Chương 76: Chapter 64. Lowered Guard

I woke up to Anna gently rubbing my head. I looked at her and she smiled softly at me." Anna... Is this the best way to wake me up?" To my question, Anna continued her petting in an unfettered fashion." Do you dislike it?"" Not particularly. Is there a reason why you decided to wake me up like this?" She looked away from me but continued it. I rose from the bed and even that didn't stop her. In fact, she increased her strength. She was even using the eyes on her arms to watch my reactions."

Anna, if there's a reason why you're doing this, it would be better to just tell me, so we can talk it through. I apologize if I did something wrong and I didn't realize. Even though I think all of your eyes are pretty, I still prefer if you face me while looking at me. Is that bad?" Seems I got through to her and she turned to look at me. She removed her hand from the top of my head and cupped my cheek instead." I'm just... A little jealous is all." I was surprised by her reason.

Seems she could tell I was because she continued her train of thought." Yesterday, I saw how well you were getting along with Asha, it's stuck with me all through the day and even this morning."" We barely even spoke to each other though? I mean, she explained to me Noble Court Ranks and then she thought deeply about something for the rest of the day.... Well, I did as well."" What were you thinking about?""

The difference between my world and Gaia" Anna looked at me with her deep, dark-green eyes as if to ascertain if I was being truthful. I realized I forgot about when we arrived here." Oh, also after we arrived, she told me the reason this town is called Ashneck!" Anna continued to look at me carefully. She began to speak after a few minutes." What were you talking about before she started to think deeply during the day?"

I thought hard to remember, since so much had happened since then, along with my own thoughts on the difference between my world and Gaia's Women." I think it was after I mentioned that I would most likely treat her and Sharon differently after they gained Fiancés. She had a strange look on her face and began to think deeply after that. Also, when I asked her about the town, she mentioned something about losing time she won. Do you know what that means, Anna?"

Anna stopped cupping my cheek and began to pinch it gently with a smile." It means I need to speak to Sarah about a few things, Master."" Why? Did I do something wrong?"" Yes and no."" Well, what was it then?"" Don't worry, it is out of our control now. Which is why I'll need to speak to Sarah about this. Besides, even if I could explain, it's time for breakfast! Please get ready." I was rushed through my morning routine by Anna and we went to the dining room pretty quickly.

Sarah waved to me and I sat next to her at the table. We were served different food. Sarah had fruit and oatmeal and I was given eggs and sausage. It was decent, Anna is a better cook in my eyes, however. Also, the sausage seasoning wasn't to my liking, it was bitter like black coffee. We had a pleasant conversation during the meal. Once we were done, we were out of the town within the hour. My buddy for the day was Sharon." What should we talk about, I wonder?"

Sharon spoke to me after all the movement and all the instructions were given out." Well, how has your traveling been?"" it's been so-so. I've enjoyed the time I spent talking with my Friends. But the attitudes of some of our Countrymen about Humans has been a damper on the mood."" Well thanks for that, also I'm sorry for that." Sharon looked at me as if she were offended." John! You don't need to apologize to me for what you are! Would you accept an apology from me for being a Woman? Or a Demon?"

I guess I stepped on a landmine, all I could do was apologize." No, I wouldn't accept it. Sorry, Sharon. I just already have made so many people drop what they were doing to help me with such a selfish request, so I really don't want to have any other problems for the rest of the trip." She seemed to accept my apology as she stopped looking so offended." Putting that aside for now. How has your traveling been, John? how are your legs with all of the horse riding?"" My traveling had gone well.

I can't complain too much. To be honest however, my legs are starting to kill me now. I mean, not even just my legs. The callouses on my hands from sword training are being rubbed raw from the reigns I'm holding onto all day."" Hmm? let me see them for a moment!" Grip! Not seeing a reason to say no, I allowed Sharon to check my hand while holding it. I thought this might be a big deal for her, but she seemed to be fine, so I decided not to think about it.

Maybe my sense of distance is starting to be blurred from Sarah and Anna touching me so much?" Wow, your hands are so big, John. And these callouses are just as big! Luckily! I thought something like this might happen, so I prepared this!" Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Sharon showed me a pouch she had hidden in a bag on the saddle of her horse." What's in there?"" Hehehe! It's my Family's Secret Ointment! It's a spreadable cream that alleviates pain!

We use it for our hands mostly. Because of all the chaffing and bruises from sparring!"" Is it really okay to use it on an outsider? I mean, I don't have any ties to the Ashblade Family after all."" What do you mean! Aren't we Friends, John!?" Tighten! Sharon looked at me like she was about to cry. She also started to tighten her grip on my hand, and I swear I could hear cracking sounds." Yes! Yes! We're Friends!" Release! Sharon began to smile and let go of my hands to open the pouch of ointment.

I looked at the indents on my hand. Again, what is with the Women in Diablos!? It's almost like they want to cripple me!" John! Here, give me your hand." Sharon held her hand out like it was the most natural thing in the world for me to place it back in the lion's den. Since she saw my hesitation, she began to pout while keeping her hand out." Wait, Sharon, shouldn't I do it by myself? I mean I'm a Betrothed Man and you're an unmarried Noblewoman, right?" My Hail Mary was heard." Who cares!?

We've already touched our hands before after all! This much is nothing." Grab. Cool... Soothing... And was cruelly deflected. Not wanting to cause a problem, I simply gave up. Sharon looked like a kid who got the toy they wanted from the store. Is that it? Am I just a time waster? Like a game for her to alleviate the boredom of our travel? I should stop overthinking it. She wouldn't be doing this or prepared the ointment for me if she didn't really care about me.

Before long, my right hand was slathered in ointment. It absorbed into my skin quickly and the relief was immediate. Sharon continued to hold her hand out to me. When I looked at her, I realized she wanted my second hand. Not wanting to waste her good will, I shifted my weight to make it possible for my left hand to reach her. Grab. Cool... Soothing..." There we go. If only you were this obedient from the get-go. We wouldn't have had to appeal to others to join the fight." Turn... Release... Shift...

I simply looked away from her. After she was done applying the ointment, she released my hand, and I began to reposition myself on the saddle. That was how I saw the next few moments happening, but instead I felt an immense pain coming from my chest. PAIN! FALL! / CRASH! / I fell off of my horse and landed on the dirt road. The pain was overwhelming. When I finally started to collect my bearings, Sharon shouted out in concern and dismounted her own horse." John!"" Somethings wrong with m...

Huakk" As I tried to explain my problem, blood shot out from my mouth and nose. I'm not a scientist, but I'm willing to bet I've been poisoned. Thinking fast, I remembered a Spell that would be useful around now." Holy Heal!" * PAIN! PAIn! PAin! Pain! pain! pai. pa. p..." My mana enveloped me. Slowly but surely, the pain from my chest started to recede and I began to be able to breathe again." John! What happened!?" I looked at Sharon while rethinking everything that had happened today. I thought about a question."

Sharon. Are there any poisons you know of that cause pain in a Human's chest and cause them to throw up blood?"" Yes, there are a few, do you think you've been poisoned, John?"" The only meals I've eaten since coming here are prepared by Anna, except for dinner where everyone eats in a" take whatever you want" kind of set up. That was the case until today. They served us all separate meals at breakfast." Sharon had a look of horror on her face as I explained this to her." Sharon. I was fed eggs and sausages.

Would any of the poisons you can think of be extremely bitter tasting?" Sharon looked even more upset, and tears began to well up in her blue eyes. She nodded to me." Alright. well, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck." At this point Sharon was crying with a big stream of tears coming from her eyes. I sat there for a second to try to collect my thoughts. For now, we should catch up with the rest of our group since we have been sitting for around a minute."

Sharon, for now can you get back onto your horse? Please, for me?" Sharon didn't respond to me, but she did comprehend me and proceeded to get back on her horse. I did the same and apologized to my horse for falling off of him." What are you going to do, John?"" I'm not sure yet. If I go to Sarah or Warrick and Aqua, there's no way they don't turn around and seek punishment for it. But the Lord of the Town seemed welcoming, so it may have been staff.

It could even had been an intruder that has been waiting for a moment to poison me and has been following us for a while trying to find an opening." Honestly all of this thinking is ridiculous, maybe I should just tell them and get the culprit? At the same time, if we turn around, there's no telling where the Hero Party will go. Innocent people could get hurt. They could even march to Ashneck and catch us unawares. Sharon just looked at me. At this point, her tears had slowed, but not stopped.

After a few moments, she had an angry look on her face. She rustled in her saddle looking for something. She grabbed a cloth and soaked it with water before extending it to my face. Cool..."" Don't move, John, you have blood on your face still, let me clean it for you." Wipe... Rub..." Her face was showing a mixture of emotions. Anger, sadness and pain being the most frequent ones. I didn't resist and let her do it. After a few minutes, she finished." John, let me handle this, ok?"" What do you mean?""

I mean the poisoning. I'll handle it." Sharon had a look in her eyes like she wouldn't back down." You know this could be tied into the ones who kidnapped Sarah, right? Hell, it could be the one who Cursed her and brainwashed Peter."" Don't worry, I know what to do. There's a time coming soon where we can figure this out in a smart way. Please leave this to me and focus on the Hero, okay?" Seems she had an idea on what I was thinking." Give me some time to think about it okay?"" Why do you need to think about it?""

Because this will put you in danger, Sharon." She was surprised by my answer and looked away from me. I think I heard her grumbling; I couldn't make it out. Regardless, she didn't say no, so I began to think. In time, we made it to the next town. I came to my decision, and I turned to Sharon and began to speak.

"No, Because I know that you would do something risky, so I won't allow it." She looked at me in disbelief." You're asking me to not do anything risky?"" I'm serious, Sharon, You're a girl after all. I don't want you to get hurt."" Girl... Hurt...." She Kept repeating my words in a trance." Sharon. Seriously. Let me handle this."" Okay. I'll trust this to you for now." Sharon pouted at me as she answered me. While all this was going on, I noticed that the houses in this town were different from the ones before.

The size of the town as well. It had more houses than the others. These houses were made of stone instead of wood like the other houses from Ashneck and Bloodslide." Hey, Sharon, what's this place called and if you could tell me, why are these houses made of stone?"" Hm? Oh! This town is called Nulrock. It's name comes from the fact that there's a valley to the East of here that is home to millions of rocks, Historians believe that they formed from an ancient battle that happened there.

Or that Demons of ancient times gathered them for some forgotten reason. The houses are made from the materials that are most plentiful here, the rocks."

"I see. I wonder which side is right?" Sharon and I chatted about the different views from the Historians. In what felt like no time at all, we arrived at the Lord's house. The Lord was a tall blue man with 7 eyes by my count. Ah, this one hates Humans too. Well, off to the carriage I went after the usual bloodlust reaction. I also received 2 visitors later in the night. They both wanted answers as to why Sharon and I had to play catch up." My horse was giving me issues with his gait."" Don't lie to me, John!

I can tell when you lie!"" One of my eyes can see through lies, John!" My white lie caused deep anger to spout from them. I waved the white flag." ARE YOU KIDDING ME!" Both women exploded." I know how you both feel. But I want to focus on the Hero for now. When we go back through town. I think it might be worth investigating. We can also talk to Sharon about this as well. She asked to do something about it, but I said no. I think she may still try something though."" She what!?"

This time they were just surprised this time." She asked and I thought about it for a few hours. I decided to not allow her to do it. But I don't know if she will stay put." They both were angry. And then they saw some of the blood that was still on my shirt and they just started to shift from crying to murderous rage. We ended up falling asleep in each other's arms later in the night.