Chapter 6: Winter Forest Exploration (3)

“Whew… It worked for now. What’s going on?”

“I came to find you for a meal, but what kind of magic is this?”

Tehis looked around the base, which seemed unchanged from before. He could feel the bewildered gazes of the expedition members directed at them.

“It’s wind control magic. I fixed what I had been maintaining manually to this location. The mana here is so uncooperative that I used a mana stone, but even with an intermediate one, it seems it’ll only last about a day.”

Clicking her tongue at the extreme inefficiency, Chloe pocketed the broken mana stone. The mana imbued in the magic circle glowed faintly, asserting its presence.

Tehis, understanding that the wind magic would be maintained at the base for a day, asked her.

“What about using mana stones for magic when we move tomorrow? I’ll pay for the used mana stones later.”

“The reason I used a mana stone now is because it’s difficult to control the natural mana enough to draw a magic circle. It’s almost impossible to move a magic circle with fixed coordinates in real-time. Using mana stones for wind magic while moving is also inefficient, as this type of magic needs to be overlaid by synchronizing with natural mana anyway. If the result is the same, there’s no need to waste materials unnecessarily. It’s only necessary when using much stronger magic.”

“Hmm.”

I don’t get it. It seems like she’s saying it’s a waste.

The Grand Duke didn’t understand the mage’s words but nodded in agreement. If the expert said so, he would neatly drop the suggestion.

“You’ve worked hard. You must be hungry, so let’s eat.”

“Sure. What’s on the menu?”

Chloe naturally linked her arm with Tehis’s as she asked.

He had intended to look around, but he quickly revised his plan and answered.

“Chicken stew. It’ll be similar for the first few days, but if it doesn’t suit your taste, please let me know.”

“Are you implying you didn’t neglect my taste?”

Smiling, Chloe walked toward where people were gathered. She wasn’t particularly picky, but considering the care she’d experienced while dating him, it made sense to assume such a premise.

True to her guess, Tehis had planned the menu considering both the nutrition of the expedition team and Chloe’s taste. Although he hadn’t handled everything himself, he had provided direction and made the final decision, so it wasn’t entirely wrong.

“Would you like to eat separately from the expedition team?”

Chloe chuckled at Tehis’s voice, which returned with a question instead of an answer. His lack of tact was endearing.

“Is there really a need for that? I’ll eat outside to check how stable the magic circle is.”

“Yes, Chloe.”

The two received chicken stew like everyone else and tactfully sat in a spot prepared by the knights. It was a place ambiguous enough to be close to the expedition members but not quite with them, where they began their meal.

‘The ingredients are fresher than expected.’

Chloe was sure that preservation magic had been cast on the magic pouch containing the large quantity of food. Indeed, in a situation where it was uncertain how long they’d stay in the forbidden zone, spoiled food would be a significant issue.

“After the meal, I’ll have your tent prepared. Then I’ll return after organizing the surrounding monsters with the knights.”

“Hmm?”

Tehis continued explaining to Chloe, who responded with a nasal sound while eating stew.

“I plan to have the rangers operate within the magic’s range as much as possible. They’ll check details the knights miss, set directions, and be encouraged to collect rare plants from the Winter Forest…”

The Grand Duke stopped his explanation, feeling embarrassed under the mage’s intense gaze. As he retraced his words for any slip, Chloe swallowed what was in her mouth and smiled meaningfully.

Feeling uneasy from her smile, Tehis tried to change the subject but was already too late.

Chloe’s eyes were mischievous as she placed a hand on her cheek and tilted her head slightly.

“Darling, are you planning to sleep separately from me?”

“Cough!”

Tehis momentarily thought the cough from behind was his own.Tehis momentarily thought the cough from behind was his own.

‘What on earth is she talking about?’

He hadn’t expected his offer to set up a personal tent to be taken this way, and he was momentarily at a loss for words.

“…Since we’re out for the exploration…”

“It’s not like you’re exploring while sleeping, is it?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

Faced with Chloe’s teasing expression, Tehis was at a loss. He didn’t know how to respond to such remarks and remained silent.

Feeling the sharp stares, he turned to find the exploration team quickly averting their eyes.

“Ahem, ahem. This stew is really delicious!”

“Of course, you fool. Isn’t it the same food the mage is eating?”

“That’s why it’s made with such care…”

Whispering, murmuring.

Tehis felt a headache from the rangers’ whispers. At least the knights were quiet, watching his reaction, which was a relief.

More precisely, they were intensely signaling each other with strange expressions, but that didn’t matter to him.

Tehis couldn’t figure out what Chloe, with her sparkling eyes, was expecting from him.

“…If we were to share a tent.”

As soon as Tehis started speaking, he realized he was in a checkmate.

Whether he brushed off her comments as a joke from the position of a contract lover unknown to others or accepted them, he was in a bind. If he insisted on using separate tents, the expedition team would find it odd, and sharing one would surely make him self-conscious.

Ultimately, after repeatedly agonizing over it, he chose the path that made him seem like a scoundrel.

“I’m not confident I can restrain myself…”

“Pfft.”

At Chloe’s laughter, Tehis rubbed his face with one hand. The statement didn’t suit him even in his own mind, and a faint heat rose to his ears.

Watching him unable to meet her eyes, Chloe smirked.

‘He’s cute, really.’

Stirring her stew, she playfully remarked, thinking she sometimes wanted to touch his ears.

“Then it can’t be helped. I meant it would be easier to handle unexpected situations if we were in the same place.”

“That’s… true.”

“Were you looking forward to it, my love?”

Tehis averted his gaze from Chloe’s amused face as she leaned toward him.

If anything, he hadn’t thought anything would happen just because they shared a tent. But denying such a question was awkward due to their ambiguous roles.

After a few lip movements, he finally played the part of a fake lover.

“Yes, I was… looking forward to it a little.”

Oh my.

Chloe silently formed her lips into a circle. She hadn’t expected him to admit it so readily.

‘That’s unexpected.’

Then again, saying he wasn’t confident he could restrain himself was also outside her expectations. It was probably all forced out of him as he played the role of a lover he never intended to be.

Still chuckling at the thought, Chloe straightened her posture and warmed the cooling stew with magic. Stirring the steaming food with her spoon, she spoke cheerfully.

“We have plenty of time, don’t we? Let’s take it slow, darling.”

Is meeting once every two weeks outside of the Winter Forest exploration really a lot of time?

Tehis had a legitimate doubt but didn’t bring up the contract. As always, he simply said, “Yes, Chloe,” and resumed the meal they had paused.

The couple, who were straightforward themselves but seemed suggestive to others, quickly finished their stew and got up. After a brief conversation, they parted ways to attend to their respective tasks.

While the knights set up a new tent and left the campsite with Tehis to hunt monsters, the rangers followed Chloe. After gathering information and collecting plants, the first day in the Winter Forest came to an end.

* * *

“Yawn…”

The first morning in the forbidden zone. Chloe yawned as she got up and summoned water. After roughly washing her face and evaporating the moisture, she put on a robe over her light chemise. The Mage Tower robe, enchanted with warming magic, always maintained an optimal temperature, covering her white clothes.

“Chloe.”

“Good morning, Tess.”

Chloe greeted Tehis, whom she encountered as soon as she exited her personal tent.

The man, who had come to call her, answered calmly.

“Good morning. Was there any discomfort while resting?”

“Not at all. The preparations were better than I expected.”

Chloe recalled the sleeping bag, which even had shock absorption magic. It was a secret that she had dissected and restored it, having examined the same magic applied to the Grand Duke’s carriage.

“That’s a relief. Your condition is the most important, so if there’s anything bothering you, please let me know anytime.”

“Is there anyone else I’d be concerned about besides you?”

Chloe replied with a sweet smile. Her natural flirtation left Tehis momentarily speechless. He wondered if he would ever understand what this mage was thinking.

“…You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Oh, come on. At times like this, you should also say you’re only concerned about me.”

Tehis wondered if he was truly at fault under Chloe’s brazen reproach. Being in such a relationship for the first time, he couldn’t help but be ignorant of many things.

“I…”

Blue eyes met orange ones. How sincere the words spoken, one word at a time, were was something no one could know.

“I prioritize you above all else, Chloe.”

Blink.

Chloe, who had prompted him, looked at Tehis in surprise. She was equally curious about what he was thinking. As always, his expressionless yet not cold face met Chloe’s gaze.

After a moment of silent staring, they turned their heads at the urgent report from the knight captain.

“Your Grace, three Snow Ogres are approaching this way. If we want to avoid them, we must move now. What would you like to do?”