Although I was momentarily annoyed by Ethan stealing the final blow on my Hobgoblin Swordsman as soon as he arrived, it was only a passing emotion. It wasn't really a big deal that I needed to dwell on.

After all, Ethan didn’t mean any harm. He must have mistaken the situation, thinking I was struggling with the named Hobgoblin, and swung his sword to save me. I should be thanking him instead.

And really, even if we split the experience points, it wasn’t like the amount was insignificant. If it had been a stranger, I might’ve been upset, but since it was Ethan, I could let it slide.

‘Even though I know it wasn’t Ethan’s fault…’

Still, what was this overwhelming feeling of emptiness that I couldn’t shake off?

I was looking forward to confirming that I had progressed not only as a mage but also in my swordsmanship. It was disappointing to miss that chance to prove myself.

Of course, I would have won either way, even without Ethan’s interference, so in the end, it wouldn’t have changed the result, but still…

‘Ah, whatever.’

It was a waste of time to brood over such things. I had just reunited with Ethan, and it was better to think about how we would spend the next five nights and six days together.

Barely three hours had passed since we entered the forest, and I would be spending over 110 more hours alone with Ethan.

Five nights and six days, just me and Ethan. No Isabel, no Agnes, no one else. …Honestly, it was a situation that made my heart race a little.

“I’m sorry, Lilith… I ended up stealing the monster you were fighting seriously…”

“It couldn’t be helped, could it? You thought I was in danger and swung your sword to save me, so there was no wrongdoing on your part, Ethan.”

“…Huh? You weren’t angry, Lilith? Are you not upset?”

“I wasn’t angry from the start, Ethan.”

“Oh, right… That’s… a relief.”

Ethan didn’t bother asking, “Are you really not mad?” or something like that, unlike someone without much awareness.

“More importantly, we have a lot to do before the sun sets, Ethan. The sun is already beginning to go down, so we should hurry and find shelter with a roof. If it rains, we might struggle to survive the night.”

“…You’re right, Lilith. Let’s focus on finding shelter first.”

The weather events during the Natural Studies Exploration course occurred randomly, making them unpredictable with each playthrough.

If it happened to rain on the first day, you’d likely start off with debuffs like “Cold” or “Hypothermia,” so we had to be particularly cautious.

In Luminor Academy, you could save and reload the game to retake exploration courses, but Ethan and I didn’t have such a luxury.

“Building shelter would take too long, so it’s best to find a nearby cave or a large tree for tonight. If we can find a cave not far from here, we can use it as our base. If we find a large tree, we can hollow it out for temporary rain cover and build a proper shelter tomorrow.”

“You’re speaking pretty confidently, Lilith. Have you learned how to camp in the forest?”

“…I’m merely prioritizing and organizing what needs to be done in this situation. If you have a better suggestion, I’m more than willing to follow it, Ethan.”

“Let’s just go with what you said. I think you’re right, Lilith.”

“Using fire magic in the forest would consume too much magic and poses a risk of starting a fire, so it’s best to craft torches for light as we move.”

Though it was my first time being thrown into the wild with nothing, I didn’t find the situation particularly difficult or troubling.

As long as I followed the strategies from the game, I wouldn’t end up soaked to the bone or see the bad ending where we failed.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

Another three hours passed.

Drip, drip.

“…”

“…”

Patter, patter.

“It’s raining pretty hard…”

“Yes, it is, Ethan.”

Unluckily, we’d been hit by a “heavy rain event” on our first day in the forest. As soon as the rain started to fall, Ethan and I had quickly taken refuge inside a large tree we’d found, hollowing it out to escape the downpour.

‘It would have been better if we’d found a cave nearby.’

We had hurriedly hollowed out the inside of a large tree and crawled inside, but the space was a bit too cramped to accommodate two people.

Of course, lying down was impossible. We had to huddle with our knees pulled up just to squeeze inside, leaving Ethan and me pressed against each other in the narrow tree shelter, waiting for the rain to stop.

Drip, drip, drip.

“If it’s raining this hard on the first day, I imagine a lot of students will drop out by tomorrow.”

“…Yeah, this weather isn’t exactly fit for surviving outside.”

“It’s unfortunate we couldn’t find a cave and start a fire, but for now, I’m grateful we found at least some shelter.”

Having a roof over our heads was a relief, at least.

As long as we didn’t get completely soaked, we wouldn’t weaken and catch a cold. The humidity was an issue, but I could fix that by using Sally’s fire magic to start a campfire once the rain let up.

And in weather like this, monsters wouldn’t be roaming around. Even they knew well enough to avoid hypothermia by not wandering around in the rain.

“Not having a cave isn’t all bad, Lilith.”

“What do you mean?”

“Since we’re in this tiny tree, you and I get to stay nice and close to each other until morning.”

“…It’s not exactly an ideal environment for restoring stamina, Ethan.”

“I guess that’s true, but…”

…Well, I didn’t completely hate the forced proximity. Feeling Ethan’s warmth, his firm muscles, and his scent up close like this wasn’t exactly a bad situation.

Sure, it was a bit too convenient a sentiment to voice in such conditions, but I still preferred this over filming some lonely survival diary.

“Are you uncomfortable being this close, Lilith?”

“No, I don’t dislike being in such close proximity to you, Ethan. However, that doesn’t change the fact that this situation isn’t ideal.”

“If sitting with your knees up like this is uncomfortable, how about you try sitting more comfortably?”

“In this cramped space, how would I possibly sit more comfortably, Ethan?”

“I’ll spread my legs, and you can sit on top of me. That way, you’ll have a bit more room to stretch your legs. It’ll be better than sitting like this.”

“…”

His suggestion made sense, but still…

The thought of shifting into the classic “sitting on his lap” position, often done by couples, felt a little embarrassing.

Compared to sitting side by side with knees up, the increased body contact would be far more intimate. Plus, sitting on his lap like that seemed somewhat… suggestive.

‘…This is all for the sake of recovering stamina.’

In this situation, maintaining a comfortable posture was important for proper recovery. In Luminor Academy, stamina and magic were restored faster when the characters rested in a more comfortable position.

It wasn’t like I wanted to sit on Ethan’s lap. I was simply accepting his more logical proposal.

“Understood. I’ll get up for a moment and adjust my position.”

“It’s fine. Stay seated, Lilith. I’ll take care of it.”

“Huh? What do you mea—ah?!”

Before I could finish my sentence, Ethan suddenly slid his hands under my arms and lifted me slightly off the ground.

While I was momentarily suspended in the air, Ethan adjusted his position, sitting cross-legged beneath me, and lowered me gently onto his lap.

“There, all set, Lilith.”

“H-Haa, y-yes…”

“…Lilith?”

If he was going to put his hands under my arms, he should’ve given me a little warning first.

It wasn’t that I particularly felt anything, but the sudden touch caught me off guard and made my breath hitch.

…It wasn’t like that was a sensitive area for me, no—it was purely because I was surprised.

“Please warn me before you touch a lady’s body, Ethan. Even though I’m your temporary lover, sudden physical contact like that can be a bit overwhelming.”

“Oh, s-sorry, Lilith… I wasn’t being considerate enough…”

“…Now that you realize, it’s fine.”

Wrapping my arms around my slightly tingling armpits, I shifted myself further into Ethan’s lap.

Moving slowly and carefully, so the rain wouldn’t hit my legs.

Squirm, squirm.

“Ugh…?”

Shift, shift.

“…Lilith?”

As I moved on Ethan’s lap, I felt something below me making contact, and in that moment, I sternly reprimanded him as his personal maid.

“Ethan, do you really want to fool around even in a situation like this? Please remove your hand from my backside immediately.”

“…That’s not my hand, Lilith.”

“…What?”

“L-Lilith, it’s not my fault… If you keep moving like that, as a man, I can’t help but get a little… stimulated…”

“…I apologize. I’ll be more careful.”

“…”

“…”

The sound of the steady rain falling outside. The narrow space inside the tree. Ethan’s body pressed against mine.

The cold night air in the rain-soaked forest chilled everything around us, but Ethan and I sat together, surrounded by a different kind of heat, waiting for the rain to stop.