(TLN: The title has been changed to “I Raised the Princess and Ran Away”, but I’ll keep it like this for now if you guys don’t mind since it’ll a hassle to change everything.)
The drizzling rain turned into a torrential downpour without giving them time to react.
Ern and Epherna hastily made a cave in a nearby stone wall, but within moments, they were both soaked to the skin.
“…”
Ern looked outside with his coat off.
The downpour was still continuing.
It didn’t seem like the kind of shower that would stop soon.
Swoooosh–!!
“It’s tricky to send a rescue signal in this weather.”
He had thought about shooting up a flare to signal the people from the duchy, but the rain was too heavy for that.
It seemed they would have to stay in the cave until at least tomorrow morning.
‘Epherna is too soaked.’
Unlike Ern, who had his waterproof coat to block most of the rain, Epherna was wet from head to toe.
The conditions were too harsh to endure for even one night.
‘This is my mistake.’
He should have taken care of Epherna first, but he hadn’t thought of it due to his lack of experience.
Just as he was pondering what to do, Epherna spoke.
“It’s okay. I’ve stayed in worse places.”
As if reading his mind, Epherna spoke without turning her head.
Ern looked at her with a troubled expression.
“…Then let’s dry your hair first. You might catch a cold.”
Using the elements of fire and wind, he created warm air.
Epherna sat in front of him, and Ern started to carefully dry her hair, moving his hands as if handling a hairdryer.
“Your clothes are dirty and wet, so take them off. I’ll give you my coat to cover up.”
“Isn’t your coat wet too, Mister?”
“My coat is waterproof and insulated, so if I shake it off and dry it a bit, it will be warm.”
“I didn’t know it had those functions.”
She thought it was just an old coat she’d seen him wear for three years.
“It’s a good coat, but I added magic enchantments for waterproofing and insulation.”
Besides waterproofing and insulation, he had also enchanted it for ventilation and bulletproofing, adding more enhancements over time.
“But it’s inconvenient without a towel. Maybe I should start carrying one next time?”
“It’s okay. I’ll learn summoning magic when we get back.”
“Summoning magic…?”
“Duchess Bergamot said she would teach me when she returns.”
“Summoning requires talents beyond just intelligence….”
“You mean natural affinity? She said I have enough of that.”
“…Really?”
Is she naturally gifted with that too?
As he thought about it, an idea came to him.
‘…No. This might not be natural talent.’
Ern formed a hypothesis based on a certain fact.
‘The Summer Sun might have enhanced her natural affinity.’
The Summer Sun is essentially the essence that forms the being known as the Divine Beast in the Mythical Era.
To put it simply, the Summer Sun is the Divine Beast, and the Divine Beast is the Summer Sun.
The essence is the very concept from which natural affinity derives, meaning Epherna’s natural affinity was bound to be high.
“All dry.”
Now she needed to change her clothes.
As he was about to create a space for her, Epherna spoke in a crawling voice.
“Mister.”
“Hmm?”
“…My underwear is wet too.”
*****
Crackle–!!
Sitting in front of a magically lit fire, wrapped in his coat, Epherna answered Ern’s question.
“Are you okay? Not cold?”
“Yes. It’s warm.”
Currently, she was not wearing anything under the coat.
In other words, she was completely naked.
There was no way a single coat would keep her warm. She tried to suppress her shivering, pretending to be okay, but Ern knew better.
“…”
Without a word, Ern approached Epherna and hugged her from behind.
Maximizing the contact between their bodies, he used magic to raise his body temperature.
This was a technique only possible for Ern, who could control fire, wind, and all other elements.
Her trembling subsided.
Epherna felt the warmth of Ern’s body enveloping her.
Only the large coat formed a thin barrier between them.
The barrier was too thin.
She could feel his body clearly.
For the first time, Epherna realized how much bigger Ern’s arms were compared to hers and felt the firm muscles of his body against her back.
At a glance, Ern was a man with very thick lines. Taller than most men, neither fat nor thin, his body was densely packed with large muscles, not just lean ones.
It was a body befitting the commander of the Astrape Special Forces, which focused on combat duties.
Feeling such a body against hers, Epherna felt a sense of security mixed with a slight s*xual desire.
And.
Ern was the same.
“…”
To say it didn’t bother him would be a lie.
Epherna was undoubtedly a young woman on the verge of adulthood, with a face so beautiful that any man would fall for her at first sight.
Her well-maintained body was enough to make even Ern, who had known her since she was young, steal glances at her.
More than anything, Ern, who was holding her directly, could feel how desirable her body was, whether as a man or as a woman.
Her body had no flaws, with its perfect curves, and even though she wasn’t yet an adult, her chest was more developed than average. The pronounced curves of her wide hips, which he could feel with his arms around her waist, were unmistakable.
Ern was no fool.
He wasn’t ignorant about s*x, and at 26, his s*xual drive was quite strong.
Physically, he was in his prime.
Such a man found himself isolated with Epherna in a place devoid of people, especially in such a remote area.
To make matters worse, she was only wearing a coat, and Ern was holding her.
The fact that strange thoughts lingered in his mind was something he couldn’t deny as a man.
He spoke to divert his attention.
“I’m sorry.”
“…Hmm?”
“As a member of the Personal Guard, I got caught up in the teleportation and ended up separated. I couldn’t even find you properly, and I should have protected you from the rain, but I was too slow.”
He felt inadequate, tarnishing the name of the Personal Guard.
He hadn’t known because Merien usually took care of her. As he was berating himself, Epherna asked.
“…If you’re sorry, can I ask you something?”
Ern nodded.
If a question could break this awkward atmosphere, he didn’t mind any question.
There was nothing she could ask that he couldn’t answer.
“Mister. Do you see me as a woman?”
– Or so he thought.
Of all times, now?
When Ern was more than ever thinking of her as a ‘woman’.
Epherna timed it perfectly to catch him off guard, not allowing him to lie.
Ern couldn’t deny it.
“…Yes.”
Those words that came out of her mouth made Eperna’s cheeks turn red.
Since it was the first time she had heard sincerity from him, Epherna couldn’t hold back the corners of her mouth from going up.
‘…Thank goodness.’
She had been worried that he might not see her as a woman.
She feared he might see her as a younger sister forever, leaving her to carry her feelings alone, wondering if her dreams were impossible.
They say unrequited love is painful and sad because it cannot change the other person.
She had briefly wondered if that would be her fate.
But today, the Little One and the Mister had developed into a woman and a man. Knowing that there was a possibility for further development, Epherna felt relieved and patted her chest.
Epherna slightly moved her head back to rest it on Ern’s shoulder.
Turning her head a bit, she saw Ern’s profile right in front of her.
“Remember that hot spring you mentioned earlier, where you saw a woman who might have been a spirit?”
Maybe, tonight, she could change his heart.
It was a ridiculous thought, but she had already made up her mind. She whispered into Ern’s ear.
“That was actually me.”
*****
At the highest peak of the Karun Mountains.
“Hoh hoh hoh~.”
An old woman with a thick wizard’s hat chuckled as she observed something.
Behind her.
“Why are they in such a dangerous place?”
A young girl with a monocle approached the old woman and asked.
“It’s near the border of the demon realm. Maybe they don’t know.”
“They probably don’t. They seem to know their way around, so they’ll be fine by morning.”
“Fooling around in such a place, no matter how young they are. It’s annoying to watch.”
The young girl clicked her tongue and changed the subject.
“Witch. Did you kill many Living Armorers?”
“As you can see, I dealt with them all, but I lost an arm. There was a hero from the north.”
“Oh~ it seems the hero lives up to his name!”
“There are many children in this generation who have blossomed with potential. Those kids we’re watching are among them.”
“Because there was a huge war. Humans tend to progress more when there’s a lot of war.”
“Hoh hoh hoh~ You’re right. By the way, where’s the fortune teller? Didn’t she come with you?”
“She went to earn some money. She said she has to get a pretty crystal ball this time. I don’t understand it at all.”
How much can you earn from fortune-telling anyway?
Most people don’t even believe it when you tell them.
The young girl yawned and stretched her tired body.
“Ah~ I’m bored! I wish those kids would come over here and play with us!”
