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CHAPTER 06……………………………………
Listening to his sleeping master’s soft, even breathing, Calion fell into a complicated state of mind.
‘What was that feeling?’
He slowly rubbed his chest, where his injury had completely healed. The skin was smooth and flawless, as if the memory of being torn apart by a monster’s claws had been nothing more than a dream. Somehow, that made him feel strange.
‘Is it because it feels unreal that such a miraculous wound could heal so completely, or…’
He raised his left hand and looked at the back of it. It still felt as if the sensation of his master’s lips lingered there. Calion quietly clenched and unclenched his fist.
An impulse rose within him—to press his lips against the back of that hand—but he barely managed to suppress it.
‘Why am I acting like this?’
Trying to calm his agitated heart, he turned his gaze outward.
The mountain, now shrouded in darkness, was silent. He could not sense any monsters nearby, so they would likely not be attacked for a while.
Only when the distant chirping of insects gradually faded did he finally turn his head and look at the person beside him.
She was curled up small, leaning slightly against Calion as she slept. A small, warm body. How could such a fragile body hold such immense power?
Calion silently gazed at the back of her tiny head as she slept and recalled the first time he had met her.
.
.
.
It had been a coincidence that Calion, who had been wandering the mountains as usual to hunt monsters, discovered an unfamiliar trace.
Someone had been there briefly.
Crushed fallen leaves where someone had sat, grains of soil scattered along faint footprints.
It did not look like a traveler crossing the mountain, but rather something that had fallen from the sky, stayed for a moment, and then walked away.
The trace strangely caught his attention. Calion found himself staring at the empty spot without moving.
How long had he stood there?
A presence he thought had disappeared returned from afar. Thud, thud. It did not take long before the owner of those slightly unsteady footsteps appeared.
“…Ah. A person?”
It was a small woman. She wore worn travel clothes, but her posture and expression were far from those of a wanderer.
It felt as if a transcendent being, detached from the world, had awkwardly put on human clothing and descended here. Even though she stood right in front of him, she seemed like she might vanish at any moment.
In a monster-infested, desolate mountain, her innocent and naive appearance was precisely what made her most suspicious—and most dangerous.
It would not have been strange to assume she was a monster disguised as a human, yet Calion did not feel like attacking her.
“Why are you in a place like this?”
“I don’t know either. I lost consciousness for a moment, and when I woke up…”
It was strange. If she was neither a wanderer nor a fugitive, there was no reason for a woman who could not even protect herself to be alone in such a mountain. Approaching someone so suspicious was suicide. He should have drawn his sword immediately and left—such was the rule of monster hunters.
But Calion did not draw his sword. Instead, he extended his hand.
In this barren landscape, she looked so out of place, as if she did not belong here and might dissolve like mist at any moment. He wanted to hold onto her.
He wanted her to remain here.
He wanted to become a boundary so she could belong in this alien world around her.
It was not the protective instinct of someone shielding the weak. It was closer to a desire—like reaching out to grasp a mysterious treasure in the mist, hoping it was not an illusion.
He did not understand why he had such thoughts upon seeing a suspicious woman for the first time—but that question was soon answered.
“My name is Juin.”
The moment he heard that name, Calion understood completely why he had acted so unlike himself.
It was because she was Juin.
.
.
.
“I’m sorry. If only I could take your pain instead…”
Being injured did not frighten him. Calion was not so weak as to lose consciousness from a wound to the chest. Pain from injuries was bearable—because he had to protect Juin.
But when she took his hand, his entire body froze. The moment her lips touched the back of his hand, all thought disappeared.
It felt as if control of his body had been taken from him.
Unable even to look away, he stared at the small head resting against his hand. Time felt as if it had stopped. If not for his violently pounding heart, he might have thought he was dead.
Then, the pain in his chest began to fade as the wound started to heal, as if something was kneading his body like dough and closing the injury while removing the pain itself.
Even while witnessing the impossible speed of healing, Calion could not take his eyes off Juin.
Only when the pain completely stopped and the wound fully closed did he finally manage to speak.
“…Juin.”
At the sound of her name, her soft lips left the back of his hand. She lifted her head and looked at him. A relieved smile briefly appeared on her flushed face, but then she collapsed into his arms like a puppet with its strings cut.
“Juin!”
Calion hurriedly caught her. She placed a hand on his chest, frowning as she caught her breath.
Why had she collapsed when she had been fine moments ago?
Had his wound transferred to her?
Remembering what she had said before kissing his hand, fear rose in him. He tried to check her body for injuries.
But the moment he touched her light, soft form, he froze again.
Her body was so small and delicate that he felt he might break her bones if he touched her carelessly.
“Juin… Juin…”
In the end, Calion could do nothing but call her name anxiously.
Her breathing, once rough against his chest, gradually stabilized. He could feel her nuzzling her small face into his chest as she calmed down. Her fine hair brushed his skin, and the sensation left him dazed.
Like a newborn puppy seeking its mother’s warmth, Juin buried her face in his chest and slowly exhaled. Her warm, gentle breath seemed to crawl slowly across his skin.
Even through their clothes, he could feel her soft body. Beneath it, her heart beat strongly, its rhythm flowing through his palm.
Calion, forgetting even to check her condition, became intoxicated by the sensation.
It was Juin’s voice that pulled him back.
“Ugh… Calion. Sorry…”
The moment his dazed consciousness returned and he met Juin’s eyes in his arms, his face burned hot. It felt as if it were on fire. He couldn’t think straight—couldn’t even tell what he was saying.
Juin, startled, pulled away from him. The warmth in his arms vanished, leaving an emptiness in his chest.
Something surged inside him, and Calion turned his head, biting his lip. Unlike his pounding heart and flushed skin, an inexplicable restlessness and emptiness kept driving him.
He wanted to touch her again.
‘No. To harbor such improper feelings toward someone who healed me… is wrong.’
Such advanced healing magic must also take a toll on its caster. Proof of that was how she collapsed immediately after healing him.
Even knowing it would harm her, she still healed him out of concern. He had to repay that kindness.
Calion removed his fur cloak and gently draped it over her sleeping form. Seeing her buried under the large cloak made his heart flutter again.
He lightly touched her hair, pretending to fix it, and briefly satisfied his selfish desire. After confirming she was sleeping peacefully, he turned his gaze back to the night sky.
Even without sleep, his body could recover. Lying awake beside her, he felt his fatigue fade away.
But thinking he would recover after one night’s sleep was a mistake.
“Juin. Are you alright?”
“Yes… I’m… fine… I can walk…”
With every step, her whole body seemed to scream.
Juin struggled down the slope, suffering from unexpected muscle pain.
She had not noticed earlier because she had been sitting still after using healing magic, but the side effects were worse than she expected.
If she stayed still, it was bearable—but moving her body made everything creak as if it weren’t hers, making even balance difficult.
She hadn’t wanted to learn how weak her body was in this way.
“If it’s uncomfortable, shall we rest for a bit?”
“No. Let’s keep going.”
They should have reached the village last night, but they had been forced to flee from monsters, and today they barely moved at all because of her.
‘At this rate, I might die before even reaching the village.’
Even if this world was like a game, it was still reality to her. Monsters were real. Healing magic was real.
Then her remaining lifespan was surely real too.
It was ironic that she worried more about survival than her approaching death.
…No, actually, it wasn’t funny at all.
Rubbing her eyes, she let out something between a sigh and a laugh.
“I’m sorry. I wish I could carry you, but there may still be monsters nearby, so I need to stay alert.”
“It’s okay. You don’t need to feel bad. If anything, I should be the one apologizing.”
Calion seemed troubled that he could not carry her, but she wasn’t shameless enough to accept that.
Besides, if monsters appeared, it would be difficult for him to fight while carrying her.
“Hold my hand, Juin.”
“Your hand?”
“I think it should be safe down this part.”
After scanning the area, Calion extended his hand. Just as she thought he would steady her, she suddenly felt herself lifted into the air.
“Wait, Calion!”
“Please excuse me for a moment.”
Calion leapt down from a large rock.
