Erika: My Friend Is Obsessed with Me
Chapter 27
Erica — When a Friend Becomes Obsessed with Me
Laughter and chatter echoed through the night.
It had been the same when they were drinking with the sailors under the moonlit sky.
Just as the atmosphere was reaching its peak, the cup vanished from her hand.
“Whew… Hand it over while I’m still askin’ nicely.”
“Stop drinking.”
“I tol’ you to give it back, you bastard.”
“If you’re going to keep acting cute, go back to the cabin and get some sleep.”
“Ah, give it! Seriously!”
Erica flailed her arms, desperately trying to snatch the cup back.
Even dead drunk, her movements in their scuffle were astonishing—befitting an S-rank mercenary.
Whap, whap. Each sharp, lightning-fast motion was childish, yet nothing short of marvelous.
Clueless that they were S-rank mercenaries, the sailors assumed they were acrobats and clapped in delight.
Was it that day?
Or was it the night after?
“Emergency docking!”
“Drop anchor!”
It happened when the ship had to make an urgent stop in the dead of night.
The crew bustled about frantically to repair the hull after scraping against a reef.
Erica hopped up onto the ship’s railing, dangling her legs over the river.
Moonlight cascaded from the night sky. The river lapped gently against the hull.
The navy-blue ripples scattering in the moonlight were lovely to watch.
And that wasn’t the only thing worth looking at.
‘He sure knows how to entertain himself.’
Chaud was swimming in the water, stripped to the waist.
Gliding through the river, his soaking wet hair broke the surface now and then.
Moonlight shattered endlessly around him.
After swimming like that for a while, he approached where Erica was sitting.
He craned his neck, looking up at her.
“Erica. Won’t you come in?”
“Too lazy.”
“…It’s no fun playing by myself. I’m done swimming.”
Chaud planted his feet against the lower hull and reached his arms out.
Erica bent down to give him a hand. Just as she took a firm grip—
Yank!
The force of Chaud’s pull sent Erica plunging straight into the water.
Splash!
Gasp! The two surfaced simultaneously, sputtering. Completely soaked, water streamed down their hair.
Purely out of deep irritation, Erica blew hard through her nose to blast away the wet strands of hair stuck to her nostrils.
“…What the hell was that for?”
“Can’t swim, by any chance?”
Look at this punk. Pulling out his special talent for getting under my skin again.
“Hey! Do you know what they called me at the Southern Mercenary Guild? Pirate Slaughterer!”
“Terrifying.”
“Do you have any idea how many pirates in the southern seas tremble at the mere sound of my name?”
“How many?”
“…How should I know?”
“Was it just one?”
“You bastard!”
She hooked her arm around his neck and dunked him headfirst into the water with a loud splash!
She threw a spinning kick underwater, but Chaud dodged it with infuriating ease.
The two tangled together, brawling beneath the dark water, surfacing every so often to catch their breath.
Splash, splash!
The sailors repairing the ship clicked their tongues as they walked by.
“What’s with those two? Why are they always fighting?”
“Heard they’re friends.”
The water was so refreshingly cool it chilled their skin. Truth be told, they were laughing so hard they could barely breathe.
“Friends?”
Moonlight cascaded down,
and ripples sparkled in the cool, crisp breeze.
It was during the journey to find her master.
Though she couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment, Erica figured that was around the time she and Chaud had truly become friends.
The Holy Knights 8th Squad.
Those who served to protect the Temple had come all the way here on a special assignment.
“Vice Commander, sir. We’re about to set foot on land.”
At last, the ship docked at the riverbank. The scent of river water mingled with the earthy fragrance of the forest.
The Lekankan Great Jungle.
A dozen or so Holy Knights disembarked onto the dock, scanning their surroundings.
“Hm? What’s that ship?”
Nearby, another massive ship was moored.
“It’s a ship arriving from the opposite direction of our route.”
“Most likely… a ship making the grand round-trip between the South and the East. But no one should be disembarking here…”
Contrary to Holy Knight Hugo’s speculation, a man and a woman lightly jumped down from the vessel.
Judging by their attire and gear, they were mercenaries.
“I told you, we can do it! What’ll you do if I find Master within two weeks?”
“Erica, think reasonably. We’re barely at the entrance of Lekankan Forest. Even if we cross the forest as fast as possible, if we don’t find any traces in the Ruins Area—”
“Why are you so lacking in adventurous spirit?”
“Wow, that’s the first time in my life I’ve ever heard someone tell me that.”
The bickering pair kept up their banter without missing a beat as they walked along the dock.
“So what’s the plan? The plan to find your master within two weeks.”
“Plan? What plan? We run like hell, that’s what!”
“Wow, truly methodical. I might faint from sheer awe.”
Crunch, crunch.
Though over a dozen Holy Knights stood right beside them, the two walked past without so much as a glance.
Holy Knight Hugo stole a glance at them and whispered quietly to the Vice Commander.
“Vice Commander. They appear to be mercenaries.”
“I have eyes.”
“Shouldn’t we warn them?”
“There are only two of them. They’ve likely just come to explore the forest outskirts.”
“Even so…”
“If they value their lives, they won’t dare step into the central Illusionary Forest.”
The Vice Commander of the Holy Knights 8th Squad turned away.
Inspecting their clinking armor and weapons took priority.
Hugo and the rest of the Holy Knights soon recalled the reason for their mission, tension settling over them.
Dash!
They sprinted through the dark forest.
Whoosh— whoosh—
Trees whipped past so rapidly they blurred into an indistinguishable haze.
Erica was in a state of absolute focus.
The wind lashed against her cheeks, her hair whipping violently behind her.
Pitter, patter. Heavy drops of rain began to fall.
In an instant, a torrential downpour cascaded over their heads, but she didn’t give it a second thought.
Chaud, matching her pace right beside her, was no different.
Pouring down mercilessly!
It was a deluge. Rain beat against her eyelashes, obscuring her vision and forcing her eyes to narrow.
“We can reach the Illusionary Forest by dawn, right?”
At Erica’s question, Chaud calculated the distance on the map in his head.
“Not if we keep this pace.”
“Then let’s go faster.”
Their speed surged simultaneously. It was no longer merely running—it was almost as if they were flying through the air.
The natural obstacles of the forest posed no hindrance whatsoever.
“Are you still going to bypass the Illusionary Forest as planned?”
“No.”
The shortest route. A straight line to the Ruins Area was the fastest way.
“We’re cutting straight through the Illusionary Forest.”
Erica changed the plan.
Her initial plan to skirt around the Illusionary Forest was only because she had worried about exhausting herself if she were alone.
But with Chaud by her side, there was nothing to hold her back.
“Sounds good.”
“Squeeeaaak!”
Thwip—!
Thud!
The wild beasts that lunged at them from time to time were easily dispatched by Erica’s bow.
Even in the driving rain, her archery was unwavering—heavier and more precise than a thrust from a steel sword.
Nocturnal predators roamed the Lekankan Forest.
Red-eyed tigers and razor-fanged wolves. They were ferocious, but hardly anything that could be called monsters.
Thwip—
Thud!
The beasts collapsing with every pull of her bowstring failed to stir the slightest thrill in Erica.
They were simple targets she could take down with her eyes closed.
On and on they ran, their footsteps relentless.
It was only after a great deal of time had passed that Erica finally began to feel a hint of tension.
“…Do you see that?”
“…Even the trees look bizarre.”
They had arrived before the Illusionary Forest.
Erica approached a strangely twisted tree.
She traced her fingers across the bark, staring blankly for a long moment.
“What is it?”
Chaud walked over and asked.
“Master was here.”
Carved into the tree were sword marks.
“Master does this whenever he has a lot on his mind.”
“Does what?”
“He swings his Aura at a tree hundreds of times. He keeps it as shallow as a sheet of paper, so even when he’s done, it only leaves a mark like this.”
A groove so shallow a single fingertip could barely fit inside.
“…He’s skilled.”
Chaud crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one leg.
It was notoriously difficult for a Swordmaster to suppress destructive power.
To unleash Aura hundreds of times and leave behind only a notch of that size required extraordinary control.
“Right? My master is very meticulous.”
“I want to try.”
“…?”
Smack! Erica slapped the back of Chaud’s head just as he prepared to channel his Aura.
“We don’t have time for that! We’re entering the Illusionary Forest now. Keep your head on straight.”
