Don’t Be Holy! - Chapter 99

“Huh?”

Why does it feel like my hearing gets worse whenever I’m around this man? Eir looked at him with a face that said, “Did I hear that wrong?” He tilted his chin slightly, as if to say, “What’s so hard to understand?”

“I don’t know why the damn thing won’t get hard, so I’m trying folk remedies or whatever.”

“Folk…… remedies?”

Eir was a little surprised by the words coming out of Rubel’s mouth—words that didn’t suit him at all. The man who had always proudly claimed his inability to get e***t was now talking about boosting his stamina like other men, even considering consuming various things.

“At this rate, you’ll end up eating snakes.”

“I’ve already caught two.”

What?

This time, Eir didn’t say it out loud, but her mind was already screaming it. How had he fallen this far? Did he really want to have s*x that badly?

Of course, it was good for Eir that Rubel was taking this seriously. After all, it was her duty to sleep with him.

But still, this was a bit…….

She cleared her throat with a “Hmm,” trying to shake off the thought, and slowly got up.

“Alright. Let’s go together, then.”

“Dress warmly. We might have to sleep in the mountains.”

“Is it really going to be that long?”

“You said it yourself before. The best herbs are found deep in the mountains.”

When had she said that?

It was true that she often thought that way, and it wasn’t surprising that she’d said it, but she was sure she hadn’t said it since coming here. That meant it must have been during her time in Solvik. She hadn’t expected him to remember something she’d said back then.

Was his memory exceptionally good?

Lucky him. She’d once stayed up for three days and nights trying to memorize an herb book while living with her grandmother.

Eir pouted and pointed at the book.

“Have you read all of this?”

“Of course I have. You were sprawled out asleep the whole time.”

Eir wanted to say she’d had a nightmare. It wasn’t that she’d been sleeping comfortably—she’d been under immense stress even in her sleep.

She dragged her heavy body up. Rubel, as if he were her personal servant, handed her a damp towel at just the right moment. Eir carefully wiped her face with one hand and combed her hair as she spoke.

“Well, it’s a good thing you’ve read it. I can’t take such a precious book with me.”

“Aren’t you going to read it more?”

“You’ve already memorized it. With your good memory, you could probably go alone.”

“If that were the case, why would there be a profession like herb gatherers? The chances of finding what I need are higher if you come along, aren’t they?”

He smiled as if he’d said something profound, staring intently at her face.

Eir had never seen someone so boldly admit to having erectile dysfunction. No matter how many times she heard it, she couldn’t get used to it. She sighed deeply and put down the damp towel.

***

The southern summer was supposed to be unbearably hot, but since the real scorching season hadn’t started yet, it felt pleasant outside. The gentle breeze brushing through her hair felt wonderful, and even the bright sunlight forcing her to shield her eyes with her hand was enjoyable.

It had rained the entire time she was on the island, so seeing the sun after so long made her steps feel lighter.

“The weather’s really nice.”

Rubel chuckled as Eir repeated this for the third or fourth time while climbing the mountain.

“Is it that good?”

“Yes, it’s that good. I’ve always preferred day over night and summer over winter.”

Rubel tilted his head. It was the opposite of what witches, who needed shadows to cast spells, would say. Then again, Eir had only lived as a witch during her childhood, and she’d spent most of her time in Hecate living like a true herb gatherer.

Maybe it was better not to keep asking, “Do other witches do that?” He realized that constantly questioning her like that was trapping her within the framework of what he knew about witches.

“I feel the same way.”

So instead, Rubel said that.