EP.169 On a Stormy Night (4)
Beltein’s world went dark!
Apis saying to wash up the unconscious Regis was so outrageous it completely derailed Beltein’s logical mind.
Washing him up wasn’t a big deal, really.
Before turning into her current self, it was always her job as an older sister to wash her younger brother, making it something Beltein could do with her eyes closed.
But if it was a male, especially one who had turned into young Regis, the situation was completely different.
“Apis! Ah, even so, that’s not—!”
“What kind of nonsense is that! Apis!”
BAM!
Just as Beltein was about to vigorously argue her point, the sudden entrance of a Hero crashing through a wall turned her attempt into mere puff.
“H-Hero!?”
Beltein’s eyes widened in shock at the sight of the Hero.
He had broken through a solid limestone wall with nothing but his fists—no tools or tricks.
Hanging from his slim waist was Bigtim, who looked like meat from a butcher, freshly unconscious.
That disgraceful state was Bigtim’s own struggling attempt to prevent the Hero’s impulsive actions. Having quickly discerned the futility of his situation, Beltein took a moment of silence for him before trying to speak again.
But.
“If it’s about washing the Priest, then just leave it to me instead of the Sister!”
Faced with the Hero’s intimidation that seemed ready to blow up the whole place, all she could do was take shallow breaths.
“Hey, look at yourself. How do you plan to wash that kid with a brain that’s vanished like pudding?”
“How would I know until I try!?”
“You don’t need to try to know! Remember how you cried and whined for three days after accidentally breaking that kid’s arm while arm wrestling? You don’t?!”
“Ugh!”
Despite his grand entrance, the Hero was clearly losing this verbal battle.
It was entirely expected.
Logical debates based on sound reasoning were his weakness, and he struggled more than anything else in that area.
In a normal wrestling match, he could win against anyone, but a verbal sparring match with someone akin to a babbling toddler had him at a disadvantage—typical for this nation’s Hero.
“Then at least let Bigtim or Dawna handle it! Why does it have to be the Sister!?”
A deafening shout filled with frustration echoed.
Immediately following that, Apis pointed out Dawna and Bigtim sprawled on the floor before turning her glare back to the Hero.
“Huh! Dawna! Bigtim! Who did this!?”
The Hero, caught off guard, followed her gaze and jumped in shock.
It was a bizarre sight to see the attacker genuinely worried about the victim’s condition, leaving Beltein baffled into silence for a moment.
Tch.
Apis sighed as she scratched her head, visibly tired of the whole conversation, and planted her foot on the window sill.
“Anyway! I have to go find the Holy Sword now, so don’t even think about touching that kid’s body! Just sit tight in here!”
“A-Apis!”
“Hey! I told you not to whine about this, right!?”
With logic failing, the Hero resorted to whining.
It was a disgraceful display for the one burdened with the fate of the world, yet somehow, this clumsy act of holding onto the doorknob became a surprisingly effective tactic against Apis.
“Sigh… Alright, Sister. I’m sorry. Let’s just put off washing him until the others wake up… Dawna’s going to be out until tomorrow after that hit to the pressure points, but Bigtim should probably wake up within today. Maybe…”
Finally yielding to the Hero’s whining, Apis muttered with a tinge of regret.
It wasn’t the best choice, but under the circumstances, it was not a bad second option.
Given the Hero’s stubbornness and the absolute refusal to allow any other woman to see naked Regis, fighting any further would create more troublesome noise in the future.
Though it bothered Beltein to leave the now-shrunken Regis in such a messy state, there was no alternative with the Hero being so adamant.
So, that’s why Priest Regis tried to run away from the Hero Party…
A faint thought flitted through Beltein’s mind.
That thought resurfaced every time after officially joining the Hero Party.
Having served a saintess whose self was fragmented for so long, Beltein now felt embarrassed about her previous judgment in handling a gifted individual with otherworldly powers.
While her sense of self was firm and her discernment and patience were generally better than the saintess’s, her feelings of possessiveness and jealousy exceeded that of the saintess.
The Hero’s obvious agitation whenever any woman other than party members approached Regis further solidified Beltein’s perception.
This person is a Hero carrying the fate of the world?
Recently, Beltein began to genuinely worry about the future of this system.
Clank!
After Apis left, the room was enveloped in an awkward silence.
The Hero, still brooding, curled up in a corner like a very upset puppy owner.
Beltein kept casting glances toward the Hero while constantly gauging the uneasy atmosphere.
The only one unperturbed by the awkward tension was the saintess.
Lying across from the bed where Regis was placed like a doll, her chin resting on her hands and feet crossed, she appeared quite cheerful.
How much time had passed?
Sweat and blood. Dirt and dust.
Perhaps due to being sullied by all sorts of refuse, the saintess spoke to the shifting Regis.
“Brother, aren’t you going to wash up?”
That sparked the flames of conflict in this already tense situation.
To halt the saintess’s impulsive action, Beltein raised her voice dramatically.
“W-Wait, saintess! Even if Priest Regis’s body age has regressed, it’s unholy for two individuals of different genders to view each other’s nakedness carelessly. So…”
“Huh?”
However, the saintess tilted her head, clearly not understanding half of Beltein’s lengthy explanation.
“If two people can’t do it, then we can all wash together, right?”
“Saintess… That’s not what I mean…”
Just then.
“All together—!?”
As if suddenly struck by a brilliant idea, the Hero bolted upright from his wall-flattened spot.
In that moment, an overwhelmingly ominous premonition bloomed in Beltein’s mind.
◈◈◈
Beltein’s vision blacked out again.
But this time, it wasn’t metaphorical.
She couldn’t see even an inch ahead as dark fabrics were wrapped tightly around her.
Not only that.
The nun’s outfit draping over her curvy body had been swapped for a bathrobe that emphasized her various curves.
The space they were in had transformed from a dusty room into a steamy bath filled with mist.
“H-Hero! Do you have any intention of reconsidering right now!?”
“Have no worries! Sister! If you follow my perfect plan, we can protect the priest’s virtue as well as keep everything clean and tidy! I’ll be your eyes, so you be my hands!”
Beltein felt a slight headache from the Hero’s booming voice echoing in her ears.
But compared to the confusion brought on by this dizzying turn of events, it was nothing.
How did it come to this?
The turning point was crystal clear.
This tragic fate had been foreseen ever since the Hero boasted he had a brilliant plan to solve the entire situation.
“I’m saying this again! If you dare to remove the blindfold to gaze upon the Priest’s body, or if you attempt to taint her form with vile intentions, it’s absolutely forbidden!”
That same rule had been repeated more than dozens of times in the blink of an eye.
When that nonsensical plan was first conveyed to her, she thought it was just a joke meant to place her in a difficult position.
Now that it had devolved into this mess, Beltein couldn’t help but realize the stark truth: the Hero wasn’t joking at all.
The Hero had the right to see the Priest’s altar, yet he lacked the delicate touch to handle the diminished form without harm.
Beltein had the delicate touch to handle the shrunken form without inflicting harm, but she didn’t have the right to see the Priest’s altar.
Could they collaborate to wash Regis together?
Amidst the absurdity of this plan proposed so nonchalantly, Beltein deeply admired Regis, who had suffered all day long under such a maddening hero.
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