4 Chapter 004

"Here we are," said Mordred, guiding Leon to a shallow section of the same river he had discovered, albeit closer to the clearing.

Pointing toward a section of the far bank, which had a prominent red hue, Mordred said, "Check that out. See that red clay and dirt? It becomes like that due to the presence of iron. Apothecaries use it to make skin and hair care products, but if we collect enough, it may count toward the metal we need."

"Wow, Mordred, you're really knowledgeable..." Leon remarked, genuinely surprised.

"Spare me your flattery," said Mordred, her voice flat, but Leon noticed a faint smile flash across her face. He considered paying her an additional compliment, but before he could think of what to say without coming off too strong, Mordred left him utterly slackjawed as she began peeling off her sleeves.

"What are you doing...?" asked Leon, feeling his throat tighten as Mordred undid the clasps keeping her crimson hip armor and dark-red loin cloth in place, letting them drop to her ankles. All she had on underneath was a piece of black fabric that could barely pass as a string bikini, compelling Leon to avert his eyes when Mordred turned to look at him, brows raised as she answered, "I'm going to wash and dry my clothes while the Sun is at its pinnacle. Did you expect me to wade through the water and gather clay fully clothed...?"

"..."

Taking note of Leon's silence, a mischievous grin developed across Mordred's face as she asked, "Don't tell me you've never seen a woman naked or bathing in a river. How is that possible?"

"I've seen plenty..." replied Leon, sporting an imaginary deadpan as he explained, "It's just, in the world I come from, women are more cautious and reserved around members of the opposite sex..."

"Well, this is neither your world nor mine," noted Mordred, peeling off her incredibly scant panties and spinning them around her right index finger as she added, "In this place, the rules are whatever we say they are, and I have no intention of covering up to make others feel less awkward. If my naked body bothers you, it's on you to look away."

"It's not that it bothers me..." Leon replied, sneaking a peek at Mordred's toned abdomen and allowing his eyes to deviate downward as he added, "But it's only a matter of time before others join us. I have no doubt you can protect yourself, but it might cause problems if you expose yourself in front of other guys..."

"Why, do you believe they would attack me...?" asked Mordred, appearing genuinely amused by the prospect. Then, peeling away her top, exposing her modest but well-shaped breasts, she added, "You're an odd one. You speak as if I'm a delicate maiden at risk of being assailed by brigands, but most guys wouldn't even bat an eye at a rough and battle-hardened body like mine. You must have been a real deviant in your previous life."

Though Mordred couldn't see him, Leon shook his head and firmly stated, "You're mistaken. I don't know how things were where you came from, but I can assure you that you would be regarded as an exceptional beauty in just about any other world..."

Not expecting Leon to be so...insistent, Mordred found herself at a brief loss for words. She doubted the veracity of Leon's claim, but there was at least one truth she could glean from his statement...

"So you're saying you find me attractive...?" asked Mordred, a playful smile developing across her face.

"That's an understatement..." replied Leon, his response incredibly faint, but Mordred managed to hear him without issue. As a result, the smile on her face became even more pronounced as she placed her hands on her hips, puffed out her chest, and said, "Then feel free to admire me to your heart's content! As for how I'll behave around others, there's no sense in worrying about that right now. After all, it's presently just the two of us."

Punctuating her statement with a wink, Mordred peeled off her remaining garments, set them off to the side, and jumped into the thigh-deep water. Leon followed her with his eyes, but he was so taken aback by what had just transpired that his mind drew a blank for several seconds.

Sensing that Leon's position hadn't changed, Mordred, narrowing her eyes and smiling, looked back at him and asked, "What are you waiting for? You won't be able to collect the clay from up there."

"Right..." replied Leon, carefully descending into the water. It didn't break as he entered it, but he could feel the current trying to drag him along as he followed after Mordred, entranced by her playful smile as she stared at him while sinking into the water and swimming backward...

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Though clay was fairly forgiving, with each kilogram accounting for one unit, scooping up five hundred kilograms wasn't easy, even for Mordred. Thus, as the sky invariably darkened, Leon decided they should return for the night and resume their efforts the following day.

"We should construct a Basic Cabin," said Mordred, catching Leon a little off guard as they made their way back to the clearing.

"Are you sure...?" asked Leon.

"You're the one who said we need to build and upgrade one to unlock additional facilities," contended Mordred. "If that's the case, it should be one of our top priorities. Besides, while I don't mind roughing it, sleeping in a log cabin, away from the elements, is better."

"Then I'll construct one the moment we get back," said Leon, his sing-song tone making it clear he was happy. And why shouldn't he be? He doubted that Mordred had suddenly come to favor him, but their time at the river had already become one of his most cherished memories. It was almost like he had returned to his childhood days, back to a period where he had no genuine concerns and his curiosity dictated everything he did...

"Well, hop to it," said Mordred. The distance between the clearing and the river was less than a hundred meters, so it only took them a few minutes to return, even at a leisurely pace.

"Just leave it to me," replied Leon, opening the Build menu and selecting the Basic Cabin option. When he did, a red hologram of a fairly modern-looking wood cabin with a steepled roof appeared a fixed distance away, accompanied by a text box informing him that he was attempting to build too close to an existing structure.

"Follow me," said Leon, smiling as Mordred unhesitantly fell into step with him. It only took a few seconds for him to move far enough from the stone chamber's entrance for the hologram to turn blue, but before finalizing the construction, he looked down at Mordred and asked, "Do you think this a good spot? The cabin is mostly for you until I acquire a physical body, so you should decide where it goes."

Sporting a broad smile, Mordred replied, "Ideally, we'd build it someplace that's easily defensible, but I doubt we'll have to worry about brigands or enemy attacks. Building it here should be fine."

"Then let's see what my console is capable of," said Leon, confirming the build. The moment he did, a complex, bluish-white magic circle spread across the ground before rising rapidly, leaving a fully constructed Basic Cabin in its wake.

Though she had witnessed magic before, Mordred's eyes opened to their limits as she remarked, "With a power like this, you could construct a city within a day..."

"Let's check out the interior," suggested Leon.

Nodding in response, Mordred ascended the three steps leading to the cabin's porch before opening the front door and stepping inside. As she did, her eyes widened a second time as she remarked, "I've never seen such a neat and tidy abode..."

Entering the cabin behind Mordred, Leon was equally surprised as it had already been outfitted with a bed, a dresser, and a chest-like lockbox. It also had a hearth-style stove and, most notably, a manual water pump next to a basin-style tub, both situated in an area that was slightly lower than the rest of the floor. The absence of a toilet was concerning, but he imagined future upgrades would remedy that.

"Is this for bathing...?" asked Mordred, approaching the wooden tub with a look of disbelief. She was fortunate enough to have taken several baths throughout her life, but even as a Knight, she had to go to the church or a communal bathhouse to cleanse herself properly.

"Either that or washing clothes..." replied Leon, but his focus was primarily on the Build menu. The moment he finished constructing the Basic Cabin, tabs for furniture, decorations, and even a few basic appliances appeared. There was even a badass-looking red dragon's head listed, but it required materials from an actual red dragon to assemble.

While Leon was distracted by his console, Mordred approached the bed. It had two pillows, a comforter, and the finest linen sheets she had ever seen, and when she fell face-first against it, her body seemed to sink into the material of the mattress.

'This is Heaven...' thought Mordred, suddenly feeling all the day's fatigue wash over her. She could fight for a week without rest in her previous life, but now she was exhausted after just a few hours of manual labor. It was vexing and a little concerning, but since the only people present were her and Leon, Mordred felt like she could lower her guard for the first time in a long while.

Noticing Mordred lying face down atop the bed, Leon approached her and asked, "You good...?"

Rolling onto her back, causing Leon's heart to skip a beat before rapidly accelerating, Mordred circled her navel with her left index finger, smiling as she asked, "Are you able to sleep...?"

Swallowing hard, Leon nervously replied, "I haven't really tried...it hasn't even been a full day since I died and lost my body..."

"That's a shame..." said Mordred, raising her left foot as she teased, "If you had a body, I would have allowed you to undress and lay with me..."

"I could try..." Leon responded, feeling a heat spread through his body as Mordred narrowed her eyes and replied, "Go ahead..." with a faint red hue permeating her cheeks.

'Holy fucking shit...'

Reaching out to cradle Mordred's foot, feeling its warmth and texture against his palms, Leon attempted to will himself to be able to affect her. To his surprise, Mordred almost immediately remarked, "I can feel a bit of warmth..." but that appeared to be his limit as, even after several minutes passed, he couldn't even crease the fabric of her black leggings.

Catching Leon completely off guard, Mordred asked, "Do you want to try possessing me...?"

Following a brief pause, Leon smiled wryly and replied, "That's a terrifying notion. Even if I could, what then? While I'm a little curious, I'd rather not experience how a woman gets off..."

"Then let's try this," said Mordred, rising to a seated position, getting up from the bed, and moving past Leon. He was curious about what she had in mind, but he could have never expected her to break off the handle of the water pump, carrying it back to him as she said, "Try possessing this," while sporting a mischievous grin.

Though he was beyond tempted by Mordred's suggestion, Leon first met her gaze and said, "I'm willing if that's what you want, but I think it would be more meaningful if we waited until I acquired a body..."

"But who knows when that will be?" asked Mordred, bringing the rounded end of the handle up to her lips and licking it before adding, "And who's to say I'll still be willing when the time comes? If it's true that other guys will find me attractive, I may decide to test the waters elsewhere..."

"Say no more," said Leon, bending forward and faceplanting against the broken handle. To his surprise, the possession was almost instantaneous, but it was also uncomfortable as, unlike the tree, the handle had no give to permit motion. He also felt cold and lifeless, but that wasn't so bad as it made the warmth flowing from Mordred's hands and body more apparent and comforting.

"Wow, you must really be smitten with me..." remarked Mordred, sensing Leon's aura from the broken handle. A part of her was tempted to tease him by setting him on the nightstand and leaving him there, but since he was technically her first suitor, she traced her fingers along the length of the handle and licked its rounded tip before musing, "I suppose I'll allow it..."

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