Born and raised in a prominent adventurer n renowned for their scouting skills, Lesurii Kusanagi rarely faced challenges.@@novelbin@@


    Furthermore, when she did encounter difficulties, they were typically managed by someone watching over her growth.


    Her academy days were no exception.


    It was only after she became a professional adventurer that she truly learned how scary the world could be.


    There were times when she overestimated her own strength, faced bandits, dealt with envious and malicious guildmates, and genuinely felt in danger.


    However, none of those experiences couldpare to the perilous situation she was currently facing.


    This time, she genuinely believed she was done for, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes from fear.


    Before she knew it, her entire life was shing before her eyes.


    Memories of her childhood…


    Her academy days.


    Their painful defeat at the grand finals two years ago…


    Astonishingly, though, the simple scene wherein she shared a tiny space with Siegfried to hide from the passing (S) ranked monster also yed out.


    ''Ahh…if only I could live longer…''


    She hadn''t been in enough life-or-death situations.


    Hence, Lesurii easily gave up on her life.


    She didn''t even have the will to continue her attack and deal onest damage to the Nether Griffin to help herrade out in what little way she could before she was taken out.


    But then, just when the gaping beak was about to rip her head off, a young man suddenly appeared above the griffin''s head, his katana d in a golden aura stabbing deep into the griffin''s skull.


    ''Heh, who knew I''d be able to use a trick I learned from Crowley this soon? Void Pierce!''


    Meanwhile, the Kusanagi n''s young miss had an expression of utter horror as shended atop the Nether Griffin''s beak, her brain failing to process what just happened.


    ''I-I''m alive?''


    The enormous avian gazed at her with an angry expression.


    Yet, somehow, it wasn''t moving.


    Momentster, she felt a strong force around her waist, snapping her out of her terrified confusion.


    A voice then sounded right beside her ear, as cold as winter yet asforting as a gentle breeze.


    "You''re fine…You''re fine…"


    Finally realizing she had received her wish for a longer life, Lesurii cried like a child, hugging Siegfried as tightly as she could in gratitude.


    She wanted to live.


    More than anything, she wanted to live…


    This was her first true close encounter with death.


    Hence, Lesurii was shaking, and she found it hard to let go of Siegfried, who was her only source of sce in the middle of the terrifying ce she was in.


    On the other hand, the poor young man with zero romantic experience was inwardly panicking.


    He couldn''t help but feel that the current situation he was in was scarier than death.


    After all, despite how inexperienced he was, he knew that pushing a vulnerable and crying woman away wasn''t a good decision.


    Moreover, he…liked the feeling of hugging a woman.


    The soft sensation of Lesurii''s body and her sweet scent filled his heart with delight.


    At that moment, Siegfried couldn''t deny that he wanted that moment tost long.


    But then, something happened, one that made him decide to cut the moment short.


    His manhood was reacting vigorously. It wanted a piece of action.


    Hence, he decided to push the Kusanagi n''s young miss away as gently as possible, speaking with a hint of awkwardness in his voice shortly after:


    "M-Miss Kusanagi…i-isn''t this inappropriate? Wouldn''t your –"


    "N-No, please…just a little longer…"


    All the logic in his head went down the drain, though, after hearing Lesurii''s vulnerable voice and seeing her pitiful crying appearance once more.


    At that moment, all Siegfried wanted to do wasfort the crying young maiden, trying his best to calm himself down and act as nonchntly as possible as he hugged Lesurii tightly, bringingfort to her frightened heart.


    He and his little brother were barely holding on.


    Yet, the young woman in his embrace did not seem inclined to act conservatively, burying her face deep in his chest and asionally sniffing from crying.


    What happened next was three whole minutes of wee torture for Siegfried.


    He would''ve allowed her to cry for as long as she wanted.


    However, the chilling darkness of the night was starting to envelop the world.


    Hence, despite wanting the current moment tost for a long time, Siegfried ultimately decided to let go.


    Fortunately, Lesurii was now more or less okaypared to earlier.


    "M-Miss Kusanagi, w–"


    "Lesurii is fine…You can call me by my name…"


    "L-Lesurii, it''s already nighttime; we need to find a safe ce to rest for the night," Siegfried said with a hint of regret before continuing: "I-I-If you want to continueter, y-y-you''re wee to do so."


    He said such embarrassing words with a stoic face.


    Yet, it was evident that he was nervous and shaking inwardly, causing Lesurii to slightly giggle.


    They were about to leave in search of a safe ce to pass the night.


    However, once their logical reasoning returned, they realized that there was no need to.


    After all, what could be safer than their of an (S-) ranked creature that they''d just killed


    Creatures rarely dared to roam such a dangerous area.


    Ultimately, the two of them decided to climb the enormous redwood tree and sleep in the dead Nether Griffin''s nest.


    It was not only afortable ce to rest but also provided shelter with its branches and leaves, protecting them even if it rained heavily.


    It took them about fifteen minutes of deft climbing to reach the nest.


    Siegfried then looked around, nodding satisfactorily at the spacious andfortable ce where they would be staying for the night.


    A few momentster, the two began setting up camp, arranging sleeping bags, retrieving warm heating blocks from their spatial bags, and preparing food.


    Awkwardly, they didn''t speak to each other at all during that time.


    Honestly, Siegfried was rather disappointed. He wanted to hug Lesurii again.


    Unfortunately for him, there appeared to be no chance of that happening tonight.


    However, just a few seconds after Siegfried settled into his sleeping bag for the night, a warm and soft hand suddenly wrapped around him from behind, apanied by a gentle and shy voice.


    "H-Hey, I-I''m not fine yet, and you said I could choose to continue. I-I''m just taking you up on that offer, okay?"