CHAPTER 47: CHAPTER 47: FOOTSTEPS

"Our luck isn’t too bad. There’s a slope nearby where a tree fell, and these firewood pieces were caught beneath it," Sosuke explained simply as he lit the dry grass. "If I couldn’t find any firewood, I was going to burn my haori. But it seems we won’t need to do that now. Still, I’ll go find some logs to create a barrier between us by the fire. You should take off your clothes, dry them over the flames, and wipe off the cold water first. Then take care of your clothes—at least that will prevent your condition from worsening."

As he spoke, he carefully tended to the fire.

Black smoke quickly filled the cave, nearly bringing tears to Sosuke’s eyes. He quickly adjusted the flames, and the situation improved.

The rising smoke drifted along the cave ceiling and out into the night. In the flickering firelight, Sosuke noticed Shinobu’s deathly pale complexion. His brow furrowed, and he moved closer.

Shinobu sniffled and quickly looked up. "What is it?"

Before she could finish speaking, Sosuke’s hand was already on her forehead.

"You have a fever," he sighed. "Wait here for a moment."

With that, he darted out again, returning moments later with several dripping wet branches in his hands.

Beside the campfire, he propped up a pole and draped his haori over it, creating a makeshift screen.

Though Shinobu was still young,Sosuke felt it was best to maintain proper modesty.

"Go over there and do as I say," Sosuke instructed, pointing to the other side of the haori.

Despite her intermittent confusion, Shinobu understood what he meant. She reluctantly shuffled to the other side, and moments later, a soaking wet outer robe was tossed out.

Sosuke caught it, looking puzzled. "What’s this?"

"I... I don’t have the strength..." Shinobu’s voice was soft and embarrassed.

Sosuke chuckled, shaking his head. "I owe you one."

He wrung out the robe and hung it over the pole. Then, a pair of wet pants was pushed out.

Following the same routine, Sosuke wrung out his clothes, hung them up, and sat down to tend the fire, occasionally adding more firewood.

After a moment of silence, Shinobu’s voice broke through the quiet.

"Don’t think that just because you’re being nice to me, I’ll let you have my Elder Sister."

Sosuke smiled. "If you’re tired, get some rest. I’ll keep watch."

The wilderness at night was dangerous, and no one knew what might be lurking in the torrential rain. If both of them fell asleep, they might never wake up.

"I only have my Elder Sister left..." Shinobu mumbled. "I can’t lose her too. So, I won’t let you take her away."

Sosuke listened in silence for a moment, then sighed softly. "No one’s trying to take your Elder Sister."

"You’re lying..." Shinobu’s voice sounded drowsy.

Sosuke frowned. "Are you alright?"

"I’m fine... I’m warming up now," Shinobu replied.

Sosuke let out a small sigh of relief and nodded. "I think you should consider this from a different perspective."

"What perspective?" Shinobu asked.

"Stop thinking I’m trying to take something away from you," Sosuke said. "Or rather, consider this: from now on, you’ll receive twice the love and warmth. One from your elder sister, and another from me. Well, I know I can’t compare to her at all—there’s no comparison. But my affection for you won’t diminish in the slightest. You think I’m being nice to you to steal your sister? No, you’re wrong... It’s precisely because I’ve taken your sister that I’ll cherish you even more."

"...You haven’t taken her yet," Shinobu snapped, her voice laced with anger. "And your ’affection’... it sounds so disgusting."

"...Can’t you just get the gist of it?" Sosuke’s face darkened. Why was it so difficult to have a simple conversation? Why did she have to nitpick every word and make things so complicated?

"Anyway, it’s just disgusting," Shinobu huffed twice before falling silent.

Sosuke sighed softly, missing Kanae.

As a Pillar, she bore immense responsibility, constantly facing danger. He had thought that rescuing her from Doma would finally bring peace of mind... but though he never voiced it, every time she went on a mission, Sosuke felt a pang of anxiety.

If he could, he truly wished he could accompany her, facing those dangers together.

"Unfortunately, I’m not yet qualified to face such threats."

He exhaled softly and turned to gaze out of the cave.

The torrential rain had eased, falling steadily as if it intended to continue until the end of time.

A cold wind swept through the cave entrance. Sosuke frowned, feeling the chill, and pulled his bamboo hat down to shield his chest from the draft.

"Are you asleep?" he asked.

Shinobu grunted in response, indicating she was still awake, but her words were completely unintelligible.

Alarmed, Sosuke quickly asked, "Hey, are you okay? Make some noise!"

"...What?" Shinobu’s voice was hoarse. "I was finally about to fall asleep."

Sosuke let out a soft sigh of relief. "Alright, you’re fine. Go back to sleep. Oh, if your clothes dry, cover yourself a bit. I might check on you later tonight if I’m worried, and I don’t want to get a sty."

"...Of course I’m wearing something," Shinobu said, a hint of indignation in her voice. "How could I possibly take everything off...?"

"Good."

Sosuke figured it was better to address such matters beforehand. Otherwise, acting hastily in an emergency might lead to awkward situations.

Dealing with his sister-in-law was a delicate balancing act. He had to care for her while avoiding any potential embarrassment.

Listening to the rain outside the cave and Shinobu’s steady breathing beside him, Sosuke finally felt his mind settle completely.

’Tomorrow morning, I’ll take her back to the Butterfly Mansion as soon as possible.’

Having made his decision, he roused himself and retrieved his hammer-sword.

He still thought calling it the "Church’s Warhammer" was fine in a game, but it felt inappropriate now. Firstly, there was no church, and secondly, it wasn’t a warhammer—it was an iron hammer.

So, he decided to name it based on its features: Sword-in-Hammer, or Blade-in-Hammer, either would work.

Pulling the weapon close, Sosuke watched the rain outside, waiting for dawn.

As he waited, dawn didn’t break, but stumbling, scattered footsteps gradually emerged from the rain.