NOVEL NEXT Chapter 73: комгаdе
The first day of keeping watch.
As previously decided, we took turns and kept watch in three shifts.
The shifts were ―
First, Chrisse and me.
Second, Snow and Lyss.
Third, Shia.
In that order.
This time, Shia was alone because she was the best at sensing presences out of all of us. That was why I let her take charge when it was the most dangerous, just before daybreak, when the night was darkest. The rest was just a process of elimination, and Snow got paired with the newbie Lyss since she was better than Chrisse and I at sensing presences.
Snow and the rest were sleeping in the covered wagon.
Chrisse and I were sitting around the campfire, keeping watch.
“Chrisse, are you cold?”
[I’m fine, how about oniichan?]
“I’ve been curious, Chrisse, why is the wash toilet no good for you ? Is it because the vampire clan is bad with water or something?”
But she entered the bath in Meiya’s mansion, and I’ve never heard anything about the vampire clan being bad with water while I was at the Vlad house.
Chrisse answered in an embarrassed manner.
[But the wash toilet’s water comes out too strong. It hurts. And it hits weird places, too. I don’t understand how oniichan and everyone else can be pleased with that.]
It hits weird places ?
Why don’t you try saying it again with that cute mouth of yours― as expected, I can’t do it, that kind of sexual harrassment and shame play.
But I see, she used it wrong the first time and got traumatized huh.
The wash toilet was indeed a little hard to use.
You had to turn the handle to position the nozzle, and the force of the water that came out, as well as the temperature, had to be adjusted yourself.
Of course it had limiters so even if one overdid it, it would be limited to a certain amount.
Let’s make it easier to operate, by making it adjust automatically like ones in the previous world or something― anyway, it looked like there was still room for improvement.
I enjoyed chatting with Chrisse like that, while keeping vigilant of the surroundings.
Then it became time to change shifts.
“Munya munya…..Let’s change all the toilets in the country into wash toilets.”
“No use, she’s not waking up.”
Maybe because Lyss was tired due to not being used to travelling by wagon, when it was time to change shifts, she wouldn’t wake up. It didn’t matter if I shook her shoulders or called out to her.
As expected of the diligent-type airheaded princess. In a certain sense she was the type that wouldn’t betray you.
“I’m really sorry. I will do it in place of hime-sama.”
I woke Shia up instead, and she was apologizing. I tried to calm her down.
“Shia, just sleep and prepare for your shift according to the plan. I’ll do it with Snow. Lyss-sama looks tired so just let her sleep.”
“If so then I can do it by myself, Lute-kun go rest.”
Snow worried about me.
“Thanks, Snow. But I want to talk with just the two of us, it’s been a while. Or do you hate being with me ?”
“Geez Lute-kun, if you say it like that then I can’t refuse, you know.”
Snow’s tail was happily wagging back and forth.
I took up watch duty with Snow since we had many things to talk about.
Chrisse had already fallen asleep in the wagon with Shia.
I added the withered branches that had been gathered before dinner to the campfire to keep it going.
Snow sat next to me, happily entwining her arm with mine and sniffing me with a ‘fugo fugo’.
“Oi oi I stink of sweat, don’t I? Stop it.”
“It’s okay, in fact, the smell of sweat is the best. Lute-kun doesn’t understand!”
I sighed as I pushed Snow’s head away.
‘Aa~n’, Snow didn’t want to part and struggled.
“Jeez, it’s not good if you don’t keep watch properly.”
“It’s okay, I’m doing it properly. That’s why, let me sniff you. With this I can go on for three days!”
Snow wanted to sniff me but I didn’t let her, and her reaction was so cute that I wanted to tease her more, but I restrained myself.
If I got too excited, I would be the one who would be neglecting the duty to keep watch.
So I let Snow do as she pleased, and leisurely talked with her until it was time to change shifts.
When it was time, we woke Shia and switched places with her as we entered the wagon.
Lyss was sleeping at the edge, next was Chrisse, then Snow, and finally I laid down on the opposite side.
After I closed my eyes and pushed the fatigue of one day aside, I fell asleep in no time at all.
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“I am really sorry!”
The first thing Lyss did after waking up was apologize and bow her head.
She was apologizing for not waking up when it was time for her keep watch.
“It’s okay, I don’t mind. So please raise your head.”
I tried to cheer her up.
But the dark clouds over her head didn’t clear up at all.
“Compared to my older and younger sister, I fail at everything I do, always making blunders…… All I do is cause trouble for hero-sama and everyone. I’m embarrassed at my incompetence and ignorance.”
Lyss’ eyes were brimming with tears.
When I realized it I was already petting her head.
“It’s okay even if you cause trouble, or make blunders. For now we’re comrades who are travelling together, aren’t we? Isn’t it natural to cover for your comrade’s mistake?”
“Comrade…… you say?”
“Yes, at least that’s how my wives and I think. Even though it maybe rude to the princess of a country.”
Snow and Chrisse nodded vigorously at my words.
“N, no, it’s not rude or anything! Or rather, I’m really happy!”
Lyss saw that and denied it in a panic.
That attitude of her was charming, and I unconsciously relaxed my mouth.
“That’s why, please keep causing us trouble. On the other hand, if I, Snow, Chrisse, or Shia make a mistake, please help us. As comrades travelling together.”
“!! Yes! I will help! I will absolutely try to do my best in my own way and help everyone!”
She reassuringly declared as she wiped her tears away.
It looked like the dark clouds over her head had cleared.
Furthermore she requested something with a bright expression.
“As comrades travelling together, please stop using ‘sama’. Please call me ‘Lyss’ casually.”
Oi oi was this ok? Not using honorifics with the princess of a country……
But she used ‘comrade’ as a shield so now it was hard to refuse.
“Then Lyss-sama as well, please don’t call me ‘hero-sama’ but call me by my name.”
“Understood. From now on I will call you Lute-san, okay?”
“……Then, please take care of me, Lyss.”
“Yes, Lute-san.”
We embarrassedly stared at each other for a while.
Snow butted in,
“Then I will call you Lyss-chan! Best regards from now on, Lyss-chan!”
[Well then, I will call you Lyss-oneechan.]
“Yes! Snow-san, Chrisse-san, please take care of me.”
Shia looked at the sight of her master, whose appearance was close to Snow group, deepening her friendships, maybe it was so radiant tears rolled down from her eyes, which she wiped off with a handkerchief.
Like this, we truly became comrades who traveled together.