"Crazy man. Are you daydreaming? Or did you fall asleep while drinking alcohol?"
Shun Jin in front of me asked. She tested whether I was asleep or daydreaming by waving her hand in front of my eyes. I continued drinking the alcohol on the table.
"You're awake. Ah, just now, while shopping, I met a very beautiful woman! She seemed to be around my age, and her body so sexy..."
"Shun Jin."
"No! Forget what I just said."
"From now on, you must stay close to me."
Shun Jin's eyes widened. Just like her mouth, gaped in surprise.
"W-what do you mean, crazy man. U-um, you're not planning to do anything perverted to me, are you? We shouldn't do that... But if you insist—"
"That woman, the beautiful woman you met, wants your life."
"Huh?"
"She will kill you if I'm not careful. Therefore, you must stay close to me for the next few days."
"Huh?"
Shun Jin still had a foolish look on her face. She was processing what I had said.
"Why does she want to kill me?" Shun Jin asked innocently. During the journey, she couldn't remember doing anything bad to anyone. Except for mocking me every day.
"She is the witch hired by your father's killer. She is also the one who poisoned your father on the day your father's kingdom was attacked by King Fong."
Shun Jin fell silent upon hearing that. Behind her gaze, she became very angry at the beautiful woman she had met.
Then it seemed her common sense knocked on her brain.
"Wait, if she's the witch who poisoned my father, why can she meet us here?"
She asked me with a demanding look for an answer. I was sure if I didn't answer her, she would whine every day, asking that question incessantly. Her head was tilted, full of question marks.
"She's after me."
"After you? Crazy man? This is the first time I've heard of a woman following us all this way just to meet you."
Shun Jin crossed her arms in disbelief. She puffed out her cheeks and glared at me annoyingly.
I didn't understand why she was sulking like that.
"Just consider her an old friend from devil cult. Maybe, she's after me because I killed her and some of her subordinates."
"Killed her?" Shun Jin asked skeptically. She didn't seem to care about the woman who was chasing me but was more concerned about what kind of relationship I had with that woman. "What do you mean? Did you two have a special relationship in the past?"
"She was the only last woman who recognized me when I was still in the devil cult. And miraculously, she's still alive even after I stabbed a sword into her heart."
"Ah." Shun Jin seemed to remember something. "So that beautiful woman is the woman you told me about a few weeks ago? Are you sure you and she don't have any relationship? Did she come back to life for revenge, for example?"
"I don't know." I shrugged. "Whatever it is, she's not after me because she wants to kill me for revenge. She's the type of woman who kills the loved ones of the person she wants to kill and breaks them mentally, only then killing them. Therefore, if you don't want to die, you'd better not stray far from me."
Now Shun Jin raised an eyebrow. "Wait, if she's after my life. Doesn't that mean she considers me as someone—" Shun Jin stopped mid-sentence. She seemed to realize something and instead put on an arrogant smile.
"Alright, if that's what you want, crazy man. As long as you don't have any perverted intentions, I'll stay close to you. Hmph."
I wasn't sure if she was happy or angry. She puffed out her cheeks while smiling and crossed her arms under her chest. Quite a contrast.
"Alright, we'll be in this city for three days. I'm waiting for my order to be completed for our preparations before heading to the Bloody Valley."
Shun Jin nodded and stood up as I rose from my chair. She then walked and clung to my arm like a child. Even though she was already grown, I don't know what possessed her to act like a child like this.
"Shun Jin, you're not a child anymore."
"Y-you told me to stay close. Take responsibility. Hmph."
I sighed. For now, I guess I'll just let it be. Rastella could easily order everyone in this city to attack Shun Jin when I wasn't looking. She could also control Shun Jin's consciousness if Shun Jin disappeared from my sight.
Rastella's magic power was very dangerous and full of mystery. I never understood how she controlled the consciousness of living beings and possessed or controlled them. That was not my field of knowledge.
Until dinner, booking an inn room, and I was forced to book only one room because Shun Jin wouldn't let go of my hand like a parasite.
Now, we were both in the bedroom. And Shun Jin finally let go of my hand.
"Um.. you have to promise not to do anything weird to me while I sleep, you perverted crazy man. I know you're always glancing at my body with hidden perverted thoughts hmph!"
Shun Jin sat on the inn bed, making her characteristic body expression. Cheeks puffed out while turning her face away and crossing her arms under her chest.
I sighed.
"If there's anyone who's always glancing at bodies with perverted thoughts, it's you, Shun Jin."
Shun Jin's cheeks flushed. It seemed my words hit her hard even though I just said them casually.
"W-w-what? D-don't misunderstand, you crazy! I-I'm not attracted or anything to you! H-hmphhh!"
Now she said hmph longer than usual. I shook my head and sat cross-legged by the window.
An inn room with one window in each room facing the river city view. The walls were made of cream-colored clay mixed with wood, the floor was wood, the roof was made of a wooden structure with sloping stone tiles.
There was one bed large enough for two adults to lie against one of the walls near the window. A small table and a fabric rug near another wall. The door was directly aligned with the outside window. Candles were attached near the door and one candle on the table.
Night was starting to deepen. I began to meditate to pass the time as usual.
"Hey, crazy man."
Shun Jin, who was still sitting on edge of the bed, watched me.
"What?"
"Since we're staying at an inn.. and we're in one room with a pretty comfortable bed.. how about you sleep on the bed with me.."
I opened one eye. Shun Jin said this while looking at her bent toes that wouldn't stop scratching the floor. I could see a blush on her face.
"I mean.. you always sleep in that position.. I think it's not comfortable at all.. maybe you need to lie down and get some sound sleep for once.."
She was still talking while looking at her toes. I still had one eye open.
"No need. I never care about comfortable or uncomfortable. It feels the same to me."
"Oh, I see.." Shun Jin sounded disappointed. She lowered her head.
I remembered what Ye Jing said. He had also asked me something similar.
"You always do uncomfortable things for yourself, Long Yi. Make yourself comfortable once in a while, being too tense all the time will only make you dull."
I refuted his words at that time. And unfortunately, we met one of the Devil Cult branch leaders and fought for a full day without stopping. Because I hadn't slept for the past three days for the sake of always being vigilant, I sustained quite serious injuries after beheading one of the Devil Cult branch leaders.
"I told you, Long Yi. From now on, I will force you to rest and sleep lying down so that this kind of incident doesn't happen again."
Ye Jing was really mad at me at that time. Even though I was the one who made the mistake, he was the one who got upset. Humans are indeed strange. Maybe that's what they call care and affection.
Shun Jin was still sitting silently on the edge of the bed.
I stood up.
"Just for tonight."
Then I took my place on the bed to lie down.
Shun Jin seemed surprised by my action. But not long after, she also lay down beside me, smiling happily. She hugged my arm to her chest.
"D-don't get me wrong! I just want you to sleep comfortably, you crazy man, hmph!"
She said that, but she couldn't hid her happy face.
I picked my nose, "Go to sleep quickly. Tomorrow you still have to train as usual."
As I said that, Shun Jin had already closed her eyes. She fell asleep soundly and quickly while hugging my arm. She fell asleep with a happy smile. What a strange girl.
That made me unconsciously gently stroke her head.
"You timid girl. I won't let you die until your goal is fulfilled."
***