Can Someone (Anyone!) Please Turn Off the Auto-Skill Setting?! - Chapter 61
They continued heading north toward the Demon King’s castle. The villager’s warning that the land would become more barren turned out to be true.
“It’s hard to find even a single tree with fruit.”
For Nancy, picking fruits from unowned trees along the way had been a small joy. Even if the fruit wasn’t ripe, it was far fresher and sweeter than the dry bread, jerky, or biscuits she usually ate.
The realization that she wouldn’t be able to enjoy free fruit for a while left her feeling deeply disappointed.
“Want a biscuit?”
As she smacked her lips in frustration, Aaron offered her a biscuit. He must have thought she was making the sound out of hunger.
Nancy glanced at the biscuit he held out through the gap in his helm, which she was still wearing, and let out a deep sigh. It wasn’t hunger but a craving for something sweet. That dry biscuit would only make her thirstier, and it certainly wasn’t sweet.
“Are you tired? Should we stop walking for the day?”
Nancy was surprised by his suggestion. Aaron had always been like a rider whipping a racehorse, insisting they hurry to the Demon King’s castle as quickly as possible. What kind of racer would say it’s okay to stop and rest? His change in attitude was highly suspicious.
Of course, there had been times in the past when he had suggested slowing down. Usually, when he couldn’t control his lust and wasn’t thinking clearly.
But this time, his mind should have been perfectly calm. Since leaving the village, she hadn’t removed the helm even once. There was no way he could be getting aroused without having seen her face.
“What are you plotting?”
Nancy narrowed her eyes. Aaron shrugged, saying there was nothing to plot. He pointed to a cave nearby that looked suitable for spending the night and gently took her hand.
Normally, Aaron would grab her hand firmly and drag her wherever he pleased. But today, his grip was loose, and if she looked closely, his hand was trembling slightly.
“Something’s off with you today.”
“What’s off?”
Aaron responded curtly, as if he didn’t understand the question. But the tips of his ears, peeking out from under his hair, had turned bright red.
Was he feeling unwell and in need of rest? Did he lack the strength to grip her hand tightly?
As they entered the cave, Nancy watched him carefully while setting up camp. Up until now, the division of labor in battles had been about 1 to 9, with Aaron doing most of the fighting. If their main warrior was sick and they were attacked by demons, it would be a major headache.
Aaron noticed her gaze but pretended not to as he busied himself with setting up camp.
Since they were in a cave, there was no need to set up a tent, or so Nancy thought. But water dripped down from the ceiling, so they had no choice but to set one up.
Normally, Aaron would have set up the tent before Nancy even had a chance to help, but that day, he was unusually slow.
In the end, Nancy did most of the tent setup, and only after she was nearly finished did Aaron let out a sigh and begin to slowly remove his gauntlets and armor. His movements were much slower than usual.
“Need help?”
Nancy asked. Aaron looked startled and quickly refused, his face turning red, and his gaze slightly unfocused.
Something’s definitely wrong, Nancy thought, so she used her ‘Piercing Gaze’ skill on him.
【Status Effect: Cold. 】
“I knew it. Aaron, you’re down with a cold.”
When Nancy pointed it out, Aaron flinched before reacting as if it was impossible. He took pride in his physical health and his ability to maintain it.
Of course, since they had started traveling, it had been harder for him to keep up with his usual regimen.
The basics of health are good sleep, food, and exercise. Their meals had been sufficient thanks to hunting, gathering, and occasionally buying provisions in villages. Exercise wasn’t an issue either.
The problem was sleep.
Nancy had trusted the protective magic on their tent and slept soundly every night. But Aaron couldn’t afford to do the same. The protection magic she used was basic and could easily be broken through by someone with the right skills.
‘As we got closer to demon territory, it became more dangerous, so we decided to take turns keeping watch.’
They hadn’t been attacked during the night yet, but remembering his grandfather’s stories, Aaron felt the need to stay vigilant.
However, unlike his grandfather’s time, when there were more than ten members in the party, now it was just Nancy and Aaron, the two of them alone.
