BXBX NOVEL Volume 5 4 part1
What he did was simply configure a 《waterway》 as a setting tip──Things like where the water came from, or where it was headed, he hadn’t worried about that kind of thing at all.
He wouldn’t be surprised if appeared with something magical, and just disappeared at the end of the stage.
However, it seemed that the water of the muddy stream was the real thing. It continued to flow to the end of the stage.
Is that a waterfall!?
They would fall together with the water.
They fell from a spot high enough that he thought that they would not survive if there was a boulder or something at the place that they were falling to.
If they were to separate again, he might not be able to find him next time. He made it so that Horun was held within his arms.
He didn’t have the leisure to store the weapon he held in his hand into his pouch.
He let go of the 《Staff of Tenma》 inside of the muddy stream.
He lost his sense of up and down.
Spinning around, he no longer knew whether his own head was above him or below him.
──I’m drowning!?
His spirit was adversely affected by his anxiety but......
《Underwater Movement》 was highly efficient. He would never have a hard time breathing, and he immediately regained his sense of equilibrium.
While holding Horun in his arms, Diablo headed for the water’s surface and kicked underwater.
「Puhah!」
His head came out to the water’s surface.
So it was a waterfall lake.
At the bottom of the vertically long cave, it had turned into the shape of a flask. The water that accumulated at the bottom of the flask──It felt as if they had been submerged in there.
The current had become calm.
Using 《Underwater Movement》 once again, he swam to the edge of the accumulated water. Heaving Horun, who he carried under his arm, up onto a boulder, he then raised himself out from the water.
「Phewー......Oi, Horun, are you alive?」
As Horun lied down on top of the dry boulder, he didn’t make a response. Maybe because he was breathing, water was spilling out from his mouth.
「Oi, answer me!」
He called out to him once more.
Although Diablo was acting calm──he felt his heartbeat getting faster. His chest tightened from an unpleasant prediction.
He brought his own hand close to Horun’s small lips.
His breathing──he could feel it.
「He’s alive!」
However, it seemed he was unconscious.
What about his pulse?
He grabbed his wrist. As he was flustered, he couldn’t really tell.
Trying it out several times, he was able to confirm that he had a pulse. In other words, his heart was moving! He was alive!
It seemed that Horun was a level 20 Adventurer. Just as that title implied, he was fairly sturdy. Even if he was a light in body weight Grasswalker, that might be the reason that saved him.
Right now, he was in a state of fainting from shock.
Diablo patted down on his own chest.
「Phew......Thank goodness......」
Since Horun was fainted and there was no one else around, Diablo leaked out his original voice. He even spontaneously broke into a laugh from the sense of relief.
Next, he checked Horun’s shoulder that was probably cut by Geibalt.
「Fumu fumu......There is some bleeding, but it’s shallow. If it’s like this, the blood might stop even if I leave it alone, won’t it?」
It would be simple if he had an HP Recovery Potion, but he had used them all up before they came in to capture the dungeon.
Diablo’s 《Distorted Crown》 had an HP Recovery effect, but there was a restriction that one had to be greater than level 140 to equip it. He was unable to lend it to him.
Suddenly, a sneeze came out.
「Cold......This is bad......I’m fine since I have the 《Curtain of Dark Clouds》 but......」
His mantle, 《The Curtain of Dark Clouds》, prevented all Bad Status conditions. Therefore, Diablo probably wouldn’t catch a cold.
However, at this rate, Horun was in danger.
He had a memory of reading a net article or something before.
──When a person’s deep part (the rectum) gets below 35 degrees, they get hypothermia. And when that condition continues, it’s possible for them to die. It was said that by doing something like sleeping while wearing wet clothes even in summertime, if the body temperature falls too much, then there is the danger of death.
「Uーn, since I also have to treat his wounds, I guess I’ll have to strip him......I also have to create a fire, huh. Erm......Some burnable stuff isー......?」
He looked around but, it was a boulder.
At any rate, a boulder.
At the parts where water was touching it, there was moss that emitted a faint shine was growing there. Thanks to that, it seemed bright. However, that probably wouldn’t burn.
He was able to produce a fire with magic, but without something to burn, it would be difficult to sustain it.
Ever since they entered the dungeon, he kept on consuming MP. The rest times were short, and the recovery was insufficient.
When he lost focus, he felt like we was going to fall asleep beside Horun.
──Ahー, my motivation is......
Anything and everything was becoming troublesome.
「Jeez......I guess it’s fine to go to sleep......」
However, if Diablo stayed like this and didn’t act, Horun would die right before his eyes.
「No, no, no! I can’t let that happen! No matter how much of a shitty bastard I am......That is way too terrible.」
He breathed a sigh.
He tried searching for something that looked like it could burn.
「Dammit......It looks like this is the only thing.」
Diablo took off his mantle, the 《Curtain of Dark Clouds》.
This could prevent Bad Status conditions, and prevented instant death──It was SSR (double super rare) class equipment that was strengthened to the limit.
It was said to be things like "EX (Extra)" or "seven convex". It was because the number of gradations it could be strengthened was seven times.
He held this hand over that 《Curtain of Dark Clouds》.
「......I liked it quite a bit but......Well, I guess there’s no other choice.」
Life can’t be replaced.
Diablo muttered.
「......《Fire》」
Naturally, equipment that was taken off from his body wouldn’t be a subject to Diablo’s Magic Defense. The current 《Curtain of Dark Clouds》 was nothing but a wet mantle.
While it was drying by the fire cause by magic, the dry parts of it started to burn.
「Haa......It’s warm.」
After that, he took off his jet black clothes, 《The Hollow of Jet Black》.
There was the danger of hypothermia if he wore wet clothes. Besides, the mantle alone was insufficient for a bonfire.
《The Hollow of Jet Black》 had a Physical Damage Reduction effect, and an effect of raising many parameters.
As expected, he kept only the pants.
It was because it would be bad if he was nude when they join up with Rem and the others.
In terms of his Demon King role-play, there would be a problem with that.
「Uーn, it’s still not enough......Horun, I’ll be taking your equipment as well, okay?」
He was reluctant to strip off another person’s clothes though.
「Well, since we’re both men, he’ll forgive me, right?」
When he imagined the complaints that would be said once he regains consciousness, he felt heavy-hearted but......
I’ll get through with the Demon King role-play──That is what he thought, and then stripped him.
First, he would burn the cape.
It was a normal cape that had no magic endowments. Moreover, it was fairly old and worn-out. He was sorry if it was a keepsake, but there was nothing more important than life......or so he hoped.
He took off the pouch belt on his waist and his arm and leg armor.
He didn’t know about it from the game’s graphics, but on the reverse side of the armor, there was a leather belt with a hook to keep it in place.
Since Rem used equipment that had a similar construction, he learned about it while watching them change clothes.
He also took off the wet and cold clothes.
It was a body that had absolutely no muscles and had a roundness to it.
「Uーn......Horun, wouldn’t it be better if you had a bit more muscle? Even if you are a Grasswalker, you’re a Warrior-type, right?」
He really wrung out the shirt and threw it onto the bonfire.
He also stripped off the bottom.
He had the tights turn into fuel. However, since it would be cruel to burn even his pants, it would probably be better just only take it off.
It looked cold to be naked, but it was much better than wearing wet clothes.
「......Huh?」
He ended up accidentally turning his gaze towards the stripped Horun’s abdomen.
He tried to make it so that he didn’t look at him too much but......
──Huh?
He didn’t have one attached.
「U......n......?」
Horun leaked out a groan.
And then, while rubbing his eyes, he raised his body.
’Thank goodness, so you were alive!’ is something that he couldn’t say with a smile in this situation.
Horun was naked.
Diablo was holding was holding the pants that he just took off of him.
Moreover, this guy wasn’t a "he", as he didn’t have the thing that should be at his crotch, so in other words, he was a "she".
Could it be that Grasswalker males don’t have one attached!?
He had never heard of such a story.
Diablo froze up, and a cold sweat trickled down the muscles along his spine.
It seems that the dumbfounded Horun finally understood the situation. Her face turned red very fast.
「Wha!? Wha, wha......what......!?」
Diablo stood up while still holding onto the pants.
He acted self-important and arrogant.
「Hmph! So you’ve finally recovered consciousness, you weakling! You should give me your greatest amount of gratitude, for your life was saved by this Demon King! Well, it was just on a mere whim though!」
「Eh!? Eh!?」
「It is because if a meagre person of the Races were to continue wearing wet clothes, they would die! Doing this, and wringing the clothes──Like this!」
Diablo wrung out Horun’s pants. Making splashing sound, water fell onto the ground. He then tossed it into the bonfire.
Maybe because it was old cloth, it burned really well.
──Ah!?
Now he had done it. Even though he had intended only taking the pants off!
Concealing his discomposure, he persisted in his Demon King role play.
「Hmph! Surely, you won’t be saying that clothes are more important than life, will you!?」
Horun was overwhelmed and kept silent, but being somewhat late, she timidly nodded.
「I, I won’t say that -ssu......Life is......important -ssu.」
「It is fine as long as you understand!」
──Did I get through it!?
Her face was red, and she hid her slender body with both hands.
「But......I was a bit, surprised -ssu.」
──I was too!
「Do not mind it. I am a Demon King. Know that I do not mind such small and faint details.」
「Th......that’s true -ssu yo ne. To Danna, whether I am a man or a woman is......Kushun! (Sneeze)」
「Mu. It would seem that your body is still feeling cold. You should come closer.」
Diablo sat down in a place close to the bonfire. Since he had lost the 《Curtain of Dark Clouds》, he was anxious about how his own physical condition would get worse if he became careless.
It was the bonfire that he went through the trouble of burning his equipment of the highest grade and even Horun’s pants to make──At the very least, he had to warm his body.
Even Horun’s ears went red.
「Um......is it really......alright -su ka?」
「What are you hesitating for? If I didn’t have the intention to save you, why would I have expressly jumped into the river for you?」
「That’s true -ssu yo ne. Really, thank you -ssu......for saving me.」
She got up and got closer.
When he thought that she would surely sit on the opposite side of the bonfire──
She sat down right beside him.
──Huh?
Come to think of it, he did say "you should come closer", but he didn’t say "to the bonfire".
But normally, wouldn’t one think close to the bonfire?
Even though she looked embarrassed, why would she bring her body close?
Moreover, completely naked.
No, the one that stripped the clothes off was Diablo but......
「At times when it’s cold, it’s warm when bodies are huddled together -ssu yo ne. In the past, I did this with my family -ssu.」
「Th, that is true.」
As a Demon King, being shaken up over nestled close by a childish figured Grasswalker, he felt that it was a bit different from his idea of a Demon King.
No, no matter what kind of company it is, a Demon King wouldn’t be shaken up.
He needed to be confident.
Horun brought her body close.
Cold.
「It would seem that you are considerably cold.」
「Ah, did you not like that -ssu ka?」
Grabbing her as she tried to separate from him, he held her close.
「Do not make any trivial reservations. If you were to attract wind, then that would make the bonfire pointless.」
──I burned two EX level equipment, you know? I burn your pants too, you know?
Horun was small.
Even when compared to other Grasswalkers, it felt like her body was petite.
Moreover, she was soft, like a baby rabbit.
Within Diablo’s hands, she twisted her body looking like she was embarrassed.
「It’s warm -ssu～」
「It would be troubling if it weren’t.」
「Ehehe......」
She looked like she was nervous at first, but now she leaned her body on him. Horun’s small uncovered back touched his own skin.
He felt that her body that was like ice was slowly regaining its body temperature.
Diablo was also becoming warm.
「Fuu......」
──In some way or another, it looks like I was able to save her.
Horun placed her small hand on Diablo’s hand that was placed on her shoulder.
She muttered.
「Papa......」
「..................Wh, at?」
Diablo stiffened up, and replied with only that.
Seeming to have realized the meaning of the word that she leaked out a bit late, Horun hurriedly half-rose to her feet.
「Ah! Um, that’s, erm, respect! It had the meaning of respecting you as an Adventurer -ssu kara! So you’ve got it wrong -ssu kara!」
Flapping about, she grew restive.
Diablo grabbed both of her shoulders, and quieted her down.
「I understand! I understand, so do not pointlessly use your strength!」
「Hauu～」
Horun went red up to her ears and curled up.
Only the throbbing of her heart passed through the skin and was transmitted to him. *Tokutokutoku*......
Diablo said no more.
However, his mind was actually in chaos.
──Papa!?
Just when did he become the father of a single child!?
No, no, it was because she respected him as an Adventurer, so......But, why would she call him "Papa" for that!? Naturally, that was his first time being called that way since he was born.
Did it mean that she approached him with trust that was that special!?
Wait, wait......It might actually just be a mere mistake in the way she called him.
To begin with, a Grasswalker’s father, their outward appearance would be that of a child even if they were an adult. There was no way they would reach a physique as big as Diablo’s. But, if going by an infant’s point of view, even if they were a Grasswalker, wouldn’t a father’s hand feel big?
Or maybe, could it have been a Papa in a special kind of meaning!? No, there was no way that kind of culture would be in this other world......
His head simmered.
With both of their faces dyed red, time flowed for awhile.