The Banished Black Swordsman Wants a Peaceful Life with the White Saint in the Frontier ~Huh? You Want Him to Come Back with the Saint? It’s Already Too Late~ - 77

Chapter 77: A Joke for a Joke

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One afternoon.

In the vacant lot in front of the house, Lloyd devoted himself to his usual practice swings and core training. He checked the firmness of the soil with the soles of his feet and searched for the sensation of his center of gravity dropping vertically into the ground. He drew back his arm, twisted his body to store power, then released it. As he repeated the motion, sweat ran down his back and fell to the hem of his clothes.

Unlike when he had been on the battlefield, there was no urgent necessity now. Even with their “Handyman” work, requests involving danger like the Shadow Wolf were relatively rare. But there was no knowing when another dangerous request like that might arise. No, even if it was not a request, there was no knowing when this life of theirs might be threatened. If that was the case, then he needed to prepare both mind and body so that he could bring out his full power at any moment. With that in mind, he continued his training.

Suddenly, the doorway of the house cast a shadow, and a cool presence approached. Of course, it was Lusha.

“Lloyd.”

“Hm?”

“I made some tea. Would you like to have some together?”

“Oh, thanks. Then maybe I’ll take a short break.”

He took the wooden cup she offered, and a clear chill rose from it. When it touched his lips, a temperature one step cooler than the outside air brushed his tongue. She had cooled it with magic. The heat that had built up deep in his chest settled with a single swallow. Lloyd liked how she so casually paid attention to things like that. He lowered himself to the ground and let a stream slide down his throat.

“This is good. It really soaks into my body after exercise.”

“I heard the tea leaves are only harvested in this region. They’re delicious, aren’t they?”

Lusha sat down beside him and lifted her own wooden cup to her lips. A thin line of shadow fell between them, and the sound of them drinking overlapped slightly out of sync. A breeze passed through, and the rustling of leaves sank into his ears. Looking out, beyond the vacant lot stood a single decaying house. Farther still, he could see the house they had recently repaired for Elena and Fran. The scent of earth and wood faintly layered together, stretching out the afternoon.

Just right for cooling off the sweat.

Lloyd let out a small breath and glanced beside him. Why did his heart still pound so much just because her presence was next to him? He still was not used to it. As if choosing the moment when the silence had softened, Lusha spoke quietly.

“If possible, I would like to properly fix everything.”

Her gaze rested on the nearest abandoned house. He did not usually think about it, but seeing it like this reminded him that they truly were living in an abandoned village.

“Even for two of us, that would be exhausting. If more people come to live here, we can make progress then.”

Lloyd answered while holding the bottom of his wooden cup up to the light. In practical terms, this place no longer had a name on the map. A forgotten dot off the highway. Monsters did not come because of the barrier, and if anyone did wander in, it would probably be some former bandit who misjudged the wind.

Of course, they had not neglected preparations. Between the trees surrounding the village ruins, he had strung inconspicuous tripwires in alternating patterns. If even one was triggered, a small bell hanging from a beam in the house would ring to alert them. Aside from a fox setting it off once a few days ago, it had remained quiet. At the edge of the village, sunlight slanted across the repaired roof. Over the dry light, the shadow of a thin cloud slowly slid by.

“I wonder if Fran and Elena are doing well.”

“If we haven’t heard anything, that means it’s going well.”

He glanced at the carrier pigeon cage in front of the house. There was only one bird inside. No pigeon had arrived yet from Cron. If those two did not choose their jobs too selectively, they should be able to earn as much as they liked. Elena’s meticulous and earnest nature, along with Fran’s brightness, almost seemed better suited to being “Handymen” than being part of a Hero’s party.

By contrast, Lloyd and Lusha stood out, for better or worse. When Lloyd released his power, black miasma wrapped around him, and Lusha’s holy magic was too powerful. On one past request, she had even sent a pillar of light soaring into the heavens. Even for a Saint, concealing the power of the <Malice Glyph> was no easy task.

Still, continuing these uneventful days like this was not bad either. The sky was wide, the days gentle, the nights quiet. Nurturing love peacefully and growing old together was not a bad path. However, quiet alone did not fill the stomach. Lloyd asked her.

“Are we about to run out of food?”

“Yes. Tomorrow morning’s portion will be the last.”

“Then I guess I’ll head into town tomorrow and stop by Cron’s place too.”

“Yes. It’s been a while since we went into town, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Lusha nodded shyly and leaned her body against his upper arm. Her warmth pressed close, her weight settling through the fabric. Lloyd realized belatedly that his collar was still damp with sweat.

“I’m sweating right now, you know.”

“I don’t mind.”

Lusha said it with a soft laugh. He was happy, but a little embarrassed.

“I mind. At least let me take a bath.”

When he said that, she made a slightly bashful expression. Then she continued.

“Then… shall we bathe together for the first time in a while?”

“Eh!? Seriously!?”

He sprang upright without thinking. The last time they had bathed together was when they had first used the bathhouse here. Back then and now were different. It was only natural that he would imagine what might happen if they bathed together now. However…

“I’m joking. Bathing together is still embarrassing after all.”

She stuck out her tongue playfully. After tapping the rim of her wooden cup with her fingertip, she looked up at him from beneath her lashes. The lingering weight of her leaning against him felt ticklish.

Lloyd let out a short breath that was somewhere between a wry smile and a sigh and set his wooden cup on the ground. It did not take long for him to think, I love her. The presence of her in the kitchen, the softness of magical light, the way her eyes drooped when she was tired, and the innocent way she closed the distance with jokes like this. His body reacted to all of it. It was the kind of thing you felt before you thought.

“You little prankster.”

A joke for a joke in return. Having decided that, Lloyd lightly tugged her wrist while remaining seated on the grass. She did not resist. Her soft weight tipped toward him, and their shadows overlapped into one.

“…Mm.”

Before she could voice her surprise, he covered her lips. The tea from earlier lingered there, slightly cool. Her breathing faltered softly, and as if responding to his kiss, she wrapped her arms around his neck. His fingers brushed the folds of her clothes, and his heartbeat quickened slightly. The heat from training and the heat of her closeness mingled in the back of his throat. At the edge of his vision, the wind smoothed the tips of the grass. The bell did not ring, and the village remained quiet. In the distant trees, birds shifted places, and a single thin streak marked the sky.

“We’ll continue tonight.”

Lloyd pulled his lips away and left a small space between them before placing a light kiss on her forehead. He kept it light enough for the joke to remain a joke, but with enough weight to leave an unspoken answer.

“…I feel a little relieved to hear that.”

She blinked twice, three times. Then she smiled with visible relief. Did she think he might start something right here? Even if no one was around, he could not do something that embarrassing. Without a word, Lloyd helped her sit upright, picked up his wooden cup, and finished the remaining tea. The coolness that passed down his throat felt softer than before.

The sweat had not completely dried, but the faint impatience that had lingered deep in his chest had long since disappeared.

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