Chapter 88

“Ah, well, that’s true. There doesn’t seem to be anything special today. I mean, I didn’t really fight much, yeah.” I crossed my arms and nodded in a pretentious tone.

However, my back was soaked with cold sweat.

No, this is bad… That’s right. I haven’t explained to Gazel and Felix about the cursed sword I possess yet.

For me, it’s obvious that I’m “not drawing the sword and fighting” and “not having any status abnormalities,” but it’s not the same for Felix…

So, Felix visited my room, worrying if I might be in some post-battle condition again.

And yet, I completely forgot what I had explained and gave a nonsensical answer… 

I was a bit worried that Felix might find it unnatural, but instead, he looked relieved and said, “I’m glad you’re not struggling, Takumi,” with a gentle smile.

Man, Felix is really a good guy… But why do I always have secrets? Ugh, feeling quite guilty.

“Ah… so, you know. You came all this way, why don’t we chat for a bit? Only if you’re okay with it, Felix.”

“Is it okay?”

I thought it would be unfair to send Felix back after he had worried for me, so when I made that offer, Felix’s face brightened up.

It’s like I can see a Golden Retriever above his head.

“I can’t offer you any tea, but if you’re okay with that.”

“It’s fine. As long as I can be with you, I don’t need anything else.”

So, so direct…

Both Gazelle and Felix can say words like this so easily, it’s amazing!

It’s not something easily imitated by Japanese people. The last time I went to the mansion, even Gazelle in the bath was… Oops.

Thinking back to the bath, I remembered all sorts of things with Gazelle…

Oh no, what do I do? I might not be able to look Felix in the eye. Moreover, I realized that the last thing I did with Gazelle, I did it alone with him for the first time…

It’s not like I cheated, but it feels really awkward…

“Takumi? Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing. I just thought I’d go downstairs and get some water or something.”

Felix looked puzzled at me avoiding eye contact.

And then, swiftly, he leaned towards me to take a closer look.

“Is your condition not good after all, Takumi? Eh?”

“You’re pushing yourself again, aren’t you? You never say anything from your end…”

Felix looked worried and stared intently at me.

Being stared at closely by his clear amethyst eyes, I touched Felix’s arm gently and shook my head.

“I’m fine. Really, there’s nothing wrong today.”

“You always say you’re fine, even when you’re not, don’t you?”

No trust in me, huh?

Well, indeed, I remember saying something like ‘I’m fine, just leave me be,’ even when I was in heat.

Felix’s skepticism is reasonable.

“Felix, really, nothing’s wrong today, I swear—Felix?”

I gently pushed back Felix’s forearm that I was touching, and suddenly Felix grimaced and let out a small “tsu” sound.

I was surprised and let go of his hand.

Then, I immediately rolled up his shirt sleeve.

What was revealed was discolored in a bruise-like purple and blue.

Did he bump into something? It doesn’t seem broken, but it looks quite painful to the eye.

Seeing my shocked expression, Felix looked somewhat embarrassed.

“What happened? Don’t you have a potion? Why aren’t you healing it?”

“No, well… it doesn’t hurt if it’s not touched. And we have limited potions since we are far from the royal capital, so I thought I’d wait and see until tomorrow.”

I reached into my shoes, which were placed in the corner of the room and took out a potion supplied by the knight order and handed it to Felix.

“Takumi, I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt unless it’s touched strongly, and it doesn’t hinder my movements.”

“Just drink it, Felix. Please.”

“….Alright.”

Felix seemed a little hesitant but ultimately gulped down the contents of the small bottle in one go. His forearm emitted a faint light, and the bruise healed remarkably quickly, as if rewinding a video.

I gently touched Felix’s now completely clean arm.

“Any other places that hurt?”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

I breathed a sigh of relief at Felix’s gentle, smiling face.

Still, it’s unusual for Felix to get injured like this.

Since I came to this world, I have never seen him suffer such a conspicuous injury.

It must have been from today’s battle with the Drain Dryad, but I didn’t see Felix getting attacked. When exactly—

“Could it be… this injury… was when you were shielding me?”

“Tsu!”

Felix’s eyes widened just a little.

Seeing that expression, my shoulders slumped.

As I thought. When I was incapacitated by the Howling skill, I didn’t notice it due to the Howling’s effects, but Felix had been hit by that tentacle attack.

“…It’s my fault. I’m sorry.”

If only I had remembered the Drain Dryad from “Change the World”…

I didn’t expect the Elixir not to work, but once that premise was shattered, I should have thought more carefully. Due to my negligence, I was immobilized by Howling, and even caused Felix to get injured… ugh, how pathetic.

While I was looking down, unable to look at Felix’s face, suddenly, my body was pulled close. Felix hugged me to his chest.

“Felix?”

“Don’t blame yourself, Takumi. If anything, we were saved thanks to you today. No one expected the Drain Dryad to use Howling. Because you raised your voice at that moment, no one died.”

“No… it’s my fault. I should have thought more carefully… it was entirely my negligence.”

“If you’re going to say that, then every member of the squad, including me, was overconfident. We should have planned in advance, considering the possibility that the Elixir might not work.”

“But—”

I opened my mouth to refute Felix’s words.

However, as if to stop me, Felix tightened his arms that were wrapped around me. Consequently, my face pressed even closer to Felix’s chest. It seemed Felix was only wearing a shirt over his bare skin; I felt the warmth of his flesh through the fabric, causing my heart to flutter a little.

“You always blame yourself, don’t you? But this degree of injury is really no big deal. Back in my squire days, my entire body was far worse, covered in bruises. I even broke a rib once,” Felix said.

“…I can’t imagine that. You, being like that,” I replied with a wry smile.

Hearing this, Felix let out a soft “hehe,” perhaps recalling the past. Then, gently stroking my back, he continued, “Besides, for me, this is an honorable wound. So you don’t have to worry about it.”

“An honorable wound?”

Is it because it’s an injury sustained during a mission with the Knights?

Loosening his arms slightly, Felix leaned in to look at my face, his palm gently cupping my cheek. “It’s a wound I got for your sake. To me, that’s a badge of honor. You’re always so reckless… I’m just glad I could protect you today.”

Felix gazed at me with narrowed eyes.

However, I pushed his hand away and shook my head, prompting him to raise his eyebrows in surprise.

“Takumi?”

“Please don’t say things like that, Felix. I’m… not worth protecting like that. I’m really not that great of a person,” I said, feeling overwhelmed with guilt.

I mean, Felix is always protecting me! If it weren’t for him, I’d be long gone by now!

During the previous battle with Drainflower, the defense of Menuenu City, and even that time the Demon King tried to recruit me, both Gazelle and Felix were desperately trying to protect me…

…That time, I was really scared they were going to get killed. I even cried a bit. Ah, crap, thinking about it is making me tear up again.

“Ta-Takumi? Are you crying?” Felix’s voice tinged with sudden panic.

His hands flailed awkwardly in mid-air.

“No, sorry. I just remembered what happened before,” I said, rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand, avoiding Felix’s gaze.

“Before?”

“When I thought the Demon King was going to kill both of you.” Rubbing my eyes, I continued, “I was really scared, thinking I was going to lose both of you.”

“Takumi…”

“So please, Felix. Don’t say you’re doing this for my sake.”

If it comes to you getting hurt, then from now on, I’ll just run away without caring about appearances!

Just as I was about to continue speaking, Felix suddenly grabbed my arm with a firm grip.

“Huh, Felix?”

Ignoring my confused look, Felix yanked my arm with a somewhat forceful gesture, and I was thrown onto the bed. Before I could get up from where I’d fallen back-first onto the bed, Felix loomed over me.

“… Felix?”

“Takumi… You can be incredibly cruel at times.”

“What?”

Biting his lower lip, Felix looked down at me with a bitter expression.

It was the first time he’d ever said something like that to me, so I looked up at him in surprise.

Then, Felix lightly touched my dumbfounded cheek with his fingertips.

“Do you know how I feel when you constantly put yourself on the line for others, becoming their shield without hesitation to take the hits? And you say things like that?”

“Fe-Felix…?”

A grimace crossed Felix’s face. I involuntarily gasped at this expression, which I was seeing for the first time.

“Besides, saying you’re afraid to lose something…”

Felix’s finger, which had been touching my cheek, slowly moved sideways and touched my lips.

My heart pounded as his fingertip traced the contour of my lips.

“Do you plan on returning to your original world? If so, isn’t it me who will lose you forever?”