“Ethan, where are we going?”

A woman, wrapped from head to toe in a bright red hoodie, asked the question. The man walking one step ahead of her, holding her hand tightly, turned to look at her, but his attention was already elsewhere.

‘Then why bother asking?’

Ethan swallowed the wave of frustration rising inside him. Being ignored was nothing new to him, but somehow it got on his nerves even more when she did it.

As they walked, his mind was busy, spinning in every direction at the changing scenery. To him, there was far more to see in the gleaming white city she came from than in this village that was no better than a slum.

Ethan pulled If, who was running in all directions like a dog on a lead, back towards him by the hand he was holding. Dressed like someone who had just come from the land, they began to attract more and more attention.

He couldn’t really blame the suspicious looks – after all, who would come sightseeing in a village that was practically falling apart? Still, it wasn’t good to attract attention when you were on the run.

Ethan pulled If’s hood down lower over her face and quickened his pace.

In a tiny village so small it didn’t even have a name, there was no point in looking for an inn – there was only one, and even that was a narrow, shabby place filled with nothing but dust.

“Two meals and a night’s lodging.”

“One silver coin.”

The scruffy man sitting at the counter, lazily scratching his belly, replied indifferently.

Clink.

Ethan flicked a silver coin with his finger and the man, snatching it up in the air, tossed a faded key onto the table.

“Upstairs, last room on the left. You’re the only guests, so I don’t mind if you get a bit noisy.”

“…”

Glancing at the pair, who looked unmistakably like a couple, the man flashed a lecherous grin – only to quickly avert his gaze and clear his throat under the weight of a cold stare.

A black hood of unmistakably bestial ash-grey fur. Beneath it, gleaming from the shadows, were fierce green eyes – cold as ice.

“Um, should I bring the food now?”

“Bring it to our room in an hour.”

Ethan took the key and led If up the stairs.

It wasn’t until they were inside the room that If, who had been snuggling quietly against him, was finally released.

The room was as shabby as the outside of the inn. The small bed, just big enough for two people to lie on, was made of old wood that looked as if it might collapse at any moment.

A crude mattress of hay was thrown on top, covered with a piece of cloth to hold it in place. The blanket, though neatly arranged, was full of patches where scraps of cloth had been sewn over holes.

A square table was pushed against the wall, two hard wooden chairs and a small bathroom with the door left open.

It was only after a thorough search of the room, his eyes darting around to check every nook and cranny, that Ethan finally let If out of his arms.

While If wandered around, peering curiously into the room, Ethan carelessly tossed his fur-lined hood and rucksack onto one of the chairs. It wasn’t much – just a few essentials – but even that took up more space now that there were two of them instead of one.

Ethan sank onto the bed with a heavy sigh. The bed sagged with a soft thud under his weight. As the hay underneath was compressed, bits of dust rose into the air, carrying with them the dry scent of straw.

It was a cheap inn, so there wasn’t much to expect – but still, for the price, it was decent enough to have a bathroom at all. There were plenty of places without even that.

Ethan pressed his fingers to his temples, trying to ease the throbbing headache. Even in a tiny village like this, the whispers stirred up by the arrival of strangers were loud and relentless.

“I hear these outsiders are staying at Chad’s inn, right?”

“Yes. A man and a woman. The man was also wearing animal skins.”

“So… do you think he’s a beast hunter?”

“With a woman? I’d bet he’s a mercenary. And the woman? Probably a s*x slave to keep him company at night.”

“Yes, even mercenaries might keep a cheap slave around. I mean, what else would someone like him be doing? Probably just eking out a living as a drifter, no place to leave her anyway.”

Ethan frowned at the crude remarks drifting over from the tavern across the street.

Superior physical abilities instead of magic – convenient at times, but just as often a curse. His body, worn raw from months of constant vigilance, refused to relax, even when he wanted to shut out those vulgar words.

He’d gone to great lengths to leave no trace – erasing footprints, covering signs of where they’d camped – careful with every step to avoid being tracked.

“Ethan.”

“What?”

His voice, sharp in response to her call, was deep enough to make most women jump – but If only blinked and calmly reached out to cover both of Ethan’s ears with her palms.

“Can’t you hear?”

As if something like that could stop him hearing. Still, Ethan couldn’t help the little laugh that escaped him, almost like a mockery.

Sometimes she acted smarter than he did, but at moments like this she was as innocent as a child.

Looking at her, Ethan reached out and tugged at the hood that was wrapped tightly around her. Her long hair, hidden until now, slipped free and swayed before his eyes.

A colour born from the gathering of all the shades of the world.

For the first time in his life, Ethan felt the sensation of beauty as he looked at If, and he finally understood those noble bastards who so often recited poetry about ‘beautiful hair’.

Red, yellow, green, blue, white – with every breeze that slipped through the cracks of the worn window, her hair swayed and scattered into countless shades. It shattered into every colour Ethan had ever known and even more he had never seen before.

Ethan buried his face in her soft hair. There wasn’t even a trace of scent, not even a hint of body odour, and for the first time in a long while his senses found peace.

If tilted her head, watching the man leaning against her. She couldn’t understand him – a man tormented by his inability to control his own physical abilities.

“Does it hurt?”

There were no visible wounds, but since he had asked her to heal him so many times, claiming he was in pain, she assumed this time would be no different.

She cupped Ethan’s cheeks gently with both hands.

A wet, pink tongue glistened between her slightly parted lips.

As soon as the soft tongue brushed against his rough lips, Ethan pulled her slender neck towards him. For all his strength, the gesture was surprisingly gentle.

His thick tongue parted her lips and slid inside, stirring her mouth.

Saliva alone should have been enough, but he moved as if searching, touching every nook and cranny.

It traced along her teeth, scraping the base of her tongue and pressing against the roof of her mouth.

It was far too persistent for what should have been a mere exchange of saliva for healing.

But she liked the searing heat that enveloped her.

The way he looked at her with burning eyes, the way he flinched at her slightest touch – it was almost amusing to watch.

Though the world beyond the city she had left behind was strange and new, her first curiosity was Ethan, right in front of her.

As she wrapped her arms around his firm neck, his hand slipped under her skirt, sliding over her smooth stomach.

“Mm…”

Whenever his large hand cupped her br*ast, her heart beat louder than ever.

Behind the gentle touch that caressed her without hurting, there was his hot breath.

The heat in her flushed cheeks was something she never quite got used to.

Although it shouldn’t have been that hard to begin with.

Before she knew it, she was lying on the bed, her arm outstretched.

“Ethan…”

Compared to him, her arm was slender and soft.

It was nothing like her own pale skin – his was thick and rough.

Tanned and mottled by the sun, his skin felt coarse and unfamiliar to the touch.

Even when she tried to think of it in a good way, the sensation of touching it was uncomfortable and strange.

Still, she always found herself reaching for him first – because of that look.

Eyes tinted with the cool shade of the green forests sparkled like fire.

Sure, they were the same colour as her own, but hers had never shone like that.

There were many differences between them, but most of their structure was the same.

And yet he always sparkled with so many different expressions.

“Don’t rush me.”

All she did was call his name.

What did he think she was trying to say?

If tilted her head in surprise.

Seeing that, Ethan frowned in frustration, but pushed his large body into her arms anyway.

As her soft, silvery hair brushed against his cheek, tickling him, If let out a clear, bright laugh.

At the sound, Ethan, his face now relaxed and lazy, pressed his lips to her neck.

Soft, repeated kisses left reddish marks where his lips had touched.

On her pale skin, the marks stood out vividly, scattered like small dots.

“Mm…”

Whenever Ethan touched her, heat spread through her body and her breathing became uneven.

First with his hand, then with his lips. Her round br*asts were small enough to fit Ethan’s hand. Nevertheless, Ethan pressed his lips to them and caressed them, not knowing how to let go.

“Ahh…”

The soft shape soon became stiff. Wet with saliva, the shape became even more pronounced. His sharp tongue circled the bristly tip, tickling it.

“Heehee…….”

She twisted her waist and put her strength into her toes. Her waist kept jumping up. Then the hard head of his p*nis bit her.

A strange sound, not sure if it was a scream, broke out.

“Hhh!”

The body, already familiar with many pleasures, instinctively craved the next. Having relieved this tingling sensation many times before, it naturally chose the simplest and easiest way.

“Ethan, it tickles… My hands are too small to reach it. Can you touch it for me?”

He took Ethan’s hand, which was larger and longer than her own, and led it down with a teasing touch.

“This is really happening.”

Ethan murmured with a hollow laugh as he pressed against the other’s soft body.

But the heat between them quickly cooled at the sound of someone approaching from outside.

A crunch.

Startled, he straightened immediately, his ears pricked as he listened intently to the sound. Thanks to his heightened physical senses – far sharper than the average human’s – he could easily pick up the distant sound.

“What’s wrong?”

Unable to calm his agitated breaths, If tilted her head.

Glancing at her panting beneath him, Ethan placed his hand over her flushed lips. His large hand covered almost half of her face.

“Shh.”

As he pressed her lips together to keep any sound from escaping, her cheeks were pressed firmly under the shape of his hand. The soft movement of her lips made the underside of his palm tingle.

Ethan let out a small chuckle at the feathery tickle, but quickly shifted his gaze elsewhere.

“……”

Ethan pulled back the curtain on the window beside the bed.

Looking out from the corner of the window, he saw several men dressed in the same uniform.

Clang.

The loud clatter of iron echoed as their metal armour collided.

*So this is what they call a secret search?

At the centre of their armour was a red dragon – the emblem of the Granat Empire.

The innkeeper must have reported them quickly, for the soldiers had already arrived outside the inn.

Among the soldiers guarding the front entrance, the commander was interrogating the innkeeper, who stood before him, bowing repeatedly.

Even from a distance, Ethan’s keen hearing picked up their voices as clearly as if they were right next to him.

“What did they look like?”

“It was a man with platinum hair and green eyes. He was also wearing a cloak of animal skin.”

“Did he have both arms?”

“Y-yes, of course. He definitely did. He also came with a woman…”

He’s really spilling the beans. Ethan clicked his tongue at the innkeeper’s behaviour.

“But didn’t the bastard have an arm cut off before he was executed? Seems like it could be someone else… Captain, what should we do?”

“Our target is that man. He’s the kind who could easily fool others, even with a fake arm. He wiped out a whole unit with just one arm – if he escapes, it’ll be a disaster. Search the place thoroughly, just in case.”

‘Have they already found me?’

As expected, simply erasing his tracks wasn’t enough.

Or did they know all along that he wouldn’t die in Belphirn?

Either way, this isn’t a good situation.

“It’s the condemned man who escaped from Belphirn! Don’t let your guard down – catch him!”

“Yes, sir!”

With a loud commotion, chaos erupted outside.

Ethan removed his hand from If’s mouth and bowed his head deeply.

Pressing his forehead against her clean, odourless skin, Ethan closed his eyes.

The footsteps surrounding the building carried the unmistakable heavy sound of armoured soldiers.

Though those below tried to move quietly as they opened the door, the sounds reached Ethan’s sharp ears without fail.

A deep sigh escaped through Ethan’s clenched teeth.

“Ethan?”

Rustle, rustle.

Unaware of what was going through Ethan’s mind, If reached out and gently ran her fingers through his platinum blonde locks, tickling them playfully as they swayed in front of her.

The tickling sensation caused Ethan to let out another deep sigh as he gripped the hilt of the sword lying beside him.

His hand clenched so tightly that the veins on the back of it bulged and his face twisted in frustration.

‘Damn it, of all times, they had to show up now.’

Fighting against the heat that refused to leave his lower body, Ethan muttered a series of curses under his breath.