—
“Where are we going now?”
“Uh… let see…”
The road ahead grew darker as they walked, and Will began to feel like they had left Novice Town entirely, heading toward the newly built comrcial district.
Hmm… probably near the area where they had shopped for clothes.
The market on the edge of town was now completely dark, likely closed for the night.
Was there even a hotel in the new comrcial district?
Will had his doubts.
But…
“It’s over there…”
Shuna pointed firmly in a direction, walking with unwavering confidence.
Was she really drunk, or was she faking it?
Will glanced at her again.
Judging by her slightly unfocused eyes and the way her body felt soft and pliable, she seed genuinely drunk—or were all girls this soft?!
Either way, he needed to get her to the hotel first.
“That way? Alright.”
Will adjusted his grip, pulling her closer against his shoulder.
But…
Maybe it was because he had also had a bit to drink.
His mind wasn’t as sharp as usual.
Not drunk to the point of stumbling, but his sense of direction and focus were definitely off…
He started to worry if he’d even be able to make it back ho alone.
Perhaps… between the two of them, he was the one who needed to be escorted ho?
But…
Over the next ten minutes, Will beca certain of one thing: Shuna had completely drunk herself into oblivion.
“Uh… is it this way?”
“Or that way?”
“Wait, no… maybe we should go back?”
“You… you’re really drunk, aren’t you?!”
“No… no way! I think I really don’t know where to go…”
She stopped and scratched her head.
Will followed her in circles. He wasn’t familiar with the area to begin with, and now he was even more lost. Standing in the middle of the market street, he felt like he was wandering aimlessly.
He looked at Shuna, who was swaying and holding her forehead.
She clutched her sweat-dampened bangs and kept licking her lips, as if trying to ease her awkwardness and unease.
For so reason, Will felt oddly relieved.
He had always thought of S—the person who wrote those eloquent, rational letters—as soone far removed from him…
S seed too mature, hard to approach.
But…
Now that S was Shuna, Will realized she was just a girl his age.
Though more mature than the three girls back ho, she still had monts like this—drunk and unable to find her way ho.
Maybe the distance between them wasn’t as vast as he had thought.
“Ah, I think I rember now.”
Shuna lifted her head and swayed closer to Will, throwing an arm around his neck.
“It’s over there, Little Will. Just a few more steps, follow !”
—
anwhile…
“Huh? Why did they turn there?”
“Now they’re turning again?”
“Where are they going now?”
“Uh… where… are they?”
…
Eir had been following them through the market, circling around and around. Afraid of being caught, she kept her distance—one of the golden rules of stalking.
But…
The more distance she kept, the easier it was to lose them.
She had a feeling that they were deliberately trying to shake her off, turning every few steps and looking back as if they were aware of her presence. Their counter-surveillance skills were top-notch!
Damn it!
When had her Young Master learned to detect being followed, let alone master such advanced counter-surveillance techniques?!
Eir was convinced that Will was deliberately trying to lose her. There was no way it was… that drunk woman pulling it off, right?
“But… Young Master, you underestimate . Don’t forget what I am—”
Eir decided to use her trump card.
This wasn’t sothing from The 300 Questions of Blackening, but sothing she had figured out herself.
When…
You lose track of your target…
You can always rely on your natural advantages, such as…
The exceptional sense of sll of a beastman, especially a wolf girl!
Though her mixed human blood diluted her sense of sll compared to a purebred wolf, she could still easily pick up the lingering scent of alcohol from the two of them in the air.
She just needed to follow the strongest trail of alcohol.
“Sniff sniff sniff, sniff sniff sniff…”
Eir clutched her hat, perked up her ears, bent down, and sniffed the air.
“It seems… it’s in that direction…”
“But sothing feels off…”
“That direction… isn’t that where the train station is?”
—
“Hehehe, it’s right here… See, I’m not drunk. I still know the way…”
Will had no idea where Shuna had led him.
But he trusted her, so he kept following her steps.
For so reason…
After turning the corner, Shuna suddenly beca unusually excited, as if she had truly found her hotel.
“Wait, there aren’t any lights here. It’s so dark. The ground feels like gravel… Did I just trip over sothing?”
But…
A sinking feeling began to creep into Will’s chest.
No…
He didn’t need to feel uneasy.
Standing in a slightly open area, under the moonlight, he could see clearly…
“This is it! Co on up—”
This…
What lay before him…
Was clearly Novice Town’s freight train!
And it was fully loaded with cargo!
Will sobered up instantly.
He should never have trusted a drunkard!
How was this a hotel?!
Shuna had to be completely drunk!
There was no way soone as intelligent as her could mistake this for a place to stay, right?
Or…
Hmm…
There was a possibility…
She had been lying to him all along?
To lure him… here?
But…
Shuna skillfully climbed the small ladder at the back of the caboose. The caboose was empty, with no one inside.
Standing on the ladder, she turned back to him.
“If you don’t co up, I’ll pull you up.”
“Wait… wait a second…”
Before Will could react, she grabbed his hand and effortlessly hoisted him up.
Will found himself lifted into the air by her single-handed grip.
She was so strong!
How could she lift him with just one hand?!
“Yay! Will brought upstairs!”
Shuna helped him onto the caboose, spinning him around on the cramped ladder before setting him down.
“Uh…?!”
Already unsteady from being lifted, Will lost his balance and, combined with his slightly inebriated state, fell to the floor.
He ended up leaning against the railing.
“My butt… that hurt…”
Wait…
The sound of his fall wasn’t the only one?
Will opened his eyes to find Shuna half-kneeling on top of him.
“Sorry, it’s my first ti lifting soone. I’m not experienced. But, Little Will, you’re so light. Are you sure you’ve been training?”
She was definitely drunk.
Her face was bright red, her eyes hazy with intoxication.
More importantly…
She was getting handsy.
For example…
She reached out with her fingers, trailing them down his chest through his shirt.
“So skinny… still such a fragile boy who needs protecting.”
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