Turning Chapter 748 (Patreon)

Chapter 748

"It's okay."

"..."

"Look at me."

"..."

Drawn by his voice, Yuder slowly lifted his gaze which he had been casting down.

The first thing he saw was the bare body inside the completely unbuttoned shirt. The smooth and firm skin, devoid of any scars, and the endless, hill-like muscles rhythmically swelled and receded with the owner's breath. Yuder stared at it for a long time before lifting his gaze a little higher.

Next, he saw a straight, long collarbone like the horizon, and above that, neck muscles stretched out like old tree branches. Following these branches led to golden hair, shining through the leaves like sunlight. Once Yuder started looking, he found it impossible to stop.

When Yuder’s gaze finally reached his destination, resting upon the gentle curve of his lips and red eyes, Kishiar smiled deeply as if to celebrate this arrival.

"How is it?"

"...What exactly are you referring to?"

"I mean, do you feel like resting a bit now?"

Could one suddenly feel the need to rest just by looking at someone's body? Logically, it was a ridiculous thought, but Yuder found himself unable to argue.

It wasn’t that seeing Kishiar made him want to lie down and rest. However, the urge to be by his side, overpowering time and circumstance, was undeniable.

He had avoided looking directly because he knew this feeling would melt everything else in his mind if Kishiar wished it, just like now.

Yuder sighed softly, and Kishiar let out a laugh.

"Listen. I understand your eagerness to immerse yourself in urgent matters. But no matter how many tasks there are, what can be done today can only be done today. For instance… celebrating together with the one you most wanted to show, after using the divine sword and aura for the first time in battle against monsters."

Yuder was momentarily stunned by this unexpected statement.

Usually, those who suggested he rest did so on the premise that human strength and energy are not infinite. The human body cannot function eternally without recharging. It was a reasoning that inevitably made sense.

But Kishiar presented a different perspective for resting now.

Today marked his first public display of fighting using the divine sword and aura. Therefore, it was the only day they could commemorate this together.

How could Yuder ignore or overlook such a statement, knowing that Kishiar, who had to conceal his strength for so long, had for a moment fought freely?

Kishiar asked with an air of finality.

"Will you not join me, then?"

Defeated. Had Yuder been able to out-argue Kishiar La Orr, he likely wouldn’t be in this place. From the moment he was drawn to look at Kishiar by his words, this outcome was all but inevitable.

"...Very well."

Yuder finally responded, smiling at the man.

Steam rose like swirling mists above the large, antique bathtub, built in a style from centuries ago. Though it was large enough to easily accommodate several people, the two men inside sat overlapped as if in a much smaller tub.

Yuder gazed at the rippling water at chest level, feeling the heartbeat of the man behind him pressing against his back. Even sitting here, cleansed of dust, blood, and the fluids of monsters, he found himself unable to ponder any thoughts.

The only sensations he was aware of were the warm emptiness in his head and the languid embrace of Kishiar's scent, as if it had been waiting for him.

In fact, Kishiar's fragrance had been intensely strong even before entering the bathroom. Yuder only noticed it now, not because they were closer due to their nearly embracing posture, but because Yuder's mind had been so preoccupied with other matters.

Water droplets trickling down his wet hair, annoyingly tapping against his eyelashes, didn't prompt Yuder to act. He simply stared blankly until the large hand that had been around his waist emerged from the water and gently brushed his bangs away.

“…Thank you.”

However, after sweeping aside the hair, the hand did not retreat. It lightly caressed his bare forehead, tracing the path of the water droplets down to his nose, then to his cheeks and chin. The moment the hand lightly touched the nape of his neck, a slippery yet ticklish sensation made his spine shiver. The contact of wet skin heightened the sensitivity of an already sensitive area.

Yet Yuder, stiffening his shoulders, did not reject the touch. Leaning his head back with a hot breath, the hand finally withdrew, replaced by lips softly touching his forehead.

The journey of those lips from his forehead, tracing the path previously touched by the hand, felt like a predetermined sequence, culminating in a kiss on the lips.

The kiss was deeper and slower than usual.

This deepened the languor in both his body and mind, making it almost too difficult to keep his eyelids open.

After the kiss, Yuder exhaled deeply, trying not to close his eyes, as if fearing the weight pressing down on his body.

Kishiar whispered softly in his ear.

“Are you sleepy?”

“No.”

He wasn’t sleepy, just feeling heavy.

“You can sleep, it’s okay.”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to be together for the memory?”

“Being together still counts even if one falls asleep. That’s enough.”

“That’s not possible.”

What was enough? Yuder thought, adjusting his position to clear his mind. He turned his body, which had been resting on Kishiar's lap, to face him, eliciting a laugh of disappointment from the man.

“We’re farther apart now. But, I can see your face better, so this is good too.”

Yuder intently watched Kishiar's hand, playfully scooping and pushing water towards him, concerned about the arm that had sustained a light injury earlier. Fortunately, his hand appeared as healthy and intact as before. With no significant pain in his own hand, Yuder concluded the healer introduced by Myra was unquestionably skilled.

Yuder resolved to establish immediate contact with that healer tomorrow. With their stay in the south now confirmed to be longer, securing such support was essential.

‘Still… we must avoid a repeat of today’s events.’

Yuder’s mind briefly buzzed with plans for emergency supplies, securing local allies, and organizing available human and material resources, before fatigue submerged these thoughts again.

“Are you still worried about this hand?”

Kishiar seemed to notice Yuder's gaze and waved his hand.

"Of course, I am concerned. The Commander could have suffered a more severe injury."

"I won't say I was just lucky. It was a lapse in my judgment."

Kishiar, with furrowed brows, silently smiled.

"I knew monsters, even of the same kind, don't share identical traits, yet I erred. I failed to fully grasp the difference between observing from afar and facing them directly. That oversight nearly put you in danger while you were assisting. A mere hand injury is a small price to pay. It was foolish of me."

Kishiar's self-critique seemed too harsh to be merely about his combat skills. Yuder, thinking Kishiar was perhaps reflecting on his battle prowess under the guise of rest, quickly shook his head in disagreement.

"That's not correct, Commander. Your judgment under those circumstances was the best possible. If anything, it was my responsibility to identify and communicate the monster's traits, and my failure to respond promptly is to blame. If anyone should bear the cost, it should be me."

"That seems even less correct to me."