Charles followed Nora through the dining hall's corridors, the black sword in his right hand and a twinge of embarrassment nagging at him.

The rain still pounded outside, but inside, the air was warm, smelling of old wood and freshly cooked food.

Nora walked with an energy that belied the exhaustion Charles knew she must be feeling.

Her enthusiasm was almost contagious, but he couldn't shake the feeling of being out of place.

The corridors were nearly empty, and to his surprise, there were hardly any men around.

The few people they passed were women, some in black tunics, others carrying baskets of laundry or supplies, all eyeing them curiously as they went by.

Charles felt his face heat up, especially since Nora seemed oblivious—or indifferent—to the attention they were drawing.

The sword, as usual, didn't miss a chance to butt into his thoughts.

"Ha!" it said in his mind, its tone teasing. "Look at you turning red, human. Relax, will you? That girl just wants to hang out with you. What's wrong with a little quality time?"

Charles frowned, gripping the sword tighter.

'Shut up,' he thought sharply. 'I don't need your commentary right now. This is awkward enough.'

The sword let out a chuckle that echoed in his head.

"Awkward?" it said. "Please! You're acting like you've never talked to a girl before. Come on, enjoy the moment."

Charles rolled his eyes mentally but didn't respond.

Nora, unaware of his internal conversation, kept leading him through the corridors with quick, almost bouncy steps.

Finally, she stopped at a worn wooden door and, without giving Charles time to brace himself, pushed it open and yanked him inside with surprising strength.

"Come on, get in!" Nora said, her smile leaving no room for argument.

Charles stumbled a bit as he entered, and when he looked up, his jaw dropped.

The room was large, much bigger than he'd expected, but it was an absolute mess.

The bed's sheets were half-on, dangling sloppily off one side.

One pillow sat on the mattress, but two others were strewn on the floor, alongside a pile of black underwear and dark tunics that seemed to decorate the ground more than be stored.

A desk in the corner was buried under crumpled papers and a couple of empty mugs.

The window was closed, and the air inside reeked strongly of feminine sweat, hitting Charles like an invisible wall.

Nora, entering right behind him, noticed the chaos at the same time.

Her cheeks flushed red, and she let out a small squeak of embarrassment.

"Oh, by the gods!" she exclaimed, rushing to the window. "This is a disaster! Don't look, Rian!"

Before Charles could respond, Nora raised a hand and used her wind power.

A strong gust shot from her palm, flinging the window open with a bang.

CRASH!

The glass trembled, a small crack appearing at the edge, but Nora didn't seem to notice.

With a twirl of her other hand, she began pushing the room's air outward, trying to clear the smell.

The sheets and clothes on the floor fluttered, and some garments flew into a corner.

Charles couldn't help but laugh at her panicked expression.

"Hey… relax," he said, his tone amused. "I don't mind the mess. It's… normal, right?"

Nora froze for a second, still holding the gust of wind, and looked at him with a mix of surprise and embarrassment.

At the same time, the sword spoke in Charles's mind, clearly stunned.

"What?" it said, its tone almost incredulous. "You're seriously okay with this mess? What a weird human you are…"

"What?" Nora exclaimed simultaneously, her cheeks still red. "Don't tell me you think this is normal! It's a disaster! I didn't expect you to see my room like this!"

Charles realized his comment was a misstep. Trying to fix it, he raised his hands in a calming gesture.

"Wait, what I meant…" he said quickly, "is that it's natural. Everyone's room gets messy sometimes. And, hey, it's not like you smell bad or anything. It's fine."

The sword let out an exaggerated sigh in his mind.

"Had to be a guy…" it said, its tone torn between exasperation and mockery.

Charles frowned, responding mentally.

'If you don't like it, I can leave you by the window to get some fresh air while we take that bath.'

The sword laughed, clearly amused.

"You know what? Not a bad idea," it said. "Because, while this human's got some cool powers, this room stinks. Do it, stick me by the window. I don't want to keep smelling this place."

Nora, still airing out the room, didn't notice Charles's internal conversation. She pointed to a door in the opposite corner.

"Rian, can you open that door?" she said, her tone trying to sound casual despite her obvious embarrassment. "It's the bathroom."

Charles nodded and walked to the door.

So, Nora had a private bathroom?

He opened it and found a small but surprisingly tidy bathroom.

There was a simple sink, a slightly fogged mirror, and a bathtub just big enough for one person—definitely too cramped for two without being awkwardly close.

The floor was wooden, with small holes that seemed designed to drain water, which puzzled him for a moment.

Everything was clean, almost spotless, in stark contrast to the chaos of the main room.

"You keep this tidy?" Charles said, turning to Nora with a grin. "Wow, I'm impressed."

Nora, still manipulating the air with one hand, huffed.

"It's not a big deal," she said, though her tone sounded a bit more relaxed. "Now, check that wooden tub by the bathtub. Make sure it's got water."

Charles approached the large wooden tub and lifted the lid.

It was half-full, the water looking clean and clear.

"Yeah, there's water," he said, glancing back at Nora.

"Perfect," Nora said, still waving her hand to air out the room. "Use the bucket there to fill the bathtub. I'll be done here in a sec…"

Charles frowned, looking at the sword in his hand.

'Hey,' he said mentally, 'I'm gonna leave you by the window like you said. I don't want you criticizing or gossiping while we set up the bath.'

The sword made a sound like an offended gasp.

"Gossiping?!" it exclaimed. "What an insult! But, fine, okay. Leave me by the window. I don't want to smell this loser human. Her wind power's neat, but this place is still a wreck."

Charles rolled his eyes and stepped out of the bathroom.

As Nora continued airing the room, he noticed she was holding a pair of black underwear in her other hand.

Their eyes met for a second, and she turned even redder, quickly hiding the garments behind her back.

"Don't stare so much…" she exclaimed, her voice flustered.

Charles raised his hands, trying to calm her.

"Relax," he said, looking toward the window. "I don't care. It's just clothes. I'll set the sword here and get the bath ready, okay?"

Nora nodded, still embarrassed.

"Yeah, give me a few seconds to tidy up," she said hurriedly. "I don't want you thinking I live like an animal."

Charles smiled and walked to the window. He placed the sword on the sill, making sure it was secure despite the gusts Nora was generating.

To his surprise, the sword didn't budge an inch, as if anchored in place.

Nora, noticing this, paused her wind manipulation for a moment and eyed the sword curiously.

"That sword of yours…" she said, her tone mixing interest and suspicion. "It's pretty peculiar."

"Yeah…" Charles said, trying to sound casual. "Maybe it's heavier than it looks."

Nora raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but didn't press further.

She went back to tidying the room, gathering clothes and sheets with impressive speed.

Charles returned to the bathroom, grabbed the bucket, and started filling the bathtub with water from the tub.

As he poured, he noticed the wooden floor's small drainage holes again.

They were tiny but clearly designed to let water flow out, which struck him as odd but practical.

It took several trips to fill the bathtub to the brim, and when he finished, the water was nearly overflowing.

"Done!" Charles called, poking his head out the bathroom door. "Bathtub's full."

Nora, who had finished tidying the room, approached the door.

To Charles's surprise, the room now looked pristine.

The sheets were neatly tucked on the bed, the underwear and tunics had vanished—likely stuffed into a drawer—and the air smelled much fresher thanks to the open window.

Nora's face was sweaty, but she looked pleased with her work.

"Wow!" Charles said with a grin. "This place looks brand new. Nice job."

Nora huffed, wiping sweat from her forehead.

"No big deal," she said, trying to downplay it. "But… can you forget what you saw earlier? All that mess… it's not my usual, okay?"

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