Chapter 72
First floor main hall of the Eight-Colored Clam Castle.
Bella was sitting on the throne.
"Master. Why are you alone today?"
"I'm going to rest in the castle with my companions, so I came to ask if the clam was safe in the meantime. …But, do you wait for me on the throne like that every time?"
Bella let out a short laugh.
"What a ridiculous question. Did you forget my specialty is dimensional magic? I feel Master coming and quickly get to the throne. A pussy slave has to welcome her Master home."
Bella had a mysterious, elusive side to her, disappearing and appearing out of nowhere like Isti.
If Isti was the possessor of spirit arts that crossed space, then Bella was a goddess who could interfere with other worlds, other dimensions.
The sight of such a goddess becoming a pussy slave and scrambling to move to greet me was, honestly, cuter the more I imagined it.
"Whether the clam is safe? What a trivial worry. Did you forget who made that clam?"
"Who made it?"
"I did."
"You said collecting clams was your hobby, so I thought you obtained this one from somewhere too."
"I did obtain it. I'd just attached various functions and modified it for convenience. You already know that even from this world, I can peek into the world where Master is, right?"
"I know."
I realized that feature clearly when moving the corpse of the Scene Wolf.
To move the wolf's corpse, which I couldn't possibly move with my own strength, I first moved to the Eight-Colored Clam Castle, then looked at the table outside and moved it precisely there.
And that had succeeded without much difficulty.
"Does that mean if someone with ill intent pulls some stunt, I can go outside and respond?"
"And they can't damage it either. I've cast protective magic on the Eight-Colored Clam."
It was Bella's magic. That was somewhat reassuring.
With those words just now, it was confirmed that ordinary people couldn't break the clam.
"Also, the Eight-Colored Clam can only be interacted with if you have user authority. Right now, only you and I have that authority."
"It even recognizes its users? I didn't know that."
"Convenient, right?"
"But since it's an object, it can be picked up and moved. If someone moves it, you might end up exiting in an unwanted location."
"Right. If they throw it into the sea or something, you won't be able to exit the castle."
"Have you ever opened the Eight-Colored Clam?"
"No?"
"It's probably full of pearls inside the clam. Using the pearls, you can expand your field of vision, and you can also move to where a pearl is located."
"Oh."
"Then, if you call the Eight-Colored Clam with the storage box I gave you, you can collect it no matter where the clam is."
"That's amazing?"
"Of course! Who do you think made it?"
Bella puffed out her chest and said proudly.
"Doesn't that mean if I put those pearls in the women's restroom, the women's bath, or the room of a woman I like, I can lie comfortably in the castle and secretly peep?"
"…."
That's insane? Aren't these hidden camera pearls?
Bella stared at me with cold eyes.
"Master. I feel genuinely upset. Disgusting."
"An artifact personally crafted by a goddess is on a whole different level! I also like that only I can secretly watch since I have the usage authority. Let's keep this a secret between the two of us. I'll give them to women and enjoy the view."
"Thanks for recognizing that it's on a different level. But Master, you really are a massive pervert? Using hypnosis only for perverted things too."
"You don't know anything. The most suitable use for hypnosis is using it for arousing things."
"…."
Until now, I had only focused on the functions of the Eight-Colored Clam Castle, but I had never deeply thought about the functions of the giant Eight-Colored Clam itself.
The best thing about this clam was that it was created with the user's convenience as its center.
"Is there really no manual or anything? Even I, who hate reading manuals, want to read through it once."
"Why would there be? It wasn't made to give to someone else in the first place. There are countless features I've experimented with and left neglected for hundreds of years, so even I don't know them all. I only just remembered about the Eight-Colored Pearls too…."
"Hmm. So that was your hobby."
"To be exact, collecting clams is my hobby. All the clams on the shore up ahead were collected by me."
I see. So even the trivial detail of the clams strewn along the shore was something Bella had taken care of.
Hadn't I heard that this world was a torn, shattered world? The sea would have been cut off somewhere too, so the ecosystem couldn't possibly be normal.
At first, I wondered why she would give me something like clams, but they really were treasures Bella possessed.
"Collecting things you like. I think it's a good hobby."
"Could you not treat it the same as Master collecting women?"
"Aren't they similar?"
"Hah, then who's the woman Master cherishes the most?"
"…."
Hmm... It's hard to pick just one.
"It changes from time to time. The women I met today were great too."
Tilia and Diana. Both of them were beautiful.
It would be a lie to say I wasn't looking forward to the [Hero School].
I hadn't decided yet whether to put them in the Eight-Colored Clam Castle or play with them and discard them.
"Ah, this isn't the time to be doing this."
I called up the menu.
"Bella. Prepare dinner. I'll bring three people over."
"Okay. Master."
"You have to keep it a secret that I can peep on them if I have the pearls!"
"…."
Bella let out a deep sigh.
"The women who'll suffer under Master's perverted tendencies are pitiful."
I approached Bella and pinched her cheek with my fingers.
"Ahh, ha."
She looked at me as if asking what I was doing, but didn't refuse.
That was Bella's cute point. The fact that she was a pussy slave always ready to submit, despite taking on the stance of a goddess who spat out harsh words left and right.
I opened Bella's jaw, put my finger in her mouth, and pinched her tongue.
"...Hah. Hnngh…."
As I held her tongue and stayed still, Bella's saliva flowed down along my finger.
"Didn't I say the woman I cherish changes from time to time? Right now, you're my favorite."
"…."
I released her, then gently pulled Bella into an embrace, spanking her ass with a sharp smack and groping it.
Bella said with a flushed face, glaring at me with a somehow resentful expression.
"...Got it. I got it, Master. I'll keep it a secret."
"Good."
After sharing a kiss with the submissive Bella, I returned to the original world.
Karen and Isti were huddled together, talking.
"Ah, Big brother!"
"What were you talking about?"
"Ah, we were talking about what order to stand watch in, in case we had to guard the clam."
"Then that conversation is moot. I'm on my way back from confirming that a goddess's protective magic is cast on it."
"Wow!"
Karen exclaimed in admiration.
"To think we don't have to stand guard while camping. And on top of that, warm bathwater and a comfortable bed....... I love it!"
"Where did Noah go?"
"Lord Degal, you have arrived."
Noah appeared behind me.
"You surprised me."
"I'm sorry for startling you. My outfit is designed to not stand out at night, so……."
"What were you talking about with the coachmen?"
"I thought our people might approach out of curiosity, so I warned them on my way here."
It seemed he had told them not to approach the carriage at night.
The coachmen had looked quite frightened.
"Didn't you scare them too much?"
"No. The coachmen were frightened for a different reason."
"A different one?"
"…."
As Noah hesitated over how to say it, Karen spoke up boldly.
"Even I thought so! Big brother, you didn't forget that you staked the coachmen's lives during the duel, did you?"
"Aah…."
Tilia had said something like that too.
Asking if I really didn't need to consult with the coachmen.
I had brushed it off and said I'd give my own head if the coachmen ran away.
"Today's events were indeed difficult for ordinary people to endure. A matter where lives were on the line, a duel with a renowned noble house, and on top of that, the sight of Lord Degal punishing Miss Diana. It was an extremely shocking series of events."
Now I understood what Noah was trying to say.
The coachmen had been scared not of Noah, but of me.
A mad adventurer! Degal. Hahaha.
"I only thought about you guys and didn't care about how others would see it. What kind of impact do you think this will have?"
"The duel itself is a hot topic, but if people find out what happened to Miss Diana, rumors will spread throughout the capital in no time. Vanguard will grit their teeth and try to keep it under wraps, but it will be futile. In two days, everyone will know Lord Degal's name."
"Hahaha."
"Big brother. I don't think this is something to laugh about……"
"I agree. I have a premonition that protecting Lord Degal will become twice as difficult."
"Just thinking about what kind of expression Diana is making right now is enjoyable."
Was she hiding under a blanket out of shame?
Or was she chewing her lips until they bled, brooding over anger and hatred for me?
"Noah. There's the reward we promised the coachmen for this job, right? How much was it?"
"25 gold for each of the three."
I put most of the money I had, one hundred gold, into a gold coin pouch and handed it to Noah.
"Lord Degal. What is this?"
"Additional compensation for their mental distress. Divide it appropriately and give it to them."
"Understood."
Noah took my money and went over to the coachmen.
Once I spread some money around, the coachmen's expressions brightened considerably.
As expected, money was the best way to win people over, wasn't it?
"Thank you!!"
One of the coachmen whose name I didn't even know shouted toward me and bowed his head.
I waved them off and waited for Noah to come.
“How was it?”
“They were all extremely pleased. Do you not use hypnosis at times like this?”
“No. Too much trouble.”
It’s not like they’re pretty women.
Using hypnosis itself means putting in effort, and honestly, I have no interest in their names or faces.
But there is meaning in giving.
“It’s not as if I’ll ever be in trouble for lacking money.
More importantly, if those people go to the village and speak well of me, then without my having to hypnotize them one by one, hundreds, thousands of people will come to know about how generously I spend, won’t they?
Then when I need people and have to gather them, I won’t have any trouble.”
“Oppa, you’re smart!”
“……You would be correct, had you not made an enemy of a noble house.”
“If you feel like doing something, you do it first and think later. Remember that.”
Noah laughed.
“Oh, Lady Noah smiled.”
“I think I’m beginning to understand what it means to serve Lord Decal.”
“Ah, I have a present for you all.”
I opened the Giant Eight-Colored Clam.
Inside, eight-colored pearls were piled up in such abundance it was almost grotesque.
Even under moonlight alone, they were so dazzlingly radiant that I wondered if they were glowing on their own.
I chose one from among the many pearls, dropped it onto the floor of the carriage,
and handed one each to the three of them.
“What’s this, darling?”
“An eight-colored pearl. When we return from the Clam Castle, we can move to the location of the pearl.
It’s an emergency measure in case someone moves the clam while we’re inside the castle. Everyone keep one on you.”
“It has such a function…… How convenient.”
“I have plenty, so if you lose it, just ask for another.”
“It’s sparkly and pretty.”
Karen gazed at it for a long while, delighted.
I firmly shut the Eight-Colored Clam.
“Noah. Try hitting the clam with your weapon. With the intention of smashing it.”
“Will that be all right?”
“I just heard it has the goddess’s protection magic cast on it.
It’s only a simple verification procedure.”
“The goddess’s protection magic…… Understood. If I confirm directly that there’s no need to be wary of it, I’ll be at ease as well.”
Shadows gathered in Noah’s hand.
The shadow stretched to her elbow, forming the shape of a tonfa.
It was the moment I confirmed that Noah’s weapon, like Isti’s, wasn’t something she carried around.
Is that a trait of strong people?
Noah moved her wrist and spun the tonfa.
“Would you step back for a moment?”
I took a few steps back together with Karen and Isti.
The tonfa’s rotations kept increasing. Noah stood there as if calmly waiting for the right moment, then struck the clam from above with the tonfa.
The motion itself was simple. She merely brought down a tonfa loaded with maximum centrifugal force from above.
But that motion was not visible at all.
Only after the clam had been hit did I realize she had moved.
A heavy sound rang out, like a battering ram striking a castle wall. Unbelievably, the impact stirred up a slight blast of air.
My skin tingled as if lightly shocked by electricity.
Described in words, it was nothing special, but when seen in person, I could tell at a glance that it was an incredible attack skill; an invisible force pressed down on me.
The spot where the Giant Eight-Colored Clam sat was sunken in.
However, there was not even a scratch on the clam.
“……Hmm.”
“How is it, Noah?”
“It is a hardness that feels as though it is not a substance of this world.”
Isti nodded.
“If it were Noah’s attack, even mithril would have shattered.”
……What’s mithril? That stuff from games?
I seem to be the only one who doesn’t know how hard it is. Roughly about steel? It must be harder than that, right?
“According to Bella, the clam itself seems to have been gathered normally.
The level of the protection magic cast on it must be high.”
“It’s on another level.”
“……So this is the goddess’s power.”
Perhaps there was something about it that drew the interest of the strong, because Noah and Isti looked down at the clam together and nodded.
“Now that the safety inspection is over, let’s go rest.”
“Okay!”
Karen answered energetically.
We all moved together to the Eight-Colored Clam Castle.