Chapter 72
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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Chapter 72
As the sweet strawberry flavor spread across my tongue, embarrassment washed over me.
At my age, accepting candy from someone else felt ridiculous—like I'd regressed to childhood.
Of course, that wasn't the real source of my embarrassment.
The fact that his finger had touched my lips was somehow mortifying.
"Does it taste good?"
Yet Claude, who had done something so bold, appeared utterly unbothered.
"Y-yes, it's delicious."
I was the only one stammering like an idiot.
'Right. Don't read into it.'
I'm holding Lucian. His hands are full—he had no choice.
I was rolling the candy across my tongue with that thought when Ahin, who had stepped closer to Claude, opened his mouth.
"I'd like the strawberry flavor too..."
"We don't have any left."
Claude shook his head firmly.
His expression was entirely different from when he'd placed the candy in my mouth.
"Only mint and coffee flavors remain."
"But I like strawberry..."
"Stop complaining and be grateful for what you receive."
Melissa picked up a candy on Ahin's behalf and popped a mint one into his mouth.
"Ugh! Mint!"
"Don't spit it out. Even a single grain of wheat is precious in a place like this."
At Melissa's harsh words, Ahin closed his mouth, his expression twisted as if he were chewing an insect rather than candy.
"Lucian, don't forget to brush your teeth after finishing the candy. Understood?"
"I'm afraid that won't be possible today."
It was Claude who answered on Lucian's behalf.
"We haven't found a water source. Washing will only be possible after we set up the Military Camp tomorrow."
"Really? So I don't have to brush my teeth?"
Lucian's face, turned toward me, was radiant with joy.
"...There's no helping it."
"Hooray! I'm sleeping without brushing!"
Lucian bounced out of my arms and threw himself onto the sleeping bag, still cradling Luto.
"Everyone should begin preparing for sleep now."
"Understood."
"...Where are you going?"
Claude grabbed Ahin's shoulder as he headed toward the sleeping bag.
"Didn't I tell you to prepare properly?"
"Surely you're not suggesting you'll sleep next to the women?"
"No, I won't sleep right beside a woman. I'll be sleeping next to Lucian."
"Hey, I'm not sleeping right next to a woman either. I'm going to sleep next to Lucian."
"Why are you next to me?"
At Ahin's shameless remark, Lucian lifted his head from where he'd been burying his face in Luto's belly.
"When I smell a baby's scent, sleep comes so easily."
"Eek!"
"I'm joking."
Ahin burst into laughter at the sight of Lucian's startled expression.
"Everyone would feel more comfortable sleeping beside Lucian, who is the same gender, than beside an unrelated man."
"If we used separate barracks for each gender, there would be no need for this."
"So you're saying I should squeeze in and sleep among those massive knights despite being so frail and weak...?"
Ahin certainly did look as delicate as a herbivore compared to the burly knights. Not only was his frame thin, but his bones were slender as well.
"If I got pinned under Sir Xenon's terrifying arms... I'd be crushed to death...."
Ahin stared at Claude with watery eyes.
"...I understand."
In the end, Claude chose to back down.
From his perspective too, Ahin seemed to fit better with us than with the Knight Order.
"Thank you, Commander. Thanks to you, I'll avoid being crushed."
"However, you must keep your promise to sleep beside Lucian."
"Yes. Don't worry."
"You'd better go sleep over in that corner instead."
"But cold wind blows in there...."
"I'll block it well for you."
Claude trudged toward the corner of the barracks and began blocking the wind by laying down heavy stones.
"The wind isn't the problem. The cold is the problem."
"I'll give you an extra blanket."
"Why are you being so cold to only me?"
Ahin's sorrowful voice echoed throughout the barracks.
Melissa and I smiled softly watching the two of them bicker.
Contrary to my earlier worries, the first night of our expedition was passing quite peacefully.
* * *
The next day.
We began moving as soon as dawn broke.
The weather was fine and everyone's condition was excellent. Thanks to Lucian and the two mages having taken medicine beforehand, we were able to travel without any motion sickness.
"We've arrived."
At the soldier's announcement of our arrival, we disembarked from the carriage.
"Ugh."
The moment I stepped down from the carriage, I immediately pinched my nose. The magical aura here was far more concentrated than anything I'd encountered before, assaulting my senses.
The unpleasantness wasn't solely due to the magical aura.
"Aunt, something feels wrong here...."
Lucian, trembling with fear, pressed herself against me.
The forest, left untouched for so long and devoid of sunlight, exuded an eerie, desolate atmosphere.
The unsoaked earth squelched beneath our feet, dampened by moisture, while the cries of crows echoed from scattered corners of the land.
"This is certainly not a place blessed with good energy," Melissa murmured.
She touched the wet soil thoughtfully, and I noticed that even Ahin's typically composed expression had grown serious.
"First Squad enters from the left, Second Squad from the right. After your patrol, return here immediately if you find nothing amiss. At the slightest sign of anything unusual, sound the whistle at once."
"Understood."
The squad members dispersed to carry out their respective duties under Claude's command.
Lucian, myself, the two fragile mages, the Physician, and five other members remained to guard this position.
I stirred the squelching earth with my foot and muttered aloud.
"This is the first time I've ever sensed magical energy emanating from the ground itself."
Never before had I felt such dense magical energy from an inanimate object—not from magical beasts or their cores. It appeared that the excrement and corpses of magical beasts had contaminated the soil with their lingering magic.
After we subjugated all the beasts, we would need to conduct a separate purification ritual on the land.
"Lucian, do you think you could purify this earth?"
"I've never tried purifying land before, so I'm not sure," Lucian replied hesitantly.
His expression betrayed his uncertainty.
"Just try anyway. Imagine the earth as if it were a magical beast."
"All right."
Lucian nodded and spread his palms wide open. Then he cried out with a powerful shout.
"Yaah!"
A brilliant light erupted from Lucian's hands, accompanying his forceful cry.
The radiant light sank rapidly into the earth, then quickly spread outward far beyond the area where we stood.
"Wow!"
Ahin gasped in awe at the dazzling brilliance.
The Physician and the other members were equally astonished, their mouths hanging open in wonder as they witnessed the purification ability unfold before them.
While everyone marveled, I kept my eyes fixed on the soil tainted with magical energy.
When Lucian released his power, the earth that had appeared pitch-black to my eyes had regained its original clean, bright appearance.
"Well done, Lucian."
"Is it purified?"
"Yes. Incredibly clean."
I gently pinched Lucian's cheek, and he responded with a shy smile, burying his face in the hem of my skirt.
"So this is the purification ability I've only heard about in stories."
"It seems even more remarkable than magic itself."
Ahin and Melissa murmured in voices filled with wonder.
"If we use wind magic to dry the earth a bit, much of the moisture will disappear as well. Sunlight would be the ideal method, of course."
"Let me try it now."
Melissa nodded and gestured to Ahin.
The two of them channeled their magical power into the earth. As the rich scent of soil rose into the air, wind began to surge upward from below.
"Wow! How amazing!"
The fierce wind lifted Lucian's light frame slightly off the ground. I quickly wrapped my arms around his small body to keep him from being swept away.
"There, that should do it," Ahin said, withdrawing his hands from the earth and wiping the cold sweat from his brow with his sleeve.
The earth that had felt unpleasantly squelchy before now lay dry to a pleasant dampness.
"This ground should be sturdy enough that we won't have to worry about the Military Camp collapsing."
"It's perfect for setting up, too!"
The squad members who had tested the earth beneath their feet spoke with delighted voices.
"Then shall we prepare to construct the Military Camp?"
"Wouldn't it be better to wait until the platoon members return?"
As the words finished, signs of movement began to emerge from nearby. It was the sound of the patrol unit returning after completing their rounds.
"First Platoon reports all clear."
"Second Platoon also reports all clear."
"Good. We'll establish this location as our base and set up the Military Camp."
"Yes, sir!"
At Claude's command, the squad members began moving with perfect coordination.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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