NOVEL NEXT chapter 59
59. Move Your Lips Away From Mine
The treasure of the protagonist, even if held by the villain, can only serve as a toilet lid. And this was my surprise: the three from the Rosian Empire did indeed obtain the treasure sealed within the relic as the script described—a massive ice-attributed magic stone. But they were unlucky: for at the moment Kefir truly unleashed her power, the treasure meant for the protagonist “merged” into Kefir’s body.
What the upgraded Kefir would do in her extremely angry state against the Rosian trio, I didn’t need to think to know. Accompanied by a blast of icy debris and snow pellets, I chose to lie on the ground and play dead. When I opened my eyes, the three from the Rosian Empire were frozen solid in a row, with only their eyes still able to roll, watching us leave.
On the way back, we encountered Niel, who had been hit on the head with a stone by Nieru and hadn’t woken up yet. Upon learning of Niel’s vengeful actions from me, Kefir immediately drew her sword.
You’re not “that kind” of protagonist, are you? The proud daughter of heaven shouldn’t be “you touch my henchman, I kill your entire family,” right?
After much persuasion from me, Kefir decided to: preserve the evidence of the Rosian Empire trio’s violations, then drag Niel back to camp to be dealt with by Queen Nieru IV. After all, in the script, this was the outcome that affected Kefir the least.
Afterward, the sky gradually darkened.
Outside the ruins, in the camp of the Great Ying Empire, Miss Nieru was bandaging my wounds with an unsettled sob in her voice and a sniffle.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Ojiride, it’s all because of me…”
“It’s okay, it’s okay, a trifle, I, Ojiride, have seen bigger scenes than this.”
It hurt, but Kefir got her treasure, Nieru wasn’t “max level” yet, and she was still “bumping into people with the ball” from time to time, helping me with my wounds. Taking a bullet was a profitable deal for me.
In the midst of my gratitude, Kefir, who had handed over the Rosy 23, stormed in. When she saw Nieru squeezed next to me bandaging me, her eyebrows twitched, but she calmed down.
“Ojiride, how are you?”
“A trifle~”
I gave an “ok” sign. If it weren’t for Miss Nieru’s… enthusiastic nature, I would have stopped her already. Now she’s almost turned my arm into a Rockman.
“The weapons of the Rosia Empire are still in the experimental stage, intimidating in firepower but not so much in lethality.”
“Eh?”
“Anyway, I’m fine, don’t worry about it.”
Kefir’s gaze still seemed a bit skeptical of my words, but just then, Nieru, as if sensing something, started walking out, saying in a fluster, “Mr. Ojiride, the bandaging is done! I… I’ll go out and make dinner for the young miss and you!”
Then, Nieru, rather than walking, fled out, leaving me and Kefir alone in the unstable glow of the magic stone…
“Ojiride, I’ve already apologized to Nieru. I shouldn’t have… let her stay because of some silly thoughts.”
I understood what she was saying, but I pretended not to.
But Kefir’s next words were not something I could pretend to ignore.
“And… you too, I’m sorry, after all the big talk, in the end, I still let you…”
This development, was Kefir about to find an excuse to corner me again? Indeed, everything I did for Kefir seemed perplexing, but I really just wanted to cling to her coattails, relying on the protagonist’s halo.
Anything beyond that, even if I had the thought, I didn’t have the life for it. In the script, I could only live by “clinging to Kefir’s coattails,” not “clinging to Kefir.” If I made a move on the protagonist, I feared I wouldn’t survive the spring.
So, I had to find a way to ease the current pink atmosphere.
“Me, I’m of course alright! Which country in the West hasn’t Ojiride been to? Don’t worry about me, Kefir, have you leveled up? Is there some indescribable powerful force roaming inside you? Making you feel like you’re now the number one in the world, invincible?”
“How exaggerated is that?”
Kefir chuckled, “Although after absorbing the magic stone, I do feel that the magic power for ice attribute magic has become so abundant it seems inexhaustible, the specific ‘rank’ and so on still need to be tested back in the empire to be determined, my own feeling doesn’t count.”
“Don’t worry, you’ve definitely ‘leveled up.'”
I assured Kefir, after all, the script was written like this: [Kefir obtained the magic stone from the ruins, advancing her magical level.] The protagonist’s halo is stronger, my life is more secure, how could I not be happy?
“…Since you know, why run over like an idiot!”
Kefir, finally remembering her purpose after I changed the subject, immediately pouted and questioned me, “I was scared to death!”
“Haha~ Isn’t it just to cling to the coattails?”
“Ojiride! I’m not joking! Clearly, you’re just an ordinary person who can’t do anything, so just stay behind properly, don’t every time…”
“The plain truth is: I have to make sure you can advance.”
While there was a part of it for my own sake, I was also helping Kefir. I hope my boss won’t mind.
“I’m by your side for this very reason, aren’t I?”
“!”
Kefir’s voice suddenly became shrill, and after a moment of flustered fumbling…
Suddenly, she blushed and threw a punch at my shoulder!
“Ah ah ah!”
Boss, you can hit anywhere, just not my wound! The blood is seeping out!
“Sorry, sorry! I wasn’t paying attention!”
Kefir, now even more panicked, hurriedly leaned in to check, but just as I was wincing in pain and lowered my head, then…
【Ssst】
A slight friction, and our lips met perfectly aligned.
Until the scent of food from outside woke us up, Kefir and I remained silent, stiff as wood, not moving an inch, with only our breaths audible to each other.
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