CHAPTER 270: SIMPLE DREAM OF HAZUKI ( 270 )

Hazuki was squatting by the shallow stream, cold water trickling past his hands.

He splashed his face again, then exhaled softly.

Water dripped from his chin as he looked up at the sky—clear, wide, a soft gradient of blue and white.

His eyes narrowed slightly, lost in thought.

Until—

POP.

A misty form suddenly filled the top of his vision.

"Ugh!" Hazuki jerked back. "What the—!?"

Floating upside-down just inches from his face, Ridan grinned smugly.

"What a view!"

Hazuki blinked.

"...Of the sky?"

Ridan smirked.

"No, no. Of a sentimental dumbass squatting in a river like he’s posing for a tragic painting. Hahahaha~"

Hazuki sighed deeply, dragging a wet hand down his face.

"Can’t a guy have a single peaceful moment?"

"Not when I’m around!" Ridan beamed, flipping upright and spinning midair.

Ridan floated lazily in circles around him, arms behind his head.

"So what are you planning, Hazuki?" he asked, his misty form spinning slow like a lazy wheel.

Hazuki blinked, shrugged, and muttered,

"Hmm? Rest?"

Ridan stopped mid-spin.

"Whaaaaa—"

He floated closer, dramatically offended.

"What a boring human~"

Hazuki side-eyed him without stopping, hands stuffed in his pocket as he casually walked along the streambed.

"What? It’s normal to rest."

"Come oooon~" Ridan moaned. "Stop being boring at least once. Go punch something.Steal a magical fruit. I don’t know—live!"

Hazuki gave a long sigh, not even looking at him.

"...Ridan."

"Hmm?"

Hazuki sighed, his hands deep in his pockets as he started walking down the path.

The wind brushed through the trees, cool water flowing behind them.

"Life isn’t that boring."

"You just don’t know how to appreciate quiet."

Ridan tilted his head. "You sure? You’ve spent half of yours walking, eating, and getting called ’Heelsman.’"

Hazuki’s eye twitched.

"...Shut up."

Ridan floated just behind Hazuki, hands clasped behind his back like a noble on a casual stroll.

"Man... walking like this without a destination is boring."

Hazuki didn’t even turn around.

"Hey, you know I still want to find a way to get Ellyn those heels, right?"

Ridan immediately floated ahead, spun to face him, and puffed out his cheeks in exaggerated protest.

"Boooooo~!" he booed loudly, waving his arms.

"So boring! Why keep searching inside this same town when you could go out and do a quest, man!?"

Hazuki raised an eyebrow. "What’s that got to do with heels?"

Ridan smirked.

"Everything. Maybe the one who can craft them is out there in some cave, or behind some giant monster, or sitting in a hot spring with a giant hammer, waiting for some hero to stumble by."

Hazuki sighed.

"Lame." Ridan spun in place again.

"Come on, Mr. Sentimental. What happened to that guy who punched a vine monster in the face and screamed about steak?"

"That was long ago," Hazuki muttered, hands still in his pockets.

"Yea, but still, man!" Ridan floated backwards, arms flailing in exaggerated dismay.

"It’s boring if we only focus on one thing!"

Hazuki stopped walking and gave him a flat stare.

"You’re the one who’s bored, right?" he said calmly.

"If you’re that bored, go sightseeing alone."

Ridan puffed up like a balloon.

"It’s because I can’t, dumbass! You remember? My soul’s stuck in that nasty, ten-silver-coin short sword of yours!"

Hazuki blinked.

"Ah... right."

He casually shrugged and whistled like it wasn’t his problem.

Ridan spun in irritation. "Come on, man! Let’s go real sightseeing! Do something wild. Explore. Punch a bird. Ask about rare crafting techniques. Find a mystical old granny with enchanted staff. Something to do,other han heels."

Hazuki looked around at the town—dwarves bustling, vendors shouting, smoke rising from forges.

Then he glanced back at Ridan.

"We are sightseeing."

Ridan’s face dropped like a deflated balloon.

"...This is worse than watching grass grow."

"Try watching rocks melt in a forge. Dwarves love that."

Ridan smirked, his cloudy form spinning slowly overhead.

Then faster.

Then faster—circling Hazuki’s head like a gnat on coffee.

"Bzzzt... bzzzt..."

Hazuki flinched slightly. "...Don’t."

"Bzzzt~" Ridan buzzed louder, picking up speed.

Hazuki tried to ignore him.

Kept walking, eyes forward. Calm.

Focused.

But the buzzing grew closer.

"Bzzzt—bzzzt—bzzzzt—"

Then with a POOF of mana mist, Ridan transformed—a puffy, exaggerated mosquito version of himself, with glowing blue wings and a puff-cloud stinger poking around Hazuki’s ear.

"Bzzzt! Bzzzt! Time to suck human blood!"

Hazuki snapped his head to the side. "Oi, stop that."

"Nope! Nope! Not until you agree to a quest!" the mosquito Ridan said gleefully.

Hazuki groaned, waving him off like a drunk man swatting smoke.

"Just let me rest today. I haven’t even slept on a real bed or mattress in days!"

Ridan, still midair, puffed back into his usual form—arms behind his head, reclining in smug satisfaction.

"Wow... listen to you. Our Heelsman is becoming a real noble, huh?"

He spun once in place, then raised a hand dramatically.

"Feewit~! Make way! Make way! Look at this man—"

He pointed with both hands at Hazuki.

"Sir Hazuki of Heelsman, Champion of Comfy Beds, Slayer of Backaches!"

Hazuki sighed so hard his soul nearly left his body.

"...I hate you."

"Ceh." Ridan shrugged as he floated off, spinning in slow circles like a smug little spirit cloud.

Then—

Boing.

He landed, face-first, into a passing dwarven lady’s cleavage, arms wide like he’d just arrived in heaven.

"Mmm... 8.5 out of 10. Soft. Subtle. Natural."

Hazuki sighed, not even reacting anymore.

He just let the idiot enjoy his boob cruise.

Hazuki looked around, hands still in his pockets.

The street bustled. Dwarves bartered, clanked tools, waved meat skewers.

He watched them—watched how casually people flirted, drank together, even kissed in alleys or by taverns.

"Lucky Ridan..."

"He can just float into any girl’s chest, no rules. No promise. No responsibility."

Hazuki glanced down at his hand.

On his ring finger, the pinky promise ring sat silently—gleaming faintly in the sunlight.

Simple. Slim. Unbreakable.

He turned it slightly with his thumb.

"Me?"

"I can’t even go to a brothel."

"Can’t flirt. Can’t touch. Can’t even look at a girl the wrong way or I’ll get struck down by divine karma."

His shoulders sagged.

"Haaaa..."

He tilted his head back toward the sky.

"I really hope Ellyn turns into her adult form for good and marries me soon..."

His face turned slightly pink at the thought.

"Seriously... I’m suffering here."

( End Of Chapter )