“It’s all Gunther’s fault.”
Frieda finally found the answer to the question that always came to mind whenever she saw Brynhild. Now that she had the answer, there was no need to waste any more time worrying.
She suppressed the animosity she held towards Gunther deep within her chest, carefully laid Hilde on her cloak, and moved back towards the corpse giant.
Three troublesome bodies lay there side by side.
The headless corpse giant, the red-haired mage half-submerged in the giant’s blood, and the limp body of a traitor with a great sword lodged in the back of her head.
The scene was enough to give anyone a headache.
With Brynhild still unconscious, all the cleanup of this mess fell solely on Frieda’s shoulders.
“First thing’s first… I need to get out of here before the paladins arrive.”
The top priority was to avoid running into the paladins. If word got out that a fledgling adventurer party—three of which were newcomers—had taken down a corpse giant and an abyssal priest, it would certainly cause a huge commotion.
Everyone who heard the story would be curious about their identities. Some might even become suspicious, wondering how such skilled fighters appeared out of nowhere, with no previous history.
In other words, once the news of the giant’s defeat spread, people would start digging into Frieda’s and Hilde’s past.
“…That would be dangerous.”
Worst-case scenario, the Kingdom of Rhine, Gunther, or even the heroes here could learn about Hilde’s existence. If that happened, Brynhild’s hope for a peaceful and quiet life would be shattered.
So, the ones who defeated the corpse giant and the abyssal priest had to remain anonymous.
“The problem is that woman….”
Frieda clicked her tongue as she looked down at the unconscious Amy. A witness to the defeat of the corpse giant and a woman who had seen Hilde’s bare face, she was also a potential threat if she had overheard Gerda’s conversation.
For safety’s sake, it would be better to kill her here. As soon as she opened her mouth, Hilde’s identity would be exposed to the world.
“…….”
That’s why Frieda stood silently, staring down at the red-haired mage girl with an expressionless face—then turned her gaze back towards Gerda’s corpse.
“First, I should deal with this body.”
She clicked her tongue again, casting a contemptuous and hostile gaze towards the fallen body. Gerda had been saved from the corpse giant and abyssal priest, yet had attempted to betray them the first chance she got.
She was an unworthy and bothersome piece of meat. If Frieda didn’t get rid of her, the identity of the one who killed the corpse giant would become known immediately.
“She’s too soaked to burn… I’ll just have to throw her deep into the forest.”
Lifting the great sword embedded in Gerda’s head, Frieda flung the corpse far away. The bulky body flew limply through the air and disappeared into the bushes.
With Gerda taken care of, Frieda grabbed Amy by the back of the neck and dragged her next to Hilde. After some deliberation, she decided to spare her for the time being. It was a choice made after much thought.
Though she wasn’t particularly fond of Amy, to be honest, she hadn’t committed any crime worthy of death. Unlike Gerda, she hadn’t betrayed them, and killing her simply out of suspicion that she might have heard about Brynhild’s identity felt too cruel.
Even in her current jaded state, Frieda’s sense of justice couldn’t justify such an act. “For now… I’ll just keep an eye on her. If she tries to reveal Brynhild’s identity, then I’ll deal with her.”
Having made her decision, Frieda alternated her gaze between Hilde and Amy, let out a sigh, and hoisted Amy onto her back, tying her in place with the hem of her robe.
“Urgh…”
With her now free hands, she carefully picked up Hilde. A small girl, carrying two women much larger than herself, one on her back and one in her arms—it was a bizarre sight, but for Frieda, it was the best option.
She had to leave before the paladins arrived. Dragging Amy would have left a different trail than if they were fleeing on foot.
“Ugh…”
Fortunately, Frieda could still manage to walk, even while carrying both women. Despite her small frame, her body housed enough strength to bear the weight of two people.
After all, if she hadn’t had such strength, she wouldn’t have been able to wield her massive great sword in battle.
So, though it was a bit tricky to keep her balance, it wasn’t too difficult for her to make her escape.
“Ugh…”
…Though, to be fair, it was a bit heavy, as her limbs occasionally trembled.
◆◆
In this manner, Frieda carried the two women deeper into the forest, away from the corpse giant.
– Thud!
She occasionally kicked Gerda’s body further ahead as she walked. Carrying the traitor’s corpse along with Hilde and Amy was never in the cards.
After about twenty minutes of walking, Frieda stopped, thinking the distance was sufficient. She set Hilde and Amy against a tree trunk, then went over to Gerda’s body, carefully making it look like she hadn’t been killed by her great sword but had died while fleeing from the enemy’s attack.
It wasn’t a grand task. She merely wiped off her own footprints and crushed Gerda’s already cracked skull with a rock to erase the sword’s mark, making it look like her head had exploded due to magic.
After finishing her work, Frieda hoisted Hilde and Amy once more and walked for another hour. She continued until she found an abandoned cave that would serve as a temporary shelter.
“Phew…”
It was an ideal spot. After setting down Hilde and Amy inside the cave, Frieda sat down, exhausted, waiting for them to wake up.
◆◆
After resting for about ten minutes, Frieda stood up again. She undid the wire binding Hilde and moistened a cloth from her bag to gently wipe Hilde’s face, which had been soiled by the corpse giant’s blood and dirt.
Even though Frieda found Hilde beautiful in any state, objectively speaking, her face was undeniably dirty. After all, the blood of a decaying corpse was not good for one’s skin.
Now that she had the opportunity, cleaning her up would be in Brynhild’s best interest, Frieda decided, though her motivation was partly selfish.
“Urgh…”
Brynhild grimaced slightly, letting out a faint groan as the cloth touched her cheek.
“Ah…!”
Frieda stopped, her breath caught. Was Hilde waking up? Though she wasn’t doing anything wrong, there was a strange sense of guilt, as if she were about to get caught doing something inappropriate.
Even though she couldn’t explain it herself, Frieda felt a tense anticipation and held her breath as she watched Hilde’s expression.
“…Mmm…”
However, Hilde showed no signs of waking up, only rubbing her face against the cloth while muttering in her sleep, as if comforted by the cool sensation.
“Ugh, wha…?”
Frieda was utterly bewildered. Brynhild, rubbing her cheek against her hand like that—almost as if she were being playful? It was unimaginable. Before, such a sight would have been unthinkable.
But the softness she felt through the cloth was undeniably real. Frieda found herself unconsciously fidgeting her fingers, gently squeezing Hilde’s cheek.
“Urgh…!”
Her heartbeat quickened, her face flushed, and her breathing grew heavier.
She couldn’t tear her eyes away from Brynhild’s lips, which glistened slightly with moisture.
Without realizing it, Frieda licked her lips, staring blankly at the single string of saliva that dripped from Hilde’s slightly parted lips.
“…Urgh.”
A thirst, burning like fire, surged within her.
It was a desire she had been suppressing ever since their reunion, unwilling to let it tear them apart again.
‘Just this much… This much should be okay… right?’
Her golden eyes flickered with hesitation, her mind desperately conjuring excuses for her growing desire.
‘It’s just… Yeah, I’m just cleaning her up! That’s all…!’
Justifying her actions like a defendant in court, Frieda wiped away the drool from Hilde’s lips with her index finger, barely stopping herself from pushing the finger deeper into Hilde’s mouth.
“Urgh…”
After cleaning Hilde’s lips, Frieda stared at her now-glossy finger, entranced. Then, almost without thinking, she slowly brought it to her mouth.
“Haa…”
She slid it into her mouth, savoring the taste of Hilde’s saliva on her tongue.
“Mmngh…!”
A sensation like an electric current coursed through her body, traveling down her spine to her pelvis.
Frieda let out a soft moan, arching her back slightly as she squeezed her thighs together.
‘It’s sweet…’
A sweetness like fruit soaked in honey, mixed with a slight saltiness, and a lemony scent that filled her nostrils.
Frieda shuddered in ecstasy.
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