After I finished chastising Jasmine for revealing herself after merely a few words, I grabbed my shirt and destroyed the campfire before picking her up and sprinting towards the dirt trail as we resumed our travel to the Crestfallen Kingdom.
We skipped breakfast as I didn't think those five assassins were the only ones out to get us; there were probably several more, and staying in the same spot would just be asking for trouble.
"When is the next closest town or city, Alex?" Asked Jasmine lightly as she gently rubbed her ear while brushing dirt and leaves out of her hair.
"No clue; I didn't bother looking at the closest town when our only concern was how far away the Crestfallen Kingdom was. Why, were you trying to do something there?" Replied Alexander lightly, shaking his head while glancing at Jasmine, who nodded with furrowed brows.
"Yes, I need to clean myself; just look at me. I look like a slave!" Stated Jasmine firmly in disgust as she eyed Alexander while folding her arms, causing his eyes to wander across her body before he shook his head.
"You look acceptable to me and smell fine as well, just like nature." Said Alexander lightly as he glanced at Jasmine before leaning down and sniffing her, causing her to blush from his intimate actions.
"W-What are you doing, Alex!? Y-You don't just sniff a woman like that!" Exclaimed Jasmine sternly as she eyed Alexander while blushing in embarrassment, causing him to raise an eyebrow before shrugging his shoulders.
"Well, you smell good to me, but if you want, we can stop by a river along the way, and you can clean yourself there." Said Alexander as he looked at Jasmine before raising his head and shifting to the left, swiftly passing a carriage before returning to the middle of the trail.
"A-A river? I'm a princess, though; I've got a delicate body. Can't I at least have a proper bathroom?" Asked Jasmine softly with an unsightly expression as she glanced down at her body before looking up at Alexander with hopeful eyes.
"Yeah, a delicate princess that's being chased by assassins that want nothing more than to kill you… Did you forget that part?" Remarked Alexander blandly with a blank expression as he eyed Jasmine, who opened her mouth only to pout while averting her gaze.
"Hmph, meanie." Said Jasmine with a huff as she puffed her cheeks and folded her arms, causing Alexander's expression to twitch.
"You're such a child, Jasmine." "I'm 16, a full-fledged adult!" Said Alexander and Jasmine, respectively, as the former lightly shook his head while the latter seemingly took offense to his words as she immediately snapped back.
"Adult? Sure. But full-fledged? Nope. Not until you've had sex." Stated Alexander calmly with a yawn as he glanced at Jasmine with a faint smirk before shaking his head, causing her to blush deeply.
"L-Like what you and L-Lazuli were doing?" Asked Jasmine weakly as she raised her head and looked at Alexander, who raised an eyebrow before nodding.
"Yeah, similar." "Um, d-does it feel good? S-Sex?" Remarked Alexander and Jasmine, respectively, as the former lightly nodded while the latter curiously and hesitantly glanced at him.
"I mean, yeah, it's not bad, no real complaints; however, it's absolutely amazing when doing it with someone you love. The process of confirming your love and sharing your feelings is beautiful." Replied Alexander with a nod as his expression faintly softened while he raised his head and gazed into the sky with a longing look, causing Jasmine to nod before furrowing her brows.
"Do people do it with people they don't love?" Asked Jasmine in confusion as she looked at Alexander, who gazed at her in confusion.
"Um, yeah. Have you never heard of a brothel?" "Hmm, yes, I've heard of that place, but is it not where you drink tea?" Asked Alexander and Jasmine, respectively, as the former skeptically raised an eyebrow while the latter innocently tilted her head in confusion.
I had to use [Heroes Gaze] on her to ensure she wasn't joking with me, but when I realized she was being serious, I found it difficult to strip her of some of her innocence, so I simply nodded, figuring it was better for her to persevere her innocence for as long as possible.
"Oh, look, a river nearby. Let's go; you can clean yourself." Said Alexander with a smile as he completely ignored Jasmine's question while exiting the trail and dashing into the forest.
While Jasmine complained about using a river to clean herself, we arrived at the river in a few minutes, prompting me to gently set her down while handing her a random cloth in my space pouch and a bar of hand soap.
"Here, now, get to cleaning; just try not to take too long; we are being hunted, after all." Said Alexander with a faint smile as he backed away while glancing at Jasmine, who held the cloth and bar of soap before looking at the river with an unsightly expression.
She spent the next minute contemplating while she silently stared at the river, only for her to heave a deep sigh as she slowly removed her cloak before side-glancing me.
"No peeking." Said Jasmine softly as she eyed Alexander, who turned around and hid behind a tree.
"What if I don't peek and just boldly watch you?" Asked Alexander with a playful smirk as he peeked at Jasmine, who stopped stripping and tossed a nearby pebble at him.
"Alex!" "Hehe, don't get mad. I was asking a valid question." Said Jasmine and Alexander, respectively, as the former faintly blushed while eyeing the latter in annoyance, causing him to smirk.
As I hid behind the tree once more, I removed a photo from my pocket and gazed at my family, causing me to sigh softly since, except for Lazuli, I hadn't seen them in over a month. I probably won't see them for at least another week, which sucks, and I know they're probably worried, too, as I had told them it should only be about a month, yet by the time we return home, it's going to be double that.
"Haa, hopefully, they're doing okay." Muttered Alexander softly as he silently gazed at the photo, his eyes glancing between Yuki, Michelle, and Chloe.
___
___
"Five of the thirty homunculi have been killed, Pope." Stated a middle-aged man wearing a white robe with golden accents while bowing to an older man kneeling before a statue.
"What of the girl? Does she still live?" Asked Pope softly as he continued to pray, not moving a muscle while gazing at the statute with reverence.
"Unfortunately, yes, Pope." Replied the middle-aged man softly while lowering his head, his words causing Pope's eye to twitch.
Unclasping my hands, I slowly placed them on the ground and kowtowed before the one and only true Goddess, Junsuina. Once I finished praying to our Goddess, I slowly rose from my subservient position and took to my feet while grabbing the staff, which she had bestowed a piece of her divinity within.
Walking past one of my several Bishops, I exited the praying chamber while he followed behind me.
"How did the Saintess manage to kill five homunculi? Her power revolves around healing and strengthing others; her combat strength is abysmal. Even trainee knights could defeat her in combat." Asked Pope softly as he walked through the luxurious halls decorated with jewels, gold, silver, marble, and other expensive materials.
"The Saintess didn't do so, Pope. It was a young man. The same young man that had killed two previous homunculi." Replied the Bishop respectfully as he followed behind Pop from a slight distance, causing him to raise an eyebrow.
"He must have a connection to the Saintess; what is it?" Asked Pope as he stopped before double doors, which were promptly opened by two young men standing on either side of the door.
Entering the homunculi chamber, I turned to my right, approaching the hundreds of screens projecting what every active homunculus was currently seeing; there were hundreds of them stationed throughout the continent, ensuring nothing escaped the Church's knowledge.
Standing before the large, human-sized mana crystal, I placed my hand on it and closed my eyes, causing the hundreds of projections to disappear as seven remained. Stepping back, I watched the recording of the seven homunculi as a human of darker skin dealt with each one, killing them, though the Saintess was nowhere to be found.
However, before I could question the whereabouts of the Saintess, I suddenly froze the seven screens and rewound the recording a bit before freezing it at a particular spot.
"Did I miss something, Pope?" Asked the Bishop anxiously as he glanced at Pope, whose eyes slightly widened while gazing at Alexander.
"He… He is a High-Human. The purest amongst all humans and the closest and most beloved of Goddess Junsuina!" Stated Pope with wide eyes as he enlarged the projection of Alexander, allowing his figure to be observed in more detail.