It's getting kind of dark, isn't it?

　I looked around at the forest around me and muttered to myself.

　It was still evening as far as the time was concerned.

　Even so, the gray clouds that covered the sky made the area dim.

　Illtimina-san, who had been running a short distance earlier, had also begun to walk normally, probably because it was becoming difficult to see her feet.

''That's right. Let's turn on the lantern before it gets completely dark.''
Yes.

　I get out of her arms.

　I walked behind the crouching Illtimina-san and pulled out a lantern and flint from my backpack.

　Kakk.

　She lit the fire in a familiar manner and hooked the lantern to the tip of the white spear, the winged ornament.

　Thanks to that, our surroundings became very bright.

(I feel relieved just by being bright...)

　I let out a breath of relief and loosened up a bit.

　Guh.....

　Instantly, my stomach makes a shallow squeal.

(Ugh, this is embarrassing........)

　Illtimina-san rolls her eyes, "Oh," and laughs softly at me as I turn red.

''Huh, come to think of it, you haven't even eaten lunch.
Uh-huh.
'But I'd like to keep it moving. I'm sorry, Merle. You'll have to bear with this for now.

　Saying that, he took something out of the pouch on his waistband.

　In the white palm shown to me was a bright red berry - the one I collected yesterday, the one from Chico.

　I look up at her, catching it in both hands as it is dropped.

''Can you eat these as is?''
Yes. It may be a little hard, but it's edible.
"Hmm.

　Take one in your mouth to try it out.

　Crisp, pooch.

Hmm, a little sour.

　Sour juice floods from behind the hard skin.

　But it's not bad tasting.

　Let's have another one.

(Yes, it's sour.)

　But it's not bad it's addictive.

　I continue to crunch and eat the chico nuts.

　Iltimina-san laughs and starts walking again, holding me in her arms.

　The flickering light from the lantern makes the forest landscape shimmer and sway.

Do you want some, Illtimina?
'What?　May I, too, be permitted?
Yeah. Open your mouth.

　She closes her eyes and opens her mouth like a young baby bird.

''Ah ... hmm.''

　That unguarded expression was kind of glossy and made me feel a little nervous.

　I rolled one of Chico's nuts on Illtimina-san's tongue.

　The cherry-red lips that my fingertips had touched a little bit, had a pruney elasticity and were moist and soft.

　Crunchy.

Is it good?
It's sour.
Right?

　We couldn't help but laugh at each other.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


　Then we walked for a while.

　It was already dark all around us, except for the area lit by the lantern lights, which had sunk into darkness.

　The air in the forest seemed to be getting a little damp.

(It looks like it's about to come down, doesn't it?)

　I looked up at the shadowy clouds overhead and began to worry.

　Every now and then, Mr. Illtimina would stop and point the tip of his white spear, with its dangling lantern, toward Achille.

(What's she doing?)

　With that thought in mind, I took a chance and approached her.

'Hey, Miss Illtimina?　Why don't we get ready for a camping trip around here?

　Illtimina's crimson eyes look at me with a scowl.

　I point to the sky.

'Look, it's going to rain and I think we should find a place to shelter in the rain soon.
'Well...'

　She too looked up above her head and muttered.

　But there was something in her voice that didn't seem to boil over.

'I have every intention of doing that, too. It's just that I think it was near here...'

　As she says this, she looks around again.

(Is she looking for something?)

　I, too, turn my attention to the forest.

　The trees in the forest are illuminated by the light of the flickering lanterns.

(.........hmm?)

　Suddenly, there seemed to be something hanging from the branches of that tree.

　What is it?

　When I looked at it, I saw that it was a triangular wooden board tied with a red cloth.

　Tung-tung.

　I peck at Illtimina-san's beautiful hair.

'Miss Illtimina, Miss Illtimina, were you looking for that thing earlier?'
'What?　Ah.....

　Her expression brightened when she found what I indicated and her face lit up.

'Good. Good work, Merle!
Yeah. ...Yeah?

(What?)

　Leaving me behind, she approaches the tree and grabs a triangular wooden board.

　There seems to be some writing on the surface.

　But I can't read it because I didn't know the writing.

　Ms. Illtimina muttered, "I see," and then finally noticed me.

'It's an information board,'
"A signpost?
Yes, sir. It shows the location of the woodshed used by the hunters. Apparently, it's this way.

(Heh.)

　Illtimina laughed at my admiration, and we split off deeper into the forest.

　Eventually, within five minutes, a log cabin popped up in the light of the lantern.

'There it is!'
Yes, sir.

　We quickly unbolted the wooden bolt and walked into the hut.

　It was a small hut of about six tatami mats.

　Inside, there was a bunk and hearth made of straw and animal skin.

　In the corner of that room, Illtimina-san dropped her luggage backpack with a thud and hooked the lantern to a pillar near the ceiling.

(Huh~)

　For some reason I felt safe in the man-made structure, even though it was small.

　Iltimina told me about this place as she also lit the coals on the hearth.

'This is a hut that is shared by the hunters. Even adventurers like us are allowed to use it from time to time.
Wow.
'At any rate, thank you for your hard work this far, Merle. You've done a great job.
"...I've just been held by Illtimina-san the whole time...
''.......... Come to think of it, wasn't it?

　Ms. Illtimina gives a small, wry smile.

　Then Iltimina-san used the hearth to cook another simple meal with the furball usagi meat and fojak grass that she had saved.

(Furball Usagi you're really good.)

　I felt sorry, but the happiness I felt from the deliciousness was stronger.

　Of course, I ate it all, right?

　And as soon as I was full, I felt sleepy.

(I know I said that earlier, but I'm actually tired...)

　We spent hours zipping around on the move, rocking up and down, side to side, for hours on end.

　Strangely enough, I was feeling pretty tired even with all this.

　Noticing my condition, Illtimina-san chuckled.

　As I placed the blanket on my own body.

Come on, Merle.
Hmm....

　I was sleepy, and I didn't want to disobey her.

　Honestly, I fall into her chest.

　Illtimina-san's soft, large, full breasts gently receive my face.
　Oh, I'm so happy.

　Iltimina-san also takes me in her arms and lies down happily on the bed of straw and animal skin.

　Bara-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.............

　Suddenly there was a sound of something hitting the roof.

'Oh, it's coming down,'

　Oh, the rain.

"Phew, you're lucky to get in here before it rains, Merle. ...Merle?

　The rhythmic sound of dismemberment is comforting, and I can hear Illtimina's gentle voice in the distance.

(Oh, really, you have a warm body.)

　I thrashed around in my sleep, slipping into her.

　I hear Iltimina-san's small, laughing voice, and with that, my consciousness falls into the world of sleep - and that's the last thing I hear.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


　............
　.........
　

　How long has it been since then?

　I woke up suddenly.

............

　The room is completely dark, with only the faintest hint of coals from the hearth illuminating the surroundings in red.

　Nearby is the white sleeping face of Illtimina, who is sleeping.

　Her eyelashes are so long and really beautiful, she looks like a doll.

　But her large breasts wrap around my cheeks, rising and falling with each breath. Munimni and my cheeks are happy - or so I would normally think.

　But now it was different.

(What's... this feeling?)

　I press down on my chest.

　It's oddly suffocating.

　It was pitch black outside the window, and the rain seemed to have stopped before I knew it.

　The damp air is kind of heavy.

".........

　I stepped out of her arms, careful not to wake Miss Illtimina.

　I look around the hut.

　Nothing.

　I opened the door to the hut slightly, trying not to make a sound.

　The cold air slips into the room.

　The cold air caressing my skin made me shiver, and I walked out of the hut.

''.........''

　It's pitch black in the woods.

　Just like when we were deep in the bowels of the earth.

　First time I went out into the woods at night, and the Skeleton King killed me.

　I've never forgotten that purple glow.

"...why?

　So.

Why is it only glowing purple in there?

　Beyond the trees in the forest, I can't mistake the bewitching light for anything else.

　In the pitch-blackness, standing in the forest after the rain, is the figure of a vicious dragon with scarred red scales and no fangs on one side... its whole body is emitting a violet, evil light.

　My hands and feet begin to tremble.

　--The red-fanged dragon Gad, who has risen from the world of the dead, appears before us in the forest at night.