The Sin of Calamity, Bridge Piers, and the Iron-Gray Kingdom (Part II)
—
Lena disappeared midway through dinner, perhaps because her magic, which allowed her to materialize, had been depleted, temporarily preventing her from appearing at will. Now, all they could do was wait for Crow’s reconnaissance results and wait for the so-called “opportunity” to arrive. During this period, Ellyad and Thrett had to temporarily use this small, sunless tea house as their base.
The only room available in the building was the last one on the second floor, reserved for the only woman here – Snowlight. Crow, on the other hand, stayed in a small adjacent compartment resembling a storage space without a door, standing guard. Approaching dawn, he had to start scouting the movements of the city guards.
In winter, darkness fell quickly, and the courtyard was already pitch black.
Snowlight carried a small candle holder as she ascended the stairs, saying, “I should go to bed then, the only time we can conveniently move around is during the early morning to mid-morning hours, so every morning I have to be responsible for picking up a full day’s worth of ingredients before we can do so.”
Crow handed two large pieces of cloth to Ellyad and followed Snowlight upstairs. The wooden ceiling creaked continuously.
In the hallway, Ellyad found some additional pieces of cloth and planned to spread them along the wall to sit against it to sleep. Although this might not provide much warmth on a winter night, it was better than having nothing.
“Are you going to sleep now?” Thrett asked. Recently, he found himself sleeping more frequently, suspecting that it might be due to the binding force of the totem.
“It’s better to sleep early to coordinate with their actions,” Ellyad said, holding a relatively clean piece of cloth. He chose a discreet corner in the hall to sit down. Although there was a bit of musty smell, and the floor was icy cold, it was bearable. After wrapping himself with the cloth, Thrett also sat down next to him, their shoulders touching.
Suddenly, Ellyad remembered that Thrett’s cloak was still on him. He was about to take it off and return it when Thrett stopped him.
“You keep wearing that, and I’ll keep the scarf on.” He smiled at Ellyad.
“Yeah,” Ellyad didn’t argue with Thrett. To be honest, he still felt very cold. If Thrett didn’t mind, he would prefer to keep wearing it. The more he thought about it, the harder it was to fall asleep. Ellyad closed his eyelids tightly, and in just a few minutes, he fell into a deep sleep.
Even in his dreams, he felt the cold. Ellyad couldn’t help but curl up his whole body, even thinking about pulling the cloth over his head. Then… his body gradually warmed up, becoming warmer and warmer without him realizing it.
—
Always feeling like there was something heavy pressing on his back, and his whole body was uncomfortable.
Ellyad struggled to open his eyes. A few strands of dawn’s purple light seeped through the window, much like the color of one of Thrett’s eyes.
Ellyad’s mind finally cleared, but he found himself seemingly fastened to something. On closer inspection, he discovered that he was leaning on something warm.
‘Warm?’
Raising his head suddenly, he met Thrett’s sleeping face. Ellyad immediately looked around, realizing that he was actually sleeping in Thrett’s embrace.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
‘Lbk vlv atlr tjqqfc? Qtfc…’
Siisjv tevvifv eq jujlcra Ktgfaa’r mtfra, ybat qlfmfr bo mibat mbnfglcu tlr yjmx. Ktgfaa tjv tlr jgwr kgjqqfv jgbecv tlr yjmx, qgfnfcalcu tlw ogbw rilvlcu vbkc.
Pc tlr vgfjwr, la vlv offi lcmgfjrlcuis kjgw, qgbyjyis yfmjerf atja kjr ktfc Ktgfaa kjr tbivlcu tlw.
‘Rb kbcvfg la yfmjwf rb kjgw.’
Ellyad focused on Thrett’s peacefully sleeping face.
Once Thrett was asleep, no matter how much Ellyad tried to disturb him, he wouldn’t wake up. However, a simple call from Ellyad could instantly rouse him, making Ellyad suspicious if Thrett was pretending to be asleep.
He poked Thrett’s forehead. Since Thrett often did this to him, a little retaliation should be harmless, right?
Seeing no reaction from Thrett, Ellyad pinched his nose. Still, there was no response. Suddenly, Ellyad cupped Trett’s face with his hands, then used his fingers to sweep aside the strands of hair on his face. Ellyad abruptly withdrew his hand, not because Thrett woke up but because, upon revealing Thrett’s flawless and intimidatingly handsome face, it was so breathtakingly beautiful that it left Ellyad breathless.
“But he is actually very gentle.” Although he was all black, he was the only light in the darkness.
Thrett still didn’t wake up, the shallow and undisturbed breathing proving that he was still deep in slumber.
Ellyad boldly ran his fingers over Thrett’s lips, staring at them for a while. Leaning in, he pressed his lips against Thrett’s, giving a gentle peck before immediately pulling away.
“He’s still not awake?”
He kissed Thrett again, feeling the soft and warm texture of his lips. The sound of the heartbeat echoed in his ears, making him tense all over, almost to the point of breathlessness. After pulling away, he took a few deep breaths.
“Still not awake…”
Realizing that he couldn’t restrain the desire to kiss, after promising himself it would be the last time, Ellyad placed his hands on Thrett’s face and carefully pressed his lips against his. He attentively felt the warmth of the lips, the heartbeat, and the overwhelming surge of emotions in his heart—an intense and fiery feeling.
Ellyad tentatively licked Trett’s thin lips with the tip of his tongue, emulating what Thrett did last time. He wanted to deepen the kiss by introducing his tongue, but he restrained himself, fearing that Thrett might suddenly wake up. Unfortunately, he still didn’t know how to proceed, and Ellyad released the kiss with a tinge of regret, his face instantly flushing.
‘What am I doing?’ Realizing his uncontrollable actions, Ellyad wanted to escape from Thrett’s chest, but Thrett’s hands held him firmly, making it questionable whether this person was really asleep. Ellyad remembered that he had whispered Thrett’s name softly before, and Thrett instantly woke up. Therefore, Ellyad decided to test it again.
“T-Thrett?”
“…Hm?” The person in front of him really opened his eyes like that. Feeling guilty for his recent actions, Ellyad forcefully pushed him away, only to find himself tumbling out.
“Were you pretending to sleep just now?” Ellyad asked displeasedly in a low voice.
“No, not at all. It’s you. You’re still cold. Do you want to wrap you up in these again?” Thrett picked up the fallen pieces of cloth and draped them back over Ellyad.
“How is it possible that you can wake up instantly every time I call you?”
Not sure why he suddenly got upset, Ellyad pulled his right hand away. Thrett took Ellyad’s hand and kissed the pinkie, explaining, “Because this is also part of our agreement.”
The ‘contract’ summons Thrett’s physical body. The content of the ‘agreement’ Thrett made ensures that, whether in body or spirit, he will be with Ellyad. Due to some magical influence, as soon as he hears his own name, he can immediately wake up. Otherwise, once Thrett falls asleep, it’s challenging to awaken him.
Ellyad eventually accepted this explanation. However, he couldn’t help feeling ashamed for doing such things while others were asleep.
“Brother, are you awake? Let’s go to the market together,” a childish voice emerged from the stairs. Snowlight, dressed in a pink winter dress, ran to Ellyad and Thrett.
The term ‘brother’ didn’t sound out of place at all. The two had such an close fake relationship that it even displeased Trett. “What about that black bird?”
“Do you mean Crow? He went out to survey early in the morning, so there was no one to accompany me for shopping in the morning. Would you like to go with me now?”
“Uh, yeah, Thrett, if you’re still tired, just stay and continue resting,”
He wanted to avoid Thrett for a while and forget about the foolish things he had just done.
“Sure, I’ll wait for you here.”
“Huh? Can’t both of you accompany me?”
“Because I was the one who woke Thrett up just now, which disturbed his sleep. That’s why he needs to continue resting.”
After hearing Ellyad’s explanation, Snowlight showed a somewhat regretful expression, pouted her pink lips, and gave up her insistence. She pulled Ellyad and left the tea house, leaving Thrett to watch over the place.
If it were a normal situation, Thrett would definitely follow, but it was obvious that this time Ellyad didn’t want him to, and more importantly, Thrett himself didn’t have any intention of going out.
After confirming that everyone was gone, Thrett took off his coat, rolled up his left sleeve, and the Hero’s totem shimmered with a faint blood-red light. The entire arm seemed as if it had been burned by fire, displaying a deep red color. This was the reason he didn’t go out with Ellyad. The recent erosion of the totem had become increasingly severe, and Thrett had to unseal a layer periodically to suppress the burning pain spreading across his body.
He released a bit of his internal power, and indeed, the pain instantly alleviated. Subsequently, drowsiness overcame him once again.
—
Snowlight and Ellyad wrapped themselves in cloaks as they walked down the street. Due to the cold weather, most passersbys were dressed similarly. Although the winter season hadn’t officially arrived, the low temperatures were already enough to freeze stray cats, dogs, or homeless wanderers with nowhere to go.
Beyond the depths of dim alleys lay a dimly lit grand square. It was brighter than the tea house but still maintained a gloomy atmosphere, with most vendors gathered here.
During this gray and misty time of day, the market seemed devoid of vitality. The vendors sold shriveled and expensive fruits and vegetables, wearing expressions of frustration. Pale beggars lingered near the stalls, hoping for some charity.
Snowlight, however, moved briskly among the stalls, selecting items with enthusiasm. Regardless of where she went or with whom she spoke, she wore a sweet smile. As people saw her, they gradually began to smile as well, bringing a bit of energy to the otherwise lifeless morning market.
‘Turns out it’s not just for shopping, but to lift everyone’s spirits, right?’ Ellyad suddenly felt that this seemed to be Snowlight’s true intention.
“That’s quite impressive.” Ellyad instinctively reached out and patted Snowlight’s head, finding himself adopting more and more habits influenced by Thrett.
“It’s quite impolite to casually pat a lady’s head, you know.”
“Uh, sorry.”
“It’s okay, I forgive you. Let’s talk about something else.”
Snowlight’s conversational tone was like that of a child trying to act mature, taking the initiative to lead the conversation. With this opportunity, Snowlight warmly discussed many things with Ellyad, including the story of how she met Crow.
Crow was originally a nameless one, referring to those who were abandoned by their parents at birth or faced sudden tragedies, losing all family and support. They were the lowest stratum of human society, looked down upon by everyone. Even the priests of the cathedral would say, “Nameless ones are souls not blessed by the goddess Elena. Besides reincarnation after death, there is no other way to relieve their suffering.” Nameless ones were never treated as human, and anyone could sell, enslave, or persecute them. On the continent of Sipistole, theft by nameless ones was rampant, and to survive, they excelled in various forms of thievery, kidnapping, and deception.
The encounter between Snowlight and Crow happened during a robbery.
At that time, Crow, who was already emaciated, committed theft and was caught on the spot. The one who bravely protected him amidst a flurry of punches and kicks was Snowlight, who looked only nine years old.
Although Snowlight was also beaten badly that time, she didn’t mind at all. In fact, she brought Crow back with her to take care of him, expressing her hope that Crow wouldn’t repeat his offense. From then on, Crow vowed to protect Snowlight with his life as a way of repayment, and he has been following Snowlight ever since.
Ellyad, being naturally reserved, remained silent throughout the journey, responding with quiet nods and serving as a quiet listener.
Unbeknownst to them, they had circled the market several times. As the day brightened, the crowd began to grow, and suddenly, several people rushed past them in a hurry without a hint of apology. Overhead, shouts, clamor, and cheers could be heard. Ellyad looked up and heard the clash of swords and cries. Eventually, he saw two ragged figures wielding swords dueling on a bridge about a floor’s height above. Many others gathered on higher parts of the bridge, forming a natural stage and audience.
“I didn’t expect to linger outside for so long. Ellyad, let’s go quickly,” Snowlight said, forcefully pulling Ellyad to leave without even raising her head.
“What is that?”
Snowlight pursed her lips, obviously reluctant to answer. However, Ellyad gave her a more determined look, and after a moment of standoff, Snowlight reluctantly explained, “That’s called the ‘Aftermeal Hour,’ it’s a deathmatch among the Nameless.”
Thanks for the chapter!! 💖
ˁ•ᴗ•ˀつ～ 💞
Caught up! Thanks for the chapter 💗