"At a time like this... a bath?"
Kiana scanned Aaron's expression suspiciously, completely unable to understand what he was thinking.
When they first met, she might have thought Aaron was planning something... *adult*.
But after knowing him for a while, Kiana didn't think that way anymore.
It wasn't that her image of Aaron had completely changed, it was mainly...
Remembering Aaron gushing blood on the way here, Kiana figured this overly cautious guy wouldn't have a head full of lewd thoughts when he was this weak.
"Right, a bath. Our scent is too strong. If we run now, the lingering smell will just lead our pursuers right to us. So..."
*Thump*. He pulled a bottle of scent eliminator from his storage space and said weakly to Kiana.
"After we wash up, we'll spray this all over ourselves and the area. I don't expect it to completely hide our scent, but if it can just throw them off, it'll be worth it."
"...You really are meticulous, aren't you."
Kiana glanced at the two bottles of scent eliminator, two bottles of body wash, two bottles of shampoo, and two bath towels Aaron had placed on the ground. The look she gave him grew even stranger.
"Better safe than sorry. Catch."
He tossed Kiana a bottle of drinking water, then weakly got to his feet and headed for the nearby stream.
"I'll go first. Give me three minutes. After you change, I'll burn these clothes."
He really thinks of everything.
Watching Aaron drag himself toward the stream, Kiana's expression flickered, and she made a decision.
..........................
After shedding his clothes and sinking into the water, Aaron felt his body finally relax.
The side effects of Ittou Shura were still active, but at least now, Aaron could feel the cold water stimulating his body, which felt incredibly soothing.
At the same time, today's events had confirmed one thing for him.
Ittou Shura was a good skill, but that skill...
—I should avoid using it if at all possible! My body is still aching. This is ridiculous!
And I have no strength left. It's a pain to even apply body wash in this state...
"Move over. Make some room for me."
Huh?
Hearing the girl's voice, Aaron instinctively started to turn his head toward his companion.
"Don't turn around!"
"Oh, okay. But I have to say—men and women shouldn't be this close. It's really not appropriate for you to come over here."
"Mm, well said."
Listening to Aaron, Kiana replied with a hint of disdain.
"If you'd stared at my chest a little less when we first met, that might have been more convincing."
"You're such a pervert, why pretend to be a gentleman now?"
"If you know I'm a pervert, isn't it a little careless to serve yourself up on a platter like this?"
Ignoring Aaron's words, Kiana picked up the body wash, poured some into her hand, and began to gently rub it onto Aaron's back.
"In your current state? Could you even *do* anything lewd? A ten-year-old girl could probably beat you up right now."
"You just said we might have pursuers. You can barely move, and I can't just stand by and watch you slowly, painfully try to wash yourself."
She sighed softly.
"Besides... I owe you one... Anyway, now's not the time to worry about the details!"
"...Fine. Whatever."
Aaron rested his arms on the bank, closed his eyes, and said softly.
"Then... I'm counting on you, Kiana."
"Mhm."
For the next few minutes, neither of them spoke.
Kiana, contrary to her usual hyperactive personality, was quietly and carefully washing Aaron's back.
But just at the end, Kiana couldn't stop herself from asking the question on her mind.
"Aaron, why are you... so meticulous? I'm not saying everyone should be reckless, but the way you are... it feels like..."
"Oh, don't overthink it. The reason is simple. I'm an orphan."
"In the orphanage, people didn't help each other like in fairy tales. Bullying... that happened all the time."
"And when I grew up, I found out society was even worse. When potential employers found out I was an orphan, they assumed I had mental and emotional problems and rejected my application flat out."
"I get it, really. Nobody wants to hire a ticking time bomb. But after that, I learned one thing for sure."
"The world isn't a nice place. If you're not careful, you could end up dead in an instant. And as it turns out, I was right."
"Is that so..."
"Yeah. But I'm not against teamwork. Being alone is hard. That's an undeniable fact."
He sighed, speaking as if to himself.
"Maybe I chose the 'Alliance' mode because I just really wanted a partner I could trust."
"And because of that... I dragged you into all this. You said you owed me one, but that's not how it is at all..."
"It's because of my selfishness that you're facing this danger."
"I'm sorry, Kiana."
"This... it's all my fault."
...............................