Chapter 94: Unseen Forces and Unspoken Feelings
In fact, they were lucky to have cleared out a few of the threats that endangered travelers.
"Shiao, what’s wrong?"
He was sitting in the room while staring blankly at the towel he had dipped into the warm water given to them by the inn.
It seemed like he hadn’t noticed someone entering the room until they spoke.
Snapping out of it, he squeezed the towel and began to wipe himself down.
Although it was nearing winter and not warm enough to sweat, the dust and sand still left him dirty.
Dominic reached out and took Shiao Yi’s towel, starting to wipe his back for him.
"Ah, it’s nothing," Shiao Yi said.
"There’s something bothering you, isn’t there? You’ve been deep in thought a lot lately."
When Shiao Yi tried to reach for the towel to take it back, Dominic dodged his hand and kept cleaning his stomach and legs without pause.
"I... I can’t sense bandits coming."
Shiao Yi spoke quietly, as if he was finally admitting something that had been eating at him.
"If they show real killing intent, I can tell right away. But if they hide themselves and sneak up on us, I can’t detect them at all."
He returned the towel to the bucket, washed it and wrung it out again.
"It used to bother me before too. There were times I didn’t even notice when you got close. I figured it was just because I wasn’t on guard around you..."
Dominic turned Shiao Yi around and began to wipe his soft backside gently.
"H-Hey, I can do that part myself."
"Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it," he said calmly.
"Wait... Dominic!"
Dominic continued to carefully clean the front too. Even though this had become a nightly routine ever since the journey started, Shiao Yi still tried to resist each time, though always in vain.
However, he never pushed back with all his strength, showing that he didn’t really hate it. In the end, he would always surrender and let everything be done for him.
"But still... not being able to sense bandits really shook me. I thought I had pretty good instincts. It’s got me wondering if I’ve just dulled that much. I’m really losing confidence..."
Dominic gently patted Shiao Yi’s hair.
"Maybe it’s just that their presence feels different. Actually, if you were near me but I couldn’t see you, I probably wouldn’t notice either... unless you were the one actively making me aware."
There was once a time when where he could felt Shiao Yi through the folds of space. However, that wast just Shiao Yi’s presence—it was something deeper. Their souls had resonated with each other. Two unique and irreplaceable souls had called out to one another.
"As I’ve said before, I can’t sense any magic coming from you at all. To us, that’s the same as nothingness. Everything in this world contains magic power. Even objects hold it. Magic is the very life force of all living things. That’s why we can perceive magic and feel someone’s presence. But in your world, where people have no magic, they must sense other kinds of forces."
"That’s what Mr. Quintus said too," Shiao Yi replied. "It’s why he picked me for this mission. Because I don’t give off any magic, no one can sense me. No matter how much someone tries to suppress their presence, they can’t hide their magic. But I can. That’s why I’m able to slip deep into enemy territory unnoticed. Still... it’s a double-edged sword. I can’t sense them either."
Dominic lifted Shiao Yi and carried him to the bed.
Shiao Yi who is lost in thought lay down without protest.
"I wonder... what is it that I’m actually sensing?" he asked aloud. "Maybe the thoughts directed at me... maybe my brain is picking those up. Like telepathy, in a way. Then there’s breathing, subtle movements, body heat—I can detect those with my five senses. But some people can suppress even that completely. Even so, when I really sharpen my senses, I can still tell they’re hiding nearby. Sometimes I can even guess how many of them there are."
He paused for a moment, still thinking. "Maybe that’s what they call Qi? If magic is what lets you all sense others, then maybe what I’m picking up is also a form of life energy. Like... tiny vibrations from cells, or a kind of wave given off by someone’s life force. And maybe my own cells are resonating with it...?"
As Shiao Yi thought deeply, Dominic’s mischievous hands reached out and started to roam lightly over his body.
"Huh? Wait, does that mean the reason I can’t sense them is because their cellular energy is different from ours? Even though they look just like us on the outside, the core of what makes them alive is completely different? Whoa... I never thought of that before—hey! What are you doing?! d-Dominic! Wait! Aaah... stop! Not there! Ngh! Ahhhh...!"
It was Shiao Yi’s own fault for letting his guard down. As he squirmed beneath Dominic, he pushed him down completely and once again indulged themselves without any restraint that night.
...
By morning, everyone had gathered as usual in Dominic’s room. Shiao Yi who is being held in Dominic’s arms, was in a very bad mood.
He was clearly still angry. Last night, while Shiao Yi had been lost in thought, Dominic had taken advantage of his distraction and turned it into something more, without warning. Shiao Yi was not pleased.
Dominic knew full well that Louis and Rex had been sneaking glances at him.
When he’d tried to give Shiao Yi the usual "good morning kiss," Shiao Yi had slapped him sharply across the cheek. The red mark still hadn’t faded.
Despite his delicate appearance, Shiao Yi was surprisingly fierce. He had no hesitation about raising his hand when annoyed.
"Where’s Aaron?" Dominic asked.
It was unusual for Aaron not to be around.
Come to think of it, he had gone out last night too.