Chapter 33: A Vacation with a Rival (3)

The wolf pack didn’t even get a chance to put up a fight—they were slaughtered one-sidedly.

It wasn’t even enough to be called a warm-up.

A few of them, realizing something was wrong, tried to flee, but they were all chased down and wiped out by Avelin’s overwhelming speed.

“Wow…”

Avelin marveled honestly as she grilled meat on the tip of her sword.

While the meat was cooking, she watched as I skillfully skinned the wolves.

“Phew, this should be enough to make some pocket money.”

“You can do that too? Not just butchering the meat but skinning them so smoothly? You’re better than most hunters.”

“Of course. My father was a hunter.”

“…? That can’t be right. Aren’t you from a noble knight family? Illinard has produced excellent and prestigious knights for generations. Your father should be one as well.”

“Haha, looks like I managed to surprise you this time. You’re half right and half wrong.”

The memories became clearer.

A slightly sorrowful memory.

“I was born and raised in the mountains. It was a free, fulfilling childhood. My father was a skilled hunter, and thanks to him, we always had plenty to eat whenever he returned from the mountains. But that was exactly the problem.”

“Having plenty to eat… was a problem?”

“It was a day when he had sold a lot of meat and pelts, so he brought back a load of high-quality fruit. My parents were in good spirits, even drinking a little before going to sleep. But the fruit… it was too sweet. The scent was strong—so strong that it spread beyond the house and into the forest.”

“A sweet scent drifting into the forest… Don’t tell me—”

Avelin’s expression darkened.

“A bear from the forest caught the scent and entered the house. Looking back, it’s almost absurd. My parents, both skilled hunters, who had taken down countless bears before… yet they were powerless against this one.”

“…I’m sorry. At least you survived.”

“Mm, well… I wouldn’t say I ‘survived’ exactly.”

“What do you mean? Did the bear spare you?”

“I woke up to the noise and saw the bear attacking my parents. What do you think a child would normally do?”

“Run away… No, freeze in fear. When faced with a terrifying beast right in front of them.”

“I did the opposite.”

That electrifying moment still lingered vividly in my memory.

“I grabbed a small axe hanging on the wall and charged at the bear.”

“…And you’re still alive after that? You’re not some kind of ghost, right?”

“I was confident in my agility. Even when I was younger, I survived being chased by wolves.”

“What? What does that even mean…”

“Of course, I took a few hits from the bear. I didn’t win. But even as my body was battered, I kept attacking, and eventually, the bear got tired of fighting and ran off.”

“You drove a bear away as a child… That’s an incredible story, but…”

Avelin trailed off.

“I’m sorry. I never imagined you had such a childhood. But how can you talk about it so calmly? You even seem… oddly cheerful about it.”

“When you live deep in the mountains, it’s just something that can happen anytime. And my parents were the ones who always said that. They told me that if I survived, I should be grateful for the day and live happily.”

“They must not have been ordinary people… Oh—”

Avelin, engrossed in my story, had burned the meat.

“Don’t feel bad. We have plenty. Just fix it up a little.”

“That level of optimism… It’s almost admirable. Then, can I ask one more question?”

“I’ll decide after hearing what it is.”

“I’m curious. How did a hunter’s son end up winning the Continental Swordsmanship Tournament?”

“Hah, looks like you did some digging, but you still don’t know everything. Like my childhood.”

“…I’m not a god, you know.”

“In that case, I don’t have an obligation to answer all your questions either. I’m not some benevolent god myself.”

“Tch… Don’t be so stingy.”

“Instead, let’s make a deal.”

This was a good opportunity.

“If I tell you something you’re curious about, you tell me something I want to know. Deal?”

“No deal.”

Without hesitation, Avelin turned back to the campfire, tossing the burnt meat aside and skewering fresh pieces onto her sword.

She was curious about my story, but no matter what, she refused to share hers.

Even I was starting to get a little irritated.

“Stop right there. Hands off.”

“Huh? Why?”

“That meat—who prepared it?”

“…Ugh.”

Avelin flinched, her hands freezing mid-motion as she skewered the meat.

She grumbled just loud enough to be heard.

“You’re so petty.”

“I’m not the petty one here—you are, Avelin. Between the two of us, who do you think knows more about the other?”

“…”

Her lips pouted slightly, like a child. But unlike her playful expression, her eyes were determined.

It seemed Avelin thought she had already shared enough for today—after all, she had told me earlier about being kicked out of her home.

I wasn’t the type to force someone into talking when they clearly didn’t want to.

“…Alright. Go ahead and skewer the meat. I was being petty.”

“…Just one thing.”

“Hm?”

“I’ll say just this one thing.”

Avelin slowly lifted her head and looked at me.

There was something strangely soft in her gaze.

And then, cautiously, she spoke.

“It’s because of you. The reason I haven’t put my sword down.”

“…Because of me? Wait, hold on. You said ‘because,’ not ‘thanks to’? That sounds a little ominous.”

“So be prepared.”

Her eyes held a swirl of emotions.

“There hasn’t been a single goal I failed to surpass. But just one—only Kayron—I haven’t beaten you yet. But that’s only for now. I’ll catch up to you soon enough.”

“…That doesn’t sound so bad. The fact that I’m someone’s goal. Come at me anytime.”

“You don’t have to tell me—I was planning to anyway. So be ready.”

With that, Avelin placed another piece of meat over the fire.

We didn’t have any special seasonings aside from a bit of salt for emergencies, but eating freshly grilled wolf meat in the middle of a snowy field by a bonfire—there was something special about it.

“Mmm! I didn’t burn it this time! Here, try it.”

Maybe it was the way she smiled so brightly as she handed it over.

The meat was tough and had a bit of a wild smell, given that it was from a muscular wolf. But in this cold, it was a feast fit for survival.

The problem came after eating.

As long as we kept moving, it would have been fine, but we were in the middle of a snowy field. The surrounding trees blocked some of the wind, but not enough to keep the cold at bay completely.

“Ugh…”

Avelin shivered and straightened her posture, likely trying to use mana to warm herself.

“Don’t do that. Here.”

I took off my outer coat and handed it to her.

“…Why are you giving this to me?”

“Use it as an extra layer. Then you won’t have to waste mana warming yourself.”

“That’s true, but… what about you?”

“I’ll be standing watch. Wolves aren’t the only things to be wary of in the snow.”

“…Thanks. I’ll get some sleep then. Wake me up later?”

“Yeah. Sleep well.”

Only after seeing me draw mana throughout my body did Avelin finally bury herself inside the sleeping bag.

“…Kayron.”

“What?”

“You’re not going to try anything while I’m asleep… right?”

“Oh, come on. Say something that makes sense.”

“Pfft, just wanted to make sure.”

She laughed mischievously before turning away and falling asleep.

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but at some point, Avelin shifted, turning over in her sleep.

Now, with her body buried in the sleeping bag, only her round face peeked out.

With nothing but snow, trees, and the clear night sky around us, there wasn’t much else to look at.

So naturally, my gaze lingered on her.

And that’s when I noticed.

Her cheeks and lips were slightly flushed from the cold.

‘…Wait. Those lips… touched my face, didn’t they?’

A memory I had been trying to forget resurfaced.

Even though it was vivid, I found myself doubting whether it had really happened.

Before I knew it, I impulsively moved.

Carefully, I approached Avelin…

And softly—

I pressed a finger against her lips.

Warm.

Soft.

The same as I remembered.

Back then, they had been even warmer, probably because of the blood she had on them.

Realizing what I had done, I hurried back to my original spot, sitting down as if nothing had happened.

“…Haa.”

I broke my own rule.

I said I wouldn’t touch her, and yet—

Even if it was just my finger, I had still done it.

“Damn it. What the hell am I supposed to say if she wakes up…”

With a tangled mess of emotions inside me, I focused all my attention on standing watch.

And when Avelin finally woke up, fully rested, she was furious that I hadn’t woken her for her turn.

But strangely enough, I didn’t really mind.

In fact, I felt oddly… satisfied.

-- The End OF The Chapter --

 

[TL: Join Patreon to support the translation and to read up to 10 chapters ahead of the release: https://www.patreon.com/taylor007 

 

Join our Discord server for regular updates and have fun with other community members: https://discord.com/invite/SqWtJpPtm9 ]