I’m Not Good at Offensive Magic, but I’ll Do My Best With Support Magic!

Chapter 2: Frontier Town・Trentia

「Yuan, wake up」
「Hmm~?」

Shia-san woke me up while the moon was still high in the sky.

「Shia-san, it’s still nighttime~…」
「Un. Lookout, time to shift」
「Ah~… is that so」

Stretch~!
Usually this wakes me up, but I don’t feel very awake because it’s night.
Shaking my fuzzy head, I prepare for lookout in a leisurely manner.
However, since we are camping, I am not wearing loungewear, so I just put on a robe.

「I’ll keep watch. You can go back to sleep, Yuan」
「No, that’s not allowed. It’s a rule that two people are supposed to keep watch」

Today’s watch order starts with Karina-san and Fiona-san, followed by me, Shia-san, Snow-san and Kiara-chan.
As I stepped quietly out of the tent, I saw the two of them keeping watch around the bonfire.

「I’ll take my turn」
「That would be helpful」

Since we were traveling by horse-drawn carriage, we were able to relax in the carriage, but since the two of them were traveling on horseback, they were probably more tired than we were.
To reduce the burden on the two of them, we need to think about dividing it among the four of us.
They thanked us and went inside the tent they had pitched next to the carriage.
After seeing that, we start our watch.

「Free time… I guess」
「It can’t be helped」

In fact, there is nothing in particular to do when it comes to keeping a lookout.
Since I am casting detection magic, I can immediately see if any monsters or bandits enter, and since Ladi-kun, summoned by Kiara-chan, is conducting visual surveillance with his subordinates, I think it is almost impossible for them to get through.

「But it’s been a long time since we did this together」
「Un, the last time was before we got to Tanza」

The last time we camped while keeping a lookout was when we were going from the village of Talis to the city of Tanza, so it has been more than a month ago.

「It all happened so fast」
「It was fulfilling」

In a way, it was fulfilling.
I met Shia-san, defeated the bandits in the forest, met Kabai-san, defeated the lord in Tanza…

「Then 2 months later we became criminals…」
「You never know what life has in store for you」
「Indeed. And I met Shia-san」
「Un. I met Yuan」

Shia-san then pulled me close, sat me between her legs, and hugged me from behind.

「Jeez… we’re on lookout!」

I would make a protest to that.

「You don’t seem to hate it」
「Is that so?」
「Un」

I don’t actually dislike it. In fact, it’s not bad because I feel at ease.
If in fact two people are on lookout, both of them need to watch the opposite side. If two people look in one direction, they will not be able to find the enemy coming from the other side.
But we are fine. That’s why we can do this.
In the first place, with detection magic and Ladi-kun and his friends, there is no need to keep watch.
If anything, it’s not so much a lookout, but rather the first to deal with the enemy when they arrive.

「Shia-san, isn’t it hard?」
「No problem」

I am sitting on the floor leaning against Shia-san. There is no wall behind her, so I was a little worried that it might be a burden to support my weight, but it seems to be okay.

「If it gets too hard, just let me know, okay? I’ll move away」
「No problem. So I’m fine as is」

Recently, the number of party members has increased and I have not had a chance to be alone with Shia-san, so I decided to take this opportunity to cherish the time I have with her.

「Do you want a lap pillow later instead?」

The reason for having two lookouts is so that if one of them falls asleep, so it’s no problem for Shia-san to lie down.
So I suggested that.

「Un!」

I was pleased with the response.

「Then I’ll replenish Yuan while now」
「Uwa, please don’t sniff me for a second」
「No problem. Yuan’s scent」

Even if Shia-san is okay with it, I am not.
Shia-san buries her face in my hair and nuzzles and sniffs.
Ugh… her nose is ticklish.

「Yuan, I’m sweating a little」
「Come to think of it, I didn’t do Clean Wash…」
「Un. But let’s keep it this way」

The two people who did the mock battle had sweat and dust on them, so I did it, but as for the rest, I completely forgot about it.
If I had to do this, I shouldn’t have even called Shia-san!
I would have been able to smell Shia-san’s scent… but I wouldn’t have had to be embarrassed.
I never wanted to sniff her, either!

「Yuan, you’re thinking strange things」
「Fue, that’s not true, okay?」

I was still sleepy and my head was still spinning, so I guess I thought some strange things.
I’m a lookout, for one thing, so I need to get my act together!
But…

「It’s not busy~…」

Since we are not very far from the city yet, there are no monsters, and there are no bandits in the area, so it is not surprising, but I am so bored that I can’t help but say it.

「Not really」
「Is that so?」
「This time is also lovely」
「I-Is that so」

Shia-san always says this without embarrassment, which makes me more embarrassed.
I like Shia-san too because she is an important friend of mine, but I think she is going in a different direction, but that’s just my imagination, right?
We’re both girls. It’s all in my mind, right?
It’s just a little, you know, skinship, right?
As I was thinking about this, I suddenly felt a sensation of my magic being pulled out of me?
It was not a fleeting moment, and I can still see it being pulled out.

「Fue!?」
「What’s wrong?」

Shia-san tilted her head because I made a strange noise.

「No, I just had a strange feeling」
「Okay」

Shia-san does not seem to feel anything.
But I decide to find out where the extracted magic is so I can find out what happened.
First, recheck detection magic… No response to detection magic.
It doesn’t seem like any particular monster or anything approaching.
Just to be sure, I looked around, but there was no sign of anyone leaving the tent, and Rose-san and the others seemed to be sleeping in the carriage.
What happened then?
Next I follow the flow of magic.
The source of magic power, magic element, is invisible to the eye, but it is floating in the air.
When we use magic, we use it, but the movement of the magic element is always disturbed at that time.
It’s like when there is an obstacle in a river and the flow changes just there.
So if I check the flow of magic elements, I should be able to see where my magic power has flowed to.
But there was nothing strange about the flow of the magic element either… but I did find out one thing.

「I understand… Shia-san?」
「… What?」
「You can’t even blurt it out. What did you do?」

I found that the magic was being directly absorbed by Shia-san who was holding me.

「I did nothing」
「That’s a lie. My magic is flowing to Shia-san」
「Okay」
「Okay, not. I was surprised, you know?」
「Sorry. But I didn’t do anything… just…」
「Just?」

Shia-san doesn’t seem to be playing dumb, but she seems to know something.
So I stare at Shia-san to ask her about it.

「I just know that the contract between Yuan and I is getting stronger… and I think that’s what’s causing it」
「Eh, the contract?」

Shia-san’s words surprised me.
Because it’s out of the blue, without warning.

「Un. I don’t know the details either. But I’ve heard there are stages」

In other words, an effect of the Contract Magic with Shia-san? It seems that my magic power flowed through the Contract Magic to Shia-san.

「Are there any conditions or anything?」
「Un. I heard we should just get close to each other」
「Close?」
「Maybe it depends on the person. But it’s been a long time since Yuan and I took our time like this, and it made me feel loved… maybe」
「I-Is that so」

I don’t know the conditions, but it seems that if I get along with Shia-san, the contract will be stronger. I don’t know the conditions for getting along, though!

「To be happy… is that right?」
「Un, I’m happy… Yuan isn’t?」
「I’m happy too. But won’t you be sad to say goodbye after getting to know each other so well?」
「No. I’m not leaving Yuan」
「Oh, I don’t mean us! Um, it’s about the other members of the Shadow Wolf Tribe. If Shia-san wants me to stay, then I’m not gonna leave」
「Happy」

Shia-san breathed a sigh of relief at my response and looked happy. Or rather, her face is unusually relaxed.

「I’d be happy to be with you too, Shia-san. I just wondered if the other Shadow Wolf Tribe members wouldn’t get lonely」

I was told that the people of the Shadow Wolf Tribe would eventually return to their villages to preserve their strong blood, where those with strong blood would be reunited.
If she were to return to the village, we would naturally have to separate.

「It is also different for each person. Some return to the village and are married to their Lord. If the chief approves, marriage is permitted」
「That doesn’t pass on strong blood, does it?」
「Un. But it is said that the blood of the Shadow Wolf Tribe is strongly inherited by the children of both male and female couples. It is important to leave strong blood, but it is also important to produce strong children from the Shadow Wolf Tribe, so there is no problem」

Blood is important, but the name recognition of being from the Shadow Wolf Tribe is also important.
Besides, it seems to be said that if the child is reunited with the Shadow Wolf Tribe, the strong blood will return again.
I don’t know how much of this is true, though. Maybe it is a superstition.

「I see」
「So I’m not going back」
「Why?」
「Yuan, my Lord, is a woman, and when I go back, they’ll introduce me to a suitable man… because we can’t have a child between us」

Ah, there is that problem, too.
There are ways to have children between men and women, but not between women.

「That’s too bad…」
「The inability to have children?」
「W-Wrong. It is that Shia-san will never be recognized by her grandfather!」

When you return to the village of the Shadow Wolf Tribe, it is when you have made an achievement that is recognized by the chief.
But at the same time, being recognized means being forced to marry in order to preserve strong blood.
If either Shia-san or I were a man, we would be together and that would solve the problem… What am I thinking!
Maybe my head hadn’t stopped spinning!

「What’s wrong?」
「I-It’s nothing, okay? More importantly, has the stronger contract changed things?」

I know Shia-san learned magic when we first signed the contract. There may be some benefit to this.
Naturally, for me!

「Un… it made Yuan even lovelier」

Gyu──Then, I was hugged strongly and rolled around in her arms.

「Shia-san, I’m dizzy~!」
「Mistake」
「Jeez… my clothes got dirty!」
「Sorry」

Shia-san was happier than I had imagined, and she couldn’t contain her happiness.

「Clean Wash!」
「Ah… Yuan’s scent」

I cleaned without question.
Shia-san is disappointed, but I don’t want to be dirty!
Once again, when I hear about the benefits I got this time, it seems that I got benefits that seem surprisingly useful.
Since the benefit was not really felt by trying it here, I decided to test its usefulness again after tomorrow.
Hey, now that’s something to look forward to!
By the way, I have a little more arm strength now!
I can now hold Shia-san’s sword for 5-10 minutes, whereas before I couldn’t!
That’s progress! … maybe.
While we were doing this, Snow-san and the others woke up and took over the lookout.

「Sorry to interrupt your fun」

Snow-san told me that, but what does it mean?
I don’t think I have done anything in particular to be apologized for.
We didn’t mind and asked Snow-san to keep a lookout for us and we rested in our tent.
I thought that once I woke up I would not be able to sleep again, but surprisingly I was able to sleep easily, which was good.