EP.191 Gap
Right now, Bigtim was experiencing an unprecedented level of anxiety.
Even when he had been isolated in the depths of a dungeon with his two leg tendons completely torn, he had never felt this much tension.
Bigtim, who was usually not very talkative and bore a stoic expression that made him look like a rock, was, in fact, the exact opposite.
Everyone who knew him was well aware that he possessed a delicate disposition like fragile glass art.
The reason he spent most of his day sleeping was actually due to the female-oriented romance novels he read all night long.
The fact that he was secretly training himself to overcome his shortcomings by talking to women whenever he had the chance was no longer a secret within the Hero Party.
So lately, Bigtim had no moment’s peace in his mind.
Ever since the Saint joined the Hero Party, his sister’s emotional state, which was already volatile, had become even more unstable.
Just after enjoying a pleasant time with her mentor, she would be as happy as someone who had everything, but the moment her mentor showed any signs of meeting another woman, watching his sister’s eyes light up and draw a sword was quite stressful for his heart.
The disguise medicine he brought with him had long since run out.
Even during the one solitary time of rest, reading, he could hardly relax his mind due to his sister’s relentless chatter about how thrilling her skinship with her mentor had been until dawn.
Why on earth did he need to know how beautiful her mentor’s collarbone was or how plump her backside was?
Even when he tried to block out those sinful discussions by burying his ears in a pillow, it all ended up being a futile effort because his sister constantly checked in on him to see if he was listening properly.
When he was forced to realize that his mentor’s groin smelled like fragrant plum blossoms, he was so overwhelmed by a deep sense of skepticism that he couldn’t even eat properly for a while.
Therefore, lately, all that filled Bigtim’s mind was how to bring his sister and her mentor together.
He was certain of at least this one thing.
This torturous period would last forever unless his sister and her mentor became romantically involved.
The saga of it all was something one couldn’t hear without tears.
He had even spent a fortune on high-quality cosmetics for his sister, who had never once bothered to enhance her appearance in her life, just because her looks were enough to bring most noblewomen to their knees without any special care.
He had tried subtly suggesting a different approach to his sister, who always charged in headfirst.
But…
“Sister, how about trying a little push and pull? You’ve been straightforward every time. Maybe you could try pretending to be uninterested or act a bit cold.”
“No way! I can’t do that!”
“……”
Whenever he tried to do something, he was always thwarted by his sister’s naive nature, which knew only to charge ahead.
Bigtim loved his sister more than anyone in the world, for protecting and caring for him like a mother instead of his unknown parents.
But every time his sister acted like this, he couldn’t help but feel like he wanted to kick her backside as hard as he could.
“Haah…”
Even when he sighed as if the ground would swallow him up, the pessimistic emotions filling his heart remained the same.
When exactly did things get so tangled up like this?
In a moment of frustration, he tossed out the question. But deep down, he already knew the answer.
It was during the period when the party, which consisted solely of himself, his sister, and their mentor, was gradually growing through the recruitment of Apis and Dawna.
At that time, although there might have been occasional trivial noise, there had never been any disputes strong enough to shake the foundation of the party.
The monetary issues, the biggest cause of party dissolution, were handled smoothly due to the companions’ natures, which were remarkably distant from greed.
The romantic entanglements that cannot be avoided in a mixed party were absent because Bigtim, who did not get excited by women without fur or scales, and his mentor, who was a paragon of purity, made sure no such signs were present.
His sister, who would go into a frenzy if a mysterious woman merely looked at their mentor, showed relatively lenient reactions towards Dawna and Apis. This was due to past experiences.
Though he felt somewhat bothered that Dawna seemed to harbor considerable interest in their mentor, Bigtim had estimated that it would take years for the socially awkward Dawna to convey her feelings to her mentor.
For now, he deemed it unnecessary to worry about, and thus Bigtim concluded that way.
He could faintly remember that for a while, there had been suspicions within the party regarding whether there was an unspoken issue with their mentor, who was the only one to resist the allure of the succubus that had captivated all the members.
So when he found out that such achievements by their mentor were purely the product of an iron-like rationality, Bigtim had seldom admired him for real.
By the way, at that time, the succubus had been dismantled to such an extent that his sister could not even recognize her original form.
If it’s this person, if it’s him. If it’s Uncle Regis.
He could definitely trust and rely on Regis, who was one of the very few adults who could be respected without reservation.
However, recently, Bigtim found himself unconsciously wishing that Regis would become a little irresponsible.
Had he succumbed to temptation and perhaps given his sister a refreshing pat on the back, she wouldn’t be struggling with anxiety like she was now.
Of course, he was fully aware that it was not a suitable situation, but whenever his sister’s obsession grew intense, such a notion naturally floated to the forefront of his mind.
“Uncle, please take my sister away from here…”
Purrk.
The only response to his pitiful soliloquy was the guarded cries of the old gryphon flock.
◈◈◈
“Bigtim! I’m back!”
“Yeah…”
Bigtim replied shortly, his brow furrowing at his sister’s call.
Abigail used informal language.
Bigtim clearly responded, raising his voice.
Those familiar with the usual interactions between these siblings would undoubtedly gawk in disbelief at the spectacle before them, but it was not strange at all for the two who had relied solely on each other since childhood to show such sides only to family.
Only Regis was aware of this side of Abigail and Bigtim, even though there were no secrets within the Hero Party.
“You’re back quite early. I thought it would take a bit longer.”
“Yeah! If it were any other time, I would have dragged it out as much as possible! But now, it’s an urgent situation! I came back as quickly and succinctly as I could! Putting personal desires before a great task is unworthy of a hero!”
Puffing up her chest, Abigail proudly boasted about her achievements.
The look in Bigtim’s eyes shifted noticeably to one of despair.
Of course, there was a valid reason for this.
Since he wished for his sister to enjoy a cozy time with their mentor, receiving unwelcome news of Abigail returning earlier than expected was nothing less than a heartbreaking blow.
How could he waste such a perfect opportunity when the Saint and the Sister were momentarily away?
A melancholic sigh threatened to escape, but he knew it would result in a hit from his sister.
Bigtim stifled his breath.
“What was it like with Uncle? Was there any progress?”
“No! But we both realized our feelings for each other again! I can still feel the warmth of the Priest’s breath weaving through my heart!”
“Right…”
He had so much to say, but Bigtim had already learned that no matter what words he uttered to Abigail, who had just come from her time with their mentor, it would be pointless.
However, that didn’t mean his worries subsided.
Bigtim had caught onto the peculiar atmosphere that lingered between Regis and the Sister, and was somewhat aware that something had occurred between the two.
If he had his way, he would want to demand Abigail to topple Regis right now.
But sharing such suspicions bluntly would surely lead to purple bloodshed in this place, so he quelled his thoughts.
“Today, we tried this thing called a candy kiss! Every time the Priest’s tongue intertwined with mine, the candy I held in my mouth…!”
“Ahhh.”
As soon as Abigail’s eyes sparkled and her mouth opened, Bigtim hurriedly stuffed his ears and let out a groan.
He had been a bit slow to block his ears, so he ended up defenselessly hearing a part of the content, but he didn’t worry too much, as he could just hit his head with a hammer to forget it later.
Swish.
With his ears still covered, Bigtim quietly gazed at his sister’s face.
Though he could hear nothing, just by observing her eyes sparkle and her occasional movements, the sheer excitement of his sister was unmistakably conveyed.
“……”
Even without the family filter, Abigail was an incredibly beautiful woman, nearly suffocating in her allure.
With a woman of such beauty always attached to him, he was utterly astonished at his own self-control in resisting desires over just a kiss.
Occasionally, her careless glances seemed to convey she certainly had sexual urges.
Was he using some miracle or drugs to suppress his desires?
Bigtim was unable to control the rising doubts and suspicions.
If only there was some trigger, or even a gap he could capitalize on…
“Oh, wait! Bigtim! Do you know of any food that is good for a man’s waist?!”
“A dish good for the waist? Why are you asking that all of a sudden…?”
Although Abigail’s cooking skills were not bad, Bigtim had a perfectly reasonable reason to be on guard, having nearly died from eating one of her dishes once.
“During the entire skinship today! The Priest’s waist was inexplicably bent! I can confidently say it’s not injured! It must be a nutritional deficiency! This is the perfect opportunity to show off the ultimate secret—Hero Cooking!”
“─!”
Right after that, Bigtim’s previously dull eyes opened wide like a hawk spotting an opportunity.
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