Clest was back in action.

Her eyelids were still mildly swollen, but it had calmed down to the point where she could see pretty well again.

With her able to function normally again, they quickly got ready to continue with their travels after they ate another one of Pine's catches.

After that, Pine retrieved the rope he used for the traps, and they were ready to go.

"Eugh, I feel really icky. It's been days since I last had a full bath," said Clest.

Okay, pause. When it comes to Unmarried adventurers, there aren't many options for hygiene. Clest would clean her body using one or two waterfruits, soaking a piece of cloth in water and then wiping herself down.

If she wanted a full bath, she needed to go near a body of water, like a pond or a lake.

"Let's hurry then," Pine urged her. "I think we can reach the stream before nightfall if we hurry."

Clest's face slowly brightened. "Wait, yeah! I forgot how I crossed a stream when I wandered here. Come on, let's hurry. I really wanna take a bath."

Clest then started walking briskly, taking off and leaving Pine behind.

"Yes, yes, of course," Pine just smiled. "That's what I just said," he mumbled, before running after Clest.

---

The sky was tinted orange again by the time they reached the stream they were talking about. Pine was starting to feel the fatigue of keeping up with Clest, who seemed to be just a little bit out of breath. Her stamina was definitely something.

As for her face, it had gone almost completely back to normal. Pine could see her beautiful hazelnut eyes once again.

"What are you staring at?" Clest asked him after



Pine realized he was staring at her eyes, so he quickly averted his eyes. "Sorry about that," he told her, which she just shrugged off.

"Alright!" Clest suddenly said, starting unbuckle the belt Pine gave her. She then looked at Pine, "I'll take a bath first. Can you start a fire so we can dry faster later?"

"Uh, yeah, sure."

Taking the belt off, she dropped it just beside her and started to walk towards the stream. When her legs entered the stream, she started to become excited, mumbling things under her breath about how she finally gets to take a bath and how awesome the water feels.

When she reached the center of the stream, she was submerged to the waist-level. She grabbed the hem of her top, beginning to pull them up to take it off, but she remembered to look back at Pine first.

And yes. He was, in fact, there. Watching rather intently, his face slightly red. The moment Pine saw her look back, he again averted his gaze and started walking away.

Clest also blushed slightly, realizing that she was this close to being seen naked. She barked, "Hey! We're still not married so get the hell out of here! Go make that fire right now!"

Embarrassed, Pine went back deeper into the trees and obediently started gathering wood for a fire. As for Clest, she waited for a good minute or two, looking at Pine's direction, before deciding to go on with bathtime.

She then took off all her clothes and washed them along with her body.

-----

The sun was setting when Clest finished her bath, and the forest was getting rather dark. After dressing up, she started looking for Pine in the forest.

In no time, she noticed the fire Pine set up.

"I'm done. Sorry if I took too long." Clest immediately spoke upon making her way towards Pine, who had already made a fire and gathered enough firewood to last them for a few hours.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Yeah, it's fine. I'll just take a bath tomorrow before we go."

Pine watched Clest as she started looking around the area in search for something to sit on. She was still dripping wet, and her movements were scattering droplets all around her.

Her hair was fingercombed into straight clumps, much unlike her usual hair. Her face and skin looked pretty, the water droplets on them making her glisten in front of the dancing flame.

Honestly? Pine found her very pretty. He'd just been so detached from reality when they first met, unable to even believe that he actually found a female seeker. And earlier this day, she was a total mess with her swollen eyes and her nasal drip.

Now? Fuck yes, she was gorgeous. He might have been unlucky to probably be the only male keeper, but he sure as hell was lucky to have a beautiful female seeker.

Clest had found a rock a few meters away from their fire, brought that up to her belly while making sure she didn't dirty herself, and hauled to in front of the fire. It made a heavy thud as she dropped it on the ground, serving as a reminder for Pine that she was definitely quite strong.

Clest sat on the rock and held her body close to the fire, seeming very comfortable to be heated up after her bath.

"Ahhhhh... this feels nice," she said with eyes closed, and palms facing the fire. She almost looked like she was gonna melt like a marshmallow.

Pine just kept on admiring her relaxed face, before he realized that her sword was nowhere to be found.

"Wait, Clest, where's the sword I gave you?"

"Hm?" Clest opened her eyes, Pine's question not immediately registering in her brain. And when it did, she went, "Oh, shit."

Her eyes then widened some more, and she stood up.

"Oh, shit." She worriedly cursed out loud, before looking at Pine in a begging tone of voice. "I forgot that I caught some fish in the stream for our dinner. Can you get it please?"

She looked like this 🥺 saying that. No way Pine could even say no.

"How did you even forget about that..." Pine seriously wondered out loud, looking at Clest funny, who just made a cute 'hehe' in response.

Well, since Clest already dealt with dinner, he of course would be more than willing to pick up Clest's items from the lost and found.

As he stood up to go to the stream, Clest added, raising her voice as Pine walked away, "The fish are on a rocky area near the stream, and they're still alive so make sure you don't throw them back into the water!"

---

Pine soon came back with seven dead fish. It seemed like he killed them before bringing them back for ease of carrying. The fish weren't big, their cross-section spanning only around the width of two fingers.

While this won't make them full for tonight, it was a hundred times better than going hungry again for an entire night.

As for his belt and sword, it was around his waist again.

Pine did all the food preparation without a word of complaint. Mostly because he didn't really hate this job since he was rather accustomed to it, but also because he knew he was the keeper.

Clest just watched him in mild adoration, finally speaking up when he finished putting the cleaned fish carcasses beside the fire to roast them.

"You seem like you're gonna be a very good keeper," she said, smiling as if teasing him. "Very obedient."

Pine smiled back at her, not backing down. "You seem to fancy the idea of getting Married to me. I was sure you thought of me disgusting when we first met..."

Clest pursed her lips in defense. "Hey! That's because you made this weird malicious face back then!"

Pine made a frowning face and shrugged, as if pretending he never did that.

"Also!" Clest continued, smirking again, "Of the two of us, who really fancies the other? I can't pretend I don't notice the admiring looks you give me."

She then jokingly face-palmed and shook her head. "You even attempted to watch me bathe earlier, tsk tsk."

After a brief pause, Pine said, "So what if I do?"

...

"Huh?" Clest was pulled out of her teasing mood by that serious voice.

"So what if I like to look at you? I mean, honestly, you're very pret--" Pine stopped himself, and then started to grin teasingly. "Well, you don't look bad for sure."

"HAh?" Clest couldn't believe it. "You were about to say I was very pretty!"

"Was I??" Pine pretended not to know.

"Tch," Clest clicked her tongue in playful annoyance, which made Pine laugh.

"Okay, okay, you're pretty."

Clest's expression turned into that of a lovely young lady, straightening her posture as well.

"Uh huh, tell me more," she said, with her eyes closed.

"And I find you rather charming."

"Mhm hm," she tucked her hair behind her ear confidently.

"Yeah, can't wait to Marry you."

Clest slowly opened her eyes to look at Pine, her expression strange.

"...I have a feeling you just want to do lewd things to me."

"WHAT? Why is that suddenly what enters your mind?!"

"I mean I highly doubt you 'can't wait' to marry me because you want the powers of a keeper..."

Clest then gasped, as if confirming something. She then started hold herself by the chest, looking horrified at Pine.

"You're just after my body..."

"That is a FALSE accusation."

It was not completely false. He did like her that way too.

"...So you mean you don't actually like me?" Clest looked disheartened now.

Pine was appalled. He looked at the night sky with palms open, as if asking for an explanation from the gods.

Seeing how Pine looked, Clest couldn't hold it anymore and burst into laughter. Pine just looked at her strange, slightly relieved that she was only joking.

After a few moments, Clest's laughter died down. She crutched her belly and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Phew... Seriously though, no lewd stuff 'til marriage, alright?"

Pine seemed exasperated at how Clest was reminding him. "I know, I know."

Their banter continued on into the night, even as they ate their dinner. The night was peaceful. There was no need for them to take shifts in resting, but they still did out of caution.

And this marks the 24th hour after our two special cases meet.