Baggage Carrier 11
This was the first time I’d refused someone so clearly.
“Heeh? You live in an interesting place, don’t you?”
“Hah, well…”
“Eh? No way! It’s kinda shabby, but there’s a tower. Can I climb it?”
“Go ahead.”
But just because I refused her out of dislike… doesn’t mean the other person will understand. It’s a separate issue.
And so, she, Mineha-san, came to my house.
Considering her personality, my “NO” was futile resistance— Having wings sure is convenient.
She was at the top of the tower in no time.
I’m a little envious since I find climbing up and down a bit tedious.
After a little while, she came back down.
“Hmm. It’s a decent view, I suppose.”
“Is that so?”
Well, it’s not exactly a spectacular view, but I like it too.
Then I said I’d show her the other places and gave her a general tour.
At Mineha-san’s request, we returned to the front of the tower.
“Still, having the kitchen in the same room is strange, isn’t it?”
“It’s convenient. I can make food right after waking up.”
“Is that convenient? Also, even though it’s this spacious, it feels like everything’s concentrated in one spot. You’re not using the right side at all.”
“It’s for storage, and recently, I’ve been using it for training.”
“Training?”
“For Knife Handling and building stamina, things like that.”
Lately, I’ve gotten serious about it and train beyond my usual routine.
Mineha-san said “Hmm,” then asked.
“Even though you have a Relic?”
“What will you do if you rely only on that, and then can’t use your Relic when it really matters?”
“Something like that would never happen.”
“I don’t think it’s absolutely impossible. I believe there could be Monsters or situations where Relics don’t work.”
“Even then, I’d manage somehow with a Relic.”
Relic, Relic, Relic… I got irritated.
“Is that so? At the very least, you should train your body. I absolutely refuse to become fat, ugly, and pathetic by relying solely on Relics. I hate seeing it too.”
“Huh!? Are you trying to say that’s what will happen to me?”
Mineha-san glared at me.
This kind of topic. I know it’s a sore spot for women.
But I was irritated and ended up saying it anyway.
“Mineha-san. Didn’t your master tell you that you should train your body?”
At that, Mineha-san had a reaction like ‘Gulp!’.
So easy to read.
“Training is the absolute basic for a Seeker. I was told my body is my asset.”
“Just as I thought.”
“A-And, you know. Don’t misunderstand, I do train a little bit too!”
“Then why did you say, ‘Even though you have a Relic?'”
“That’s because you’re looking down on Relics!”
“I’m not looking down on them. But that doesn’t mean I worship them either.”
“I don’t worship them either! You. What’s wrong with you? Even though you have a Relic, it’s like you hate them!”
“Hate Relics. Maybe that’s true.”
“You’re benefiting from them, aren’t you!”
“I am grateful. Thanks to my Relic, I am who I am today, and I can survive.”
So I am grateful.
Eh? Wait a minute. What did she say?
Benefiting? Benefiting from a Relic?
“What’s wrong?”
“Mineha-san, do you know that I have a Relic?”
“I just found that out now.”
“Heh?”
“I just had that feeling. You didn’t notice, but back then, the other three were really angry at me because they didn’t have Relics. But while you were certainly angry too, it didn’t feel like it was because you didn’t have a Relic. I can’t explain it well, but yeah. It’s a woman’s intuition.”
“A-A woman’s intuition…”
“I didn’t mean to trick you into revealing it, but just as I thought. You did have a Relic.”
“…I certainly do.”
“In that case—”
“That’s exactly why I draw a line. Relics are convenient tools and techniques. You have to discern when to use them and when not to. If you rely solely on Relics, you won’t become a decent person.”
“Are you trying to say that’s what I am?”
“Yes, I am. Because, Mineha-san. You looked down on Ax-san and the others—”
“That’s enough!!”
Mineha-san yelled. She glared fiercely.
I felt anger and intimidation from her. As expected of a Seeker.
Crap.
I got carried away and said something unnecessary.
“S-Sorry.”
“I’m going to sleep at the top of the tower.”
“Y-Yes.”
Saying that, Mineha-san flew off to the tower.
I… regretted what I’d done.
Midnight.
I woke up to a sudden noise.
I heard the sound of running water from the next room.
“…?”
I use that room as a place to wash my body.
There’s a large wooden tub and a small pail.
And a barrel filled with water.
A part of it has a stone floor so it’s okay if it gets a little wet.
Also, the room doesn’t have a door. There is a cloth hanging as a partition, though.
That’s why I can hear the water sounds clearly. And normally, that shouldn’t be possible, but…
Is it Mineha-san?
I have a guest right now. Is Mineha-san washing herself?
In that case, there’s nothing to worry about… Wait. The water sounds are loud?
Mineha-san is a Fairial. A fairy. She’s about as tall as my head.
So even if she washes herself, well, excuse me for saying so, but, ah, she shouldn’t make much noise.
In the first place, listening to the sounds of a girl bathing, even if she’s younger, isn’t good.
But this is a loud sound.
Considering her physique, it’s definitely strange.
“…”
I carefully got out of bed.
I moved slowly, almost crawling, trying not to make any noise.
I somehow reached the entrance silently.
I peeked softly through a gap in the cloth.
“—!?—”
I almost let out a sound involuntarily.
Wh-What’s going on? Wh-Who is that?
There stood a beautiful woman with flowing flaxen hair, her naked body exposed.
She looked to be in her early twenties.
She was in the wooden tub filled with water, wiping her body with a towel.
Closing her eyes, she rinsed her body using the small pail.
Her body too… was captivatingly shaped, just like a gravure model from my past life’s memories.
Where she curved out, she did so generously, and where she curved in, she did so firmly.
Wh-Who is she?
Why is such a beautiful woman in my house?
Just then, I made a noise.
“Who’s there!?”
She whirled around quickly.
Crap. This time, I slowly backed away without making a sound.
Approaching footsteps.
The cloth serving as a door was roughly swept aside, and the mysterious beauty entered my room.
“………”
I lay still in the darkness.
I keenly felt her presence behind me.
“…Just my imagination? Honestly, what an unpleasant night.”
She left the room.
That was close.