Lys walked a few steps behind the creaking cart, the afternoon sun beating down on the dusty road. The weapons they'd bought from Madam Vesper clinked softly inside the wooden crates every time the wheels hit a rut.
Bertha gripped the pull-rope with both hands, muscles in her thick arms flexing as she hauled the load toward Sara's house. Sweat soaked right through her simple linen dress, turning the fabric almost see-through where it clung to her heavy breasts and the curve of her belly. The material stuck to her back and hips like a second skin, outlining every roll and dip with every step she took.
Lys tried to keep his eyes on the road ahead, but damn, it was hard, after all, he was really pent up nowadays. And now that seeing the way her ass shifted under those damp trousers, it made heat crawl up his neck and down below almost instantly.
He cleared his throat and stepped up beside her. "Here, Bertha, let me take a turn pulling that. It must be hard for you alone, right?"
Bertha didn't even glance at him. She just shook her head, breathing hard through her nose. "Uhh, no need. I got it."
Sara fell in beside Lys, walking easily with her hands in her coat pockets. She bumped his elbow lightly. "Let her be, Lys. She's always like that. She doesn't take help from anyone if she thinks she can handle it herself. Save your breath."
Lys nodded, but his gaze kept drifting back to Bertha's soaked front. The sun made the wet cloth almost transparent in places, and he forced himself to look away again, eyes drifting toward somewhere far.
But despite his effort not to look at her and get caught, Sara caught him staring. A small, knowing smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, but she didn't call him out. Instead, she leaned closer, voice low and teasing. "So…Lys, you really got her to drop the price even further. I saw Madam Vesper's face when you brought up that ten-percent discount she owed you. At that moment, she looked like she swallowed a bug. Hehe…"
Lys also grinned, imagining that, while shifting the sheathed CorpseSlayer at his waist so it didn't bang against his leg. Sara had lent him the plain leather scabbard right before they left the shop. "Yeah, she must have forgotten all about it until I mentioned it. That's the reason her expression was priceless at that moment. If she'd remembered earlier, she never would've let me haggle that hard before. Pretty sure she would have taken a loss on this whole batch if she were not a shrewd merchant."
Sara glanced back at the cart, then at him, one eyebrow raised. "Huh, You think she still came out ahead?"
"Of course, why won't you think that? Don't you know her by now? I pretty sure figured her out from the first time haggling with her. She knows doing business well enough not to lose in any way." Lys said, keeping his voice casual. "The price we bought the weapons is still a little above the normal market rate. Nothing much. Plus, the guild's only been open today. Every adventurer rolling in from the neighboring villages is going to need gear right away. And don't forget the new shipments from the capital would take at least two days on the usual route to come to this village. So, you can easily sell these at whatever markup you want, and they'll still buy. As of right now, you've got the biggest stock of decent low-to-mid weapons in the whole village after Madam Vesper. And she only has high-end stuff left. So, the low-rank adventurer guys won't have a choice; they'll come to you."
Sara's shoulders relaxed a fraction, hearing his explanation. She let out a slow breath and nodded after understanding his logic. A satisfied little smile spread across her face. "Hmm, you are right. Why didn't I think about this simple thing? Then it seems I'm going to have to be busy as hell from now on if I want to make this count."
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They kept walking, the cart wheels groaning under the weight. Bertha's damp shirt kept riding up with each pull, exposing a strip of sweaty skin at her lower back. Lys swallowed and focused on the road again. Sara noticed, her smile turning a touch sharper, but she didn't say anything about it. She even found it a little amusing.
Instead of saying anything, she just walked closer, her arm brushing his every few steps like she enjoyed watching him trying not to stare.
When they finally reached the turnoff to Sara's house, she stopped and turned to him. "We'll unload this at my place. You heading home?"
"Yeah," Lys said, patting the hilt of the sword at his side. "Got some things to check on. Plus, I want to take a bath fast. I can't stand this sweaty feeling anymore."
Sara gave Bertha a quick nod. She kept pulling without slowing down. "Okay, go on home then. See you later," Sara said, her voice warm but carrying that same teasing edge. But before she walked off, she reached out and squeezed his forearm once, fingers lingering a second longer than necessary. "And don't do anything stupid with that blade before I see you again."
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She let go and walked back without waiting for his response. Lys watched them head up the path, Sara walking beside the cart, trying to take one side of the rope, but Bertha still refused any help, even while sweat was dripping off her chin.
He turned toward his own house, the sword's weight a solid, comforting presence against his hip. Making him feel more confident than usual.
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