Chapter 381
Chapter 381. The Return of the Predator
One day passed, and it was a calm voyage.
The next city was quite far away, so we dropped anchor in shallow waters and spent the night.
“Alex, you can take a break. I can manage without resting for about 24 hours.”
“Umm, I appreciate the thought, but since I’ve just been loafing around all day, I don’t know if I’ll really rest…”
I had only shared lunch with Leila in the cabin, and afterwards, I lay on the deck chair, preparing for any emergencies. I was feeling overly energetic, which was actually tough; I wasn’t sleepy at all.
“I understand how you feel. I’m used to it, though.”
Arthur was still lying on the deck chair, smiling wryly.
On the deck, aside from us and the lookout crewman, there was no one else. Under the moonlight, the smooth lake’s surface shimmered gently.
“I’m good at night duty since I can see in the dark!”
Thanks to my darkness attribute!
“Then let’s do it half and half. But really, Alex, take a rest first.”
Arthur chuckled lightly.
“—It wouldn’t be right to leave your girlfriend alone the whole time, would it?”
With no counterargument, I obediently retreated to the cabin.
The cabin assigned to us was a small room located above the stern, below the captain’s quarters. It had a view of the outside, and I could dash out onto the deck as soon as I opened the door. It was quite a privileged guest room. By the way, Arthur’s room was directly across from ours, separated by a hallway.
“Leila? Can I come in?”
I knocked lightly, and she promptly replied, “Yes!” with a quick opening of the door, revealing Leila’s face.
“Alex? Is the lookout okay?”
“I’ll be switching places with Arthur.”
“Then you can relax!”
Leila smiled brightly, her voice lowered because it was night. The crew of NeedAlun seemed serious at night, not drinking and making merry at all.
The cabin was truly small, and with our huge luggage crammed in, it felt even tighter. There was a round porthole, a small folding chair, a writing desk-cum-closet, and one bed.
—One bed.
“Oho!”
Well, it’s not a ‘Oho!’ situation!
‘With a young man brimming with energy and a young maiden, sharing a small room with just one bed, how can anything not happen?’
No way!
By the way, during our travels so far, we had generally booked twin rooms. So the accommodation costs had piled up, but since I had taken a chunk from the funds hoarded by the Night Elves, it was no problem.
“Do you want something to drink? The crew just brought some baked goods and grape wine as rations.”
“Then I’ll have a glass.”
As a pseudo-ship guardian, I was being spoiled. Leila perched on a small chair, while I sat on the bed, and we nibbled at the snacks together. Yeah, it was quite tasty. The young grape wine was still fresh and easy to drink.
“Ships are interesting, aren’t they?”
Shaking her goblet of wine, Leila said.
“Even without moving my legs, it takes me to my destination, which feels kind of strange.”
“It’s nice, right? Utilizing the wind like this; the person who first thought of it was amazing.”
I heard that humans invented sailing ships, as the Forest Elves said.
“In that sense, carts do the same thing by taking us to our destination.”
“Well, technically… the horses are doing their best, too.”
Leila chuckled a bit. She probably reminisced about the skeletal wagon from the Demon Lord Kingdom and felt that calling it “horsie” was a bit much… especially since “doing their best” just meant that the souls were being worked like beasts of burden…
“If only ships could move as fast as carts, that’d be great.”
…Are you really asking for speed like a skeletal wagon? Don’t be unreasonable.
“Carts aren’t that fast either. I rode one with Edgar, you know.”
“Oh, now that you mention it…”
Leila seemed to have been comparing it to the skeletal wagon in the Demon Lord Kingdom, but she recalled riding a goods cart to the capital, Todomarl, with Edgar. Regular carts couldn’t exactly be called fast, and first off, sitting there was torture. There were no undead to mitigate the bumps under the seats…
Then, we indulged in light conversation about the scenery we had seen during the trip and how Leila observed the sailors working during the day.
“Well then, maybe I’ll take a quick nap until it’s time for the shift… uh, where’s my sleeping bag…”
“Hehe.”
Just as I was about to stand up to search for my stuff, Leila, who had already gotten up a step ahead, pressed down on my shoulder to keep me from moving.
“Umm, Leila?”
I can’t stand up…
“You don’t need a sleeping bag.”
She pulled me and tried to push me onto the bed.
“But there’s a bed…!”
“Yes… but there’s only one!”
“If we sleep together, it’ll be fine, right…?!”
“No… won’t it be cramped…?!”
“It’s cool tonight, right?”
That didn’t answer the question…!! And, Leila?!
“Are you possibly drunk…?”
“No problem at all!”
I had overlooked it in the dark, but Leila’s face was flushed.
“I’m fine, so it’s all good!”
Logic!
“And, if I’m relaxing in bed while you, Alex, are forced to sleep on the floor, then I won’t be able to relax!”
Puffing up her cheeks in protest, Leila poked my chest, and I relented.
“Hehe.”
With a cheerful Leila, I found myself lying on the bed in a way that felt like I was being hugged from behind.
Wow, it’s cool tonight but still…
In many ways, this feels a bit steamy…!
“…About our talk during the day…”
Leila whispered softly in my ear.
“Yeah.”
“Humans can have multiple wives, right?”
“…Yeah. For someone like Arthur, being a royal descendant, that’s probably normal.”
“Then,”
Leila lowered her voice even more.
“It would be ordinary for you, Alex, too, right?”
What does that mean…!? Is she suggesting Demon Lord Prince, or what!?
“It wouldn’t be weird if you had at least one bride, Alex.”
Leila gently placed her hand on my cheek and caressed it.
“It’s not strange at all, is it?”
“Well, in terms of my current physical age, it’s not strange, even for a married person.”
“I… want to become Alex’s bride; it’s my dream.”
Her bashful words made me—
—I felt deeply apologetic.
Leila liked me, and I liked Leila too.
Thanks to the 【Kizuna】, our true feelings were completely exposed, and I couldn’t help but want to respond more and more to her feelings.
But…every time I did, what came to mind was,
The scene of a peaceful village and the image of an ideal family, and
How everything burned down that night.
—My bloodstained future.
“Leila.”
I gently shook off her hand and sat up.
“…Yes?”
Leila also seemed to be rising behind me.
“…”
Honestly, I didn’t know what to say.
I was truly grateful she had come along to the allied territories, and I couldn’t express enough how thankful I was. I was nearly helpless without her now.
But the more time we spent together, the stronger my feelings grew.
Wasn’t there a way for her to live more happily—
She was already free, so she didn’t need to stick with someone like me…
Her affection was genuine, and I had no doubts about that. But I also thought it was undoubtedly shaped by our circumstances…
“Leila…thank you for saying you want to be my bride; it makes me really happy, but…”
I was struggling with my words.
“…I can’t reciprocate those feelings.”
Leila gasped sharply.
“Why is that…?”
I squeezed out the words.
“…Because I… surely cannot make you happy.”
—I had no idea what kind of ending was waiting for me.
But I knew for sure it wouldn’t be a good one.
After all, it wouldn’t be allowed, would it? Even if I defeated the Demon Lord and destroyed the Demon Lord Kingdom, my actions could never be erased.
I trampled on many families. I am, for someone, an enemy.
As either a Demon Lord Prince or a hero, I don’t know, but I believe the day will certainly come when I will have to pay the price.
Moreover, the idea of building a peaceful family and living leisurely… such a…
I couldn’t imagine such a happy future waiting for me.
And I didn’t want to drag Leila into a miserable future until the end. Because I liked her. I didn’t want her to perish, not even as a collateral damage…
Of course, I knew, too. Taking her feelings for granted, and being honest about my own desires. Pouring out all my dark wants, fully using both her heart and body, and trying to gluttonize her presence—
I surely would acquire some forbidden power.
I knew that even without Anté telling me.
But,
Perhaps,
If I just brushed it off and did that, I would go astray.
That would become the “bottom.”
So there was no choice but to confront it head-on here and now.
It came faster than I expected, but as long as Leila was with me, this was an unavoidable issue…
I’m sorry for being selfish. I’m truly sorry.
…But this, without touching on 【Kizuna】, wouldn’t resonate.
“Leila—”
As I resolved to express it in words again and turned to face her…
“You can’t make me happy, can you?”
Leila looked at me with a genuinely confused expression, perplexed.
“—But I’m already plenty happy right now, though?”
