Chapter 79
When I opened the door, Ellin came hopping over from the kitchen.
She was small and adorable, incredibly cute.
"Shall I prepare a meal for you? Or would you rather rest right away?"
I looked at Karen.
"You can eat more, right?"
"Yes!"
"Please make what we had today."
"Um…."
Ellin moved her eyes around, as if checking whether anyone was nearby.
"Could you tell me how you met Isti? I'm curious……."
"Sure."
I readily agreed.
Ellin bowed her head.
"Thank you. I'll have the meal ready soon. Please wait inside."
Meeting Isti, huh…….
It hadn't been long, but it already felt like something that had happened ages ago. What would be a good way to put it?
I couldn't tell her the exact truth, but if I exaggerated and lied, someone would eventually catch me in it.
After the food was served, Ellin cautiously joined us.
It might have been rude to Ellin, but it felt like I had seated a much younger little sister beside me, making it feel as though we were having a family meal.
That adorableness of hers had the power to make me feel as if we were playing house.
Honestly, I might have believed her if she had said she was Isti's younger sister.
"I was surprised when I first saw you all. I've known Isti for a long time, but……."
"She doesn't like people, right?"
"Yes……."
"She was like that with me at first, too."
Isti had never openly displayed feelings of hatred, but she harbored a deep-rooted distrust of humans.
Though I had had sex with Isti that very night.
"A mere adventurer and a Diamond-ranked Hunter? Normally, we should never even have had a reason to meet.
It just happened to be the period when they were selecting candidates for the Hero, so we ran into each other by chance inside the guild building."
The two of them blinked as they focused on my story.
……I could understand Ellin, but why was the cocksleeve listening so intently?
"What happened? D-did Isti slap you across the face?"
Why would a woman you had never even met suddenly slap you?
I thought that far, but couldn't say it aloud.
Because I remembered the face of the woman who had slapped me the moment we met.
"Not exactly, but she was cold toward me. That was probably the Isti you know, Miss Ellin."
Ellin nodded enthusiastically.
"I fell in love with her at first sight, so I didn't give up. I kept clinging to her, and Isti accepted my feelings."
"……That Isti did?"
Ellin still seemed unable to believe it.
Well, of course. Even if I told her the truth—that I had brainwashed Isti with hypnosis—she wouldn't believe it either.
This was about the right amount of conversation for light dinner talk.
"We had incredibly good physical compatibility, so we quickly became a couple in love."
"Compatibility? What does physical compatibility mean?"
"……."
I deliberately didn't answer.
Ellin muttered to herself as she pondered it, then suddenly seemed to realize the meaning and flushed.
"Ah……."
"Ah, I want to tell you how we became so close……. It was really wonderful. But I can't put it into words."
"……Oppa. You sound like an old man."
Ellin's ears turned bright red as she lowered her head.
Well, this way she wouldn't be able to ask for details and would just imagine the rest herself.
"Isti did that……. W-would I be able to date a boyfriend like you, Mr. Dekal?"
"……."
I gazed intently at Ellin, pretending to be lost in thought.
Perhaps feeling inferior, Ellin hunched her shoulders.
"I'm tiny, my breasts are small, and……. I have no charm as a woman."
"That's not true. Being cute is an incredible charm!"
Karen said it firmly.
She was right about that. Ellin was seriously cute.
"I also think Ellin is charming. You just need to be properly 'prepared.'"
I slipped in words designed to stimulate her imagination.
"Pre-pared……. I knew it. So that's what it was."
"Prepared?"
Karen tilted her head.
"You know what I mean too, don't you, Karen?"
"……?"
Ellin hesitated, then leaned close to Karen's ear and whispered.
"What does that mean…… Ah."
Karen seemed to realize it.
Ellin considered it embarrassing and didn't speak loudly enough for me to hear, but I could guess what they were talking about.
Preparing for anal sex—the knowledge I had implanted in her.
That was probably what she meant.
"Y-yes, that's right."
Karen spoke in an awkward, theatrical tone.
"When you meet someone you like, if you aren't prepared…… it can be troublesome."
"……."
Ellin wore a determined expression.
"I should start right away, starting today."
"Start what?"
When I pretended not to know and asked her, Ellin flustered.
"I-I can't tell you, Mr. Dekal. It's something only women talk about. Right, Miss Karen?"
Karen nodded along.
Perhaps because it was in Karen's nature not to be accustomed to lying, guilt was practically dripping from her expression.
Haha. I shouldn't make her act.
It was fortunate that Ellin was so easily fooled.
Well, unless you made a fairly blatant mistake, it wasn't easy to sense anything strange about a suggestion.
Only women with exceptionally sensitive intuition could notice such things.
Even before I was transported to this other world, I had tested it on many women, but none had ever done more than notice something was off.
Not a single one had ever nullified my hypnosis through her own power.
It didn't work on monsters at all. I didn't know whether that applied to every monster, but since monsters were usually hostile when encountered, I had never tried testing it on one.
Although, who knows?
If I happened to meet a beautiful succubus, I might feel like testing it.
I had naturally accepted the fact that hypnosis didn't work on monsters.
Thinking back, when I was young, I had once tried using it on stray cats and potted plants, but I had never found it strange when it didn't work.
It had seemed only natural that it wouldn't work.
But I didn't think the problem was simply that they couldn't understand my words.
When I had suggested to a newborn baby that it stop crying, it had worked.
In short, my power discriminated between targets.
There was only one exception that had failed purely because of the target's response.
That was when a god divided its consciousness.
Clatter.
Before I knew it, all the food in my bowl was gone.
"Would you like some more?"
I was full now.
"I snacked before coming here. I'm fine."
Karen still hadn't finished her portion.
"I'll bring out some tea, then."
When Ellin climbed down from her chair, someone opened the inn's door.
"Isti?"
Just as Ellin had noticed first, I knew who it was, too.
Only Isti could appear while bringing along such a refreshing breeze.
Karen and I stood up to welcome Isti.
"Darling!"
I hugged the approaching Isti tightly.
"How did it go?"
"It was so sudden that they seemed surprised, too, but they said there was no problem. For now, I've been allowed to enter on a temporary basis."
As expected.
Isti looked back and forth between Karen and me.
"And you two?"
"We passed. No problem!"
Karen puffed out her chest and answered confidently.
"This is the same person who was asking whether she couldn't level up a little more before we left today."
"O-oppa, you're so mean."
Karen continued to mumble.
"Oppa encouraged me by ejaculating inside me…… th-that helped me…… Ah!! What am I even saying!"
It was adorable how she started to mumble and fumble over her words, apparently realizing that she shouldn't have said that.
"What about Noah?"
"She said she had something to do and would move separately. She wants to find out whether there are any elements within Melvrit that might pose a danger to you, Darling……."
"Oh."
The "Ironclad Examiner" had begun working for me.
Given that I had no idea in what form I might encounter this world's god, she was a truly reassuring ally.
I kissed Isti right then and there.
Isti didn't pull away and opened her mouth.
There weren't any other guests, anyway. We kissed deeply, our tongues entwining.
"Mmph. Mmm. Darling…… did you want to kiss me?"
How amazing that she could tell how I felt from just one kiss.
I had eaten the bespectacled woman today, so this was merely cleaning my palate to keep from getting an upset stomach.
Isti was beautiful no matter how many times I saw her.
"Sit down. Let's finish eating and go rest."
"Okay."
After the three of us finished eating, we went to the Eight-Colored Shell Castle.
After we all showered, I immediately sprawled out on the wide bed in the lord's room.
Ah, some time alone.
It was quite peaceful.
While lying there comfortably, I decided to try out the function of the Eight-Colored Pearl.
Whoa. Karen was changing into a spare outfit. Seeing her breasts sway as she bent over made blood rush to my cock.
Isti was wearing only her underwear as she summoned a wind spirit to dry her hair.
The Eight-Colored Pearl was a much more impressive item than I had expected.
Like a smartphone, I could manipulate the screen and secretly watch the two of them from various angles.
I positioned Karen's bouncing breasts directly in front of me and enjoyed the view.
Suddenly curious about what Noah was doing, I shifted the viewpoint.
Noah was still inside Melvrit. Was this a library? Its scale was beyond imagination. As far as the screen could show, there was nothing but books.
Noah was talking to someone there.
When I saw her, I bolted upright.
"Who is this woman……?"
An enigmatic shudder continuously coursed through my body.
Though I had seen the same uniform dozens of times today, her posture was so flawless that it seemed like an entirely different outfit.
Her glossy black hair, like Noah’s, was piled high like a cloud and styled with abundant volume.
With the nape of her neck exposed, a slender jawline, and mysterious green eyes, she was an elegant beauty whose features blended together perfectly.
“Lady Sia. What is the matter?”
The woman remained still for a moment before looking at Noah and giving her a gentle smile.
“The Hero will be visiting Melbrit in a month.”
The moment I heard about the Hero, I snapped to attention.
Was this woman connected to the Hero?
I quietly held my breath and focused on their conversation.
“Ah……”
“Isn’t that what you wanted to hear?”
“That is correct.”
I had no idea what they had been talking about before that, but
Noah honestly admitted it.
“I don’t mean to be sarcastic, but I was surprised. Sir Vail Noah, the Iron Wall, taking an interest in something other than her official duties.”
“……”
Noah remained silent for a while, choosing her words, then opened her mouth.
“A great change has taken place within me. Now that I have found something more important than myself, I intend to spend the rest of my life working toward it.”
“The Hero is a busy person, but if it is a request from Sir Vail Noah, she will gladly make time for you.”
“That is a relief.”
“You do understand, don’t you? The Hero is someone who bears the fate of the kingdom on her shoulders. Not even the slightest misfortune must befall her.”
“Do I look like someone who would do something so reckless?”
“No.”
Sia placed a finger to her lips in a gesture warning that she should be careful with her words, and smiled with her eyes.
“This conversation…… someone might be listening.”
I flinched.
Surely she wasn’t saying that for my benefit…….
“……Yes. I will be careful.”
Since Noah did not know I was eavesdropping, she did not show any sign of embarrassment in front of Sia.
Even if Noah had known, she was not the sort of person who would carelessly reveal her agitation.
But setting that aside, I felt that this woman named Sia was not someone I could afford to underestimate.
She was different from Stia and Diana, women I could toy with unilaterally.
I couldn’t explain it in words, but there was a strange sense of incongruity about her.
I watched Sia move away, then shut off the peeping window.
What a strange feeling.
I had only come to this school because the Hero was a woman…….
Because it seemed like I would be able to have more filthy and enjoyable sex.
But why?
I didn’t know why I felt as though I had overlooked something important.
I fell asleep while pondering it, and woke when sunlight began pouring into the lord’s chamber.
“Should I go out…….”
I washed in the grand bathhouse and changed into a spare suit.
What was everyone doing?
I was about to check the three of their locations through the peeping window when I ran into Noah in the corridor.
“Lord Decal. Good morning.”
“Yeah. Morning. But how did you get into Shell Castle without my help?”
“The Eight-Colored Pearl reacted to the shell, allowing me to enter. Was I not supposed to?”
“I was just curious.”
Just then, Bella was passing through the corridor.
“Bella!”
“Yes?”
Bella leisurely walked over.
“Your master is calling. Aren’t you coming quickly?”
Only then did the slave start running.
“Can anyone enter Shell Castle if they have a pearl?”
“This early in the morning…… Ah…… Is that what you wanted to ask? No. Only people who have entered together with the master even once can do that.”
“So it can be used like a pass.”
That was convenient too.
I had fallen asleep without meaning to, and had nearly left Noah sleeping in a cheap inn…… No, the Elven Retreat wasn’t cheap, but it was a relatively uncomfortable place.
“You hadn’t told me when you would return, and since you came back at dawn…… it was actually fortunate that Lord Decal was sleeping soundly.”
“What did you do yesterday?”
“You sound like a husband with a jealous streak. Boo.”
Bella jeered at me.
“Bella. One hundred squats.”
“Ugh!?”
“I was just…… curious.”
It was difficult to say that the truth was that Sia was on my mind.
Noah remained still, her expression hidden beneath her blindfold, as though no one could tell what she was thinking. Then she opened her mouth.
“Yesterday, I met and spoke with the student council president of Melbrit.
We ended the conversation by saying that the Hero would visit Melbrit in a month, and that I might have the opportunity to speak with her privately then.”
“The student council president. So they have something like that, too.”
“Yes. However, it would be best not to approach her.”
“Why?”
It seemed Noah’s instincts had been triggered. Did she feel the same incongruity that I did?
“Yesterday, I identified three people in Melbrit who could pose a threat to Lord Decal.
Lady Sia is one of them. The reason is…… embarrassing to admit, but I myself do not know what she is thinking.”
If I had never seen what kind of person she was, I would have found that strange.
But since I had seen her through the peeping window, it made perfect sense.
She was a woman shrouded in mystery.
“There was a time when the Hero, Lady Sia, and I all received our education together at Melbrit.”
“Oh, you mean you were classmates?”
“To say that I was the Hero’s classmate…… I would never dare put it that way, but……”
Just how incredible was this woman called the Hero for Noah to humble herself like this?
On the contrary, my curiosity only grew.
“When the Hero was at Melbrit, the school was unquestionably enjoying its golden age.
Among them, Lady Sia was considered certain to be selected, but for some reason, she chose to remain at the school.”
“That’s strange……. Only a tiny handful are selected, right? Isn’t it an opportunity everyone wants?”
“It is not particularly unusual for someone to decline joining the Hero’s party even after being selected, but Lady Sia was extremely close to the Hero, so
everyone found her decision puzzling. Ever since then, I have believed that no one—not even anyone else in Melbrit—knows what Lady Sia is truly thinking.”
“……”
Hmm.
She had followed the Hero and even been selected, but in the end, she had turned her back on the Hero and remained at the school……?
What was the meaning of that?
“What about the other two? ……Bella. Can’t you control your expression?”
Bella cursed me with her eyes while lowering her hips with a smile on her lips.
“There are two people in Melbrit considered likely candidates for the next selection: Miss Herka Filiote, ranked first, and Miss Neris Rike, ranked second.”
“They’re both women?”
“Yes.”
“Are they pretty?”
Noah fell silent for a moment.
“……Yes. Lord Decal. I am currently talking about people who may pose a threat.”
“……Sorry. That was just a reflex. Go on.”
“At a young age, Miss Herka is the strongest mage in the kingdom and a Diamond-ranked mage.”
Wow. Short and powerful.
Ranked first and Diamond-ranked…… How diligently had she lived to achieve all that at such a young age?
“Miss Neris is a lancer said to be a once-in-a-thousand-years talent, and she is also Diamond-ranked.”
“A lancer…… Wait. I understand the mage, but why the lancer? She sounds like ideal prey for hypnosis.”
“The Rike family possesses an enormous number of artifacts related to magic resistance.
Miss Neris has grown up with a constitution immune to magic since childhood, so nearly any spell is nullified simply by coming into contact with her.”
“Ah…….”
I see.
She might have a way to resist hypnosis?
“I do not doubt Lord Decal’s abilities. However, Miss Herka is a specialist who has mastered all kinds of magical knowledge forbidden from leaving the country,
while the Rike family is one that has devoted hundreds of years solely to sealing magic. There is nothing to be gained from letting your guard down.”
“You’re saying I need to be careful, right? Got it.”
I remembered everything.
All that remained was to put it into practice.
I couldn’t stop thinking about how much fun it would be.