Sarah smiled as she watched her lord nce at her with his charming smile.


    She could never get enough of his calm gaze and his unfettered smile. Every time she looked at his face, she would simply feel a wave of unadulterated happiness.


    Even as the rain beat her body, she felt the Hero''s gaze shift in her direction on countless asions.


    ''Is he worried I''ll catch a cold? Oh, Hero...'' Her thoughts were aloft.


    Even though she had only been caring for him for about a month now, Sarah felt like she had known him for longer.


    Being his personal assistant was definitely the greatest joy she could receive.


    ''Haa... Sam...'' Her eyes stared dreamily at him—that is, until she corrected herself.


    Lately, she had been having sphemous thoughts and filthy emotions. Sarah felt embarrassed by the feelings she had been getting rather frequently, desiring to purge them all.


    ''I... how can I think that way of the Hero??!''


    She knew this emotion well.


    It was one that humans called love—when two people desired each other and came together to act on it.


    ''N-no... the Hero is... too magnificent for me!'' Sarah chided herself once more.


    Still, she could not help but stare at Sam''s ck hair and charming blue eyes as he stared at her again.


    His gaze felt a bit distracted, as though he was looking a bit lower than her face. It was almost like—


    ''A-ah!'' Sarah gasped, finally figuring it out.


    She trailed his gaze, and both his eyes were locked in one direction—her chest!


    No, rather, it was her heart.


    ''H-he knows how I feel? N-no way...'' Both hands now covered her mouth as she tried to control herself.


    This was the Hero she was talking about. Nothing was impossible for him to achieve, and it wouldn''t be the first time he would be reading her thoughts.


    ''S-so he knows... the feelings buried deep within my heart?''


    She had always viewed Sam with respect, but it was onlytely that that inclination morphed to be something else entirely


    Ever since Lucy, and then Lilith, entered the picture.


    Sarah did not know much about romance, but she did not want to lose the Hero''s attention to those two, at the very least.


    ''T-to think he knew all that...'' Sarah was embarrassed beyondpare.


    Yet, one question bothered her endlessly.


    ''Why hasn''t he said anything? He just looks at me. Is he waiting for me to speak first? No, this is the Hero we''re talking about here... surely he has a grand n. Or maybe those feelings aren''t worth hisment?''


    "Uuuuuu..." Sarah let out a soft and confused sigh.


    The Hero was beyond her understanding, but even she wished to understand him a bit more.


    ''S-sam, I''m sorry for my shameless thoughts. I just can''t help but admire you...''


    Her feelings would most likely never be reciprocated.


    A Hero of Sam''s caliber was simply out of her league!


    **********


    ''What''s up with Sarah? She''s been looking at me for some time now while acting all embarrassed.'' My thoughts trailed as I nced at the girl.


    Suddenly, my eyes bulged wide open and I realized—


    ''N-no way! Did she realize I''ve been staring at her boobs this whole time?!''


    Knowing Sarah, she respected me too much to say a peep, but could that be why she had been acting strange ever since we started walking in the rain?


    ''Oh shit! I just ruined her mental image of me! Damnit!'' Tears rolled down my eyes, unnoticeable thanks to the constant outpour of the rain.


    ''All because of your lust, Sam... you jeopardized your future!''


    How disgusted would she be by me now? Would she ever think of me the same as before again?


    As I thought along this line, I could do nothing but sigh and contemte my very bleak future.


    ''She knows now... that I''m a pervert. I guess there''s nothing I can do...''


    I turned my neck a little and shamelessly observed her body once more—seeing as her nearly transparent outfit tightly clung to her body.


    Now that the jig was up, I no longer needed to control myself.


    ''Get as much from the sight as you can, Sam! Opportunity cums—I mean,es—but once!''


    And thus, we continued this pattern until we arrived at my ce.


    **********


    Asa and herpanions rode their Desert Ostriches, charging straight for the Legendary Dragon yer''s location.


    As the wind best her hair and dust trailed behind her, the young woman''s thoughts went to the man she had spoken to only once.


    He was noble enough to save Dulum before, and was generous enough to create peaceful rtions with their city.


    Even though he didn''t have much to benefit, he still supported the City so much that anyone who heard the story would be so embarrassed by his magnanimity.


    Truly, the Legendary Dragon yer was a man of substance!


    ''That''s why we need his help! He''s the only one who can help us now!''


    "How much farther fo we need to go, Asa?" Gu, her extremely muscr Adventurerrade asked with concern.


    Asa could understand why.


    "It shouldn''t take more than a day. If we hurry, we can arrive before nightfall!"


    The truth was that they had been traveling sincest night, and none of them had gotten any sleep.


    Asa knew the Desert Ostriches were also at their limits, but she couldn''t will them.to stop now.


    Theirrades were currently on the front lines, trying their hardest to hold the fort while waiting for the backup to arrive.


    ''We have to get there fast!'' Her eyes were alit with determination.


    As Asa looked beside her, watching the two Adventurers who were with her on this very important Quest, she realized that they all participated in the Adventurer''s Exam together.


    Things had really changed since then, but Asa did not feel like she had changed much.


    "Even now... I can''t protect the ones I care about..." Her voice trailed as a sad memory lingered in her head.


    Still, she marched onward.


    Even if she didn''t have the strength to protect her city from the chaos currently guing it, there was one person who could.


    The Legendary Dragon yer himself.