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"Eh?

" For a moment, Layn was unable to utter even a single different sound. Staring with his widened eyes at the sleepy face of the girl as she continued to climb up on his body, he had no strength to react to this uncommon invasion.

n'Were the morals so loose back in the ancient ages?' This single question stomped the archmage's mind, making him unable to react in any way or form for a while. A while long enough for the girl to fully enter the tent before snuggling up to Layn's chest. With her head rested right on top of his breast, Layn finally regained his senses.

n'I need to do something, ' shaking off the influence of the initial surprise, Layn calmly analysed the situation. Most likely, the girl was tired after her guard duty and the information that someone else was in the tent simply wasn't registered. Following her habits, she simply snuggled into her beddings, not letting stuff like a presence of a damned man stop her from the long-awaited rest.

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"Umm…

" Just as Layn finally managed to gather the strength in his arm in an attempt to poke Irea's cheek for as long as it would take to wake her up, the girl suddenly opened her previously squinted eyes.

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"Ah… Mind telling me what's going on?

" There was no exhaustion in the girl's eyes. While she managed to convince him otherwise with the perfect acting of her body, Irea wasn't capable of lying with her eyes.

nNow that it was obvious that she was only pretending to be so meek due to tiredness, Layn decided to just confront her with the situation. Whether she was really hitting on him or just acting spoiled, the easiest way to discern was just to ask.

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"Isn't that quite obvious?

" Moving upwards his chest, Irea crossed her arms right atop Layn's solar plexus, before resting her head on her wrists.

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"As you know, back…

" rolling his eyes, Layn attempted to bring up the backstory, only for Irea to place her finger on top of his lips, shutting him completely.

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"Back in the desert, there were hardly any women, so I'm not so sure what to make out of your actions.

" Keeping her finger where she placed it as she spoke, Irea raised it to her own chin, only to cutely lean her head to the side next.

"Is that right?

"

nA mischievous smile blossomed on the girl's lips.

n'Even though I already expected that it's still hard to reply to that.' Layn wasn't as naive as to underestimate the ancients. While he only needed a bit of preparation to be able to face them in battle, their wits and intellect were on par with the modern people. Just because they didn't know a lot about the intricate details of the world around them didn't make them any more stupid.

nIn fact, a small voice in Layn's brain continued to advocate that the people of the current time were actually way smarter, given how most of the people too weak to be suitable for their lifestyle would be curbed out by the nature.

nIn a sense, those who reached their adulthood, when compared to the cradled humans of modern times, were beasts. Their bodies were more resilient, their health sturdier, their senses sharper and their heads calmer. Without those traits, they would never reach the day of adulthood.

nWhen thinking about this matter, the fragile body of the girl that served Layn for a blanket was actually on a grade similar if not higher than his perfect replica thawed from the threads of pure magic!

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"Yeah, you nailed it right on the head.

" Using his hand to cover his face instead of poking the girl's cheek, Layn admitted. Thankfully, rather than pushing him harder, the girl swung happily her legs before rubbing herself on Layn for a moment.

nDespite the initial suggestive nature of what she did, her coquettish moves quickly turned out to be just an attempt to find a more comfortable position. As if not minding sleeping with a relative stranger at all, Irea curled to Layn's side, using his arm for a pillow.

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"You won't mind, do you?

" Whispering directly into Layn's ear, Irea seemed to know perfectly well how to push his buttons.

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"Sure…

" Unsure how he was supposed to react, Layn decided to drop the topic. In the end, he would be uncomfortable if the girl came at him any harder, but having someone to cuddle with after an emotional and exhausting day hit the home just in the right way.

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"Goodnight then.

" Letting go of his restraints, Layn turned on his side a bit. While still keeping the girl on his arm, he leaned towards her, using his free hand to enclose her in a tight embrace.

nInitially startled by this action, Irea forgot how to move for a moment. But this moment was long enough for the exhaustion that Layn kept in check for the entire day to finally surface. By the time the girl could react, the steady breathing of the archmage signalled that he has fallen into a slumber.

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"Goodnight.

" Curling her lips upward, Irea snuck her hand towards Layn's back, before snuggling even closer to him. With her face hidden in Layn's broad chest, she added..

"May you tell me your real story one day.

"

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