Chapter 39
"!"
Noah jumped in surprise and took a step back.
"What's wrong?"
"…When did you come over?"
"Just now."
Was she the sensitive type, like Bella? It was astonishing how she reacted like a wild beast the moment she awoke from her trance.
I wanted to make this examiner squirm. That would definitely happen in the near future.
"Use that fine nose of yours to examine me next time, too. …I'll come to the room you're in for a private meeting."
Whatever meaning she took from my suggestive remark,
Vale Noah watched me in silence.
With her eyes covered, I had no idea what she was thinking.
Still, for some reason, I felt as though she harbored a peculiar wariness toward me.
Because I might be a criminal who had used a person as bait? No… That didn't seem to be it.
It was an infinitesimal sense of incongruity, difficult to explain in words.
Noah skillfully concealed even that tiny oddness and spoke quietly.
"I am not conducting the examination because I have a good nose, but I will look forward to it."
Examiner Vale Noah left.
"Oppa."
"Karen, I know you have a lot to say, but…."
"This is great!"
"Huh?"
"You got another mission. This time, let's make absolutely sure we do it!"
"…Yeah."
She must have been deeply disappointed that the result had been overturned, but Karen did not show it.
She did not press me about why I had not told her about Isti, either.
Karen was considerate of me and knew exactly what mattered going forward.
Her lively appearance filled me with energy as well.
Time, which I had thought had stopped while Examiner Vale Noah was present, began to flow again.
The adventurers gradually lost interest and returned to their places, while Mr. Smidden brought the people working with him
and moved the Thin Wolf to the workshop.
"Sir Dekal. Would you like to receive an artifact as your reward for dealing with the Thin Wolf?"
The guild master approached me and asked.
"What's an artifact?"
"An artifact is something akin to a talisman, made from the materials of rare monsters.
It is an extremely valuable magical item with special effects, and since it requires a great deal of material, only one can be made."
Hmm. Would something like that actually be useful?
"What do you think, Karen?"
I asked Karen, who had fought alongside me.
"Hmm, I think an artifact that can be worn on the body would be good."
"Then we'd like the reward to be an artifact."
"Understood. I will inform you as soon as it has been completed."
Now that all the onlookers had left, only Isti and Karen remained.
"Isti. Were you acquainted with that examiner?"
"Yes. Noah is Diamond rank, too. She surrendered her adventurer's license and became an examiner. …She's a difficult person."
"Difficult?"
"If it weren't for Noah, things wouldn't have come to this. Noah always takes things too far.
She's known as the 『Iron-Walled Examiner』."
"Like you're known as the Noble Hunter?"
"Yes. Something like that."
If that was the sort of examiner who assigned the task, it wouldn't be easy.
We needed a countermeasure.
"Let's all discuss how to handle the additional test. Over a meal!"
"Meat?"
Karen immediately took the bait.
"Meat."
"Oppa, you're the best!"
"You like it too, Isti, right?"
"Yes."
I went to the barbecue restaurant I often visited with Isti.
All we did was simply put the meat on the grill and cook it, but that was actually the most delicious way to eat it.
Though compared to when I lived in the modern world, it couldn't be helped that the seasoning tasted somewhat bland.
"It's delicious!"
Amusingly, the two of them were in clear contrast when they ate.
Isti ate so silently that it was hard to tell whether she even chewed what she put in her mouth, while Karen enjoyed herself with her whole body, reacting to everything.
Watching the two of them made the meat taste even better.
Looking back on what had just happened, only Isti and I knew about hypnosis.
Isti must know. She knew that I could now manipulate the outcome of the next examination however I pleased.
In other words, I had placed a safety device in case an unwanted problem arose, so that I could prevent it.
And that safety device was Vale Noah herself.
The iron wall I should have shaken through legitimate ability already had a hole punched through it.
That meant I could even make her retract the additional test right now and say there would be no such thing.
Karen didn't know it, but we had practically already passed the test.
Hooray for hypnosis.
But that wasn't what mattered.
My goal wasn't to become a candidate for the Hero. So even if I went to the examiner and asked her to help me pass the test, it would mean nothing.
It would only hasten the moment I parted ways with Karen.
So for now, I would spend time with Karen and watch how things unfolded.
We had earned the guild's recognition by defeating the Thin Wolf, and with only Vale Noah's personal approval remaining, obtaining a passing result was no difficult task.
Let's think.
What would be the most exciting way to do this?
In what direction should I guide things to make it the most enjoyable?
"Oppa! Are you listening?"
"Huh? What did you say?"
"A plan for dealing with the Lich! To defeat a Lich, we need tools to counter magic. It would be dangerous to take a Lich's magic head-on."
"Does it use offensive magic, too?"
"Yes! So this time, I'll carry a shield. A shield with high magic resistance should do. Its physical defense will be terrible, though.
There are also lots of skeletons following a Lich around. We'll have to be careful not to get surrounded. And, and, the Skeleton Warriors are……."
Karen was already burning with enthusiasm for the sake of her dream.
This was it. What did I want to do with this dream-filled girl?
I would get Karen pregnant before the additional-test period ended.
Defeating the Lich was not essential. It would be that much more dramatic if we did, but I couldn't take too great a risk.
However, I would adjust the test results so that Karen passed.
I would make sure Karen never realized that I had intervened.
Karen would successfully become a Hero candidate and, with her pure passion, achieve outstanding results and be considered a promising prospect for joining the Hero's party.
And then, her belly would begin to swell.
Karen would feel her growing belly and realize she was pregnant, and when it was too late to turn back, she would appear before me.
With the light of her dreams gone from her eyes….
Heh heh heh. Good. This was it.
"Very good."
"You think so too, right, Oppa? Liches are weak against physical attacks. I'll close in and attack from point-blank range."
Karen clenched her fist tightly.
"I'll surprise that examiner!"
I would definitely get Karen pregnant!
"Karen. Let's start preparing tomorrow."
"Okay!"
"No."
At that moment, Isti, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, spoke up.
"Dekal. Liches are dangerous. Noah said a Lich was about as strong as a Thin Wolf, but that's only half true."
"Only half true?"
"You said an Elder Lich could stand against an entire nation. There's no guarantee that such a Lich will only appear in ancient ruins.
A Lich is a monster that must be approached with extreme caution simply because of its existence."
"If things get dangerous, I can just call you, Isti."
"Wouldn't the examiner understand if something like that happened?"
If it seemed truly impossible, I could even hypnotize Karen, skip the process, and obtain her passing result from Noah.
Karen didn't know that, so she was talking in an entirely different direction, but even if the Lich turned out to be unexpectedly strong, I didn't think Noah would understand.
It would be a problem even if she did.
Then we'd have an additional test on top of the additional test. I didn't want that.
"What I taught Dekal wasn't wind magic. It was the wind spirit. Spirit magic reaches its peak in wide-open plains or forests, but dungeons are different. Because the wind spirit is the freest of spirits, it can barely exert any power indoors."
"Does that mean you can't come if we're in danger?"
"Yes. I can't go save Darling. That alone makes me anxious."
"……."
Isti's concern was entirely justified.
We had gone into the Black Forest full of confidence, only to experience something like that in the end.
Wasn't there some good way? Some way to enjoy leisurely pregnancy sex with Karen while making it seem like it was all part of the process of choosing the Hero.
When I remained silent, Isti spoke.
"I know I just said that unilaterally. But…."
Isti couldn't finish her sentence.
"I know. You're worried about me, right?"
"Yes."
"That's why we came here to think about what to do, isn't it? There's no need to overthink it."
I felt as if I was just on the verge of coming up with a good idea.
"Let's train, Oppa."
Karen suddenly spoke up.
"Train?"
"We'll level up!"
Ah, so this was how things were going to turn out in the end.
We would raise our levels until we could defeat even a Lich. It was the standard solution.
But… was it really that easy?
For the first time in a while, I checked my status.
Name: Dekal
Lv: 129
Status
［HP］ 6877/6877
［MP］ 8871/8871
Attributes
Strength 556 Magic Power 787 Vitality 551 Agility 501
Veleira's True Blessing《True》
「A blessing that bestows the authority to rule over fire among the elemental attributes. Only those who truly understand the goddess can receive this blessing.」
(Immunity to fire damage, increased power of fire magic, increased proficiency gain for all skills.)
Goddess's代理人
「Communicates in all languages and can decipher all scripts. It is the qualification to cross between worlds and proof of having been chosen by a god.」
(Increased skill acquisition rate, increased experience gain, 5x increase to attribute multiplier)
Spirit of Wind
「A spirit called the freest of all spirits, capable of changing the flow of the atmosphere and making the wind obey it」
Skills
Fireball (★☆) - An intermediate fire spell with great power. Burns the enemy.
Fire Enchant (★★★) - A spell that imbues all kinds of objects with the fire attribute.
Search (★★☆) - A technique for discovering and analyzing traces by carefully examining and observing.
"My level is 129. What about Karen?"
"91!"
"Isti, what should we hunt if we want to raise our levels quickly?"
"Minotaurs, Skeleton Warriors.
You should be able to reach 150, at least."
"Fighting those things sounds incredibly dangerous, too."
Isti silently nodded.
Even if we put Isti forward again to raise our levels, Karen's level would remain where it was.
The danger would hardly change.
But Karen's suggestion—that we should raise our levels—didn't seem like the wrong direction.
Wasn't it, in fact, the most correct method?
Overcome it by becoming stronger.
We ate meat in silence for a while longer. Then Isti spoke up.
"If you're planning to go to the dungeon, I want the two of you to at least be able to escape a dangerous situation for certain."
"You mean we need to be good at running away so we can feel safe, even if we can't fight and win?"
"Something like that. So I'll teach both of you my Unique Skill, 〈Spatial Leap〉."
"R-Really!?"
Karen sprang to her feet.
The attention of everyone in the dining hall turned toward us.
"Because Karen protected Darling. This is my way of repaying her."
"An elf's Unique Skill… No matter how much money you piled up, you couldn't learn such a precious skill…!"
I glanced at Isti.
"Isti, are you sure? Even so."
"If Darling had said from the beginning that he was aiming to become a candidate for hero, I would have taught you before we went to the Black Forest.
But learning it will take time."
"Time? How long?"
"Usually, about three years."
Even if it was a Unique Skill, training for such a long time would be difficult.
"However, if I stay by your side and help you as a Spirit of Wind, I can drastically shorten the training period.
To make it usable in an extremely urgent situation, one week should be enough."
"One week."
Karen's eyes sparkled.
"Even if it took three years, I would still have learned it, Isti!"
"It may not exactly be an exchange, but when I'm not around, you have to protect Darling."
"That's my job. Leave it to me!"
Perhaps she liked Karen's refreshing attitude, because Isti smiled faintly.
This was a good atmosphere. Should I give them a little push?
"Since you're even going to learn a skill together now, why don't you two speak comfortably with each other? Isti, you'd prefer that too, right?"
Isti nodded.
"Starting today, you two are friends."
"Friends? That's…."
Just as Isti was about to cut her off with, “We're not,” Karen threw her arms around her.
"Isti! Thank you!"
"……."
Karen's sincerity was so direct that it could be compared to a headbutt.
That childlike innocence seemed to help pry open Isti's rigid demeanor.
They looked as though they could become quite compatible friends.
Isti, flustered by the pure goodwill; Karen, guileless and honest.
"I'll study hard!"
"Of course you will. It's an elf's skill."
Watching the two of them brought a pleased smile to my face.
Come to think of it, I realized that my own problem had been solved as well.
"We'll have to do some special training."
A delightful idea had occurred to me.
Sex and pregnancy with Karen. We didn't have to do it somewhere dirty like a dungeon, after all.
Under the pretext of special training, I would be able to spend a long time together with her.
"Isti. How about doing it at the Eight-Colored Shell Castle?"
"Yes. I think that's a good idea, too. We won't be disturbed, and there's plenty of space."
"The Eight-Colored Shell Castle?"
Karen tilted her head, just barely.
"Karen. Look at this."
Snap.
I snapped my fingers, putting Karen into a trance.
Isti watched expressionlessly while munching on her meat.
"「Sex is essential for special training.」"
"Ess… ential…."
"「You have to diligently have sex with me and become pregnant.」"
"Sex… with Big Brother…."
"Heh heh heh."
I was already happy.
"…Darling."
Isti furrowed her brows as if uncomfortable.
Oops. Had I been too obvious in my teasing?
"That wasn't something to talk about at the dinner table, was it?"
Isti stared intently at me and said,
"I want to be the first to become pregnant with Darling's baby."
Her unexpected words struck my heart.
Clinging desperately to my trembling emotions, I said,
"With how much I came inside you, shouldn't that have happened already?"
"According to our ancestors, elves have a low chance of becoming pregnant."
"In other words, you want me to keep doing it until you're definitely pregnant?"
"Yes. A lot."
"Hmm. How about taking turns?"
While Karen slept in a trance, I seriously discussed with Isti who should become pregnant first.
Even as I spoke, I wondered what kind of situation this was.
But Isti and I were serious.
"Is it too greedy of me to say that I want to be the first to have you come inside me…?"
"Not at all. Is there anything else you'd like to ask for?"
"……."
Isti clenched the hands resting on her lap and spoke up, summoning her courage.
"When you come inside me, tell me that you love me…."
"……."
"T-Twice!"
What did she mean, twice?
I could tell her I loved her ten times, a hundred times.
How many times as she wanted to hear the words she liked best.
"All right."
I woke Karen with a clap of my hands.
"Karen. Where were we?"
"What is the Eight-Colored Shell Castle?"
"It's my residence. We won't be disturbed there, and it's spacious and comfortable. Let's do special training there for a week."
"Okay!"
Karen smiled brightly, baring her white teeth.
"We'll do special training hard, learn Isti's Unique Skill, and I'll have lots of sex with Big Brother and become pregnant, too. …Huh? Wait?"
"What is it?"
"Hmm~?"
Karen tilted her head, failing to notice anything strange.
Isti, who had been quietly watching, spoke.
"Karen. Competing to see who becomes pregnant with Darling's semen first is also an important part of the special training."
"Big Brother and Isti are lovers. But if Big Brother comes inside me, wouldn't Isti dislike it…?"
"It's all right. Darling's feelings are more important to me. It's what Darling wants."
"So that's why you did it with that receptionist, too……."
I could feel it. Dissonance was arising in Karen's heart as well.
It was as though everything else were being sucked into the distortion of a powerful gravitational field.
To fit the absurd suggestion, her common sense was being rewritten, preventing her from realizing that anything was strange.
A powerful hypnotic state.
"…Now I understand."
If Isti was devotion and love, then what about Karen?
"After having lots of pregnancy sex with Big Brother, I'll proudly become a candidate for hero!"
Karen declared resolutely.
She had declared that she would devote all her efforts to having sex with me.