WOSE Chapter 13

Kalix, whom she'd grasped after much deliberation, maintained his gentle demeanor even in extreme circumstances.

"If it's difficult, you can lean more comfortably."

He softly caught her body as it swayed like a reed.

Iyu reflexively hunched her shoulders, then roughly nodded her head. Even so, she struggled desperately to keep her back straight.

Just before her physical limits overcame her reluctance, fortunately, the procession came to a halt.

Without her noticing, the landscape of white sand dunes had undergone a remarkable transformation.

A body of water—too small to call a river, too wide to call a spring—glittered under the sunlight, surrounded by palm trees casting long shadows.

The greenery discovered in the middle of the desert seemed like a mirage, forcing Iyu to seriously consider whether she was seeing things.

"It's an oasis!"

Judging by someone's joyful shout, fortunately it wasn't.

Iyu finally dismounted from the horse, practically falling off.

She politely declined Kalix's hand supporting her exhausted body, then looked around for Tamia.

However, what approached her wasn't the round-eared child, but the Hundredth White Branch to whom she'd entrusted the child.

The Hundredth White Branch looked down at her with unreadable eyes as she staggered like a newborn calf, then got straight to the point.

"Before night comes, it seems we should spend the night here today."

Iyu looked up at the bright sky.

"...Night?"

"In Nidavellir, day and night change in an instant."

'I think it was like that before too.'

Though she had to search her memory since it was years ago, she remembered being quite surprised by the sky without sunset or sunrise.

However, there was one thing clearly different from back then.

The decision-making power was now in her hands.

Like how he'd asked her opinion earlier, the Hundredth White Branch seemed to regard her as the final decision-maker of the pilgrimage.

'During my first journey, I was so weak I couldn't even express my own opinion, so I was busy just following decisions others made.'

Having her opinion asked at every turn was unfamiliar but not a bad experience.

"Let's do that."

As Iyu agreed, the group immediately began unloading luggage and pitching tents as if they'd been waiting.

Thanks to the water and provisions she'd prepared in advance, early dinner preparations even proceeded on one side.

Iyu wandered among the people busily preparing camp, then lingered near the carriage.

"Is there anything I can help with?"

"No, we're fine! We have enough people!"

She'd intended to at least help carry luggage, but the knights and coachmen turned pale and adamantly refused her help.

Rejected, Iyu this time headed toward where people were drawing water and lighting fires. There she spotted Tamia bustling about carrying ingredients. But that was all. The moment she picked up a piece of luggage beside Tamia, people rushed over and snatched the load away.

"Savior, please rest! After all that chaos today!"

"Ah, but still..."

"Your face is so pale—what chores! Come, catch your breath under that shade."

Everyone had experienced the chaos, though. She wanted to argue back, but she didn't want to argue further with people who looked busy, nor did she have the energy.

In the end, Iyu trudged toward the palm trees, pushed along.

'Is my face that bad?'

She couldn't check without a mirror, but her appearance must be terrible. Covered in dust like everyone passing by.

'Let me at least wash my face nearby.'

Belatedly feeling uncomfortable, Iyu moved to the opposite side of the group. Unlike the sandy ground where feet sank deeply, the land here was quite firm. Following that path, she arrived at a spot where plants including palms grew more densely.

Close enough not to be isolated if danger arose, but where human presence wasn't particularly felt.

Finding a suitable location, Iyu approached the water's edge and dipped her fingertips.

Not cold, but refreshingly cool. Most importantly, clean enough to see the shallow bottom.

Iyu crouched down, thoroughly soaked her handkerchief, and began washing her face, hands, and arms in earnest. Later, even that wasn't enough—she gathered the trailing hem of her tunic, removed her shoes, and immersed her feet.

Barely reaching halfway up her calves, but as water cooler than her body temperature enveloped the overworked parts of her body, a moan escaped naturally.

Iyu splashed meaninglessly a few times, then roughly draped the wet handkerchief around her neck and bent over to scoop water directly onto her face.

Her sleeves and chest became damp, but she felt incomparably more refreshed than before.

Iyu, looking like a wet puppy, walked onto land with splashing steps. Then belatedly realized her mistake.

'Should've kept the handkerchief dry.'

Putting on shoes while water dripped would make dirt particles stick even more.

'Can't be helped.'

The regret was brief. When barely two steps remained to shore, suddenly a shadow fell over her head.

"May I help?"

She jerked her head up at the familiar voice. Kalix, who'd approached soundlessly, extended his hand toward her.

Before she could answer, her body floated up. He lifted her as easily as picking up luggage and set her on a nearby wide rock. Then he took out a dry handkerchief and personally wiped her feet and ankles.

"You don't need to do this..."

"Wet shoes are uncomfortable."

He answered casually, then even squeezed water from the damp tunic hem.

Iyu stared blankly down at the water droplets falling to the ground and the man bent over.

He'd said knights only kneel before the lord they've sworn loyalty to. Yet he always lowered himself easily before her, just like now.

That face that would tilt back and smile prettily when she stroked his beautifully flowing hair.

'Is it okay for a lofty knight to keep doing this?'

'It's fine because it's you. The only person I'll serve with all my heart, the only person I'll be truthful to—it's only you.'

And those words, so sweet they still clung stickily to her heart and mind.

Recalling the truly impressive performance, Iyu clenched her hands tight. She desperately suppressed the urge to immediately pull her foot from his grasp and scream at him not to touch her.

She hadn't asked the Hundredth White Branch to ride together and chose Kalix to quickly close the distance with him—or more precisely, to make him think the distance had closed. So she couldn't ruin things here.

"At this rate, I'll end up stealing all your handkerchiefs."

She forced out such a joke, recalling the scarf he'd tossed her to cover her face. He answered indifferently with an expressionless face.

"As many as you want if it's you."

As she'd thought before, he had a talent for saying embarrassing things plainly.

...At this rate, bad memories would keep surfacing. Iyu, sensing this, quickly stood up and roughly put on shoes over her somewhat dry feet.

"You came to wash up too, right? I'll get out of your way."

"No, I came to get you. Dinner preparations are finished."

Kalix roughly stuffed the wet handkerchief into his back pocket and gestured toward where smoke was rising.

"Let's go."

'He could've sent Tamia.'

Iyu grumbled internally with complaints she couldn't voice aloud, slowly following behind him.

After a light meal of bread, a few pieces of dried meat, and thin soup, night arrived as if someone had replaced the sky.

Despite the suddenly darkened sky, everyone prepared for sleep without particular disturbance.

Her sleeping place wasn't a tent pulled from the sand but the carriage. The carriage emptied of luggage was still far from clean, but it was the sturdiest and most comfortable location.

Iyu, who would occupy the carriage with Tamia, roughly wiped away sand that kept emerging no matter how much she swept, then personally spread the blankets she'd received on the floor.

As she rummaged through luggage searching for a pile of clothes to use as a pillow, knocking sounds came at the door.

Iyu turned her head through the open door gap.

"The sleeping arrangements seem uncomfortable—will you be alright?"

It was Kelgrida, who hadn't approached after failing both to rescue her from the sand serpent and to travel together.

Iyu left Tamia busily arranging the bedding and climbed down from the carriage alone.

"There are people sleeping on bare ground, so this is grateful enough."

"Still. If I'd known such an 'accident' would happen, I should've made it more sturdy."

Kelgrida sighed.

Had she come to sound her out? Judging by how she subtly emphasized it being an unexpected accident, that possibility couldn't be ruled out.

When Iyu responded with a faint smile instead of words, Kelgrida spoke again.