Show Me Your Stats!

At first, he thought that he and Janus were buried in the snow. However, upon closer inspection, he realized they weren't buried in the snow but inside an igloo made of tightly packed snow. The sturdy mercenary had packed the snow with his bare hands into brick-like solidity. The igloo was large enough to fit horses.

One horse was standing and dozing off, while another lay on its side, serving as Janus' cushion. Nearby, Ayra’s clothes were spread out in a corner, chillingly soaked. It was only after seeing these clothes that Ayra remembered they had encountered an avalanche. She had maintained a shield while being battered by rocks, and then her memory cut off.
"How long was I unconscious?"
Time was his immediate concern. A deep sense of relief washed over him when he heard it had only been a couple of hours. His estate hadn’t fallen to ruin yet.

"What happened with the avalanche?"
"We avoided the landslide with your magic, but the subsequent snowslide was the real problem."
What happened next was easy to guess. Soaked through from the snow, they must have built this igloo and then stripped off the wet clothes to conserve body heat, which meant, um, being naked...

Ayra finally snapped back to reality when a heated stone clung to her flushed cheek. Even if it was to recover body heat, being naked was embarrassing. She looked down, murmuring her thanks.
"Thank you. I would have frozen to death otherwise."
"It's nothing."

Janus shrugged nonchalantly, his warm hand stroking Ayra's bare back, causing her to shiver, not from the cold but for another reason altogether.
"But what kind of dream had you yelling about killing someone?"
"Just a nightmare..."

She grimaced evasively. Ayra guessed it wasn’t just any nightmare, but rather she had somehow read someone's mind. It felt like she was the protagonist of the epic magic series she loved, connected by soul to the ultimate villain. Ayra really did not want to experience what it was like when that protagonist dreamed of the villain. Besides, she had no cool headmaster or wizard friend to rely on...
'Reading someone's mind feels this unpleasant.'
It was truly the worst feeling, like becoming someone else. She stroked her self-created spirit, its eyes twinkling like tiny black gems. She was thankful to her past self for having the wisdom to use it as an intermediary in her bloom magic...

Her self-praise was interrupted by the memory of the stone's warning just before the landslide. A frown formed on his face as he recalled the stone's notification.
'A landslide is expected soon.'
The fact that the stone had predicted the landslide meant someone knew it was going to happen. Since the spirit could read minds and there was no "mind" in a mountain, the loud crash that followed the warning might have been caused by someone intentionally triggering a landslide. Recalling her family's unfortunate carriage accident, Ayra clenched her lips tightly.

And then...
Janus' hand was troublingly distracting.
Trying desperately to think of something else, she couldn’t ignore it any longer.
The hot temperature of his hand slowly swept over her cold skin, moving down from the hairline at her neck to the prominent vertebra and then down the lined spine. When Janus cupped her buttocks with his palm, Ayra realized she was even without her underwear.

"I should get dressed now."
Though their relationship began based on mutual curiosity and attempting to figure out each other's identities, they were technically lovers. Both being naked had brought about a rather ambiguous atmosphere, and Ayra gingerly moved away. Things were moving too fast.
Of course, putting on her still damp clothes would have dropped her body temperature instantly. Although her magic was depleted from preventing the landslide, she could still wring out the water from her clothes. Just as she was about to turn and reach for her clothes, her body suddenly stiffened.

Looking down, she saw Janus' thick arm wrapped around her waist. Lifting her gaze, Janus called out her name with an affectionate tone.
"I'm excited, darling."
His playful chuckle and glowing red eyes almost made her jump out of his arms, but the arm wrapped around her waist tightened like a boa constrictor. She also felt something firm beneath her buttocks and realized with a start that it wasn’t his forearm.

"Let’s get the compensation for guiding me through Dalum Gorge."
That compensation here, in this manner?
Seeing Ayra stiffen excessively, Janus furrowed his brow slightly, then stroked her cool skin and smiled contentedly. His large hand moved from the nape of her neck down to her shoulder blades, sharing his warmth with her chilled ears.

"Even though I've been holding you, your body is still cold. I like that."
As much as Ayra found Janus' body appealing, the temperature inside the igloo was certainly not ideal. Despite the cold, Janus maintained a toasty body temperature, almost like a human heater.
Yet, given the circumstances, Ayra wanted to distance herself as much as possible. Waking up to find herself unexpectedly naked had delayed her reaction, but the sensation of her bare buttocks against someone's thigh was incredibly embarrassing.

"Seriously, what is this... Why is it getting bigger?"
She squirmed slightly at the movement, protesting.
"I don’t want to force anything if you dislike it..."

"That’s why I’m trying to make it nice. Is this your first time?"
"It's not my first time!"
...But something like this certainly was!

After all, whether in her past life or now, she had never been in a relationship. Although the maze encouraged free love, and she had dated a couple of times, her interest had faded quickly due to her dedication to research.
Moreover, in the maze, it was common to encounter naked eccentrics in public places once a month due to research stress. Even if not, seeing naked test subjects during experiments was routine. Ayra had seen her fair share of all sizes, but Janus' was truly... exceptional.
As Ayra continued to struggle, Janus chuckled before his expression suddenly turned blank. His beautiful garnet eyes, almost mineral-like, showed no human emotion.

Those beautiful eyes seemed to ponder briefly before slowly rolling down. As the hand touching her tightened, Ayra swallowed dryly.
"Alright, everything's fine... But no penetration."
Before Janus' eyes could fully roll down, Ayra hurriedly spoke out. Would giving in once really matter? But given their physiques and temperaments, it seemed unlikely Janus would be on the bottom. And she certainly didn't feel like topping him.

Then, she must prevent this monstrous thing from entering.
"Hmm," Janus made an indecipherable noise. His hand, which had been caressing her waist, suddenly slipped under her armpit, startling Ayra. Her voice wavered back and forth.
"I have to get across Dalum Gorge, and, uh, there's work to do there..."

"Alright, I understand."
The sudden onset of cold made Ayra's body tremble, and Janus wrapped the cape tightly around her as he patted her back.
"So don't be scared. I'll make it nice."

With a somewhat frivolous laugh, Janus scooped Ayra up by slipping his hand under her armpit and seated her properly on his thigh. They were now facing each other in an embracing posture.
Her soles chilled by the cold floor, Ayra curled her toes. She tried to endure, but her soles seemed to freeze in just a short time, prompting her to stomp her feet until Janus wrapped them with his bare hands. However, uncomfortable with the position, he soon moved restlessly.
Watching him, Ayra saw him smoothly slip off his shoes. With the shoes off, his bare feet were exposed, and she was shocked. Hiking on such a cold day without socks, just in shoes?

"Now your feet won't be cold."
Janus personally slipped his shoes onto Ayra's feet. They were too large and loose, but they retained Janus' warmth, and her feet no longer felt cold. Wearing only a cape and shoes, she felt somewhat perverted...
The touch of his hands, putting on the shoes, relaxed her slightly stiff body. Thinking about it, despite occasionally giving off a very intense vibe, he had never once acted violently towards Ayra. Unexpectedly, the concept of a lover seemed to hold some significance for him.

With that thought, Ayra quickly denied her own idea.
'Such a casual lover... What significance could it possibly hold?'
Ignoring how he touched her body, she deliberately looked down. Watching the belly of the horse he was leaning against rise and fall, she tried her best to ignore the gentle touch of his hot fingers on her skin.

'Think about something else... Try to think about something else.'
For instance, the reason he brought Janus here, and just how powerful an entity he was.