can withstand.”

Damian tilted his head, looking a bit dejected. It was the fourth day since our arrival on the ‘Island of Trees,’ and the five of us had decided to begin physical training in earnest starting today.

Tristan would continue to train in swordsmanship with Rikiel as he had been doing. Rikiel and Rehas would spar with me under the effects of ‘Battle Preparation’ to get a feel for moving in an anesthetized state. And Damian decided to train his basic physical stamina with the help of Rikiel and Rehas.

“Don’t you try to take any shortcuts, my friend. You need to exercise properly.”

“But I’m a mage…”

“Even if you are a mage, you need to have basic physical stamina. If you keep acting like that, I won’t carry you.”

“Huh? Then if I exercise hard, will you carry me?”

“Of course I will… Wait, that doesn’t make any sense, does it? This kid, really?”

Rehas, who had been drawn into Damian’s pace before he knew it, let out a chuckle as if finding it absurd. Tristan and Rikiel also burst out laughing at their exchange, while beginning to take their stances for the spar. I found myself wondering how the two of them would begin their sparring session.

Of course, I already knew what kind of swordsmanship Rikiel used and what his attitude was when teaching others, but what I wanted to see was Tristan learning swordsmanship from Rikiel. It was the first time I was seeing it in person, after all.

“Now, then, let’s start with a light warm-up.”

Tristan’s and Rikiel’s wooden swords clashed with a brisk sound. As if bewitched, I followed Tristan’s movements.

Tristan’s swordsmanship was not actually that refined. The clumsy swordsman’s movements were neither fast nor precise, and perhaps due to his not-yet-fully-healed left arm, the sword’s movements were just stiff and awkward. Thanks to his diligent practice so far, he had barely shed his beginner status, but he was still a long way off compared to Rikiel.

The only relatively passable element was the judgment he displayed during the spar. Perhaps to make up for his injured arm, he used his leg movements and footwork as much as possible to reduce situations where swords would clash, and he tried his best to seize the most advantageous position to compensate for his lack of strength and speed compared to Rikiel. Of course, that wasn’t enough to overcome the absolute difference in skill.

‘Still.’

Even so, it was beautiful. I silently held my breath and watched his sweat-soaked blond hair flutter. His shoulders rising and falling with his ragged breaths, the knuckles of his fingers where calluses were just starting to form, the expression that scowled as sweat seeped into his eyes but ultimately broke into a laugh…

Why are you so beautiful, I thought, blankly following his movements. There wasn’t a single spot I could tear my eyes away from.

‘This is trouble. He might find out.’

Fortunately, Rehas and Damian were too engrossed in the two men’s battle to pay me any attention, and I tried my best to maintain my composure by covering my face with both hands as much as possible. Every time he stumbled, my stomach churned, and every time he showed a smile, my heart felt like it was dropping.

Feeling inwardly flustered, I took several deep breaths. It had already been well over a month since I started exploring the demon world with him. The time spent carrying him, washing him, talking with him, and living in close quarters had already been that long, so I thought it would be enough time for the feelings I had hidden in my heart to become dull. And indeed, until just a little while ago, I had been getting along just fine without any particular problems. But why…

‘Is it because I’ve relaxed?’

Could it be that because things are so peaceful, my emotions are flowing in a strange direction? The sudden thought made me let out a deep sigh. It was true that until now, I had been knocked around here and there and had no time to reflect on things like emotions. Lately, having spent a few days in hiding, the mental grip I had been holding onto had loosened, and perhaps the feelings I was supposed to be hiding were starting to leak out.

Well, I never thought my heart would change overnight anyway, so let’s not worry about it anymore. Instead of getting depressed, I decided to appreciate Tristan’s sparring match more. After all, being able to watch the person I like to my heart’s content was a joyful thing. At times like this, I thought I had done well to choose the second playthrough, and I watched him for a long time.

About two hours later.

“Hah, hah…”

“You don’t need to push yourself too hard, Your Majesty. Since it’s the first day, it’s also fine to proceed at your usual pace.”

“When you put it like that, it sounds like I’m usually slacking off, doesn’t it? I am fine, Rikiel.”

“That wasn’t my meaning, it’s just… your legs are trembling.”

“Hmph hmph.”

Tristan let out an embarrassed cough, and Rikiel lowered his arm holding the wooden sword with a bitter smile. I guess even he can be a show-off sometimes? Tristan looked like he wanted to train a little more, but Rikiel just shook his head. In the end, instead of continuing their spar, the two decided to take a short break. Tristan staggered over to where I was sitting.

“That was amazing, Your Majesty! Your swordsmanship was truly incredible!”

“Don’t say such things, Damian. It just makes me feel awkward…”

His face, flushed red probably from moving his body so much, was dazzling. When combined with his bashful-looking smile, he became so beautiful that I couldn’t look at him with a sober mind, and I hastily stood up from my spot to hide my embarrassment. Tristan looked at me as if it were quite strange.

“Rohan? Why are you getting up?”

“Because Your Majesty needs to sit, of course.”

“Hmm? I am fine with sitting next to you.”

“The spot where I was sitting will be more comfortable for you. And I need to start sparring with Sir Rikiel soon, too.”

“Shouldn’t Rikiel also rest a little? He’s been moving his body for hours, too.”

I tried to act nonchalant, but I couldn’t maintain my composure at Tristan’s touch as he grabbed my collar with a bewildered expression.

No, I mean, that man Rikiel is a man of iron who wouldn’t be fazed even if he moved his body all day. Even if I were to swing my sword with all my might from now on, I would barely be able to win the spar. So you just sit there. There’s no need for you to pay any particular attention to things like why I’m acting so fidgety!

“Sir Rikiel will be fine. He…”

“If you keep this up, I’ll stare at you intently for the entire duration of our spar. Just like you just did.”

“…?!”

As my face grew hot, my mind went completely blank. Wait, did he actually notice my gaze from the very beginning?! I thought he wouldn’t notice because he was engrossed in the spar! Tristan smiled like a mischievous child, and not knowing what to do, I just whipped my head away.

“When did I ever do that?”

“You did it the whole time I was sparring. Did you really think I wouldn’t know?”

“Y-you must be mistaken.”

“Really? Did I misunderstand?”

Tristan brought his face up close as if amused, and I honestly felt like crying. Rehas and Damian, and even Rikiel, were watching the conversation between Tristan and me with interest.

At this rate, am I really going to be found out?! In this world, homosexuality isn’t that common of an element, so maybe I won’t get caught, but if even one person figures it out in this situation, it will be extremely embarrassing for me. So much so that it might be better to just kill myself and start over from the beginning.

“I-it’s a misunderstanding! I was merely trying to properly gauge Your Majesty’s combat ability…”

“Really?”

“Y-you practiced diligently. There are still many areas for improvement, but if you continue to work hard, your skills will improve quickly. So, uh, it’s definitely not because I was looking at Your Majesty with any strange thoughts…”

I tried my best to feign composure while watching Tristan’s reaction. I hoped he would be convinced at this point, but honestly, even I thought the words I was spouting right now were clumsy and incoherent. What on earth are “strange thoughts”! It was a statement that seemed to be openly begging for suspicion, and I could only blush.

And a short while later, Tristan, who had been looking at me with a very skeptical expression.

“Ahaha, it’s a joke! A joke!”

He laughed and patted my back several times. The warm sensation of his hand patting my back made my chest pound unbearably, but it was certain that I had escaped the immediate misunderstanding, so I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Tristan, perhaps feeling awkward himself, continued speaking to appease me.

“My apologies, but it was amusing to see your flustered expression.”

“You have a nasty hobby.”

“Umm, it’s true I was in the wrong, but to put it so bluntly.”

“Isn’t finding it amusing to see someone flustered a nasty hobby? Were you pleased to see me struggling?”

“But… I wanted to see a different side of you sometimes. You always have such a stiff expression on your face, don’t you? Like this.”

Tristan imitated a very awkward blank expression, and I pondered what kind of face I usually made and turned my head slightly. Well, thinking about it, he probably did it in his own way to build intimacy. He must not have had any bad intentions, probably.

“So, are you satisfied now that I’ve made at least this expression?”

“Umm. To be honest, I didn’t think you’d get this flustered. I just thought of it as a joke… I’m sorry if your feelings were hurt.”

But hearing those words from Tristan, a bitterness pooled at the bottom of my heart that had just barely settled. I tried my best to hide that emotion and just smiled silently.

Well, in a way, it was to be expected. He probably couldn’t even imagine that a man could have those kinds of feelings for another man, and he wouldn’t have known what I was feeling from my contact with him just now. From his perspective, there was no reason to know such things. So I can understand this much. So.

“Still, it was strange.”

“Strange? What was?”

“I mean, the expression you just made… It somehow resembled Isolde.”

I thought I could understand.

Tristan smiled as if he found it curious, and I ignored the sensation of a gaping hole in my stomach and silently bit my lip.