Chapter 194: Is There a Hut Somewhere?

"In a forest like this... there should be... a woodcutter’s hut..."

Lily still spoke in a faltering tone, perhaps because aftereffects remained. The forest was dense and already growing dim. We needed to secure a place to spend the night soon. Inside a forest there wouldn’t be cave or dungeon entrances, would there? There wouldn’t be an entrance standing alone in the middle of the forest. Looking around, all I could see were trees.

"Yeah. If we keep going and there’s no hut, we’ll probably have to camp outdoors."

At my words Lily nodded with a gloomy face.

Judging by the two girls’ faces, it didn’t seem they had a hut large enough to sleep in stored inside a mana bag. Since a Beast Bear had appeared, was there a bear’s house somewhere in the forest? Or a lonely house where a girl with large breasts lived? I would be fine with a storage shed, but I wanted Lily and Stevie to sleep properly.

"I’ll climb a tree and take a look."

Stevie said. Eh, Stevie-san, you’re a girl and you’re going to climb a tree? I thought, but without further ado she jumped once and climbed onto a branch about three meters up. From there she looked around. Because she wasn’t wearing a skirt, looking up from below revealed nothing erotic. Stevie’s bottom had put on some flesh, too. It might have been my imagination, but I felt her figure was becoming softer.

Because autumn was approaching in the forest and the leaves were falling, one could see through the branches.

Stevie climbed from that branch to a higher one and moved her head this way and that.

"Ah!"

She seemed to have found something and pointed in that direction. I couldn’t see anything that way, though. But there was something? What was this cheat development!? Still, I was grateful.

Stevie came down, said "This way," and took the lead as we began walking. After walking for a while a hut came into view. Were there previous occupants? But no smoke was rising from the chimney, so I thought no one was there at the moment.

"Is anyone there?"

At my words Stevie stopped and closed her eyes. She remained still like that, then said,

"It’s all right. No one is here. I searched the surroundings, and there seem to be no people."

She said it a little proudly. I had only meant to ask whether there was anyone in the hut, but Stevie had even checked whether there were people nearby. Well, I was grateful.

Approaching, I could see the hut was considerably dilapidated. The door was held shut with a prop. The windows were of course not glass but wooden boards that opened and closed. When we opened the door and entered, it was extremely dusty and smelled of mold. I had read somewhere (when I was in Japan) that emergency food was stored in huts like this, but was there any here?

While I was thinking, Stevie cast the minimum necessary Purity inside the hut. Seeing that, Lily staggered and collapsed. Stevie hurriedly caught her and laid her on the straw. Normally Lily never said anything in front of me and never sat on a chair without first asking my permission. Yet now she had collapsed without a word. That was how bad Lily’s condition had been.

"Lily, are you all right?"

I hadn’t realized it was that severe. Lily tried to sit up. Stopping her with my hand I said,

"Lily, stay lying down. Don’t force yourself!"

"Yes, I’m sorry."

Lily spoke with a tearful voice. Stevie placed a hand on Lily’s forehead and said,

"There’s no fever. She’s sweating."

She said. Lily hadn’t said anything, but it had been that bad. One cannot understand another’s pain until it is spoken. But only the person herself can know the true severity. Had Lily been enduring the whole time and keeping up with us?

"Robby-sama, I will follow later, so please leave me here and go ahead tomorrow. I cannot fulfill my duty as an escort, and I do not even seem able to protect myself. If I come with you I will only be a burden! Besides, with me the speed of our progress will be slower. We will be caught by the pursuers again! Please, please do not concern yourself with me and leave me behind!!"

Lily said while crying. Was Lily that mentally cornered? Stevie held the quietly sobbing Lily.

I placed my hand on Lily’s head and said,

"Lily, what are you saying? There’s no way I could leave you behind. Besides, I think the fatigue is at its peak right now. If you rest you’ll recover! So don’t worry about it! And I will absolutely not leave Lily behind. We’re going together!! Rest tonight. Just sleep. Stevie, can you cast Healing?"

"Yes!"

Lily looked at Stevie’s face, then at me, and shed tears.

"I’m sorry."

Lily said as if squeezing the words from the back of her throat. Seeing Lily this weak made me feel like crying myself.

"Lily! It’s all right! Robby-sama is saying so too! I’ll help as well, so let’s go together! I’ll work hard for Lily’s share too! You mustn’t become weak!!"

Even in this situation Stevie did not lose her brightness and showed a smile, which helped us.

"Is Healing working?"

Stevie asked while keeping her hand on Lily’s forehead.

"Yeah, thank you. It feels good somehow."

Lily smiled with tears still in her eyes. Thinking I might be of some help as well, I took Lily’s hand and tried sending mana. Even when I was in Japan, when I was sick I had felt something transmitted from the forehead or hand my mother pressed against me.

Instead of producing water I intended to produce mana, imagining it flowing into Lily’s hand. Would it flow—? How about it—?

Lily’s expression softened and she closed her eyes. Did it feel good? After keeping that up for a while, Lily began breathing the peaceful breaths of sleep in Stevie’s arms.

While continuing to send mana I said,

"Good. Stevie, sorry, but could you stay like that for a while?"

Because Lily was sleeping with a peaceful face, Stevie also looked happy and asked,

"Yes, understood. Will Robby-sama rest as well? I’ll watch over Lily."

I shook my head and said,

"I’m going to investigate the area around this hut a little. In the worst case if pursuers come, we have to think about whether to fight them or run."

At my words Stevie’s expression sharpened and she said,

"Yes. Please do."

She entrusted it to me.

Well then, let’s investigate.