—Four hours ago, at Thunder Plateau—
His glares didn't stop striking Wendy's worried look. "So, how're you going to make up for it?"
A sudden thought occurred to her, making her worries disappear. She turned vivacious as her anxious expression faded away.
Something inside her kept guiding Wendy to an answer, exactly like how she'd come to know Adin's real name.
Even though she had no knowledge and information about Thunder Plateau and adventurers, the thoughts related to those matters started striking her.
—There must be adventurers near the greenspace of Thunder Plateau. I should be able to find an archer and a horse easily.
Wendy then turned to Adin with a delighted smile.
"Don't worry everything will be OK! I will get a horse and some clothes for my husband to wear!"
"All right," Adin coughed, "It'll be much more appreciated if those clothes are archer garments."
She headed to the less deep areas of greenspace, searching to find what Adin had asked her.
─ ─ ─
A young man in light leather garments drew three arrows from his quiver, put them all together in the bow, and pulled the string back, preparing to shoot three wolves that were storming at him.
The shots met their aimed targets perfectly, killing all of the attacking wolves.
"Ahhh..." he sighed and yawned, stretching his arms while taking the bow in his left hand, "I've done it! I'd not expected to finish it before night. But hey! It's me! Lucas! The 22nd ranked mighty archer of the West Kingdom! Hoora!"
Exulting at his success, Lucas fell over the ground on his back, leaning over the grass.
He closed his eyes, inhaling the forest's refreshing air and contemplating. "I can get stronger and richer if I continue like this. I may even be able to reach the top if I bring my rank close to 8D6. Just a little bit more and I can enter the Golden Dragons Tournament."
Meanwhile, Lucas could feel a weight pressuring his body.
Exhaling deeply, he opened his eyes, noticing two crimson gleaming eyes right before his face.
A female figure in white wedding clothes appeared lying down over him. She had pure-scarlet hair, looking at him in the face with her red eyes. Her elbows were putting pressure on his chest, resting her face on her hands.
Lucas didn't know her, as she had suddenly come out of nowhere, but still, she looked stunningly beautiful.
His cheeks flushed immediately after seeing a beauty like her getting so close to him. It was the first that he had got close to a woman in such a state. Although Lucas wanted to start a talk with her, he couldn't move his tongue properly, just uttering some unclear mumbles.
The girl began moving down her hands, supporting them on his chest instead of her own cheeks.
Lucas' heart started beating faster as her soft hands touched his heart.
"Hmm..." she hesitated, getting her lips near his left ear, whispering. "Can you please get naked?"
Hearing the first syllable of the word "naked" was enough to make his mind blow up. One could hear Lucas' rapid heartbeats even from afar. It was as though his heart would get out of his chest by every single hit.
"Ah... and do you also have a horse?"
Lucas pointed toward the black horse that he had fastened close to a tree around that place.
"Why aren't you getting naked?"
He was still speechless, staring and blushing, being paralyzed under her. The only thing he could do was to stare in bewilderment.
"Hmm... Ok, I will take your clothes off then."
His heartbeat grew faster and louder instantly, sounding like a war drum being crushed under the drumsticks over hundreds of times every second.
His consciousness returned to him as Lucas found himself naked, unarmed, and alone in the forest of greenspace. That girl in bride clothes had taken his horse and equipment.
"Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh? I've been tricked!"
─ ─ ─
Adin was waiting... waiting... and waiting... and again... w-a-i-t-i-n-g.
"DAMN! It's too boring to wait! Where the hell is she?"
Waiting was in his top 5 most boring things in the world. Impatient Adin would always finish things as soon as possible, finding the closest way to his objective.
Some canters' sound on grass from the west made him turn back. "Uh, she's finally here!"
Wendy reined the black horse to stop in front of nude Adin, throwing down the archer garments into his hands.
"Oh, nice clothes!" Adin smiled, wearing the archer outfit but keeping the bow and quiver on the ground. "Great! Now we can head to Seora!"
Adin looked so delighted, and Wendy was also glad since her husband was satisfied.
"Can you ride the horse or shall I—"
"No! I can do it myself! My darling husband!"
"Auh... Ok..."
Adin sat behind her over the saddle. She then galloped the horse to get out of the greenspace and thus leaving Thunder Plateau, heading to Seora.
"Go toward the northern gate. This black horse looks to be expensive. We can sell it in the way and buy another one that's cheaper and doesn't attract a lot of attention."
"Yes, my beloved Adin!"
A satisfied smile appearing on his face, Adin began thinking.
—Maybe she's not that much useless and troublesome after all. I can hope to find the flames if I find good comrades. Yes, I should be hopeful! The human world is not so bad. It seems choosing to adventure with humans was the best choice.
Or so he thought.